To Love and to Love Again Chapter 15: Coming Together
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!
Itachi left the cemetery and made his way towards his motorcycle. Today was Suki's birthday, but it was also Aya's death anniversary. Itachi was never close to Suki's mother. They barely said more than a few words of greeting to each other during her short marriage to Sasuke. But she gave birth to his precious niece, and for that he made it a point to visit his deceased sister-in-law on the actual anniversary of her death.
He felt it was the least he could do since both Aya's parents were now dead. She had no one to visit her on the real day of her death besides the Uchiha family. Itachi knew that his parents had visited earlier in the day. Sasuke and Suki on the other hand, would always come the day after the actual date. This was because Sasuke wanted Suki's birthday to be centered only on Suki. He didn't want to bring up the pain of her mother's death on a day as precious as this. They would surely visit her tomorrow. Aya was still Suki's mother, and Sasuke didn't want his daughter to forget that.
Itachi's long jacket swung freely behind him as he sped through the city on his bike as he made his way over to Sasuke's house to see Suki. He had completely missed her birthday party due to an investigation he was currently working on plus a few more cases the unit had to deal with. He figured he could still drop by the house and at least give Suki her birthday present. Her bedtime wasn't for another hour at least.
It was almost 7:00 pm when Itachi finally reached the house. He parked in the front driveway and grabbed his neatly wrapped gift off his bike and walked to the back yard, as he usually does. As he rounded the corner, he saw that the lights were on in the kitchen. As he got closer, he came to a halt by the kitchen window. He could see Sasuke and Sora sitting at the kitchen table.
He stepped to the side and watched from a distance.
When he met Sakura at the Okonomiyaki place a while back, he never imagined running into the daughter of Hatake Kakashi until he received the message from headquarters. Kakashi himself spoke with Itachi and requested that he participate in protecting her.
Itachi watched as Sasuke and Sora talked. Sora was obviously amazed at whatever they were discussing judging from his expression. He smiled gently when Sasuke got up and put some phonebooks on Sora's seat to elevate him. Sora laughed at something again and began to eat his food. Apparently the boy was warming up to Sasuke. But where were Sakura and Suki?
As if on cue, Suki came bouncing into the kitchen wearing her little green pajamas. She was holding Sakura's hand and smiling like there was no tomorrow. Sakura placed Suki into her booster seat and took her own seat next to her.
Watching the four of them was like watching the puzzle pieces come together. Suki's smiling face warmed his heart. He loved that little girl more than anyone else in his family. His life was in the CIA, and Suki was the only one of the few people that gave Itachi a sense of normalcy. Seeing her happy face was enough for Itachi to get a good night's sleep.
After watching them for another minute or two, he walked back to his bike and drove back to headquarters. Watching the four of them only made him more eager to get back to his current investigation, which was centered on a certain pink haired doctor's past.
Sasuke and Suki stood before Aya's grave. There were flowers already placed on the headstone before they arrived. Sasuke knew they were from Itachi. He was the only one to visit Aya on October 11th. Just one more thing to add to his strange personality.
Suki let go of Sasuke's hand and placed a single white rose onto the grave. She was wearing a black velvet dress and matching shoes. She then stood next to her father and watched the grave stone. This was all Suki had to refer to as her mother. She looked up at her father, who stared at the stone with dull eyes. He always recalled Aya's last words to him before she died.
"Take care of her Sasuke… tell her Mommy will always love her…"
Sasuke looked down at his daughter. He knelt down to her level and held her little hands with his own.
"Your mommy, wanted me to tell you something before she died," he told her as he took a glance at the grave. "She wanted me to tell you that she would always love you Suki." He looked into her precious green eyes. "You were her beloved daughter. That's why she wanted to name you Suki, because it means beloved."
Suki nodded her head and looked at her mother's grave. "I love my mommy too," she said happily.
Sasuke sighed. There she was, putting on her brave face. Sasuke mentally cursed the cruelty of life. It's just wrong for an angel like Suki to go through her first five years of life without her mother.
Sasuke stood up with Suki in his arms. He kissed her forehead and turned to face Aya's grave once more. He'll always remember her as the mother of his child. She gave him Suki, and he'll see to it that she's never forgotten in his daughter's life.
"Say goodbye to Mommy."
Suki waved her little hand at the grave with a smile on her face. "Bye Mommy."
Sasuke began walking back to the entrance. As they made their way back, they failed to notice a pair of dark eyes that had been watching them for a while.
A figured emerged from the back of a large tree that was keeping him from view. Once he saw that the two people were out of sight, he turned and faced the grave they visited. Pain and rage seared through his veins as he read the etchings of the grave.
Aya Jin Uchiha
Beloved Daughter, Wife, Mother and Friend
The figure remained standing before her grave. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to be alive. She wasn't supposed to die so damn young. But he knew that she was dead long before this. He turned and faced the direction where the two Uchiha's had left. His eyes narrowed at the thought of that bastard. He was the reason why Aya was dead… and he'll pay for that dearly.
It was Monday morning and Sakura was currently in the nurse's station on the second floor of the hospital. Hinata was there and together, they had been discussing the patients that they both had to attend to. Sakura was a little tired. Neji and Tenten came over to her house on Sunday for dinner. She exhausted herself with cooking dinner and staying up late cleaning the dishes afterwards.
"Let's schedule the patient in room 812 for physical therapy as soon as possible, preferably tomorrow," she told Hinata as she examined the patient's chart.
Hinata nodded. "I'll send the order to Naruto."
The two continued to go over other patients for a few more minutes before Sakura's pager went off. She checked the screen and saw that the NICU called her.
"I'll see you later Hinata," she said before she made her way to the elevator. She pushed the button and waited for any of the eight elevators to open. As she waited, she checked her phone for any messages. The elevator gave the "ding" and the doors opened. She stepped in and went up to the seventh floor.
