Sakura sighed as Karin glared at her from across the table. Sasuke and his group had been gone for nearly three weeks now and though she was thankful to be able to research in peace without the distraction of her husband's company and heavenly body. She was sick and tired of the red head's snide comments about her techniques, medicinal practices, her chest size, and her relationship with her husband, specifically how she felt she could satisfy her husband's carnal desires better than Sakura could.

It wasn't as though she didn't understand the woman's feelings. In fact, she understood so well it sometimes made her sick. Jealousy, envy, anger, lust, love, she knew it all. Even so, she was done. Totally and completely done with it. She and Sasuke's former teammate were going to exchange words, and by words, she meant she was going to pound the girl into the ground and take a few hits herself and hope that it would be enough to calm her down. They were going to get these annoying feelings sorted out before Sasuke showed up because if the girl so much as looked at him the wrong way right now, she was almost positive she'd punch the four eyed redhead through three walls.

"Karin, would you mind joining me in the training room?" Sakura asked. "I heard from Sasuke that sparring with Jugo isn't the safest activity without him or Orochimaru around in case he loses control. The samples we prepared today need at least sixteen hours to process anyway."

Karin sighed and flipped her hair. "Fine. I was starting to feel a little rusty anyway."

"Good." Sakura replied carrying her dishes to the sink. "I can wash my own Jugo, you can take a break." She assured the hulking ninja.

"Don't concern yourself Lady Sakura." He replied taking them from her. "This is part of my duty."

The pink haired woman smiled at him. "You're so sweet." She said. "Please let me know if you need any help with anything. I have some rare herbs on hand too if you want to take a look at them some time."

"I'll remember that. Thank you." Jugo said with a small smile.

%8%

Thirty minutes later, Sakura stood opposite her opponent, her jade eyes narrowed as she pulled her leather gloves into place.

"Just so there's no questions later, let me say this now, I'm well aware that you hate me for being Sasuke's wife." Sakura said firmly.

Karin's eyes widened before they narrowed. "What the Hell are you going on about?" She snarled.

"It's so obvious." Sakura replied popping out her hip. "Sorry to burst your bubble sweetheart, but he's mine. You might as well get over your childish crush and cut the seductive crap around him. I'm a tolerant shinobi wife, but I'm not a saint, come onto him again and I'll destroy you."

The redhead's brow twitched as her hands balled into fists. "Don't think for one second that you're better than me. Sasuke probably settled for you because he wanted to come back to his village and figured nailing you would be the best way to make sure no one threw a fit about it."

Sakura's own brow twitched in response to that as she crouched ready to attack. "Not that it's any of your business, but Sasuke didn't 'nail' me until our wedding night. That's true love right there."

Karin's eyes widened in shock before she shouted and launched at the pink haired medic attacking with relentless speed and power.

Even as a well seasoned, jonin level ninja, Sakura had to admit that Karin had serious skill. It wasn't just her ninjutsu either. The girl had amazing observation skills picking up on the little nuances in her attacks and jutsu. Sakura's brow knit together as she weaved and dodged Karin's attacks and slipped in to land a few blows of her own. It was an intense battle with Sakura barely managing to keep the upper hand as Karin kept up the relentless barrage of attacks. The redhead was sneakier than the pinkette due to her time as a rogue ninja and Sakura made a mental note to ask for tips once this episode had blown over.

"You're good. Really good. I can see why Sasuke choose you to be on his team." Sakura said panting as she wiped the sweat and blood from her brow.

Karin stopped her eyes widening blood from her own wounds dripping to the ground. "What?"

"Sasuke would never choose just anyone to be on his team. He picks only the best of the best to be by his side on the battlefield. I would know. When we were genin the only reason he tolerated me was because I was marginally better than Naruto. I was never his first choices in partners." She limped towards Karin. "I only became as strong as I am because I wanted to bring him home where he could be safe and happy."

Karin's eyes narrowed slightly. "He choose to leave. What makes you think he wasn't happy here?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed in response. "How many times did you see him smile? How many times did you hear him laugh while he was with you?"

The redhead took a step back as she wracked her brain. "I… I don't remember."

"Have you ever seen the way he looks at a kitten? Have you seen the expression on his face as he watches a crow?" Sakura asked. "Or were you too focused on how good he looked in those open shirts he used to wear?"

Karin's cheeks blazed as she looked at the ground. "I… I don't think like that anymore." She admitted before she slumped to the ground. "I don't know what it is but when he's around you… He's different. Even back then on the bridge I knew that there was something about you that had an effect on him. It was almost like even though he was… like that… He didn't want you to see him that way." She brought her knees to her chest. "Something about you makes him warmer, hell even his chakra reacts to you, and the way he looks at you… I just wish he'd look at me that way too."

"I understand." Sakura said sitting down beside the redhead. "I used to be jealous of you too."

"You're kidding right?" Karin said. "What do you mean?"

"You were by his side when I wasn't able to be. Through losing Itachi and everything. I wish I'd been able to be with him then." She said.

"I see. You really do love him, don't you?" Karin said the corners of her lips turning up ever so slightly.

