Chapter 13

Dealing the Punishment

"I wanna go see the kids!" Sakura said as she jumped off the railing of the bridge that Sasuke had placed her on.

"Hn," Sasuke agreed, "but change your clothes first."

"Why?" Sakura asked looking confused. "Oh! I highly doubt Itachi-san is as perverted as you are Sasuke-kun."

Sakura was walking away without even waiting for Sasuke already knowing how to get to his house. Sasuke looked at her warily, that girl-cough-cough-woman really was naïve. Well in some aspects anyway. As Sasuke watched her go walk away from him he didn't fail to notice how much he loathed the very thought of other men looking at her; and so Sasuke decided that he might as well make his soon-to-be fiancée aware of the fact that he did not like the idea of other men staring at her. So using his super-fast ninja flash step thingy he appeared before her. Surprisingly enough she had expected him to do so and used her own speed to move back in front of him. "That's not going to work on me Sasuke-kun, and we're going out into the public, so keep a distance," Sakura spoke.

'"…try your best not to give too many hints away, you hear me Uchiha, Sasuke?" Tsunade turned to glare at Sasuke.'

Sasuke watched Sakura disappear into the numerous trees as he took another path.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"HEY FOREHEAD!" Sakura heard her best friend and former love-rival call.

"Hey I-" Sakura turned around only to find her friend embracing her in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh my God forehead!" Ino tightened her embrace even more. "Did you hear? Sasuke-kun is back! Isn't that like a HUGE thing! You don't even look happy! Did you see him yet? Were you on that mission with Naruto? Did he get hotter? And where the hell are you going? Nice shorts by the way."

"Sometimes I'm astonished how you can say that much in one breath Ino," Sakura smiled, "Now. Yes to everything and where I'm going is none of your business. Finally! What the hell is up with people and my shorts?"

"Never mind your shorts! Let's go see Sasuke-kun!" Ino jumped grabbing Sakura's arm and running all the way to his home.

Sakura panicked and tried to convince Ino to do otherwise, "H-hey! L-look! It's Shik-AH!" Sakura was cut off by Ino tugging on her arm hard still pulling her towards the Uchiha complex.

"Look just because you're too embarrassed to have Sasuke-kun see you in short-shorts, doesn't mean you shouldn't go," Ino said continuing to drag Sakura, "I mean do you even know how many unworthy eyes have already seen you in those shorts?"

It was then that Sakura gave up and prayed that Ino wouldn't pay too close attention to the kids, or that only Sora would show up, or that they wouldn't find the kids at home and that they were over at Naruto's place. Sadly, she wasn't so fortunate.

They arrived at the desired Uchiha home and Ino knocked on the door. Ino didn't stop knocking until Itachi came with the twins (who hid curiously behind his legs) and cracked it open enough to be able to see Ino.

"Sasuke-kun?" Ino asked curiously.

Itachi smirked, opening the door a little more so the blonde could see more of his face, "No, but if there's anything you need to tell him, I'll pass on the message."

Itachi then noticed the fact that Ino was holding onto someone who he soon found out was Sakura. The girls then heard the shuffling of footsteps and turned around to see Sasuke. Ino beamed with excitement as Sakura stood still. "Hey Sasuke-kun! Welcome back! How've you been?" Ino asked casually.

Sasuke didn't even get the chance to grunt before two little figures came bounding at him yelling, "Tou-san!"

Sakura watched as Ino's eyes widened so much that she thought her eyes might fall out of their sockets. "Oh you didn't know? Sasuke-kun has kids now," Sakura said smugly.

Sora was the first of the twins to let go of Sasuke. "Hello Sakura-sensei!" Sora glomped his biological mother before turning in the direction of his mother's friend blonde friend. "Hello Sakura-sensei's friend!"

Ino stood in shock at how adorable the little boy before her was. He was like a mini Sasuke and he was polite and… and… he and his twin (?) sister were introducing themselves in harmony! Ino then decided that it was only fair that she introduce herself too. "Well, my name is Yamanaka, Ino and my family and I run a little flower shop, feel free to drop by," Ino smiled at the twins.

