To Love and to Love Again Chapter 16: Going Home

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!

It was not late October, and Tenten was lying down on the exam table with Neji by her side.

Today would be her second sonogram and the opportunity to learn the sex of the baby. Neji was still in the dark about Tenten's secret. He was excited about finding out the gender, even though he didn't show it. They were both dressed casually as they took the day off from work.

"I'm nervous," Tenten mumbled as she turned her head to face him. They were still waiting for Sakura to arrive.

"About what? You've already seen the baby at your first sonogram …without me," he replied. Tenten chuckled at the hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Sorry about that. You were busy that day and I didn't want to bug you."

Neji leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then he let one of his hands roam over her large belly. At five months along, Tenten looked as though she could pass for seven.

"Well I'm here now," he said as his hand stopped on top of her belly. He could feel the baby kicking inside. Neji gave off something in between a smirk and a smile at the feel of the kicks. Tenten on the other hand, winced as the baby kicked her ribcage.

"Okay, somebody's fussy in there," she hissed as she massaged the area, hoping the ministration would comfort the baby. She caught Neji staring at her lovingly as she did so. "What?"

He leaned in and kissed her softly. Her hand came off her abdomen and went to the back of his head where her fingers tangled themselves in his long brown hair. Neji pulled back and gazed at her. This pregnancy only enhanced her beauty. She was shining with a mothers glow.

"You're beautiful," he complimented as his hand once again came to rest on top of her belly. Tenten smiled and brought her other hand to rest on top of his. The shine of her ring caught the light, making their hands seem worthy of a photo. She might as well tell him now.

"Neji…" He locked his gaze onto her, waiting for her to continue. "There's something I need to tell you before Sakura gets here," she said as she tried to sit up. Neji assisted her and she managed to get into the sitting position.

"What is it?"

She took his hands and placed them on either side of her belly. Neji could feel the kicks, but he was waiting for what she had to say.

"Do you feel that?" He nodded but kept his gaze on hers. "Notice anything about the pattern of the kicks?"

Neji dropped his gaze from hers and focused on the kicking. He could feel a powerful impact on one hand, and he could also feel the same on the other hand. So what? The baby was kicking hard. What's so serious about that?

But then he finally noticed it. One kick here and another there. "It can't be,"he thought as his slightly shocked eyes came back to his wife's. She was smiling at him as she held his hands in place.

"Tenten…," he breathed. His pale orbs searched her warm brown ones in search of an answer. "Are you… is it twins?" he asked astonishingly. She smiled, but shook her head no. Neji was confused. There was definitely more than one baby in there, judging by the kicks alone. Plus, twins ran in his family.

"Neji… we're having triplets."

Neji stood up from his chair and held onto her the sides of her face. His expression was completely shocked, and that was a first for Tenten. She was beaming. She finally caught him off guard.

"Triplets?"

He tried to remain calm, but how could he? He was now going to be the father of not one, not two, but THREE babies! "Are you sure?"

Tenten nodded her head. "I'm sure. Sakura found out on the first ultrasound. Are you mad?"

She soon found herself in Neji's tight embrace, although he was careful not to hold her too tightly.

"Never," he breathed as he held her close. He let go of her and knelt down before her abdomen. He placed his hands on her belly and rested the side of his face on her front. Inside her were three new Hyuga babies; hisbabies. He kissed her belly before standing up to kiss her lips.

"I love you," she whispered as she wrapped her arms around him as best she could.

"I love you," he returned as he continuously kissed her. They both were so preoccupied with each other that they failed to notice when the door opened.

Sakura walked in and stopped when she saw the action. She smiled at the two of them. Neji and Tenten weren't known for PDA, so it was a rare sight to even see them kiss.

"Careful," Sakura warned as the two expectant parents broke apart with blushes on their faces. "You wouldn't want to get anotherbaby in there now would you?" she asked as she closed the door to the exam room.

"The jig is up Sakura... he knows," Tenten informed as Neji helped her lay back down. Sakura laughed and began to get the machine ready.

"So how's pregnancy treating you lately?" she asked as she input the information into the machine. "Do you have any more nausea or discomfort?"

"Not really. I can feel them kicking already."

"Well, that's a good thing. Seeing as how you've got a full house in there, it's pretty normal. Okay, let's see my god-babies," she gushed as she placed the gel coated transducer onto Tenten's belly.

The screen clearly showed all three of the babies. Tenten placed her hand over her mouth in wonder. They looked different from her first ultrasound. You could clearly see their little arms, legs, heads, and abdomens. The other really cool thing was that she could also see their little hearts beating.

"Those are our babies," she said wondrously. Neji held her hand and leaned forward to get a glimpse of his children for the first time. It was a beautiful sight to see them together. Sakura went through a routine exam for all three babies.

"For now, were going to have to refer to them by letters," Sakura informed "Let's look at baby A." She focused on one baby and gave Neji and Tenten a clear shot of the baby's face. Tenten's expression radiated happiness as she looked onto the 2D image her child's face. "Everything looks good there. You guys want to know the sex right?" she asked. They nodded and Sakura explored some more.

"Okay, baby A is… a boy!"

Tenten let out a small laugh as she held onto Neji's hand tighter. Neji looked thrilled as he gazed at his son through the screen.

"Baby B looks good too and this one is… another boy!" She zoomed in on its face. "I have two godsons," she said happily. Tenten and Neji gave each other tender looks before looking back on the screen.

"And last but not least, baby C is… a…" she moved around a bit and finally found the location. "Ohhhhhh, it's a girl!" she declared. Tenten let out another laugh and Neji sighed with content. He leaned forward and kissed Tenten's forehead again as Sakura froze the pictures on the monitor in consecutive order.

"Two boys and one girl," Sakura stated. "Congratulations you guys!"

"I can't believe it," Tenten sighed as a tear slipped from her eye. She looked at the faces of her three babies. Even though she'd been pregnant for almost five months, it didn't really hit her that she was going to be a mother until now.

Neji kept his hold around her. He finally got to see his children. Immediately, the feelings of love, protectiveness and pride filled his system, especially when he saw his daughter. He was going to be the father of a little girl. Of course, he was definitely proud of his two sons as well. Seeing the two of them was enough to boost his male pride for the rest of his life, but expecting a daughter was something else altogether.

