Fanfic is go.
Sakura was happy. Happier than she could ever remember being. Walking through the busy mall, her right arm and hand intertwined with her husband's, her smile the calling-card of someone who was in pure bliss. And she knew it could only get better from here.
The last few years of her life flashed before her eyes, trying to find something that could compare to how she felt now. The first years of her being a ninja, being on the same team as Sasuke, up till he left. The years as an apprentice to Tsunade, becoming a chuunin, then a jonin. Her time with Naruto. Nothing compared to how she felt now.
She was so happy with Naruto. He was cool, strong and affectionate. Every day he would say or do something that would reaffirm his love for her. And she loved him too. She just wished she didn't love someone else more. But in the end she had to leave him, for her sake and his. 'What was the point of being with someone, if you loved another more?', she told herself. She knew the excuse only worked when the one you truly loved came into your life. And that's just what he did.
After years spent avenging his clan, Sasuke came back. And after all the trials and tribulations associated with coming back to the village you betrayed, he was accepted with open arms. Sakura knew then she couldn't be with Naruto anymore, and it hurt her more than she thought when she broke his heart. It was worth it though.
Walking through the mall, Sakura knew it was worth it. Her first date with Sasuke was a disaster. She had reverted to her fan-girl persona, and Sasuke, while still trying to regain the trust of the civilian population of Konoha, was his usual stand-offish self. It took many subsequent dates till they both started feeling comfortable with each other.
Then Sasuke proposed on their one year anniversary. It had been perfect, with Sasuke proposing at the end of the date in full view of everyone at the restaurant. Before Sasuke even said the first word, Sakura had said yes, with all the diners applauding.
And then two days ago they got married in Konoha with all their family and friends in attendance. The hall, the cake, the dress, the ring, they all paled in comparison to that one moment came when Sasuke took her hand, said 'I do', and kissed her, sealing their marriage and their life now spent together.
Lookinight, g to her rSakura knew now that she had made the right choice. She loved Sasuke, and he loved her. And hopefully by the end of their honeymoon, Sakura hoped the last part of her dream came true considering that the first two days of their honeymoon were spent in their hotel room, neither Sasuke of Sakura able to keep each other's hands off the other. And they still had 5 days left.
"Let's have lunch in the park Sakura-chan."
"Okay Sasuke-kun."
The town that Sasuke and Sakura had chosen for their honeymoon was simple breathtaking. Situated in the land of Cloud, the town was surrounded by forests on one side, mountains on the other side, and a river that ran through the centre of the town, its sparkling blue waters adding a sense of tranquillity to the area.
Reaching the park, the couple found a secluded area to enjoy their lunch in peace. Sitting on the bench, Sakura silently ate the lunch they bought in the mall, her free hand running though Sasuke's hair as he laid down on the bench, his head in her lap.
"What are you thinking about?"
Looking down at her husband from his question, Sakura found the smile she fell in love with the instant she saw it.
"Just thinking."
"Just thinking?" Came the reply of her husband as Sakura looked up, the canopy of the trees opening up to a perfect blue sky.
"Yep. Just thinking how perfect everything is." Looking back down, Sakura found her head being pulled down by the hand on her neck, Sasuke's head rising slightly out of her lap, their lips meeting halfway in a kiss.
"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!"
Jolting apart from the sudden interruption, Sakura was angry upon recognising the voice of her team mate. Standing up, Sakura and Sasuke watched as Naruto, Kakashi, Hinata and Sai came out of the trees to land in front of them.
"What are you doing here Naruto! Can't you see that Sasuke and I are on our honeymoon!?" Taking a step forward, Sakura stopped when her husband placed a hand on her shoulder.
"What's happened?" Watching Sasuke's face go from carefree to serious as he asked the question, Sakura felt a sense of dread overcome her when she realised the team in front of her would only be here if it was something really important.
Stepping forward, Kakashi explained the situation. "We were to meet an informant, but when we got to the meeting place we found a note threatening the both of you, so we immediately came here to confirm your safety and the targets presence."
Sakura scoffed at the explanation from Kakashi. "So what? Who's going to pose a threat to us? You'd have to be crazy to take on the last Uchiha and the apprentice of the sannin Tsunade."
"It's Kabuto, Sakura-chan."
As Naruto finished his sentence, Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine at the mention of the snake's right-hand man. She had every right in the world to be confident in her and Sasuke's abilities. After all the years of training, missions and near-death situations, Sakura and Sasuke were now two of the most feared ninja's in the land.
And all of those situations now counted for nothing as Sakura found herself frozen in a trance, all the happiness and bliss from the past few days leaving her as she felt a presence land behind her and casually introduce itself.
"That's right Sakura, it's me. Kabuto."
I'm happy with how this chapter went, though I had 4 possible ways of doing it (in fact I've decided to combine two of the ideas, which is why this chapter focuses on Sakura). Like the last chapter this one ends on a cliffhanger, which was not intentional, but considering how much I wanted to put into this chapter I decided to split it in half and do the next part after a day or two break. Thanks for reading. Critiques and reviews are welcome.