Glow

A/N: Thank you for your review anon! I know what you're referring to, but the secret meeting that was referred to in my last chapter was not the same as the one in the manga/anime. I'm leaving that for a future chapter when Naruto is Hokage. ;)

The night had stretched out and eventually simmered away, in its wake lay the the flicker of light stretching out its hands over the the vast lands, blessing its inhabitants with another chance at life. Somewhere within a bountiful forest lay a man, recollecting his senses as a glow of green hovered over his eyes and chest as it also sent chakra throughout the rest of his body. As minutes ticked by, so did the bruises all over, healing with time until there was no trace left.

Sasuke twitched his fingers, allowing his muscles to gain control of his movements before he pocketed the letter that he held. His arm came over his head, and tugged at a wrist that shielded his eyes from the world. But they wouldn't budge.

"Is that you, Sakura?" He managed weakly. Although his body felt replenished, his throat still felt dry, and he figured that anything that would come out of his mouth would sound like a rasp.

No response. He attempted to tug away at the wrist, feeling the cold touch of metal against his finger, but the hand he pulled was unrelenting. He heard a click of a tongue before, "Hold still, Sasuke-kun."

He sighed. He brought his head up, forcing the hand over his eyes to pull away, and looked at the face of his saviour. She had an irritated expression on her face; her pink brows were furrowed together and the corner of her pink lips were angled downwards. But her eyes... the emerald green of her eyes stared at him with sympathy. How he had missed those eyes... His taste of spring. Seeing her now in front of him, after all this time, he feared it was a mirage of his own desires come to life to haunt him. Wherever he went, it mattered not that the plants swayed in motion to the beating of his own heart, or that the ripples of the rivers carried along fallen leaves like tears that had lost their way. To him, without her, a bountiful land was still barren. But she was here now, and the tears in his heart had stitched themselves back together.

Her pink hair blew in front of her, and stole a touch from his face, bringing him back to his senses. Questions spurred around his mind, whizzing around, leaving him in a daze. But all he could muster was a raspy, "Sarada?"

Her hands found him again, scanning his body with a green haze of chakra searching for anymore injuries. He cleared his throat, but before he could repeat himself, she answered him.

"Sarada's fine, Sasuke. She's with my parents," she told him, her voice softening as she spoke his name. "It's so unlike you to be beaten this badly, Sasuke," she started to scold him. "Seriously, you're worse than Naruto. You should know better to plan ahead before going barging into a fight, which is what I imagine happened considering your injuries. Even Naruto's missions don't end this badly nowadays, since he's been studying for his Hokage position. Agh, you both drive me so mad sometimes-"

"Sakura," he interrupted. "Why are you here? Why are you not with Sarada? Has something happened to the Leaf?" He needed answers. And now. His anxieties had found something to latch onto and it was sucking him dry.

She finished up her checks, her green chakra fading away. She looked at him. "I'm actually on a mission. I was in the area, looking for an eye specialist, when I heard you scream my name." He had no recollection of that last part, but she had started to answer his questions, and the pounding of his heart had dwindled down until it mimicked the beating of a steady drum.

She stood up, towering above him. She dusted off her white cloak, and held out a hand to Sasuke. He allowed her to pull him up, and he arched an eyebrow, whilst asking, "An eye specialist?"

She turned away from him and started walking away into an ocean of weeds. He gingerly followed her. "You know the one. Red hair, wears glasses?"

"But why?"

"I need her expertise to help create a vaccine." She stopped walking through the bushes and turned to look at her husband, her hair swaying behind her as she did. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "There's been an outbreak of a virus, one that none of us medics have ever dealt with before. Even Lady Tsunade, who came back a month ago, has never handled something like this in all her years. But right now, her and Shizune-sama are governing the hospital and the village. No one is allowed to leave the village without their authorisation. We haven't been able to send letters outside of the village in case carriers of the virus send more than just their letter, you know? That's why I haven't been able to write back to you. I really liked it, by the way. The red headband. Thank you, darling. And Sarada really likes her red shoes, she won't stop prancing around in them-"

"Sakura."

