That is me?

Children… are not here…

Nagisa… Natsuke…

They are not here!

And another…

Sasuke…

SAKURA!

Sasuke… SASUKE!

And then, two brilliant green orbs opened to the world once again.

LOST Chapter 9: Uneventful Day in the Hospital

It has always been him…

Sakura rose and solemnly stared at the face looking beyond the sights outside her window.

Unseeing.

At first, he exudes the look of detachment, of being unapproachable and aloof. Yet, if you will look closely, the bend of his body is from a kind of guilty pain, a kind of ache for love that has always been unreachable, but he greatly needs it. The expression in his black orbs of those who passed great hurt, yet he stood alone from the moment it came to be. Hurting, he is, but there is nothing he can do.

For now.

"She closed her eyes and smiled briefly. Finally she whispered, "Sasuke."


Why? Itachi thought. Why did I take them?

He silently looked up from the book he was reading as a knock resounded through the spacious room from the oak doors of his room.

"Enter."

A lone ninja entered, his forced uncaring façade still betraying his nervousness with facing one of Akatsuki's elite members.

Itachi sighed. Naïve creature.

"Itachi-sama, the Grand Master sent me. He – I mean, His Highness wishes to er… question you, upon taking the young children."

That geezer. Wishing to always be called great. Keeps forgetting that we put him there.

"He demands that you go to him." The ninja said, grandly speaking at the thought of being ordered by the Master himself.

A split second later, a body fell to the floor, blood seeping into the already crimson carpet.

Itachi smirked. Naïve indeed.


In a split second, Sakura was engulfed by Sasuke's arms. The feel of his arms, the warmth of his body, and the hands caressing her hair, intoxicated her with the sense of longing, not knowing who was emitting it. Yet her arms were numb, immobile beside her, the unbelievable thought passing her mind.

Can it be…?

"Sakura," he whispered hoarsely, "I thought I lost you too."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

I'll stay by your side.

Suddenly, she pulled back from Sasuke's hold. She wildly searched the room, her green eyes growing when she finally hit the truth.

"Nagisa and Natsuke…"


"Don't cry, Nagisa."

Hiccups were heard from one side of the room.

"Nagisa…. Momma will come. Whatever happens."

Nagisa furiously shook off her tears and smiled at Natsuke.

"I know."

Natsuke grinned.

"Good."


"NO! GET OFF ME! NEJI! HELP ME!"

Sasuke winced a bit at this, though he didn't think anyone noticed it.

Currently, He - as well as Naruto, two nurses and a doctor - was trying to calm the feral woman from trying to exit the room. The moment she realized that her children were in danger, she took no notice of her own condition and tried to exit the room. So, right now, she was bleeding.

"Sakura…!"

"NEJI!"

As her eyes rested on the man's frame, she broke free of them all and ran straight to him. Without more ado, Neji wrapped his arms on the sobbing woman's delicate frame.

BASTARD! was Sasuke's first coherent thought at the display at the scene before him, but he can't repress the jealously coursing through him at the immediate calming of Sakura's tense body from moments ago, when she was valiantly struggling their – his – grip.

Finally, it seemed that Sakura was finally calm. She was slouched over Neji's larger frame, his arm casually resting by her hip, while the other was holding one of her hands. When he looked up, the Uchiha's heated glare was directed to him, the Sharingan unintentionally activated. He smirked.

Suddenly, Sakura's knees folded, and she almost collapsed if it was not for Neji's supporting arm. And, to Sasuke's further outrage, Neji lifted Sakura in his arms and gently placed her on the bed.

"Rest, Sakura."

As he righted his body and faced Sasuke, he sneered.

She chose me. Neji's white eyes seem to say. Over you. And Sasuke, poor little Sasuke, can't do anything but grind his teeth and sulk in a corner. But then, he IS Sasuke Uchiha, and being the insufferable jerk he is, simply turned around and coolly walked off.

One day you'll find your match in me, Hyuuga.


"Sasuke."

"Go away."

Sasuke was in the private room alone because fortunately, Naruto left earlier to attend to his wife. Chuckles were heard as a man with white hair and a mask on his face came on in anyway and sat beside the obviously sulking Uchiha. He casually spread his arms at the back of the chair and asked, "How's my pink-haired angel?"

Smoldering glare, Uchiha style. Sharingan activated.

Kakashi laughed uneasily, sweatdrop forming. "Sasuke, the usual stoic, possessive type. Lighten up."

No reaction. Kakashi: profusely sweating.

