Sasuke sighed as he looked over the reports in front of him. It was an absolute disaster. Several villages in The Land of Tea had been completely wiped out by some unknown force. The only survivors of the tragedies had been under genjutsu so powerful they weren't even able to speak. Even after the genjutsu had been broken, their bodies had been ravaged by fevers, and terrible bouts of nausea. Not a single survivor had lived more than a week after being found and treatment began. It looked like an epidemic but with the genjutsu involved as well.

"This has organized crime and rogue ninja written all over it." Sasuke muttered as he shut another folder with a list of victims and what little could be determined about their deaths in it.

"You've got that right." Shikamaru said rubbing the back of his head. "This is Hell. More than nine hundred people have died."

"Make that more than a thousand." Kakashi said tossing a newly unsealed scroll onto the pile. "Another village was just found."

"This is such a drag." Shikamaru growled. "Have any of the bodies been transported here for Sakura to look at?" he asked.

"No. The local authorities are too afraid to do that. They're worried it might be a plague of some sort." Kakashi replied.

"That's what transportation jutsu is for." The Nara clan head grumbled.

"You can't fault them for their caution. Their people are dropping like flies. They're terrified." Kakashi pointed out.

"I suppose that means, you're going to send her to them?" Shikamaru said tapping a file contemplatively.

Sasuke's expression darkened a little at that. "Are you serious?" he questioned.

"She is a jonin and the best medical ninja we have. She's also adept at genjutsu, both at casting and breaking it. She's the best option we have." The legendary tactician reminded him.

Kakashi sighed. "Don't worry, I won't send her alone." He assured her. "I already have an appropriate partner lined up for her."

"Don't you dare send that whiskered idiot with her." Sasuke snarled.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, I need Naruto to stay in the village. This mission is far too delicate for someone of his… disposition, to handle."

"Then who? Are you sending Sai?" Sasuke asked his irritation flaring a little at the thought of the ink wielder going on a long term, secret mission with his wife.

There was no doubt that the former foundation member was perfect for such a mission. He'd also come to learn more about the man over the past several months and trusted him for the most part. He was an excellent shinobi. Even so, he just wasn't quite comfortable with the idea of them being alone for who knows how long. Not that he didn't trust his wife, he was almost positive his unease was ninety nine percent male ego, and that irritated him.

"There's this slightly stand offish shinobi I know who happens to be quite good at slipping in and out of the shadows. He's sort of new to the village but Sakura trusts him more than anyone. I'm sure he can handle such a mission." Kakashi said pulling a scroll from under his arm. "Here are your orders Sasuke Uchiha. You and Sakura Uchiha will be handling this mission. More than a thousand people have died for no apparent reason. You must be thorough, and precise. Find out what's going on, who's behind, and take them down. Sakura will assist you, as well as work on find out what's killing the people and creating a cure and treatment if needed."

Sasuke nodded and took the scroll even as his brow furrowed. "You almost got me." He admitted.

Kakashi smirked under his mask and nodded. "Alright then. You'll leave tomorrow. We'll rely on your hawks and Sai's ink birds for communication. Be careful. I have a bad feeling about this one. There's a good possibility it could stretch quite long. Possibly a year or more depending on the circumstances. I want every single person responsible for these heinous crimes caught."

"You're not the only one." Shikamaru replied.

Sasuke nodded and left the Hokage's office with his orders in hand. A long term mission with Sakura wasn't so bad, he was just frustrated by the timing. It had been nine months since he and Sakura had married. It was now February, the coldest month of the entire bloody year. Though shinobi learned through training and harsh reality to deal with the cold, it was not something he enjoyed. His wife liked the cold even less. Though she'd improved greatly over the years, he was still certain he'd have to listen to her whine about the temperature at least twenty times depending on how long their mission went, and that was far too many. The mission was likely to be long term too. It was a little ironic, he'd finally come home, yet he seemed to spend little time at home. Then again, Itachi had been the same. It was the reason why he'd always been so excited and desperate to spend time with him when he was home.

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto called out grinning in that idiotic way he always did as he waved a bandaged hand at him. "It's awfully cold out today isn't it?" he said tugging at the red scarf around his neck.

Sasuke nodded. He was almost positive it was going to snow too.

"Tell Sakura that the chocolates she made were delicious. She gets better every year. They're much better than her food pills." The blonde said with a grin.

"Chocolates?" Sasuke repeated his brow furrowing.

He'd smelled its sickly sweet aroma in the house for a couple of days now. When he'd seen Sakura making it, he hadn't thought much of it. He wasn't a fan of sweets himself but she had a sweet tooth that nearly put his brother's to shame. It wasn't the first time she'd made sweets and not offered him any since she knew his answer would be no. It had never even crossed his mind that she might be making something for other people.

"Yeah, didn't you know? It's Valentines Day." Naruto said with a grin. "I'm surprised you haven't been swarmed by crazy fan girls yet. My pile is already pretty high. I'll have chocolate for days."

A chill went down Sasuke's spine at that. VALENTINES DAY. How could he forget? He dreaded it every year, especially in the academy. This was his first time back in the village for the cursed day. It was not going to be pleasant, at all.

"I completely forgot about it." Sasuke admitted glancing around.

"No surprises there." Naruto said with a chuckle. "Anyway, I better get going. I just had to check on the cypher core for Kakashi. See you Sasuke." He said waving as he walked past.

"It's Sasuke Uchiha!" a feminine voice squealed.

"Oh Hell." Sasuke snarled under his breath before he took to the roof tops avoiding the enthusiastic genin and quickly making a break for his house.

When he arrived, he was greeted by a sight that made his brow twitch.

"You have got to be kidding me." He grumbled.

