Hello everybody!
Sorry for the long delay I moved a few weeks ago and I still don't have access to the net!
Anyway good news for you, I finished writing the Deal so there is this chapter and one more that I'll post next week. I'll only have access to the net on Wednesday so no update until then. (Unless my internet provider wakes up but I stopped believing in miracles a long time ago…)
Thanks to all the reviewers so far, it helped me a great deal to know what you thought about this story.
Also about Karin. Someone told me that Karin is not capable to produce a kage bunshin for so long as it requires a lot of chakra. Maybe, but I wanted it like it so it fits the story plot.
Ok enough talk! Enjoy the almost last chapter.
Chapter 36
Looking for Kenji
Sakura had just dropped Kenji at Kindergarten and was now heading towards the Hokage Tower. Tsunade had sent an anbu to their house to inform her that until Sasuke's return, They would have to stay at the Hokage's. Sakura didn't mind on the contrary. She felt at peace with her mentor, but she was also worried for her husband. What if he wasn't back on time for the birth of their baby? She needed him.
She reached the Hokage Tower and set on a balcony, a book in her hands. She started reading a book about parental education. She found herself trying to get as much information about parenting as she could. Although she was already a mother, Kenji had not been raised by her in his early life so she didn't know much about infant. After a few minutes of reading, Sakura got up her bladder ready to explode. That was a part of pregnancy that she didn't like. She made her way to the bathroom slowly and suddenly felt a well known chakra following her. She didn't mind at first, it was only logical that in the Hokage tower anbus would come and go. She proceeded with her business but on her way back to the balcony she felt the chakra following her again. She frowned and decided to change her destination. She headed to the dining hall, grabbed something to eat and proceeded to return to the balcony. Still sensing the chakra, she suddenly turned around and shouted.
"Why are you following me?"
A few seconds later an anbu appeared in front of her.
"Sorry, Sakura-san. It's the Hokage's order."
Sakura frowned.
"Why would Tsunade want to keep me under watch?"
Blood left her face as realisation hit her. Sasuke's worried look, the urgent mission he left for, and now an anbu guarding her. There could only be a reason for all this. Karin. Sakura suddenly felt dizzy and without the anbu's support she would have probably fallen.
"Are you ok, Sakura-san?"
"Yes, I need… I need to see Tsunade."
The anbu didn't argue and escorted her to Tsunade's office. When she saw the blame face of her student, Tsunade understood that she knew more or less of the situation.
"Sakura-" she started but was cut off by the young woman.
"Why didn't you tell me anything?"
Tsunade sighed.
"We didn't want to worry you."
"Is that why Sasuke and Naruto left?"
"Yes. But don't worry Sakura; they'll take care of everything. They should be back tomorrow at the last."
Sakura sighed and tried to relax.
"You just calm down will you, I'll send someone to pick up Kenji and you just rest."
"Can I stay with you?"
Before the pleading look from the expecting mother, Tsunade gave in.
"Of course you can."
The rest of the day passed quiet peacefully, Sakura helping Tsunade with her paperwork although for once, Tsunade tried by all means to stop her from doing so. Sakura needed to keep her mind busy and paperwork was a good distraction.
The sun was beginning to set when an anbu suddenly barged into the room.
"Hokage-Sama, there's-" He suddenly stopped as he spotted Sakura.
"What is it?" asked Tsunade impatient.
The anbu looked from Tsunade to Sakura not sure if he could speak or not. Seeing that the Hokage wasn't intending to make Sakura leave, he had no other choice than to report the news.
"There's been an incident at the Kindergarten."
The stack of papers that Sakura had in her hands felt to the floor.
"I went to pick up Kenji but when I arrived the teacher told me that someone had already picked him up. Apparently said person told the teacher that Sakura had gone into labour and that she had to bring him to the hospital. She said the woman had red hair." He finished dropping his head. Sakura's mind went blank and she didn't hear Tsunade cry some orders to organise the search. What seemed like an eternity passed, until she felt a hand on her cheek.
She snapped back to the present, her master looking at her worried.
"Sakura, your water broke! We need to take you to the hospital."
As soon as the word proceeded in her brain, Sakura felt a sharp pain in her tummy and crouch.
"Kenji." She cried.
"Don't worry, we'll find him. Let's take you to the hospital."
Another pain shot through her and suddenly all became black.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Sasuke and Naruto arrived at the border of Konoha by the end of the day. They had almost reached the village when Neji, Shikamaru and Shino, landed in front of them.
"Sasuke, she took Kenji about four hours ago. We need to be quick but we can't trace her chakra and we didn't find anything that might lead us to her. If Kiba was here, we could trace Kenji's smell but he is out on a mission." Started Shikamaru without preamble.
Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. She had their little boy!
"Sakura…" He just said unable to form the question he urged to ask.
"She went into labour when she heard. Tsunade is with her."
"How are we going to find her if we don't know which direction she took?" asked Naruto, not knowing where to start.
Just then another ninja appeared out of nowhere in a puff of smoke.
"Yo!"
"Kakashi sensei!"
"Tsunade sent for me, I believe you'll need Pakkun and his friends." Without waiting he proceeded with some hands signs and soon enough Pakkun was here.
"Yo, Kakashi, what's going on?" asked Pakkun
"Sasuke's son's been kidnapped by Karin, but we can't trace her chakra. Do you think you could help?"
"Do you have anything from the boy?"
They all turned to Sasuke who rummaged in his backpack before producing a small woollen ball that Kenji had made at school.
"Would this do?" He asked.
"It'd have to." Answer Pakkun as the group of dogs started smelling the little object before disappearing already trying to trace the smell.
As for Sasuke and Neji, they started scanning their surrounding trying to find any information that could lead them to the little boy. A while later Pakkun appeared in front of the group again.
"Kakashi, the sole place this smell leads to is the village. The boy never left it. He is somewhere in Konoha."
Pakkun had just finished his sentence that the group of ninjas started running toward the village. Sasuke's mind was ready to explode. What if she had already hurt him? And why was she still in Konoha? And why attack Kenji? Wasn't she against Sakura? As soon as they past the gate they stopped not knowing which direction to take. Sasuke turned impatiently to the ninjas' dogs.
"So? Which way?"
"Hum," said Pakkun is nose held up sniffling. "There are different traces; we'll have to split up to follow all of them. The boy's smell is lingering everywhere."
"Ok, everyone follow a dog, the first to find them send a message to the others." Said Kakashi, naturally taking the lead. They split up and started running in every direction the dogs could smell Kenji's scent.
Sakura opened her eyes slowly only to close them back a second later as a contraction shot through her. She took consciousness of her surrounding and noticed Tsunade busying herself with the installation of a perfusion in her arm. Tsunade saw her awake and didn't miss the worried look on her face.
"It's going to be fine, Sakura, don't worry." Her mentor tried to sooth her with words but Sakura was way too worried and in pain to stay calm.
"Tsunade… Kenji, did they found him?"
"No yet. But Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi are on it. They'll find him, trust me."
This didn't calm the young woman the least. Although she knew she had to concentrate on her breathing, she just couldn't.
"Ok, now Sakura, you need to calm down. I know you're worried but there is a baby that needs you right now."
Sakura tried to relax and to breathe less erratically. Her baby needed her. She couldn't put it's life on the line. She knew that Sasuke and Naruto would do everything to bring Kenji back. She just had to trust them for now.
Ok that's it for now! So what do you think will happen?
See you next week!