To Love and to Love Again Chapter 19: Hope and Desire, a naruto fanfic

To Love and to Love Again Chapter 19: Hope and Desire

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!

"You're mine," he growled before lunging at her and capturing her lips in a solid and fierce kiss.

He wasn't kidding when he said he'd kiss her with everything he's got. She was left breathless, closing her eyes and holding onto him as his lips welded together with hers. At that moment, they were neither aware, nor did they care about who was watching them.

Sakura was in surrender to his kiss, when all of the sudden, the lights to the ballroom shut down.

He inconspicuously made his way over to the two small children that were watching their parents dancing. He briefly took a glance at those parents and gave a sneer of distaste at the sight of them kiss. It seemed like the entire ballroom became an audience to the scene, and that worked out perfectly for him.

Once he was within a foot of the children, the lights went down… and that was his signal.

He quickly bent down and struck both children behind the junction of the head and cervical vertebrae, aiming for the cerebellum causing their bodies to go limp within seconds. He would have applied pressure to their carotid sinuses, but he was told to bring the children back with minimal damage.

He caught the two children before they hit the ground and tossed them over each shoulder. The ballroom was pitch black and filled with the murmurs of the guests. According to his schedule, he had approximately three minutes to get out of the ballroom before the backup generators would take effect.

He made his way stealthily out of the ballroom, dodging every one that came within his path and successfully exited the premises.

Sasuke and Sakura broke apart from their kiss and looked around. He still had a firm grip on her as he tried to assess the situation.

"A power outage? Where are the kids?" Sakura asked as she tried to look around. It was so dark that she couldn't even see Sasuke right in front of her. There was an announcement on the overhead speakers.

"Ladies and Gentleman, please remain calm. We are currently experiencing a power outage. The backup generators shall take effect within three minute. Please remain standing where you are as the generator takes effect."

This message was ignored by the CIA members in the room. To them, this was considered a suspicious occurrence, and everyone was on high alert. Kakashi was speaking through his hidden communicator in his tie.

"Report your positions," he ordered. He and Anko stood by and waited for the responses.

"Neji, west wing."

"Shikamaru, west wing."

"Naruto, east wing."

"Any activity?"

"Negative," was his response from all three of them. Kakashi listened and waited to hear from the other Agents. No response came, but the electricity came back on and illuminated the ballroom once more. People were buzzing about and discussing the strange occurrence, but were gradually going back to the festivities.

All except Sasuke and Sakura that is.

"Where are the kids?" Sakura asked again as she looked around. Sasuke did the same as he scanned the area. He couldn't see Sora or Suki.

"Let's check with everyone else. They might be at the table," he suggested as he took her hand and guided her there. Sakura nodded and followed. They made their way over to the table where Ino and Tenten were sitting. "Do you guys know where Sora and Suki are?"

"I thought I saw them by the dance floor," Tenten said as she eyed them strangely. "They're not there anymore?"

"That's where I saw them too," said Ino. "They must have gotten scared and went to hide somewhere." She gave Sakura a sort of smirking look before turning to the twins. "Akio and Akira, did you guys see where Sora and Suki are?"

Both kids shook their heads.

"No Mommy they were over there," Akira said pointing at the dance floor. Sakura frowned and turned to Sasuke.

"Why don't we just go look for them?" Sasuke was still scanning the room from where he stood, and he was still holding her hand. "Sasuke they might have just gotten scared and are hiding somewhere like Ino said."

"Hn… I'll check this side, you check the other."

Sakura nodded and headed off to look by the dance floor, while Sasuke went near the doors.

"Sora? Suki?" Sakura called out as she walked around the room. She walked as quickly as she could and looked everywhere. They weren't in sight, and it was beginning to scare her. She saw her father and Anko and walked over to them.

"Daddy," she called. He quickly turned to her. "You haven't seen Sora or Suki around have you?"

"No, I haven't," he replied. "You can't find them?"

"Well no," she said anxiously. "Sasuke and I think they might be hiding because the lights went out, but I just can't seem to find them anywhere. They could be lost, or they could have wandered off somewhere."