Stacked on his front porch were tens of chocolate boxes. Some were small enough to fit easily in the palm of his hand. Others were longer than his arm.

"I'm a married man." He muttered to himself as he struggled to step around the piles of sweets to get to his front door. "Shouldn't that mean less of this junk?" he said as he unlocked the door and slid it open.

With a sigh he went to work moving the boxes of sugary confections into the living room. Not that he had a clue of what he was going to do with them once he got them all in there of course, but it was better than leaving them on the porch for someone to trip over. He didn't like sweets and he and Sakura were leaving the next day. There was no way she was taking them all with them even if she begged him too. Maybe he'd be able to pawn them off to Choji. The man could eat massive quantities of anything and he was sure chocolate was no exception.

Once they were all inside, he sat down on the couch and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. This was why living in a village was a total pain in the neck most of the time. When a knock sounded at the door, he nearly groaned but stood up to see who it was anyway. There was always a chance it was Shikamaru, or Sai delivering mission revisions after all. He slid open the door and was surprised to find an apple cheeked girl in a puffy pink coat with wide brown eyes staring up at him from the porch. A young man he didn't recognize stood at the gate to his property and a young woman stood on the walk way a couple of steps away from the porch, the girl's parents he assumed.

"Can I help you?" He asked doing his best to keep his irritation from showing.

"Are you Lord Sasuke Uchiha?" the little girl asked in her high pitched voice.

"Yes." He replied stooping a little to be more on her level.

"Good!" the little girl said with a wide grin as she presented him with a small box, messily wrapped up in red paper and topped with a lops sided bow made of gold ribbon. "These are for you. They're chocolates." She said cheerfully.

He blinked in surprise and reached out taking the box from her mitten clad hands. "Thank you." He replied.

The girl beamed at him. "Mommy and Daddy tell me stories about you. How you, Lord Naruto, and Lady Sakura fought big bad monsters. Mommy says you saved her from a big one with ugly horns and a huge club with your black fire." She explained. "Thank you for saving my mommy."

Sasuke honestly could not recall the woman's face when he glanced at her. Even so, the only black flames on the battle field that day were his. It must have been his.

"You're welcome." He finally said unable to tell the smiling child that it had only been a coincidence that he'd saved her mother that day.

The girl beamed brightly at him. "Uh huh!" she exclaimed. "Thanks for 'cepting my chocolate Lord Sasuke." She said in her chipper tone. "You're not nearly as scary as everyone says you are." She added before prancing off the porch and to her mother taking her hand. "Did you see me mamma?" she asked.

"I did." The woman replied with an affectionate smile. "Thank you." She said nodding to Sasuke as he stood in the entry way waiting to make sure they left.

He simply nodded and watched the mother, daughter duo approach the father standing at the gate. He extended his arms and lifted the giggling girl into his arms planting kiss on her forehead and shifting her onto his hip before wrapping his opposite arm around his wife and pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.

Sasuke couldn't help but be entranced by the sight. That was family. Someday, he hoped to experience something similar with Sakura. He closed the door behind him and walked into the kitchen, laying the poorly wrapped box on the dining table as he did so, his thoughts still focused on his wife who still had three hours of work left by his calculations. Though she'd had her seal removed, they weren't actively attempting to conceive. Sure their sex life was as active as ever, but they hadn't taken any steps to increase their chances. To be perfectly honest, he sometimes wondered how it was someone could sleep with another just once and manage to get pregnant. Then again, he wasn't complaining. He and Sakura had both come to the same conclusion, it would happen when it happened for better or worse.

He pulled out a small serving of curry left over from the night before and heated it up pairing it with some rice for lunch. It was a little late to be eating, but going over the victim, and casualty reports with Shikamaru had taken more time than he'd anticipated. He'd only managed to take three bites of his food when there was a knock at the door followed by high pitched obnoxious giggling. There was no way he was going to answer the door knowing there were ravenous females out there.

"What should we do? No one's answering." A voice said.

"But we saw him leave The Hokage's office." Another replied.

"Maybe he went to train." A third suggested.

"What should we do?" The first voice said.

"Let's go look for him." The second one replied. "If we can't find him, we'll come back."

"Good idea, let's go."

"Finally." Sasuke sighed before going back to his meal.

%$%$

The same pattern repeated itself several times eventually prompting Sasuke to lock himself in the home office. He read over the incident reports again and scoured over the books on the shelves looking for any similar incidents over the years. So far he hadn't been able to find anything. Then again, it was hard to concentrate on anything with the almost constant knocking sounding at his door. After what felt like an eternity, he heard the only female voice that didn't prompt instant irritation.

"Darling?! Are you home?" Sakura called out. "There's a mountain of chocolate on the porch."

He breathed a small sigh of relief and left the office rubbing his temple lightly as he made his way down the stairs. Sakura was standing in the kitchen setting down a bag of groceries on the counter.

"Hello Tsuma." He said walking towards her. "How was work?"

"As exhausting as it normally is when I prepare for a long term mission. Handing things off to my subordinates is not easy or fun." She said turning to him, she moved to his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm going to change and then I'll come down and make dinner." She told him before mounting the stairs.

He nodded and watched her leave before walking to the porch and sighing. There were indeed many more boxes of chocolates piled by the door. He gathered the new ones and carried them into the living room, laying them by the others and then sighed. What on earth was he supposed to do with all of them?

Sakura descended the stairs not long after dressed casually in an oversized red sweater and black leggings. She entered the kitchen and slipped her apron over her head and approached the bag of groceries pulling out vegetables, rice, and two excellent cuts of pork.

"What's all this for?" he asked watching as she pulled down bowls, measuring cups and preset both the oven and stove.