"So do you." Sakura replied. "I heard about what you did for him when…" her throat closed up at the thought of her beloved dying on the battlefield and she shuddered before she wrapped her arms around the red-haired woman. "Thank you so much for being by his side."

Karin blinked in surprise and awkwardly patted Sakura's back before pushing her roughly away. "It's not like I did it for you."

Sakura tumbled and hissed when her bruised ribs throbbed at the impact. "Damn girl! You hit hard!" she groaned.

"Sakura! What happened to you?" Sasuke exclaimed sprinting to her side his eyes widening when he saw the ragged state she was in. "What is the meaning of this Karin!?" he snarled his hand balling into a fist, electricity beginning to buzz along his skin.

"Wait!" Sakura exclaimed grabbing her husband's arm. "We were just sparring and went a bit overboard. Calm down. She's in worst shape. See?" She said motioning to the redhead.

She watched her husband's sharp eyes sweep over the redhead and the furrow in his brow soften slightly.

"Alright." He said extending a hand to help her up. "Get yourselves cleaned up. We have things to discuss."

Sakura nodded and then reached out gently stroking the back of her husband's hand encouraging him to release his fist. "Welcome back darling."

He blinked twice before his expression softened his lips turning up in the tiniest of smiles as he laid his hand on his wife's head. "I'm back Tsuma. Thank you for waiting for me."

She beamed at him and nodded as he extended his hand to help her to her feet.

"Damn! That chick really tore you up." Suigetsu said walking up to the redhead. "You ok?" Karin nodded her gaze fixed on the Uchiha couple and the sharp toothed ninja followed her line of sight. "If it bothers you that much, I could do something about it." He offered.

Karin shook her head. "No. It's fine." A small smile touched her lips. "The Lady Uchiha and I have reached a mutual…. Understanding."

Suigetsu cocked a brow at that. "Are you serious?" he demanded.

Karin clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "A dense idiot like you would never understand."

Sakura walked over and extended a hand to the redhead a small smile on her lips. "Truce?" she asked.

The redhead smirked and nodded. "Truce." She agreed taking her hand. "I'm warning you though, if you slip up, I'll be waiting to snatch him from you."

The pinkette chuckled and shook her head. "You and half of the other women in the shinobi world."

Suigetsu shook his head and walked up to Sasuke who was observing the pair carefully. "Do you get what's going on?" he asked. "When we left Karin was all but foaming at the mouth ready to kill your wife in her sleep, now their acting like they're best friends."

"No." Sasuke replied simply before retrieving his wife and leading her to the dining room.

Sasuke sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples as he stared at the list of documents in front of him. His efforts to squash the anti-shinobi faction weren't going as well as he'd hoped they would. Though they weren't getting as much high profile, or mainstream attention anymore thanks to the efforts of the allied shinobi nations, taking down the higher ranked officers was proving to be a challenge. Many of them were not only highly skilled in combat, but they were even more exceptionally skilled at hiding and evading detection. Code names, secret messages, and even false identities; the entire mission was turning into one big headache. It was only the knowledge that he must be getting close to the level that he suspected Lord Sakamoto was in the organization that kept him going.

The aroma of freshly brewed apple tea accompanied by the soft squeak of the hinges of door swinging open pulled him out of his brooding state of mind as Sakura laid the pot of tea at the top of his desk. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind and kissed his aching temple pouring a little of her healing chakra into him through the touch to relieve the majority of his pain before laying her head on his shoulder.

"Have you hit another dead end?" she asked gently.

A small sigh of both frustration and relief left his lips as he leaned back a little into her touch. "Yes." He replied. "Another false lead that yielded nothing."

"You'll find him." Sakura assured him with a light squeeze. "You always do, but you won't be performing at your best if you run yourself into the ground." She said releasing him to walk around his work table pouring him a cup of tea.

"We've been working on this for months." He said accepting the cup she offered him.

"Yes. It usually takes time to take down a massive organization that took years to build up." His wife replied pouring a cup of her own.

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes but instead turned to conversation in her direction. "What about your work? Have you managed to develop an antiviral yet?"

The pinkette groaned and pressed two fingers to her temple. "I almost had it, then the blasted strain I was working with suddenly mutated again."

"Sounds like you're in a similar situation." He mused.

She nodded. "I nearly ripped my hair out when I saw it. Karin shrieked like a banshee and I swear Orochimaru snickered. That damn snake." She muttered.

Sasuke nearly smirked at that himself. "Sounds just like him." He admitted.

Sakura shot him a dirty look over the rim of her cup before she set it down and met her husband's gaze. "Since it appears we're both about to snap, I have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" Sasuke replied cocking a brow. "What would that be?"

"Let's go somewhere tomorrow, just the two of us and spend the night outside the hideout." She suggested.

"I returned from outside just a week ago." Sasuke replied. "Besides we have work to do."

"Please?" Sakura begged softly her jade eyes pleading. "You've been out traveling all over the world, but I've been cooped up here the entire time. Besides it's been so long since the two of us had time completely to ourselves." She moved closer her fingers sliding over his hand. "Please Sasuke? Just twenty four hours of uninterrupted time with you, that's all I'm asking for."