Ino then noticed a very familiar pair of eyes scrutinizing her. "Wow you have really pretty eyes Yamanaka-san," Emi stared at Ino's eyes in awe.

"Thank you!" Ino smiled. "You have really pretty eyes too. Oh yeah, and please just call me Ino."

Alert at once Sakura and the Uchiha brothers decided that Ino had seen enough and she needed to make sure that she didn't see anymore. "Sora, Emi, would you like to train with me?" Itachi asked the kids crouching down to their level.

"YES! YES!" Sora and Emi jumped up and down clapping their hands.

"Well then excuse yourselves and follow me," Itachi said before nodding at Ino and Sakura.

"Have a nice day Ino-san!" Emi beamed.

"Excuse us," Sora bowed slightly.

"Bye!" Ino waved at the kids as they retreated into the confines of their new home.

Ino then caught a glimpse of pink on Emi's head near the roots of her head. She also noticed that Emi's hair became a dark shade of raspberry when the sun hit it. Pink? Pink! Ino's eyes snapped towards Sakura who was saying good bye to Sasuke. Ino's eyes lit up mischievously. "They're such cute children Sasuke-kun!" Ino squealed. "Especially that Emi! I mean if only her hair was a brighter shade of pink, then she would look just like her mother used to when we were all younger!"

"Hn."

"Well see ya Ino!" Sakura waved walking away. "I need to get to the hospital."

"Oh no! No! No! You're not getting out of this one," Ino's smile grew as she grabbed Sakura's arm, "Mama Sakura."

Sakura wasn't the best liar, and she knew that, so did Ino, that's why'd she'd cornered her like this. "What am I getting myself out of?" Sakura asked innocently.

"Oh come on!" Ino let go of Sakura's arm to wave her own arms up in exaggeration. "Don't give me that innocent look! I so know that those kids are yours. Like seriously? Who else has pink hair? Oh yeah! And green eyes like yours?"

"You make it sound like you've met everyone in the world, which you haven't, so you can't go assuming things," Sakura glared at Ino, "how dare you accuse me of doing such things."

"I'm not accusing you Sasuke-kun could have taken advantage of you, not like you'd mind if he did anyway," Ino said pretty much forgetting the fact that the Uchiha she mentioned was actually standing right behind her, "Besides, you'd think that Sasuke-kun would go back to the village where the mother of his children would be sinc-"

"Yeah because they won't capture Sasuke-kun and kill him?" Sakura raised her eyebrows. "You're forgetting that Konoha is probably the only place that won't kill him and we can thank Naruto for that. And also, he never showed any signs of interest in me when we were back as a team."

"Psh. Yeah riiiight! You just never noticed! I, however, noticed, and now have evidence for you that he did show interest in you," Ino said holding her index finger up, "One, I caught him staring at your below-average-sized butt when you guys were Team 7, two you had a romantic scene in the forest of death during the exams before I cut your hair. Third he had kids with you. Fourth he plans to marry you. I think."

"Yes you think," Sakura huffed, before asking, "Was he really staring at my butt?"

"All the time."

"Seriously!"

"Yeah, he was a-not-so-obvious perv."

"Oh my God."

"Oh my God is right," Ino cast a glance over her shoulder.

Sakura had a really bad feeling what was going on in that evil little boar's mind. Sakura didn't have the time to think as Ino grabbed her and flung her at Sasuke. Who should have evaded by reflex, but since this was Sakura his reflexes were more to catch her than to dodge her falling form. So Sasuke caught her, but do to the great amount of force from Ino's push and Sakura's weight, Sakura ended toppling over onto Sasuke. "Aww see, even after all these years, his reflexes are still to catch you!" Ino cooed.

"Why in this position again?" Sakura muttered as she began to get up off of Sasuke.

Sasuke remained silent and stoic making it seem as though he didn't care about the fact that Sakura had fallen on him. Ino sighed in exasperation, irritated that Sakura didn't get the point she had tried to make. "Oh I get it now! You need to keep the fact that you're the mother of those little Uchihas a secret right? Oh I get it! I get it! Your secret is safe with me!" Ino winked. "You can trust me Sakura, I won't tell anyone!"