Sakura on the other hand, was happy for her friends. She printed out some cute pictures of the triplets to give to the two of them as keepsakes.

After the exam was over, Sakura helped Tenten get cleaned up and asked that she and Neji join her in her office for a summary. Once they entered the office and got comfortable, Sakura braced herself to give them further instructions.

"How are you two feeling now that you've seen the babies?"

"I'm… amazed, that these three little people are growing inside me," Tenten answered. Sakura turned to Neji.

"What about you? How are you holding up now that you know how many babies to expect?"

"Aside the conspiracy portion of it all…" he began looking accusingly at Tenten and Sakura "…it's just good to know that they're healthy."

"I'll keep regular checkups with you Tenten," Sakura said as she turned to her friend. "I'll monitor the babies as often as possible to make sure they're okay. But you can definitely expect them to be born sooner than normal."

"How soon?" she asked placing her hand over her belly. The need to protect her babies had taken over her.

"I'm expecting you to go into labor within the next three months," Sakura estimated. "Early labor is relatively normal when you're expecting more than one baby. We need to make sure you don't go into labor before their lungs develop properly. We're aiming to get you to at least twenty-eight to thirty-two weeks of pregnancy. Right now, you're around twenty-one weeks."

Tenten looked worriedly at her large abdomen. Just the possibility that something might go wrong during the delivery freaked her out. These were her babies, but they were Neji's kids too. She looked over at her husband and he took a hold of her hand in his.

"Sakura," said Neji. "We trust you with our kids. So long as you're our physician, we can rest easy."

Sakura nodded in understanding. He was trying to be strong for Tenten.

"I'm not about to let anything happen to my god babies or to you Tennie," Sakura vowed. "But you're really going to have to take it easy from now on. You're now in the high risk category, and you're officially on maternity leave as of this moment. No arguments."

Tenten looked stunned. "I thought I had to be at least eight months for maternity leave."

"That would have been the case, had you been pregnant with only one child," Sakura explained. "You have three to support. Maternity leave starts now, although if you still want to come to the hospital to hang out, you're more than welcome."

Tenten was a little disappointed, but if that's what she had to for her babies, then so be it. The three of them talked a bit more about the babies and what to expect in the coming months. After that, Tenten and Neji got up to leave.

The staff at Konoha Medical were going about their jobs as usual. The hospital wasn't too busy and everyone was feeling a little at ease, knowing that their CEO had miraculously taken the day off from work. That is, until he was seen walking in through the front doors of the hospital… with a child at his side.

Immediately, whispers could be heard throughout the halls of the hospital. Word travels fast here and this sighting of their CEO, dressed in casual clothing with his child by his side was something that was never seen before.

Uchiha Sasuke and his SON!

Information regarding their CEO was limited do to his reclusive nature, however the staff knew he was father at the very least. What they didn't know was whether or not he had a son or a daughter. But now they had confirmation. That child's resemblance to his father was undeniable, not to mention he was just adorable in that little karate uniform he was wearing.

But now there was one more question: who was the mother? That would be the question of the day for the KMC staff. Well, at least the female members anyway. They all watched as Sasuke and his "son" made their way to the elevators.

Eighth floor…

The nurses from the eighth floor were slightly distracted from their work seeing as how they heard that their beloved eye-candy Sasuke Uchiha had come to work today after all. They were excited, but there was also a rumor that he was here with his child!

If he had a child, then that child had a mother, which meant that Sasuke must have a wife somewhere. That didn't sit too well with the Sasuke Uchiha fan club. But why would he be bringing his child here? Their question was answered when the doors to the elevator opened up. Sasuke and the little boy—who was obviously his son—walked out of it.

They all abruptly turned their heads when they heard the boy shout one horrifying word…

"Mommy"!

Sakura, Tenten and Neji had just stepped out of her office.

"So just take it easy Tennie and let me know if you feel anything out of the ordinary," Sakura advised.

"Don't worry, Neji will page you every time I try to stand up," she replied. Neji just gave her a look, but said nothing. They heard the elevators give off a "ding" but paid no attention to it, until…

"Mommy!" came a cute little loud voice from down the hall. Sakura, Neji and Tenten turned their heads towards Sora's voice.

"Sora?"

Sakura saw him run down the hall towards her with every staff member watching. She smiled and bent down to hug Sora as he came running into her arms. Everyone on the floor stood dumbstruck.

Dr. Haruno… was the mother of Sasuke Uchiha's child?Did that mean she was his wife?

"What are you doing here sweetie?" she asked. She saw Sasuke walk up behind Sora and nod at Neji and Tenten.

"Look at my belt," Sora said as he stood in front of her. Sakura saw his new yellow belt and smiled.

"Oh you got a new belt. I'm so proud of you," she cooed as she brought him into a hug again. She kissed his forehead and then stood up. Neji and Tenten watched Sakura interact with Sora. Someday, very soon, that would be them. They would have their own kids to be proud of.

"Are you coming home?" he asked. Sakura checked her watch. It was around 4:00 pm by now, and she still had some reports to go through.

"I have to stay here a little while longer, but you can stay with me if want to," she offered. Sora nodded his head. Sakura quickly glanced at Sasuke. "Show your belt to Uncle Neji and Aunty Tenten."

Sora turned to his godparents as Sakura turned to Sasuke.

"I wasn't expecting you to bring him here, but I'm glad you did," she said as she looked over at Sora, who was excitedly telling Neji and Tenten how he got his belt. "I've been feeling guilty all day about not being at his match."

Sasuke shrugged. "He wanted to show you his belt, so I brought him here." Sakura turned back to him and smiled. "You can thank me later, when you come for dinner tonight at my house," he added. The look in his eye was slightly suggestive, making Sakura blush.

"I… didn't know I was coming," she replied, trying to control the blush. Why was she blushing so much anyway? Just because they desperately made-out the other day didn't mean she had to blush right? "I don't recall being asked to come," she huffed. Sasuke just continued to smirk at her blush. It just made him was to grab her and—

"Sakura," Neji called out, drawing him out of his thoughts. Sasuke and Sakura turned to Neji, who was still carrying Sora. Neji and Tenten didn't fail to notice the very small blush on Sakura's cheeks. "We'll be going now, but Sora can come with us if he wants too," he offered, eying Sasuke suspiciously.