The ink haired man sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I'll think about it." He replied reluctantly. "You go on ahead to bed. I'm going to read over these reports one last time before I sleep."

Her face fell a little before she quickly covered it with a smile. "Alright. Don't work yourself too hard."

Sasuke watched her leave and his brow furrowed a little. Why was she so adamant about spending a day with him all of a sudden? It wasn't like her to suggest pleasure instead of work, particularly in a mission situation. Was she feeling neglected? Caged in by the walls of stone. It was definitely a possibility, he remembered feeling the same way when he was growing up inside the underground hideouts of the snake sannin. Maybe a day out and about would do her some good.

"You're leaving?" Sakura asked her eyes wide as he dressed the next morning.

"Yes. Something urgent came up. One of our spies located one of the anti-shinobi faction leaders we've been trying to get our hands on for months." He explained as he slipped his cloak over his shoulders. "We need to capture him while the train is still hot."

"Oh, I see." His wife replied slipping a knitted shawl over her shoulders. "When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. It shouldn't take too long though." He replied his expression softening when he saw the dejection in his wife's eyes. "I'll return soon, then maybe we can have that day you asked for, ok?" he said reaching out to pull her close.

"It's alright. Don't worry, just do your duty." Sakura replied holding him close before stepping away. "Here." She said handing him a plain wooden box about the size of his palm. "If you get a chance today, please open it."

"What is this for?" He asked studying it with curiosity.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She reached up on her toes and pressed her mouth firmly to his. "I love you Sasuke." She whispered in his ear. "So much."

"I know." He replied kissing her temple lightly. He reached out and poked her lightly in the forehead. "I'll see you when I get back." He told her.

"Right. Goodbye darling." She replied.

"Goodbye Tsuma." He replied giving her a small smile. He reached out and tapped her in the middle of her forehead. "I'll see you when I get back."

#&#

"He's still as dense as a rock." Karin said with a smirk from where she leaned against the doorframe to the lab. "Are you going to tell him? What today is?" she asked the pinkette working nearby.

"No." Sakura replied adding a few drops of blue colored liquid to the beaker she held.

"Isn't it kind of a big deal?" Karin persisted.

The medic chuckled. "I think so, but just because he didn't remember doesn't mean it didn't happen. I was expecting something like this honestly. Besides, when he realizes what today is he'll do something, even if it's just sending a one word note." She said a small smile touching her lips.

The redhead sighed and shook her head. "I don't know if I should feel sorry for you or annoyed at the saint act you're putting on." She glanced at the pinkette again noting the Uchiha crest between her shoulder blades. "After all, it is your first wedding anniversary."

Sasuke sighed as he sat down near the fire, his captive tied securely to a nearby tree glaring daggers at him.

"Filthy ninja scum." The middle aged brunette snarled spitting in the ninja's general direction.

"Damn, can we just knock him out already? He's seriously starting to get on my nerves." Suigetsu grumbled.

"Leave him. He can't do anything in that state anyway. We caught him in two days so we should be thankful we're not still chasing him." Sasuke replied shifting his bag over so that he could extend his legs.

The sound of wood clattering against steel reminded him of the box Sakura had given him before he left. He fished it out and studied it for a moment before pulling it open. Inside was a fingerless glove with a metal plate sewn into it with the Uchiha crest engraved in the corner of the plate. He smiled at thoughtful gift, but then frowned. Why would his wife give him such a thing? He noticed a slip of paper inside the box and unfolded it immediately noting his wife's neat but slightly feminine script.

Happy Anniversary Darling. I love you. Your wife Sakura.

His eyes widened. "Shit!" Sasuke cursed his chin dropping to his chest.

"What's wrong?" Suigetsu asked.

"Nothing." The dark haired man replied automatically.

So that's why she'd asked to spend the day with him. It all made sense now. How could he have forgotten his own wedding anniversary and Itachi's birthday?! Sakura was right about him, when it came to his work, he had a one track mind.

"If there's one thing I've learned from spending time with the great Sasuke Uchiha, it's that you rarely swear. Obviously something's wrong, so spill it. It's not like we've got anything better to do until daybreak." Suigetsu suggested sitting down and locking his hands behind his head.

Sasuke sighed. "The day we left was my first wedding anniversary and I completely forgot about it. She didn't though." He said lifting the glove from Sakura.

The sharp toothed ninja blinked twice and then burst out laughing. "You forgot your wedding anniversary!?" he exclaimed. "Your wife is gonna be pissed!"

The ink haired man nearly groaned and covered his face with his hand. "I don't need you to tell me that." He grumbled.

Suigetsu laughed even louder. "She's going to pound you into the ground. I'm going to have Jugo whip up some popcorn so I can watch in comfort."

"Shut up." Sasuke snarled.

He actually wasn't afraid of Sakura beating him up. Rather, he was more worried about her bursting into tears. A beating he could handle, his wife's tears… not so much.

"You… you're married?" Their captive asked.

Sasuke cocked a brow at that while Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah he's married, what's it to you old man?" he demanded.

"I don't understand. I was told that ninja are children that have been kidnapped or the products or rape that are brought into the hidden villages." The man said. "I was told they are incapable of feeling love or having families."