When she got to the NICU, she punched in the code on the side of the door and they slid open to allow her entrance. The NICU was a completely different area of the hospital. Rather than hospital beds and the average get up, it was a moderately dark place with very subtle lighting. There were forty little cribs and incubators and about half of them contained a newborn that was in critical condition. Overall, the place was very quiet with all the nurses and personnel talking in hushed tones as not to disturb the babies.
Sakura walked in and saw Neji standing by a crib with a clipboard in his hands and busy writing something down. Sakura quickly washed her hands at a nearby sink and walked over to him.
"Hey Neji, what's going on here?" she asked as she checked the baby's stats. The baby boy was hooked up to a heart monitor and several other machines. Neji looked up from his charts and greeted her.
"I saw that you were the Attending Physician for this baby so I paged you," he answered. "I've done a preliminary report and I need your input on a possible surgery."
"Hmm." She looked over the incubator. "He's still not strong enough to be placed under any anesthesia," she said as she reached into the armhole for the incubator to hold the tiny baby's hand. "But I would give him another week. By then, if his condition has improved, I can clear him for surgery."
She watched the baby carefully. This child was oxygen deprived at birth. Neji was needed for brain damage consultation since it was his area of expertise.
"Alright," he said looking down at the baby as well. His tiny hand was clasped around Sakura's finger. It was a depressing sight to see a child hooked up to so many machines. Neji's worst fear was for something like that to happen to his own unborn child, let alone Tenten.
"He'll make it through Neji, don't worry," she reassured as she observed him. "I take care of all these babies as if they were my own." Neji kept staring at the child. If it weren't for those machines, that baby would be dead. "Speaking of babies, how's Tenten holding up? I hope the dinner I made her last night didn't give her any morning sickness."
"She's adjusting," he replied with a small smile. "Those vitamins you gave her really helped, although the lack of work is starting to get to her. You know how she is."
Sakura smiled. "I do. So how are you feeling? I know it's not easy taking care of a pregnant woman. Have the cravings gotten to you yet?"
"Let's just say I won't be going anywhere near ketchup or tuna anytime soon."
Sakura chuckled. "Did you and Tenten discuss any possible names yet?"
Neji shrugged. "We wanted to wait until we knew the gender first. Choosing a name is hard enough as it is. It's better to know what kind of name to choose first."
Sakura internally snickered. "If only he knew."
She thought it was hilarious that Tenten was so dead set on keeping him in the dark. It would become pretty obvious soon enough so she had better tell him before he figures it out. Tenten was never really good at keeping secrets either. One way or another, she would slip up.
Sakura and Neji talked a bit about more baby stuff before Neji mentioned the memo that was sent out this morning. Apparently, there was a mandatory physicians meeting regarding the Kyoto Conference in December. Keeping that in mind, Sakura left the NICU to finish her rounds before the meeting started.
Sasuke had his secretary send out a memo to all of the leading physicians in every department. There was a meeting being held today to discuss the upcoming Kyoto Conference, which required that all the head physicians be present at the event. It was now 11:00 am and the meeting hall, which was located on the top floor next to Sasuke's office, was filling up with doctors. Lunch would be included later on.
Sasuke was sitting at the head of the long rectangular table that was big enough to seat twenty. Tenten and Neji were there, representing their respective departments.
"So Sasuke, I hear you're going to be helping Sora with his karate," Tenten stated, leaning back in her chair. She couldn't exactly bend forward anymore due to her growing abdomen. She even had to get a larger shirt to accommodate her size.
"Did Sakura tell you about it?" he asked. He noticed Neji's scrutinizing gaze on him but dismissed it.
"Actually Sora told me when Neji and I went to Sakura's house for dinner last night. He seemed really excited about it."
"Since when did you become a trainer?" Neji inquired.
"Since now," he answered, opening his folder and pulling out a few papers. More doctors came in and took their seats. Shikamaru was also present, seeing as how he was representing the Research Facility. Almost all the head physicians were present, except for Sakura. Sasuke subtly scanned the surrounding area (the walls were made of glass). The meeting was about to start, so where was she?
"Looking for someone?" Neji asked.
Sasuke blinked before shifting his gaze to the Hyuga, who was giving him that analytical look of his. Sasuke would have retorted had he not spotted the person of interest approaching the meeting hall. Neji noticed his attention and turned his head to see Sakura walking towards them.
"Hi everyone," she greeted as she took her seat next to Shikamaru. "Looks like I made it just in time. I just got out of the delivery room. It was twins," she said looking pointedly across the table at Tenten. She snapped her neck in Sakura's direction and emitted a warning glare. Sakura just looked charmingly innocent.
"Aww, that's nice," Tenten ground out. Sakura chuckled a bit before her gaze turned to Sasuke, who was watching her discreetly. She smiled and he smirked.
He reluctantly tore his gaze away from her and cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "We can begin the meeting," he announced with a raised voice.
Everyone in the room quieted down and turned their attention towards him. The room was filled with physicians, who were all wearing their white coats. Sasuke was the only one wearing a black suit, which added to his authority.
He began the meeting with the standard introductory outline of the program and what was expected from KMC. He also mentioned that many world renowned doctors and medical contributors from various parts of the country would also be present. These doctors included the legendary Medicinal expert Dr. Tsunade Senju and other members from competing hospitals such Sunagakure Medical Center and its associates.
Shikamaru presented an outline of the major subjects that would be brought up at the conference as well as an idea of what each department must present.
"Millions of dollars' worth of medical research, educational and experimental studies are depending on this conference," Shikamaru pointed out. "We have a little less than nine weeks for you to prepare your projects. Well meet up again before we leave," he closed.
Sasuke had the lights turned back on as he addressed the room. "As far as the trip goes, since we leave during the holiday season, you will each be allowed to bring a few guests with you, as compliments of the hotel where the conference will be held. We'll be staying in Kyoto for a maximum of three days."
He saw the lunch cart being pushed towards the conference room and dismissed the meeting for an hour break. Many of the doctors got up and walked towards the cart, leaving a few behind at the desk.
