The next morning Sasuke and Sakura were awoken by a surprisingly early phone call from Naruto. Since he hadn't been able to charge his cell phone in a while, Sakura had to remind Sasuke to charge his phone before they went to bed. Normally Sasuke didn't sleep too much at all because he had to constantly keep his guard up, even while he slept. That was one reason Sasuke didn't mind being home. He could let his guard down and rest comfortably with his wife. Sasuke reached over to the bedside table and grabbed his phone.
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Wake up!" He heard as soon as he answered.
"Hn, you're still annoying." He said. Sakura giggled.
"That brings back old memories."
"Sasuke, we're going to meet this morning in my office around 8:00. Remember to bring your mask and we have to follow social distancing. The task force I've put together will be under the ten person in a group limit." Sasuke was confused by all of this. He hadn't actually been given all the guidelines yet. He only knew about the mask part. Sakura was so caught up in him being home that she forgot to give him the details.
"Alright, I'll be there." Sasuke hung up his cell phone, put it back down on the bedside table and rolled back over to Sakura. "Naruto put me on the task force."
"I figured he would." She said looking at him. Sasuke at that moment didn't care. He pulled Sakura close with his strong right arm.
"A girl could get use to waking up to this. I hope you don't leave for a while." Sakura said putting her hands on Sasuke's chest. Sasuke smiled.
"As long as the Otsusuki don't do anything, than I do too…"
After lying in bed together enjoying each other's company for a while, Sasuke and Sakura got up to start making breakfast. They figured Sarada would be awake soon, if she wasn't already. Sakura also wanted time to explain all of the guidelines the medical professionals had agreed on to Sasuke. Something as a doctor, she should have done last night, but with Sasuke being home instead of doctor or mission mode, she was in family mode and all she wanted was to be with her family and forget everything for a while. Sasuke was home, Sarada was home, she was home. Life was good. The Uchiha Clan was back at full strength.
Sakura grabbed all the information she had and gave it to Sasuke to read over. He was on the Task Force now. He needed to know everything she did. While he looked over Sakura's documents, she started preparing breakfast.
"Hey dad," Sarada yawned as she walked up to him to give him a good morning hug. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned her head on his. Sasuke put his arm on her back.
"Good morning, Sarada," he said softly.
"Sarada!" Sakura called with happiness in her voice. "I just made some tea for you and dad. Will you come get it?"
"Sure, good morning, mom." She said letting go of Sasuke and walking to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Sasuke was blushing a little bit. He had gotten use to the father role, but not hearing Sakura call him "dad." It felt kind of weird coming from her. He wasn't too sure what names they should use in reference to each other when speaking to Sarada. He just called her Sakura or "your mother." Should he start calling her "mom," when speaking to Sarada? Family life was awkward. He was determined to be the best husband and father he could be though.
Sasuke pulled himself together as his two favorite girls walked into the dining room with breakfast. He moved the papers off of the table as Sakura and Sarada set the table for their first family breakfast in a while. Sakura made eggs, rice, miso soup, fish and tomatoes for Sasuke, for Sarada and Sakura they had bananas instead of tomatoes. Along with the food she brought tea and water for them to drink.
"Everything looks great," Sasuke said as Sakura sat down on front of him and Sarada sat next to him. "Thank you for breakfast, Sakura." She smiled as they started eating.
"Did you get a chance to look over everything?" she asked.
"Most of it. This virus, it's not what I thought it was." Sasuke responded. "The way it spreads and how quickly. I don't want either of you even leaving the house."
"Well, you know I can't do that." Sakura said sternly.
"I know. I just want to protect you." Sasuke said starring deep into her emerald green eyes.
"She's still so beautiful." He thought popping a tomato in his mouth.
"I know, Anata. Thank you."
"Feeling like a third wheel over here… I'm glad to see mom and dad so in love though. I wonder if dad remembers I'm here…"
"Sarada, you have to be careful too. Do we have any statistics on how it has effected children?" He asked.