Suigetsu and Sasuke glanced at one another with wide eyes. Suigetsu snickered while Sasuke sighed and touched his temple.

"The garbage these people spew to get others on their side is absolutely hysterical." Suigetsu said with a sneer.

"Tell me about your wife." The man said.

Sasuke immediately stiffened at that. "What are you after?" he demanded.

The man's eyes softened ever so slightly. "You're quite protective. I see. It doesn't have to be anything that would reveal her identity. I'm simply curious."

"Why not tell him? It's not like this old man could actually lay a finger on her." Suigetsu suggested. "Besides, I'm a bit curious myself. I haven't spent much time around that wify of yours."

Sasuke sighed and glanced up at the moon. "What do you want to know?"

"How did you two meet?" Suigetsu asked. "Might as well start at the beginning right?"

"I wasn't asking you." Sasuke snapped.

"That's alright. Like that shark man said, it's best to start at the beginning." The middle aged man replied.

The ink haired man sighed and raked a hand through his hair tugging lightly before reluctantly answering the question. "We went to school together as children." He replied simply.

"What a boring answer. Typical Sasuke." Suigetsu muttered.

"What was your first impression of her?" The older man asked.

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Bright." He replied.

"Bright?" Suigetsu replied. "Please elaborate."

The ink haired man nodded. "I had always been surrounded by people like myself. Cool, collected, and calm. She was quite different, from her looks to her personality, she was just brighter than anyone I'd been around."

"I see." The older man replied. "When did you fall in love with her?"

The Uchiha matriarch thought for a moment. "I'm not sure." He admitted. "She was always following me, trying to catch up to me and make me notice her. We started working together as a team when we were both twelve." He shifted his legs and rested his arm on his bent knee. "I remember feeling annoyed with her most of the time, but then, I suffered true defeat for the first time on a bridge in a little country. I was in so much pain I couldn't move and everything was dark and cold. Then I felt something warm and heavy on my chest and I could smell flowers, blood, and salt. Those sensations grounded me and helped me swim out of the haze of darkness and pain. When I opened my eyes, I found my wife draped across my chest as though she was trying to protect me, not caring that the needles that were still embedded in my skin were cutting her as well." He glanced ran his hands over the metal plate of the glove she'd given him. "She was crying. Crying for me. It was the first time I'd ever experienced such a thing. I had lived the majority of my life alone, convinced that relationships and bonds were nothing but a burden, a distraction from my goals, yet I felt… happy that she was crying for me. I started looking at her a little differently after that."

"Is that so." The older man replied. "You are the legendary neo sannin Sasuke Uchiha, are you not?"

Sasuke nodded his eyes narrowing softly.

"You've killed many men, many who didn't deserve such a cruel fate. Does your wife know of your bloody path? Does she know you still walk it now?" The man demanded.

Sasuke nodded. "She knows, she knows more about me than anyone and still decided to walk down this bloodstained path with me."

"I don't understand." The man replied. "What kind of woman could love a man such as you?"

"I'm pretty sure all of us wonder that from time to time." Suigetsu said with a sneer. "I mean, the denture mold is a special breed of crazy, but your wife isn't like that."

"I don't know." Sasuke replied honestly.

"Then tell me, why do you love her?" the man asked.

Sasuke glanced up at the sky watching as a pink petal danced in the wind across the moon's face. Sakura's smiling face drifted into his mind starting from when they were children moving forward in rapid succession until her love filled eyes were boring into his, with his mother's hair pin sparkling in her hair. He pictured her in their kitchen, her hair held up and off of her neck by a lacquer hair clip with cherry blossoms on it, smiling as she turned towards him with a warm smile on her lips and a ladle in her hands beckoning him forward with her free hand. He belonged there, with her. In her arms, within her sight. She was the place where he could always return to. An anchor in the chaotic sea that was the life of a shinobi. Her warmth was everything he needed, filling his lonely existence with happiness and joy.

"When I'm with her, I feel the warmth of home." He said simply.

Suigetsu and the man's eyes widened at that.

"Sasuke…" Suigetsu said softly.

"I see." The older man said. "Tell me young man, why are you a ninja?"

"To protect the peace that my brother died for, my best friend fought for, and my wife deserves." The ink haired man replied.

"Not for money or glory?" The captive asked.

"Nah. Rogue ninja's do, but village ninja's aren't really like that. I would know." Suigetsu said. "What do you say we get some sleep? We can get up early and hurry home before that wife of yours has time to pick out your burial plot."

"Yes." Sasuke agreed easily.

He didn't want to talk anymore. He'd done far more of that than usual and was feeling a bit vulnerable because of it. He also needed to find a way to make up to Sakura forgetting their anniversary, but he wasn't really sure what to do. He'd sent her notes for her birthdays the past couple of years but he knew that wouldn't work for something like this, particularly since he'd forgotten the day. After a few moments, inspiration struck and he quietly summoned a hawk. He scribbled out a short message and then sent it away hoping that his request wasn't too unreasonable.