Sakura turned to Shikamaru. "So, are you bringing Ino and the kids with you to Kyoto?"
Shikamaru sighed. "Yeah. I'll never hear the end of it if I don't bring that troublesome woman along. Besides, her family lives in Kyoto. They run a flower shop there."
"Yeah I remember her flower shop. I used to go there with her after school when we were kids. I'm glad the kids are coming too. Sora's going to need some company."
"Are you going to see your father?" Tenten asked.
"Of course I am," she said with a warm smile. "It's only been a couple of months since I moved away, but I miss my dad and I know Sora would love to see his grandfather again."
"I'll bet," Tenten grinned. "What little boy wouldn't love to play with all those dogs? Okay, I'm not waiting for the food any longer," she said as she made a move to stand up. Neji had to assist her somewhat as the two left the table towards the food cart.
Shikamaru's cell rang at the same time. He excused himself from the table leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone.
"So," she said lightly, resting her cheek on her palm. "Planning on skipping lunch again?"
Sasuke just tilted his head and sighed. "I consider it pointless to skip lunch when you're here to pester me into it. Just another one of your many annoying attributes."
"True," she agreed proudly. "So if you're not busy today, would you and Suki like to come over for dinner? The pictures from the party have been developed so you could take the copies I made."
Sasuke leaned back in his chair and smirked. "Will we be making soup again?"
His smirk grew wider when he saw her begin to blush at the mention of soup. They were so close that time. One more incident like that one, and who knows what'll happened. Sasuke really had to control himself, but that was something he found hard to do when he was around her.
"Not this time," she answered as she straightened in her seat. "I'm thinking, curry and rice. I was hoping you would be able to help Sora with his Karate. His match is this Wednesday at 2:30 and he's been begging me to ask you to come over. I'd say he's definitely warmed up to you."
"Hn."
Sakura's smile dropped and was replaced with a glare. Sasuke smirked again when he saw this. She couldn't do anything when they were in public. "When would you like us to come?"
"How about right after work? Sora and Suki should be done with karate and ballet, so you should just come over after you pick her up. She can help me make dinner. It's never too early to learn how to cook."
Sasuke's smirk turned into a very small smile.
"…She'd like that." He could only imagine Suki's sweet smiling face as she helped Sakura in the kitchen.
Sakura noticed the softness in his voice. It was a complete contrast from his strong outward personality. Those dark, steely eyes of his were clouded with love and affection for his little princess. This was a side of Sasuke Uchiha that not many people were lucky enough to see. The sensitivity only added to his appeal in Sakura's opinion.
She took a moment to admire his face. Those mesmerizing onyx eyes of his were brought out by the pale contour of the skin that surrounded them. His chicken style raven hair suited and framed his face perfectly. Sakura's eyes traveled down to his chest. She remembered how it felt to be held so closely to him the other night. His embrace was strong and warm. She could feel his muscular build underneath his sweater. She felt so safe with his arms wrapped around her. It was a feeling that she missed greatly.
"Tell Sora to be ready for training as soon as he gets home," he said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I'll bring over some equipment."
"Okay," she replied as her eyes traveled back up to his face. "But if I find a single cut or bruise on his little body, I'm taking that out on you…and you know what I'm talking about," she said pointing at him. "Now…" she began as she stood up from her seat. "Let's get some food before Tenten eats it all." She walked towards the food cart.
As she passed him, she playfully flicked the side of his head with her finger.
Sasuke glared while she simply snickered. "That was for earlier," she justified while speeding up her pace towards the cart. Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her. She could be so juvenile at times.
"Ch…annoying woman,"he grumbled internally as he got up and followed her towards the cart. His mind wandered back to his personal proclamation to begin dating again. He had to step up his game. Now that he and Suki would be spending more time with Sakura and Sora, he had to find an answer for Sakura's question the other night.
What were they doing and where was it going? That was what he needed to establish with her. In order for them to go anywhere, he had to make his intentions known.
He took a glance at her from the side of his eyes. This was the woman that life seemed to throw at him. It was as if she was the answer that was right in front of his face, yet at the same time he was still hesitant about choosing it. Yes, she's beautiful and smart and loving. She was also nosy, demanding, annoying and slightly violent… but that did nothing more than increase his attraction to her.
But she had to make her intentions clear as well. Was there potential for them? Or were they just using each other? He had to get that straight, and he wasn't going to waste any time in doing so. His daughter's happiness was on the line.
Sakura and Sora had just gotten home and were currently in the kitchen. Sora remained in his karate uniform since Sasuke would be coming over to train with him any minute now. He sat at the counter on the stool with his sketchpad out. He was drawing what appeared to be a large white dog—probably Kiba's dog from the party.
"Are you excited about your training today?" Sakura asked as she brought out some dishes from the cabinets.
"Uh huh. I'm going to break a board with my foot!" he declared as he swung his legs back and forth. Sakura chuckled and went over to the fridge. She pulled out a juice box and gave it to Sora, placing a kiss on his cheek.
"Just don't break any fingers or toes. You've been doing so well by not getting any boo boo's lately." She heard the doorbell ring and left the kitchen to answer it.
When she opened the door, her eyes widened when she at the sight Sasuke, dressed in a white karate uniform with Suki in his arms. She looked over his appearance for a second before looking back at his face. He looked amazing. Oh who was she kidding, he was drop dead sexy. She could also see his tattoo at the base of his neck, adding to the appeal.
The front of his shirt was loose and revealed a bit of his chiseled chest. The bright white of his clothes seemed even brighter against the darkness of his hair and eyes.
"Hi Aunty Sakura," Suki greeted, snapping her out of her shameless ogling. She smiled brightly to Suki, but not before she caught Sasuke smirking at her.
"Hi sweetie," she said as Sasuke placed Suki down. Sakura held out her hand, which Suki gladly took and led them into the house. "Ready to learn how to cook?"
Suki nodded her head enthusiastically. Sakura led them both into the kitchen where Sora was.
