Chapter 2
Soft breathing could be heard from the room next to ours and a steady breath indicated that Sarada was still deep in sleep. The moonlight shone in through the windows creating shadows on our silk comforter moving softly in the night. The only other sound that could be heard is the slight buzzing of people walking in the streets below.
My eyes fluttered closed as Sasuke pressed his lips on mine. My nose was encompassed by the smell of pine and sandalwood. Sasuke had just showered moments before, and the tips of his long hair were still wet. He held my face gently like it was going to break if he added even the slightest pressure. The soft kisses turned passionate with every touch and his lips trailed from my lips to my cheeks to my neck until he held me in a tight embrace.
I pulled back slightly and looked into his obsidian eyes. They looked back at me with such thought and tenderness that my breath hitched. His hand moved to brush a stray hair off my flushed cheeks.
"Be careful," he whispered, so quietly that I almost missed it. Without further explanation, I knew what he meant. I was going on a mission tomorrow for the first time in a long time by myself, and he was worried. "I know you can take care of yourself but be careful." He repeated, his tone cool and unwavering.
"Are you worried about me?" I teased with a playful glint in my eyes.
"Yes," was all he said. His straightforwardness took me back by surprise, and I turned my head away feeling embarrassed.
His fingers brushed against my chin and turned my face back towards his.
"Sakura."
My name on his lips increased my heart rate so quickly I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.
"S..sa..sasuke-kun…," I stuttered and at this point, it was of great difficulty for me to conjure up any words. "Sarada is sleeping in the next room."
"I know," he said in a low tone before pressing his lips once again to mine. He placed his hand low on my waist as he pulled me even closer. I wrapped both my arms around his neck, feeling the tight muscles on his shoulders. The corners of my lips pulled up to form a small smile as I spent the night in my husband's embrace.
It wasn't the morning light that woke me up again this time but the sound of knocking on our bedroom door.
"Mama, you're going to be late if you don't get up, it's already 5am," Sarada called from the other side. I could hear the light tapping on the floor as she made her way into the kitchen. She had woken up early today to send me off since I wouldn't see her until a couple of days from now. I appreciated her gesture, but it was too early, and I had a long night.
I groaned and turned to lay on my other side hoping to get at least five more minutes in before my long journey to the land of the earth. I was about to fall into deep sleep again when I felt the comforter shift in front of me. I peeked through my eyelids to investigate the cause of the movement before my eyes flung open. Sasuke laid there watching me with amused eyes.
"Good morning," Sasuke said with a tilt of his lips.
Caught off guard, I replied with a surprised, "Mo..morning."
I watched as he removed the covers off his body and made his way across the room to the bathroom. Luckily for us, we have a two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartment so Sarada can have her own space to get ready. I've been trying to save up enough money to buy another house after embarrassingly destroying our old one, but this will have to do for now.
Grudgingly, I yanked the comforter off me and welcomed the cool breeze. I sat up and stretched my arms high above my head before stepping onto the cold floor. It's time to get ready to go.
"Ne..mama," Sarada started as I walked into the kitchen. Sasuke was already sitting down at the dining table in front of a simple breakfast that Sarada prepared for us. Since Sasuke was absent from home during her childhood and I worked long shifts at the hospital, I taught Sarada how to cook at an early age. She was always very curious and always willing to learn which is probably why she is such a quick learner. Sarada prepares meals for the two of us when I work long nights; it was nothing fancy, but it was always good.
"Hm..what is it Sarada?" I questioned as I took a seat adjacent to Sasuke who was already taking his first bite out of his bowl.
She looked nervous, and I could see her wringing her hands under the table. Sarada glazed down unable to make eye contact with me as she continued. "You know what, it's nothing!" she exclaimed with a sheepish smile.
She shook her head as if she was brushing a thought away. I tilted my head in confusion while reassuring her, "You know you can tell us anything right?"
My comment seemed to have sparked some courage in her because she looked up from the table and blurted out, "Am I ever going to have a sibling?"
Sasuke who was still eating choked on his last bite and a fit of coughs echoed in the household. I, myself, was still in shock, as I blinked at her question.
Did she hear us last night? I thought before nervously glancing at Sasuke. He gulped down half a glass of water before watching her with a straight face.
Before either of us was able to respond, she continued to ramble on either from the nerves or the embarrassment of ever asking the question in the first place. "Well, I'm only asking because Boruto was talking about how he was glad that he wasn't an only child. He said that although Himawari was annoying at times, he'd be really lonely if he had to grow up without her. That got me thinking, what would I do if papa was away on a mission and mama was working long nights at the hospital day after day. It's kind of depressing to think about but then I thought that if I had a sibling, it wouldn't be as bad. Weren't you lonely being an only child mama?"
Sarada's innocent eyes were unwavering as she stared at me intently, waiting for me to respond. I let out a small sigh before responding, "I had your Auntie Ino to keep me company, and your father and Uncle Naruto were always with me."