Sakura glared at the blonde, "You're wrong Ino. I'm not their mother, the person who raised them should be considered their mother."

"Oh yeah? Well then you're their biological mother, the mother that gave birth to them. I'm actually surprised you managed to hide it from us for so long," Ino went on ignoring Sakura's statement, "Oh yeah and I forgive you for lying to me, I mean it would be-"

"She may be their mother, but she only recently found out that she had children Ino," Sasuke finally spoke.

"Huh?"

"I made sure she forgot about having kids or anything related after she gave birth, and I don't know how you figured it out, but yes I did take advantage of Sakura… in a way," Sasuke confessed, he didn't want Ino understanding it wrong and holding it against Sakura.

"See, see I told you, my innocent little forehead," Ino nodded before…

"Damn you! You stupid bastard how dare you take advantage of my little Saki! I'm going to get you! Stupid Uchiha! Have you no self-control?!" Ino attacked Sasuke seemingly wanting to kill him.

Sakura stood there stupid with shock, Sasuke dodged Ino's blows, and Ino continued to try to kill the bastard who dared to touch her little girl. "I'm going to kill you," Ino glared.

"Ino! Stop making a scene! I know it seems like there's no one around, but!" Sakura panicked her head whipping from left to right. "There might be some stalker fan girls around here!" Upon hearing those words Sasuke activated his sharingan in order to look for other life forms, and practically breathed a sigh of relief, until he noticed a chakra signal headed their way, which he identified to be none other than his own cousin. So it was no big deal.

"Hello everyone!" Akemi greeted causing Ino jump in surprise and stop her barrage of fists at Sasuke.

"Hey Akemi-chan," Ino smiled, turning back into her usual self.

"Um, Why were you trying to kill Sasuke-nii-san? Did he do anything to you?" Akemi asked patiently awaiting the expected answer.

"E-eto, a-ano, well you see, that's something kinda private so I can't really tell you," Ino smiled at Akemi nervously.

"Oh you found out that Sasuke-nii-san and Sakura got drunk together and had Sora-kun and Emi-chan? It was suuuuper obvious that you did since I kinda heard you yelling at Sasuke-nii-san," Akemi said passively.

"G-got drunk together?" Ino asked her voice laced with venom.

"W-wait! Ino-chan! A-actually, Sakura-chan was miserable and had too much Saké and Sasuke-nii-san, he, ummmm, he, yeah, well he was a bit tipsy, but he should have taken care of her, but well, ummmm-"

"So basically, it really is all Sasuke-kun's fault?" Ino growled.

"Yes. I think, actually kinda, I guess so…" Akemi stuttered.

"Yes," Sasuke answered.

Just as Ino got ready to attack the Uchiha again, Akemi intervened, "Your parents were looking for you when they noticed you left the counter! So umm, why don't you go back and then kill Sasuke-nii-san some other time?"

"Fine," Ino glared at the Uchiha, "Next time it is…"

"Well, I came to see Sora and Emi, so, I'll be going in," Sakura smiled awkwardly before walking in.

"HOLD IT!" Ino charged back to the Uchiha household. "HOW BLONDE DO YOU THINK I AM?!" Ino folded her hands across her chest. "AND HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?!" Ino raged on pointing at Akemi. "THIS IS SUUUPER UNFAIR!" Ino turns on Sakura. "YOU TELL AKEMI BUT NOT ME?! YOUR BEST FRIEND SINCE BEFORE YOU REALIZED YOUR 'CRUSH-TURNED-FEELINGS' FOR SASUKE-TEME?!"

Nobody missed how Ino decided to use Naruto's nickname for Sasuke. "E-eh," Sakura stuttered before, "You must be very blonde to not have figured out how Akemi knows."

Ino shoots an angry glare at Sakura before her features take on a shocked expression. She turns on her heal to where Akemi is… Akemi is… hiding behind the tall bastard. "You could kick Sasuke-teme's ass any day you know that right?" Ino questions Akemi. "Wasn't your belief that women could very possibly fight on even ground with men?"

