Chapter Four; A Team Once Again

Just a quick note; Sasuke decided to have a prosthetic arm in this alternate universe. Anyway, thanks for views, favorites, and follows! Here's the next chapter!

As Sakura deepened the kiss Naruto started strolling around the corner. "Hey Sasuke, I was wondering if,.." he began before he stopped and turned around to see them kissing. "Oops,.. bad timing." He said with a little chuckle before he slowly backed away. A few moments later Sasuke broke the kiss and he and Sakura turned their heads over to look at him.

"Alright, you can come out now." Sasuke told him as Naruto started walking towards them again.

"Hey!" Sakura snapped. "What's going on here!? This isn't a peepshow how much did you see!?" she hollered as he chuckled again.

"Oh, not much. Just a bunch of lip action that's all." He told her with a sly grin as Sasuke rolled his eyes at him.

"What do you want?" he groaned.

"Oh, I was just wondering if Sakura wanted any cake." Naruto replied as Sasuke rolled his eyes again.

"Can't you think about anything besides your stomach?" he questioned him before he took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Well come on Sakura, if you do want something to eat I suggest that we go back inside before Naruto ends up eating everything before you have the chance to." He said as he turned over to look at her and then took ahold of her hand interlacing his fingers with hers.

"So let me get this straight, you two really are a couple now right?" Naruto questioned him.

"Yeah! What of it!?" Sakura hollered before Naruto waved his hands at her.

"Take it easy Sakura! I just wanted to tell you that I'm really happy for you that's all. Honest! I'm a married man now and I don't have any more romantic interest in you whatsoever." He assured her as Sakura smiled at him.

"Oh, thanks. Sorry about that." She apologized.

"That's alright. C'mon, let's go." Naruto told her before all three of them started heading back inside.

…

Later on that night Sasuke decided to walk Sakura home. "Thanks for walking me home Sasuke." She told him.

"Don't mention it, it was no problem at all." He told her before they stopped walking and turned back towards each other.

"I'm just sorry that it had to end. Cause now that Naruto's wedding is over, you're probably going to leave again." She said before glancing down at the ground as Sasuke raised his eyebrows.

"What makes you say that?" he wondered.

"You mean that you're staying?" she inquired as he grinned back at her.

"Maybe, but only if I have a reason to." He told her with a smirk.

"And do you have a reason to?" she wondered.

"Hn." He began with a grin before placing a tender hand to her cheek and gazing into her eyes. "What do you think?" he asked her before placing a quick and tender kiss on top of her lips.

"I'm glad you're staying Sasuke." She told him smiling back at him.

"Me too." He replied.

"Uh Sasuke?" she questioned him.

"What?" he asked her back.

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I've always had." She told him anxiously anticipating his answer.

"I know. You didn't need to tell me that." He replied.

"Oh." She began sadly before glancing back down at the ground. "Is that all you're going to say?" she asked him.

"Does it really need saying?" he wondered.

"No. Of course not. How foolish of me, just forget about it." She told him.

"Even though I've been dying to hear you say it since like forever!" her inner Sakura hollered. That's when Sasuke cupped her cheek and kissed her again.

"I love you." He told her taking her completely off guard.

"What?" she questioned him with bewilderment while widening her eyes at him.

"That is what you wanted me to say isn't it?" he asked her.

"Yes, but I thought_" she began.

"Look, I said that I didn't think that it needed saying because I would have thought that you were smart enough to figure it out by now. But, I knew that it would make you happy so I decided to say it anyway because I never want to make you cry again." He explained.

"Oh. Well I guess then we should probably say goodnight." She said.

"Goodnight." He told her as they closed their eyes and moved their lips towards each other's to kiss for a third and final time. However that's when suddenly they heard an alarm going off in the distance. Sakura gasped and quickly opened her eyes again.

"Sasuke, what is that?" she questioned him with uncertainty.