"Where did you last see them?" he asked. "We can get the hotel staff to help find them if they wandered off." He gave Anko and look and she nodded her head and turned to the side, secretly giving an alert to the rest of the Agents through her ear rings.

"I think they were near the dance floor," Sakura answered. "That's where everyone else saw them."

"Don't worry, we'll look for them too," he offered.

"Okay, I'm going to look around more," she said before turning and circling the ballroom again. Once she was out of ear shot, Kakashi got on his receiver again and sounded an alert to Itachi and his group, who were out surveying the perimeter.

"Uchiha, status report," Kakashi ordered. A static noise came on before Itachi's voice came forward.

"Perimeter is clear. Now infiltrating exteriorly," Itachi reported. From the outside, Itachi, Kankuro, Temari and Gaara had all gone to search for an external cause. The CIA never took anything lightly.

"Main precedence is now my grandson, and your niece," Kakashi informed. "Sakura can't find them. I want everyone to search for them."

From the other side, Itachi paused at the news as concern now took over. He pushed it aside as he changed his task to the kids now. "Yes. Right away" he said as he shut communications off.

"No Sasuke, I haven't seen Suki," Mikoto said after he approached her. "I thought she was with the other children."

Sasuke scanned the room, looking for any trace of Suki or Sora as his parents exchanged looks.

"She was," he replied while looking around the room again. Something didn't feel right. Sasuke knew Suki was afraid of the dark, and if there was a power outage she would have screamed her lungs out, and he would have heard her if she was near the dance floor.

"She's probably just hiding somewhere. Perhaps she's with Dr. Haruno's son," Fugaku thought. "They couldn't have wandered off to far."

"We can't find Sora either." Sasuke's level of panic was increasing by the second. If he couldn't spot Suki immediately, then there was a problem.

He made his way through the corridors and avoided as many people as he could. The lights had just come back on, and luckily this corridor was empty. He needed to get out of here quickly. He couldn't be caught roaming the halls with two young—not to mention unconscious—children on his shoulders.

His leader was probably making a beeline for the exit right now. A pathetic man in his opinion, though he knew that he could relate him to him with his obsession for vengeance.

He briefly looked down at the two children on his shoulders. The little girl, whose hair was swinging freely as he ran, had a pained look on her face. Perhaps he struck her too hard. Regardless, she was still knocked out and that's all he needed at the moment.

The little boy however, gave him an almost nostalgic feeling. There was something about him that was so familiar, but he just didn't know what. That bastard Sasuke came to mind as he looked at the boy; however there was something more that was drawing at his memory. Anyway, that didn't matter right now.

He needed to focus on the task at hand and that was escaping.

As he was about to make a turn around a corner, he stopped. He heard movement up ahead and hid behind a pillar in the shadows. Now was not the time to be caught. By the sound of the footsteps, there were two people coming this way. He listened as they spoke.

"They're missing?" he heard one of them say. "I'll have the area scouted immediately."

He craned his neck over to get a glimpse of the man. His eyes went wide before scrutinizing the figure closely. For brief second, he thought it was Sasuke but at a closer look, he saw that the man only looked like him.

He seemed a little older, with longer hair tied in a ponytail, and lines going from beneath his eyes. "This must be the other Uchiha, Itachi," he figured as he leaned back against the pillar. Itachi was there with another man with red hair and dark circles around his eyelids.

"All corners of the building are secure including the roof," said the red headed man. "If the children are still here, they can't escape," he added with a low, menacing voice. The kidnapper furrowed his brows and he tried to remain hidden.

Judging by the way these men were talking, they seemed to be part of the police force, or something on a higher level of law enforcement. They spoke through hidden communication systems, and displayed body language that suggested they were on a covert mission. This had CIA written all over it.

"Damn, to think that they would be here!"he cursed as he watched the men take off in the other direction. This made his job a little tougher, and he briefly wondered why his "leader" had failed to mention anything about them.

Sakura was a nervous wreck by now as she circled the ballroom once more. The kids were nowhere in sight. Something was definitely wrong. Deciding she had had enough, she immediately headed over to Sasuke, who was speaking with hotel personnel.

"Sasuke!" He turned and saw her anxious form come to him. "They're just not here, I looked everywhere!" she said with panic in her voice. He briefly glanced over the ballroom as he spoke to her.

