Chapter 9: Zinnia
"Sakura-chan? Are you home?" a voice called from the living room.
"Yeah Naruto. I'm in the bedroom," Sakura called back gently.
She sat up in bed surrounded by papers and scrolls. As the blond man entered the room, she hastily tried to gather and hide them from view. Smiling, she tucked them under her pillow, "Hey Naruto."
"What are you up to Sakura-chan?" he asked as he sat down next to her on the bed.
"Oh, just going through some medical files I needed to finish. I haven't been able to get them done lately."
"Oh, okay. Hey! I was wondering if you would want to take a walk with me. You know, to get out a bit. You've been held up in your apartment for the past couple weeks. Some exercise should do you and the little one some good."
"…Naruto, I-"
"Please Sakura-chan. I miss you. Come walk with me. We wont go far, I promise. I'll even take you to that little café you like so much. We don't have to eat ramen if you don't want to. I-"
"Okay Naruto," she interrupted with a giggle. "Just let me get dressed."
"Great!" he jumped up. "I'll wait in the kitchen."
Sakura sighed as she watched the hyperactive blond shut the bedroom door behind himself. She heaved herself up off the bed and walked to her closet. At eight and a half months, she barely fit anything anymore. Flitting through her clothes, she stopped at a white and emerald green sundress. She had forgotten Ino bought this for her. Today she would visit the boisterous blond. She would definitely appreciate seeing Sakura wearing her gift.
After dressing herself and pulling her hair up into a messy bun, Sakura opened the door to find Naruto sitting on her couch waiting patiently.
The blond shinobi stood up and graced her with a brilliant smile, "You look beautiful Sakura-chan."
"Thank you Naruto," she smiled, waddling over to him.
Naruto laughed, "I cant get over that walk."
"Screw you!" she growled, glaring daggers at her teammate.
"Haha! Good to know you still have that fiery temper in there somewhere!"
"Hmph!"
--
Naruto walked Sakura through the park and main streets of the village, keeping her close by his side so no one bumped into her. For the past two weeks, Sakura had been holing herself up in her apartment, only coming out when absolutely necessary. Even Sasuke couldn't get his lover to step into the sunlight. Everyday Naruto's been coming by to see her, to beg her to come outside to visit with friends, but she's always refused. Until today that is.
Naruto glanced over to the pink haired medic. She had a healthy flush to her face now, and her eyes weren't as glazed as much as they have been lately. Her hair was glossy and her skin was flawless. Whoever said pregnant women glow was right. Sakura was ten times more beautiful.
"If you think your glances are sneaky Naruto, your terribly mistaken," she laughed.
Naruto blushed, "Well it's better than openly staring at you Sakura-chan! You look beautiful. There's just something about you today. Its like, I don't know… Your so serine. Your body language. Your eyes."
Sakura turned away, hiding the pain in her eyes, "So I'm having a good day…"
"Its more than a good day. Are you alright?" he asked, trying to get her to look at him.
Smiling (and feeling like a sixteen year old Sai) she looked at him, "I'm fine. Lets get some Ichiraku. I'm starving!"
"Really?! You want ramen?!"
"Yeah. An odd craving…"
"Yes!"
--
Sakura moved the flaps away as she entered the ramen stand to find a familiar green flank vest and a wild mane of silver hair.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Said man turned around with an eye-crease and a casual wave, "Yo."
Sakura sat down next to him, and Naruto sat on her other side.
"You don't have a mission today?" she asked.
"Nope. I'm free to do as I please for once. Though I don't know why I ended up here of all places. Maybe a bit of nostalgia. I don't know…" he answered, swirling his noodles around the bowl.
"Old man! Can I get three bowls of pork ramen?! And whatever Sakura-chan here wants! Its on me!" Naruto yelled.
"Yeah, yeah. Comin' right up," Ichiraku answered.
"So how have you bee Sakura? I haven't seen you around lately," Kakashi asked.
"I'm doing good. But these last few weeks are always the hardest. I've had no energy to do anything lately," she said swiftly.
"Ah. So how's the little Uchiha?"
"Healthy as can be!" she smiled, patting her engorged belly. "Strong kicker!"
"Well I'm glad to hea-""Uzumaki Naruto."