I intentionally left out the small details that Sasuke had left the village but that will be a story for another time. Changing strategies, her eyes moved over to look at Sasuke. "How about you papa?"
Sasuke, who was silently listening, put down his chopsticks and thought carefully about what he was going to say to his one and only daughter. He never really talked to Sarada about his family before, mostly because he wasn't around and because she was still so young at the time. This wasn't the ideal moment to get into the fine details, but it wouldn't hurt to at least tell her about Itachi.
"I had an older brother," Sasuke started slowly but that was all that needed to be said before Sarada's eyes lit up.
"Where is he now? How come I've never met him before?"
"He passed away before you were born," was all Sasuke said. After seeing his solemn expression, Sarada didn't probe any further. She just gave him an understanding nod and looked back at me.
"Let's save this conversation for another time," I told her. I glanced at the clock and realized that if I didn't leave now, I would be late and that was not a great way to start off a mission. I gathered the dishes and put them in the sink while Sarada thankfully offered to clean them when she returned home from sending me off. I gathered my backpack filled with medical supplies and a few days' worth of clothes before slipping on my shoes. Sasuke followed behind and Sarada was already waiting by the door.
The three of us walked together comfortably down the street towards the west gate of Konoha while Sarada chatted energetically about her plans for the day with Cho-cho. They were going to meet up at Lightning Burger to try out the new menu item, and although Boruto and Mitsuki already tried it, they are joining them to eat it again because it was so delicious last time.
"The BEST item on the menu Boruto claims and Mitsuki of course agrees with him. We will see about that," Sarada exclaimed as they neared the gate.
Out in the distance, I spotted two figures standing side-by-side. The first figure had spikey long hair and took a long drag out of his cigarette. The second figure was tall and had on a large cloak that covered his head. Takashi-san. He had a light pouch which surprised me because he told me that he traveled for days before coming to Konoha. I guess he likes traveling light. They both turned to look at us as we approached. Shikamaru put out his cigarette and shifted the scroll in his hand.
"Sakura-san," Takashi greeted with a bright smile before approaching me. His deep blue eyes, which held an unwavering stare, could still be seen under his hood. When we were close enough to each other, he again took my right hand and placed a light kiss on top of it. "This is a light greeting given to females from the village where I come from."
This perked Sarada's interests. "Oh," she exclaimed looking at Takashi. "Do all men do that to women in the land of the Earth?"
"Only to beautiful women," Takashi-san winked at me as he replied to Sarada, his eyes never leaving mine.
Sarada looked back and forth between me, Takashi and Sasuke. While Sasuke kept silent, I could feel him go ridged in the corner of my eye and his unwavering eyes never leaving Takashi-san.
"Well, it is 6am sharp, time for us to leave!" Takashi-san exclaimed as he walked towards the edge of the forest.
Shikamaru, who was silently standing on the sidelines watching the interaction, finally spoke up. "Send us a message when you get there and let us know the situation with the Tsuchikage. Good luck."
He waved at me as he jumped up towards the rooftops, probably heading back to Naruto's office.
I looked back at my husband and daughter with a smile. Sasuke still had no expression on his face, but Sarada smiled at me before giving me a big hug. "I'll see you when you get back mama. Have a safe trip!"
I bent down to her height and gave Sarada a big embrace. I was going to miss her. This is going to be the longest time that I've been away from her.
"Too tight mama," she managed to breathe out before I realized that my embrace was too strong.
"Sorry," I apologized and let go of her immediately. I gave her a sheepish smile before I turned my attention to Sasuke. I looked at him waiting for him to bid me goodbye.
"I don't trust him," is all Sasuke said, still watching Takashi-san as he stood at the edge of the forest waiting for me.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," I reassured him with a small smile. "Besides, I'll be back before you know it. Take good care of Sarada while I'm gone."
Sasuke didn't say anything more but give me a nod.
"Don't have too much fun without me," I teased and finally saw a twitch out of the corners of his mouth. I lingered for a little bit longer before leaning in towards Sasuke. His eyes were finally on me, and I waited for him to come closer, close enough for our lips to touch. His eyes widened in realization but before I could get what I wanted, he cleared his throat and turned around.
"Be safe, I'll see you when you get back," he said with a wave of his hand. Sarada followed in tow.
My head dropped in disappointment. He's really going to make me wait until I get back to get a kiss. A small smile crept up my lips as I realized that he must've been embarrassed to kiss in public, especially in front of Sarada. I watched as the two people I loved disappeared into the crowds of the Konoha streets and turned around to start my journey to the land of earth.
"Are you ready?" Takashi-san asked as I approached him.
"Ready as I'll ever be," I replied with a smile, and we set off into the forest.
