~Thank you to the (halfkyuubikat and SASUKEGURL) few people who R-R'd. I was so glad that someone actually read it that I started writing a whole new chapter right away. I hope I get even more reviews as time goes on. Also I thought that the last chapter was a bit short myself, so this time I made sure to write a little more. Hope you enjoy......~~~~
As her snuffles died down she started to become more relaxed and confident about what she was going to say. Only her husband and love of her life could make her feel like this…she thought thinking back to when they were young and in team seven again. After a few moments of silence passed Sasuke broke her slide show of memories when he asked,
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or are you going to make me suffer the whole way back?" She squinted her eyes looking up into a softly glowing street lamp that they pasted.
"Well…" she started not knowing exactly where to start… "For one you are never home anymore..." Sasuke sighed knowing that she would bring that up. She ignored his attitude towards the situation and continued with her angry confrontation, "and when you do come home it's always late…after I put the kids in bed and past the time I fall asleep…" He knew she would also bring this up, but he didn't mind- in a way he felt he deserved those soft pangs he was receiving in his heart just by looking at her saddened face that was turned partially away from him. As they walked further down the path Sasuke pulled her closer to him. He didn't mean to make her feel this way, and he didn't like inflicting these feelings unto her…there was just so many things going on at once right now…His place was always at work but his mind was constantly at home with the family he knew he didn't deserve. In his eyes his beautiful wife that he had married when they were only seventeen, had given him the most precious things in the world to him; his six year old son Yasuo, and his four year old girl Kai. Yasuo was the first born child and they had him after two years of wonderful marriage. They had both been thrilled when they discovered that Sakura was expecting, and Sasuke (who didn't mind if they were to have a girl) was even more enthusiastic about it when Tsunade gave him the hint that it was a boy. When he was born it had been one of the happiest days of his life, and two years later he was to be the happiest man on earth again after he learned that Sakura was carrying their second child Kai. That's when Sasuke fully learned that raising a girl is so much different than raising a boy. Both had their ups and downs and Sasuke tried his hardest to spread his attention evenly to both, but it was something about the father daughter connection that made Kai his baby girl. Yasuo was a part of his heart to; a very close one at that, but it was just…how could he explain it…? Different…He closed his eyes now also thinking about why he was at work so many lengthy hours at a time. Naruto…the village…He hadn't told Sakura yet; he had been instructed not to. There had been numerous reports on Akatsuki sightings around or in the area, and Sasuke knew exactly what they were looking for. Naruto, his best friend who was his children's God Father, and one day to be Hokage. The blonde had also married to a shy girl and had a child of his own. Their little girl Amaya was the same age as Yasuo and was just as shy as her mother Hinata. Naruto not wanting to draw any attention to him, his family, or the village he agreed to stay in hiding in the village. He could only go to so many places. Surprisingly he didn't mind, and allowed himself to be watched by Anbu officers. Sasuke was often assigned to him considering their past history, and he silently wondered if the baka requested him. He opened his eyes slowly thinking about the war that was looming over the villages. Only an ill kept promise to most now, but to some who knew the true story (like himself) knew that it was only a matter of time before the villages broke into a full out war with everyone around them. The tension three times then what it should be due to threats continuously made by Akatsuki. Sasuke's duty was to look for any means to escape up coming trouble by capturing anyone who might be involved with the threats, or who was involved with Akatsuki. Then later try to obtain as much information possible out of them, and kill them. He was often troubled many nights with what he did to people but all he would have to do is look at his family and know that what he was fighting for (to have tortured and killed for) had been important. He opened his eyes and gave a sideways glance at his wife who was desperately trying to get a hold of herself. He knew that she didn't like to look weak in front of him, but three months of this had taken its toll on her. He wanted to tell her all the reasons why he had been coming home late, for her; Naruto; his kids; the village. But all that passed his lips when he spoke trying to comfort his wife was,
"I'm sorry Sakura…I will try to do better…" There was a soft sniff as she turned her head and looked at him.