"So far, it's mainly those with compromised immune systems. But this thing, eventually anyone is going to be able to get it. Just because we're in the clear now, doesn't mean we will always be. That's why we have so many precautions. With you now on the Task Force, we are both labeled as "essential." So, we can leave the house to do things related to our jobs as well as any shopping that needs to be done. Sarada, you need to stay here, where it's safe. If you need anything just let one of us know and we'll get it for you."
"Right mom, I will." She said. "You and Dad please be careful."
"We will, Sarada." Sasuke said in a warm consoling tone, rubbing the top of her head with his hand.
The Uchiha family finished their breakfast. Sakura washed the dishes while Sasuke got ready for the Task Force meeting. He changed into his daily clothes. As he sitting on the bed taking what he didn't need out of his messenger bag and placing them into the empty drawer on the bedside table Sakura walked up to him.
"Sasuke, I made you a copy of the documents so you can reference back to them." Sakura handed Sasuke a folder with everything in it. "Also, I figured you could use a notepad, so you can take notes during the meetings." Sakura then handed him a notepad and retractable pen to add into his bag for the time being.
"Thank you, Sakura." Sasuke placed the items in his bag then lightly grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her down to him and placed a warm and gentle kiss on her lips as another "thank you" to her.
"You're welcome. I'm about to leave for the hospital." She said.
"I was about to leave as well."
Sasuke stood up and took her hand. He wanted to walk her to the hospital, but he didn't have time. They said goodbye to Sarada on their way out. As they left the house, they put on the cloth masks Sakura made. Sasuke walked Sakura as far as he could, holding her hand the entire time, before they had to part ways.
"Be safe today, Sakura." Sasuke said caressing a lock of her hair. He wanted to touch her face, but due to the masks he couldn't. He raised his hand to her forehead and gently tapped it next to her Byakugou seal, just like the first time he did it. "Until tonight."
Sakura blushed. There was no way she could top that gesture, not in public anyway. Sakura smiled back at Sasuke with her eyes. She learned how to show emotion just through your eyes from Kakashi. Sasuke understood. They turned their backs at the same time and walked towards their destinations. Sasuke arrived before 8am and walked up to Naruto's office.
"Naruto." He said walking in.
"Sasuke, I'm glad to hear you don't have the virus. I'm sure Sakura and Sarada were too." He said. Sasuke remembered the social distancing guidelines Sakura gave him and stood several feet away from Naruto. At the moment they were the only ones in his office. The rest would be arriving shortly.
"They were."
"Did you and Sakura have sex last night?" Naruto asked in an annoying tone. Sasuke stayed quiet. Naruto was his best friend, he would talk to him about his relationship with Sakura and their marriage, but he didn't like talking about his sex life with anyone but his wife. "Well, everyone knows that's what you do whenever you come home."
"Wh…what? How could they. Sakura doesn't talk about that…"
"Every time you come home, the next day Sakura is glowing. She's a beautiful woman. Even more so when she has that glow. It's not the ordinary glow of being happy her husband is home. It's the "had sex with Sasuke" glow." Naruto explained.
"I bet right now; the entire hospital knows what you did last night." He teased.
Sasuke had noticed her glowing after the first time. He didn't realize that's what it was. He thought it was from their wedding and finally being husband and wife. He thought Sakura looked more and more beautiful by the day. To him, she was always glowing. So, he never really noticed when she actually had that glow.
"You're not still hung up on my wife, are you?" Sasuke asked annoyed trying to change the subject.
"Don't worry, I gave up on Sakura a long time ago. I think it was that time you were in the hospital, right before you left. She hugged you and you looked at her. Didn't push her off or tell her to get off of you. In that moment, it really seemed like there was something between you. So, I gave up. I never really thought all these years later you two would be married though. I never thought you would get married."
"Neither did I. I thought I would be killed in battle. Even after I came to my senses, I still thought it. It took me some time to decide whether I should ask her to marry me, because of it. I didn't want to put her through that, if I did die in battle."
"What made you decide to ask her then?"
