A/N: Yay! The second chapter is up!
This one is longer than the other one I think… : )
Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, pigs would fly overhead and get struck by lightning, giving us enough free beef and such for a lifetime.
It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. : )
Sasuke had been gone for three weeks on his mission, and was expected back shortly. Sakura had addressed the Hokage, and had learned more about Sasuke's mission. It was an S-Rank-to assassinate a dangerous Earth ninja. The target had threatened Konoha by intercepting and cracking a transmitted code, and through that, he had figured out a precious Leaf secret-which would obviously pose danger to Konoha from outside countries.
Whenever she looked at a calendar, she would sigh and cross of the day's box, hoping for Sasuke's return. The she would smile, and remember that he would come home any day now, before the summer months ended.
Throughout the mission, Sasuke had sent letters as he always did. They were mostly just updates, and telling them he wasn't dead yet. Excepting the occasional "Ps's" they were only measly four-lined notes. But that's all he had needed to say.
Nowadays, Sakura had resorted to her maternal side, and had been helping to train Hayate, Katsu, and even Mai when they needed it. She brought them to the academy, to Ichiraku's, and to other stores in the area for the occasional treat.
Now, Sakura was scraping the dishes in the Uchiha manor's kitchen, humming a lullaby quietly to herself. Nothing interesting had happened over the course of the past few weeks since she returned, thanks to her "vacation" from ninja duties.
Overall, Sakura was very glad that she had become a kunoichi. For one, she was now legendary as a member of the second generation Sannin. Also, because if she had to live with scraping the dishes and cleaning the house every day she would go absolutely insane.
She wondered how on Earth Sasuke could handle not fighting for a good two weeks.
Sakura giggled at the mere thought of her husband sweeping the floors or dusting- or frankly any type of housework.
Suddenly Hayate stumbled into the room, a grin on his face.
"Mother!" he called, "Can you teach me a new jutsu? Please!!!"
Sakura grinned, and nodded. She always fulfilled his usual request, and taught him a few basic techniques. She could never resist the innocence and pleading in his onyx eyes.
"What do you want to learn?" she asked, kneeling down beside her son and ruffling his soft hair.
"Kage-bunshin!" Hayate requested, still beaming.
Sakura nodded again, smiling in his likeness to Sasuke.
"Ok, I'll meet you at the clearing in a few minutes. Jog there as a warm up, and then practice your chakra control until I get there." Instructed the pink-haired kunoichi.
Immediately, a mop of onyx hair darted out of the room, and a second later, Sakura heard the front door slam shut.
Eager to entertain her son, Sakura dressed in her ninja gear quickly. After she had pocketed all of her tools, she wrote a quick note to Katsu and Mai for when they returned from their daily missions.
She walked silently to the door and slipped on her shoes. When she opened the door, she saw Mai hurtling towards her. A look of surprise crossed Sakura's face as her daughter screeched to a halt, feet in front of her.
"Mai...?" she asked, looking a bit confused.
"Mother" panted Mai from behind her bangs, "The Hokage wishes to see you immediately. He sent me to get you."
"Thank-you Mai. Can you call Hayate from the clearing out back?"
Mai nodded, and with her inhuman speed-the fastest of all the chunin- she rushed to get her younger brother.
With that, Sakura departed, leaping onto the rooftops to hasten her arrival to Naruto.
Minutes later, she entered the Hokage's tower and knocked quietly at the door. Shizune burst through and grabbed Sakura's arm, pulling her along through the hallways at an intense pace.
"Shizune-senpai?!" Sakura exclaimed, demanding an explination for the sudden gesture.
"A team just returned from a mission. They need immediate medical attention. The top medical ninjas are already there, and Naruto requested me to bring you along to help.
Then at an even faster rate, the two girls rushed to the hospital.
Once they had reached the emergency room, Sakura and her colleague launched into action.
One of the men in the squad had broken nearly all of his ribs, and a punctured lung as well. Another had multiple painful burns and kunai embedded into his chest. Two other members had suffered such terrible injuries that they had perished even before they reached the hospital.
As Sakura finished healing a ninja, she joined Shizune on another, a dying ninja, suffering from excessive shattered bones and damage to chakra circulation.
All of them were an absolute bloody mess. Their ANBU gear was dyed crimson- even the bone-white masks they wore were tinted red.
"Shizune-senpai..." she gasped, " Where did they return from, to have injuries this serious?"
Quietly, Shizune's black head swiveled to face her. The look in her eyes gave Sakura the answer she dreaded most.
A single tear slid down Sakura's pale cheek as she now stood in the Hokage's office alongside Mai, listening to the Naruto's report.
"By the information we can gather from the ANBU squad, they were ambushed by the enemy with an incredible force. The squad fought back, but the attack was too immense for them, or for an even larger squad to handle. By my sources it was hundreds of ANBU level ninja from an Earth country."
It was indeed something incredible. Sasuke's squad was undoubtedly the best in the ANBU- and undoubtedly Konoha- and Sasuke himself would have thoroughly enforced his teammates as well.
Naruto continued on:
"Out of a squad of seven, three barely survived, three are dead, and one is missing in action." he paused, "Sasuke is missing in action, presumed dead.'' he whispered.
Naruto was serious. This was the first time in years he had not addressed his rival as a "teme".
Sakura could almost see the tears prickle his eyes as he mourned for his friend.
"But I refuse to believe Sasuke is dead. I know you two think the same. Sakura, you will lead the rescue mission. Mai will go with you, along with Ino, Neji, and Kakashi. Meet at the front gates in half an hour, and I will summon the others there as well. I'll send them down with a packet of information for you."
"Oh- Also, I will tell Hinata to pick up your boys at home. They can stay at my place with Jiro."
Then they were dismissed.
Sakura nodded and turned quickly, walking strongly to the door to her home, her daughter at her side.
Sakura was a pink blur against the pale walls of the Uchiha manor. She rushed about the home, packing gear and clothing for her mission.
Sending shivers down her spine, she packed medical supplies as well.
Once she had grabbed her pack, she flew down the stairs to greet her dazed sons.
"Mother, where are you and Mai going?" Asked Katsu, his eyes curious. Sakura stopped rigidly, her mind cranking. How could she tell her sons? Quickly she thought of a response.
"We're going to get your father, to help him finish his mission and come home quicker." she said quietly, determined not to upset her children.
The two boys nodded, as if they understood.
"You boys will stay with Aunt Hinata and Uncle Naruto, ok? You should pack too. They'll come and pick you up once Mai and I leave." Sakura explained, her words nearly cracking from the tears she held back.
At that, Katsu and Hayate went to their rooms to pack.
Minutes later Mai climbed the stairs downward, and announced that she was prepared for the mission. The boys followed her with their packs as well.
In a hurry, Sakura called out to the boys that they would be retrieved soon from Hinata, and to simply stay put until she arrived.
Then, with all said, the two girls departed from their home to the front gates, wishing to begin their mission in the utmost haste.
A/N: Yay! Chapter two is up!!!! Chapter three will be up by next weekend, I hope…
Ok, so I was thinking about doing another Sasusaku fic, or maybe even a Death note Crackfic. I have a few rough ideas as of now, and I'll still have time to put them up, so check my profile to see when it goes up. Also, if you have any ideas, comment! R&R!!!!