"You're getting me mixed up with Tenten-san, Ino-san," Akemi pokes her head from behind Sasuke.

"No, I firmly believe you kicked Kiba's ass to prove that to us," Ino's brows furrowed.

"He could have been bribed to let me win."

"The guy's got too much pride to do that."

"He isn't as strong as Sasuke-nii-san," Akemi recedes behind Sasuke's back, "had I defeated Naruto-kun then it would have been an entirely different story."

Sakura giggles at Sasuke's very interesting expression, Ino smirks smugly, and Akemi doesn't need to see his face to know, "He's scowling isn't he? The truth hurts doesn't it nii-san?"

When Sasuke turns around to glare at his cousin, who stares back at him and annoyed expression taking her features, Ino and Sakura burst out laughing at this exchange between the two. Ino was the first to stop laughing.

"Anyway, did he threaten you?" Ino puts her hand on her hips.

"It was," Akemi eyes the dirt, "persuasion."

"Really now?"

"Yeah."

"No. Seriously?"

"Yes!" Akemi stepped out from behind Sasuke's lean figure. "Sasuke-nii, decided he wanted kids at an early age and had to face the consequences, but since it wasn't Sakura's fault we had to make sure she wouldn't be blamed for anything, and that her reputation is still clean, even if ours is stained, well, mine wasn't stained until yesterday."

"Oh I see, okay, okay, my lips are sealed," Ino says supposedly zipping her lips.

"Not even Shikamaru-san, or Chouji-san, or your Mama and Papa can know about this! You hear?" Akemi calls after Ino. "Or else, I will personally lock this memory away."

"Yeah, yeah! Don't worry!" Ino waves her hand in the air as she walks away thinking, 'Shika'll figure it out on his own anyway.'

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"What?! Itachi? You don't have any punishment?!"

"Hn."

Itachi then decides to comment on the dropping of the honorific before Sakura can ask any questions, "you dropped the '-san'."

"W-well," Sakura stammerd folding her arms over her chest, "Y-you never s-say my name with any honorifics!"

"That's because you're going to be my future si-"

"Sister-in-law, I know," Sakura huffs.

"That automatically makes Sasuke-nii-san, Sakura-chan's husband!" Akemi smiles. "Oh excuse me, future husband."

"What did you receive for punishment foolish little sister?" Itachi looks at Akemi.

Akemi's eyes gleam at the thought of Itachi calling her little sister. "First off I am not foolish!" Akemi huffs. "Secondly, I will be doing a set serious of missions that test my loyalty while being surrounded by ANBU on each of my missions."

"Now dear brother-in-law," Sakura smiles, "why don't you explain how you managed to not get any punishment."

"It's a long story."

"Konoha is corrupt," it's the first contribution Sasuke makes to the conversation.

"Actually, foolish little brother," Itachi leans back on the couch, "the fact that they haven't charged me with anything shows that they are in fact just."

Sasuke's brows furrow. "However, I will in fact be whipped a hundred whips and be sent out on solo missions regularly, so that the public think that I am in jail, and that I have been punished," Itachi says completely calm.

"And you don't consider that to be punishment Onii-sama?" Akemi asks eyes wide.

"Not really, I've been through worse shit before."

After a little more chat, Sakura excused herself and went home. Facing her parents was annoying, but she explained everything, and said that she merely needed to take a walk in order to calm herself down. She made sure to avoid bringing up her arranged marriage and spent the rest of the day upstairs in her room reading a very intriguing (and addicting) novel that Ino had given her. It was a lovely story, it was about a girl who was from high-ranking nobility who was miserable at home, as well as unhappy, and had to continue putting on a façade just for her family, and a young ninja was associated with a very dangerous group of ninja (sorta like the Akatsuki) where loyalty meant everything and morals meant nothing who fall deeply in love with one another. The female protagonist was gorgeous, and although Sakura didn't think she could match that character's beauty, she still liked to imagine herself as the nobility and Sasuke as the also-very-handsome ninja. It wasn't long before Sakura found herself asleep and in dreamland.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Good Luck Sasuke, if you make it through this, then you're one step closer to marrying Sakura," Kakashi gave Sasuke a slap on the back.