They all turned around to find an ANBU standing there, addressing Naruto.
"Yeah…"
"You are summoned by the Hokage."
"Gahh! Now of all times! Damnit!" he turned towards old man Ichiraku. "Make them to go old man! I'll pick them up later. Here's money for whatever Sakura-chan gets too."
Naruto gave a swift kiss to Sakura's cheek before he disappeared with the ANBU.
"…I wonder what that was about," Sakura mumbled.
"Hm."
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei…?"
"…Yeah?"
"Can I see your face?"
Kakashi looked over to his former student with a frown, "And why do you ask that now?"
Sakura stared off into space as she answered, "Well, that's really the one thing we never really did to try to see what you've got under there, is ask you upright."
"Hm, I guess your right…"
Sakura turned to him, "So you'll let me see it?!"
Kakashi sighed, "I will Sakura, on one condition…""Yeah?"
"You answer my question honestly."
"…Yeah…?"
"…Will this… Will this be the last time I see you?" he whispered into his lap.
Sakura gasped, "Why-Why do you ask that?"
"I'm not an idiot Sakura. I can see what your doing to keep that child healthy. Its killing you…"
Sakura tried to ignore the unconcealed pain in his voice, "Its merely a choice I made sensei. I hope you can respect that…"
Kakashi let out the breath he had been holding, "I respect it Sakura… I just don't like it…You - you have so much life you still need to live! Its just not fair…"
Sakura leaned forward and took the elder shinobi's hand in her own, "You of all people should know that life isn't fair Kakashi-sensei. Don't worry, I'll be alright. I have no intention on dying! And to answer your question, this will definitely not be the last time I see your lazy ass!"
Kakashi chuckled, "You telling me that took a lot off my old shoulders. Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah. I answered your damn question, now let me see your mole!" she laughed playfully.
"…Mole? Who said I had a mole?"
"It was what I bet on. Now make me some money!"
Sighing and shaking his head, he slowly pulled the blue material down until it hung loosely around his neck. Sakura stared for a moment, then smiled beautifully.
"Your quite handsome Kakashi-sensei, you know that?"
"I've been told a time or two, yes," he chuckled, finding her blush to be adorable.
"And you do have a mole. Riiight here!" she poked the small dark spot over his lip.
"It is not a mole! It's a beauty spot!" he defended with a pout.
"Oh Kakashi! Your so cute!"
With that, he pulled his mask up hastily, "A shinobi is not cute Sakura. We are deadly, strong, and maybe some of us luckier ones are handsome. But we are never cute."
"Yeah, and I don't have pink hair…"
--
Walking down the street, for the first time in their relationship, Kakashi and Sakura had a real inquisitive conversation. They talked about their past, their feelings on certain matters, and each of their present situations. Kakashi spoke of his former teammates and his sensei and Sakura talked about her illness and determination to keep her child alive.
"Kakashi…?" she whispered, breaking a companionable silence.
"Yes?"
"Will…will you be there for my baby?"
Kakashi could hear her choke back her emotions while asking such a question. It unnerved him.
"If that's what you wish. Yes, I will be there for the child…" he answered quietly.
Sakura nodded, tears running down her cheeks, "Thank you."
Kakashi stopped and pulled the crying woman into his arms. The nin was never one for breeching ones personal space, but Sakura was a special exception. He held her tightly, rubbing the top of her head trying to comfort her.
"…Did you lie to me Sakura?" he asked, dreading the answer.
Her sobs became almost desperate as she clung to his vest. Kakashi felt his heart clench in pain as bile threatened to rise up into his throat. His grip on her tightened.
That was enough of an answer for him…
--
After leaving Kakashi, Sakura made her way to Ino's flower shop.
"Sakura! Oh well don't you look lovely today! I knew that dress would bring out your eyes," Ino called as the pink haired kunoichi entered the shop.
"Hey Ino."
"You alright? Your not walking too much, are you?"
"No. I needed the exercise," Sakura answered, walking around, looking at the flowers.
"Are you looking for anything in particular?"
"Yeah. I want orange and pink zinnia…" Sakura said quietly.
"Orange and…pink?"
"Yes."
"A-are you sure?"
"Yes, very sure. They're beautiful flowers. One of my favorite types."