She smiled at him as she rummaged through the fridge pulling out a carton of eggs carrying it to the counter.

"I know you don't like sweets so chocolate was out. I thought that a nice, quiet, candle lit dinner here at home would be a better gift to you." She replied with a warm smile. "Go ahead and relax. Read a book, watch a movie, sort through that mountain of sugar and coco in the living room if you want. I'll take care of things here."

He blinked in surprise and then smiled at his wife's thoughtfulness. The tiny kernel of jealously that had been sparked by the knowledge that she'd given gifts to others but not him fading away.

"Alright." He replied walking to the living room and picked up a book from the tall shelf and settled down on the couch.

He heard Sakura humming as she cooked and soon the house was filled with pleasant savory aromas. Sasuke glanced out the window and noticed white flakes tumbling gently towards the ground.

"Snow." He murmured softly.

"Really?" Sakura exclaimed wiping her hands on a towel before crossing over to look out the window herself. "It is! I thought it would." She said smiling as the while flakes began to accumulate on the ground.

"Is dinner ready?" Sasuke asked her putting his book down.

"Nearly, the roasted vegetables just need a few minutes to rest." She said shaking out her hair.

He nodded and reached out grabbing her by the wrist. He tugged lightly and she tumbled into his lap. "Sit down then. You've been on your feet all day."

She blushed a little and then nodded snuggling against his chest. "Alright." She looked at the pile of chocolate. "You sure got a lot." She commented.

"Such a waste." He muttered. "I won't eat any of it."

Sakura chuckled. "Do you mind if I do?"

"Not really, but you're not going to be able to eat it all and you're not bringing much of it on our mission." He replied.

The pink haired woman sighed. "Yeah, I know." She replied with a tiny pout touching her lips.

He chuckled and kissed the crown of her head. "Are you jealous?" he asked her.

She shrugged. "Not really. I know you didn't ask for any of this. It just comes with being handsome and famous." She said. "Do you get jealous of the love confessions I get daily?"

"Not really." He replied.

"So there you go." She replied kissing the tip of his chin. "I'll go dish up dinner."

He released her and followed her to the table. Just like she promised she lit several candles and turned off the lights letting the flickering flames illuminate the room as they ate.

"Happy Valentine's Day Sasuke." She said with a smile.

He smiled at her and nodded. "Thank you Sakura." He replied. "This is great." He complimented.

When they finished, Sakura cleared the dishes and then stood by the stairs. "Umm…" she said twisting her fingers nervously. "I have desert prepared, sort of, but it's upstairs, in our room. Would you give me fifteen minutes to prepare?"

Sasuke studied her for a moment before nodding. "Alright then. Fifteen minutes."

She nodded and then all but flew up the stairs earning a smirk from him. She was clearly up to something but what that was, he wasn't sure. With her that nervous though, it was sure to be entertaining at least. He picked up his book and read until the designated time had passed.

"Sakura? Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes." She called out. "Come on up."

He mounted the stairs following the sound of soft, instrumental music and slowly slid open the door to their bedroom and felt his heart kick into overdrive at the sight before him.

Sakura stood bathed in candle light in the middle of the room with her hands clasped behind her back wearing something he'd never seen before. A pair of red and black, lacy, barely there panties and matching bra that left little to the imagination. She'd touched up her makeup as well darkening her eyes with smoke colored shadow and painting her lips a sultry red. Her hair was down now as well curling over her shoulders. He'd never seen her dressed so erotically and it made his blood heat, his tongue swiping his lip in anticipation.

"Sakura." He breathed softly closing the door firmly behind him.

She shifted a little under his heated gaze and he could see a trace of anxiety mixed in with the anticipation and confidence in her eyes. He could tell that she had some sort of plan for tonight and he was more than willing to let her do whatever she wanted.

"I know that you don't like sweet things." She said walking forward and taking his hand, she pulled him towards the bed and grasped the hem of his shirt pulling it over his head. "Even so, chocolate is a huge part of the Valentine's tradition." She continued pulling down his pants. "So I found a way to incorporate it anyway." She pushed him back onto the bed and crawled over him grabbing something from the bedside table as she went. "Here." She said handing him a small bottle of warm chocolate spread. "You spread it and I'll eat it."

His eyes widened in shock and surprise. He hadn't expected such a bold move from his wife, but he'd always had a sinking suspicion that she was more sexually adventurous than he'd seen. After all, she'd gotten a nosebleed from Naruto's reverse harem jutsu and had quite the collection of steamy romance novels. A smirk touched his lips, it was perfect really. After all, he wasn't nearly as pure as anyone thought either. This little invitation of hers would be an excellent chance to test her limits as well as his own.

"As you wish Tsuma." He said before taking the spoon she offered him and dipping it into the jar.

He decided to start out easy trailing it over his neck to his collar bone before setting the jar aside.

Sakura licked her lips and then straddled his legs leaning forward and laving her tongue over the coco trail licking every drop of the spread away with slow methodical strokes. When she leaned back with a coy smile on her lips, he decided that such play was far too easy on her and took it up a notch. He picked up the spoon and trailed it down his sternum ending just above his navel.

Sakura studied him for a moment as though trying to figure out what the best method of attack was and finally settle on kneeling in front of him using his shoulders as her anchors as she leaned down arching her back and pushing her perfectly rounded ass into the air as she licked the line of chocolate away nibbling a little of the spread got caught in the ridges of his abs making him hiss in pleasure.

"Have you had enough?" Sakura purred when she lifted her face licking some of the chocolate from her lips.

He smirked back. "Not even close." He replied grabbing the spoon.

