Sakura has waited as long as she's going to. Sasuke reflects on his family and plans to see them, not realizing time has moved differently where he is. Naruto and Sakura have some ramen and a talk.

Sakura awoke the next day to find an origami cat on her nightstand.

She turned it over: My first mission !

So the gardenia had not been all. It looked like she would hear from him often this way.

A smile so big it made her cheeks hurt burst on her face. It wasn't enough, but it was something.

Looking at the cat again, her smile faltered. She remembered her cat mission, when Sasuke had taken her by the hand

and run with her, her heart pounding joyfully in her chest. That seemed to be over now. He had told her he loved her,

made incredible,smoldering love to her, then vanished from her life after promising not to.

No, he hadn't .

He had only promised to leave her alone if he couldn't be there for her. She wished he would just write her and tell her

as much. The not knowing was twisting her guts in knots. Sakura didn't want to give up, it just wasn't her. She decided

to give him two more years,twice as much time in case something went wrong, then move on with her life. In the

meantime, she would keep the family that was present as close as possible.

Her son left her something new everyday and soon she was leaving him gifts too.

On her 26th birthday she grabbed her morning coffee and headed out to the balcony to watch the sun rise. She nearly

stepped on what looked like a small toy once she crossed the threshold, and began to raise her voice at Sarada for

leaving her things out when she looked closer and stopped short. It was a painted wooden figurine, what was clearly

Sasuke holding a baby Haoki. She looked around and saw more, at least a couple dozen.

She heard Kakashi's voice from a neighboring tree.

"He whittles."

Unsurprised at his appearance, she replied,"I'll say. These are really good."

The Copy nin remained silent while she looked each one over.

There was one of Haoki handing Sarada a cookie, one of her and Kakashi dancing at Naruto's wedding, of her healing a

stray cat, one of Kakashi sleeping with the whole pack piled around him. Once she had seen them all, her Copy nin

approached and held her back to his chest, kissed the top of her head and said,"Happy Birthday Sakura."

Sakura rested her head on him, tilting up to look him in the eyes.

"If he doesn't make it back by my next birthday, will you marry me Kakashi?"

Sasuke huddled in a frigid cave in an ice dimension. He had spent 91 days traveling through various dimensions since

he'd last seen Sakura in Suna. That had been one of the most erotic moments of his life. Why those poor women's

husbands had not wanted to do something so blessedly intimate to their wives was beyond him. She had

tasted so sweet and had no control of what her body did in response. He indeed had to pin her, and when he finally

pushed his aching cock in her she gushed around him, soaking him. His male pride swelled at her response to him and

even with one arm he had never felt sexier before.

He wasn't quite halfway done looking through the places he could access with the Rinnegan. A few more weeks than

what she'd asked of him wouldn't hurt. He should appear in the same clearing when he was finished, only a day from

Konoha. He sorely missed his little Sarada. He would buy her a present upon his return first thing.

Picturing her cherubic face and her adoring smile that was so much like his brother's, he closed his eyes and tried to rest.

Sakura found Naruto on the training ground, watching Haoki. When she sat down beside him he gave her a big smile and

put one of his warm, golden arms around her shoulders,pulling her close.

"Hey Sakura!"

She smiled at him , "Hi Naruto. I almost never see you out here. What are you doing?"

"Kaka-sensei put me in charge of looking over the chunin candidates. Check this kid out."

Haoki leapt into the air to gain some height and sent six senbon flying, landing in the necks of all six dummies with a

solid thunk.

"Holy shit kid, that was great!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura's mouth hung open.

Naruto spoke in a lower voice to her, but she knew her son could easily hear them.

"He's trained this kid way better than he ever bothered training us, the prick."

Sakura laughed nervously, " I just got a sudden craving for Ichiraku!I'm starving Let's go!"

"Uh, OK."

She dragged him away by the wrist painfully and practically threw him in the stool. Once they had ordered and were

waiting on their bowls, Naruto asked her,"So no word from Sasuke, huh?"

Sakura slumped a little, "No."

"I'm sorry it's been so long Sakura."

"Me too. I think I'm going to move out of the house soon and live somewhere else. It's getting hard to be there. Could

you keep your eyes open for somewhere nice for me and Sarada?"

Naruto was stung by the implication but knew Sakura was tired of waiting. Still, he changed the subject.

"How is Sarada?"

"I think she misses him even more than we do."

"You should bring her over more often Sakura. Let her know she can come and see me anytime, OK?"

Sakura couldn't help but tear up and sniffle at that. Sarada might smile a lot more with some of Naruto's sunshine in her

life.

"I think she'd really love that Naruto."

Naruto loved Sasuke in a very different way than she did and maybe knowing someone that loved him so fiercely but had

been hurt so badly by her father could temper Sarada's heartbreak a little.

Besides, she had a feeling her daughter would need all the friends she could get very soon. Once Kakashi handed things

over to Naruto they could marry and bring Haoki home. Sarada might not take that so well.

Sasuke's four years was up. It was time to move on.

"I was thinking, I could use a poisons apprentice. With his aim at senbon he could be a good person to teach it to. Who

do I need to ask to see if I can teach him?"

Naruto rolled his eyes but smiled, "Sai would be the one to ask."