Promises.

Sakura lent against the doorway, holding Sakiko on her hip and watching as Kakashi packed various belongings into his mission pack. A frown graced her features and, aware that he was being watched, Kakashi turned to face her.

"What is it?"

"What rank is this mission?" She asked. Kakashi didn't answer. Sakiko squirmed in her mother's arms, and sighing Sakura put down the two year old who immediately took off towards the small living area.

"Let me repeat: what rank is the mission? I'm guessing it's high, if you're not answering."

"…A. Possibly turning into an S." Sakura sucked in a breath, her eyes going hard.

"You're not going."

"Sakura, I don't have a choice."

"You're not going. What if you don't come back? Are you going to leave me, raising our child alone?"

"You wouldn't be alone. There's your mother, and Naruto, Hinata, Ino, everyone. You think they're just going to stand by? No. And anyway, I'll come back."

"Kakashi…" The silver haired shinobi silenced her with a swift kiss.

"Stop worrying. I'll be fine; this isn't the first time I've gone on a high ranking mission."

"You didn't have a daughter then," Sakura countered. Kakashi pulled her into a hug, stroking her soft pink hair.

"Don't worry. I'll be back in one piece."

"You better be." Kakashi shivered at the threat hidden in her tone, and set off to say goodbye to Sakiko. It took a while to find her as she had recently learnt to walk, and had a great aptitude to hiding from her parents, despite the cramped apartment.

"Sakiko! Where are you? I have to go, otherwise I'll be late."

"You'll be late anyway. You always are," grumbled Sakura from the other end of the room. Kakashi chuckled, and spied Sakiko hiding underneath the sofa. Not behind- underneath. Kakashi marvelled how she even got under there.

"Okay, termite, I have to go now." Sakura scoffed at the nickname, but the termite in question scrambled out and launched herself at her father in a hug. He returned it, briefly kissing the top of her pink tinged hair, before extracting himself from her.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Sakiko nodded, and then toddled off to find a new hiding place. Her mother had on the face that usually meant bath time, bed time or hair brush time, all of which were to be avoided. Kakashi pecked his wife on the cheek before donning the mask and jumping out on to the rooftop. Sakura watched him go, a twist of apprehension knotting itself in her stomach. She shook her head, as if to rid herself of the feeling, and set about finding Sakiko. It was time for her bath.

Sakura woke suddenly the next day. She frowned, trying to remember the reason for her waking, before spying Sakiko standing at the doorway. She lifted up the duvet in an invitation, and Sakiko dived in next to her, burying her head on her mother's chest. Sakura wrapped her arms around the small child, and they lay like that for a while, breathing softly. Eventually, Sakura started to speak.

"Come on sweetie, we have to get ready. You have nursery, and I have work." Sakiko nodded, and scrambled out of the bed, pulling her mother up at the same time. As Sakiko bounded off to god knows where, Sakura let her thoughts wander to Kakashi as she showered and dressed. A part of her was still worried, but the slightly more rational side of her pointed out that Kakashi was ex-ANBU, elitist jounin, one of the best of the best. Plus, if he knew she was worrying about him, he wouldn't be pleased. Mollified slightly by the thought, Sakura laid out some toast for breakfast and went to find Sakiko who, in her mother's absence, had dressed herself in a pink princess outfit.

Once fed and appropriately dressed, the two female Hatakes left the apartment and made their way to the nursery in the centre of the village. It was a nursery for the kids of shinobi, with an extra option of overnight stays if their parents- or parent- were on a mission and hadn't found a babysitter. It was a useful service, and one that many shinobi used- most of their peers were other ninja, and therefore were just as likely to be unavailable as the parent(s) themselves. Sakura watched for a few moments as Sakiko immediately toddled off to bandage some teddies in the corner, before leaving and running swiftly to the hospital, where she was promptly put to work bandaging some shinobi.

A week passed. Two weeks. It was half way through the third when the nagging feeling in the pit of Sakura's stomach intensified. Her thoughts a million miles away, she held the small hand belonging to Sakiko, who was bouncing along beside her as they walked to Sakura's parent's house. Soon she was seated inside at the kitchen table with her mother nursing a cup of tea as Sakiko scampered off with her father to watch the Jungle Book. Her mother leant back in her chair, observing her daughter and the way that she seemed a several years away.

"What's wrong?"