"I'm checking the halls. Clearly they're not in here." He saw Naruto make his way through the crowd to get to them.

"Sasuke, Sakura," Naruto shouted as he approached them. "You still can't find them?"

"No," Sasuke answered. "I'm going up to the floors."

Naruto nodded. "I'm coming with you." Sasuke only nodded back.

"I should go to." Sakura thought.

"No," Sasuke shook his head. "You stay here in case they come back."

"The hell I will!" she shouted. "Something's not right here Sasuke, they couldn't have possibly left the ballroom while it was pitch black."

"They could still be in here so just stay in case they do come back," he reasoned as he turned to leave with Naruto. Sakura gaped at him, but decided not to retaliate to his retreating form. He had a point after all. She couldn't let her worrying get to her, but where could they possibly be?

He was now near his target escape route along the south wing's shopping area. The plan was to escape through the roof of the shopping district, which was covered by hundreds of glass frames. Each one came with a latch, making it quite easy to unlock and escape. Hotel security sucked, regardless of its prestige. The snow fall however, would definitely leave a trail behind.

"mmmm" the girl moaned as she began to shift in his arms. That wasn't a good sign. He quickened his pace to the center of the shopping district. As he ran, the girl was getting more and more fidgety. Not only that, but the boy seemed to be waking up as well.

"That blow to the head should have kept them out longer than this," he thought. "These kids are tougher than I thought."If anything, he could resort to the sedative shots if they fully woke up.

"Mommy…," mumbled the little boy in his half-conscious state. He was waking up and feeling the effects of getting hit in the head. This wasn't good. Suddenly, the kidnapper heard the shuffling of footsteps coming his way. It sounded like two or three people.

"Daddy," mumbled the little girl. She began to shift around in his grasp, making it harder to run with them.

He cursed. The footsteps were getting closer, and he knew that there wouldn't be time to get them out of here. There was no choice. He had to abort the mission.

"Suki!"

The kidnapper stiffened at the sound of Sasuke Uchiha's voice. He must have been right around the corner, judging by the sound. The kidnapper glared at the direction of his voice as he dropped the kids on the floor and loaded his grappling gun. His leader wasn't going to be too thrilled, but that wasn't his problem right now.

Looking back down at the kids once more, the kidnapper loaded his gun and fired up towards the ceiling, where one glass pane was left open. The gun shot up and latched onto the outer surface of the ceiling, then tightened.

As he reeled himself up the wire of the gun, the kidnappers eyes were concentrated on the little boy and girl, whose faces seemed to trigger something within his memories. One of them he knew as the child of his lost love, and therefore the object of innocent torment to his soul. But the other seemed to be something more than that.

That boy's face was Sasuke's… but not quite. As he jumped up through the open pane, he quickly shot his device again and launched off the roof.

Mission: failed

"Suki!" he shouted as he ran through the corridors. He heard a faint sound, like something was shot and quickly darted into that direction. Naruto ran right after him, having also heard the sound.

"Sound came from over there," Naruto noted however Sasuke didn't listen. He just continued to run down the hall to the entrance of the shopping district, and it was then that he saw something in the distance. Sasuke focused his eyes, and saw something that made him both relieved, and worried.

Sora and Suki were on the floor and barely moving. He saw Suki look up and right at him.

"Suki!" he shouted, increasing his speed. Suki looked up at him with tears welled up in her eyes and held her small arms out to him.

"Daddy!" she sobbed as her father came and swept her up into his arms. Suki held onto his neck and began to cry. Relief flooded through him for a brief second now that he had found them.

Naruto picked up Sora, who looked to be on the verge of tears, but was trying to hold them in. "You okay?" Naruto asked. Sora only responded by whimpering and leaning his head down.

Sasuke looked down at Suki. "Suki how did you get down here?"

She only cried more as she held onto him tighter. Sasuke, who knew he wasn't going to get any answers at the moment, held her close and looked around their surroundings.

Naruto looked around as well before saying "We should get back. Sakura would want to know they're okay." He looked back at Sasuke, who as staring intently at the high ceiling. "What's up?" he asked as he looked up at the ceiling too.