Sora looked up at the three of them and stopped his drawing. He saw that Sasuke was wearing a karate uniform too, only he was wearing a really cool looking black belt.
"Ready for training?" Sasuke asked.
Sora slid off the stool and nodded. He kept glancing at Sasuke's black belt. He looked down at his own white one and decided that he was going to train as hard as he could to get a new colored belt.
"Good. We'll train outside," he informed as he made his way over to the back yard with Sora followed eagerly.
Sakura smiled at their retreating forms. Once they were gone, she turned to Suki, who was still holding her hand.
"Now let's get cooking," she said as she and Suki went into the kitchen, where Sakura had all the materials they needed out and ready.
Naruto sighed as he stepped into his house. Hinata was still at work and wouldn't be home until late again. This past weekend had been a busy one for both of them. They both had to work overtime to make up for going to Suki's birthday party, so he hadn't really seen much of his wife. They were both so pre-occupied that they didn't even get to celebrate his own birthday a couple of days ago. It was the day before Suki's.
After slipping out of his shoes, Naruto decided to stay in his clothes and walked over to the kitchen to get a cup of ramen and a drink. He searched through the cabinets and was shocked to discover there wasn't any ramen in sight. Panicking, he searched around the kitchen when his eyes noticed a small note on the counter. Scratching the back of his head, he walked over and picked up the card, which was coated in a light perfume smell. The card read:
Meet me upstairs, Love Hinata.
So she was home? Why'd she leave a card to tell him to go upstairs? And why'd she spray perfume on it? And where the hell was all his ramen? The Uzumaki household was always fully stocked with ramen! Maybe Hinata knew what happened to it. Naruto ran upstairs with the note in his hand. When he burst into their room, his eyes widened.
There, sitting on their bed, was Hinata. The room was only lit with a few candles, giving it a romantic glow. Hinata was dressed in a black silk robe with her long hair down. But the other thing about her was that she was holding a bowl of steaming hot ramen in her hands, and judging by the smell, it was definitely pork ramen—his absolute favorite.
She smiled shyly as she got up from their bed and walked over to him, ramen in hand. Even in the dim lighting, Naruto could see that she was blushing. At work, she was strong and in control. But at home, she was his sweet, modest Hinata.
"…Hey Hinata… w-what's all this?" he asked slowly as he watched her come to him. His brilliant blue eyes darted back and forth between his beautiful wife and the mouth-watering ramen in her hands. He watched as she dipped the chop sticks in the soup and twisted them around the noodles before slowly bringing them up to his lips.
"Happy late birthday Naruto," she wished with a small, loving smile.
He took the noodles in his mouth, but he kept his gaze on her. He briefly wondered if she had any idea of how much she was turning him on.
He slurped the noodles clean off the chop sticks and swallowed them. He savored the taste of it for a second before he took the bowl from her hands and placed it on the dresser. Hinata was confused by this action because normally, Naruto would never put down a bowl of ramen. But then it made sense when he grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate kiss.
He wanted her instead.
She was so immersed into his kiss that she didn't even realize when he managed to slip her robe off, leaving her in a lacey lavender night gown, or when he managed to steer them towards their bed. Hinata began tugging at his shirt and in a split second, it was removed and flung across the room.
They fell onto their bed with their arms around each other, legs intertwined, and lips locked together. Tonight was all about making Naruto know how much she loved him.
He'll get the ramen back eventually.
Sakura was in the kitchen with Suki and currently working on cutting up some veggies for the curry that was simmering on the stove. Out in the back yard, Sasuke and Sora were busy training.
"Strike the mat as many times as you can," Sasuke instructed as he held up a rubber mat.
Sora came charging at him with a determined face. He began striking the mat the way Sasuke showed him to. They had been training for about an hour and a half already. Sasuke focused training Sora's arms since that was what he would need at his match.
A few minutes later, he could smell the aroma of tonight's dinner wafting through the air. "Time to stop for today," he announced glancing at the window. He could see Suki sitting on the counter and stirring something on the stove, while Sakura watched.
"But I want to keep training," Sora protested. "I can still hit more."
Sasuke smirked. The kid was dedicated, that's for sure. But the sun was setting fast, and Sasuke could tell that Sora was tired.
"Part of your training is knowing when to rest. If you want more energy, you have to eat good food to grow stronger… and taller," he explained placing his hand on top of Sora's head. Sora pouted and looked up at Sasuke.
"I'm gonna be taller than you," he stated pointing at Sasuke. "So I have to eat more and train more right?" he asked craning his neck up to see him.
"Right, but I don't think you can eat all your vegetables," he said crossing his arms. "Only the strong men can eat all their vegetables. The strongest men eat lots of tomatoes. That's what gives them energy."
He smirked when Sora nodded his head in understanding.
"If I eat tomatoes, then I can be tall like you?"
"Exactly…but for now…" He lifted Sora into the air and placed him on top of his shoulders. "…Lets go eat dinner."
Sora's laughter rang through the air. Sasuke held onto Sora's feet and began walking back into the house as Sora sat on his shoulders, admiring the view from more than six feet up.
Before they made it back to the house, Sakura came outside to call them in. She paused at the doorway as she took the sight of them in.
Sora was laughing and sitting on Sasuke's shoulders. It was only now that Sakura could see just how similar they were to each other. They both had similar hair styles, same eyes, same facial features and the same skin tone. The matching outfits only added to the effect.
But as they turned towards her, the sun's orangey rays outlined their figures, making Sakura's heart freeze when didn't see Sasuke walking towards her with Sora anymore.
She saw Sai… holding their son. He was looking up at Sora and the two of them were smiling. Sakura longed to reach out to him, to feel him again. But as they got within three feet of her, Sai's face changed back into Sasuke's, and she felt as though she had just woken up from a dream. She blinked twice before looking up at Sora, who was holding onto Sasuke's hair.
"Sai…" she lamented.
