so finally the long awaited chapter that was once lost and now its not so here you go...i dun really have too much to say exept im lazy and finals are FINALLY over and i can start up on my weekly updates... i think i might bump down the contents of a chapter to around 12 pages rather than 20 cause its almost too much to come up with in a week! good gawd this is soo for all those fabulous wonderful readers that soo dedicatedly watch for my updates! I LOVE U GUYS! so without more blah blah blah here you go!
Sakura No Yousei-Chapter 17: When The Night Falls
Raspy breathing broke the still night air, a dark shadow moved clumsily beneath the canopy of tall trees. The figure stopped momentarily to rest against the rough trunk of a mighty elm. Its outstretched limbs loomed over him, the crescent moon's rays slipping through the green leave's cover to touch his face. He groaned in pain as he held his tattered limb with his blood soaked hand.
" Just a little farther," he gasped as he pushed his remaining chakra to his feet and forced his weakened body to move. He had barely escaped. Itachi was stronger than he imagined, but with what chakra he had left after fighting Orochimaru, he had managed to get the upper hand and kill his brother, but not without sustaining serious damage to himself in the process. He then escaped into the forest and was now soo close to home. But he felt as though his injuries might prevent his return.
His legs wobbled unsteadily and he fell to his knees and slumped to the ground. He closed his obsidian eyes in exhaustion. His mind slipped to reverie while he pulled himself up to lean against a large boulder. He wanted so much to see her one last time. Her vibrant pink hair, the deep emerald eyes that captivated him. He could feel her breath on his lips again, her whisper in his ear. He opened his eyes to see a figure approach him. He groaned in protest, but knew he was in no condition to fight.
The figure stopped before him and crouched, a hand coming to rest on his injuries. He winced and a hiss of pain slipped through his clenched teeth. " Please, just kill me now," Sasuke begged, but the figure stood and tore a sleeve from his shirt and wrapped it tightly around Sasuke's arm. Sasuke's groaned as the stranger tied the knot tightly, his vision tunneling black from the shocking pain. Before his vision faded to darkness, he caught a glimpse of sliver hair in the moons rays.
" Don't worry, Sasuke, you'll be home soon," the copy nin sighed with relief as he lifted the unconscious boy onto his shoulder and leapt off through the forest. ' How long Sasuke, how long has it been since you've seen home? A week, maybe two? Sakura will never believe you're still alive after all this time,' Kakashi thought as he neared the immense gates to the Village Hidden In The Leaves. Finally, the search was over. Sasuke was home. The only thing Kakashi was concerned about was a certain woman whose dreams and future had been shattered because of this boy's presumed death.
Sakura sat in the large foyer of the Uchiha mansion, her hands smoothing softly over her stomach. Something about her recently discovered pregnancy made her have the need to stay in Sasuke's home. Her lips pursed slightly and fell to a frown. She couldn't help the cloud of tears that brimmed and blurred her vision. Every time she thought of him, or her ever-growing stomach, tears would overwhelm her. She had never thought this could happen. Sasuke's death, a baby on the way with no father to help raise it. And in a few days it would be her 18th birthday.
She sighed and wiped a tear that slid down her flushed cheeks. Her watery eyes scanned the elaborate room as she rocked back and forth in the large oak rocking chair. It was soo quiet and still. She could remember the echo of her voice off the tall ceiling when Sasuke would chase her to the bedroom, or the sweet smell of roses that she would adorn the kitchen table with each morning. Her heart swelled with sadness and she slowly rose to her feet.
She walked steadily to the bedroom and sat upon the soft large mattress. It was soo empty without him to share the bed. She fell back and let out a heavy breath. She couldn't live without him. She would grow old, never smiling. Her child would grow up fatherless, never knowing the love of two parents. Sasuke didn't even get to find out she was with child. That was the worst of all. He would never know he would have a child growing up in his name.
She knew it was his child. Orochimaru had never violated her like that. He would simply sit her in the dimly lit room, making sure she was silent, and then he would send her back after a few hours. He never really touched her; she figured he was just trying to loosen Sasuke's will and break him slowly.