The journey to the land of the earth took a few days of constant travel with few breaks in between. He tried to make small talk, but I could tell that he was more focused on traveling than having an actual conversation. At one point during our travel, Takashi-san told me that he wanted to return home to his father as quickly as possible, so we didn't waste any time. He wasn't sure how much longer his father was going to hang on, but their medics gave him a timeline of a few weeks. It's already been three weeks since he went out searching for a better doctor to cure his father. Although he didn't say it, I could tell he was worried that it might have already been too late.
It was day three of our travels, and we finally made it out of the land of the grass, which means that we were close. The sun was setting so we decided to stay in a small inn on the outskirts of the land of the earth. Tomorrow, we would finally arrive at our destination.
"We'd like to check-in please," Takashi-san told the innkeeper as we walked in. The innkeeper, an older gentleman in his 60s, was happily chatting with another guest when we arrived and turned to Takashi with a smile.
"It's your lucky day, it seems like we only have one room left, is that alright with you?" the innkeeper replied with a big smile.
"Yeah, that's fine," he said before I was even able to say a word. No, that was not fine…
"Here you go! You both make a lovely couple," the innkeeper smiled at us as he handed us the key.
"Oh, we aren't…" I started before Takashi-san pushed me towards the stairs of the inn, breaking our conversation with the innkeeper as he went back to chatting with the other gentleman.
"We have to maintain cover, remember?" Takashi-san whispered to me before guiding me down the hallway. Right, to keep a low profile, Takashi-san suggested that we play a newlywed couple traveling together on our honeymoon. I was hesitant to agree since I have a husband, but it was the most logical story for a man and woman who were unrelated to be traveling together. We entered the room, and I immediately noticed that there was only one bed sitting in the far corner of the wall. A small table was placed next to it and a couch on the other end of the room. Takashi-san took off his cloak and swung it over the lone chair positioned by the table.
"I'll sleep on the couch, you can take the bed," Takashi-san yawned as he placed his pouch down on the ground before laying down with his hand over his eyes on the couch. Still hesitant, I lay my backpack on the ground next to the bed before getting ready to sleep.
I lay in bed with my eyes still staring at Takashi-san across the room. His back was turned towards me, but he must've felt my eyes boring into his backside because he turned around and broke the silence.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything to you. I'm a gentleman after all," he claimed with a teasing smile. He folded his arms behind his head, shifting his weight on the couch. "And I know you're already married to Uchiha-san. The 7th Hokage told me how fun it was to tease your husband, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make light of a funny situation."
I sat up in bed mouth agape.
Takashi-san continued with a light laugh, "It was amusing to see him squirm every time I kissed your hand."
I frowned at his words, unamused by his actions.
His teasing face turned soft as he whispered, "He must love you a lot."
His last comment was barely above a whisper, but I heard it. My face flushed, and I watched as he turned back around and fell into a rhythm of steady breathing. Stupid Naruto! I cursed before turning off the lights and burying myself under the covers. In front of me, I could see the bright stars scattered across the night sky and a half-crescent moon laying in the blanket of darkness. I wonder if Sasuke is also looking out at this beautiful night from our balcony window. With my mind thinking about my husband, I fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, we left the inn bright and early in hopes of arriving at Takashi-san's village by nightfall. The terrain was harder to navigate with fewer trees and more hills and uneven pavement. Takashi-san's pace never faltered; he was in his home territory and traveling through these lands was like second nature to him. We finally made it onto the top of the hill when he stopped in his tracks. I slowed to a stop behind him and turned to face him.
"What's wrong?" I asked with confusion written all over my face. I didn't sense any danger nearby and he looked like he could still travel for miles.
"We're finally here," Takashi-san exclaimed with relief. I followed the motion of his hand as he gestured in front of us.
I looked in awe at the land before me. Iwagakure. The hidden village located in the land of the earth that is protected by the rocky mountain ranges full of tales and history. This is my first time seeing the village I've only heard about in books and politics. Iwagakure had a rugged past with Konoha, so our shinobi rarely receives missions out here. If there was a mission, it was usually covert to spy on a high-official or to eavesdrop on future development plans.
"Come let's go, I sent out a message last night. They are expecting us," he informed me as he hopped down the rough slope.
I pondered what he meant by 'they' but didn't question him any further as I followed Takashi-san through the maze of the rocky terrain. The gate to the village was already open when we arrived and the shinobi guarding the gates bowed to Takashi-san as we ran past them. He didn't even acknowledge their presence as he raced towards the large structure in the center of the village. I followed right behind him as we weaved through the buildings and finally through stone doors.
"This way," he guided me and gestured toward a long flight of stairs. I weaved through the corners and hallways of the structure before we appeared in front of a set of double doors with golden handles placed aesthetically in the center. The guard on the right bowed to Takashi-san and opened the doors to reveal the master bedroom chamber. In the center of the bed, there lay an elderly man with his eyes closed. His eyebrows looked to be furrowing in pain.
"Father," Takashi-san greeted as he rushed to the elderly man's bedside. "I'm back, and I brought with me the best medic I could find. She'll save you."