"Try to do better in what?" She prodded him with one of her slender fingers in the side of his ribs. He playfully winced; threw up his arms and said with mock defeat,
"Alright…alright! I will do better to come home early to see my children and beautiful wife before they decide to fall asleep!" She smiled a gorgeous smile; one that could make any strong shinobi fall to his feet, and Sasuke honestly thought about doing just that at the moment. He put his arms back down and crossed his arm around her back, pulling her into a closely knitted half hug. She did the same to him and placed her head that contained stunning pink locks, and smelt like wild strawberries onto his shoulder. He pressed his cheek down into her wonderful smelling hair and allowed himself a long silent intake of air; wishing that this moment wouldn't end. But it would, and will, he thought as he neared the gates to the Uchiha estate; his lover close at his side. Suddenly a thought entered his thinking process as his head slowly raised from the top of hers. "Who did you leave the kids with…?" The off way he presented the question to Sakura made her move away from him a little to get a better look at his face as she answered slowly,
"..I asked Naruto to play with them for a while thinking it wouldn't take so long…he didn't seem like he wanted to but-…" As soon as the word 'Naruto' had left her rose colored lips his thoughts started to speed up taking in everything around them. It was already so dark outside he knew that Naruto's safety band that he wore around his ankle would already have been draining him of chakra. The Hokage had given him the band to wear so that if he stayed at one place too long (besides his designated living area with Hinata and his child) it would slowly start to ebb his chakra away; letting him know that he should get going. It kept him safe from eyes that were not suppose to see him, or trackers that had somehow found away to get around the seal Tsunade had given him to conceal him that was located on his person at all times. Sasuke's eyes flickered from side to side looking for any type of sign that someone else had been, or was now there with them now. Sakura caught on to his subtle way of searching for unseen evidence to some unknown intruder and cautiously asked him,
"What's wrong Sasuke?" He couldn't tell her because he didn't know, he just felt that something was out of place...something was not as it should be…
"I don't know…" he said slowly… "It just feels like something isn't right…" Sakura seeing he wasn't kidding began to look around at the scene before her. Her eyes flew to the house to search for any evidence of a break in. And when her eyes caught the sight of an open door swinging loosely in the wind she griped speechlessly unto Sasuke's arm pictures of robbers attacking her home filling her head. The thought that the children were in there and that Naruto could easily take down a petty thug gave her enough comfort to say his name,
"Sasuke!" her voice was barely audible but Sasuke caught it and followed her frantic eyes to the door that was hanging open slightly in the breeze. Sasuke trying to calm his wife down and lying to not only himself; he patted his wife hand and said lazily,
"I wouldn't worry too much the dobe probably just forgot to shut the door…" His wife already grasping for an answer that didn't confirm her fears she agreed by nodding her head and saying,
"Ya-..Your probably right Sasuke…" The back of his neck tingled pleasantly when she said his name, and he remembered how long it had been sense he had been with his wife intimately in bed…. Shaking his head a bit to clear his mind he walked forward. Sasuke stayed calm as he approached the house, but he stayed on full alert in case anything were to reach out and attack them when they neared. Sakura having already gone into worried mode tread behind him; ready to fight if the need occurred. Sasuke cautiously scanned the entry way as his hand found the side of the door; stopping it from moving. A few moments passed and then he let out a long, loud, and annoyed sigh. He felt Sakura loosen beside him at this casual release of air. What he had discovered with his charcoal black eyes was Naruto; sleeping away on the arm chair in the living room. The T.V light filled the room with infrequent blinks due to the changing scenes going on in the T.V. Sasuke snapped on the lights after entering the house followed by Sakura. Naruto snapped up out of the comfortable position he had been in and his head moved side to side looking for the unseen enemy; wielding the popcorn bowl of doom like the mighty protector he was. Sasuke rolled his eyes, some protector he was.
"Relax idiot it's just us" hissed Sasuke through his annoyance. Naruto did relax when he heard Sasuke's voice, and setting the popcorn bowl (of doom) down he got up out of the chair and headed over to greet them. He stretched along the way and yawned,
"What took you guys so long teme?" Sasuke let out a scoff and started to take off his shoes when Sakura burst passed him into the entry way.