Her eyes fell to close and she let her tears flow from the edges of her lashes and onto the duvet underneath her. She would give anything and everything just to kiss him one last time, just to hold him in her arms. She realized she would never be able to live without him. The pain in her chest hitched as she sobbed into her hands, the loss, the confusion overwhelming her. How could she live without the only man she had ever truly loved? She let her tears soothe her to sleep, not realizing her bedroom window blew open in her half awake state.
He watched her silently, his silver locks shielding his face as a soft breeze blew though the window. He had seated himself at the hearth by the fireplace, watching her as she slept, her constant twitching and tossing disturbing her sleep momentarily before she would settle back down. He frowned deeply, his eyebrows knitted in concern. She would never believe Sasuke was alive. He doubted that she could accept it after all the rumors and nightmares.
She stirred quietly, a slight moan escaping her mouth before she rolled over under the light blanket he had set over her small frame. He sighed and stretched a bit before laying his head back against the cold marble wall of the fireplace. Sasuke was barely alive when he had found him a few hours ago. Now he was having his injuries treated by Tsunade and her medic nins.
Instead of waiting and pacing the sterile halls of the infirmary, he decided he needed to tell Sakura. But upon reaching her house and seeing her worn out form, eyes red and puffy from tears that hadn't stopped the day Sasuke was presumed dead, he couldn't bring himself to wake her just yet. Instead he watched the rise and fall of her chest as she slept somewhat soundly. He wondered what she was dreaming when she would toss in her sleep.
It wasn't him anymore, he knew that much. Some part of him still ached when he looked at her, but he knew with Sasuke back and Sakura with child, the two would be pursuing a new life together. He wondered how things could have been different if Sasuke had just stayed in league with Orochimaru. He shook his head and sighed, letting his fingers run through his messy locks. It wasn't right to think like that, not when Sakura's happiness was at stake. He knew there was never a future for them, not together at least. But he was content knowing that she may find what she had always wanted.
With a regretful glance at the snoozing lump under the blanket, Kakashi stood and took one last fleeting look at her face, so peaceful in her dreams, before turning to the window and disappearing into the night.
Sakura blinked a bit before sitting up and looking around. Kakashi had watched her sleep, but she had never really been asleep. It had evaded her for the last few nights. She had managed a few hours this night. She had just laid there silently while his dark eye had kept watch over her. It was a comfort having him there, but something was amiss. Why was he there, and why hadn't he woken her up? She ruffled her pink locks and tossed the long strands over her shoulder before slinging her legs over the bed.
Her eyes studied the oak wood floor beneath her feet. The hollow feeling began to settle back into her stomach and she let a grim smile spread over her lips. " I was wondering when I would feel like this again, I guess it takes a bit to come back when I wake up," she said sorrowfully as her heart sank. Her mind was never far from Sasuke, especially on nights like this. With the full moon peeking in through the open window, a few gray rain clouds streaking the sky, she could feel him best.
She closed her eyes as a breeze carried the scent of damp earth to her nostrils. Rain. She walked over to the balcony and watched as the soft cascade of rainfall enveloped the outlying forests. For once, it felt as if her heart was where it was meant to be, whole and unbroken. She could almost feel Sasuke's warm breath on her neck, whispering sweet words to her. Her arms snaked around her waist and she closed her eyes and let her mind relive those nights.
The sweep of rain came drizzling over her body and she shuddered as the chilled droplets soaked her skin. She could always cry in the rain, but tonight, she just wanted to remember him, not mourn, not pity what she was without, but simply to recall the tender words and soft touches that had impassioned her romance with Sasuke. She opened her eyes to peer into the night sky; the heavens filled with silver lined clouds and shimmering raindrops. Tonight, she just wanted those memories.
The constant beep of the monitor kept rhythm with Sasuke's heartbeat as he lay sleeping in the stark white infirmary room. Kakashi leaned against the wall while Naruto looked over his friend's battered body with disgust.
" So what are they saying about this Kakashi-sensai?" Naruto's curious blue eyes studied his face, waiting for him to speak. Kakashi grunted and glanced out the window, checking the empty halls before tuning his attention back to Naruto.
" They say he survived the fight with Orochimaru, but his body suffered severely when he used the chidori. Fortunately he had just enough stamina to make it to where I was keeping watch, but we won't know the whole story until he wakes up. There was also another body found on the border of the Fire County and Mist, but the identity is unknown for now."