"I want to stay with my mommy," Sora said, making them chuckle at his cuteness. Tenten kissed Sora's cheek before Neji placed him down and said their goodbyes.

"Okay," said Sakura as she held Sora's hand. "I just have some paper work to do and then we can go home. Thanks for bringing him here," she said to Sasuke.

He nodded and looked down at Sora. "You did well today."

Sora looked happy at the comment and smiled. "I ate a tomato with breakfast today, so I was strong" he explained. Sasuke smirked and Sakura chuckled.

"We can train some more today. That is, if Mommy saves the paper work for tomorrow and comes home right now. I'll teach you how to kick like a ninja," he tempted. Sora's face lit up with excitement as he turned to Sakura with pleading eyes.

"Please Mommy!" he pleaded while swinging their joined hands back and forth. Sakura sighed. Even though there was still quite a bit of work to do, how could she say no to that face? She could always take the files home with her.

"Okay. Just let me get my purse," she said as she turned back towards her office.

From the sidelines…

The staff continued to observe the three from a distance. They couldn't hear anything this far away. The only thing they heard was when the little boy shouted "Mommy". They saw how Dr. Haruno seemed to be thinking about something before taking her son's hand and walking down towards the elevators with Mr. Uchiha by her side. They could have sworn they saw her blush as well.

Now they had something to talk and vent about for a few weeks. From now on, they would have to live with the knowledge that their beloved CEO was TAKEN!

Later that evening, Sakura stood outside on the terrace of Sasuke's backyard, enjoying the crisp October evening. Sasuke was inside the house, taking a business call.

Upon entering the house earlier today, Sasuke and Sakura discovered that dinner was already made and waiting for them in the kitchen. Apparently Sasuke's mother Mikoto had stopped by earlier and dropped off a homemade dinner for Sasuke and Suki. Obviously she wasn't expecting Sakura and Sora as well, but there was enough food for everyone.

After dinner, Sakura saw fit to make some pudding for the kids. Sora and Suki were sitting on the couch and watching Sora's favorite ninja anime again. Suki had obviously become a fan of the show as well. The two of them watched the show intently at ate their dessert.

Sakura looked up at the stars. She recalled the pleasant memories of star gazing with Sai. When she was pregnant with Sora, Sakura often found herself looking at the stars through the bedroom window. Sora had a tendency to start kicking her womb in the middle of the night, but she found that looking at the stars calmed her, and in turn, calmed Sora.

She closed her eyes. She could still remember the feel of Sai's arms around her, and the way he would hold her against his chest. She loved that feeling.

Then, all of the sudden, she could feel those arms wrapping around her again. Sakura gasped as she looked back at Sasuke.

"…You've got to quit sneaking up on me," she said as she released her breath. Sasuke smirked and moved to stand next to her while keeping one arm draped over her shoulders.

"And you've got to stop spacing out," he returned. He saw her roll her eyes before looking back up at the stars. "That was the hotel in Kyoto," he said, referring to his phone call. "They just wanted confirmation for the reservations."

"Oh… but you know, I was thinking that maybe I should stay with my dad. I mean, since he lives in Kyoto and everything I just thought it would be a good way to work in a visit with him. Is that going to be a problem?"

"It's no problem. Does your dad know that you're coming down there?"

Sakura shook her head. "I haven't told him yet, but I know he'll want me to stay with him." She looked back into the house. From the balcony, she could see Sora and Suki playing ninja in the living room again. She chuckled. "They're so cute."

Sasuke looked and saw Suki bouncing around the room and laughing.

"Hn."

Sakura just sighed and let her head fall onto his shoulder. His arm was holding her tightly against him, almost as if he wasn't risking the chance of her leaving his side anytime soon. Sakura's arms were folded in front of her, making her a little uncomfortable against his strong hold.

So she released her arms and wrapped them around his side, snuggling against him. "I'm too tired to hit you right now," she mumbled. He moved her so that her back was against his chest.

A light breeze swept past them, making Sakura shiver. Sasuke felt this and held her closer.

"We should go inside."

"No, I'm fine. I've watched the stars in cooler weather than this," she said leaning against him. Sasuke said nothing, but began to slowly rub his hands over her arms to warm her up.

Sakura smiled at the gesture. He was so warm and caring, even though he didn't seem that way from the outside.

It's been a week since they kissed, but the opportunity never came up for that to happen again. They had both been a little preoccupied lately. With the conference coming up soon, Sasuke was tied down to work and Sakura had more patients to see now that the flu season had approached them.

"Sora looked really happy today. I'm glad that you brought him to see me. Thank you," she said while looking up at him. "For everything you're doing for him."

The moonlight made her skin glow. Sasuke couldn't help but stare intently at her.

"Hn," he smirked. He could see her blush under the moonlight, making her look even more beautiful.

Her eyes locked onto his. The dark of the night was the perfect time of day to complement Sasuke's physic. It gave Sakura a great opportunity to admire his chiseled facial features. She leaned into him again and let her head rest against his chest after the wind picked up speed. Sakura was still wearing her pink scrubs from work, since she came directly over to Sasuke's house from the hospital. She really didn't have much to cover up with.

"Come on," he said when he felt her shiver. "We're going inside."

"I'm fine Sasuke," she insisted. "I like the cold weather." She honestly didn't want to go inside. There were plenty of stars out tonight and she would rather stay in the cold and watch them than go inside.

"Put a sweater on then," he chastised as he continued to rub her arms with his hands. Sakura gave a small chuckle at his concern for her.

"Who needs a sweater when I've got you?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but smirked nonetheless.

He crushed her against his chest and lowered his head to her ear, close enough so that she could feel his warm breath on her skin. "Does that mean you're turned on somewhat?"

"It means…" she whispered as she turned around and slid her arms loosely around his neck "…that you sometimes make me feel like… I'm being attacked with a fireball jutsu, like that emo kid on Sora's favorite anime." She laughed as Sasuke faces dropped into his usual stoic one.

Her eyes widened when he suddenly dove right in and kissed her. She closed her eyes as he wove his fingers into her hair and tilted her head back. That intense exhilarating feeling from their first kiss returned, making her sigh.