"….Nothing," he dismissed as he went from looking up at the ceiling, to down on the ground. That's where he saw something that just didn't seem right. A few shards of glass were on the floor. That was suspicious enough for him. He looked up at the sound of Sora's whimpers and went over to him.

"He seems pretty shook up," Naruto noted as Sora whimpered into his chest. Sasuke came and placed a hand upon Sora's head. Sora turned to look at Sasuke, and that's when he saw it; a small cut on the side of Sora's head, and it was bleeding a little. Some glass must have cut him.

"Mommy," Sora whimpered into Naruto's chest. "I want my Mommy."

Sasuke took one last look around before deciding to leave. He needed to get Sora back to his mother and figure out an explanation for this incident. None of this made sense.

Kakashi's communicator went off. "Have you found them?"

It had been about twenty minutes since the kids went missing, and Sakura was in a state of panic. She was circling the ballroom for the tenth time and desperately calling out for Sora and Suki.

"We found them," Gaara answered. "In the shopping district near the south gate…and it doesn't look like they wandered off here on their own."

Kakashi furrowed his eyebrows. "…I see. Get them back here now!" he ordered before hanging up and turning to Anko, who was standing right behind him. "We found them," he told her. He looked up over at Sakura, who was now standing near the entrance along with Temari and Hinata, who were trying to calm her down.

"Better go tell her before she loses it," Anko suggested. "And give me your jacket, I feel naked in this damn dress." She forcefully yanked his coat right off him and placed it on herself. Kakashi gave her a slightly disappointed look, but left it alone as he headed over to Sakura.

"I'm sure they found the kids by now," Temari said reassuringly. She already knew via the communicator in her ear ring, but tried to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Then why aren't the here?" Sakura snapped making Hinata jump at her tone. She sighed and placed her fingers at the bridge of her nose. "Sorry… I'm just worried right now."

"It's okay Sakura. Everyone is looking for them," Hinata soothed. She saw a figure approaching them in her peripheral vision and turned to see that it was Kakashi, but before he could get to them, she heard Naruto call out to Sakura.

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned her head in his direction and gave out a short breath of relief when she saw that he and Sasuke had the kids with them.

"Sora!"

Sora turned his head towards his mother's voice and saw her rush over to him. She took him from Naruto and hugged him close.

"Mommy," he cried, hugging her back and burying his face in her shoulder. Sakura wrapped both arms around him and felt relief wash over her.

She kissed his forehead tenderly. "Sora where did you go?" she asked as she knelt down and patted his head. She took a look at Sasuke, who was holding a crying Suki close and trying to comfort her. She looked back down at Sora and gasped.

"Sora what happened to you?" She turned his head to see a small cut on the side of his forehead that was bleeding a bit. Sora immediately tried to turn away so she couldn't see it.

"…I don't know," he moaned as he went to hug her again. When she tried to get a better view of the cut, Sora resisted, only hugging her tighter and whining. Tsunade, who was miraculously not drunk, came and knelt by them.

She took Sora's head and turned him to face her. When it came to Sora, Mommy was one thing, but Grandma was another. "Let me see your head."

Sora sniffled but obeyed his grandmother as she inspected his wound. Sakura held Sora as Tsunade traced the edge of the cut with one of her perfectly manicured red nails. Sora flinched as she did so.

"I'll need to clean that cut," she informed. Sakura nodded in agreement. She then felt something tossed onto her shoulders and saw that it was someone's coat. She turned around to see that it was Gaara who tossed his coat onto her back.

She looked at him questioningly. Gaara simply stood behind her and gave her a blank stare, silently commanding her to keep the coat on. Her dress was too low cut for his liking, and having her bend down like that was pushing it, especially with all the male attention she was unknowingly receiving.

"Thank you," she said, internally rolling her eyes at his big brother mannerisms.

"Let's take him back to your room," Tsunade suggested as she still held Sora's face in her hands. She looked at him with a soft expression. "Grandma will make it all better, just like I always do, okay?" Sora sniffled and nodded.

Sakura looked over at Suki and saw that she was still teary eyed. She stood up and placed the coat more securely around her before picking up Sora and carrying him towards Sasuke and Suki. Sasuke was stroking Suki's hair as she rested her cheek against his chest.

