A/N – A Chapter to tell you what has happened. Yes, you still can't have the story. It starts from the next chapter… I think :)

Chapter 2 – Catching up

"Sasuke!"

The man turned around to see his one and only orange wearing best friend hurry towards him.

"Hi Naruto," he spoke, as his friend caught up with him.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked.

Naruto had matured somewhat over the years. He was still a bit loud every now and then and really, really playful when it came to his nine year old prodigy kid, who seemed to have the brains from his mother and the mouth and the stomach from his father.

Yes, he still wore orange. Outwardly he hadn't changed much. He had grown taller of course and more muscled. The constant missions did that do a ninja. Tsunade often pointed out that he looked more and more like the third hokage. Though in Sasuke's eyes he hadn't changed much. He was still the hyperactive knucklehead he had grown fond of in his genin days.

Sasuke himself had also grown taller, while his hair got somewhat shorter. Now it was in a somewhat messy style, covering his eyes a bit. He had trained harder than ever after Sakura left and soon had become the captain of ANBU. He had led the bigger ambushes and fought in the most dangerous battles. He was fearless, because for some time he didn't even care.

Sasuke found it funny really. While Sakura had been around, he had been sure that the things were best like they were – being a girlfriend and a boyfriend, having no big commitments. He believed that they shouldn't get married until they were at least thirty, because they were young and should enjoy their freedom and crap like that. He hated himself for it actually. He could recall having a minor argument or two because of it with Sakura. She had asked him about his thoughts about starting a family.

Well, he had had a few drinks that day, celebrating his start in ANBU and he had said some stuff he didn't mean really. He felt sorry and wanted to apologize the next day, but Sakura had just smiled and said it was alright. It was a bit soon for him to start a family anyways.

Four days later, she had left.

After that Sasuke found out how exactly it felt to miss somebody for real. While he had been working for Orochimaru, he of course had somewhat missed Naruto and Sakura and Kakashi even, but this… this was so much worse.

Ever since Sakura's leaving, he wished he had grabbed his opportunity while he had his chance.

Yes he thought of her even now. Ten years had passed and yet a thought of her crept into his mind every day he went past the Academy or when he found himself sitting near the place where he had been buried to the ground so only his head showed. He found himself smiling at the memory of her expression when she noticed him. He had even sat hours on the bench he had left her on when he had went looking for Orochimaru.

But that was past. Sakura was gone and over the years he had come to accept the fact that she wasn't coming back.

While before he had found it a bit odd that Sakura had waited for him for three years without her feelings changing, then now it started to feel like a routine for him as well. Every day he hoped that it'd be the day when Sakura walks through the gates, her mission completed.

And every day he dreaded the thought that the enemy discovered that she was a sleeping agent.

He still did think of those things, but now it was different.

Now he had a fiancée.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke blinked. "What?"

"I've been talking to you for about ten minutes and you haven't even hn-ned once. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sasuke said.

"Is it because of your leg?"

"Oh right," Sasuke said, his mouth creating a grim line, "You don't know yet."

"Know what?" Naruto asked, looking at his friend. The two of them were walking down the street, gaining some looks from some women. Even though Naruto was married and Sasuke engaged, the two of them were still wanted by many women. When Naruto grew up to a deep blue eyed, blonde hottie, women seemed to forget that he was a bad boy. Or… they were attracted to bad boys. It would certainly explain why they were still after a piece of Sasuke.

"I'm released from ANBU missions for half a year."

"HALF A YEAR?" Naruto yelled, "Half a year? So long? Why?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Hiromasa seems to think I can't handle ANBU missions."

"So what are you going to do until then? Your leg seems alright to me."

Sasuke's left leg had gotten thee shuriken blasted into it a week ago. While Tsunade was able to repair most of the nerves and muscles, he still needed to take it easy for a bit. Hiromasa seemed to think that 6 months equaled a bit.