"Hm?"

"You're rambling again."

"Oh," she giggled, nervously. She rubbed her neck. "Sorry about that.

"So about this virus," Sasuke quizzed. "Is it deadly? Is that why you're here?"

Sakura beckoned Sasuke to follow her, and showed him the list of herbs she was looking for. "No, no. It can't kill. It's just... It can cause blindness. We've figured that the symptoms are a high fever and migraines. Eventually the victims start to lose their sight, until they lose all sense of sight and give in to blindness. It's already happened to the three shinobi who came back from a mission. We suspect it was them who caught the virus. Oh! - Look. Yeah, just put that in here. Thanks, darling. - Anyway, there's been a lot of civilians who have complained about migraines, and the hospital can't take any more patients. So, that's -No, that won't do Sasuke-kun. It needs to have at least five petals, see? - That's why I need Karin. The research which I've done has indicated what ingredients are needed, but I need someone like Karin, who has worked for someone like Orochimaru, to give her input, as she's no doubt worked with all sorts of forbidden jutsus."

Sasuke had been listening intently. It was at that last part that he grimaced. "Surely you and the Fifth can work together to come up with something. You really want to find Orochimaru?"

"Huh? No, not Orochimaru. Anyway, I don't think I'd be comfortable seeing you in his presence. He's always had some weird crush on you."

"...Do you mean Karin?"

"I know what I said," she affirmed, he could hear the smile in her voice.

He rolled his eyes at her hair that cascaded down like a pink waterfall and then continued to interrogate her. "Okay, but why you? Surely Tsunade or Shizune or someone else could have gone on this mission. You have a daughter to take care of. What was Kakashi thinking?"

"That's exactly it. It's BECAUSE I have a daughter." Sasuke frowned at her back, not understanding. "I've been working in the hospital, so there's no telling if I'm a carrier of the virus or not. We've already had a few toddlers becoming blind, and it seems that the effects of the virus are worse the younger you are."

Sasuke relaxed, knowing that Sarada's safety hadn't been compromised and was at the forefront of his wife's intentions, but still, the thought of his child not having either parent beside her still irked him. And there was also something else which she had said... "If that's the case, then isn't it a problem that you've been in contact with me?"

"Oh, that's not a problem," she said airily, whilst brushing her hands through the weeds searching for the right herbs. "That's because when I was healing you earlier, I incorporated some of the ointment I had produced for the virus. It's a prototype-"

"So what you're saying is that I'm your first test subject."

"Erm, yes... But hey! On the bright side, Karin will take a look at you soon enough, so it'll be fine." She winked at him.

"And do you know where Karin is?"

She nibbled at her lip. "Mmm... She's not at the hideout where we last saw her... So, it's just lucky that I found you, hehe... Care to take me to her other hideouts?"

Sasuke slammed his palm into his face, and mumbled, "Seriously? What were you planning to do if you didn't by chance find me?" He slid his hand down his face and narrowed his eyes at her. "Did you really just find me by chance?"

She broke her demeanour under his scrutiny. "Maybe I planned to find you-", she looked at his raised eyebrows. "Okay, yes. You were my last hope. Whatever."

Her words held an undertone of unspoken feelings. Last hope. Did she miss him as he missed her? Was she pining for his love, like he was pining for hers? Did she crave for his touch, like he did? Did she miss his lips, like he dreamt about hers?

His hands purposefully brushed over hers amongst the weeds, and his fingers crept under her cloak, searching her skin for her thoughts and feelings. Her goosebumps whispered back at him. He trace her toned arms all the way up to her shoulder.

"Oi, Sakura," he said softly.

She turned towards him, innocence raining in the summer of her eyes. "Hm?"

In one fell swoop, he leaned in and crashed his lips onto hers. Her soft lips healed his worries, tending to his hidden wounds. His fingers gripped onto her shoulder, his nails digging into her dress. She was all he needed. She was all he ever needed... He could be with her like this for all eternity. The world could spin by into chaos, as long as he had her, nothing else mattered...