Sasuke could feel her hands slide from the back of his neck to the sides of his face, where they gently pulled him away from her. Sasuke kept his hold on her though.

He gave her a questioning look before she took his hands and pulled him to the side of the balcony, away from the doors. They settled at the edge, where Sakura snuggled back into his embrace.

"Now that were not in view of the kids…" she explained as she stood on her toes to reach his lips again. Sasuke smirked into the kiss before deepening it. He placed one hand on her hip and the other on the side of her face and he inhaled her scent.

Sakura was truly worthy of her namesake. She smelled just like the spring cherry blossoms. Sasuke was never one to care for such an essence, but he never realized just how much a woman's scent could affect him before.

He could feel her struggling to maintain standing on her toes to reach him, so he placed both his hands on her hips and hoisted her up to sit on the edge of the balcony. She broke the kiss and gasped at the sudden move, grasping his shoulders tighter for balance.

"I assume Sora gets his height from you," he mused, letting his hands roam around her back. She playfully smacked him on his shoulder, causing part of his sweater to pull back and reveal his tattoo.

"As long as he didn't get my forehead, I'm okay with that," she replied. Sasuke eyed the top of her face.

"What's wrong with it?"

Sakura looked at him like he was blind.

"It's huge!" she cried, pulling her hair back to give him a better look.

Sasuke only leaned forward and pecked her forehead with his lips. The sudden move made her lean back and blush. She looked into his eyes with a soft, yet sad expression.

"No it's not," he countered. Honestly, it wasn't very big at all. She must have had some sort of complex as a kid to think so. Sakura just kept looking at him in wonder.

She recalled the many times that Sai would kiss her forehead the way Sasuke just did. It was always a sensitive spot for her, as she was constantly teased about it in her grade school days. But Sai made her feel like it was what made her beautiful… and so did Sasuke.

She brought her hand up to his face and let her fingers run down his beautifully pale skin. "Really?" she asked, looking at him tenderly.

He nodded and covered her hand with his. He gave it a light squeeze, noticing how cold they were.

She smiled. A warm feeling began to fill her chest because of the look that he was giving her. It was the same look that Sai used to give her right before he would kiss her senseless.

And that's exactly what Sasuke did as his lips found hers again in a kiss filled with warmth and desire. A desire that Sasuke knew was growing rapidly every second he spent with her. As Sakura's arms found their way back to his neck, Sasuke's arms were closing the distance between their bodies, pulling her into a tight embrace.

She tilted her head to the side, deepening their kiss. His kisses were so intense and focused, as if she was the only thing in his world at the moment. Her fingers tangled themselves into his hair again, loving the feeling of those surprisingly silky raven locks.

Sasuke was enjoying the feeling of her fingers running through his hair. Whether it was intentional or not, she was almost massaging his scalp to the point where he lost focus on any surrounding activity. The sound of a soft moan from her throat however, brought him back to his senses and back to smirking against her lips.

He vowed to find a woman that could become a part of his life and his daughter's life as well. He never imagined that within a few short months, he would be in the arms of a woman that— for once in his life—he couldn't imagine being without.

From his view in the trees approximately a hundred feet away from the Uchiha Estate, a figure dressed entirely in black spy gear was carefully observing his target, which the mission saw fit to appropriately code name "Cherry Blossom". If it were up to the Agent, he would have code named someone with a body like Sakura Haruno something else.

That other code name would have surely gotten his ass kicked by Commander Hatake.

The Agent switched views with his high-tech night vision binoculars to assess the inside of the house. He could see two small children, a boy and a girl, bouncing around inside. When he focused the binoculars to get a better look at the children's faces, the Agent was stunned.

Those two children looked very similar, almost like twins. The Agent then focused the binoculars on the little boy.

"So that's Sai's boy?" he thought. The resemblance was clear enough. The kid was pretty much a chibi version of the former ROOT Agent. He saw the boy shout something towards the balcony. Next he saw that "Cherry Blossom" had walked back into the house.

With another look around the perimeter, the Agent concluded that it was threat-free. He turned his binoculars in the direction of "Chicken Hair". Again, the Agent had to do a double-take. Since the man was so "busy" with Cherry Blossom, he didn't get a good look at his face. But now, with the use of his binoculars, he could clearly see the similarities to Sai. It was uncanny.

Chicken Hair seemed to be scouting the area himself. He was carefully looking around the darkness of his backyard. The Agent noticed that his body posture was on full alert. He then saw Chicken Hair stop his search in his direction.

Cold Onyx eyes glared with frightening accuracy in the direction of the hidden Agent. The Agent remained calm. There was no way that Chicken Hair knew he was there. He was perfectly concealed in the darkness of the trees and far enough away for the average person to spot.

But that look was unmistakable. It was as if he had sensed another presence. The Uchiha kept his fierce glare in place until he slowly turned around and walked back into his house, locking the door behind him.

"That's interesting… that's very interesting," the Agent thought as he made a mental note to report this to Kakashi a.s.a.p. The Agent's communicator produced a static noise at that moment.

"Agent Morino, status report,"came a voice from the other line. The Agent tapped his ear piece and responded.

"Idate here, area secured," he informed as he held down the receiver. He glanced once more in the direction of the Uchiha Estate before disappearing from his location and into the night.

Five minutes earlier…

Sasuke's hands navigated their way around her back slowly. He slid one of his hands down to her hip, where he gave a small squeeze. The move made her gasp into his lips, which in turn gave him the chance to slip his tongue into her mouth.

He felt her give off a tiny moan of approval as her tongue met with his. Sakura was glad that she wasn't standing at this point, for she was sure that her legs had taken on the stability of jelly.

Her fingers were still nestled comfortably in his hair as his hands continued roam around her back… before he suddenly broke the kiss. Sakura actually gave a small disappointed whimper when he pulled away from her.

Sasuke looked around the back yard, as if searching for someone.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she slowly regained her composure. She just now noticed how cold it was outside, now that she wasn't in his arms anymore. She couldn't help the goosebumps that spread throughout her body.

"Go inside Sakura," he said as calmly as possible. He helped her down from the balcony railings and briefly ran his arms over hers in an attempt to warm her up. "It's too cold out."

