A/N: You are back! I am happy you are. Because the action starts here! All the waiting and wondering what will happen with little Kouhei is gonna start!

So sit back, relax and get ready!


The morning once again came too soon. Even with Kouhei being a bit easier to manage, neither nin got much sleep. At the moment the three were warm and close. Sakura held a sleeping Kouhei to her chest and resting happily against Sasuke's chest. To anyone who entered the room, they would look like a happy and content family. However, the only reason neither wanted to move was the realization that once they did, the day would have to begin.

"Sasuke?" Sakura broke the silence. She knew he was up. His breathing had evened out and his arm that had been draped around her had been rubbing the silk nightgown she wore. His breath was warm against her neck, his entire presence was warm. And she was worried this would be the last time they were together.

"Hmm," he said showing her he was awake but not ready for normal speech.

"Are we going to spend the whole morning in bed?" She asked turning her head to try and look at him. She was surprised when his lips met hers.

"You two can stay in bed for a bit longer. I will get breakfast going." Before she could protest, he had rolled out of bed skillfully enough to not wake Kouhei.

Sakura smiled sadly as she let herself sink back into the mattress. They had to take Kouhei to the Hokage's office that afternoon. Kakashi had stopped by last night while Sakura was giving Kouhei a bath. But she knew what their former teacher had told Sasuke.

It was going to be a rather depressing day. And it was a gamble on if she would lose one or both of them. As much as she had grown to enjoy having Kouhei around, the thought of losing Sasuke again was too much. And she knew that this time if he left, he would not be coming back. The Hokage's power cap on his abilities alone made it nearly impossible for him to defeat all his enemies. Adding on his probability of surviving leaving the city limits without the Hokage's approval, it did not look good.

What would this day bring?

Rolling on to her back, Sakura sighed.

"Just laying here won't make it go away. I guess we have to get up and face the day. Maybe things will turn out…." She sat up and looked down on the happy gurgling baby. "And maybe then I can keep you both. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Kouhei smiled up at her. It was a carefree smile. This little baby had no clue the amount of hatred and fear that others felt for him. She couldn't help but notice the looks people gave seeing the baby's coloring. It was obvious he was an Uchiha. That is what Sasuke went through for all those years…

Getting dressed first, Sakura looked through the baby clothes brought down from the upstairs attic. Each set of baby clothes had the Uchiha fan carefully stitched into it. She wondered what it must have been like growing up with that pressure. Even from birth they were Uchiha members; Sasuke like those before him took that membership seriously.

"If you do get to stay… we're going to have to stop all that pressure. You can be and do whatever you want, and you will be loved!" She turned and looked at the bed. It made her smile to see Kouhei's tiny legs and arms happily kick with excitement.

Deciding on a simple blue jumper, Kouhei was dressed and the two walked down the stairs to find a hot meal already waiting. At the sink, Sasuke was working on cleaning the skillet and cleaning up. Sakura walked over towards him and looked over his shoulder.

"You need any help?" She asked holding on to Kouhei.

"I got it. Your breakfast is getting cold." He said turning his head to look at her. "You took care of things last night, it's only fair… but I hope you don't expect any culinary masterpiece…" He said taking his hands out of the dish water and wiping them off. "And for you, little guy."

Sasuke took Kouhei from her arms and picked up a bottle sitting on the counter. Sakura could only watch him as he interacted with his little nephew turned son. It broke her heart. Like everything in his life, he had risen to the challenge of preparing to raise a child and it would all end soon.

Together they sat down at the low table. Both were rather hungry that morning after not eating much the previous day. Sakura ate the last bite of her breakfast. She smiled noting that Sasuke was really a good cook as well. It may have looked like simple potatoes stir fried with eggs and meat, but it tasted delicious.

"What time are we…" She couldn't finish the question knowing that she just ruined the peaceful meal they were having.

Sasuke knew it was only a matter of time. Actually he was happy that she broached the subject, for he had no idea of how to tell her.

"We should be going soon…" He sighed. "I am going to get a bag together for him…" To this she could only nod. Sasuke was glad she didn't argue with him. Instead the pink haired woman simply opened her arms and took the baby. Turning he ran up to the bedroom.

It took him some time to gather the necessary things: blanket, diapers, bottles, formula, and clothes. It was surreal. And there was little he could do. In the back of his mind he was weighting the options that he had.

Looking at the clock he knew he had no time left. Kakashi and the ones in charge of Kouhei would be waiting. He didn't even want to think of how close those wanting to harm Kouhei would be at the moment. The sooner Kouhei was gone the sooner things could try to get back to normal for some that is.

"Let's get this over with." He sighed looking at his bedroom. Taking in the crib and how the room had changed in a matter of days, he wondered if this was ok.


The walk was a quiet one. Sasuke had allowed Sakura to hold a very talkative Kouhei in the sling as they walked. Out of no where her hand came and grabbed his. He didn't mind, in fact it felt good. It was reassuring in some ways that he was not alone.

Sakura stopped outside the Hokage's office building. It seemed different today. She had never noticed how authoritative the structure seemed. Normally when she was summoned there for hours of training, running errands, or what not, she had not noticed the towering and ominous feeling that she had today. Or maybe it was what she knew would happen inside these walls.

Sasuke noticed her hesitation and squeezed her hand. He didn't want to do this either, but there really was no choice.

They reached the main hallway leading to the office and came face to face with their former teacher.

"Yo" He said in a tone that was more serious then was the norm for the older ninja.