He met his wife's gaze pulled his boxers down until they were barely covering his stiffening member and drew two lines of chocolate along the ridge of his hip bones and nearly chuckled at the heat that flared in his wife's eyes. He knew for a fact that it was one of her favorite parts of his anatomy having overheard her call it 'that sinful 'v'' while talking with Ino during their house warming party while just a little tipsy.

It seems she wasn't going to take his teasing lying down and she gripped his thighs as she bent over him and began to lick at the sticky, sweet substance. He threw his head back and gripped the sheets a low moan of pleasure rattling in his throat as her tongue worked its way south her nails biting into the flesh of his legs as she went. Gods she was perfect. Warrior, Lady, and Temptress all wrapped up in a sexy little package, compete with a bow he noted with a little smirk as he caught sight of the little red ribbons between her breasts and just above her hot center on the sinful lingerie she wore. When her teeth grazed him just above the line of his boxers he gasped and reached down fisting his hands in her hair.

"Sasuke?" she murmured raising her head a little a knowing smile touching her lips.

"You minx." He hissed. "I know damn well there's no chocolate there."

She smirked. "Are you finished with your dessert already?" she asked.

"Not even close." He replied pulling her up gently by the hair until he could capture her lips in a searing kiss that whipped the flames of his desire into a raging inferno.

Even with the sickening sweet taste of chocolate on her tongue he couldn't stop. She had riled him up too much. He rolled her beneath him and unsnapped the thin lacy bra with a flick of his fingers and clamped his teeth on the bow between her breasts fulling the garment away from her. His breathing was ragged as his mouth roamed her skin leaving red and purple marks of passion all over her torso in his wake.

"Sasuke!" She gasped. "This is supposed to me about you." She protested even as her fingers pressed into his back.

"Which is why I'm taking exactly what I want." He growled hooking a finger in the waistband of her panties and pulling them down.

A shriek of pleasure flew from her lips when his mouth found her licking and sucking at her like he was a man starving. The muskiness easily erased the sickening sweet taste from his mouth and her cries of pleasure drove his own arousal higher.

"Sasuke! You're too rough!" Sakura gasped her hands grasping at his hair. "I can't-"

"Let go." He ordered her roughly before pressing his tongue inside her.

She came undone with a high pitched shriek and he watched her with lust filled eyes as she writhed in the pleasure he'd given her. He wiped the excess fluids from his mouth and pulled his boxers off completely before grabbing his wife by the waist as he leaned over her. He kissed her before trailing his mouth to her ear.

"I want you on your knees, Sakura." He growled before giving it a nip and a firm tug.

Her blush darkened before she obeyed rolling over and settling on all fours. He took in the lovely sight for a moment before positioning himself behind her. He grabbed her shoulder firmly before filling her with one long thrust. A low moan of pleasure left his lips as Sakura gasped and fisted her hands in the sheets. He started his rhythm moving in and out of her with hard but controlled thrusts. His hands slid over her sweat slicked shoulder to her bubblegum colored hair sliding through the silky tresses as he moved. She glanced back at him, her cheeks flushed, her jade eyes shimmering in the candle light and his sharringan instinctively activated recording the moment in all of its perfection.

"Sakura." He breathed stroking her cheek with his fingertip before the pleasure became too much.

His rhythm began to break and his breathing came out in pants as he gripped her shoulder. His mouth latched onto her back, leaving a few more dark marks of passion before he came undone with a gasp pouring himself inside her.

She collapsed underneath him and he laid on top of her panting as the soft music she'd put on played around them. When he'd found some of his strength, he rolled off of her and grabbed the crimson throw blanket at the bottom of the bed draping over both of them.

"Darling." Sakura breathed turning towards him a satisfied sultry smile on her lips.

He smiled back and reached out tracing her face from temple to chin with his fingertip.

"Happy Valentine's Day." She said repeating the same action with her own finger. "I love you Sasuke."

His smile widened and he slid closer to him and laid his forehead against hers. "I know."

She giggled. "When I was younger, I always dreamed of spending Valentine's day with you. It never went quite like this though." She said laying her hand on his chest. "It was always way cheesier and much less fun." She shifted closer and laid her head on his shoulder. "During the years you were away I was afraid something like this would never happen at all."

Sasuke sighed and lifted his hand lightly stroking her hair. "There's no need to worry about things like that." He assured her. "I never really cared for the holiday at all, until today that is."

Sakura chuckled. "That looked of annoyed disgust on your face when getting chocolates from girls you don't like hasn't changed at all." She commented trailing her fingers slowly down his chest. "That trademark Uchiha scowl. It used to make me nervous but now I find it quite adorable."

Sasuke blushed irritated and surprised that she'd call his scowl 'adorable' of all things and grabbed her hand with lightning speed forcing her onto her back as he loomed over her.

"I am not adorable." He nearly snarled.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief, mirth, and a touch of lust, her lips turning up into a wide smirk. "There it is again!" she exclaimed with a little giggle. "So cute."

His grip on her hand tightened as he blushed again. "Sakura…" he growled lowering his head to her shoulder and nibbling on it just a touch harder than usual. "

"Ouch!" she hissed when he nipped her particularly hard near the nape of her neck. "There's no need to pout. That scowl scares just about everyone else away."

"I'm not pouting." He protested.

"Sure you're not." Sakura drawled rolling her eyes.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed even as a wicked idea formed in his head. He slid his hand down the length of her body towards her center and focused his chakra as carefully as he could. He didn't have Sakura's level of chakra control so he knew he wouldn't be able to conduct his little 'punishment' for long, but he hoped it would be just long enough to get his point across.

He reached the patch of cotton candy curls and pulsed the weakest electrical current he could over her clit as he brushed it with his finger. Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped her hips bucking in response to the sudden stimulation.