"Hn."

"Sakura's father rejected you huh?"

"Hn."

"I see, he said that you weren't good enough."

"Hn."

"He also said that you guys couldn't do what Naruto did with Hinata in order to be given permission to get married."

"Hn."

"I completely agree," Kakashi nodded, "Katsuki-san is a really strict man."

"Hn."

"Of course I can understand you," Kakashi glanced Sasuke's way, "how else would I be able to answer you?"

"Hn."

"Well, you're my student, and I wanted to see you off before you went into this freakishly crazy and challenging battle."

"Hn."

"Hn indeed."

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

"Sakura!" Katsuki called his daughter. "You have a visitor please come down."

When the wind carried her father's deep and father-like voice, Sakura sighed at the tone. It wasn't an angry tone or an annoyed tone. Meaning! The person that had come to visit her was probably either Kakashi, Shizune, or some other ninja that was probably here for business. So Sakura hurriedly walked down the stairs. "Who is it Otou-san?" Sakura walked into the room.

"Hello, Sakura-san," a guy with dark, chocolate brown hair and bright grey eyes bowed.

"This is Kaito-san," Katsuki said with a smile on his face, "the man you are betrothed to."

Sakura glared at her father. "I hope to build a bright and happy future with you," Kaito said taking her hand in his and attempting to kiss it before she pulled it away from him.

"Get the hell away from me!" Sakura yelled before running back up her stairs and to her room.

~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~X~

Sasuke only had his sword and a pack for of shuriken as he entered the battle arena, one that similar to that of the chuunin exams, but different in a way. He could see the Hokage standing in the highest spectator's box with the best view, a grim expression taking her features. Next to her he could see Itachi, but no Kakashi. No surprise, after all he'd only come to see him off. Sakura wasn't there either. She'd probably be running late, since he did see her father walking with some guy when he was going to the arena.

"Begin!" Tsunade's command snapped him out of his thoughts as the first wave of jounin attacked him.

Sasuke dodged and counterattacked accordingly. This exchange of blows went on for a good two hours minutes before he'd immobilized the three. He was given a second to breathe before the next wave of jounin, which consisted of two this time, entered. One of them came at him head on with his katana and Sasuke easily blocked.

Around an hour later back up at the spectator's box Itachi smirked. "He's doing rather well, isn't he?"

"Are you going to brag about his abilities being because he is an Uchiha?" Tsunade groaned.

Itachi chuckled, "No, no, Sasuke's abilities are because he is who he is."

"In my opinion he is more like a son than a brother to you," Tsunade glanced at Itachi.

Itachi looked down and the female Sannin, "Hn."

"Tsundae-shishou! Itachi! I'm not late am I?" Sakura yelled as she ran up to the box.

"No, not really, you just missed round one that's all," Itachi answered her calmly.

"That means I am late," Sakura sweat dropped before turning to see Sasuke through one of the guy's unconscious body's on the other guy who caught it while falling on his butt, Sasuke appeared behind him nearly an instant later.

Sasuke slashed his sword at the guy's arm, the dude somehow managed to dodge. "Well I must say you really do live up to our expectations Uchiha."

Those were the last word the jounin managed to say before Sasuke gave him a hard punch to the back of his head knocking him unconscious.

Sasuke looked up to the stands for an instant, and he saw Sakura's proud face, and when she held up a fist that probably meant something along the lines of, "kick their butts." Sasuke smirked.

When the final jounin stepped out onto the battle field, Sasuke could be anymore shocked.

"Kakashi?"

DONE with this chapter! It was longer than the previous I think. Hope you liked it! And I love Ino. I mean who doesn't? Sorry I didn't proof read this. Please Review!

And because the next chapter is super unexpected, I don't have a preview for it yet.

Naruto charas Masashi Kishimoto