"You brought him alive?" Orochimaru said from where he sat in his throne like chair in the main room of the hideout. "Excellent work, though I expect this sort of thing from you Sasuke." He said with a smirk.

The ink haired man ignored the snake's poke at his more pacifist way of thinking.

"I've already learned all that I feel is necessary from this man." Sasuke said firmly. "He offered to be our ally but I'm not sure if I trust him yet. Please look after him until I get back."

"Back? From where?" Orochimaru asked.

"I have an important matter I need to attend to personally." Sasuke replied before glancing around the space. "Where is Sakura?"

"Ah, she and Karin are in the laboratory. They're nearly finished with preparing the next specimens." Jugo said walking into the room with a tray of steaming tea.

Sasuke nodded and walked past the gentle giant and paused for a moment. "Thank you for looking after her." He said softly before continuing down the hall.

Suigetsu's jaw hit the floor. "Did he actually just thank you?" he stammered.

"What an interesting change." Orochimaru noted softly accepting a cup of tea. "Do you know why he's acting this way?"

The sharp toothed boy shrugged. "The only thing I can think of is that he forgot his wedding anniversary, but that doesn't explain why he's acting grateful all of a sudden."

"How interesting." Orochimaru said with a smirk.

#^#

"How long do you think these will take?" Karin asked as she closed the lid on the incubation chamber. "I'm thinking about fifty hours."

"I was thinking forty eight." Sakura replied from where she was rinsing out a pair of beakers.

"We could always check them then and if they're not ready, give them a bit more time." The redhead suggested.

Sakura nodded. "I agree. We don't want them to get too mature but they need to be developed enough to provide us the DNA strands we need."

"Exactly." Karin agreed.

Sasuke watched the scene from the doorway of the lab half surprised and half pleased. He'd never imagined that Sakura and Karin would ever work so well together. Then again, Karin was a distant relative of Naruto and his wife and the blonde idiot had always worked well together when it came to the important things.

"Sasuke." Karin said noticing him when she turned away from the incubation box. "We weren't expecting you to arrive so soon."

"This particular fugitive was easier to track down than I anticipated." He replied walking into the lab. "Sakura, are you at a place where you can take a break? I need to speak with you."

The pinkette glanced at her red-haired companion who shrugged. "It's fine. I can finish cleaning up. You owe me for next time though." She said giving the green eyed girl a shove in the direction of her husband.

"Thanks Karin." Sakura replied blushing when she stumbled into her husband's chest.

"Whatever." The glasses wearing ninja replied before turning her back on the pair.

Sasuke had a sinking suspicion that a friendship of sorts had developed between the two women but decided to think about it later.

"Let's go to our room." He said leading the way down the hall.

Sakura nodded and followed quietly behind him her hands clasped in front of her. After a few moments, she spoke.

"How was your trip?" She asked.

"I accomplished my mission." He replied simply.

"That's good." Sakura said with a nod. "You usually do though."

He nodded and pushed the door to their room open. He pulled the dirty clothes from his travel pack and laid them in the hamper to be washed. He then picked up Sakura's pack and laid it on the desk, set his next to hers and went to the chest of drawers.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked her brow furrowing as he pulled out clean clothes for both of them and slipped them into their bags.

"We're leaving." He told her simply.

"Leaving? Why? For how long? I have experiments in progress." She protested the color draining from her face slightly. "Did something happen are we-"

"It's not permanent. I just need to investigate something in one of the nearby villages. Having a female companion will be best based on the location but I'll fill you in on the details later." He replied quickly, cutting her off.

"Umm… ok." Sakura replied picking up her leaf headband and slipping it into her hair. "Does everyone else know we're leaving?"

The ink haired man nodded grabbing a few more essentials and tossing them into the bags. Once he was satisfied that they were packed, he handed Sakura her bag and slung his own across his body.

"Come. We'll have to move quickly in order to reach the village in time to do some observation before it becomes too late." He said.

"Alright." Sakura replied slipping her pink elbow guards into place on her arms. "Let's go then."

$8$8

Sasuke was pleasantly surprised and how easily Sakura had agreed to come with him. Granted, he'd been more than a bit pushy and had used the ruse of their mission in order to convince her to come without complaint, but he'd never been great with words and worried that he would have given his surprise away. The fact that she was quieter than normal wasn't exactly comforting though. He figured that she was waiting for him to bring up their anniversary, but again, he didn't dare say anything for fear of giving away his surprise. Then again, he didn't like it when she was this quiet. It reminded him too much of their days right after he returned to the village and she was so guarded towards him. Taking a deep breath, he decided to break the silence.

"How is your research going?" He asked.

"Good." She replied. "I think I've almost got it figured out. A few more tests are required but I'm almost positive I've got it right this time." She sighed and glanced up at the sky. "Then after that comes the challenge of coming up with a quick, widespread dispersal method. Injections just aren't going to cut it."

"I see." Sasuke replied. "I'm sure you'll be able to come up with something."

Sakura nodded and they slipped back into silence again though it wasn't quite as uncomfortable this time.

$8$8

They arrived at their inn around dusk and left their things in the nice room he'd rented before he handed her a box.

"Here, change into this. We'll leave when you're ready." He said simply.