"…I'll get those ready for you then…" Ino whispered, walking into the cool room.
When she came back out with a bouquet of zinnia's, Sakura smiled, "I just want a center piece for the kitchen table. Everything's looking a little dull lately."
"Oh, okay. Here, you can just take them. Mother wont care," Ino said, handing the flowers over to her friend.
"Are you sure?!"
"Yeah, of course."
Sakura gave the blond kunoichi a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek, "Thank you Ino-pig."
Ino scoffed, "Pig? You're the one who gained twenty extra pounds Forehead!"
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that! Bye Ino!" Sakura laughed as she walked out of the shop.
Ino shook her head and turned back towards the counter. She stopped dead when she noticed two zinnia's intertwined with each other on the counter top. One orange. One pink.
Thoughts of absent friends and lasting affection… That's what they mean respectively…
Ino ran out the door and searched frantically for her pink haired friend.
She was nowhere in sight.
--
Sakura entered her apartment and went straight to her kitchen to fill up a vase with water for her flowers. She set them in the center of the kitchen table, just as she said she would.
"Sakura, where have you been?" a voice called from behind her.
Turning around, she saw Sasuke leaning on the doorframe of their bedroom, "Naruto came over this morning. We went to Ichiraku, where we saw Kakashi-sensei. I talked to him for a little bit before I went to Ino's shop to get some flowers. We need something pretty in this place…"
Sasuke smirked, "So the day I'm called for a short mission, is the day you decide you want to go out. Hn, I should have know."
"Well, Naruto was almost in tears. I felt bad!" she laughed.
"Where's the dobe now?"
"He was called off by ANBU while we were still at Ichiraku's."
Sasuke walked over to his pink haired lover and wrapped his arms around her waist, "How are you feeling?"
"Tired, but well enough. I did a lot of walking today, but I needed the exercise."
Sakura rested her head on Sasuke's shoulder with a sigh. For the past few weeks there has been an unspoken melancholy surrounding them that was almost tangible. Sakura never cried in front of the Uchiha, and in return, he never revealed his inner turmoil and instability. They were strong for each other. They had no choice…
They needed to be.
"Do you need a chakra tag? You still have quite a few left. Tsunade made enough for a couple more weeks," Sasuke asked, caressing the side of her stomach.
"No, I'm fine. My chakra reserves are high enough to last me the day. I'll probably use one tonight though."
Sasuke backed up to look her in the eyes, "You don't need to drain yourself of chakra in order to use the chakra tags Sakura. They're not a last resort. They're to make things easier on you."
The pink haired kunoichi released herself from his arms and walked back to the kitchen, "I know that Sasuke. But…I have my own reasons for doing things like this."
Sasuke watched as she rearranged the flowers on the kitchen table. She was smiling to herself. There was something different about her today, the Uchiha thought. She seemed to be radiating serenity. Tranquility. Sakura walked as if she were floating on air, despite her large belly. It was a grace she'd been lacking for the past few months. She hummed to herself, a beautiful lullaby that his own mother used to sing to him when he was a small child. It never failed to ease his heart of all its weight and burdens. When he fell from a tree, failed his fathers expectations or when Itachi would break a promise to help with his training. His mother would sing to him softly, whispering that everything will be alright.
And it always was after that.
The last Uchiha felt his heart lift at the sound of his lover singing that very same song. And he prayed to every Kami in existence, that she would be able to comfort their own child through the melody.
"Sakura?" he called weakly.
The pregnant woman turned with a smile, "Yes?"
"Where did you hear that song?"
"My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was young. After my parents died, I would wake up in the middle of the night crying. She would come in and sing it to me to calm me down. Then hum it to lull me back to sleep again…" she answered. "I don't know why I was just singing it. It just popped up in my head just now. It's a lovely song."
"…Yeah."
"Do you know it?"
"…Yeah…" he whispered, then turned to walk back into the bedroom.
It was nearly midnight as Tsunade finished the last of the mission reports for that week. She had been putting off reading over them all for more than a few days now. The blond Hokage glared at the younger woman standing over her shoulder. Shizune had nagged her the entire damn day to finish the mission reports. And to top it off, she didn't even let the Hokage have a single cup of sake.
"Are you happy now damn it?!" the slug princess growled.