"Er… how's Neji doing?"

Totally wrong question to be asked. Glare turned 3 times the usual intensity. Sasuke: in first hand position for Fireball no Jutsu.

Blam.

The two males turned their heads in the connecting door, to the room Sakura occupies. Neji was standing there, his arms crossed. His blank stare focused upon the brooding black-haired man.

"Uchiha."

"Hyuuga."

And then, silence. Finally, Hyuuga said, "Ready for a showdown, loser?"

"Bring it on." Then, as if planned, they looked –stared intensely- at Kakashi.

Kakashi chibi style: in the middle of two roaring fires. No way out. He was trapped. Absolutely and without question.

"Uh… you guys need a referee?"


Sakura is currently staring out the window of her room, stiffly sitting on the soft sofa by the window. She felt guilty on the hysterical situation she individually participated a while ago, as she learned that her children has been taken from her.

Right now, I need to gather myself rather than break down to pieces.

Unexpectedly, she saw two dark heads and a white one heading for the wide lawn of the hospital.

Sasuke, Neji and Kakashi? What are they doing there?

Suddenly, she saw Kakashi raise his right arm, and then swiftly swung it down in a cutting motion. And then…

BLAM! BOOM!

And then Sakura was flying to the door of her room, knocking down the nurse in the way.


"Is that all you've got, Uchiha?"

Three shurikens came from his left. He evaded it easily. Suddenly, his clothing was singed from a blast from behind. He dodged it again.

"Shut up, Hyuuga."

Suddenly, the white-eyed man was behind him, about to strike a nerve point. He was cornered.

"STOP IT!"

Both men halted their struggle and their heads snapped in the direction of the voice. Sakura was running towards them, clutching her sides while panting.

"Sakura!" Sasuke reacted first, running up to her to prevent her from falling.

"Please stop…" she beseeched to him, and then glancing over to Neji and Kakashi, who are both heading for them.

Unexplainably, the mere thought of Sakura staring imploringly at Neji fueled up his resentment. So, before Neji even managed to reply to Sakura's request, he gently grasped her chin and faced her head to him.

"We'll stop it."

Sakura smiled brightly, almost close to the smile she had in their younger years, and yet there was a trace of sorrow in it. But still, a smile is a smile, and an improvement to the way she was panic-stricken not too long ago. Therefore, he allowed a small smile to grace his features, just to let her know that he greatly appreciated her presence.

"For you." He whispered to her uncharacteristically.

Without knowing what she was doing, she placed her arms loosely behind his neck and put her head at the crook of his neck, where it met with his shoulder.

And, at least for the moment, she was at peace.


"No."

"But, Sasuke-kun…"

"NO."

"But they're my children too!"

"It's much too dangerous."

She pouted. "I don't care."

Sasuke sighed as he placed one arm around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura slightly leaned into him but kept her arms closed.

"Give it up."

"You wish, Sasuke-kun."

You see, Hokage dispatched an ANBU team to retrieve the two children, but they came back with no traces at all of Nagisa and Natsuke. So now, Tsunade-sama, gave Sasuke a chance to chase after them on his own. Unfortunately, the village is faced with problems that it was impossible for Sasuke to have even a few members to go with him. He told the Hokage he preferred to go alone, since it was his brother and all. And that it was his goal to finish the bastard over and over again if he has to, for the sake of his beloved ones' safety.

So now, he was seated on the hospital bed with Sakura, and almost immediately, she volunteered to go with him. But of course, Sasuke strongly disagreed.

"Pleeeease?"

Damn those big, green eyes. "NO."

"Pretty pleeeeeeease?"

Damn that upturned nose. "I said no."

"But they're my kids too, Sasuke-kun."

Damn those tilted lips that know she'll win eventually. So Sasuke did something unbelievably illogical.

He kissed her.

"Fine."

And then Sakura smiled up to him.

"Finally. You know I was going to win eventually anyway."

Without any idea what to answer to that, and knowing it was correct anyway, he simply leaned to her and then kissed her. Again.

TBC…


Authoress' notes…

1. I know, this update was very late…

2. I know, this chapter doesn't make sense. First they're fighting, then they're fine, then they're fighting, an then they're fine again. Spare me. The next one ought to make sense.

3. Wow, thanx for the many, CONTINUOUS reviews Cielo and Nadz.

4. Carissa, thanx very much for listening to my up rise of problems and for reviewing over and over again.

5. Thanx for everyone who reviewed. They really fueled me up. This is kinda prologue to the true climax of the story, so hang on!