"Sasuke!" she nearly shrieked her eyes rolling back in her head when he pulsed his chakra again.

"You were saying?" he nearly purred his lips gently gliding over her collar bones as his wife writhed beneath him.

Just before she was about to climax he pulled his hand away and she let out a frustrated groan. "No!" she rasped. "Please don't tease me!" she begged tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.

"Hmm…" he drawled drawing his nose down the length of her sternum between her breasts.

"Darling…" she pleaded her free hand reaching for his hand that was stroking over the jut of her hip bones.

He smirked and moved his hand back giving her an electrical touch that made her cry out but didn't push her over the edge she was so desperate for.

"Sasuke!" she nearly sobbed gripping his back with so much force that her short nails broke the skin. "If you don't finish what you started I swear to-"

Satisfied with her reaction, determined she'd been suitably punished for her comments and just a touch fearful of her wrath, he moved his hand away completely. His wife's hand balled into a fist but before she could throw her punch, he sheathed himself in her and she shattered around him with a high pitched cry. He smirked as he set his rhythm and shifted her into his lap kissing her soundly as his hand stroked and gripped her sculpted back. She moaned and gasped in pleasure wrapping her arms around his neck and he took the opportunity to suck one of her pert nipples into his mouth.

"Darling!" she exclaimed holding him closer. "I love you! I love you Sasuke!"

He smiled at her words and thrust into her twice more before he spilled inside her with a groan.

Once again they collapsed together across the bed panting as their bodies cooled.

"Damn it Sasuke." Sakura panted. "I was about to slug you, you jerk."

Sasuke smiled and turned his head to the side nuzzling her shoulder lightly. He hadn't admitted it to anyone, not even Sakura, but the words, 'you jerk' spoken from her lips were incredibly precious to him. It was the phrase that she'd spoken shortly after his death match with Naruto where she'd finally dropped all pretenses and revealed her true feelings. It was a life changing moment for him. For the first time he truly realized just how much pain he'd caused her. Not only that, but as he looked at her tear stained face, her body still bruised, battered and dirty from their epic battles to save their world and realized that he loved her. Perhaps he was in love with her already and just hadn't recognized it yet, but he knew then that he loved her and that he needed to become a better man and do whatever he had to in order to protect her and maybe, just maybe, be good enough to stand by her side someday.

Now here he was, lying in bed with the strong, brave, beautiful, powerful woman who had saved him body and soul. He wasn't sure who to thank for such a gift but he definitely knew it was more than he deserved. For abandoning her, for tormenting her, for worrying her, he deserved to have nothing to do with her, perhaps even her hatred, yet here he was, because for some reason he would never fathom she loved him in spite of all of the terrible, cruel things he'd done to her and their friends.

"You're brooding." She said softly pulling him from his thoughts. "I can tell." She said tapping the subtle crease in his brow. "You can tell me what's bothering you." She reminded him.

"I just don't understand." He admitted.

"Understand what?" She replied running her fingers through his bangs, pulling them aside so she could see both of his eyes.

"How you can love me after everything." He said his voice soft betraying the tiny kernel of insecurity he felt.

Sakura blinked a couple of times before a soft, warm smile touched her lips and she let out a soft sigh shifting until their foreheads were touching. "Darling," she breathed cupping his face with her hands that could both split stone and save lives. "Love isn't something that can be reasoned out or defined by logic. It's a collection of memories and feelings that connect two souls together." She slid her fingers back gliding along his cheek bones, coming to a stop with her thumbs brushing the corners of his eyes. "From the moment I saw you, the second I saw these eyes, something within me seemed to awaken. I wanted to know you, wanted to see you smile, I wanted to be near you. As I got older, I wanted your attention, perhaps that was because you had so much of mine." She brushed her hands back into his hair. "When we were put on the same team, the wish I'd made as a child was granted, though not in the way I'd envisioned. I saw sides of you besides, 'cool, collected, head of the class Sasuke'. I saw the cocky Sasuke that enjoyed besting Naruto. I saw the lonely Sasuke who resented the naïve me who had a living family. I saw the confident Sasuke who held his own against two Chunin fresh out of the academy. I saw the jealous Sasuke who struggled with chakra control but was too proud to admit it. I saw the terrified Sasuke who trembled when in the face of two deadly jonin who were determined to kill one another for the first time." Her fingers traced over a small, faded, round scar on his shoulder. "I saw the selfless Sasuke who was ready and willing to die to protect his comrades, even the one he couldn't stand. I saw the determined Sasuke who went into battle wounded. The angry Sasuke who hated his own weakness. I saw the sorrowful Sasuke who left to fulfill a mission he felt he had no choice but to complete for the sake of his fallen people. The hate filled Sasuke whose soul had been neglected and battered for far too long." Tears filled her eyes. "And with each new side of you I saw, the more I understood you and the more I loved you." The drops from her lashes fell on his face. "From the day I first met you, I knew somewhere deep in my heart that I would love you forever. I can't explain it myself nor do I think I need to. Do you understand, my love?" she leaned down and kissed him gently. "No matter where you go, what you do, or how you change, I will always love you."

Sasuke's eyes softened and he blinked back the tears that were threatening to form as he reached up and stroked through her hair before bringing her mouth back to his. It was long, sweet kiss, filled with gratitude, adoration, and love. How he loved her. He knew he could never love another the way he loved her. His hand slipped over her shoulders pulling her bare breasts against his chest and savored the sensation of it, basking in her warmth and the knowledge that moments like this where she bared her soul were his, and his alone.

"Sakura… Sakura I-" Damn, the words were so hard to say with his throat so tight.