Shizune came around the desk to face the older woman with a victorious smile, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. You've been putting off your work long enough."
"I have a damn good reason for putting off all this insignificant paper work. I have much more urgent things to worry about and I didn't feel like wasting precious time reading over D-rank genin mission reports on how they failed to retrieve a fucking cat!"
The dark haired woman sighed, her eyes softening, "Sakura-chan?" insurance racist
"…I need some sake. This tea is too damn sweet for my mood."
Tsunade stood up and walked to a genjutsu hidden cabinet, unlocked the door, and pulled out a bottle of sake and two cups.
When offered on, Shizune took her cup filled to the brim with the clear liquid and swallowed it in one gulp. "Do you have any new information?"
"No," Tsunade answered bitterly. "I've contacted Suna to see if Chio-baa-sama would have left any records concerning an illness like Sakura's. Gara himself, along with his siblings, searched every single file the old woman left behind."
"They found nothing?"
"…Nothing."
Both women pored themselves a new glass.
"Gara and his siblings tried everything in their power to help in some way. To find something that would help Sakura. But they had as much luck as we did…"
"They care about Sakura-chan just as much as any other Konoha nin."
"…Yes. Yes, they do."
"Tsunade-sama, may I ask you something?" Shizune said shyly.
"Yes, of course."
"…Do you think that if Sasuke-san hadn't of gotten Sakura-chan pregnant, we would have been able to help her. She wouldn't have an allotted time on her life and we would have the time to find just what's wrong with her, and stop it?"
Tsunade closed her eyes. That was the very question she had asked herself time and time again. She didn't know the answer then, and she didn't know it now. And she didn't think anyone would ever know. "That's a question only Kami would know Shizune. But we cant think like that. We must never feel resentment towards that child. Having bitter thoughts like that will only hurt us more as well. So…just don't think of it anymore. This is how things happened, we cant change that."
"Of course…"
"Oh! But don't get me wrong! If I ever get the chance, I would kill that Uchiha bastard in a heartbeat for his selfishness! But unfortunately, the elders forbid me to lay a hand on him. I'm not even allowed to rough him up a little…"
Shizune laughed at this, "You don't know how to rough anyone up 'a little' Tsunade-sama."
"Even so…"
The women fell into a comfortable silence, each deep in their own thoughts. Only when they heard a distinctive crack did they come back to themselves. They both regarded the long crack running down the middle of the sake bottle trepidation.
"Something's not right…" Tsunade whispered. She was a very superstitious woman, and what just happened was a very bad omen.
"Tsunade-sama?"
The blond woman stood up and flew to the door, yelling over her shoulder, "I'm going to the hospital. Something's happened!"
He opened his eyes, knowing something was not right. The ceiling was still blurry from sleep. He could feel the space to his left was unoccupied by his pregnant lover. Sitting up, Sasuke looked around the bedroom. It was still dark. Turning to the clock on the bedside table, he noted it was a little after one.
"Sakura?" he called, swinging his legs over the bed, ignoring the uncomfortably cool surface of the hard wood floors.
He made his way to the kitchen first. Lately Sakura was prone to midnight cravings and would wake up in the early hours of the morning to snack on strawberry covered pokey.
"Sakura?"
He poked his head through the kitchen door, lookin around. There was no one there. Just empty, dark space.
Sasuke felt a twinge of panic then. He then searched the living room.
Nothing.
"Sakura?!"
He pushed the bathroom door open and turned on the light. At that moment, Sasuke felt his heart fall to the ground while his dinner rose to his throat. Sakura lay there on the floor next to the toilet. Her legs are drenched with a fowl smelling liquid while the toiled and her mouth are covered in blood. She was unconscious.
Sasuke mentally urged his muscles to move. To do something! He was petrified to the spot. Finally, a strangled cry escaped his throat as he fell to the floor next to his bloodied lover and frantically felt for a pulse. His trembling hands felt a light flutter, but nothing more. Not wasting anymore time, he scooped her up into his arms, cradling her to his chest, trying his hardest to ignore the warm liquid covering her lower half and the blood covering her face.
He tore through the door but stopped suddenly.
Damn it! He thought, turning back into the apartment and grabbed the bag next to the door.