She looked like she was going to retort, but then she heard Sora calling out to her. Sakura briefly glanced at the door, before looking up at Sasuke in defeat. He kissed her forehead before she left his arms and went back inside the house.

Now that she was gone, Sasuke immediately went back to scouting the perimeter of his back yard. While he was with her, he sensed that they were being watched. Sasuke learned to never doubt his instincts.

His eyes scanned the trees that lined the outskirts of his yard. Something told him that there was someone there. There was another part of him that knew that he couldn't exactly make someone appear out of nowhere. After concentrating hard on a particular spot in the trees, Sasuke slowly turned around and walked back into the house.

As he did so, he glanced down at his left shoulder and couldn't help remembering the familiar sting of getting his tattoo.

…those three black coma marks…

November had come rolling around, and Shikamaru sighed as he brought the cigarette down and exhaled the smoke from his mouth.

He was standing outside the Hidden Leaf Restaurant and waiting for Chouji to step outside since he didn't allow smoking indoors. Shikamaru and Chouji go way back in their childhood. They've been best friends for years and even their families were friends long before they were.

He sighed again. The reason why he was out here in the first place was because he needed Chouji's help in planning a surprise dinner for Ino. Their wedding anniversary was coming up, and he didn't want to get in any trouble for forgetting about it again, as was his usual habit.

Last year was disastrous when he came home empty handed, while Ino worked her ass of trying to make him dinner—which she burned to a crisp, but it was the thought that counted anyway.

They eventually got over that issue with some great make-up sex.

"Yo Shikamaru!"A large rounded man with spiky brown hair and kind eyes approached him. He came out from the restaurant wearing a white chef's uniform with a matching hat.

"Hey Chouji. I need a huge favor."

"Let me guess," Chouji began knowingly. "You want me make your anniversary dinner for Ino don't you? I'd be happy to help. Might I suggest Korean Barbeque?" he offered thinking of his favorite cuisine and only mildly salivating at the thought.

"Ino wouldn't go near the stuff, you know that," Shikamaru reminded. "It's going to have to be healthy, troublesome woman…" he muttered at the end. "She could use a few more pounds on her."

Chouji nodded in agreement. "I hear you. If that's the case, I'll make a special cake for dessert. Akio and Akira can hang out with me if you want some time alone."

"Thanks," he said before looking at his watch and sighing. He had to get back to work soon. "I'll call you later about the details."

"Alright then, see you later Shikamaru." Chouji waved before turning to go back into his restaurant. Shikamaru pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. As he walked back to his car, he listened to the ringing of the phone before an operator picked up the line.

Shikamaru punched in a special code, after which his call was transferred to another line. He placed his phone onto a slot in his car and then pushed a button located right underneath the radio. The radio electronically flipped over to produce a small communicating screen.

"Asuma here," Asuma said as he appeared on the screen.

"Hey Asuma," Shikamaru greeted as he looked down at the screen. "What's the deal with the new assignment?" he asked as he started the car. He checked his mirrors and then pulled out of the parking lot.

"So you got the message. We need your assistance with a cold case that's been reopened," Asuma informed. "I know you'd rather be cloud watching, but this kind of concerns you personally."

"How personally?" he asked as he stopped at a red light.

"The cold case victim was one of our own," he explained. "The Agent was from the ANBU ROOT division. He was highly skilled and experienced in tracking, combat and espionage, you name it you got with this one. He was one of Kakashi's best recruits, not to mention his very own son-in-law."

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at that statement. "And how would that concern me personally?" He saw Asuma nearly choke on his cigarette.

"What do you mean? You're related through association with the Agent's wife, Sakura Haruno."

"Right… Sakura is Commander Hatake's daughter," he recalled with mild interest.

"Where the hell have you been for the last fifteen years?"Asuma shouted. "Of course she's his daughter. She's practically a CIA celebrity. Don't tell me you've been so out of it that you forgot who she was!"

The lazy man sighed. "I don't care for gossip. I get enough of that from my troublesome wife, but I'll agree to investigate this case myself. What exactly do you want me to find?"

"A more probable cause of death, indicative of murder,"Asuma explained. "Itachi Uchiha and the Akatuski are also working on this case. Their job is to find the possible motive for the murder as well as existing threats, if any. But in order to do that, they're going to need you to assess the crime scene information."

"One problem there," Shikamaru pointed out. "It's been over three years, and I wasn't present at the autopsy. I'm going to be stuck with nothing but his old negative lab results. I can't guarantee you anything unless I have his actual body, which is impossible."

"We've got you covered there. We can provide you with someone who was present during the autopsy. You know who I'm talking about."

"Gotcha," he said before he hung up. There was no need for further questions after that bit of info. Shikamaru knew that he was good to go.

Ino sighed as she stepped into her house. She dropped the shopping bags in the living room and began to peel off her coat. She had just returned from a splurge at the mall, where she had already picked up the Christmas gifts for the kids. As much as Ino loved to shop, even she didn't want to end up with last minute Christmas shopping. That's why she learned to get it over with in November.

"I'm home everybody," she announced as she strolled through their house. It was then that she noticed that everything was unusually clean. That was odd, seeing as how she didn't clean today. That must mean that Shikamaru did it.

"Where is everybody? Shikamaru? Akio? Akira? " she called out as she strolled through the house. She climbed upstairs and noticed the smell of something good coming her way.

Curious, Ino made it all the way upstairs and began to walk down the hall. She stopped by the twin's room, only to find that they weren't there. She panicked slightly as she followed the smell of food into her bedroom.

"What the hell?" she screeched as she stepped into her room. "Chouji? What are you doing here? What's all this?" she asked indicating the small candle-light table for two in the corner of her bedroom.

Chouji—who looked like a criminal caught in the act—tried to hide the surprise by standing in front of it but to no avail. She caught him.

"Hey Ino," he greeted nervously. "Uh… you weren't supposed to be here this early. I hope you like stir fry."

Ino just gave him a weird look. "Where's Shikamaru? And where are my kids?"

"Shikamaru's dropping them off at the restaurant. He obviously wanted to surprise you with this dinner."

"That lazy ass would do all this? Why?" she asked. Chouji just looked at her incredulously.