He felt her hand on his chest, and he kissed her deeper. Ugh. She had shoved him off, and he found himself stumbling backwards. He fought to balance his feet. He looked at his wife strangely. "Is something wrong?" He asked, confusion plastering his words.

"We're on a mission, Sasuke!" She chastised.

"So? Can't a husband kiss his wife?" He composed himself and padded towards her, reaching out to stroke her tresses.

She pulled his hand away and flushed. "Th-that was more than just a kiss, and you know it!" She stammered. "We can't get carried away. We can't let our emotions deter us during a mission. You know that better than anyone!"

He smirked at her. "But haven't you missed me?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Ugh, look we need to hurry. And we're not husband and wife right now, we're just two shinobis on two different missions. Although, I've helped you with your mission, so now you need to return the favour and help me."

He followed her movements up the tree, as they skipped from branch to branch. "What do you mean you 'helped me with my mission'? What do you know of my mission?"

She smirked and held a fist up, one hand holding the other wrist. "Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei oh-so-kindly told me about your affair with all those S-rank ninjas that have been threatening the peace," her eyes twinkled at him with mischief. "And, of course, when I found you asleep screaming my name, I made sure to take care off the rest that were lurking around before I tended to you."

An air of amusement blew out of Sasuke's nostrils. Her abilities never failed to amaze him, it was just as well that he had never been on the receiving end of one of her deadly punches.

"Don't ever say that," he said, after minutes of silence and rushing through a forest of trees.

"Say what?"

"That we're not husband and wife."

"Huh?" she asked, thinking back to their conversation. "...Oh my god! Can you just focus!"

He smiled to himself. He really did miss teasing her.

Cherry blossom and night tulips billowed in the breeze. It was sundown, and they had finally reached the third hideout that Sasuke surmised that Karin could be at.

Sakura landed on the moistened dirt with a thud, letting her presence be known. Sasuke was more graceful, as his cloak blew behind him as he landed.

"Right, we might have wasted a whole day. But on the plus side, we're closer to Konoha now, so if she's here it'll work in our favour."

Sakura's uplifting spirits had always eased him, even now when it should be him comforting her, she was the one who took it on herself to also heal all the emotional baggage in their relationship - be it two shinobis, or spouses.

Sasuke halted her movements with his hand in front of her. "I hear someone."

As quick as lightning, Sasuke grabbed Sakura by her waist just as a dozen kunais came raining down on them. He had flashed them onto a branch of a nearby tree and continued to hold her as she twisted and tied her hair into a bun in one swift movement. Sasuke was still surveying the area with his mismatched red and purple eyes, when he felt the the grip of his fingers loosen. Before he could even comprehend what had happened, he saw his wife dive down from the tree and strike a ferocious punch at their opponent, all the while yelling, "Shannaro!"

He jumped down beside his wife to find a deformed brown haired middle aged man collapsed beside her feet. The man was still alive, but just barely. He hung onto life like a thread threatening to snap, his breath becoming more ragged until he slipped into unconsciousness.

"What happened to making a plan?" He hissed at his wife.

"You were too concerned with protecting me! I saw an opening and I took it!" Sakura retorted back.

"And what if there were more?"

"I'm sure you could take them, Sasuke," she said in a teasing manner, the corner of her lip curling upwards.

"Tch. Of course," he replied, irritated. "But if they harmed you, I don't know what I would-"

"Sasuke," Sakura said, lightly touching his arm. "I'm not a damsel in distress. I'm not pregnant, or fragile in any way. And I'm no longer a helpless little girl. I can hold my own! You don't need to worry about me. If anything, we can watch each other's backs. But you don't need to hold back when you're with me! I know we haven't fought together many times but you should really have more faith in m-"

Sakura was interrupted with a voice so sharp it cut the air around them. "Trouble in paradise?" Both Uchiha's snapped their head towards the direction of the voice, leading towards a red-haired woman adorned in a new white blouse and black shorts, sported with knee-high boots. One hand rested on her waist, whilst the other adjusted her black glasses.

