Oh no, another hard chapter as far as keeping things in character. Who was the tough one this time? Sakura, of course. It was really hard to know what her reaction would be to seeing her son so grown up. (well, sort of grown up) I guess I'm satisfied with it. I am really satisfied with the direction of the story. That's important.
Anyway, I do not own Naurto
Current Chapter rating: G
Please enjoy and review.
Jenn
The Pink haired Anbu reached up to free a small leaf tangled into her hair and took in a deep breath. Right now there was one thing on her mind. Yusuke. She closed jade eyes tightly.
'What is he like now, I wonder.' She smiled to herself slightly and brushed away a stray tear that had ran its way down her cheek at the thought of everything she left behind so unwillingly. She remembered how cruel the world ad seemed as the mission that ripped her from her budding family drug on. She didn't eve know what he had grown to look like. Was he handsome? Smart? Loved?
'Of course he is all those things. He is our son.'
She finally reached her place of destination and lifted a nervous hand to knock at the door before her. Although her family and son had been the first thing on her mind when she entered the village a feeling of uncertainty of the unknown took over her. The girl was so weak at first had become a strong woman for her family, for her husband, now felt like that same weak Genin she once was. She laughed at her self for being so stupid and afraid of the changes that had happened in her absence.
She knocked again a little harder this time soon it opened to a hysteric blonde.
"Ino!"
"Sakura! Oh my God!" The two embraced in a long tight hug. The blonde shinobi wasn't expecting this. Most had forgotten about that Anbu team that had left close to three years ago.
"I can't believe your really back." Ino released her friend from the death grip she had on her.
"I am." Sakura smiled. "Here I am." She gave a small shrug of the shoulders falling back into her normal routine with her long time friend.
"I was going to run some errands...but—"Ino began.
"Oh no, um, do you think I could go with you?" Sakura reached back and tied her hair with a black ribbon, it was long again now, she'd been growing it out since she'd become pregnant. She had kept it as a connection with home.
"I would just like to see the town again." Sakura admitted.
Ino smiled in return. "You're nervous about going home, aren't you?"
"A little bit." She clutched her mask to her chest. "I'm not sure what he'll think of me." She looked down, suddenly becoming interested in every contour of the aged Anbu mask.
Ino's eyes softened. "That's fine. But I'm not letting you hang out with me that long. You just need to buck up and go see Yusuke and Sasuke. They've waited so long for you." Ino sighed. "He's so cute."
"Hey!" Sakura shot a dagger glance in her direction and pursed her lips.
"Not Sasuke! Yusuke!" Ino scrunched up her nose and brushed past Sakura heading for the market. Sakura rolled her eyes and fallowed the girl she had been friends with for so many years.
Sakura's mind wandered as Ino took her time picking out flowers babbling about every piece of juicy gossip Konoha had to offer for the past three years.
"Sakura..." Ino paused. Sakura was in her own world. "...and then Uchiha Sasuke grew his hair long, took your eye liner and attempted to make himself look like his brother all while wearing your best evening dress." Nothing, Ino rolled her eyes and called her friends name again this time grabbing her attention.
"Hum?" Sakura looked up slightly dazed and stretched her arms out. "Which one?" She held up two flowers. Sakura pointed to the light blue daisy like flower in Ino's right hand.
"I think its time for you to go home." She tucked the flower behind her friend's ears and stepped back to admire it. Sakura reached up touching the soft petals with her finger tips and nodded.
"S-Sakura-chan?"
"Hinata!" Sakura swept the timid girl into a hug.
"When did you get back?" She asked quietly in her small voice.
"Only a little while ago, I was just headed home. I'm so glad to see you though, its been so long." Sakura finally let her out of the hug. Hinata smiled timidly.
"Hinata-san!"
Ino and Hinata exchanged quick glances then looked to Sakura who was unfazed by whom ever was seeking out Hinata.
"Baby sitting again, Hinata?" Ino winked.
"I...Yes I—"
"You spoil him so much." Ino said in a sing song voice.
"It's only a short mission, I don't mind doing it." Hinata explained. Sakura quirked an eyebrow at the two.
"Hinata!" The small voice came again, this time only louder.
"O-over here." Hinata turned and did her best to call over the voice.
"I want this." The owner to the particularly noisy voice came around the corner of the aisle holding a small box of candy. Sakura let out a small gasp.
Yusuke paused and looked her over, his brow wrinkled in thought.
'Does he know me?' Sakura's heart pounded in her chest. He looked up into her eyes that matched his own.
"My Chichui is an Anbu." He stepped a little closer to her. "His name is—"
"Uchiha." Sakura finished. "Sasuke."
"How do you know?" Yusuke's eyes lit up and a smile spread across his small face at the mention of his father. "It's because you're an Anbu, right? You all know each other, don't you?" Sakura just stared at him as he blabbed on spouting information he had now doubt just learned in school about his father and Anbus. She heard a loud sniff from behind her and turned to see Ino and Hinata focused on them, Ino was dabbing at her eyes with a cloth.
"Uchiha Sasuke is very special to me." She found herself kneeling down in front of the boy. "So are you Yusuke-kun" She reached forward and pinched his nose. Yusuke went cross eyed and blinked a few times trying to readjust his vision.
"Uchiha, Sakura." She extended a hand, the other reached to scratch the back of her head. Yusuke looked to Hinata then back to Sakura.
'This is my Okasan.' He felt himself wanting to cry but remembering his father words.
'Uchiha's don't cry.' He repeated it over and over in his head.
"This time I can't help it!" He threw himself forward into her arms.
"Okasan!" He sobbed into her shoulder and blubbered on about how much he had always wanted a mother and how his father had told her everything about her. Sakura didn't bother to brush away her tears this time. She looked up at Hinata and Ino beaming at the reunited Mother and son. Sakura gently reached up a hand and cradled the back of Yusuke's tiny head. Yusuke was still rambling on; she couldn't understand a word of what he was saying mixed in with his tears.
"Yusuke. Shhh." She moved her hands to his face cupping his cheeks and wiping tears as they fell from the even deeper jewel toned green eyes.
"You're really mine?" He held onto her tighter.
"Mmm. You're mine too." Sakura kissed his cheek. "My Yusuke."
"Hinata!" Hinata turned quickly to see Sasuke headed for them.
"Sasuke-kun?" He should have already left on his mission, what was he still doing here in Konoha. It must have been fait she decided.
"Hinata, Ten Ten told me you came down here. I declined the miss—"Sasuke paused and swallowed hard when he rounded the corner. "You're home."
Thank you for all of your reviews. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too. Sorry to leave you with another crap-tastic cliffhanger. I really didn't mean to but it just seems so much better to end it that way.
Please review my story; it seriously makes me work like ten times faster.