Sora was Sai's child. He's Sai's copy in every way. But Sasuke was just so much like him. Sakura wanted to blame the trick of the lights for her second vision of Sai but she couldn't. You could easily mistake Sasuke as Sora's father.
Sasuke noticed that she looked a little startled when she saw him, but didn't think much of it.
"Heeeeey," she pouted. "I didn't want you to grow up thisfast," she said to Sora, who giggled.
"Mommy, I'm taller than you," he laughed. She smiled when she saw his happy face. Sora had a handsome little smile. "I want to eat some tomatoes," he said making her raise her brow and give Sasuke a knowing look.
Sasuke just smirked and placed Sora back on the ground. Sora tugged on Sakura's pants and asked for tomatoes again.
She agreed as she ran her fingers through is shiny black hair. "I'll cut up some tomatoes. But you still have to eat your regular dinner," she added as the three of them walked into the house. Suki was already sitting at the table.
"Daddy, I helped set the table," she said happily as Sasuke and Sora approached her.
Sasuke noticed that she was sitting on a pillow from the living room couch to make up for her lack of a booster seat. Sasuke took a seat in front of her and gave her a small smile while Sora sat next to Sasuke on his own elevated chair.
"That's good Tenshi. Did you help make dinner too?" Suki nodded and smiled at Sakura, who had just placed the rice and curry onto the table. She also placed a plate of tomatoes, which were cut in quarters, right next to it.
"Okay all you tomato lovers. Eat up."
Both Sora and Suki dove straight for the tomatoes. They both giggled and began to chew on their pieces. Sakura could only smile at the two of them. They were both too cute for their own good.
Sasuke, Sora and Suki consumed the entire plate of tomatoes before they moved onto their actual meals. Sakura herself didn't mind tomatoes so much, but she didn't think they were that great. "At least it's healthy," she thought. She knew Sora's sudden interest in tomatoes was Sasuke's doing. She looked over at him and found that he had been watching her again.
"How's the training going?" she asked as she took a bite of her rice. She was trying to get her earlier day dream out of her head. She didn't like that she saw Sai through Sasuke. It just wasn't right. It just made looking at him feel awkward again.
"He's doing well," he replied as he looked down at Sora, who grinned.
"Sasuke said that I have to eat vegetables to get tall," he explained. "He said that I can do it if I eat tomatoes," he said spooning some of his curry into his mouth.
"I can grow taller," she corrected. She faced Sasuke and nodded her head in approval. "Impressive method of getting him to eat vegetables. This little girl here…" she said as she looked at Suki. "... Is going to be a good cook someday." Suki smiled from the praise.
They ate their meal with small conversations going back and forth. Being together just seemed so natural. Sasuke kept his eye on Sakura most of the time. She was always smiling at the kids and radiating warmth with every word. Not only that, but she seemed to be paying more attention to him as well. He didn't miss the way she briefly eyed him up and down when he first got here.
She probably didn't even notice that she was blushing as well. Either way, Sasuke still had to talk to her about this… thing that they had.
After they were done with dinner, Sakura shooed the kids into the living room to watch some Sora's favorite ninja anime on TV.
Sora and Suki took a seat on the couch. Sora turned the TV on and flipped through the channels to his favorite anime station. His ninja show was on.
"I can fight like those guys," he boasted as a fight scene emerged on screen.
"Really?" Suki asked curiously.
"Your dad showed me how," he said, jabbing at the air. "He said he's going to teach me how to kick next time."
"I wanna fight too!" she claimed. "Can you teach me how to fight onii-chan?"
Sora snickered. "Girls can't fight Suki."
"How come?"
"Because your girls," he answered as if it was obvious. "You're supposed to watch the guys fight."
Suki pouted. "Pleeeeeeease onii-chan?" She used her secret weapon, the big green eyes.
Sora however, wouldn't budge. This was a first for Suki. No one was ever able to resist her eyes.
"You're a meanie!" she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. She wasn't used to the rejection.
Sora sighed before caving to her whims. "Fine… let's practice," he said as he scooted off the couch. He didn't like to see Suki sad. She smiled and got off the couch too. Sora showed her how to stand properly. He then began to show her all the moves that Sasuke showed him today.
Suki copied everything Sora did. The anime was still playing on the TV, and the two kids watched the show and pretended to be a part of the battle.
Suki was having a good time. Being an only child meant that she didn't have anyone to play with at home. Sure, her daddy would play with her sometimes, but that wasn't very often and all they would play is tea party and dancing. But being with Sora was like having a brother around. Now she knew how Akira felt. Now she could say that she had a brother of her own.
Sakura had just placed the last dish into the dishwasher and closed it. She turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Sasuke standing right behind her.
"Jeez," she gasped with her hand over her heart. "Do you like sneaking up on me?" she asked as she side-stepped him to get to the coffee maker. Sasuke smirked and leaned against the counter, watching her spoon some coffee powder into the machine and turn it on.
"When is Sora's Karate match again?" he asked.
"Wednesday at 2:30, but honestly I don't know if I can make it," she admitted. "I have a lot of patients to see that day, and I can't take off early or anything. But Naruto volunteered to go see him in my place."
He blinked. "When did you ask the Dobe?"
"I asked Naruto right after the meeting," she answered. "I really don't get why you call him Dobe. He's your best friend isn't he?"
"Have you heard some of the things he says?" he said making her chuckle. She took the full coffee pot and poured them into two cups. "I could go to Sora's match," he offered. Sakura placed the pot back in its place and turned to him in surprise.
"Really? That would be nice… although I'm surprised you'd want to go. Any reason in particular?"
"I just want to see if my training helped," he replied.
Sakura smiled and handed him his cup of coffee. She sat next to him by the counter. Sasuke watched her take a sip. He paid close attention to her lips as they separated from the steaming ceramic cup. His gaze traveled from her lips to her eyes, then to her whole face.