"After I got home from taking her to dinner one night, I was looking at the necklace with the Uchiha Crest, that I ended up giving her. I wondered how she would look wearing it. It was the first time I had ever thought of her wearing our crest. The more I thought, the more it made sense. A few days later, I proposed."
"Sakura told me the next morning. It made sense to me too. I just hoped you actually loved her."
"I wouldn't have proposed if I didn't love Sakura. You of all people should know that."
"I know you do. Back then I was skeptical, but I saw you two out a few days later. The way you looked at Sakura when she was looking at a wedding dress in a store window. That's all I needed to know you loved her." Sasuke smirked. "That being said, when are you going to have another kid? Sarada won't carry the Uchiha bloodline on."
"That's a topic we've discussed a lot. I don't want to do the same thing I did to Sarada, to a second child. With me not being home much, it wouldn't be fair to Sakura, having to raise a second child without me. If I did stay home, it wouldn't be fair to Sarada, since I missed so much of her life."
"One of your goals was to restore your clan." Naruto pointed out.
"When I was crowded in darkness, it was. Now that I've been pointed in the right direction, I feel, by bringing my daughter into the world, I have restored the clan. It's not just me anymore. Sakura may not be a blood Uchiha, but she's just as much of an Uchiha as I am. She brings more to the Uchiha name than I ever could. Sarada is headed down the same path. My wife and daughter are all I need, anymore and it would feel like I was asking for too much. I already don't deserve the ones I have. Sakura has brought a love and light into my life, things I thought I would never have. I can't ask anymore of her." Sasuke said candidly. Naruto nodded. He understood Sasuke's reasonings now.
Moments later the rest of the Task Force walked into the room, which were Shikamaru, Kiba and Sai.
"I'm glad everyone could make it." Naruto said. Sasuke looked around at those who were here, as they stood several feet apart from each other. Naruto as the Hokage, himself, Shikamaru as the advisor, Kiba with the police and Sai as the head of the Anbu Black Ops.
"Naruto, I think we need someone from the medical corps." Sasuke said.
"I agree. I have someone in mind, but I wanted to get your stance on it first."
"Since you're asking me, you're probably considering my wife. I'm all for it. I can think of no one better than her. Plus, it'll keep her out of the hospital more and she will have less chances to contract this virus if it somehow makes it here."
"That's good, I'll contact Sakura right away and get her here." Naruto pulled out his cell phone and sent Sakura a text message, asking her to come to the meeting.
"I don't think I've ever heard Sasuke call Sakura "his wife," Kiba said. Sasuke gave Kiba a side-eyed glare.
"Sakura gave him a nickname too. I heard it one night when Sakura and Sarada were visiting us for dinner. Sasuke wasn't there, but he called her cell phone." Sai said.
"I gotta hear this." Kiba said. Sasuke kept his glare on Kiba, who didn't care. Sai also saw it, but still didn't understand Sasuke, so he had no idea what his glares meant.
"She calls him "Anata." Sai said. Sasuke sighed.
"Aww, how sweet, Anata." Kiba said intentionally being annoying. Sasuke was getting better at taking jokes from his former classmates and had a good idea what to throw back in his face.
"At least I have a wife." He responded confidently. A chorus of "Oooohhhhh's" followed.
"Yeah…well..." Kiba blushed and shut up.
"I've heard it plenty, Sasuke gets pretty candid with me," Naruto giggled. "Anyway, you were all chosen for a reason. Shikamaru and I were obvious. Kiba, with the police, I need you to make sure people are following guidelines while they are out. We've closed all non-essential businesses, including Ichiraku, you guys need to make sure that no one opens until we give the go ahead. Sai, you will be working on our security. I want you and your people keeping an eye on what's going on around our borders, use Ino if you need to. If you suspect anything, sense anything, whatever, I want to you contact Sasuke and tell him everything you know or sense. He can give instructions from there, if needed I will allow Sasuke to check things out, but you need to talk to me as well."
Sakura walked into the meeting while he was explaining things.
"That was fast." Shikamaru said.