His wife cocked a brow at him as she took the box but nodded and went into the bathroom. While his wife was busy changing, he changed as well slipping on a blue button down shirt, a black vest, and a pair of long black pants. He remembered Sakura putting together a similar ensemble when they'd journeyed to The Land of Lightning together and hoped that she would remember as well. After all, his goal was to please her tonight, to make up for being so absentminded and oblivious to such an important date in their lives.

Sakura stepped out of the bathroom almost thirty minutes later and took his breath away. The red, Chinese style dress she wore skimmed over her perfect curves and ended just an inch from the floor. Black, and white birds cascaded over the fabric almost looking like they were in flight when she moved and they caught the light. She'd pinned her hair up with a silver claw clip encrusted with silver, red, and green rhinestones. Smoky grey eyes and painted red lips called to him and he quickly crossed the room trailing his hand over her shoulder and down to her forearm squeezing gently.

"You look stunning." He said softly.

She blushed at his compliment and smiled shyly at him. "You look very handsome yourself." She replied reaching out to run her finger along the collar of his shirt. "This reminds me of that outfit I put together when we were on our journey."

He smiled and nodded pleased that she'd remembered and offered her his arm. "Come Tsuma." He said softly. "Our mission objective is waiting."

She hesitated for a moment before she smiled warmly and accepted his arm letting him guide her down the stairs and out into the streets where colorful paper lanterns were being lit. Her eyes swept over the street in wonder as she glanced at the numerous stalls that had been set up along the edges of the road.

Sasuke smiled at the sparkle in his wife's eyes and moved through the slowly increasing throng of people. Her hair clips shimmering a little with every step she took. He realized that it had been a long time since he'd really just looked at her without a purpose behind it. The woman next to him truly was a rare beauty and he felt his heart warm, ice he hadn't even noticed forming around it melting away.

"Here." He said motioning to an upscale restaurant. "Our informant is here."

She nodded putting her serious 'mission face' as he liked to think of it as, before they walked inside. It was quite crowded with many well dressed couples milling about the waiting area. The Uchiha patriarch ignored their narrowed eyes as he pushed shamelessly through them to the host's desk.

"Can I help you sir?" The man standing there asked.

"I reserved your red room." Sasuke replied handing him a confirmation slip.

The man's demeanor suddenly changed as he straightened and offered the couple a bow. "I apologize. Please come right this way honored guests." He said leading them through the rows of well-made tables to another room blocked off by beautifully painted paper doors. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I will inform the staff of your arrival right away." He said pulling the doors open for them.

Sasuke nodded to the man and crossed the threshold pulling Sakura with him. Her eyes widened as she glanced around the space.

"This is… Spectacular." She breathed.

The lacquer table was gleaming semiprecious stones and abalone shell shaped into a beautiful ocean scene. Two scarlet cushions were set up across the low table with bottles of sake and small trays filled with appetizers already waiting for them.

"Come." Sasuke said pulling her towards the table motioning for her to sit on one of the cushions.

She knelt down gracefully and smoothed her dress over her knees as he moved to the opposite side and also knelt down. Her eyes studied him carefully as he poured drinks for them both before glancing around the exquisitely decorated room.

"Where is our informant?" She asked softly. "Are they coming later?"

He nearly smirked at that and handed her a cup of sake. "Be patient Sakura. The nature of our mission will be revealed shortly."

The pinkette took the cup her offered her carefully and waited. When he didn't move, continuing to watch her, she raised it to her lips and sipped it a small smile touching her lips.

"It's so smooth." She commented.

He nodded and took a sip himself. "It is my drink of choice, on the few occasions I have drank anyway." He explained.

A few moments later the doors slid open. A well-dressed chef stood there with a few staff members hovering behind him.

"My Lord and Lady, it is my pleasure to be your chef tonight. Here is the first course. I hope it will suit your tastes." He said ending with a graceful bow before he moved aside and allowed the staff to lay elaborate dishes on the table before retreating quietly.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "So many things to try."

Sasuke nodded as he handed her a plate. "There's quite a variety of foods here. Not only do they have easy access to the freshest seafood but with so many ships coming in and out, they've gathered many cooking techniques and flavors from around the world."

"Amazing." Sakura breathed before plucking a piece of crab off of one of the trays.

After a few moments of eating, Sasuke lifted his eyes to study his wife. "How are you getting along with Karin?" He asked.

She cocked a brow at that and then shrugged. "She's a little… difficult to get close to. She's quite skilled medically wise, though her methods are a bit more… invasive compared to my own preferences."

He nodded. "What about Jugo?"

Her eyes and face lit up at that. "He is wonderful. Attentive, helpful, and so conscientious. He's always checking on us in the lab, making sure we take time to drink, eat, sleep, and take care of ourselves properly. Sometimes it's like he knows what I need before I do."

Sasuke's expression warmed a little. "He is very reliable that way. I'm glad to hear he's taking such good care of you." He watched her eyes closely. "Orochimaru?"