"Shh." She murmured pressing an open mouthed kiss to the sensitive spot just below his ear. "You don't have to say it. I already know."

He held her close burying his face in her hair, breathing her floral, feminine scent letting it relax and calm him. After a few moments he sighed.

"We should sleep. We're supposed to leave the village tomorrow." He told her.

She sighed as well. "I know. This mission sounds like it's going to be a long and complicated one."

"Indeed, which is why we should rest." He said.

After a few quiet moments Sakura spoke again. "Sasuke, I'm not replacing it."

"Replacing what?" He asked.

"Nothing." She replied. "Never mind. Goodnight darling."

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes in irritation before rolling over and draping his arm over his wife's waist. There was no telling when they'd be able to sleep like this again. Naked, unarmed, next to one another in a safe place without one of them awake keeping watch. He intended to savor it.

-8-

"It's certainly cold today." Sakura muttered breathing onto her hands in an attempt to warm them up.

"It can't be helped." Sasuke replied as they trudged through the fresh layer of snow on the ground. "We'll reach the village soon. Then we can stop and rest."

"I'm not tired, just cold." Sakura replied rubbing her arms. "I'm pretty sure The Land of Snow was warmer than this when we were there."

The ink haired man shrugged. "Maybe. Fighting all those snow ninja kept us too busy to notice though."

Sakura nodded. "That's true. That and chasing down Naruto, that idiot. Always jumping into trouble. I think Kakashi is keeping him in the village on purpose so that there aren't as many messes to clean up."

"Probably." Sasuke agreed.

"The two of us worked well together on that mission." She commented as they walked. "I'll never forget the look on that hag's face when she realized that she'd been bested by a couple of kids."

Sasuke glanced at her. "We did, didn't we?" he said thinking back and remembering how she'd guided him in the battle while simultaneously defending herself from the low browed ninja chasing her down.

She smiled and moved closer to him slipping her hand into his. "Just trying to get the feeling back into my fingers." She assured him with a little wink.

He nearly rolled his eyes but didn't protest as they trudged through the snow.

When they arrived in town a few hours later, they quickly found an Inn and retreated to their room. Sakura pulled off her cloak and took a towel to her wet hair as she quickly knelt by the electric space heater shivering a little as she rubbed her hands together.

"I hate winter." She grumbled.

Sasuke slipped off his own cloak hanging it near the door to dry a little and glanced over at his shivering wife. There was something off about her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it either. He walked over to the neat stack of futons and pulled a blanket off the pile and walked over to her draping it over her shoulders.

"You should go take a warm shower if you're that cold." He told her rubbing her shoulders a little.

"I thought you were going to take one." She replied glancing back at him.

He shook his head. "I'm going to go do some digging, see if anyone here knows anything. This is the town where I caught those rogue ANBU operatives."

A small frown touched her lips. "Just wait a minute and I'll come with you." She said moving to stand up.

His grip on her shoulders tightened forcing her to stay sitting. "No. It'll be easier and safer if I go alone. You're too recognizable here and, the place I'm planning to go wouldn't be safe for you."

"Sasuke, we're supposed to be working together on this." Sakura protested. "I'm not some damn damsel in distress that can't handle dangerous situations."

"We will be. Get warmed up and study up on the symptoms of the disease we know of. I'll come back tonight with information we can sort through together." He explained.

"Sasuke-"

He cut her off with a swift kiss. "No arguments. Get yourself warm and eat some of the chocolate you brought along. I'll order some tea and hot soup for you." He said standing up and heading for the door.

He was surprised when Sakura's hand reached out and fisted in the back of his shirt forcing him to stop.

"Come back safe and sound, you hear me?" she said her eyes focused on the floor.

A little surprised at her actions he turned towards him the feeling that something wasn't quite right with her growing.

"I will." He assured her stroking her cheek lightly. "Are you alright?"

She blinked a couple of times and quickly dropped her hand. "Yes of course." She said quickly offering him a smile he recognized right away as fake. "I'm sorry. Good luck out there." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

His brow furrowed as his worry for her spiked, but he also knew that he needed to do his surveillance work now before whispers of their presence began to float around town and scared off the rats he was looking for. Determined to try to figure out the cause of her strange behavior later, he nodded and lifted his hand tapping her lightly in the middle of her forehead.

"I'll see you when you get back." He told her gently.

Her smiled warmed, changing into the genuine one he adored and pink feathered across her cheeks. "Yes. Alright Sasuke." She said kissing him one last time before she picked up her bag and walked to the bathroom.

7;:8:;7

Sasuke sat at the seedy bar near the outskirts of town his glass of water barely touched in front of him. He'd checked for poison with his finger, using one of the lesser known, but helpful jutsu Orochimaru had taught him years ago, and was now nursing it slowly. It looked like alcohol at least but he wasn't about to risk getting drunk surrounded by such shady characters.

His hood was pulled up over his head, his bangs hiding his rinnigan from view as he listened carefully to the conversations floating around him trying to pick up on anything that might be a clue to the incidents of mass murder.

"Did you hear about those villages? The ones that are being wiped out?" A slurred voice asked.

Sasuke's senses sharpened as he activated his sharringan and scanned the room quickly pinpointing the thin man talking and those gathered around him, committing their faces to his memory before deactivating the power and turning back to his drink at the bar as he continued to listen.

"I have. That guy… Tomoyori I think his name was?" another voice chimed in.

"You mean that dude who's with the anti-shinobi faction?" the first voice asked.

"Yeah, that one. He was bragging about how they were the ones behind it." The second voice said.

"But those were normal villages, not shinobi villages, why kill them?" The first guy asked.

"Maybe they're warming up? Those ninja guys are different from common criminals like us. They're way harder to kill. I heard that they can even come back from the dead." The second guy offered.