"Karin!" Both Uchiha's spoke in unison.

"I thought I recognised your chakras," Karin said. She walked over to them and poked the body on the floor with the toe of her sandal. "Well thanks to you two I can discard this failed experiment."

Sasuke glared at Karin. "You're still experimenting on people?" His question dripped with venom and accusation.

"Hey don't you glare at me, Sas-uke! Honestly, it's not the same type of experiments. That wood-style user sent me a heads up about this man. It turns out that he's been rummaging around spreading some weird type of virus using a forbidden jutsu, and I've been deployed with the responsibility of tracking him down and creating a cure. But right now there's been no luck." She let out a heavy sigh.

"Oh, Karin!" Sakura called out. "Can you tell me anymore about this forbidden jutsu and the cure you created? I actually scouted you out for a similar reason. If I'm right, then the outbreak at Konoha was caused by this man..."

Sasuke left Sakura and Karin to their conversation at exchanging intel, and picked up the deformed man as he followed the two women inside. The hideout was lit by colourful tubes of liquid all alongside the shelves on the walls. Scrolls were scattered all over the concrete floor. He was in the middle of reading the after effects of what different dojutsus can have on people who have suffered from blindness when he was called over by his wife from the other room.

Karin started to ask Sasuke a series of questions concerning how he feels; whether he's had a change in body temperature or if he's had any headaches, whilst Sakura shone a mini flashlight in both of Sasuke's eyes. They continued their series of examinations before the two medics nodded at each other and shared some notes. They spoke a language with words and gestures that Sasuke didn't understand. When they were done Sakura sealed the ointments and vaccines amongst the other equipment and notes in a series of scrolls.

"Although we won't be able to cure blindness, at least we can use the vaccine and jutsu formulas to prevent people from loss of sight of those who have early signs of the symptoms. Thank you, Karin," Sakura said with gratitude gracing every word. "Konoha will remember your efforts in helping us. I'll be sure to inform Hokage-sama."

"Oh, stop with the formalities. It's only because it's you, Sakura," Karin said with a smile. "Anything for you and Sarada. Oh Sarada! How is she, that little cutie?"

"She's two now," Sakura answered. "She's a really intelligent girl, as you'd expect of an Uchiha." Her eyes averted to her husband as she said this.

"She inherited that from her mother, no doubt", Karin remarked. "Do you have a picture?"

"Oh!" Sakura bounded over to Sasuke. "Yeah, I sent a few to Sasuke whilst he was on his mission..." she murmured as her hands fumbled into Sasuke's trouser pockets, searching for the letter and pictures. Sasuke stiffened at her touch, noting the way her fingers traced the lining of the corner of the pockets as she left a few sensual touches. She slid her hand out of his pocket and she bit her lip, looking at him with sultry eyes. He scowled at her, knowing she was playing with him in the presence of others when she had refused his touch in private. This damn woman.

Sakura turned to Karin as if nothing had transpired between husband and wife, and showed her the pictures. "Here," she sang. "These were taken on our birthday trip."

"She's so cute!" Karin marvelled at the pictures of Sarada and Sakura at the beach wearing matching swimsuits in one, and in another, Sakura was wearing a red bikini that made her eyes pop, and Sarada was grinning into the camera with a sky blue swimsuit as she squished a rubber duck. "Heh, wait. Why is Sasuke in none of these pictures?"

Sakura's eyes dulled and creased to two slits. "My husband of mine detests his picture to be taken. He claims he'll be in his grave before he agrees to be in another photo. So that's why I get him to take as many pictures of me and Sarada."

Karin leaned against her desk with a sly smirk draped across her face. "Oh is that so?" She asked smugly. She lowered her glasses and looked at Sasuke, her red eyes shining with seduction as she ogled him, drinking him in from head to toe. She brought the tip of her glasses to her lips and purred, "Well if you ever change your mind about married life, you know where to find me..." Sasuke frowned. This woman must have a death wish to be flirting with him in front of his monstrous wife. "...Sakura."