"Suki," said Sakura as she approached her. Suki looked down at her. Sakura smiled and kissed her cheek. "Are you okay sweetie?" Suki shook her head and sniffled. "Aww it's going to be okay. You're safe now." She ran her hand through Suki's hair. Suki hiccupped and Sakura moved her hand to hold Suki's smaller one to give it a reassuring squeeze.

Sasuke would have smiled at the sight of Suki being comforted, had he not been preoccupied with a larger issue. He glanced down at Sora, who was resting his head on his mother's shoulder. That injury and the glass on the floor added up to something.

Sora was clutching onto the coat that was placed on Sakura—that Sasuke was secretly glad for—as if he was afraid to let go. His face was buried into her shoulder, like he was trying to forget something, or hide. The way he was whimpering and making faces indicated that he seemed to be in some discomfort.

And why were Sora and Suki found on the floor, as if they were waking up from a nap?

The thought that Sora and Suki weren't conscious at any time during that blackout disturbed him the most. Someone took them.

"Sasuke." Sakura's voice broke his concentration. He looked down at her concerned face. "Where were they?" Sasuke, not wanting to really discuss anything until he figured things out, didn't reply.

"Sasuke," she pressed.

"Later. Let's just get them back to the suites," he said as he shifted Suki in his arms. Sakura silently agreed as she placed a kiss on top of Sora's head. The two parents walked out of the ballroom along with Tsunade, Kakashi, Itachi and Gaara, who lingered behind them a bit.

Itachi examined the sight, memorizing every detail. Neji and Shikamaru were with him, taking in the sight as well. To any ordinary person, the area would have been just a space in the shopping district. But when you're a CIA Agent, an ordinary scene can be broken down into several specific and crucial points that tell a story.

"It doesn't add up," Shikamaru said. "It couldn't have been a targeted kidnapping, yet the clues are too suspicious. Sora and Suki shouldn't be of anymore "value" to anyone in particular. Sora may be the Commanders grandson, but Suki isn't."

Neji agreed. "We need to know two things: the motive, and the true target." He examined a piece of glass from the floor. He placed the glass in a small plastic bag and pocketed it. He then looked up at the glass paned roof, which was covered in snow.

"The pattern on the snow seems irregular at that particular glass pane," he pointed out. He placed a special set of shades on that magnified that particular glass pane. "Someone was up there and not too long ago, however the snowfall won't help up now." He zoomed in extra close and his shades traced faint outlines of foot prints.

Itachi remained calm, but on the inside, he was furious. To think that anyone would even dare to go near his niece was making it hard to function. Protecting his family was the reason why he joined the CIA. He gave up a civilian life and swore complete loyalty to the force, regardless of what anyone thought of him.

Shikamaru speaking interrupted his rage.

"In any case, the fact that there was a supposed attempt to take Sora and the fact that the current case we've re-opened revolves around his father is just too concurrent," he said. "I can't see any connection to the two cases, however I don't believe in coincidence. Suki being involved just makes it more of a dead end to me."

"Suki being involved in this…," said Itachi as he slowly turned to them. "…just opens up more possibilities."

Shikamaru sighed. "There are always more possibilities, and the only other one I can think of seems improbable."

"So you're thinking this might have been a targeted action," said Neji. "And if that's the case, then regardless of the secret identities, someone out there knows the true identity of our Commander, and probably that of many more Agents as well."

"Which would suggest a security breech in the agency," Shikamaru finished. They all tensed at the very thought, but it was looking very possible at the moment.

If, and only if this is targeted, then that meant the worst. Someone had hacked into the CIA mainframe. That person now had an unknown amount of dangerous info that could possible destroy them.

"Hold still Sora," Tsunade ordered as she cleansed his wound with an alcohol pad. Since Sora had been accident free lately, Sakura had forgotten to stock up on sting-free alcohol pads. Sora continued to fidget as the burning alcohol sunk into his cut.

"Sora just let her finish," Sakura pleaded as she held him in her lap. He was still a little upset, and all he wanted to do at this point was hug his mother close. Sasuke and Suki had gone into their own suite for the time being.