"It's for your anniversary. You didn't forget did you?" When he saw the look on her face, he grinned. "Oh boy, wait till he finds out."

Ino was shocked. How could she of all people forget her anniversary? Even Shikamaru remembered and went through all this trouble for her, and he was notorious about forgetting anniversaries.

She internally cursed. This was so romantic, so… un-Shikamaru-like. She had to do something in return for her pineapple-headed husband, but what? She remembered the trip to the lingerie store she made before coming home and let a smirk come onto her face about the perfect "gift" she could give to him.

"Thanks for this Chouji, but I've got to get ready for him," Ino said when she overcame her shock. "And thanks for looking after the twins for me. Now get the hell out please."

"No problem," he grinned as he began to walk out of the room. "Who knows, maybe after tonight, Akio and Akira can expect another sibling," he teased before leaving the room.

Ino just rolled her eyes as he left, but dashed into the bathroom to take her birth control pills.

After all, the great first-year-of-dating-anniversary make-up sex was ultimately what led to the twin's conception. She didn't need that happening again anytime soon.

Shikamaru walked into his house and closed the door. He had just dropped the twins off at the Hidden Leaf, and now had to get ready for Ino's return from shopping. She shouldn't be home for another hour or so. He sighed at the thought of the enormous bill that she would probably be bringing home.

He could smell their dinner coming from upstairs. Dropping his coat on the floor, Shikamaru made his way upstairs. When he reached his bedroom he was almost tackled to the ground in a searing kiss by Ino.

His arm draped around her waist out of reflex, but he was still baffled that she was home by now. Ino broke the kiss and gazed at his face lovingly.

"I can't believe remembered our anniversary," she gushed with her arms wrapped around his neck. Shikamaru just noticed that she was wearing a really short white silk robe.

"So much for the surprise," he mumbled ruefully as his arms went up and down her sides. Ino smiled and kissed him again and again, all the while, leading him over to their bed.

"…Ino…we have…dinner…" he choked between kisses. Ino pushed him down onto their bed and crawled on top of him, slowly slipping her robe off and proudly displaying her new lacy electric blue bra and matching panties.

Shikamaru let his lazy eyes roam over her body. With a flawless build and no traces of stretch marks, he was still amazed that she gave birth to his twins. She leaned down and placed her lips against his ear.

"You know I like dessert first," she whispered seductively before kissing him again.

It took only a matter of seconds before she was flipped on her back with her husband hovering above her. He tore his shirt off and flung it on the ground. These were one of the few moments where she could enjoy his energetic side.

"Happy anniversary…you troublesome woman," he smirked as he leaned over her again.

"Happy anniversary…you lazy ass," she breathed.

Their lips then met in the first of many fiery kisses for the night.

December approached faster than ever.

Sasuke sat in his office, getting all the last minute preparations done for the conference trip. Part of the group going to the conference consisted of the Hyuga's, the Uzumaki's, the Nara's plus Sakura and himself along with all their children. Together they would all take the two hour long train ride to Kyoto.

As he shuffled through the paper work, he received a knock on his door. His secretary had left for the day, leaving him alone on the floor. Sasuke walked over with some papers in his hands. He opened the door and was greeted with green eyes and pink hair.

"Paper work again?" Sakura asked as she stepped into his office. Sasuke closed the door behind her.

"If I ignored all of it, we wouldn't be going on this trip," he answered as he continued to skim through the papers. Sakura wasted no time in strolling over to Sasuke's rather luxurious black leather arm chair and taking a seat. Sasuke didn't seem to mind as he walked over to his library and pulled out a large book.

Over the course of the past two months, Sasuke and Sakura had developed a sort of system or routine at the hospital. They would try to have lunch together as often as possible; sometimes in his office and other times at a local restaurant. Much to Sasuke's dismay however, they would end up going to Ichirakus's with Naruto.

But they spent every moment possible with each other, which wasn't very much considering both their schedules. But it just made the small amounts of time they did get to spend together better.

"How much preparation could one trip be?" she asked. "You've booked the tickets, hotels, transportation and everything. What else is there?"

She snuggled into her white coat. The temperature of his office seemed to match the chilly weather outside.

"Scheduling, confirmations, protocols, registries and other things I'm sure seem pointless on the outside," he replied as he skimmed through the book. Sakura quirked her head to the side and read the title of the book out loud.

"Laws, Liability and Ethics? Preparing for trial?" she teased as she leaned forward and rested her cheek on her palm. She had had an exhausting day which was finally over, giving her a bit of time to spend with him before she had to pick up Sora.

"Preparing for the possibility of lawsuits," he said as he took a seat on the edge of his desk. "It's a given that a lot of these doctors will be bringing their families with them, which includes their children. We're completely liable for their safety."

Sakura looked up and drank in his appearance. She recently discovered that she liked the way Sasuke looked at the end of the work day.

His coat was off and hanging behind her on the chair. His white shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, revealing his strong forearms and the impressive black metal watch he was wearing. His dark blue tie was loosened around the neck and the top button of that shirt was undone. His hair also seemed more "chicken-ish" in a way.

She looked confused when she saw him smirk into the book.

"Like what you see?" he drawled without tearing his eyes off the book.

Sakura's face fell from her palm. She straightened up with a small blush on her face. After all the mini make-out sessions they've had, you would think that she would stop with the blushing.

"Possibly," she responded as she pulled her coat closer to her body. "Why's is it so cold in here?"

Sasuke, still looking in his book, walked around his desk and took his coat from the back on the chair. He then placed it over Sakura, hoping that would help her. Sakura, although pleased with the gesture, stood up from the chair and walked over to him. She took the book from his grasp and placed it back on his desk.

"You know," she started as she hopped onto the desk. "You shouldn't be immersed in paper work after 4:00 pm. It's not part of your treatment plan."

Sasuke smirked and leaned into her, standing in between her legs.

"And that plan would be…what?" he asked, placing his hands on the desk and trapping her in between. Sakura noticed that Sasuke was a particularly "dominant" type of person. He liked to trap her in corners with no means for escape.

She smiled slyly and one second later, Sasuke's arms were around her followed by a strong, hot kiss. She couldn't help but chuckle at their antics. No one knew about their relationship, and as far as they were concerned, it was going to stay that way for a while. She felt like a teenager sneaking around with her boyfriend.

