Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Naruto.

So basically I've been trying as hard as I can to spend as much of the rest of my break as possible to write ahead in this and my other story! I've literally stopped ALL my other side project stories and solely focused on this. I even stopped my Japanese language learning! (I learn independently with self-bought materials). Anyway. I hope you all appreciate my dedication and enjoy reading this next chapter! Please try to be patient with me!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO READ AND REVIEW! ^(^0^)^

Sakura woke up found the godaime sitting in her room. She could've sworn someone was touching her face though. Her skin felt heated like some kind of reaction. However Sakura's wandering thoughts were short lived as the angry blond confidently took her time walking up to her pupil and assertively got right in her face.

"Don't you, ever, use soldier pills that way again…" Tsunade said stoically before grabbing Sakura and pulling her into a hug, "If I was there even ten minutes later it would've been to late. The poison had progressed so badly that I had to make you vomit. As a medic you know just how bad that is…"

"But Sasuke…" she whispered tiredly.

"What?"

"He was… dying…"

Tsunade just sighed, not much she could do to reprimand her about that. Sakura obviously had a strong calling when it came to her, and no one could stop her once she lost it on something, including saving people's lives.

A throat clearing in the doorway caught both of their attentions, "I have to report something to Sasuke, where is he?"

"Down the hall second door on the right" Tsunade said uninterested forgetting the Uchiha had already checked himself out.

"Report something? Since when did Kakashi start taking orders from Sasuke?... and what's it about?…"

Sakura kept looking quizzically at the doorway where her sensei was standing a minute ago before turning her attention back to Tsunade.

A

Sasuke was discharged early that morning and decided to spend the remainder of it at home resting and then he would pick up Sakura later in the afternoon when she would probably be awake. Sasuke put his watch and other items on the night stand and laid on his back on the bed before turning to Sakura's side where she slept. He expected to really not see anything interesting but a bottle on her nightstand caught his attention immediately since it hadn't been there before. He rolled and reached over to grab the bottle and read the label then smirked to himself. He knew she wasn't about to give up. Which reminded him that he needed to get a solid answer about the proposal from Sakura. He wasn't going to have his child be a bastard. Neither he nor Sakura wanted a ceremony for their wedding; both of them had talked about that. He simply just wanted her, and she just wanted him. How he felt it should be. He didn't understand the glitzy shows most girls put on at their weddings, it was all for one day, and they spent a fortune on it. The money wasn't a problem for Sasuke it was just the annoyance of it all.

He eventually left the house to go get Sakura from the hospital, but he had no idea where he was going to take her as he put the ring in its case in his back pocket. He wanted to take her somewhere special, but where? He decided he'd cross that bridge when he came to it, for now he wanted to just pick her up. When he walked into the hospital it was utter chaos without Sakura in charge. Now he understood why she hardly ever left. The staff was a mess without her. He wound his way down a few hallways to where he remembered her room was but was stopped in the hallway with a "yo."

He looked over to see Kakashi, the man looked serious as he said, "We need to talk."

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Sakura's hospital room, he was so close.

"Can't this wait?" he asked.

"No." Kakashi stated bluntly as he snapped his fingers and both transported to the roof leaving behind puffs of smoke.

"Huh?" Sakura jumped a little as she looked at the doorway thinking someone was there.

Tsunade knew what she jumped at she felt it too. Sasuke's chakra signature was there and then vanished just as quickly. She got up out of the bed ignoring Tsunade's reprimands and peaked out the doorway down both ends of the hall. Nothing. She figured that she would just wait for Sasuke to come back and get her, now that she knew he was here.

"Spill" was Sasuke's command as he looked at Kakashi.

Both men wore serious expressions as Kakashi stated, "It's Madara."

Sasuke growled, "So he's still alive?"

Kakashi sighed before explaining, "I heard from some of his spies I located and interrogated that he wants to manipulate the Uchiha clan into what he wants, and he's going to do it with your child."

Sasuke felt his fists shaking at his sides before hissing, "Over my dead body."

"He's actually arranging that as we speak, so I suggest you and Sakura lay low somewhere."

"I will not hide" Sasuke grunted audibly letting his pride get the best of him.

Kakashi just let out another hopeless sigh before trying to persuade him, "Be logical, please. What good are you to Sakura dead? You want her to shrivel up and die from depression? With your newborn child who will never reach his full potential cause he doesn't have a father to teach him how to use his kekkegenkai? Not to mention Madara will still be after them both, whether or not you're alive. Who will protect them? Think it through Sasuke. It's not just about your pride, think of those involved in all of this."

Sasuke just ground his teeth looking down in anger and defeat. He knew that he couldn't die on Sakura; he saw how she got when he almost died just the other day. He didn't want to see her if he actually did die.

"Move out of Konoha before the end of the year. Take whomever you wish with you. Tsunade will tell you your arrangements. She's sending messenger hawks with coded messages as we speak."

Sasuke continued to indulge in his silence as Kakashi continued, "One more thing, you can use Sakura's last name, but don't use yours. I don't think I need to explain why."

Sasuke just kept glaring at Kakashi. He didn't want to move out of the land of fire and go into 'hiding'. It went against everything he stood for.

"Let's go" Sasuke said leaning against the doorframe of Sakura's hospital room.

She was happy to see him, but not his stereotypical arrogant Uchiha attitude he brought along with him. She just rolled her eyes as she unhooked all the medical equipment and (properly) pulled out her IV and changed out of her hospital gown into her cloths. Sasuke of course closed the door when she did that. After she was done they both walked out and left the hospital. It was bordering on late afternoon when the two were wandering the streets.

