Author's Note: Sorry if it took so long for me to update the next chapter. I had sore eyes last week haha. Thanks for the reviews on the first chapter.

oOo

Chapter II

"Seriously?" Naruto's blue eyes went round as saucers, his chopsticks frozen momentarily in mid-air as he digested the news Sakura had just told him.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Sakura asked with her arms crossed over her chest, a tiny smile playing on her lips.

"I just can't believe it!" Naruto exclaimed and pulled her to bone-crushing hug. "Wow! I'm very happy for you!"

"Thank you, Naruto," said Sakura, hugging Naruto back and extricating herself. Next to her parents, Naruto was one of the few persons to whom she wanted to share the good news. If not for him, Sasuke wouldn't be back in Konoha and there would not be a new life growing inside her.

Kakashi's visible eye crinkled as he gazed at his former students. It was just like yesterday when they have to pass his bell test; now, here they are all grown-up exceptional shinobis who are making names for themselves. A surge of fatherly pride emanated from his chest at these thoughts.

"Ah. I feel old now," he chucked ruffling his thick, white hair and continued reading a small book he always bring along.

Sakura laughed at him. "But never too old for porn books, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Nah," disagreed Kakashi with a dismissive wave of hand. "It's not porn. It's art."

"Art? I can't see anything artistic in there," said Sakura with a frown.

"Have you read it already?"

"Not yet but-"

"See," smiled Kakashi. "Don't judge a book by its cover."

"Right," snorted Sakura sarcastically. The book cover itself is laughable. It shows a man happily chasing a sexy woman in red who seemed to be enjoying the man's pursuit.

"You know what," started Naruto. "Kakashi have a complete collection of Icha Icha Paradise books and movies inside his room."

"Nani?" Sakura's green eyes went wide. "Well, as expected from the late Jiraiya's number one fan." Ever since they met Kakashi, he always had an Icha Icha Paradise book on his hands to read on free time. She could still remember the time when they were spying on him, trying to find out what he looks like under that mask of his, he was looking at the next issue of the Icha Icha series, a longing expression evident on his features.

Unfortunately, the author of the book had already passed away. Jiraiya, one of the three legendary sannins, died at the Rain Village during a reconnaissance mission to get information about its leader, Pein.

"I've read one when I was trying with the old hermit," recounted Naruto remembering the three years he had spent training under Jiraiya. "It was boring."

"Boring?" Kakashi's voiced out hoarsely. He thought it was the best book ever written. It's just unfortunate that there would no more sequels. "You're too young to appreciate it then."

He turned to the two males. "Try reading some and I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Naruto, Sasuke. However, I won't let you borrow mine. Mine is a collector's edition. You should buy it."

"I would rather spent my money on ramen," said Naruto. He hated reading books. Any kind of book.

"No," replied Sasuke quietly. While they were all fussing about the book, he, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what it is all about considering his long absence at the village. Based from Sakura had said, it is well…a porn book and it seemed to him that the book series was pretty popular among the adult population of Konoha especially the males.

"Are you sure, Naruto, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked his visible eye lit up with amusement. "It could be pretty useful for you."

"And what 'use' would it be, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura's eyes flashed dangerously as she snatched the book away from her sensei and jumped away a meter away from them. She was already having difficulty with Sasuke's fan girls and now Kakashi would give him a book so Sasuke could be like the pervert guy on the book cover?

"I mean, Sasuke could use it to…ah," Kakashi scrambled for a good lie. He was pretty sure that even if he used some techniques, he would not get the book easily from her. Moreover, if she gets threatened or angered, she could easily crush his precious book with her inhuman strength and that's not what he wanted to happen. "I mean Sasuke could use it so you two could make more Uchiha babies in the future."

Naruto guffawed in laughter, the ramen he was eating spewed out from his mouth. Meanwhile, Sasuke was momentarily stunned but continued eating his food in silence as if he heard nothing.

"W-what?" Sakura spluttered who felt her cheeks redden with a mixture of embarrassment and fury. "Males!" she thought angrily, clenching the book hard on her hand. More Uchiha babies in the future? What was she like to them, a Sharingan baby-making machine?

"Eh, Sakura, you're crushing my book," said Kakashi worryingly. What's wrong with what he said? He thought that she would love to have more children now that she was married and pregnant with her the man she had loved ever since they were young. He turned to Naruto and Sasuke for help.

The blonde just snickered, clearly enjoying the scene, wondering how their sensei would handle the situation.

Sasuke was enjoying the scene too, although he may not show it. He watched how her face changed from a light to a deep shade of pink that made her hair color pale in contrast to her skin color.

"Even if Kakashi give it to me, I would have no use it," he said. Whatever kind of book it is, he would rather study scrolls containing special jutsus than waste his time reading a senseless book.