Sakura burst out laughing and Karin cackled along. They're both mad. Sasuke's scowl deepened and he turned away, storming off. "If we're done here, let's go, Sakura." His voice was thunder, a layer of icicles trickled under his words with a threat.

"I think me and Sarada will take you up on that offer, Karin," Sakura giggled.

Sasuke left his wife and waited outside. He had heard Karin call out to Sakura, leaving him waiting impatiently outside for a few minutes longer than necessary. When she finally came out to meet him, he threw daggers at her with his onyx eye. "What took you so long?" He hissed. He hated knowing that he was probably the subject of his wife's laughter and the smug look on her face.

She brushed him off with a "Don't worry about it", as if there was some secret between her and their female accomplice.

Soon after they left, Sakura had written a letter to Kakashi informing him of her whereabouts and that she had a vaccine ready. Night had already fallen when he edged closer to her in the bundle of trees that surrounded them. He grabbed her waist and dived down onto the meadow of tulips below them.

"Sasuke! What are you-"

He silenced her with a kiss. She attempted to push him off but that trick wouldn't work the second time. He traced her hand with his, finding the gaps between her fingers, and locked themselves together. She had left him frustrated. So so frustrated. If she let him, he'll take her here and now under the glimmer of the crescent moon. He slowly parted from her lips, and spoke, his warm breath tickling her sore lips.

"Sakura," he whispered huskily. "Can I...? Do you want to...?" He let go of her hand and traced her slight curves under her cloak. He hadn't noticed whilst he had been living with her everyday and every night, but he could now admire how she had regained her slim figure. When did she find the time to...? It didn't matter. His hands found her breasts and he squeezed them, her gasp sent shivers down his spine.

"Sasu-ke...We can't...", she gasped.

"Is that a no?" He whispered, his lips curling downwards. His hand slid back down and found her lower cheeks and pressed her body towards his. The sudden movenent caused her bundle of hair to fall loosely around her shoulders, some of the tips of her tresses found their way onto her husband's. "Tell me you missed me."

"Mmmm... Sasuke-kun... You know," She squealed.

"Know what?" He probed, his breath tickling her ear.

She scrunched up his shirt at the front, determined to fight what she knew was a losing battle, before giving in to her desires. She left kisses on his neck, and felt his coarse black hair against her face. He pushed her down, pressing her against the flowers, leaving colourful imprints on her white cloak. He used his own cloak to conceal their modesty from the night sky. He sang a melody of love into her ears, "I... I've been dreaming of you, Sakura. Every cell in my body has missed you... Let me show you, Sakura. Have you missed me? Tell me."

She wouldn't give in to his requests so he continued to teach her what he had dreamed about what husbands and wives do in the glow of the dark, in the open air. When he had finished, he rested his mop of raven hair over her heart, listening to it. Wondering what it was saying to him. He imagined every beat was another confession tumbling out of her dainty pink lips. He imagined the fingers that traced his skin was another door of forgiveness, ready to embrace him. She heard her release a pleasant sigh, and he titled his head up, only to be greeted with a kiss on his hair.

"Sakura."

"Hm?"

"Why won't you tell me? Why won't you tell me how you feel?"

She chuckled, "Take it as a taste of your own medicine."

"Tch." He lifted himself up from her and dressed himself. He was sitting up, buttoning his shirt when he was prevented from the last button by two slender hands circling his waist. He felt her head rest on his back as she murmured, "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I love you, you know that. Words can't express how much I missed you. Please don't be mad at me, I wouldn't be able to bear it." She kissed his clothed back.

He closed his eyes, relishing in her words of love, bathing in it. He almost forgot to tell her, "I'm not mad at you."

They soaked themselves in more words and gestures of love, when he felt a peck on his head beneath his cloak.

"Sakura," he said.

"Hm?" She had her arms draped around his neck as she listened to his heartbeat with a smile gracing her lips.

"I thought you said no one in Konoha can deliver letters."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Then why is one of the Hokage's hawks here?"