"Where do you want to eat dinner?" he asked her hoping that his voice didn't betray him and show his nerves wracking a little.

Sakura was so tired that she didn't notice his voice portraying slight emotion in it and answered, "Anywhere is fine."

Sasuke just shrugged and took her out to bar-b-q. It was the "grill it yourself" place. They sat across from each other and Sasuke could tell Sakura was in a hazy, uninterested state and wondered if tonight was really a good time, but he didn't have a choice. He needed to get all the paperwork done before they had to move out of the country in just a few months. Sasuke was going to wait another month before he would tell her, he hoped. Naruto was informed, but no one else, especially that blabbermouth Ino.

"Are you ok?" Sakura asked after she started taking Sasuke's meat off the grill for him because it was burning due to his lack of attention.

He went from staring into space to staring at Sakura a few seconds before he said, "Hn."

Sakura just narrowed her eyes at him before saying, "If you want to talk to me, use real words."

Sasuke just smirked before eating his meal. After the two were done he stole the tab and paid for both of them. Sakura didn't really protest, but she thanked him too. They walked out of the restaurant hand-in-hand as Sasuke led the way down the dark city sidewalk. It was nice, there was a waning crescent moon, and there were thousands of stars in the sky.

"So they want to watch too…" Sasuke thought to himself looking up at the nebulae and galaxies hovering above their heads.

Sakura gave his hand a slight squeeze, which made him turn his attention from the sky to the smile she had on her face, "We've never really formally gone out somewhere? Have we?"

Sasuke smirked saying, "Guess not."

He led her to an all too familiar place. The lake. The dock where he told her it was ok to be scared, because he was there for her. He also remembered that's where he tackled her in the mud and told her how he wasn't kidding about the way he felt. He wasn't leaving her. He still meant it. Whenever she was sad, he would come here, and he would find her.

"So many memories…" Sakura mused as she walked towards the end of the dock looking at the moon on the water.

"Mind if I add one more?" Sasuke asked as he kneeled behind her.

She turned around and was about to ask what he meant by that when she suddenly saw Sasuke on one knee saying, "I want your answer already, will you marry me?"

Sakura smiled a little and wanted to laugh. Every girl would dream of being proposed to twice by the hunky prodigy, but none of them would expect a proposal with so much attitude. Sakura still hadn't mulled it over, but when she thought about it, she really couldn't see herself with anyone else. On top of that she looked back over all the times he'd proven just how much she meant to him. Whether it was through his over-protectiveness or even his cutting her slack. He was always there with the words she needed, no matter how vague they were. In dangerous situations he was there to protect her. When things seemed hopeless and death was knocking at the door of her subconscious, he would swoop down and save her. When she thought about it, she really did owe him everything.

"Yes" she said with a half smile trying not to cry, "I will marry you."

Sasuke wasted no time in digging the box with the ring out of his pocket and tossing it to her. Sakura huffed, he really knew how to kill the moment, but when she opened the box she was breathless.

"Sasuke" she gasped, "Where did you get this!"

"I found it" He replied walking to the edge of the dock to see the moon reflect off the water and bounce up and light his face.

Sakura walked over to him quickly then retorted, "Rings aren't just found Sasuke. Who did you hire to make this?"

Sasuke looked at her with his usual stoic face then said, "Like I said, I found it."

But before she could say anything else he cut her off by finishing his statement, "In my mother's belongings I kept."

Sakura was even more apprehensive about the ring. How could she wear something so precious? His mother's ring! Why on earth did he choose to give it to her? He could have paid good money to have one exactly like it made, but to give her something so sentimental to him, even if his rough and cold exterior and foul attitude suggested otherwise. She knew without a doubt that this ring probably stored so many memories for him since he was so close to his mother and not his father.

"Wear it" he told her finally as he sat down on the edge of the dock to stick his feet in the water.

Sakura sat next to him careful not to drop the ring box and handed it to him, "You do it."

Sasuke looked at her with a blank face as he took the box, but she knew better. His eyes twinkled with an expression akin to 'are you kidding me?'. He just huffed a little then took the ring out of the box and slowly slid it onto her left hand's ring finger. It was now official, she was his.

"One more thing" he told her, "That's infused with a jutsu and my chakra."

She looked at him confused as he leaned back on his elbows on the dock, feet in the water. He could tell that she didn't understand.

"I'll clarify" He said monotonously, "Not only can that ring never be taken off by anyone other than me, but You're now apart of my subconscious, and I to yours. We're connected, do you understand?"

She nodded then scowled, "I've heard of this jutsu before. It's an ancient law in Konoha that men can own women and controlled them with jewelry. Are you going to control me too?"

Sasuke smirked, "I just might if you tempt me. But I'm not buying you, I'm marrying you. There's a difference."

"How so?" She asked frowning trying to take the ring off.

"A man doesn't treat his wife like a piece of property."

She just scowled at him as he continued, "He guards her like a precious treasure."

Then she stopped trying to take the ring off and looked at him with a blank face. Did that really just come out of his mouth? Uchiha Sasuke, ultimate male supremacist? Saying that a woman is treasure? She knew that the way he treated her wasn't like property, but just like everyone else he had his moments where he did happen to treat her as such.

"Let's go home," he said as he helped her up.

That's all for now folks!

PLEASE REVIEW!

I really enjoyed writing this and after this three day weekend is over (cause Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day) I probably won't be consistent with updates. School is literally taking all my energy right now…

Anyways, toodlz!