||Nine: Promise me

Note: This one-shot will not be related to the intertwined plotline for this series.

"Why did you call me here?" were the first words Sasuke Uchiha uttered as he stepped inside the Hokage's office. He looked around from the large floor to ceiling windows that overlooked Konoha.

"Did something happen in the village? What was so urgent?" he asked impatiently as he activated his rinnegan, scanning the entire area. He looked at Naruto questionably when he found nothing.

"Is Sakura out on a mission?" Sasuke asked. Naruto, who was too quiet for his reputation, sighed "No."

"That doesn't explain why I can't sense her chakra," Sasuke remarked as he removed his cape and set it down on a chair.

"Speak, loser."

Naruto looked away, then at Sasuke all at once, in all seriousness—he tried to hide the saddened expression on his face. "It's your wife."

"What about her?"

"She's dying."

Everything happened in a flash, Naruto opened his mouth to speak, or explain; but the moment he opened his eyes after mentally preparing himself, Sasuke had already jumped out of the window and left.

There was nobody inside their house.

Sasuke left the empty apartment after scanning the entire area thoroughly, his heart beat wildly in his chest. Dying? Surely, there must be a catch.

If this was a joke, Naruto was going to die.

But it wasn't, Sasuke realised when he found himself standing in Konoha hospital, only to be told that Sakura Haruno Sensei was not on duty since a week now.

He managed to find out where she was though, and he did not waste the fraction of a single second going there.

Sasuke found himself standing in front of what looked like an old shrine. It was a traditional house where usually the daimyo or elders lived.

Of course, he deduced.

Tsunade.

The fifth Hokage.

He found himself standing in front of a very pissed off Tsunade, moments later, ready to give him a piece of her mind. But, he ignored her completely as he moved inside, without wasting time in being polite or following etiquette.

Nobody could take his wife away from him anyway.

Inside a room covered with Shogi screens is where Sasuke found Sakura. She was unconscious, covered with a blanket. Shizune stood by the door as Sarada kneeled beside her mother.

Sasuke's presence was not ignored by his daughter.

He saw blood red eyes glaring at him when she turned around, balling her fingers into a fist. He noted the fact that Sarada's hair had gotten longer compared to the last time he'd seen her. He remained unfazed as his lone palm caught her fist before she could deliver a punch. Angry Sharingan eyes staring at him hatefully, he almost thought he was looking at his own thirteen-year-old self.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Sarada yelled as she aimed for a kick, which was blocked too, "I'm here to see my wife." He merely stated, trying to hide his shock over her usage of words.

She needed to stay away from Naruto.

"Well, your "wife" does not need you anymore." Sarada said as Shizune stepped in, "Sarada, your mother needs a peaceful environment, which is why we shifted her here. Don't talk to your father in such a manner!" Shizune chided her as Sarada looked away, Sharingan turning into obsidian. "I don't want to see your face, papa!" she yelled, "So just leave us alone, like you always have, and go away!"

Sasuke, taken aback yet again, failed to hide his shock this time around. It seemed like she had grown up to become more like him in this aspect. Regardless, he did not have the time to pacify his child as his wife lay distressed in a bed for whatever reason. When Sarada did not stop, he was left was no option.

Sasuke's Sharingan rose to life as Sarada looked at him. He summoned Sussan-o to pick Sarada and take her home.

Kind of extreme, he agreed, but he needed to think.

Shizune stared at Sasuke speechlessly,

"S-Sasuke-san." She said, not knowing how to approach the strict man standing in front of her. Was he really as stone-hearted as everyone said?

"Shizune-san, can you tell me what is wrong with my wife?" Sasuke spoke softly as he stood in front of her, he might have been looking at her but his entire attention was towards Sakura's sleeping form.

Stone-hearted? No, Shizune decided, he was more of the logical kind. He did what needed to be done, even if he had to discard his personal feelings for a while.

"Hai, Sakura was on a mission to Sunagakure last week. She had to heal many people there because of a sandstorm and as a result, she used her byakugou-no-in seal…"

"Sakura has performed 100 healings numerous times before," Sasuke stated Shizune understood his underlying question, what happened this time?

"It seems like she went too far… The seal had a reverse effect on her own body. Her body cells are deteriorating as we speak. It seems as if her body is rejecting life."

Sasuke turned to sit down next to Sakura's bed. He stared at her without saying anything.

"Right, I will talk more about it later," Shizune said softly as she left, leaving the two alone.

Sasuke stared at her sleeping form contemplatively. He took her hand in his own, noticing how weak and lifeless it felt. Sasuke felt anger rise within for an unknown reason as he activated his ocular prowess and searched for any signs that would pinpoint the reason why the seal was having a reverse effect on Sakura's body.

He found nothing.

All his thoughts and reasoning left him the moment he deactivated his eye and ran his thumb over her fingers. Sasuke Uchiha, one of the strongest shinobi to ever walk on Earth, was reduced to a mere human being, whose heart seemed to bleed at the sight of his wife being in pain.

Her brows were furrowed and Sasuke couldn't help but tap the seal on her forehead, almost smiling pathetically to himself.

There was nobody on the receiving end of his affection tonight, it seemed.

He kept staring at her, forgetting that he had a daughter who seemed to hate him, or that his wife's body wasn't cooperating with her, or that he still would have to go back on the damn mission because—

"A-Anata?" Came a broken voice and Sasuke lifted his face in a flash, his Sharingan seemed to have gotten activated when he looked at her, but he couldn't care.

She was alive,

And she was smiling.

Although Sakura did not look as energetic as she did always, she still gave him a broken smile as she intertwined her fingers with his own, Sasuke's heart ached at the gesture.

"Gomen, I'm not in the best shape to welcome you back home." She said, her voice raspy and hoarse. She must have been out for a long time.

"Sakura." He muttered her name, feeling relief surge through his veins. "What happened?"

Sakura smiled brighter, "I-I don't know, Anata. I'm sorry, it seems like you'll have to take care of Sarada alone…"

"Shut up, Sakura." His response was automatic, he was repulsed by the thought of an empty home.

After all, she was the home he would always return to.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"I couldn't even imagine waking up to seeing your face, I feel so happy." She said as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Tch." Sasuke felt annoyed by the choice of her thoughts. "We still have a long way to go."

But she didn't seem to be listening to him.

"—I think I'd rather be like this if it would mean that you would be sitting next to me when I wake up."

"Sakura." He felt the need to raise his voice, as he gently held her, pulling her head into his lap as he cradled her. This was a sight nobody had seen.

"I feel myself fading..," She said breathlessly, "If I don't wake up again, Sasuke-Kun. Promise me that you would take good care of Sarada and yourself."

"Sakura stop spouting nonsense—"

"Promise me, Anata…That you would, one day, return to your own daughter."

"Saku—"

"I love you, Sasuke-Kun…" She said as she buried her face in his lap, Sasuke's throat tightened as she closed her eyes. Sleep engulfed her and Sasuke could only stare as she lifted her palm that glowed green as she touched his cheek, only to wipe out a lone tear, and weakly slide down his face.

There's a lump in my throat after writing that, I think I might add a part II… else it would keep me up at night.