"What?" She slid his arms off him and looked up at his spiralling sharingan. He uncovered themselves, and revealed how Uchiha's make love to a bird. The letter that was attached to the hawk made his eyes bleed and his wife cry out in fear.

The roar of impending thunder drowned out the chirping of crickets that cried out songs of mourning. The curve sliver of the moon rolled back behind grey clouds until barely a glimpse of silver light blessed the earth. The sky broke open with a flash of lightning, and along came a wave of tears stumbling down from the bleak sky, rolling down the faces of young parents. Clear and red tears met together before painting the grass red. Red. That's all he could see. The colour of blood. The colour one sees before they meet the blackness of death, or the blackness of blindness... He wondered if his daughter would ever see the colours of spring that her and her mother emulated. Would she ever see the golden dust that daylight brings? Or would she only see black. At this moment, red transpired into purple and black as his rinnengan spiralled creating a black vortex for him and his wife to teleport through.

His fear and rage formed into one and drowned out the growing fears of his wife which was tumbling out of her mouth. She was drumming her fists onto his chest, crying out words he could barely comprehend. She was screaming out how she couldn't lose them both, but that made no sense. His life had no value in comparison to his daughter's. Why would he want to live in a world without his two beacons of light?

Within a few mere seconds they had landed in front of Konoha hospital. His wife ran ahead, but stopped and ran back when she realised her husband was writhing on the floor, grabbing onto his left eye that was oozing out red and yellow liquid that spread along the back of his hands.

"Leave me, Sakura! Go to her!" He roared at his wife.

But she wouldn't listen. She picked him up deftly and headed towards the hospital entrance, yelling out orders. He was forced into a bed and he heard his wife demand that her husband not be left unattended or allow him to leave the hospital bed. He heard a scurry of notes and scrolls be passed along and then footsteps receding as quick as he was forced onto the bed.

A flash of light shone into his eye, blinding him for a mere second.

Green haze of chakra.

Screams.

Blood.

Tears.

Nothing.

He fought to regain consciousness, and bouldered past the medics, ignoring their protests. He followed the sounds of screams, stumbling at the doorway as he fought to catch his breath, before resuming. He blinked back tears and came face to face with a fountain of tears that washed over his sleeping angel. He forced his blurry vision to focus on the faucet of tears, his wife's creamy complexion had faded into white. She was a ghost of her former self. Her hands trembled as they hovered over their child's forehead. He stumbled over to her and placed his hand over hers, and lent her some of his chakra. The glow of green grew brighter.

He struggled to string words together, but managed a weak, "Sarada?"

Green eyes met his and she nodded. Her lips quivered. He didn't know what to make of that. His knees buckled under him and he came crashing down onto the tiled flooring. His hand found his heart and his breathing went wild. He was hyperventilating. More yelling and rushing of feet surrounded him. He spied a diamond seal in front of him, but the face was all wrong. Instead of spring, he found honey. Instead of cherry blossoms, he found hay.

"He's stabilised!" Came the commanding voice of the blonde woman in front of him. He looked up to find the Fifth Hokage kneeling beside him. She smiled crookedly when she saw that he had regained his senses.

"You old fool", she spoke. "Your daughter's just fine. I didn't waste my time teaching your wife for nothing. She's better than me, now, as hard as it is for me to admit." Tsunade pulled Sasuke up and plopped him into a chair, beside him was slumped a woman, candy floss hair shielding her face. "Sakura's exhausted, but she managed to cure the high fever before it damaged your daughter's eyesight. So you don't have to worry about a thing. I suggest you get some proper rest. You'll have a lot of work to do tomorrow taking care your two girls at home." And with that the Sannin left him with his family.

He reached over, and found his wife's fingers which had fallen over her armrest. He held them, and leaned over, pressing light kisses on her fingertips, before taking the former Hokage's advice.

A/N: I'll be starting my new job soon so I probably won't be able to update as regularly, unless of course I finish this before then.

Initially I has planned for this chapter to include explanations of how Sarada got into the situation she's in, but I figured if I don't stop now, this chapter will be too long.

What did you think of the turn of events? I'd love to hear your thoughts.