"Here," said Sakura as she returned the book to Kakashi, slamming the Icha Icha book into the table. She threw the book a disgusted look before leaving. "I'm going to the hospital."

Kakashi immediately took the book and inspected it for damages. "What happened to her? She was happy a while ago then she went ballistic on me."

"She's pretty scary when her anger gets out of hand," said Naruto. It was based on experience. He had enough experience receiving her punches when her fury gets out of control that he had learned how to detect subtle signs of her escalating anger.

This made him wonder on what would be the gender of the baby. If it's going to be a boy, he was sure that he would be like Sasuke, quiet, no fun and always sulking in a corner. He imagined little Sharingan-wielding Sasukes in his mind.

Scary, he thought with a shudder. He had had enough experience with Sharingan-users like Sasuke and Madara; he just hope that the future Uchiha children would be good little ones unlike its predecessors.

On the other hand, if it's going to be a girl, then she would be pretty like Sakura. Maybe temperamental too, he added. A mini-Sakura punching little holes on the ground came to mind.

He scratched his head. It seemed that whatever the gender of the child, be it a boy or a girl, the child would be special considering the parents.

"Hey, Teme, just a thought. How would you like to have a son with pink hair?"

oOo

"Sakura-san! We have an emergency!"

Sakura just arrived at the Konoha hospital when a young, trainee medic came rushing towards her.

"What case?" Sakura asked, immediately downing her white gown.

"Lacerations and some internal injuries," started Raika as she read from her clipboard. "We have taken care of the wound but we're having problems with his internal injuries."

"History?" Sakura asked, hurriedly walking towards the operating room.

"Patient is Hideki Takamura, 25, Konoha citizen. And my goodness, he's the only son of a daimyo!" Raika recited worrying. She pushed open the doors to the operating room revealing a young man, auburn-haired, lean body type and semi-conscious.

Daimyos are the influential landlords of Konoha. They own vast parcels of lands and are responsible for maintaining the healthy economic activity in the country. The man's father had just barged inside the hospital a while ago and demanded them to heal him. He had already filed a complaint and demanded to the Hokage that they find the man who ordered the assassination as soon as possible or he would persuade his fellow daimyos to sell their shares of land to foreigners outside Konoha.

"I need his history," repeated Sakura inspecting the man's body. She don't give a damn whether he's the son of daimyo or not, they treat all patients here with fairness and respect.

"Gomen," apologized the trainee medic. "He was on a business trade with a certain citizen of the Mist Village held outside Konoha. Reports from the hotel inn that business talks have gone awry. He was ambushed on his way back to the village. His escort bodyguard was killed."

"How did he escape?" Sakura scanned the man's body using her chakra-glowing hand. The wounds have already been taken care of but the man looked pale and felt cool to touch.

"Aburame Shino's group were on their way back from a mission when on of his er…bugs sensed the enemies. Two of the assassins were killed, one escaped."

Sakura nodded at the information. The man was lucky that Shino' group arrived or he would died outside and rotten before he could be found. "Vital signs?"

"Pulse 124, respiratory 38, blood pressure 80 over 60," Raika recited. "He's going into a circulatory shock. We've tried to heal him but he keeps haemorrhaging inside!"

Sakura's eyebrows knitted in determination. "Any history of severe hemorrhage before?"

"None so far from what I gathered from him and his family."

Sakura continued to work in silence, giving instructions from time to time. Then, after half an hour, small smile appeared on her lips.

"Sakura-san?"

Sakura wiped the sweat on her forehead and gave a weary smile. "The enemies used poisoned weapons to ensure that even if they didn't get to kill him on spot, he would die in the next few hours."

"Poisoned?" The young trainee medic's black eyes lit up in awe at her senpais quick diagnosis. She was really fit to be called the next Tsunade.

"Stabilize his condition as much as you can. I can work an anti-dote in an hour," instructed Sakura before leaving the room, carrying a small vial of the patient's blood.

oOo

"Good morning," greeted Sakura.

The patient stirred and opened his eyes, unfocused for a bit then gazed at her confusingly.

She smiled at him. "I'm Uchiha Sakura, your medic here at Konoha hospital. You have been unconscious for two days. Do you remember what happened to you?"

Hideki blinked as his eyes focused at the female medic hovering above him. She had bright, green eyes and pink hair. Medic? She looked younger than him. Events flashed before him as he recounted what happened to him. "I met up with a trader from Mist Village outside Konoha. It didn't go well. The next day, when I was going back here with my bodyguard, we were attacked by three shinobis."

Sakura nodded, giving him a glass of water. "You were badly injured. Furthermore, the weapons they used upon you were poisoned. Whoever who ordered the assassination really wanted you dead."