"There's no traffic, so I was able to run as fast as I could." She said pulling hand sanitizer out of her pocket and rubbing it into her hands then walking over to Sasuke and grabbing his hand. Sasuke gently squeezed Sakura's hand as a way to greet her, then gently rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb.
"Good, perfect timing Sakura. You know that Sasuke has always been my right-hand man, protecting the leaf from outside the village. I thought you two could handle intelligence, gathering any new data we can about it. Sasuke, you were always good with data, and Sakura will have all of the data from the hospital. You two can put it together however you need so those of us who don't know anything about viruses and medicine can understand it, sounded like a big job I didn't want to put on Sakura alone. I don't think the Anbu Black Ops will have much to do since all the Great Nations and places around the world are doing this Quarantine. Hopefully the Otsutsuki decide to be cautious and Quarantine as well. I'll keep an eye on Kawaki at home."
"Understood." They said together.
Kiba couldn't stop staring at the Uchiha couple holding hands. He hadn't been around Sasuke much since the war. He wasn't a fan of him, but liked seeing how gentle and confidently he was talking about Sakura and holding her hand in front of them. Something that when they were kids, he rarely, if ever would have done.
"Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru and I will be working from home. Sakura, you will still have to check in with the what's going on at the hospital. So, most days you'll be home anyway. I'm thinking maybe two days a week check in with them and anytime anything big happens. Kiba, you and your men and women will be patrolling the city. Stay safe. Sai, you and your men and women have the border. We're also going to meet virtually. Shikamaru got each of you a laptop to work on and we'll be meeting with them."
Shikamaru got the computers off of his desk and handed one to each person.
"Sasuke and Sakura, you can meet with us on one computer since you're in the same house, but for everything else you'll need your own computers." Shikamaru said. Sasuke put his and Sakura's in his bag for now.
"Alright, that's all for now. Whenever you have any updates call me or Shikamaru day or night." Naruto said. "And make sure to spend some time with your families. I'm going to do that as well. You're dismissed."
"Sasuke, I need to go relay everything to the hospital. We had a few things I needed to do today, so I won't be home for a while." Sakura said.
"Let me walk you to the hospital then." Sasuke said. Sakura blushed and nodded.
Sasuke held out his hand to her and they walked to the hospital at a normal pace, hand-in-hand. Sakura leaned her head on Sasuke's shoulder. She was supposed to be in work mode, but while she held hands with Sasuke, she was in wife mode. Wife mode was when she was with Sasuke and could actually swoon over him. It was her feeling happy and in love, sometimes it was almost like they were dating again. Wife mode was her favorite mode to be in besides mom mode when she was with Sarada.
"Thank you for walking with me, Sasuke and carrying my laptop." She said as they arrived outside the hospital. Sasuke reached in his bag and pulled out her computer and handed it to her.
"You're welcome, Sakura. Be careful." Sasuke said pulling his mask off.
"Sasuke, put your mask back on!" Sakura ordered. Instead of listening he reached over and pulled Sakura's mask down to her chin and planted a warm kiss on her lips. Then turned and started to walk away, putting his mask back on. Sakura blushed and watched him walk away.
Sasuke walked back home to spend time with his daughter now.
"Sarada, I'm home." He said.
"Welcome home, dad!" She said excited. "How was your meeting?"
"It was interesting. Naruto put both of us on the Task Force."
"You and Mom?" she asked. Sasuke nodded.
"Turns out, we'll be working from home. She still has to check in with the hospital a couple days a week though."
"This is great! We can spend a lot of time together!" Sarada smiled. "So, what do you want to do now?"
"Actually, I was wanting to do something special for Sakura tonight. Do you have any ideas?" he asked.
"Hmm… well, there is one thing." She said thinking back on a memory. "She wanted to dance with you."
"I… can't dance." Sasuke said.
"I can teach you!" Sarada said.
"How you do know how to dance? I don't remember that being taught in the academy…"
"Iruka Sensei taught me. Mom and I have been to a lot of weddings and parties. Every wedding we go to they always have a father daughter dance and a couple's dance. Mom and I would always get sad you weren't there, but Iruka sensei would always ask us to dance so we didn't feel left out."
