Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I DO own Kaisuke. Aya Kiriyama belongs to Aya-Sama3000.
Chapter Seven - Uchiha's Reunited
"Kaisuke! NO!" shouted Sasuke, desperately trying to catch his blur of a son before the boy could reach the village.
"I have to reach my Mommy!" screamed Kaisuke, dodging trees, branches and his father's every attempt to stop him.
An ear piercing scream shattered the air.
"SAKURA!" shouted Sasuke, Gaara and Suigetsu as one.
"MOMMY!" screamed Kaisuke, speeding up.
Sasuke pushed more chakra into his feet. He had to stop Kaisuke from seeing what was happening up ahead. "Where the fuck is Aya?!" yelled Sasuke in frustration.
A deep demonic growl rippled out of Gaara's chest. "She's there!" Gaara's eyes locked with Sasuke's, a ferocious glare firmly fixed on his leader. "Don't you ever doubt her!"
With that said, Gaara pushed as much chakra as possible into his feet and sped off, leaving them all far behind him. 'I'm coming Aya! Just hold him off! Please be okay!' his mind yelled out as he moved.
Kaisuke was so shocked by the sudden change in Gaara that he missed the branch he had been aiming for. He squealed as he began to fall, only to be grabbed by his father and pulled up to the safety of Sasuke's back.
A sudden explosion erupted through the trees, forcing Sasuke to hide behind a tree. He had to protect his son! Suigetsu was knocked off his feet by the blast and only just managed to grab a branch in time.
"What the fuck was that?!" gasped Suigetsu, pulling himself back up and on to his feet.
"Aunt Aya's mad!" stated Kaisuke calmly. When both Sasuke and Suigetsu looked at him expectantly, Kaisuke continued. "Aunt Aya told me, that she and nature are linked. When Aunt Aya gets mad, so does nature!"
Sasuke's head shot up and his eyes locked with Suigetsu's. Suigetsu was grinning like an idiot. 'Too much like the Dobe!' Sasuke's mind whispered. "This I gotta see!" announced Suigetsu, leaping off in the direction of the explosion.
"Well?" asked Kaisuke, semi-glaring at Sasuke. "What are we waiting for?!"
Sasuke was shocked by his own son's behaviour, not that he showed it. He nodded to Kaisuke as they both took a more steady footing and, together, they raced toward the village.
***
Gaara was beyond furious. Trees were losing branches left, right and centre and he tore a path toward the ongoing battle. Sakura's scream still echoed in his ears and Aya's face firmly fixed in his mind. "I'm coming!" he hissed to the passing breeze, as though hoping she would somehow hear it.
A loud yell of pure fury and rage echoed throughout the forest. It was quickly followed by a terrifying roar.
Gaara felt the bottom of his stomach threatening to drop. He knew that yell, only too well. This battle wasn't going to last much longer. Even Gaara's demon was shouting at him. Screaming at him, 'move faster!' it hissed; 'hurry up!'. Gaara felt himself moving faster than ever before as his one-tail pushed some of it's own chakra in to his legs, determined to help.
"IT WAS YOU!"
'AYA!' screamed Gaara's mind and demon as one.
Gaara reached the tree line and froze. Aya had thrust her katana right through Kisame's gut, he could see the blade bursting through next to the mans spine. Gaara felt pride, mixed with worry, surge through his system as he watched Kisame staggering back from Aya. He could see their mouths moving, they were talking to each other.
Kisame quickly shifted to his right, his large sword sailing out of his left hand and went flying toward where Aya was standing.
Gaara's eyes locked on to Aya. She was exhausted. Gaara's heart screamed out. The only person he had ever truly cared about was about to die, in front of his very eyes.
"SAND COFFIN!"
The words were out of Gaara's mouth before he even realised. The One-tail took control of the sand and sent its crushing force at the sword, smothering it. Gaara used the sand as a link, pushing some of his own chakra through it and into Aya. 'Move, baby! Please move!' his mind screamed.
Suddenly, Aya's eyes opened and locked with his. Gaara felt his heart soar as she smiled at him, her green eyes flashing with understanding and thanks. Gaara, keeping his eyes locked on her, nodded back. His heart was beating so frantically, he wasn't sure what to do. He bit down on his bottom lip, trying to control the tremors running through his nervous system.
Gaara's eyes widened as he saw the hand seals Aya was making. 'What is she do…' his thought was cut off at it's knees as Kisame exploded, pieces of him flying in all directions. A clump of vines suddenly appeared around Sakura, completely shielding her from the biological rain. Gaara was somewhat shielded from the splatter by the trees and bushes beside him.
Aya wasn't so lucky. Her beautiful, dark green tunic, with light green trim, was splattered with Kami-knows-what, the forest green streak in her hair raven hair was joined by red, white and grey splashes and her trembling legs…
Gaara's eyes locked on to her properly and widened in shock. Aya was going down!