Kakashi didn't see the need for them to be here as of this moment. What was important was to tend to Sora and see that he was okay. While Tsunade tended to his wounds, Kakashi and Gaara stepped out onto the balcony. The cold winter air was bracing and perfect to keep their minds sharp.

"What did Itachi have to say about this?" Kakashi asked as he dug his hands into his pockets and leaned against the railing casually. "I can imagine his concern for Suki would lead to either a more precise objective, or a tainted one."

Gaara folded his arms across his chest and stared out into the white December night's sky. "Uchiha's theory is that the suspect has it in for one of you. More precisely, he's got it in for either you Commander, or Itachi himself," he specified.

"And that's purely on the basis of the kidnapped persons involved: Sora and Suk," Kakashi noted "The fact that both the kids were taken throws us off, leaving us unable to narrow it down." He looked up at the night's sky. "I thought I had the best security for them. Even so… something like this happens."

"Something that you know we have to play off as nothing for the time being," Gaara reminded. Kakashi nodded and sighed.

"That's something I'm quite accustomed to," he replied. "Sometimes I hate myself for lying to Sakura."

"…What she doesn't know can't hurt her. Pain is something she shouldn't have to feel," Gaara said vaguely. Kakashi eyed him before looking back up at the sky.

"I know. No one has gone through more measures to protect her than I have. But that couldn't have been done with your help. I'm grateful to you and your family for looking after her when she was a med student."

"Sakura is family," Gaara replied. "Don't forget that I'll do whatever it takes to protect her…with or without your orders." Kakashi chuckled and pulled out his favorite book that was hidden in his coat.

"…I don't like Uchiha," Gaara added. Kakashi swiftly turned his head to him and closed the book. "There's something about him I just don't like."

"Enlighten me."

Gaara turned his hard eyes to Kakashi. "Just seems like there's more to him than meets the eye. Unlike the rest of you, I'm not ruling out the abduction of his daughter as a coincidence."

"You think they might have been targeting Sasuke?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "I think…that he's going to be under my radar. You can assign the rest to someone else. Let me investigate Uchiha."

Kakashi said nothing as he silently agreed to do so. For one thing, it would save him time trying to figure out the new man in his daughter's life. There was no one better for the job than Subaku no Gaara. He was just as protective of Sakura as Kakashi was.

"I'll leave him to you then," Kakashi settled.

After Tsunade had left, Sasuke had come back with Suki, who insisted on seeing her Aunty Sakura.

Sakura had changed out of her gown and sat on the couch with both children, who clung to her like their lives depended on it. Suki had long since stopped crying and was barely awake. Sora on the other hand, just looked upset. Sakura glanced at the clock. It was almost midnight.

"Time for bed," she announced as she ran her fingers through their hair. The kids barely made a move to get up, still wanting to enjoy being with Sakura and her warmth. "We have to go home tomorrow. You're going to need your sleep."

"mmm mmm," Sora mumbled as he shook his head and cuddled with her even closer. He didn't want to leave her at all; not after what happened. Suki did the same. Both of them didn't want to leave the comfort she was giving.

From his place at the balcony, Sasuke could see Sakura on the couch with the kids. The sight was just too perfect for him. Leaning back on the railing, he observed the three of them and couldn't help but think that this was something that he wanted to see every day.

The five minutes he had with Sakura tonight were definitely not enough for him. He wanted more—much more from her. He wanted all of her, but most of all he wanted her to be there for Suki, and she was.

He made his way inside and closed the sliding door shut. He came over to the couch and kneeled before Sakura and the kids. Their sleepy faces rested comfortably on her shoulders as she gently stroked their heads. Sasuke checked his watch and figured that they should get back to their suite.

He placed his hand on Suki's head. "Tenshi, we need to go now." Suki slowly shook her head.

"I don't want to go Daddy," she mumbled sleepily, yet desperately as she slung to Sakura and buried her face in her chest. Sakura smiled and kissed her head.

"You need to sleep," he said as Suki gave a small yawn. She still shook her head and held onto Sakura.

Sora looked up from the other side of Sakura. Truthfully, he felt very safe with his mother, but he felt even safer if Sasuke was around.

"Why don't you sleep here with me and Sora? Would you like that Suki?" Sakura asked.