"Alright, it's time! You know what that means. It's time for the Couple's Dance! All the couples out there get out on the dance floor!" The DJ said as he started a slow romantic song.
Couples flocked to the dance floor to enjoy a romantic dance. Sakura sighed watching her friends have moments with their husbands. These moments made her miss Sasuke even more.
"Sakura?" Iruka asked walking up to her. "I know, I'm no substitute for your husband, Sasuke, but would you like to dance?" Sakura smiled.
"Thank you, Iruka Sensei. I would love to. I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't mind. He doesn't dance." Sakura and Iruka walked out to the dance floor. Iruka gently held one of her hands and put one arm on her back.
"Are you doing alright?" He asked as they started to dance.
"Yes. In these moments, I miss Sasuke a little more."
"It must be difficult… If you and Sarada need anything, feel free to let me know."
"We will. I saw you dancing with Sarada during the Father Daughter dance. I'm sure that made her happy. She asks a lot of questions about Sasuke. I know whenever there's a Father Daughter dance she misses him more too."
"She does miss him. Is he ever coming back?" Iruka asked.
"I don't know. We both worried about what could happen if he did. He just wants to protect Sarada. He doesn't want her to go down the path he did."
"She wants a relationship with her father. Sasuke's past shouldn't matter. She would love him no matter what. She's a good kid."
"I know. I hope one day she gets that relationship with him. Sasuke loves Sarada, leaving us was the hardest thing he has ever done. Sasuke and I finally got our happy ending and he had everything he wanted, but he has to live every day without us…"
"I'll have to thank him next time I see him." Sasuke said. "Alright, let's do it." Sarada smiled. She wasn't going to train with Sasuke today anyway, but this would be fun too.
"Let me get some music." Sarada walked over to Sakura's CD collection and put on a CD her mother liked of slow beautiful Japanese music. "I think we should make her a nice dinner too." Sasuke nodded.
The next few hours, Sarada spent teaching Sasuke how to dance. Iruka Sensei had taught her ways to dance with someone with one arm, in case she ever got a chance to dance with her father. Sarada was really happy. This is one thing she had always wanted as well. Her father missed out on so many Father Daughter dances, she never thought she would get a chance to dance with him, let alone spend time with him like this.
Once she was sure Sasuke had dancing down enough to be able to dance with Sakura, they moved on to making a spot a little bit better than the living room and making dinner. Sarada wanted this night to be special for her parents. While they were dancing, Sasuke promised tomorrow they would spend the entire day training in the backyard, and they could work on whatever she wanted to. Sarada finished cooking their dinner while Sasuke went to change. He knew Sakura would be home soon.
One time when he was home, Sakura and he had gone shopping to get him a suit to wear in case he was ever home on a night where he would need it. So far, he hadn't needed it. They picked a simple black suit with a white shirt and black tie. It was simple, yet Sakura thought Sasuke looked so handsome in it. He figured tonight was a perfect chance to break it out, Sarada had to tie his tie for him though. Sometimes, he found things that made him wish he had his other arm.
Sarada was still cooking dinner when they heard the door open.
"What a day." Sakura said walking through the door. Sasuke was waiting for her, leaning up against the wall in front of the door. Sakura looked over at him. "Sasuke… you look so handsome…What's… this about?" She blushed.
Sasuke stayed quiet and instead held his hand out to her. She grabbed it and he led her into the kitchen. Sarada and Sasuke set the table beautifully with a long white tablecloth, two lit candles in the middle of the table with a red rose laying between them and places set for only two people. The lights were turned down lower to set the mood.
"It's so beautiful." Sakura was starting to understand. Sasuke planned a romantic night for just the two of them. "What about Sarada?"
"I'm eating in my room. ChoCho and I are going to hang out online tonight."
"Okay… have a good time." Sakura looked at Sasuke again.
"I can't help it, Sasuke looks so handsome! And here I am in the same clothes I went to work in."
"Can I have a few minutes to change into something a little nicer?" she asked.
"Dinner is going to be a few more minutes." Sarada said. Sasuke smiled at Sakura.