In less than a second, Gaara was holding her. Letting her body fall on to him, instead of the hard ground. He dropped to his knees, supporting her as best he could.
Gaara's head snapped round at the sense, and sound, of someone else approaching. He relaxed slightly as he saw Suigetsu, his face creased in disgust, picking his way through the gooey mess, formerly known as Kisame, and girlishly attempting to clean bloodied bits off of Aya's katana.
When he spotted Gaara staring at him oddly, he smiled sheepishly and replied.
"She's gonna want this back. It was her father's!"
Gaara glanced at the messy katana. True enough, it bore the Kiriyama clan symbol on the base of the blade next to the hilt.
"SAKURA!"
"MOMMY!"
Both Gaara and Suigetsu turned their heads toward the shouts. Sasuke and Kaisuke burst on to the meadow. Kaisuke instantly recoiled at the gore before him but Sasuke looked like a man possessed. The curse marks spreading over the entire left side of his body.
"She's in there." stated Gaara, pointing to the cocoon of vines on the other side of the meadow. When Sasuke's face flashed with shock, Gaara added. "Aya did it. To protect her."
Gaara wasn't sure if Sasuke had even heard him. Said man was already across the meadow, pieces of vine flying left and right as he tore his way through, desperate to get to his wife. Suigetsu scooped up Kaisuke and made his way over, bringing the worried boy back to his mother, just as he had vowed.
***
Sakura saw the shafts of daylight breaking through her cocoon. Fearing the worst, she backed away in to the furthest corner she could. Her world had been silent darkness ever since the vines sealed her in and she hadn't seen what happened with Aya's battle.
Her mind raced with fear and her heart pounded in her chest. She knew it couldn't be Aya coming to get her, the vines would have simply parted for her. She closed her eyes as the daylight grew more intense. She was completely defenceless, she didn't want to see what was coming.
"Sakura!"
Sakura's eyes snapped open at the heartfelt sigh of relief, she was already being wrapped in someone's warm embrace. One deep inhale was all it took for her to know exactly who was holding her, lifting her out of the vines.
"Sasuke-kun!" she breathed happily, gripping him for all she was worth. "You came back for me!"
"I would die for you!" came Sasuke's warm breathy replied.
"MOMMY!"
Sakura felt her heart soar and swell. She would have known that voice anywhere!
"Kaisuke!" she squealed, wriggling round in Sasuke's hold to embrace her son as he leapt from Suigetsu's arms. Suigetsu, understanding, stayed silent, bowed slightly and moved away from the reunited family.
Sasuke twisted slightly and soon had his arms wrapped around his pregnant wife and son, holding them both tightly against him. His eyes may have been closed, the others may have been a slight distance away, but it was obvious to all that he was overjoyed. His family was safe and, more importantly, back in his arms, and he never wanted to let them go.
"Too… tight!"
Gaara's head shot down to the woman in his arms. Her eyes were slowly opening and her body was trying to break free of the, almost strangling, squeeze he had her in. Gaara, shocked to realise just how tightly he had been holding her, relaxed his hold, just a little bit, and helped Aya to sit up slightly.
Sasuke spotted Aya coming around and, grudgingly, stepped away from his family. He crouched down beside his cousin and gently laid his hand on her, unwounded, shoulder.
"Thank you isn't enough for what you've done. You truly are an Uchiha in my eyes."
Aya's eyes gleamed with unshed tears. Coming from Sasuke, that was an amazing compliment. "Thank you, cousin." she smiled. "But the only name I will carry is…"
"Mine!"
All heads snapped round at Gaara's sudden remark. All eyes widened, including Gaara's… he hadn't meant to actually say that. He'd only meant to think it.
A sudden chuckle came from Aya. Gaara looked down at her smiling face, a blush raging on his cheeks.
"If that's true…" she coughed slightly, her body still weak from the battle. All three men moved closer, trying to help, but she waved them off, returning her gaze to Gaara's concerned one. "…then do something about it."
Gaara's lips instantly crashed on to hers. Aya hissed in pain slightly but returned the kiss with equal passion.
Suigetsu, trying to fight off his jealousy, turned his back on the scene. He'd been flirting with Aya for months but had gotten nowhere, now he knew why.
Sasuke smirked at the sight. 'It's about damn time, Gaara!' he thought as he turned away, raising to his feet.
"Daddy!"
All heads snapped round a second time. Only this time, it was toward Kaisuke's scared cry.
Kaisuke was gripping his mothers hand and looking to his father, a terrified look on his little face. Sakura was doubled over, one hand gripping tightly on to Kaisuke's, the other holding her swollen belly. Her head shot up and her eyes locked with Sasuke's.
Fear coursed through every fibre of Sasuke's being when she spoke the words that chilled him to his core.
"It's too soon!"
To be continued…