"Something funny?" he asked as his kisses moved to her cheeks. Sakura's arms just circled themselves around his torso loosely. She turned her head and pressed her lips against his. Her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of being thoroughly kissed.

She never imagined that she would be the type to make-out at work, much less with her own boss. But it added an element of excitement at the same time. It made her feel adventurous again. After about one minute of being in his embrace, the temperature seemed to be steadily rising in the room.

Sasuke's kisses were becoming deeper and stronger, as though he was engaged in a battle as their tongues clashed with one another. The coat he placed on her slipped off onto the desk. Sakura's fingers subconsciously navigated their way into his hair. She moaned as his hands worked their magic on her back. The subtle massages and the transfer of heat from his hands into her body made her sigh in relief.

"Sasuke," she whispered breathlessly as his lips actually slid down to her neck. For the most part, he's been pretty tame with her as far as kissing goes. He never left her face. This was new territory. If he sensed her hesitancy with this new move, then he certainly didn't show it.

He continued with his ministrations. She could feel his breath at the base of her neck as he gently sucked on the skin. The sensations that were phasing into her were making her lose her focus. It was amazing how he could do this to her so quickly.

In a sort of sinister way, Sasuke grew more excited at the feel of her pulse under his lips. She gasped when she actually felt his teeth scratch against the surface of her skin. For crying out loud, she didn't want any hickies.

"Sasuke, wait," she whispered as she brought her hands to his face. Sasuke barely pulled away from her.

"What?" he asked heavily. He seemed kind of dazed, which was pretty flattering for Sakura. But still, he seemed ready to escalate things way too high for now.

"We…need to—"

She got cut off as he dove right in for another kiss. She couldn't help but kiss right back. Another thing she noticed about them was that she was finding it harder to pull away from him. She didn't know whether it was because of her growing affection for him, or because she just missed the feeling of being kissed. Three years is a long time to be without someone after all.

Sasuke pushed his weight forward. Sakura leaned back onto the desk and didn't even notice the move until she felt her back come in contact with the hard surface. Alarm bells were ringing in her head, telling her that once you get horizontal it's time to quit. All warnings became cut off at the feel of his rock hard abs pressed against her. She needed to get herself under control. She had to pick up Sora soon.

Sasuke was thoroughly losing the sense that this was his office, and he's on top of one of his doctors on his desk.The sudden vibration of Sakura's pager in her coat pocket shocked them both out of their trance.

Sasuke lifted himself off her and tried to maintain his breathing. It was like he snapped back into reality. Sakura, who bolted up from the desk, checked the beeper and found the NICU's number on it. They only called her for emergencies. Sakura quickly hopped off the desk and straightened herself out. She was glad that beeper went off, otherwise she might not have been able to stop him.

"Wow… NICU, I-I have to go," she breathed heavily as she brushed her hair with her fingers. She glanced at the clock, knowing she was now going to be late getting Sora.

"I'll pick him up."

Sakura looked back at Sasuke in surprise. "Sora… I'll get him before I go pick up Suki," he offered, running a hand through his nicely disheveled hair. Sakura smiled at him before quickly kissing him once more.

"Thank you."

She walked to the door and turned around once more to give him one last appreciative smile before closing the door behind her.

As Sakura approached the elevators, she couldn't help but think about these past two months, and how much her life had changed already. She didn't even know if she should call Sasuke her "boyfriend", yet he was already a new major part of her life.

But as she pushed the button in the elevator for the seventh floor, she remembered that she and Sasuke weren't the only ones with their hearts on the line. Their two beautiful children were first in line to get hurt of things turned out badly.

Sora and Suki had become closer in the past few weeks together. Sakura couldn't even imagine tearing them apart at this point. It would be like trying to separate twins. But she could only hope that things turned out for the better…with Sasuke by her side.

The day of their trip to Kyoto had arrived.

The gang and their kids were currently waiting in the train station, along with a few other select members of the hospital. The group had all assembled at approximately 8:00 am that Friday morning. The children had special permission to miss school due to the circumstances.

Everyone was bunched up in sweaters and jackets due to the low temperatures outside. Tenten was especially bunched up, mostly because of Neji. It was obvious she was forced into wearing three jackets.

They boarded the train and got their luggage settled in. The kids sat next to each other, except for Akio, who was asleep in Ino's arms from the beginning.

"I can't wait until we get there," Ino whispered over Akio's sleeping form. "It's been a while since I've been in my flower shop."

"I know," said Sakura. "I feel like it's been forever since I was in Kyoto, even though it's only been a few months. But I can't wait to see my dad again." She was sitting across from Ino and wearing a long black winter coat over dark blue jeans and a white sweater.

Sakura looked around the compartment and smiled as she set her sight on the kids. It was still early in the morning, yet Sora, Suki and Akira were all energetic and happy. She knew that wouldn't last long. They'll all be asleep within the hour.

The train had finally stopped at the Kyoto train station. Everyone walked out and stretched for a bit.

Sasuke was holding onto Suki, who was fast asleep on his shoulder. Sora had just woken up from his nap and was now rubbing his eyes to remain awake. Akio had remained asleep for the entire two hours and Shikamaru was holding onto Akira.

"Sweetie, were back in Kyoto," Sakura said as she used her fingers to brush out his disheveled hair. Sora looked around the station with sleepy eyes. Deciding that he would rather sleep at the moment, he held out his arms for Sakura, who smiled and picked him up again after kissing his cheek.

"Okay," Sasuke said getting everyone's attention "Make sure you all have your things and follow me to the hotel vans."

Once they all boarded the vans, they drove off to the hotel. Twenty minutes later, the van had stopped at a gorgeous hotel called the "Hotel Granvia Kyoto". The hotel was absolutely beautiful with a contrast of modern and traditional aspects, not to mention it looked extremely expensive.

They left their luggage to be dealt with by the hotel staff. Upon entering the building Sasuke, still carrying a sleeping Suki, went to the front desk to get their room keys. The rest of the kids were just waking up at this point.

"Wow, look at all these people," Naruto said as he pointed to the crowd in the lounge. "I bet they're here for the conference."