"Hurry back." Sakura nodded and ran to the bedroom. She knew exactly what she wanted to wear. She opened her closet and pulled out the perfect thing. She threw off her daily clothes and put it on, she quickly clasped the necklace with the Uchiha Clan pendant on it around her neck, fixed her hair a bit and sprayed on a little bit of perfume. Sakura walked back up front when she was ready.
"I'm back." She said softly. Sasuke had walked back into the kitchen to see if he could help Sarada. She had just finished cooking and was plating their dinner. Sasuke made sure it was ok with Sarada and walked back out to Sakura. He was actually very curious to see what she changed into. Sasuke blushed when he saw her.
"She looks beautiful."
Sakura was wearing a satin red wine knee length off the shoulder dress. The Uchiha pendant hung in the middle of her chest on the top of the fabric of her dress. Sasuke walked over to her, gently grabbed her hand and pulled her close. Sakura put her free hand on his back. He leaned his face close to her ear.
"You look beautiful." He whispered. Sakura smiled and blushed. That's exactly the reaction she wanted.
"Thank you, Sasuke." Sarada put their plates on the table and slipped out of the room undetected. She smiled watching her parents. She was happy to see them so happy and gave them some space. She would see them in the morning.
Sasuke walked Sakura over to the table and pulled out her chair then joined her sitting across from her. All Sasuke wanted to do was look at her at face glowing in the candlelight. He hadn't been home in a while, and was enjoying every moment. He was actually getting those family ties again, very quickly. Things Sasuke had secretly dreamed about doing in the past were actually happening. Being home at night for dinner, spending time with his precious daughter, waking up in the morning to his wife's face then walking her to work before he heads to his job and hearing stories of things he missed in the past or even what his family did that day.
This surprise was so nice. Sakura wondered the entire time where it came from. This definitely wasn't the Sasuke she knew, not that she wasn't enjoying it. Her amazing husband and sweet daughter went out of their way to do something nice for her. She was still a little skeptical.
"Sasuke?" She asked after taking a bite of the curry and rice Sarada made.
"Is… something wrong?" He asked.
"No, this is all wonderful. I'm just wondering where it came from."
"I wanted to do something special for you. Sarada and I spent the entire day putting this together." Sakura blushed.
"Well, tomorrow, make sure to do something for her." Sakura smiled.
"She wants me to train her tomorrow. I told her we will work on anything she wants. Depending on what I see, I might teach her the Chidori… but before that. There's one more surprise left. You can thank Sarada for it."
"This is too much…you guys didn't have to go to such lengths." Sakura blushed. "What is it?"
"It's outside." Sasuke looked at their plates. They were pretty much done eating. He shrugged and figured this was the best time to do this. He stood up. "Will you join me?" Sakura also stood up. Sasuke held his hand out to her. As she walked to the other side of the table, she joined has with him. Sasuke walked her to the back door and opened it for her. They slipped on their shoes. Sakura was glad her sandals went well with her dress. She didn't grab her dress shoes.
"I don't see anything." She said.
Sasuke smirked and flipped a switch. Several strings of white lights turned on and lit up the backyard. In the middle of the yard a small dancefloor was set up along with a stereo. Sakura was stunned. Sasuke took her hand and lead her to the dancefloor. It wasn't an actual dancefloor, just a platform made of left over wood Sarada didn't use when she was building her targets for her backyard training area. They made it big enough for them to dance comfortably. Sasuke reached over and turned on the stereo. Sakura's favorite CD started playing, the same Japanese music from earlier.
"Sakura… would you… like to dance?" he asked nervously.
"I thought you would never ask." She smiled.
Sasuke pulled her close with her arm around her back. She put her arms around his shoulders and they slowly started dancing. This was one thing Sakura had wanted for a long time. She rested her head on his chest and followed his movements as their bodies swayed under the lights, to the sounds of the traditional flutes harmonizing with a quartet of string instruments filling the yard. Her heart was full. This was a moment she never wanted to end.
"How did I get so lucky?"