Naruto furrowed his brow in thought. " You think it could be Itachi?" Kakashi shrugged and sighed. Naruto bowed his head and smiled. " At least he's not dead, that's what matters, right?" His characteristic smile shone happily on his face and he laughed quietly.
Kakashi pushed off the wall with his shoulder and proceeded to the open door. Naruto stood and watched as he stopped in the doorway, his head turned to the side, almost expecting Naruto to question him.
" Kakashi, you haven't told her, have you?" His slumped form was a tale tell sign and Naruto shook his head. " You realize the longer we take to tell her, the worse it will be for us?"
" I know Naruto, but you don't realize how hard she'll take it. After hearing the one person you love is dead, it's not easy to hear that all of it was a lie and he's actually a few blocks from your home. I think he has to be the one to go to her. They say he should be released in a few days. Until then, no one is to know he's here, understand? Not Hinata, not Gentai, not anyone."
Naruto nodded and Kakashi proceeded to leave the room. Naruto sighed heavily and slumped back into his chair beside Sasuke's bed. He turned to his friend and let his hand rest on Sasuke's shoulder.
" If you only knew, Sasuke."
" I don't know Ino, just please, I want to go home." Sakura trudged through the long hallway of Hinata's house, Ino hot on her heels, her fingers prodding Sakura forward. Hinata followed nervously behind, her lilac eyes set with concern.
" Look, I know something is up. I know that Sasuke is gone, Sakura. But you don't know that for sure. And I know you're hiding something from me. What is it, Sakura? We are best friends, you can tell me anything," Ino protested as Sakura sat grouchily into a large soft chair on the deck of the Hyuuga mansion.
" Look, nothing is going on, okay, I just… haven't been feeling so well and with, well… with Sa-Sasuke," she inhaled and swallowed hard, her eyes brimming with unseen tears, " with Sasuke gone, I just don't want to go anywhere or see anyone. It just brings back memories that I don't want to remember."
Ino watched with sorrow filled eyes. She could tell Sakura was suffering greatly from Sasuke's presumed death, but deep down she knew he couldn't just be dead. He had to be alive. For all the years she and Sakura had been fan girls, she had known the Uchiha prodigy was more than good looks and a cool demeanor. He had the talent to back it up. There was no way he could be dead, not in her mind.
" Oohh oww!" Sakura clutched her stomach and leaned forward, her cheeks flushing a scarlet, her face etched with pain. Ino ran to her and got down in front of her, peering up into her face with concern. Hinata watched before running to the kitchen for medicine.
" Sakura! Sakura are you alright!" Ino placed her hands on Sakura's shoulders as she rose from her chair and stumbled to the bathroom, her hands steadying herself over the toilet. Her stomach churned and Ino looked away in disgust as Sakura wretched into the porcelain bowl. Sakura gasped for air and shakily moved to the sink, her hands gripping the faucet handles with force and turning them on, splashing water over her face.
" Sakura… what's wrong with you, and do not tell me it's nothing. You've been throwing up for days and complaining of stomach pains. What's is going on?" Ino's blue eyes pierced Sakura's and Sakura could feel her eyes fill with tears. Hinata entered the bathroom with a towel and a bottle of pills, but set them down when she noticed the tears in Sakura's eyes.
" Oh Ino, I wanted to tell you, both of you. Please, please, don't tell anyone…" Sakura sobbed, her face already stained with tears, She ran her hand over her eyes, smearing her makeup. Ino sunk to the floor and sat up against the wall beside Sakura and waited for her to speak. Hinata followed suit and took a seat on the other side of Sakura.
" I… I don't know how to t-tell you this… so I g-guess I'll just say it." She hiccupped and wiped at her cheeks again. " Yes?" Ino asked, taking Sakura's hand and soothingly holding it while she tried to calm down. " Ino, Hinata… I-I…"
" It's okay Sakura, you know you can tell us anything." Sakura nodded and smiled sadly, her other hand coming to rest on her stomach. Ino watched as she rubber her stomach slowly before meeting Sakura's glistening eyes, her own wide in wonder. Hinata gasped as realization hit her.