She sensed his gaze and looked up to catch his eye. He was looking at her with that intense stare that made her internally shiver. His onyx eyes were like bottomless pits that she could just fall into forever. She didn't know if it was his karate uniform or not, but right now, he seemed increasingly attractive. The fact that his tattoo was in clear sight was only adding to her attraction. She wasn't kidding when she said that tattoos were a big turn on for her.
"Sakura," he said snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Yes?"
"I want you to know where I stand regarding you and me."
She put her coffee down and turned to give him her full attention. "Okay. It's better without the guessing."
This was sudden, but at least she would know where this was going now. But was she ready to know?
He studied her for a moment before saying "I want to see you. I want to see you… with the intention of dating you." He leaned against the counter and tried to look as nonchalant as possible, but on the inside he was anxious.
Sakura nodded in understanding. She was a little surprised at how direct his statement was, but then again, that's just how he is.
"We agreed to help our kids," he continued. "You've been good to Suki. She loves you like the mother she never had." Sakura gave him a sympathetic smile. "You mean a lot to her. All she talks about is how great you are and I can see why."
"Sasuke," she whispered.
"You're a good mother," he persisted. "You've raised a good kid. I want Suki to have you in her life… and that's why I want to get to know you better."
Sakura fidgeted with her cup. Now that she knew his intentions, it was only fair that she tell him hers. But come on, he basically told her he intends to date her to the point where he'll want to marry her one day. And there was one other thing that she noticed. He said he wanted her for Suki. But didhe want her?
"I would be happy to get to know you better too," she replied. "I've haven't seen Sora look this happy in a long time, and that's because of you," she said as she stood from her seat. She leaned against the island in her kitchen so that she now standing opposite him. "So I guess I would say that I can agree with your intentions."
"So where do you stand?" Sakura looked at him with a blank stare. "Where do you stand regarding you and I?"
She looked so unsure of herself. Her arms were folded against her chest with her head tilted down.
Sakura didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to tell him that visions of her husband come to her when she sees him. She couldn't tell him that she felt like she was cheating on Sai by seeing someone who could pass as his brother. She couldn't tell him that he was starting to make her feel the same way Sai made her feel so long ago. She couldn't tell him that he was getting to her and it scared her.
She was afraid of moving on. She tried not to show it, but on the inside she was torn. She promised herself that she would date again for Sora, just like Sasuke wanted to date for Suki. But how could she trust that she was doing the right thing?
Before she could conjure up any kind of response, she was suddenly aware of Sasuke's presence standing directly in front of her. She looked up and saw his anticipation for her answer. He looked calm and composed as usual, but she could see past the collectiveness.
"I'm… not sure what to say," she admitted. "I just don't know how to put into words. It's complicated with you and me."
"What's so complicated?"
"Well for one thing, you're my boss," she stated. "What are the policies about dating one of your doctors? And what about the kids? What are we going to tell them? I know they're only five, but kids notice these kinds of things. And both our jobs are just so demanding. How are we going to find time to be together?"
Sasuke allowed her to rant about all the reasons why a relationship might not work, but he really wasn't listening to her at all. He was too focused on her lips. The coffee seemed to have warmed them up, giving them a rosy pink color. The way they moved as she spoke made them all the more enticing. Sasuke was once again, mesmerized by this woman.
"…and what about you?"
That question made him stop looking at her lips and locked onto her eyes. "Is Suki the only reason why you want me?" she asked softly as she looked away from him.
Sasuke placed his hand on her cheek and tilted her face up. Her eyes seemed so full of doubt. How was he going to convince her that he wasn't going to use her? What did he have to do to show her that he was in this for real? He studied her face again. Even with fear and doubt clouding her features, she was still beautiful.
He absentmindedly brushed the outline of her lips with his thumb. Again, he realized how his body seemed to act on its own. He also realized that they were in the same situation from last time; Sakura trapped in the corner of the kitchen with Sasuke looming over her. Was it him, or did all their moments happen in the kitchen?
"…Suki is my daughter, she comes first in my life," he answered. His free arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer to him. "But that doesn't mean she can't share that spot. Sakura… do you really think I'd use you?"
Her cheeks heated at their proximity. Being so close to him made her study his features again. He looked so sincere that Sakura felt guilty for doubting him. He was just like her. They both shared the same hardship of being a single parent, and it was then that Sakura realized that Sasuke had lost someone too. His wife died when Suki was born. Didn't that mean that he also knew the pain of losing a loved one? Didn't that mean that he felt just as guilty about moving on? That he won't hurt her?
Sasuke wouldn't do that. Sakura knew by the way he was around Suki that he wouldn't try to hurt someone, let alone her. He was just a man, trying to move on and do what's best for his daughter.
Sakura tentatively reached out to touch his face. Slowly, her fingers trailed down his features, analyzing and comparing them to Sai.
"So similar…yet so different," she thought as her fingers came to a stop at his lips, which were becoming dangerously close to hers by the second.
Sasuke stopped his advances by an inch of her lips. He waited to see if she would draw back, if she had any more uncertainties.
Sakura's heart was pounding; whether it was in fear or anticipation, she didn't know. Here she was once again in Sasuke's embrace. And once again, she felt secure in his hold. She gave him a small smile, and that was all that he needed to close the gap between them.
He pushed his lips against hers gently, but firmly. It felt as though a spark shot through their bodies the second their lips made contact.
He felt her hands slid to the back of his neck to rest there. He loved the softness and warmth of her lips. She seemed to melt in his arms so he tightened his hold on her and angled his mouth to completely consume the kiss.
Sakura didn't know what to expect if he ever kissed her, but she never anticipated it to feel this good. She stood in his embrace and allowed him to do as he pleased, before she began to kiss back. She tightened her hold around his neck and pulled herself closer to him, letting her fingers tangle into his hair. His midnight locks were smooth and sleek to the touch under her fingertips.
It had been more than three years since the last time she was kissed. Being with Sasuke was like experiencing a first kiss all over again. She felt the heat of his hands as they roamed around her back, sending shivers up her spine.