"Was he captured already? I mean, I'm rather sure that it was that guy from the Mist Village." The man clenched his fist in anger.

"Not yet but the Konoha shinobis are doing there best to apprehend the man behind it."

He heaved a sigh and looked at her. "Thank you for saving my life."

"You should thank Aburame Shino's group. If not for them, you would have died there," said Sakura. Now that the guy was awake, she noticed that he was pleasant-looking with those nice dark brown eyes. And with the way he spoke to her, it gave her the impression that he was raised to be a gentleman. "By the way, I'm here to do some final assessment on you to know if you're ready to be discharged."

"Okay," he nodded for her to start the assessment.

Sakura slid her gloves and ran her chakra-glowing hand to his affected body parts.

"May I ask something?"

"Go on," said Sakura, focusing on her assessment.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one. Why?"

Hideki's eyebrows shot in surprise. "You're young to be a full-time medic."

"Don't worry. I assure you I am not incompetent," smiled Sakura. She had finished her assessment already.

"Don't get me wrong, I do not doubt your skills. I mean you're impressive." And pretty too, he wanted to add.

"Thank you," smiled Sakura at the compliment. "All systems are functioning properly. You can go home within this day."

"That's good." He stretched his arms and stood up rather shakily.

"You have just recuperated. It's normal," Sakura reassured.

She was about to leave when he called her name.

"Sakura-san?"

"Yes?" Sakura asked her hand pausing on the doorknob.

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

Sakura gasped in surprise, letting go of the doorknob and turning around to look at him. "Are you trying to ask me out on a date?"

"Yeah," he answered walking towards her. That's when he noticed something glinting on her right hand and he paled. "You're -"

"Yes," answered Sakura showing him her gold wedding ring on her middle finger. "I'm already married."

He couldn't believe it. She was really pretty and he liked her the moment he saw her. He was hoping that maybe they could go out on dates and get to know each other better. The fact that she's already married seemed to be too heavy for him to acknowledge. "May I know who the lucky guy is?"

Sakura felt sorry for him. "Uchiha Sasuke."

Uchiha Sasuke. The name is quite familiar to him and his eyes frowned as he realized who it is. "Uchiha Sasuke, the S-class missing nin and survivor of the Uchiha massacre?" His father, being an influential landlord, have access and connection to some information ordinary citizens don't have. Based from what he knew about the Uchiha, he was a survivor of the Uchiha massacre which happened more than a decade ago then he became an S-class missing nin and was said to kill Danzou, one of Konoha's elder council and attacked the village. He was imprisoned in Konoha but was freed after less than a year.

Sakura smiling face was now gone. "Former missing-nin. He was already pardoned by the Godaime several years ago because he helped in defending the village against Madara, if you happen to remember that incident where bijuus were released upon our village."

Madara had freed Sasuke from the cells of Konoha, thinking that he would aid him in destroying Konoha and capturing the last jinchuuriki. At first, Sasuke had helped him in controlling the bijuus as the monsters wreaked havoc within the community. Madara fought Naruto and left the ordeal of destroying Konoha to Sasuke's hands.

For unknown reasons up to now, Sasuke suddenly changed his mind and began to attack Madara too. While she and the rest of Konoha's shinobis were defending the village against the bijous, he and Naruto were fighting Madara.

"I apologize, Sakura-san." Hideki stepped towards her and offered his hand for apology. "I did not mean to insult you or your spouse."

Sakura did not take his offered hand. 'Apology accepted but I would appreciate if you would learn to correct that misinformation."

With those last words, she bowed and left his room.

oOo

Lying on the bed for hours, Sakura changed her position again. She really can't sleep tonight. She glanced at the clock near her.

1:15 a.m.

She really couldn't take it anymore, she has to have it.

Glancing at her right side, Sakura made sure that Sasuke remained asleep. She crept up outside the bed covers and tiptoed silently towards the door. She slid it open slowly and headed straight for the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, she immediately opened the refrigerator and started taking out boxes and laid it on the table. Next, she took an empty bowl and began putting every kind of food from each laid boxes.

"Sakura."

"Sasuke?" Sakura nearly dropped her chopsticks. She did not feel his presence at all. Was she too focused on her food that she did not get to notice his presence? "Why are you awake?'

"I should be asking you that question," said Sasuke as he poured himself some tea and sat near her. He looked at the array of foods on the table.

"I got hungry," said Sakura defensively commencing her food slowly. She doesn't want Sasuke to see her eat like a pig.

Sasuke looked at the foods she had laid on the table. She was planning to eat all of those? What piqued his interest was the bowl on her hand. It consisted of a mixture of prawns, lettuce, natto, tomatoes and a mixture of sauces he could no longer identify. "What is that?"