" I'm pregnant."
Sasuke roused at the first sign of moonlight peeking at him through a sliver of opened blinds. The silver rays lit over his half closed lids and he tossed over slowly, his side instantly flaring in pain. He gasped out and rolled onto his back to relieve the pressure on his wounds. He hissed as the throb in his ribs subsided and he opened his eyes slowly to greet a dim hospital room, empty and stark white.
Groggily sitting up, his head spun quickly as the blood rushed from his head. He held his hand to his forehead, his bangs hanging over his calloused fingers. He rubbed his temples gentle before he blinked and looked around. He assumed there hadn't been any real visitors, considering the empty tabletop. It wasn't till he thought about it did he really start to clue in on where he was.
" Sakura?"
His words were choked and he noticed a glass and pitcher of water on the bedside table and instantly avoided the glass and downed the whole pitcher in a hurry. He inhaled deeply as he wiped at his wet mouth. His wide eyes scanned the room again then darted to the window that led to the hallway. His heart slowed as he noticed Kakashi and Naruto on the other side, talking quietly to one another. His eyes roamed the stretch of whitewash hallway, but he couldn't catch any sign of Sakura. He figured she wasn't with them yet.
He pushed himself up from the bed, holding onto the mattress edge as the strength in his legs returned. He searched the room carefully and quietly, glancing every few moments and the window to watch out for Naruto and Kakashi. He found his clothing, cleaned and mended, on the chair in the far corner and quickly changed out of the hospital gown. He smiled at how unobservant the hospital was. He was going to escape and no one would even notice. The only thing on his mind now was Sakura and where she might be. He set his sights for home, praying she would be there when he arrived.
He made his way stealthily to the window and lifted it quietly and slipped out onto the roof with ease, although his injuries slowed him a bit. He sprinted carefully over the dim rooftops, making his steps carefully in the shadows and finally made it unseen to the Uchiha Mansion. His heart swelled with nervousness as he dropped, rather hard, to the porch. He walked his way around the outside, moving through the moonlit shadows cast by the trees till he made it to the bedroom balcony.
He climbed the vines hanging at the side and lifted himself up onto the ledge effortlessly before opening the windowed doors to their bedroom. The soft scent of cherry blossoms hung in the air and his eyes watered. H missed her soo badly. He wished she had known how sorry he was that he had taken so long to get back to her… but time was never something he had a lot of, and he had barely made in back alive at all. His heart sank when he realized he might have been thought of as dead.
It wasn't till he saw her form lying beneath the covers in the large bed did he forget all the guilt and anxiety. Instead, he took his time to walk to her side and watch her sleep. He just needed to see her beautiful face before he would wake her up and greet her properly. He kneeled beside the bed and brushed the strands of rosette hair from her face, her cheeks flushed a gentle pink. He smiled warmly as he watched her lips part with her exhale, her face so calm and peaceful.
His eyes clouded with tears and he swallowed hard as he felt the sting in his eyes. He had missed her soo much. He had really expected to die when he had run into Itachi after defeating Orochimaru. But just knowing she was waiting for him when he got home, that was all it took to survive. He let his finger brush over her soft skin, his hand trace over her bare shoulder.
" Sasuke?" Her eyes remained closed but he had heard her voice like a bell. He couldn't describe the nirvana he was in, just hearing her voice. He nodded as a tear ran down his chin, falling with a soft patter to the floor.
" I'm here Sakura, I'm home," he whispered, making each word clear and perfect, although his throat was constricted and he thought he might break down at any moment. A small smile graced her pink lips.
" I missed you so badly, Sasuke. I wanted to stay with you. I never wanted you to go." He watched as a sparkling tear slipped from her lashes and he gently brushed it away. She smiled warmly as his fingers rubbed her cheek softly.
" Sasuke… I thought you were dead, we all did," she sighed, her eyes clenched tight, forcing her tears from her eyes. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, a maddening beat echoing in his ears.
" Sakura… I'm here… I was never dead. Please, look at me Sakura," he whispered against her throat as he leaned down to hold her against him. She hummed in her illusions and smiled.
" I can see you Sasuke, what are you talking about?"
He felt his face grow wet with the tears that ran in small streams down his face.