"Well, until then," Sasuke spoke, "I'm going to be removed from the ANBU team and be assigned…"

"REMOVED?" Naruto bellowed. "They can't fire you. You're one of the best ANBU-s in the force. Let me at them!"

"Naruto," Sasuke snapped, "They're not firing me. They're taking away my ANBU status for a while. I'll use the time to train my team."

"Your team?" Naruto asked, scratching his head.

"Yeah," Sasuke said, "I'm going to be a Jounin for a while. Since I can't actively take part of missions, I only have one more option."

"Eat ramen?"

"…"

"To take on a team of genins."

"OH!"

"Cool," Naruto exclaimed, grinning, "Think how fun it could be. Bunch of kids running around, yelling. You, having fun at their expense… Just like Kakashi!"

"What about Nagato?" Sasuke asked, "Isn't he attending the academy already?"

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "He'll pass as well. He's a genius that one. Taking after his dad, I'd say."

Sasuke smirked slightly, "Sure Naruto. Keep telling yourself that."

Naruto playfully nudged his best friend. The two of them walked for some time, until…

"SASUKE!"

Naruto groaned loudly.

"Naruto," Sasuke said warningly, as a purple haired girl appeared into the view.

"Sasuke," she purred, snaking her hands around his waist, "Where have you been the last hour?"

Naruto turned his back onto them. "From all the girls…"

He heard a kissing sound and his eyes twitched. He needed something else to concentrate on. His eyes found Ino, who was helping out her dad in the flower shop. She didn't seem very happy with Sasuke's activities either as she seemed to be breaking cosmos flowers into little pieces, using just her chakra.

Yes, Ami wasn't very popular with Sasuke's friends.

Naruto couldn't find a single reason why Sasuke should like that girl. She was clingy, talked almost as loud as Naruto, liked to spend Sasuke's inheritance [Not that she could spend all of it. Uchihas were filthy rich, she couldn't cook to save her life and she spent most of the time, while she wasn't clinging at Sasuke's arm that is, giggling with her annoying girlfriends.

Sasuke hadn't had a serious girlfriend for a while after Sakura left. And for some reason Naruto had been happy at start, because it showed that Sasuke really cared for her. When a year passed and he hadn't even looked at another girl, he was starting to get worried. He loved Sakura like a sister, but Sasuke was starting to live just to train. He didn't even glance at girls anymore.

Year and a half. Sasuke was still training harder than ever. Girls, none in sight.

It was practically two years before Naruto saw Sasuke with a girl. When he had asked him about it, he had said he had no idea what he was about. Yet, the blonde girl seemed to be around for a month or so.

Then there was a big break of girls, which lasted about half a year, during which Sasuke told him that the girls just weren't the right ones for him. They weren't Sakura - That's what Naruto read out of it anyways.

He couldn't get it. Sasuke had known Sakura six years through which he didn't even show he cared that much. And yet when Sakura left, then it seemed she took Sasuke's whole heart with her.

Over the years there have been many girlfriends and relationships, the longest of which lasted five months. Again she wasn't the right one.

And then out of the blue, Sasuke shows up and declares he proposed to Ami. Even worse, their wedding will be held in four months. On the fifth of May. FIFTH OF MAY!

Naruto's eye twitched again. Right, it's could be that Sasuke moved along, but did he have to do it with AMI and on fifth of May? The day Sakura left? It's just not right.

"Sasuke," he then declared, getting disgusted by the sounds of Ami's kissing Sasuke's neck. He shivered slightly as he turned around and SAW Ami kissing Sasuke's neck. "You've got to speak to the hokage, remember? About starting the training? The graduation takes place a week from now, you know?"

Sasuke nodded, as he untangled himself from Ami. "We got to go, sorry," he said, starting to move away with Naruto.

"Bye love," Ami yelled after him. Naruto's eye twitched again. "Don't make a scene, don't make a scene…"

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

"What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked.

"Naruto, don't start again," Sasuke said, as they moved towards the tower.

"She's after your money or something," Naruto pointed out.