"Remember Sasuke, no matter what, you must bring my bag. Even if I'm on deaths door, you have to remember to bring my bag. Its very important that you do this for me, okay?" Sakura reminded him with a smile.
"Hn," he answered noncommittally.
"I'm serious! You cant forget it!" she said with a pout.
"What's in the bag that's so important?" he asked.
Sakura merely smiled, "My word."
"I don't understand you."
"You don't need to," she giggled.
With the bag hanging from his elbow, he sprinted thought the streets - not risking running over the rooftops - towards the hospital.
This was it. This is the moment he had been dreading for the past nine months. Even though since the first night he took Sakura for his own and impregnated her, he had prayed to any Kami that would listen, that both she and the baby would make it out alive.
His heart clenched painfully. Every single time Sakura drained herself of chakra while protecting their child, or when her body quake with bloody coughing fits in the middle of the night, or even when she looked sorrowfully down at her belly when she thought he wasn't looking, Sasuke felt an overwhelmingly crippling guilt pierce his heart like a dull rusty kunai.
As Sasuke rounded the corner, entering the hospital outer walls, he was surprised to see an anxious looking Tsunade and Shizune standing outside the front doors.
"Tsunade-sama!" Sasuke called.
"Follow me boy! We already have a room waiting for her!" she called over her shoulder as she ran into the hospital, Shizune and Sasuke on her heals.
"What the hell happened?! Why is her face covered in blood?!" the blond woman asked, entering a large emergency room.
Sasuke laid Sakura down on the bed gently and moved out of the way as the two elder medics checked her vitals and poured their healing chakra into her chest and stomach. "I found her in the bathroom. She was on the floor wet. There was blood in the toilet and her face. It was obvious she was throwing up blood. She was unconscious when I found her."
"Her water broke…" Tsunade explained. "She's in labor and she's unconscious. We need to wake her up immediately."
Sasuke fell into the chair on the other side of the room, out of the medics way. While Tsunade continued to pump healing chakra into Sakura's system, Shizune was busy cleaning the blood off and changing her into a hospital gown. Needles were thrust into her veins and patches connected to wires were place on either side of her large belly. Sasuke was in a daze. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. The only things he could hear was the sound of his own breath and the constant, slow beeping of his lovers heart rate from the machine.
He was watching. He was sitting. He comprehended nothing that was being said or done. He was completely numb at that point. Completely oblivious to anything other than the pink haired woman laying in the bed across the room, and the life that resided inside her.
"Sasuke…"
Yeah. It all sounded like he was underwater. So muffled.
"Sasuke."
So far away…
"Sasuke! Damn it! I'm talking to you!"
The Uchiha looked up at an irate Hokage, "Yes?"
"I said Sakura's stable. She's resting for now. At the moment she's only dilated two centimeters, so she's got awhile before she can even think about pushing that little Uchiha out."
Sasuke looked at her puzzled,"…Dilated?"
The blond woman sighed, "Her cervix. It needs to be dilated at least ten inches to be able to push out a baby with minimal damage. She's currently at two."
Sasuke made a face, "It gets that big?"
"Big enough to fit a baby's head through," Tsunade answered lightly. "Let her rest for now. She'll need her strength for the delivery."
"Hn."
--
It was nearly seven o'clock in the morning now. Either Tsunade or Shizune would come in every thirty minutes or so to check up on the younger medic. Sasuke had not left her side since the moment Tsunade announced she was stable. Sakura has been sleeping fitfully the entire time, cringing in pain as a new wave of contractions rushed upon her. Sasuke sat next to her, holding her hand and brushing away her damp rosette locks form her face.
"…Sakura-chan?" a soft voice came form the doorway.
Sasuke turned around to see a very subdued Naruto walk into the room apprehensively, the concern and anxiety written all over his features. "She's asleep Naruto."
The blond man walked to the other side of her bed and took her hand into his. He studied her with such an intensity Sasuke had never seen before.
"She's pale," he whispered suddenly.
Sasuke glanced at his lover, "She's had a hard morning."
"…How long have you been here?"
"Since one. Her water broke in the middle of the night," Sasuke answered, deciding to leave out exactly how he found the pink haired kunoichi.