" No Sakura. Wake up."
Sakura wasn't sure if she was still in her dream. His voice was so clear and his touch was so warm and alive. It couldn't be a dream, but she didn't want to open her eyes just to be wrong. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, afraid to let go.
" Sasuke, I don't want you to disappear like in my other dreams. Don't leave me please, not his time. Just please be real," she cried softly into his shirt as she allowed herself to wake, just to meet the familiar embrace, the sweet scent that only Sasuke had. Her eyes fluttered open to meet the dark fabric of his shirt and she exhaled and sobbed as her arms wound tighter around him.
" Oh Sasuke! Please don't fade, please say something. I have to know I'm really awake, that this isn't another false hope." He smiled and clung to her as she wept into his chest. She knew, from his lips touching her forehead, his fingers caressing her back, he was real.
" Sakura, look at me, please. I need to see your face."
She smiled through tears and opened her eyes to look up into his deep dark eyes that entranced her with the first glance. She watched him carefully, her memory retracing every feature of his face to the last dimple in his smile.
It wasn't rushed, but slow and sweet, almost agonizing as their lips met. They pressed passionately against one another in a plea for truth, almost expecting the other to vanish like a cruel mirage. But when Sakura's arms wrapped gently around his neck, he knew she was there, flesh and blood. His fingers twined into her hair and she hummed against his lips, their salty tears mingling on their lips. It was wet and unhurried, each savoring the other as long as possible.
She laughed as they parted, her eyes glistening as they opened to meet his comforting smile.
" I honestly thought I would never see you again, Sasuke," she whispered as she buried herself in him. He sighed and held her close to him, letting him feel her heat soaking into him. She would have never, not in her lifetime, expected him to come back. But here he was, alive in her arms, where he belonged.
" Sakura, I swore to you, before I left, that we would marry when I returned home. And that's what I intend to do," Sasuke said softly. Sakura laughed as she held his face in her hands, her lips meeting his over and over in tantalizing kisses. She broke away to stare into his calm eyes. The obsidian iris's danced with the moonlight streaming through the windows and she could think of nowhere on earth she would be happier than here in his arms, in his loving gaze. She smiled wide as he watched her carefully.
" What are you smiling about?" He teased as his hand snaked up her back and into her hair. Her face lit and she could feel the words slip.
" Sasuke… I'm having a baby," she whispered into his ear, leaning back to see a shocked smile on his face. Miracles, that was what his life was made of. As he thought back to the day when he first kissed her, up to the first real ANBU mission she had gone on and then the first night they had made love in his apartment, it seemed destined they would be forever tied to one another. There wasn't anyone else he would ever want to share a life with, to bear his child, and he knew the same held true for her.
" I love you Sakura, with all my heart," he sighed softly as he lifted her up into the bed with him and he climbed in beside her. Sakura smiled softly, her breath hot on his neck as she lifted his shirt over his head, letting it fall to the floor. She smoothed her hands over his warm skin before laying her head to his chest to listen to his heartbeat.
"I love you too Sasuke, forever and ever…"
Kakashi and Naruto finished their conversation in the hallway, breaking their whispering momentarily to watch silently as a nurse passed them and entered Sasuke's room.
" So how long do you think he'll be…"
" AHHHH! Some one call security!"
Naruto and Kakashi shared a glance before smiling. Naruto chuckled and leaned back against the wall.
" Well, that didn't take long at all," he said grinning. Kakashi nodded and moved forward into the room as the nurse frantically threw the cracked window open all the way and peered out onto the empty street below.
" Damnit, someone call the hokage!" She turned around she ran straight into Kakashi and hesitantly raised her eyes up his torso to meet his eye. He smiled and tilted his head at her as she remained shocked and pressed against him.
" Don't worry, we know where he is."
" Sh-sure, o-okay," she stuttered and backed away with a light blush on her face. Immediately, she retreated from the room, looking back at Kakashi before disappearing down the hall and into the nurse's lounge.
" So should we go get him?" Naruto watched as Kakashi rested his hands on the windowsill and peered out on the horizon. The dim lights of the morning sun painted the sliver of forest in the distance and he let his eyes drift to the Uchiha Mansion sitting shadowed in the mountain's step cliff face. He turned to Naruto and proceeded to walk by him and stop at the elevator.
