Chapter Twenty-Two: The Surprise Birthday Party
Hey guys, guess what? This is the second to last chapter and I am definitely going to try and finish the last one tomorrow and finally wrap it all up so I can start working on the sequel. I hope you enjoy it! I can't believe that we're at the very end now at last.
Tears of sorrow were rolling down Naruto's, Sakura's, and Keiko's cheeks. Keiko knelt down on top of both of her knees at Sasuke's body and sniffed when suddenly she made some white flowers start growing out of the ground. "Please tell me that this is a joke." She began sadly hoping and praying deep down in her heart that he wasn't really dead.
"You can't just leave me and Sakura like this! We need you! And so does Naruto!" she cried. "We love you!" she sobbed while her tears rolled down her cheeks and splatted down on top of Sasuke's face. "Goodbye big brother, I will never ever forget you." She assured him before she planted a kiss on his cheek and then slowly stood up and turned around starting to walk away with Naruto and Sakura. However that's when suddenly something started to happen. Sasuke's eyelids started fluttering open and then he took a gasp of air.
Sakura gasped as she and Naruto both quickly spun around and Keiko slowly followed suit. "Sasuke-Kun?" she questioned with uncertainty.
"Sasuke, you're alive." Naruto realized. "But how is that even possible?" he wondered before he turned his head back to look over at Sakura.
"I'm not sure." She began. "My only guess is Keiko's tears had chakra in them and she transferred some of her own chakra over to him." She finished as Sasuke slowly got up and a huge smile stretched a crossed Keiko's face. She didn't really care how or why he was alive, all she cared about was the fact that he was.
"Sasuke-Kun!" she exclaimed excitedly as Sasuke chuckled while she started racing towards him.
"Come here you." He told her before he hoisted her up inside his arms and kissed her on the cheek. "I thought we almost lost each other." He said.
"Me too, don't ever scare me like that again!" she cried.
"I'm sorry Keiko." He began. "And I won't, I promise. I'm just glad that you're alright." He told her.
"Me too." She replied with a nod.
"Where's Orochimaru?" he wondered.
"He's gone." Keiko began. "I sent him out of the hidden leaf village after I thought he killed you." He explained.
"Well that's good, but I have a feeling that he'll be back. So I want you to stay with Naruto and Sakura. I have to go find Sachi." He told her when suddenly she bit her lip. "What is it? What's the matter? Is something wrong?" he asked her.
"I'm sorry Sasuke-Kun, I knew that she was going to betray you." She began.
"Really? How did you know that?" he questioned her.
"I can see the future remember?" she questioned him back.
"Oh yeah, that's right, sorry,.. I forgot." He replied.
"Anyways, the only reason I didn't tell you is because I didn't want you to get hurt and I knew that you would find out eventually." She explained as Sasuke kissed her cheek again.
"It's alright, it isn't your fault." He told her.
"Want me to go teach Sachi a lesson that she'll never forget?" she inquired with a sly grin but Sasuke just heaved a heavy sigh and simply shook his head.
"No. Remember what I taught you? Violence isn't always the solution." He told her. "Sachi was in a tough position and she didn't know what to do. She trusted Orochimaru. And we are more alike than she even realizes." He said before he handed Keiko over to Sakura. "Stay here and be a good girl. I have to go find her and talk to her." He explained before he placed his motorcycle helmet back on top of his head, hopped back on top of his motorcycle and drove away.
…..
Meanwhile Sachi was starting to make her way out of the hidden leaf village. That's when suddenly she heard a familiar voice calling her name. "Hey! Hey Sachi wait up!" she gasped and quickly spun around to see her uncle driving his motorcycle up to her and then stopping beside her.
"Let me guess, you've come here to lecture me or arrest me right?" she questioned while he removed his helmet and then shook his head at her.
"No. I've just come to talk to you. Look, I'm not mad at you. I know why you did what you did. It doesn't excuse it but the biggest mistake I ever made was not forgiving somebody who was close to me when I had the chance and I'm not going to make that mistake again. I want to actually try and have a relationship with you if you'll let me." He told her.
"Really?" she questioned him in bewilderment and disbelief. "Why?"
"Because we're a family and we need each other. Besides that, I know that you could really use a friend. And so could I." he admitted. "So what do you say? Would you like me to give you a second chance?" he questioned her with a grin as she grinned back at him.
"Yes, I really would." She told him. "And thank you." She added.
"Well come on then, let's get you settled back in my house. I could really use your help with something." He told her.
"Really? What's that?" she wondered as Sasuke continued grinning at her.
"Well Sakura's birthday is coming up and I'm planning on doing something really special for her." He told her as she nodded at him and smiled brightly.
"Alright then, count me in." she told him while he started putting his motorcycle helmet back on top of his head and then drove back towards the gates of the hidden leaf village.
…
"Wow, this is so exciting!" Keiko exclaimed while she levitated Sakura's birthday banner into the air and then hung it up to the wall afterwards.
"Yeah, Sakura's going to be so surprised." Naruto said before he started blowing up one of the balloons.
"I say that she will be." Sasuke began before he removed a tiny box out of his back pocket.
"Is that what I think it is?" Sachi wondered while widening her eyes in pure and utter amazement and astonishment while Sasuke just simply grinned and nodded at her as he popped the lid off with his thumb and revealed a silver ring with a pink gem inside of it.
"Yep, I'm going to ask Sakura to marry me tonight." He explained.
"Really!?" Keiko exclaimed excitedly. "That's wonderful news! I am so happy for you Sasuke-Kun!" she cried before she leapt inside of his arms. Sasuke chuckled while he closed the lid and then stored the ring back inside his pocket.
"Yep, and you know what that means don't you? If she says yes then I really will be your big brother." He told her. "Or brother in-law rather." He added with a grin.
"I know." Keiko began and I have a feeling that she will say yes. After all, you guys love each other." She said as Sasuke smiled at her and kissed her cheek.
"Yep, we sure do." He told her while Sachi smiled as well before she slowly turned around and started walking back towards her bedroom. "Hold on a second kiddo." Sasuke told her while he sat Keiko back down on the ground and followed his niece. "Are you alright Sachi?" he asked her before she turned over to look at him.
"Yes, I think so." She began. "It's just the way you and Sakura look at each other really remind me of how my parents used to look at each other." She explained. "They were really in love, just like you both are." She told him as Sasuke smiled at her. "By the way, I almost forgot to give you something." She began while removing an envelope out of her pocket. "This is for you, my father wrote it before he died." She told him before he placed it in his own pocket.
"Thanks Sachi, I'll go ahead and take a look at it later." He told her. "Right now we still have a lot of work to do." He said before he turned around and ran back into the living room.