"Oh, this?" Sakura pointed to her bowl and when Sasuke inclined his head, she replied. "I don't really know. I was just experimenting but it really tastes good. Here, try some." Sakura picked a piece of prawn and shoved it near his mouth.

"Thank you but I'm not hungry," Sasuke declined waving the food away.

Sakura shrugged and just ate the prawn, savouring the taste on her mouth.

Sasuke drank his tea and moved a little away from her. He had barely managed to keep his face impassive a while ago when she shoved the prawn right under his nose.

It was repulsive.

He had never smelled anything like it before. He wondered how she can eat such thing when maybe even a stray dog would refuse to.

They continued to eat in comfortable silence with Sakura making a few savouring remarks now and then. When she was finished, Sakura uttered a dejected sigh.

Sasuke looked at her. "You're still hungry?" She had already eaten a lot and he had never seen her eat that amount of food before. It's as if she was fast becoming a female Naruto.

"No," she replied with a puckered brow. "I just want to eat more prawns." But there were no more prawns left on the table.

Then, a thought occurred to her. She rushed to the bedroom and came out wearing a sweater and carrying a small purse.

Sasuke caught her arm and asked. "Where are you going?"

"To the market," she replied freeing her self and walking towards the door. "I'm going to buy some food."

"Don't you know what time it is?" Sasuke asked. "It's too early and dark outside. The market won't open until the sun rises."

"I know," said Sakura impatiently as she started unlocking the bolts on the door. "I'm going to wait until they open so I'll be their first customer."

"That's ridiculous," snapped Sasuke blocking the door. What's with her sudden prawn-eating frenzy? It was too dark and cold outside; she might catch a cold that might affect the physical condition of the child inside her. He pointed to the unopened food boxes on the table. "You can eat those."

"No, I want what I ate earlier," replied Sakura stubbornly.

Sasuke's onyx eyes narrowed at her obstinate answer. "Go back to sleep."

"No," replied Sakura not budging an inch.

"You can buy what you want this morning," he suggested trying to maintain his calm.

"I need it now," said Sakura exasperatedly. He won't understand her.

"No," he said in a voice full of authority. "You're endangering the health of the child."

It took a few minutes before she replied and when she did, it was a cold voice. "Fine."

Sakura turned around and marched to the bedroom, every step heavy.

It's always for the child's welfare, not hers. She understands that it was quite irresponsible of her to get out when it's cold. She was pregnant and she has to ensure the health of the child inside her.

Still, she wondered if she made the right decision marrying him. What happened a month ago seemed too fast and surreal for her that she just agreed to marry him right then and there. She agreed to marry him because she love him although she knew deep inside her heart that he did not share the same feelings. He asked her hand for marriage so he could revive the Uchiha clan officially and properly.

She was hoping that marriage would be one step closer to his heart and someday, he would learn to love her not just because he needed her to revive his clan but because of who she is to him.

"Sakura."

No response.

Sasuke inwardly sighed. He knew that she had not slept yet. Even with her back turned against him, he knows that she is still awake. Her shoulders were shaking and no matter how much she tried to keep it from him, he could hear tiny sobs coming from her.

He had seen her cry several times when they were young and he often gets annoyed with it. For him, it was a sign of weakness that a shinobi must learn how to control. But he was no exception to it either. He had cried twice in his life. The first one, during the night of the Uchiha massacre when he was eight years old. The second one, when he was fifteen years old, after he learnt of the selfless sacrifice of his older brother, Itachi, for him.

This is a different one, however.

Sakura was crying over a trivial matter.

He could not believe it.

It was absurd.

She was crying because she can't eat prawns.

oOo

Sakura woke up and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the clock. It was already 8 in the morning. She woke up an hour late from her usual time. As usual, Sasuke had already woken up earlier than her. When she gets to be the first one to wake up, she would prepare their breakfast. Sometimes, he prepares it when she wakes up late.

She washed her face and showered, preparing for her hospital work. Looking at the mirror, she patted her face.

Her eyes looked awful. It was all puffy and red from the endless crying earlier this morning.

She went to the kitchen and found a note taped on the refrigerator. It was from Sasuke. It said that he left early for a mission brief with the Godaime together with other Anbus.

Crumpling the paper, she sat to eat when she noticed something different from the usual breakfast he prepares. She blinked her eyes and rubbed it. She must have been hallucinating.

Right in front of her was a large box of freshly-cooked prawns. She picked one and chewed it slowly as if to make sure that what she sees and tastes is for real.

She smiled.

She was wrong about him.

He may not love her yet but he cares for her, that she is sure.

oOo

Author's Note: I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible within this week.

PLEASE REVIEW! Comments, suggestions and criticisms are welcomed!