" How about some breakfast and a quick training session first?" Naruto smiled nodded, following him inside the elevator before the doors closed with a snap.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open as she recognized the strong aroma of coffee near her and she stirred under the duvet, running a hand through her hair before sitting up. A cup of hot coffee was pushed into her hand and her eyes went from the pink mug to the familiar smile on Sasuke's face. She didn't hesitate as she let a delirious smile spread over her lips before setting her mug down and pulling his lips to hers. She hummed against his mouth as she could taste the black coffee.
" You know I don't like my coffee black," she whispered against his lips as they parted slightly to look into each other's eyes.
" I guess it's a habit," he said smiling and pushing his lips to hers briefly before sitting beside her. She gave him a warm grin and took her mug from the bedside table and pulled her knees to her chin. She swirled the contents of her mug with her finger, watching the black liquid swim around her finger in rivets before settling. How different life could be. One minute it could be as turbulent and unexpecting as waves in a still pond and the next it could be as calm and peaceful as though the waves had never disturbed its glassy surface.
" Sakura, what's wrong?"
Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes reverted from the coffee to Sasuke's concerned eyes. His finger traced her jaw and swept away a tear that streaked down her face. She smiled and giggled as she wiped her eyes.
" It's nothing, Sasuke."
" It can't be nothing Sakura, you were crying a second ago. Tell me what's on your mind." Sakura sighed and bowed her head, a smile still on her lips.
"It's just, I'm exactly where I want to be. After all this time that's passed, I realize it's all over and we might actually be able to start our life together without anything getting in the way."
Sasuke's eyes, stern and serious, watched her as he removed the cup from her hand and took her hands in his, all the time Sakura watching his carefully.
" Sakura. I should have never waited this long to say this to you, and it shouldn't have happened when we were rescued. I knew from the first day that our team was decided and I saw your bright beautiful smile and gorgeous green eyes, I would never be able to escape you, and you knew that. I want to spend every day of my life with you, watching our child grow. I want us to get old, our lives filled with joy and laughter, I want …," he inhaled deeply as he smiled, taking some of the edge off as he continued to speak.
" Sakura, I want you to marry me."
Sakura caught her breath as his fingers opened against her palm, a shimmering silver ring left in her hand. She watched it twinkle and gleam as he took it and put it on her finger slowly, letting the emerald gems reflect in her eyes. She couldn't take her eyes from it. Never had she seen something so beautiful, not even when she and Ino would fawn over the jewelry in the boutiques as children. On her finger, it symbolized something so precious. New life, new beginnings, love for all her life.
" Sasuke! Yes, yes! Oh Sasuke!" Sakura wrapped her arms around him tightly, never wanting to let go. His hands snaked into her hair, his hot breath on her neck. Tears of happiness gleamed on her face when she pulled back to look into his eyes.
" I've dreamt of this day since I met you Sasuke. I knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life when you gave me my first kiss. There was soo much there to be explored and made. I love you Sasuke, I loved you as a girl and now I want to love you as your wife."
" There's nothing that could ever make me happier than to have you as my wife," he said through the brightest smile she had ever seen. She returned his smile, giggling as she cuddled into his arms, Sasuke kissing and holding her. She sighed as she leaned against his chest, her finger running down his face.
" So when are we going to tell everyone?" Sakura peered up into his face and watched as his eyes remained staring out the open window revealing the morning light. He looked down at her and pressed his forehead against hers, their eyes searching one another's.
" Whenever you feel we should," he replied, seeing her expression ease. Her eyes softened and he watched as the reflection of the sun rising in her irises.
" My birthday, that's when we'll tell them."
MUAHAHAHHA finally school is over and now i can finally finish this and get cracking on Accidents and start up a new SakuxSasu! eeek one chappy left people! ahahahahahh okies anyways, thanx ever sooo much to all that comment and reveiw and critisize (can't spell, dun care to try)and eat my shorts! you all rock for being so incredibly supportive of this story and i am so happy with the results! for all that have stuck with it, a shpecial thanks to you all! and you know who you are!
next chappy will be up in, eh , lets say a week or two, so please be patient for the ending!