"I felt her you know… Last night I mean," Naruto said, trying to control the surge of emotion in his chest. "I woke up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night. Hinata-chan said I was calling out to Sakura-chan while I was sleeping. She said I was crying…"
Sasuke turned away from his best friend, ashamed. He had felt something was wrong with Sakura from miles away, as did Tsunade, while he noticed nothing a few doors away. "She's alright now Naruto. She's just resting."
Kami he hated lying to him like this. But the last thing anyone needed at the moment was an emotional, rampaging Naruto. He needed to believe his hearts sister was well, but just tired.
"…This is my gut feeling Sasuke. I know she's not alright," Naruto's voice caught on the last word. The raw emotion threatening to overflow any moment. "But, I trust both yours and Sakura-chan's decision in keeping quiet about whatever it is. I wont force myself on either one of you. You know that's not me."
"…Naruto, I-"
"And plus, I'm sure whatever it is that you two are keeping form me, your only doing it for my sake. Because I love her so much…" his tears finally began to overflow as he caressed her cheek. "I always have. But it's a different love now. She's my family. My sister. And seeing her like this hurts me so damn much… This ache in my chest… Do you feel it too Sasuke?"
Sasuke blinked furiously, willing away the damn tears that seriously threatened to fall. He hadn't cried since the night his entire family was massacred, he wasn't planning on starting again now. But still…
"Yes Naruto, I feel it," he whispered, refusing to look at his best friend. He knew he would look up to see a world of anguish and sorrow in crystal blue eyes.
"Good, because I would have to punch you if you didn't and give you a different kind of ache," the blond said, wiping away his tears frustratingly.
"There will be no punching in this room while I'm her Uzumaki Naruto," a frail voice said.
"Sakura-chan! Your awake!"
"Sakura…"
"Yeah," she glanced up at both her teammates and smiled. "Why the long faces you guys? Naruto, tears don't suit you well. I much prefer you with that silly grin you yours."
Naruto couldn't help but do just that.
"And Sasuke, stop looking so depressed. You look like someone just kicked your puppy!"
This earned a smirk from the stoic Uchiha before he bent down and kissed her gently on the lips, "I'm glad your okay now."
"Yeah, me too. But could one of you call Tsunade-shishou in here? My contractions are becoming almost unbearable. I think its time for some epidural!" she said, with a weak smile.
"I'll get her!" Naruto volunteered, kissing Sakura on the cheek before leaving the room.
"Why did you not wake me?" Sasuke asked once the door was shut.
Sakura looked up at the Uchiha's stoic features and frowned, "I didn't want to wake you with yet another one of my coughing fits in the middle of the night."
Sasuke brows came together as a sign of irritation, "Your too selfless for your own damn good Sakura."
"Do you think?" she asked with a smirk.
"Hn."
Sasuke lifted a hand and unconsciously began to thread his fingers though her pink tresses. They were quiet for awhile before Sakura broke the companionable silence, "Can I ask a favor of you Sasuke?"
"Of course," Sasuke answered, his voice deep and weary.
"Once I start pushing, can you take my bag out to Naruto? I want him to have what's inside it."
"…What's inside it?" Sasuke asked.
"Its for Naruto and if he wants you to know, he'll tell you," she said cooly, but with a smile.
"Hn."
"Will you do it?"
"Yes."
Sakura smiled brilliantly, as if nothing were wrong. Her lips were smiling and her eyes were sparkling. Her aura was light and calm, the complete opposite of the strained Uchiha. In that moment, Sasuke finally understood. He finally got it.
Sakura has accepted her fate. She will do what needs to be done and she was planning to do it with honor and grace. And in that single moment, Sasuke looked upon this agile woman, this beautiful kunoichi, and felt a rush of unadulterated affection. The clenching in his heart was a mixture of pain and ecstasy. This overwhelming emotion of longing. Somehow, his temperamental pink haired teammate had made a deep impression on his once impermeable heart. He didn't know how, he didn't know when, but damn it, he sure as hell felt it now.
So this is what it feels like to…
A/N: Sorry was that mean of me? Okay, so this was supposed to be the last chapter but it turned out to be longer than i expected. So, i've decided to split it up into two chapters! The next one whill deff. be the last :)
Also! Reviews really inspires me to write and put a new chapter out quicker. So please review! I really want to know what you guys think of the beginning of the end!! :D