"NARUTO YOU BAKA!" she yelled slamming her closed fist over his head. As Naruto was picking himself up off the floor he said sarcastically and with a smile,
"Ya- no problem Sakura hey you know how much I enjoy watching your kids late into the night." Sakura let out an annoyed huff of air as she fumed,
"You gave me a heart attack!" Naruto apologetically raised his shoulders,
"Sorry I kinda feel asleep while watching the cooking channel. They had a special on tonight about ramen! ~" Sakura and Sasuke rolled their eyes at the same time at how much Naruto loved his ramen. Sakura shook her head,
"Well at least close the door next time! You know what horrible images of robbers stealing our things, hurting you, and kidnapping our children I had had for the past few minutes!" Naruto stared at her with a blank face trying to recall something from the back of his mind. Sasuke stood up again after taking off his shoes and looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. He wondered what was up with his confused expression and as Naruto spoke he felt a twinge of worry in his stomach.
"But I could have sworn I shut the door…." Sakura took it as a mistake he made and teased him,
"What gaining Alzheimer's in our old age are we now?" But Sasuke knew differently- he had worked countless nights on the battle field- far more than Sakura with Naruto to know that Naruto had an excellent memory. If he said he shut the door; he probably had. Sasuke sighed and thought that maybe the wind blew it back open or something. Naruto scrunched up his face still trying to recall the memory of the door opening again and just came to the same conclusion as Sasuke and figured that the wind probably just blown it open while he was sleeping. He shrugged and mumbled a sorry to Sakura as Sasuke patted him on the back once thanking his old teammate for babysitting. Sakura happy that nothing serious had happened decided to chat with Naruto about how she was inviting their family over for some tea and rice cakes at noon the next day. Sasuke walked down the hall heading for his Son's bedroom wanting to see his twin image safe in bed. He could hear Naruto and Sakura talking about the day that was to come when Sasuke reached Yasuo's door. He calmly looked inside to see the shape of his sons figure rising and falling slowly with each slow breath he took. Sasuke had the urge to go inside the room and brush away the black bangs out of his son's eyes but decided against it knowing that he was a light sleeper just like his father. He just settled on a silent 'sweet dreams' and after closing the door to his sons black, red, and white room he continued on down the hall to his daughters more brightly colored red, pink and white room. Opening her door a crack he peeked inside looking for her familiar black hair with naturally pink highlights and closed emerald green eyes. Only he found…….nothing, not a person in the room. And as his breathing started to quicken he pushed the door open more and noticed the moved bedding. He came to the conclusion that she had been put to bed, but got up for something. His mind raced knowing that she wouldn't normally get out of bed until the next morning; she thought that the bathroom and dark hallways were 'scary'. And even when she did have to go she would go out of her way to wake up Sakura or Sasuke three doors away from the bathroom and then go back down the hall again and use the restroom. Some days he thought it was cute, other days he thought it was annoying. Opening up her closet doors incase she had been hiding in there he angrily let out a confused yell not having found anything. Sakura and Naruto heard Sasuke and they turned from each others conversation to run down the hall to see what his aliment was. Naruto was the first to reach the door and asked,
"What's wr-"but Sasuke cut him off with,
"She's gone…" Naruto's eyes became big as he registered in his head exactly what had happened; just as Sasuke did mere moments ago. The mystery to why the door had been open was no longer a mystery…Sakura being the bright ninja Sasuke had fallen in love with put two and two together. Realization sunk in and she slowly sunk to the floor speechless. Her baby was out there somewhere- in a dark and cold autumn night. With who knows how many predators lurking around that would just love to pick her up and take her sweet little Kai home with them. She would be bashing Naruto's head in the wall right now if she hadn't been in a state of total fear for her daughter. Her hands clenched at the sides of her legs that had betrayed her; collapsing underneath herself. Unlike Sakura Sasuke was already racing for the door quickly slipping his shoes on and running out into the cold night. He hated leaving Sakura in that position but finding his daughter had become priority number one right now, and he knew that Naruto would stay to comfort her. But just incase the dobe would try and help search for her to he quickly shot behind him at Naruto,
"Stay with Sakura and Yasuo, she might come back this way!" Naruto yelled to him confirming that he had heard, and with that Sasuke was running through the darkness of the night, searching-...hoping for even a glimmer of her faint chakra signal.
~~~ And that's where we leave Chapter 2, don't forget 2 RandR~~~
-MayTheMoonGuideYou
Michiyo Uchiha