"Kakashi-sempai… isn't…"

The sad look on his face and the strong hand on her shoulder from Sasuke stopped her from continuing.

"I'm sorry. But I can promise I will make sure the little guy gets to the secure destination." Their mentor and teacher said trying to make them both feel better. He knew it didn't… nothing could.

"Will I know where that is?" Sasuke asked. "Or will I totally be left in the dark on this?"

"The answers we can give you will have to be given. But not out here. We've created a sealing jitsu inside the Hokage's office to protect the information from spies or others who do not need to know.

"Can I?"

"She's with me." Sasuke said not caring what Kakashi would say. Sakura was a part of this. The taller man simply nodded and allowed the two passage into the office.

Inside standing like statues were a group of seven fully masked Anbu nins. Sasuke felt a little on edge not knowing who these people were. They would be keeping Kouhei safe… how exactly could they do that?

"So, we're all here." The leader of the Konoha village said standing from her chair as the doors closed and Kakashi followed the two in.

"And now you can tell me who these people are and where exactly you think will be safe from the likes of the most powerful nins alive." Sasuke didn't waste time.

"As you can see I have personally selected some of our most trained nins to undertake this mission." Tsunade motioned to the group. Picking up a folder, she handed it to Sasuke. "I realize you are not going to willingly return Kouhei till your questions have been alleviated."

"And the answers I need are in here?" He asked looking at the outside of the folder.

"I have also given you the option of requesting and additional member to accompany the group to the safe area."

"Safe area?"

"That is the only thing we cannot tell you about."

"So I give him up and you take him away… and I never see him again? I never know if my enemies have taken an innocent life?"

"Once Kouhei is old enough…"

"You'll assess if he is a danger to the village? What then? What if he inherited all those skills from his father? Will you risk their lives and others to only kill him five years from now?" Sasuke's anger was something that everyone expected, but his words stung.

Sakura stepped forward and tried to calm him. She did not want him to suffer so much, but there was little she could do.

"I get to request another member to the team, correct?" A nod was given to his question. Sasuke looked around the room. First to the leader who had given him a second chance, then to those masked men in charge of protecting Kouhei, his former teacher and then to her. Sakura looked to be nearly in tears as Kouhei squirmed in the sling.

His dark eyes met with her green ones and the world seemed to stop.

"I want to go with him." His eyes tried to apologize to her. He knew this would break her heart… he was causing her pain again…

"Denied." Came a swift reply from the Hokage. Sakura was a bit relieved. She knew he wanted to go.

"WHY?" He roared turning to face the woman who was driving the knife deeper into his heart.

"You will not survive with your current limitations…"

"Then I die with my son." The silence in the room was deafening. The only sound in the room was a bad attempt to cover a sob. Sasuke could not look over at the source. He knew it was Sakura…

At the moment he did not have the heart to look at her.

"Also denied." Kakashi saw the boy tense. He moved quickly towards his handful of a student. Rubbing the Uchiha boy's head, much to his displeasure, the older man stepped in.

"You came back for a reason. To live a life here… with someone. You are throwing that away. Is that what you really want?" He asked in a quiet voice so the others could not hear.

Sasuke knew all this, but Kakashi's words made him flinch. Turning slowly he saw her in tears. She was trying to hold them back. But she was failing. Sasuke hated it when she cried.

Kakashi saw his moment and moved to take the baby out from Sasuke's arms. The older man did not get far when Sasuke turned to face Sakura.

Sakura was trying to control her tears. They continued to stream down without stopping since he had requested to go. She knew he wanted to. And she had not told him how she felt on the topic other then she was losing both. When he looked at her, turning to stop Kakashi from taking the baby in his arms she didn't know what happened.

Sakura ran up to him and threw her arms around him, mindful of the baby. Unashamed she cried into his shirt.

"Please don't go… don't…" She sobbed. The tears came harder as she felt Sasuke's arms trying to comfort her. "Please?"

Sasuke was torn in two directions. Resting his head on hers he let out his breath in a long sigh.

Sasuke turned to look at his mentor and nodded. His eyes were void of emotion as he broke away from Sakura and began to take off the sling. Looking down on the baby he forced a smile as Kouhei smiled up at him.

There was silence in the room as he hugged the boy, placed a quick kiss to Kouhei's forehead and handed him over to the one eyed ninja. Without saying another word he turned and walked towards the door.

Sakura looked back at the woman she saw as a mentor, almost pleading for answers.

"Can't you tell us anything?" Sasuke was at the door when she asked this and he hesitated for just a second to hear the answer. None came and he left the room, breaking the so called jitsu that kept the room sealed.

"Kouhei means a lot to him. It gave him a purpose after just going through the motions of life… and now… you can't do this. We can protect Kouhei here… or at least let us go with him."

Kouhei seeing Sasuke leave the room began to fuss. The tension in the room could agitate anyone to the point of tears. Kakashi did his best to try and soothe the baby in his arms, but to no avail.

Sakura walked up to him and took the baby.

"Hey now. Don't worry." She said rocking him in her arms. Doing so only caused the tears to begin again. "Everything will be fine. When this is all over, you will come home and we'll be… waiting." Sakura hugged the baby to her chest. Kissing the top of his head, she handed the baby back to Kakashi and followed after Sasuke out of the room.


a/n: And just like that Sasuke has lost another in his life. Will this finally send him over the edge (again) or will Sakura be enough for him to continue on in Konoha? Fluff and action to follow soon!

Remember to click that button and REVIEW!