"I don't know man. I mean sure shinobi can be annoying as hell, especially when they interfere in our business, but do they all really need to die?" The first guy mused.

"Dunno." The second guy replied. "Regardless, that anti-shinobi faction is damn scary if they're resorting to mass murder to take down the guys they hate so much."

"Tomoyori." Sasuke muttered to himself committing the name to memory.

He was definitely someone he needed to hunt down. Glancing at the clock on the wall he determined that he'd been there for nearly two hours. Another half our would probably be more than enough time spend on his excursion, then he could return to Sakura, tell him his findings and hopefully find out what was bothering her.

"Hey there handsome." A low voice came from beside him.

He glanced over and was surprised to see a slightly burly man wearing a flamboyant pink patterned shirt that was open almost to his navel settling down next to him.

"I haven't seen you around before, are you new in town or just passing through?" he asked.

"I haven't decided yet." Sasuke replied studying the man warily.

He had blonde hair and magenta eyes that almost reminded him of Karin's. Perhaps that was the reason for the uncomfortable chill that went down his spine.

"Ah, well. I for one hope you stick around for a little while. The pickings as far as partners go are pretty slim here." The man said. "I'm Noro by the way." He said. "You got a name hot stuff?"

Sasuke's brow nearly twitched. He'd heard women say such things to him before, but never had a man. Trying to keep a low profile, he thought quickly and decided on the second name that came to mind.

"Kurama." He said thinking of Naruto's fox spirit.

"Kurama huh? It's kinda cute. I like it." The man said leaning towards him.

Another chill went down Sasuke's spine at the tinge of lust he saw there but he ignored it as he sipped his drink. Just twenty five more minutes and he could go back to his wife.

"So tell me, why is a man of you caliber drinking alone?" Noro asked.

"I just wasn't ready to go back to my inn yet." Sasuke replied tapping his glass absentmindedly. "I wanted to unwind a little."

"Ah, I see. Wanting to relax after a long journey. I'm an excellent masseuse if you want a little extra help relaxing." The man said laying his hand on Sasuke's arm and giving it a little squeeze. "I can almost sense the tension radiating from your body."

Sasuke's hand twitched nearly shattering the glass in his hand. The man was coming on to him! In his years of being a rogue ninja he'd never experienced such a thing and he was completely baffled. Even so, he knew he had to play it cool. If he blew his cover now, the man belonging to the anti-shinobi faction would either target him, or take off. Neither of those options were good for him.

"I appreciate your offer, but I don't think my companion would like it if I brought a man I'd just met to our room." He said pulling his arm from the man's grip.

"You're traveling with a companion?" The man asked his brow raising a little. "That's a little surprising, why didn't you bring them with you?"

"They weren't interested." Sasuke replied unwilling to reveal Sakura's gender at the moment.

He knew that others were eavesdropping on his conversation the same way he'd done with others earlier. If he revealed that he as with a female companion that was alone in an inn, some of the scummier men in the establishment might take advantage of the situation and seek her out. He wasn't worried about her being hurt or taken advantage of, particularly by such low level scum, most of them with a lower chakra level than most of the genin in the village. He was however, worried about the state the inn would be in if one of the poor, unfortunate souls managed to confront her while she was in a state of undress. He doubted the old building would survive her wrath.

"I see. Well, I don't mind. I'll take care of both of you." The man purred leaning so close to Sasuke that he could smell the alcohol on his breath and the callonge he wore. "The more the merrier. I'll give you pleasure you've only dreamed of." He promised his lips nearly brushing the former avenger's ear.

There was a nearly audible snap as Sasuke reached the end of his patience. He didn't hold any negative feelings for people who had those sort of sexual preferences. Zabuza and Haku were two of the shinobi he respected most and he was nearly positive their relationship would have evolved into something more intimate had they lived longer. Even so, that wasn't his preference, and he was not about to let this man have his way with him especially when he gave no indication he was interested. He felt his skin crawl and his stomach churn uncomfortably. He focused his chakra prepared to cast a mild genjutsu on the man so he could slip away and felt his hand brush his thigh. His hand tightened on the glass shattering it in revulsion and he activated his power dragging the man into a brief illusion just long enough for him to hand the bartender some money for the broken glass and slip out the door.

As he swept quickly through the dark, snowy streets towards the inn where he and Sakura were staying, he wondered if he'd gotten a tiny glimpse into how she'd felt when Lord Sakamoto had attacked her. That feeling of disgust and anger when touched in such an intimate way by someone you had no desire or feelings for and the twinge of shame for letting it happen. Of course what he'd felt wasn't even a fraction to what she must have endured, but he felt that he understood her a little better. Now, more than ever he wanted to retreat into the safety of her arms and let her hands and lips erase the slimy feeling in his chest. Perhaps he could convince her to be on top tonight, not that she ever needed much encouragement when it came to such things.

He made it to the inn, nodding to the inn keeper as he tapped the snow off his sandals and quickly made his way down the hall to the room he and Sakura were sharing. He tapped on the door twice.

"It's me." He called out quietly when he heard movement behind the door.

Sakura slid open the door and stepped aside for him to enter and hung up his cloak and laid his damp shoes next to her smaller, dry ones. He stepped inside and found his wife bathed and wrapped in a light green yukata, books, and paper littered with notes laid out on the table. She turned towards him and picked up a yukata that matched hers and a change of under clothes holding them out to him.

"Here, I started to fill the tub when I sensed your chakra moving towards the inn." She told him motioning to the bathroom where steam was creeping out from beneath the door. "Go take a bath, then tell me what you learned."

He blinked in surprise and then sighed taking the clothes. He leaned forward until their foreheads touched.