The kiss lasted about a minute before they barely pulled apart for air. Her fingers were still tangled in his hair and his hands held her in place against his body. Sasuke saw the blush splashed across her cheeks. She was looking at him with clouded eyes and parted pink lips. He could feel her hasty breaths of air mix with his own as he stared down at her.
"Sakura," he hummed as he cupped the side of her face with his hand.
Sakura's head was spinning. His kiss felt so good, and she loved the way he held her. The way his arm was wrapped around her back was strong and protective, almost possessive in a way. She looked into his eyes and couldn't help but lift herself up with her toes and kiss him again. Sasuke, surprised at first, responded by weaving his fingers into her pink locks and smashing their lips closer together in the process.
His tongue ran across her bottom lip, asking for entrance, which she gladly gave to him. Their breathing became mixed and rushed. The feeling of her body pressed against his own ignited a flame deep within him. Their kisses became more intense and Sasuke found that it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his hands up north. He wanted to feel all of her. He smirked against her kiss as he heard her release a low moan.
The world around them seemed to slowly disappear as they became immersed within each other. No coherent thoughts were possible... until the unmistakable sound of glass breaking snapped them out of it.
They instantly broke apart at the sound coming from the living room, where the kids were. They looked at each other for a moment before straightening themselves out and running into the living room.
Both were panting slightly as they reached their destination. Sora and Suki were standing in the living room next to the couch.
"What happened? Are you guys okay?" Sakura asked worriedly as she came to them. Sora looked wide-eyed and Suki looked to be near tears.
"We broke the lamp… sorry Mommy," Sora said quietly. Sakura went closer and could see the shattered remains of the lamp on the ground next to the couch.
"How did that happened?" Sasuke asked. He began to pick up the large sharp pieces and take them away from the kids.
"Come over here you two," Sakura said as she directed them away from the lamp. There were broken pieces scattered everywhere and she didn't want them to get cut. "Now what happened?"
"We were playing ninjas… and then we hit the lamp," Sora answered. The TV was still on with the show on display.
"(sniff)… I'm sorry…" Suki sniffled and she rubbed her eyes with her hands to wipe the tears away. Sakura's heart broke from her tears.
"Oh sweetie, it's okay," she soothed as she crouched down to her level. "It's only a lamp," she said as she brought Suki into a hug. "No more tears, it's okay."
Suki nodded her head into Sakura chest, but still sniffled. Sakura held one of her arms out for Sora, who came and hugged his mother too. Sakura kissed both their heads and held them for a few seconds. Sasuke watched the three of them on the floor. This was exactly what he wanted. He wanted someone to be able to comfort Suki in times like these; he wanted Sakura to be able to do this for her.
Sakura looked up and found him looking at them with a soft expression. She caught his gaze, and began to blush. She let go of the kids and held both their hands.
"I'm glad you both are okay. Accidents happen, you just have to be careful. I don't want you two to get hurt. You're too cute for that," she said making Suki giggle. "Now who wants some ice cream?" she asked to cheer them up.
"Me!" they shouted simultaneously. Sakura chuckled.
"Okay, let's go into the kitchen." Sora and Suki bolted for the kitchen, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone again. She got up from her crouched position and walked to the broken lamp.
"I'll replace lamp," Sasuke offered.
"Don't worry about it. I never really liked that lamp anyway. Now I have a reason to get a better one," she said with a smile. "I'm just glad the kids weren't hurt."
"Moooooooommy," Sora called out from the kitchen.
"I'm coming sweetie. Just leave the lamp there. I'll take care of that later." Before she could take one step toward the kitchen, Sasuke grabbed her elbow and pulled her into his arms. She gasped as he covered her mouth with his in a slow, passionate kiss.
They pulled apart slowly and smiled at each other. Well… Sakura smiled and Sasuke smirked.
"Daaaaaaaaaddy," Suki called out this time from the kitchen. Keeping the smirk plastered on his face, Sasuke walked towards the kitchen, leaving a breathless Sakura to stand idly in the living room to try to come back down from cloud nine.
It was now they day of Sora's Karate match.
The event had started an hour ago. The kids displayed their abilities to the crowd and to their Sensei. After a series of other events, it was time for the boards to be brought out. Sasuke, Naruto, and Shikamaru had taken seats in the front row.
"What time is it?" Shikamaru asked as he slouched in his seat. "I feel like I've been here for hours."
"Come on you lazy bum," Naruto said, shoving his arm. "You should be more excited about seeing Akio today. He actually got his belt, and we've only been here for an hour."
Shikamaru just sighed again. He really wanted to go outside and have a smoke, but Ino convinced him to try and quit the habit by arguing how bad it would be for the twins. "Troublesome woman," he thought. But still, even though he didn't show it, Shikamaru was proud if his son.
Most of the kids, including Akio, had already gotten their belts. Now it was down to a handful of students who had yet to get them.
The announcer called Sora's name, and the guys had a perfect view of him as he stepped up to his Sensei.
"GO SORA!" Naruto shouted.
"Shut up Dobe!"
Naruto had practically shouted in his ear. Sasuke, who was now slightly tone deaf, faced the match and watched Sora step up to Lee, who was wearing a ridiculously green karate uniform.
"Hey," Naruto said, elbowing his arm. "I know that guy… it's bushy-brows. Remember him? He studied Physical Education with me back in college. Who'd have thought he'd be the karate instructor here?"
"Hn," Sasuke replied. He remembered the fuzzy browed man that Naruto used to hang out with. He just didn't really care about him that's all.
Lee had placed a ¼ inch thick piece of wood in front of Sora. The board was supported by a yellow belt. Sora would be able to get the belt if he could break the board. He stepped up to Lee and they both bowed. Sora looked and spotted Sasuke in the stands.
Sasuke caught his gaze and nodded in encouragement. Sora felt the need to do his best in front of Sasuke. He really wanted to show him that he could be strong too…and he really wanted that yellow belt. Sora nodded back and turned to face the board once more.