"I guess so," said Sakura. "I wonder who's here already." There were quite a few people that she was looking forward to seeing again, but she figured she might as well get adjusted first.

"Hey Sakura, weren't you supposed to stay with your dad?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, but in the end, I figured it would be easier to just stay here. It would be less complicated, but Sora and I are going to see him tonight. His secretary told me he would be coming to the hotel. Funny, because I never knew he had a secretary," she said shrugging.

Sasuke returned with the room keys and handed one to every couple. "We're on the fourteenth and fifteenth floors. I reserved the suits rather than the rooms." He did that so the kids could have a place to play around.

Once they reached the floors, everyone parted ways to go to their separate rooms. Sasuke and Sakura happened to get their suits right next to each other.

"Suite 1412, that's us," she said as she looked down at Sora. Sasuke was standing with her and Suki was just now waking up from her nap on his shoulder.

Suki groaned sleepily as she rubbed her eyes with her hands and yawned. "Daddy…" she said while looking around. Sasuke kissed her forehead and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Hey Tenshi." Suki looked next to her and saw Sakura there with Sora.

"Hi sweetie," Sakura cooed as she ran her fingers through Suki's sleep hair. She looked so adorable after a nap, just like Sora. "Okay then, I'll see you two later," she said as she and Sora entered their suite. Sasuke knew she would be seeing her father later tonight.

What he didn't know was whether or not she wanted him to be there when he arrived.

"Are you hungry for some tomatoes?" Sasuke asked. Suki nodded her head as she and Sasuke entered their suite. Tomorrow would be a busy day for everyone. Saturday was when the meeting would begin, not to mention the Gala afterwards. Sasuke's parents were also going to be present tomorrow.

He only hoped that everything would run smoothly. As he set Suki down, he walked over to the balcony for some air. Thinking about everything tomorrow was stressing him out. He knew he should at least try to get some rest right now. There was a lot of tension in his neck, particularly around his tattoo.

Sasuke brought his hand over the area and massaged it somewhat. His mind tracked back to the days when he made the mistake of receiving this mark, and all the regrets that came with it. He was such a fool back in those days. But they were over now, and Sasuke wouldn't ever make those mistakes again. For he will always have a reminder of those times.

…those three black coma marks…

Kakashi turned the page in his novel. He was currently sitting in his CIA office and ignoring the paper work on his desk for as long as possible. He couldn't wait for tonight to come. He would finally get to see his daughter again.

The intercom went off. He had a visitor, and before he could allow them entrance, the doors burst open to reveal a tough looking woman with dark hair tied into a spiky ponytail, and a long black trench coat similar to Kakashi's is style. She seemed to be in her late thirties.

Kakashi didn't even have to look up from his book to know who it was.

"You always have to make an entrance, don't you Anko?" he sighed as he turned the page again. The woman smirked and closed the doors to his office. "I hear you're my new secretary as of now," he said indicating the phone call from Sakura. Anko claimed that she was his secretary and relayed Sakura's plans for tonight.

"You know it. Anyway, if you'd draw your attention to anything but that raunchy book in your hands, you'd realize that you were due down in the training center over an hour ago." Anko reproached as she approached his desk.

She was the proctor for the ANBU training division, and Kakashi was scheduled to supervise the new recruits.

"Well I suppose I lost track of tim—,"

"Save it. I know why you're always "fashionably," late. And you think I love to make entrances," she snorted, taking a seat on top of his desk. Even though Kakashi was the Commander, Anko still treated him like any other person. She was comfortable to do and say whatever she wanted, even to her boss and there was a reason for that.

Kakashi looked up from his novel as she sat on his desk. He had a great view of her body as she sat right in front of him with her trench coat open revealing a skin-tight, silvery-grey, mesh style body suit. The suit accentuated her upper body, which he couldn't seem to stop staring at.

"I'm up here," she pointed out as she directed her hand towards her face. Kakashi grabbed that hand and pulled her right into his lap.

"And now you're down here," he replied as he closed his book. Anko looked a little peeved at being caught off guard so easily; however she didn't really mind her new spot on his lap. What she did mind though, was when Kakashi pulled part of her coat away to expose her neck. She could sense him stare intensely at the mark at the base of her neck.

"Does it hurt you at all?" he asked quietly as he eyed the mark. Anko turned her head back to him and shook her head.

"It's fine," she said evenly. "It's nice to have a reminder of the biggest mistake of my life," she added dryly as she tugged on her coat to cover up the black tattoo.

"He's dead now," Kakashi reminded. "It doesn't matter who killed him, so long as he's gone."

He took hold of her hand as she looked away and stared hard at her lap. She knew that bastard was dead, but she was pissed she wasn't the one to kill the psychopath that trained her to be an assassin. He was the sadist who placed the cursed tattoo onto her neck.

But someone else beat her to it, and the worst part is that she had no idea who it was. All she knew was that she was forever stuck with this "curse mark" as she liked to call it. The ink was pierced so deep into the skin that it was impossible to remove without permanent damage to the underlying muscle.

"I came here to get your lazy ass down to the training arena. Not remember the past," she ground out, abruptly getting out of his lap and hurriedly walked out of his office. Kakashi sighed as he got up to follow her.

He and Anko had something of a history going on. She was recruited into the CIA by Kakashi himself, back when he was a Captain of the ANBU. He pretty much saved her after she was left to die by one of the most notorious criminal of the time known as Orochimaru.

He was an Ex-CIA Agent and a depraved "Mad-Scientist" who illegally experimented on humans. He ran an underground organization called "Sound". Needless to say, he was in the CIA Bingo Book as one of their most wanted. However, someone had already saw fit to kill Orochimaru before the CIA got their hands on him.

This had the Agency puzzled for the longest time. In the end, they figured it was mutiny from his minions at the Sound base; however Anko didn't seem to take that news too well. She saw it as her personal mission in life to destroy the man that placed the accursed mark upon her.

…Those three black coma marks…

Authors Note:

Hello beautiful and forgiving reviewers! It's me! I finally updated after a whole blasted month. I have no excuses; I'm just extremely slow sometimes.

So here are the new agents: Shikamaru (I think all of you saw that one coming), Idate Morino (Ibiki's brother), and Anko.

So please review.