"I'm not sure, but you better get inside where it's safe. I'll be alright." He told her before kissing her for a final time. "I love you." He told her again before he ran away.

"Wait Sasuke!" Sakura hollered after him but it was already too late.

"Grr! I finally got Sasuke to tell me that he loved me and now he just takes off!? Well that isn't going to fly with me!" her inner voice said while pounding her fists together before she ran off after him. That's when all of a sudden she ran into Naruto. "Hey Naruto have you seen Sasuke?" she questioned him while he simply just shook his head and continued breathing heavily.

"No. You haven't seen Hinata have you? I can't find her anywhere!" he cried frantically.

"Look just calm down, we'll find her. I'm sure that Sasuke will be alright on his own and that he can take care of himself." She said.

"I know that but I don't think he would be too happy if he finds out that I allowed you to put yourself in harm's way. He'd probably Chidori my ass." He told her.

"Look Naruto, I really don't have time to stand here and argue with you. We've got to find Hinata." She told him as he reluctantly agreed with a nod fearing for his wife's safety. That's when all of a sudden they turned around and ran smack dab into Karin.

"So, we meet again." She began. "I'm sorry about this Sakura I really am but I don't have time to chat. I've been sent here to take you back with me by Lord Orochimaru." She told her.

"I don't think so! You're not taking her anywhere!" Naruto shouted on the top of his lungs. "And where's Hinata!?" he screamed.

"Hinata?" Karin questioned him with uncertainty. "Who's Hinata?"

"She's my wife, and I want to know what the hell you've done to her!" Naruto roared.

"I don't know anything about Hinata," Karin began. "I just know that Lord Orochimaru's business is with Sakura." She told him before she grabbed ahold of her wrist.

"Oh yeah!? Well we'll just see about that! You can tell him to drop dead_ again!" Sakura hollered before she thrusted her other fist into Karin's chin and sent her flying up into the air. "Come on Naruto, let's go!" she cried before they both turned around and started running away.

"Hold on! I want to know what the fuck is going on here!" Naruto hollered.

"I'm not sure, but right now I'm more worried about Hinata." Sakura replied glancing over at him.

"Me too. You have no idea how worried I am about her. I love her more than you could ever possibly imagine." He said when all of a sudden they skidded to a stop in front of Sasuke.

"Hinata's gone." He began as Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Gone? What do you mean she's gone?" she asked him.

"She was kidnapped by the Akatsuki. Kakashi tried to stop it but in the end, one of the members stuck one of their blades through his chest." He replied as Sakura widened her eyes at him with complete and utter astonishment and bewilderment.

"You mean that Kakashi Hatake is dead?" she questioned him with uncertainty.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I saw the whole thing." Sasuke replied.

"So then why didn't you try and stop it!" Naruto shrieked.

"I did. But Kakashi wouldn't let me. He knew how much I loved Sakura and that I needed to protect her so there was no use in risking my life for him." Sasuke told him before turning his head and looking back over at his girlfriend. "Speaking of which what are you doing here? I thought I told you to go home." He said.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, but I just couldn't stand the thought of you taking off like that. I already lost you once and I couldn't stand the thought of having to go through it again. But that doesn't really matter now because we've got to do something to get Hinata back." She told him.

"No. We're not going to do anything. You're going to go home and Naruto and I will go searching for Hinata." He told her firmly.

"Listen Sasuke, Hinata's my friend and even though it's in a different way, I care about her just as much as Naruto does. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not." She told him before he took a deep breath and sighed.

"Fine. But you've got to promise me that you'll do whatever I say. I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt again." He told her.

"Don't worry Sasuke, we'll both be there to look out for her! I won't let anything happen to her, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly with a grin and pointed his thumb up towards the sky before giggling about it. Sasuke just simply groaned and rolled his eyes. "What?" he questioned him.

"I just can't believe that you're still using that same idiotic catchphrase." He told him.

"Well you better believe it! Because it's time for the infamous squad seven to reunite!" Naruto cried.