"Show them what the burning power of youth has given to you Sora," said Lee and he held the board in front of the boy.
Sora got into his fighting stance and focused on the board. He took a deep breath in and brought his hand down on the board, which snapped in half at the impact. The audience clapped and Lee gave the belt to Sora, who waved it in the air. He then bowed to Lee again, before running back to his spot on the mat.
Sasuke smirked. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride from the boy as he broke through that board. It was an accomplishing feeling for Sasuke, for he had never been able to help Suki in any of her activities. Watching Sora today gave Sasuke a new aspiration to help him out even more; to ensure that Sora grew up to be strong and smart, just as a father would want for his son. It was a feeling Sasuke wouldn't mind getting used to. Not only that, but now he had more opportunities to see Sakura.
The match ended about a half an hour later. Sora and Akio ran up to the guys with their new belts around their waists.
"Great job guys," Naruto praised as he ruffled their hair.
"Thanks Uncle Naruto," they replied. Naruto excused himself, saying that he wanted to go and talk to Lee for a bit. Akio went up to his dad and yawned.
"Can we go home now?" he asked in a bored voice that made Shikamaru proud. He nodded turned to Sasuke.
"Later," he said as he and Akio left the gym.
Sasuke knelt down to Sora's level. "You did well. Now let's go show your mom." Sasuke lifted Sora onto his shoulders again. Sora really liked riding on his shoulders. It made him feel like a giant.
"See if you can find the Dobe," he instructed. Sora laughed and nodded. He scanned the area from up above for blonde hair and spotted Naruto walking towards them with Lee Sensei.
"Hey Sasuke, its Lee," said Naruto as he and Lee approached them. Naruto was a little surprised to see Sora on his shoulders. Since when did they get close?
"Good Afternoon Sasuke," Lee greeted. "It is good to see you again after such a long time," he said as he held his hand out for Sasuke, who briefly shook it.
"Hn," he replied. Lee observed Sasuke and Sora.
He never really made the connection before, but Sora looked an awful lot like the Uchiha. Lee was informed about his mission, but he knew only key factors about the history behind his assignment, one of them being, that Sora's father was a former Agent of the CIA. It was part of his job to report all significant events and findings to his Commander, and this seemed interesting enough to mention later on.
"I wanna show my belt to Mommy," said Sora. At the mention of Sakura, Lee lost his thoughts about the mission.
"Oh, do say hello to your beautiful mother for me Sora. She burns with the youthful intensity of a thousand suns. Such a rare find these days," he gushed dramatically. Sasuke glared at the green beast of youth.
He didn't like the way he talked about Sakura. Actually, he didn't even like that Lee even knew Sakura.
Naruto noticed the bit of hostility that Sasuke was emitting. "What set him off?"
"Let's go," Sora said bouncing slightly on Sasuke shoulders. Sasuke turned and began walking in the other direction. Sora turned his head back and said goodbye to Lee. Naruto said his goodbyes too and ran to catch up with them.
"Let's go see your mom at work," Sasuke suggested.
Kakashi was currently in the observation deck of the training arena. His police hounds were going through a routine training program. They had to do this simulation every four months in order to maintain their lessons. Kakashi watched as his canines ran, jumped, attacked and searched for victims or enemies. His dogs never failed him. They were the best protectors he knew.
The program ended and the simulation stopped. His hounds came together in a straight line, indicating that they were waiting for their master to give them orders. Another man came out from the door next to them and patted the dog's heads. Said man looked up at the observation deck and waved at Kakashi.
Kakashi nodded his head and went to go down stairs.
"That's good for today. Thanks again for coming down Kiba," said Kakashi as he went and shook Kiba's hand. "Traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto isn't exactly convenient."
"No problem Kakashi," Kiba replied. "Your dogs are some of the finest breeds of police hounds I've trained so far. I'd come back anytime for them."
"Your wife didn't mind you coming down here last minute?"
"Nah she understands. Besides, it's not like she could leave Jun at home by himself. Speaking of Jun, he's made friends with your grandson."
"Really now? It's good to know Sora's making friends down there. You're keeping up with the mission I trust?"
"You know it." Kiba grinned. "Relax Kakashi. Sakura doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger. She's perfectly fine in Tokyo. As a matter of fact, she treated my son a while back. She's a great doctor."
"She is," he replied. "But I'm not letting my guard down for a second. I've gotten word from Itachi Uchiha that he's picked up on the investigation regarding the incident three years ago."
"You mean the accident?" Kiba asked. "I didn't know that project was still going on. It was declared an accident after all."
"Well it is," he confirmed. "That's why I need you and all the other Agents to be on your guard. I trust you and the others with my daughter and my grandson's life. Make no mistakes."
"Right sir," he replied seriously. "I'm always within range of her. Sakura lives in my neighborhood. I've investigated the area several times and I can conclude that it's safe."
"And what about Sakura? How is she doing?" he asked softly. Kiba looked at his Commander with sympathy.
Sakura was pretty famous in the CIA for being known as Kakashi's only daughter. But there was something else that she was infamous for too. The rumor of the relationship between Kakashi's top Special Agent and his daughter was biggest internal drama the CIA had ever encountered.
The controversy of it all, plus the added complication of the situation interfering with CIA activity eventually led to Kakashi losing his relationship with Sakura. But that was another story. The situation was supposedly resolved, but that time in the CIA was a hard one for Kakashi.
"Sakura is perfectly fine and we'll see to it that it stays that way," he promised. Kakashi nodded. "But if you don't mind me asking sir…what does thatinvestigation have to do with Sakura and Sora? They have no knowledge of Sai's place here."
Kakashi straightened. "It has everything to do with them. Sai was one of the best Agents we had. He was far too sharp and skilled to be killed so recklessly in some accident," he said as he turned and walked towards the exit. His dogs followed him obediently.
"So you mean…"
"Sai didn't die from an accident. He was murdered… and we still don't know who did it," he said before exiting the compound.
Authors Note:
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