"Uh huh," she replied. Suki looked up at Sasuke and he nodded his head. He leaned forward and gave Suki a kiss on her forehead.

"Okay," he said as he stood up to leave.

"Daddy, stay here too!" Suki's small hand reached out for him. "Don't leave me," she pleaded fearfully as one hand clung to his sleeve while the other clung to Sakura. Sakura smiled at the small girl and gave Sasuke a look that told him it was okay if he wanted to.

"Sleep next to us Daddy I'm scared," Suki pleaded.

Sora shifted on Sakura's other side. Although he didn't want to show it, he was scared to, and he didn't want Sasuke to leave. Sasuke shifted his gaze to the boy, then back to Suki.

"I'm too big to fit here with all of you. I can't sleep here Tenshi." Although he didn't want to leave her feeling scared, there was no way that he would be able to sleep with all of them, let alone bring that awkwardness to bed. Sakura, who sensed his struggle, opted to help him out.

"It's okay Suki," she said gently. "I'll be right here next to you all night. You don't have to feel scared."

"But what if something bad happens Mommy?" Sora asked. "Who's going to protect us?"

"I will," Sasuke answered. Sora looked up at Sasuke as Sakura held him closer to her. "I'll be in the next room on the couch, so you don't have to be afraid."

Although he was still scared, Sora nodded and put on a brave face. They got up and moved to Sakura's bedroom. Sasuke watched them leave before making his way to the couch for the night.

The floor of the suite was clean, save for the articles of clothing that lay forgotten there. A trail consisting of a tie, a coat, high heeled shoes, a shirt, a belt, socks, a dress, and then a pair of pants all led to the main bedroom of Kakashi Hatakes's suite. The occupant of the suite was currently under the covers with his lady after a heated night of "problem solving".

"After all I put you through, you shouldn't be able to think anymore," Kakashi drawled as he planted a trail of kisses along her neck, down to her bare shoulder. Anko chuckled and turned to face him.

"After all you've been through tonight, you shouldn't have the ability to mess with my head," she replied. "I would have thought you'd spend more time with the investigation."

"There's a time and a place for that," he said, pulling her against his chest. "But you honestly think I can't tell when something's on your mind?" His lean yet muscular arm tightened its hold on her.

"Sensitivity is over rated. You know that don't you?" She gave him an exhausted smirk. She ran her fingers over his bracing arm, tracing the ANBU tattoo that still graced his biceps. His tattoo was a symbol of strength, whereas hers was just an eyesore of her past.

Kakashi noticed her actions and knew she was thinking about her "curse seal" again. He understood that that part of her past was difficult to get over, and it was ultimately what gave her that fiercely independent personality of hers.

"You sure there's nothing you want to say?" he persisted as he caressed her back. Anko didn't say anything. Sure she was thinking about her tattoo, but it wasn't just hers she was thinking about. She kept wondering about that brief glance at Sasuke Uchiha's neck, but she couldn't let her emotions show.

Her "man candy" was a little too smart. He could read her like those damn books he's so fond of, and regardless of how much it pissed her off at times, she still loved him. So she decided to distract him in the way that always works best—seduce him again. She quickly flipped her body over him and landed with a smoldering kiss. Kakashi's hands slid along her hips and over her back before they came to the side of her face as they pulled apart.

"There is something you should know," she breathed as her lips barely separated from his. "Icha Icha Paradise's got nothing on me." She kissed him again, fully prepared to make Icha Icha look like child's play. Kakashi could only succumb to her addicting touch.

Truly, his favorite novel had nothing on Anko Mitarashi.

Sakura's eye fluttered open only to be greeted by a small hand that was covering her left eye. Smiling, she gently lifted Sora's hand off her face and placed it beside him, but not before giving it a small kiss first. The next thing she had to work on was Suki, who was curled up at her side and clinging to Sakura's abdomen.

She chuckled. "These kids."

She carefully detangled herself from Suki's grasp. She brushed the hair back from Suki's eyes and placed a kiss on her forehead. As she got up and off the bed, she checked the clock and saw that it was still very early- 6:15 to be exact. White winter clouds covered the sky as delicate amount of snow could be seen falling and filling the room with soft winter lighting. Sakura got up and stretched her muscles as she lazily walked out of the bedroom and into the living room.