"Naruto, I told you to drop it."

"Why do you want to marry her?"

"Naruto…"

"Does purple remind you pink?"

Sasuke stopped walking. His Sharigan was flashing dangerously. "Naruto, Sakura isn't coming back. She's finding her happiness somewhere else. SO MOVE ON!"

Naruto blinked. He had said those exact words to Sasuke some years ago. Sasuke blinked as well, the Sharigan starting to fade. He turned towards the tower once again and started to walk.

Naruto caught up with him again.

"I'm sorry," the blonde spoke, "It's just that I probably don't see Ami in the same way you do…"

"Yeah, you probably don't," Sasuke agreed.

"So, I'll drop the subject… for now," Naruto said as they entered the tower. "Go on, I'll go see Shikamaru. He might have another assignment for me."

The two men went into different directions. They met in the lobby about twenty minutes later. Sasuke was smiling slightly.

"Two boys and a girl just like always. My team number is seven and the team will be assigned according to their age and levels after their tests."

"So you could have Nagato?" Naruto asked, grinning.

Sasuke nodded. Naruto was so proud of his son. And Shikamaru's son had just learnt to read at the soft age of three, though he was too lazy to do so. That blonde head of his was more in the clouds. Ino wasn't too happy about it, but they'll get past it. Though Shikamaru didn't show it often, he really loved that 'troublesome' woman.

TenTen and Neji had a son. He was six and possessed the Byakugan as well as his mother's love for weapons, which meant he was powerful without weapons, but if you also give him weapons… Watch out. Seriously.

Luckily for little Takuya, he had escaped the branding, simply because TenTen promised to murder anyone coming near her son. Hinata knew her well enough to stop the branding altogether since she wanted to save the Hyuugas from TenTen. Since she was the leader of the clan now, she had the power to do just that.

Everywhere Sasuke looked he saw families. There were fathers who were teaching their daughters to talk and their sons to throw shuriken. He even envied the people with the white garden. A perfect family had to have a white garden.

He sighed silently, but Naruto heard it anyways.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing… It's just… never mind."

He wanted a family. It was about time that the Uchiha clan was recreated and since he was the last living Uchiha, it was up to him. He wanted a woman who'd grow the children right; a woman he could love; a woman who'd stand up to him when he's being an ass; a woman able to cook some of the best foods ever; a woman who he'd want to wake up lying next to every morning; a woman who was perfect for him.

"Sakura's gone," a stupid little voice in his consciousness spoke.

Sakura reminded Sasuke a bit of the situation with Itachi. Years might've passed, but the feelings didn't change. Maybe just deepen a bit. It was just like it had been with Itachi, but instead of hatred he felt when he thought of Itachi, he felt longing and sadness while thinking of Sakura.

He never figured out why she accepted the mission. Was it something he said? Was it because he always left the toilet seat up? Was it because he never spoke the three words? He could've said them. He definitely felt them, but the moment was never right… If he couldn't have the woman he wanted, then he'd take a woman who at least followed his commands. That way there would still be children and a family. So she couldn't cook. They'll hire someone. But maybe he should actually look for someone he cared about…

No. He had made a promise to get married before exactly ten years pass from Sakura's departure, if she hadn't returned by then. She hadn't and he had gotten engaged. There were still three months to plan the wedding and such.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke jumped. He blinked and looked at his annoyed friend.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," Naruto spoke, "You looked like your mind was wandering again. So did Tsunade tell you what you needed to do?"

"Yeah, I have to figure out a usual genin test for them. I'd tell you what I wanted to do, but you'd tell your son and then he'll have an advantage if he's put into my team."

"Hey I won't tell him," Naruto exclaimed, before he frowned, "Talking about Nagato, I promised to pick him up from the academy and take him training with me. So…"

"I'll see you around," Sasuke said with a small smile. Naruto grinned and hurried off.

XxXxXxXxXx

A/N – No action yet, but I'm getting there. R/R People. R/R!