"Thank you Sakura." He said softly before walking into the bathroom.

"How was the bath?" Sakura asked him forty five minutes later when he left the bathroom clean and dressed in the yukata she'd given him.

"Excellent." He replied running a towel through his inky locks. "Did you learn anything while I was out?"

She sighed and raked a hand through her hair. "It's hard to theorize much of anything without bodies to examine." She admitted. "Even just knowing if the genjutsu was placed before or after they were infected with whatever this is would be helpful."

"How so?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, if it was placed before, the one casting the jutsu may have used their power to force the people to take whatever it was that made them ill. If it was cast after, perhaps it was a ploy to keep the people from noticing or taking their symptoms seriously until it was too late." She explained.

"I see." Sasuke said sitting down next to her in front of her books and notes. "I hadn't thought of that."

She nodded. "So how did your little excursion go? Better than mine I hope."

He nodded. "It sounds like the anti-shinobi group is behind it, or at least taking credit for it." He said. "I overheard the name, Tomoyori from a couple men at the bar who's supposed to be a member of the group bragging about it. I'll try to hunt him down tomorrow."

Sakura nodded. "Sounds like you found some good intel." She said before her brow furrowed. "What's wrong?"

He nearly jerked at that. "What do you mean?"

"Your hand." She said taking it in hers her fingers glowing green as she probed it. "I thought I smelled blood." She picked of a pair of tweezers from her medical supplies laid out near her notes and pulled a shard of glass from his palm. "What happened?"

Sasuke blinked in surprise before hanging his head. "I ran into a rather… enthusiastic admirer."

"That's not very unusual for you." She said inspecting the webbing between his fingers.

"It was a man." He said in a voice so soft he wasn't certain she could hear it.

She froze, her hands still cupping his. "A man?" she repeated.

When he nodded, she looked down and jerked once, then twice before she burst into uncontrollable giggles releasing his hand to double over, holding her stomach as she laughed.

"It's not that funny." He protested blush feathering over his cheeks. "It's never happened before so I was caught off guard."

"Ha!" Sakura gasped. "I can't breathe!" she rasped bending until her hair brushed the floor as she tried to get her laughter under control. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard!"

"Sakura…" he grumbled.

"I'm sorry." Sakura said a smile touching her lips as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "It's just so ridiculous."

He studied her for a moment and then sighed. "Whatever. At least your mood is better."

Her laugher died and she met his gaze her eyebrow cocking slightly. "My mood?"

"Yeah. You've been a little off all day." He said reaching out to gently stroke through her hair. "Is something troubling you?"

Sakura blinked in surprise before her gaze drifted to the window where snow was gently falling. "Not exactly." She replied. "I always feel a little off when the weather's like this. It makes me… remember things I'd rather forget."

Sasuke slid his hand down cupping her cheek. "Will you tell me?" he asked.

She smiled a small smile but shook his head. "It's not important."

"Sakura." He murmured softly leaning forward until his mouth touched hers. "Let me in."

Her arms twined around his neck and he soon found himself on top of her his hands sliding over her skin beneath her yukata while heat streaked through his blood. He pushed the robe from her shoulders and kissed over her collar bones as his hand squeezed a breast before sliding over her body to the heat between her legs. He stroked and rubbed at the sweet spot waiting until she was wet and whining for more.

"Sakura." He whispered trailing his mouth up to her ear along the pale column of her throat. "Ride me."

"You've been awfully demanding concerning bedroom matters lately." She replied her hands sliding along the ridges of his abdomen making his groin clench in anticipation. "I don't mind though." She added quickly pushing him onto his back.

A low groan of satisfaction let his lips when she impaled herself on him enveloping him in warmth. Her eyes drifted shut as she began to lift, lower, and grind her hips soon settling into a rhythm that had him gasping. He gripped her hip as tightly as he dared. As he'd hoped, the tension he'd felt, the disgusting feeling of revulsion was fading away under the touch of his wife. She cried out her walls fluttering around him and he came undone with a shout just moments after holding her tightly to him as they both shuddered in the throes of their climax.

After several moments, he released her and Sakura slumped forward over him resting her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair absently as their bodies cooled listening to the sound of the wind blowing outside the room. Eventually, Sakura shifted off him, separating their bodies and pulled him to his feet turning off the lights as they retreated to the sleeping space where she'd already laid out a futon. He laid down beside her after fixing his yukata and held his wife as she laid down beside him curling against his side.

"It was a day like today." She said suddenly. "Bitterly cold, cloudy and snowy. I lied to the closet, most precious friend I had, using his feelings for me against him before I left to commit the most vile act I could ever dream of. Kill the man I loved."

He looked over at her and wasn't surprised when she hid her face from him looking away as she curled into a tighter ball.

"I understand." He said stroking her temple lightly. "You don't have to say anymore. Naruto and I are both fine."

She nodded and pressed wrapped her arms around him. "I never… I never really wanted to hurt you. Either of you. I just.."

"Shh." He hushed her. "I understand. I'm sorry for ever putting you in that situation."

"I love you." She whispered.

"I know." He replied touching his lips to her forehead. "Tomorrow, we'll both go look for Tomoyori. I'll take the back alleys and more shady spots while you stick to the main roads. Is that alright?"

She nodded. "Yes of course."

"I'll be relying on you." He said.

"Good. That's exactly what I want." Sakura replied before the pair of them drifted asleep.

Author's Notes: Sorry again for the delay! Life has been kicking my trash lately. . Hopefully the next chapter will come out smoother and much sooner. Anyway, thanks for all the likes, reviews, and such. They make my day and keep me going even on the days when I only have time to write a line or two.