Sakura's face fell a little and she looked down at her plate pushing around a little slice of daikon. "I'm not quite sure." She admitted. "He's exceptionally knowledgeable and wise. I just feel a little uncomfortable using his techniques knowing that innocent people died in order for him to create and perfect them." She sighed and picked up a piece of carrot that had been carefully shaped into a rose. "I'm just a little… conflicting. I can see how he and Lady Tsunade made an unstoppable team back during their glory days though. As much as I hate to admit it, he truly is an exceptional shinobi."

The ink haired man nodded and reached out stroking the back of her hand lightly with his fingertip. "You've done very well so far." He told her gently. "I'm sorry I haven't been around much to help you."

Sakura shook her head. "No. It's better this way. Medicine is my area of expertise and espionage is yours. I knew it would end up like this, or similar to this from the start. That I'd be tucked away in some makeshift lab somewhere while you were out hunting down the organization. This is better because now we both have help." She said taking his hand in hers.

His heart swelled with affection for her. His sweet, kind, understanding, tough as nails wife who asked for so little from him even though she had every right to demand everything.

Just as the second course arrived, Sakura's brow furrowed as she stroked her hand over the plating of the glove he wore. Her expression warmed and softened as she traced over the Uchiha crest engraved on the plate.

"You opened it?" She asked softly.

"I did." He replied. "Thank you very much." He clenched his fingers around hers. "I know that this doesn't even come close to making up for anything. This past year should have been filled with nothing but joy for you but I haven't been the best husband to you. For striking you during that fight over your seal, for leaving you for so long, for allowing you to be taken by that demon, nearly dying on your operating table and forgetting the anniversary of the happiest day of my life, the day we became a family, I sincerely apologize."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise before they softened and misted slightly. She rose from her seat and walked around the table until she could kneel beside him and cupped his face with her palms. "There's nothing for me to forgive." She replied. "I pushed you too far that night, neither of us were thinking straight and we've given one another worse wounds during our training sessions. I knew from the time we were children that if we ever married that you wouldn't be able to be with my always, we are shinobi first after all. Healing is my duty, I was proud to be able to use the skills I honed over the years to save your life. I was a little surprised you forgot such an important date but I won't hold it against you. You wouldn't be the Sasuke I fell in love with if your manic tendencies didn't shine through every once in a while." She chuckled lightly and then leaned forward until their foreheads touched. "Most importantly, I love you. More than anyone. Despite what you may think, this past year that I've had the privilege of being your wife has truly been the most joyful year of my life so far. The knowledge that no matter where you go or what you do, your heart is with me brings me more happiness than you will ever know." She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, her lips moving passionately against his until she broke away for air. "Thank you for everything Sasuke."

Sasuke felt his heart swell and tears sting his eyes, his emotions threatening to close his throat as he stared into those expressive jade eyes of hers. She was so warm, full of grace and love. How he wished he could be just a little more like her.

"That is my line." He whispered not trusting his voice to work at a louder volume before he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tightly.

After several minutes, he nudged her back towards her seat insisting that they eat before the food went cold. The slight tension he'd felt between them was completely gone, evaporated during their quiet confessions to one another. When the dishes had been cleared away, Sakura smirked at him.

"This isn't part of the mission is it?" She said.

He smirked back. "Not our joint mission. It is part of my personal mission though, to make my wife happy."

Sakura's smile bloomed at that. "Who are you and what have you done with my husband? He's never this playful outside of our bedroom."

He chuckled. "Take it as a once in a lifetime opportunity." He replied.

His wife giggled. "You said something similar on our wedding night. Perhaps this is simply a yearly fluke?"

"Maybe." Sasuke agreed with a smile before the staff walked in with the last course.

It was a desert made of frozen cream topped with berries served with tricolored dango, his little tribute to Itachi, on the side. Sakura's eyes lit up and her eyes rolled back in her head in pure bliss when she tasted the treat.

"This is wonderful." She breathed.

He nodded and took a spoonful himself. "It's the most popular item here. I hoped you'd like it."

"I do. I really do." She sighed.

Once they finished their meals, Sasuke led his happy but full wife out into the busy streets leading her down to where several paddle boats where tied up.

"Just the two of you?" The man working asked.

Sasuke nodded and the man handed him an oar. The Uchiha leapt lithely into one of the boats and then offered his hand to Sakura who graciously took it even though they both knew damn well she didn't need it.

He rowed gently out into the bay while Sakura studied the stars winking above them. "Lovely." She murmured softly.

Sasuke smiled at her peaceful expression as he maneuvered the boat a little further out before pulling the oar in.

"Why are you stopping?" Sakura asked.

"Patience." Sasuke replied with a smirk.

She frowned her nose wrinkling a little. "You know I'm not good at that." She muttered.

He chuckled and carefully moved closer to her. He gently turned her in her seat so that she was looking out towards a small island and touched her shoulder lightly before trailing his fingers down her arm to her wrist gripping it lightly. He lifted her hand pointing to a spot on the horizon.

"Keep your gaze there." He murmured in her ear.

"What am I looking for?" she asked.

Her answer was immediate when the telltale scream of a rocket followed by a colorful explosion of sparks erupted in the sky.

"Fireworks!" Sakura exclaimed happily leaning against him lightly as the sparks danced in the sky above them. "They're beautiful."