"Mm?" Was the intelligent response from Sakura, looking up from where her hands were laced around the teacup. "Oh, nothing."

"Hatake Sakura, I have known you all your life. Spill."

"It's just… it's just… well… Kakashi hasn't come back yet. And it's been three weeks."

"And you think something bad has happened?" Sakura bowed her head.

"Yes."

"Well then. Go to Tsunade. Request a mission." Sakura's head snapped up, her green eyes fixing her mother with an intense stare.

"What?"

"You heard me. Once your father was away on a mission, and I had this awful feeling about it. I was going to act on it, but he then returned home on a stretcher. Act on your instinct- it's probably better than mine, being a kunoichi and all. Leave Sakiko here and go and find Tsunade. Even if you're denied, she'll tell you a little of what's going on." Sakura nodded slowly, before jumping up.

"Thanks." She pecked her mother on the cheek before running out of the house at ninja speed. She bounded over the rooftops towards the Hokage's office, where she almost ran down a flustered looking Shizune.

"Oh, sorry Shizune, I didn't see you there."

"Hello Sakura. Tsunade needs to see you." Sakura nodded before sprinting up to the office and barging into the door. Tsunade looked up from her paperwork.

"Ah, Sakura. Exactly who I needed to see. Something's… happened to Kakashi. He's in the hospital, and I suggest you get over there asap." Sakura's heart dropped to her stomach, and she felt sick. There was a dim ringing sound in her ears, and the room began to sway ominously. Tsunade guided her gently to a seat, and Sakura took in gulps of air. Slowly, the room stopped spinning and the ringing faded.

"Is… will he… will he be alright?" Tsunade's mouth mashed into a thin line. Sakura nodded absently. "I'll go over there now." With that, Sakura shot out of the room before Tsunade could speak.

The nurse at the front desk was happily directing patients and visitors alike, shuffling through paperwork and marvelling at how the rain almost bounced back into the sky. Suddenly a pink blur shot past her and down the corridor, almost knocking into several civilians- shinobi were able to just jump out of the path- on the way. There was only one thing that could move that fast; a ninja. And only one person had hair that colour in the village, and that person's husband had been wheeled by not too long ago. The nurse shook her head, hoping against hopes that the doctor treating Hatake Kakashi had enough sense to let his wife in. She really didn't want to wipe up the remains of said doctor if they refused.

*0*0*

Kakashi opened his eyes slowly, wincing as the pain flooded back. Making a mental check, he noted that he had several broken ribs, several large cuts on his abdomen and a broken leg. He grimaced. He wouldn't be going on any missions any time soon. He turned his head gently- add headache to the list- and saw Sakura, silhouetted in soft dappled light that was streaming through the pulled curtain, creating a golden halo around her body. His breath caught. It was the most beautiful scene he had ever witnessed.

"Hullo," he rasped, wincing as little as his throat jarred. Sakura nodded slightly in acknowledgement, but didn't turn around. An awkward silence filled the small hospital room. Kakashi vaguely wondered if he was in trouble for some sort of reason.

"Where's Sakiko?"

"She's at my parent's house." At this point, she finally turned around and Kakashi's heart plummeted as he saw her eyes filled with tears.

"Sakura? What's wrong?"

"You promised! You promised you would be alright! You said you wouldn't leave me, but you very nearly did. Do you know how scared and worried I've been? Do you know what it's like to watch medics scramble around your husband as he very nearly dies and not being able to do anything because you're so scared? Imagine if it was me, lying there! How would you like it then? You nearly left me to bring up Sakiko and the baby on my own!" By this time the tears had overflowed and were pouring down her face. Kakashi looked down, until her words registered and he snapped his head up so fast Sakura was worried that he'd cricked his neck.

"Baby? What do you mean, Sakiko and the baby?" A watery grin broke out on Sakura's face.

"Another baby Kakashi. I'm pregnant."

Oooh, my fingers have been itching to write this out. I'm so glad it's done. I was going to wait until tomorrow to post it, as I finish my exam week then, but I was too excited. So, those of you who actually read this, are lucky in the fact that you get an early chapter. Aren't I nice? Oh, and when I was looking through Japanese names for the family, I found one that was 'Ninja'. I very, very nearly picked that one, but didn't But it would've been cool to be called Ninja and be a ninja, ne?

Please Review!

Fallen Quills.