Sasuke's gaze was fixed on his wife caring little for the lights above. The joy radiating from her was nearly tangible. He had been the one to give that to her and it lightened his heart. Days and nights like these were rare for shinobi like him and he wished that he could give her more happy memories, but for now, this was more than enough.

When the finale ended, he gently turned Sakura to face him his hand cupping her cheek.

"Do you remember when I first confessed to you?" He asked softly.

She smiled and nodded. "How could I forget? I'd waited so long to hear your feelings for me that I was positive I was dreaming when you kissed me."

Sasuke's eyes warmed as he leaned in and kissed her gently before pulling back just enough for his lips to brush over hers. "Do you believe me now?" he murmured against her mouth.

"Yes." She replied twining her arms around his neck.

He smiled and kissed her again letting her set the pace this time. Her lips were so soft and warm, her tongue wicked as he submitted to her. He could feel her love, her loyalty, her devotion, her happiness, her passion through her touch and it sparked to life a desperate need inside of him.

"Sakura." He whispered pulling away drinking in the sight of her flushed cheeks and kiss plumped lips. "Let us return to our room. I have one more thing for you tonight."

She nodded a tiny pout forming on her lips that made him grin as he rowed them back to shore. They walked hand in hand back to the inn giving one another subtle looks full of want, slowly increasing their speed. Sakura quickly walked over to the bathroom to change and Sasuke took the opportunity to go to his bag and rummaged around until he'd found what he was looking for. He changed quickly before going to meet his wife in the sleeping room.

Sakura was already waiting for him dressed in a sage green silk camisole and matching shorts. She smiled at him warmly laying down the book she'd been reading and moved towards him her arms reaching up to twine around his neck.

"Wait." He said holding up his hand to still her. "I have something for you."

She blinked in surprise at him but nodded lowering her arms letting her hands clasp together in front of her instead.

"Thank you for being by my side this past year. For being my confidant, my partner, my healer, my lover, my wife, my home." He pulled out a square black box and opened it revealing a pair of silver, braided, bangle bracelets. "These are for you." He said setting the box on the nearby table and pulling one from it. "They're imbued with my chakra." He explained as he slipped first one and then the other into place on her wrists. "I know it seems a little cliché but I wanted to leave a part of me with you always." He clasped her hands in his. "Can you feel it?"

Her eyes widened in shocked surprise. "I can. It's very subtle but I can feel just a slight electrical current."

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. "Excellent." He pressed his lips to the diamond on her forehead before touching his nose to hers looking her in the eye. "It's a little late but, Happy Anniversary Tsuma. Thank you for everything." He leaned forward skimming his cheek along hers until his lips touched her ear. "I love you Sakura Uchiha." He murmured softly as his arm circled her waist.

She stiffened in his embrace before she melted and he gently took them both to the floor pushing her back onto the futon laid out loving the way her pink hair fanned out around her face against the slate grey spread beneath her. He crawled over her loving the way her pupils dilated, her pulse jumped and her breathing, quickened at his close proximity. He'd made love to her more than a hundred times over the past year and she still reacted like an innocent virgin from time to time. It made him feel powerful yet somehow humble that he managed to affect her in such a way.

"Sakura." He whispered straddling her waist before tracing the straps of her camisole nudging it from her shoulders. "Sweet Tsuma." He said pulling it off so that her torso was bared to him his pulse quickening and mouth watering at the sight of her perfect breasts. He stretched out over her and pulled her shorts and panties down brushing the nest of cotton candy curls at her apex, making her gasp and buck her hips as he did so. "Let me please you." He crooned stroking his hand from the curve of her shoulder to her hip. "Let me take you higher than you've ever been before." He nibbled down her neck and then licked back up to her ear. "Let me love you."

Sakura whimpered at his words before her trembling hand lifted to rake gently through his hair. "Yes darling." She breathed. "Please. Please love me."

Author's Note: Yes I know I'm evil, leaving you with a citrusy cliffhanger like that, but for the sake of story flow, it worked best to end it here otherwise this chapter would have been more than forty pages long and though I'm sure you would have enjoyed that, that would mean more waiting which is not so fun. Also, I sincerely apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter out. Between an unexpected increased workload, the sudden death of a close family member, and a child that has a knack for catching nearly every illness this season has had to offer, I simply haven't had the time to write I desperately wanted. I hope to be up to bi-weekly and eventually weekly updates again soon but for now, I'll just do what I can do. Thank you so much for your support. Also, just a thought, I understand that my portrayal of the characters and certain events don't suite everyone's tastes, this is just my interpretation of what I think happened taking into consideration what I've watched and read as well as some other research I've done on the cultures represented in the series. If you don't like it, that's fine you can tell me but please understand that criticizing someone's writing is one thing, attacking their personal character is another. Just because one of my characters is a total sleaze ball doesn't mean I am or that I condone/support such behavior. Please separate the work and the writer. Too many talented artists have left this field because of nasty reviews or messages attacking a person personally over the content of their artwork. That is not ok. This is a place of self-expression, please don't crush someone's creative spirit over your personal feelings, just move on. Please and thank you.