She contemplated taking a quick shower as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. There was still so much packing to do before they left for Tokyo. She crossed the threshold and passed the foyer, only to stop mid-step at the sight of the figure that was still asleep on her couch.

She brought her hands down and debated whether or not she should approach him, or just keep walking and take her shower.

Her body didn't seem to let her choose as it began to move her closer to the man on her couch. She walked slowly, carefully approaching him as if he could wake up at any second. She didn't want him to wake up. As a matter of fact…

"This is the first time I've seen him asleep," she realized as she stood before him. The entire suite was heated enough, but it would still be cold if you weren't covered. Sasuke didn't even have a blanket, only his clothes. Sakura's gaze traveled from his feet, up to his abdomen, then finally his face.

He had removed his tux coat and his shirt was unbuttoned, exposing him in all his muscular glory, much to her now racing hormones guilty pleasure.

"I should just keep walking….but," She knelt beside him and watched him sleep for a bit.

His face was so angelic. The defined features that molded him into the epitome of strength during the day seemed to soften down to its simplest form now. Sasuke was such a powerful looking man that it seemed almost impossible for him to rest. Yet here he was, asleep on her couch.

If feelings could grow stronger just by gazing at someone's face, then that was what was happening now.

His chicken hair was covering part of his face, making him seem all the more childlike, but his undeniably adult body was hard to override. Sakura's hands felt the need to explore those chiseled abdominal muscles that were calling out to her, tempting her.

"Why did I have to be a six pack kind of girl?" she asked herself as she held back from touching them. She instead went back up to his face. She slowly brought her hands to his forehead, hoping to move the bangs out of the way, but before she did she stopped at the sight of that strange tattoo on the side of his neck.

With his neck craned out like that, it was clearly visible.

"Such a strange mark. I wonder if it stands for anything." She thought as her hand hovered above it. "…a flower? Or maybe some kind of pyramid? And what's with the circle around it? Looks like a stamp of some sort."

Just as she was about to trace the contour of the tattoo, she was quickly caught off guard when his eyes snapped open. He grabbed her hand and used the other as leverage to flip them over, pinning her down securely.

Sakura yelped at the sudden move. She opened her eyes wide and saw Sasuke hovering above her, panting as he took control of their position.

"Sakura…" he exhaled as he tilted his head down to compose himself. He couldn't help his reflexes sometimes, but this could work to his advantage at the moment. Sakura on the other hand, was trying to relieve herself from the shock of the sudden move.

"Sasuke…," she breathed. Her hands were thoroughly useless under his much stronger arms keeping her down. He used his body to completely stop her movements by using his weight against hers. "Are you o—"

Sasuke cut her off and dove right in for the kill.

His lips came crashing down on hers in a mind blowing kiss. She could do nothing more than embrace the impact and kiss right back. If they didn't realize it before, they knew it now.

They wanted each other—badly.

His hand tangled into her hair, tilting her head and instantly sending his tongue on a journey into her mouth. She moaned into his mouth and allowed him to explore her. Her hand gripped the back of his shirt while the other embedded into his hair, fisting itself into his midnight locks as a reflex from the burning sensation of his mouth on hers.

He lifted her against his chest with her legs wrapped around his waist. The couch was now officially not enough space for them. Sakura didn't even notice when he hoisted her up and began the strong yet haphazard walk to the other side of the suite, where the unused bedroom was waiting.

Sasuke was still attached to her mouth, working ever angle he could and making sure there was no space left without his traces. Sakura's hands were getting lost in his hair as they entwined themselves desperately within his silky raven locks.

She moaned as his hands supporting her thighs gave a light squeeze. He continued his attack on her lips as he drove them into the wall of the hallway. She gasped in surprise as her back made contact with the wall, and gasped again when Sasuke quickly left her mouth and began attacking her jaw line and neck.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura was still conscientious of the fact that there were two sleeping children in the bedroom across the suite, and tried to contain her moan. Sasuke on the other hand, was unaware of anyone else but her as he continued his assault on her neck.

She moaned his name as he sucked on the junction of her head and neck. His rock hard abs pressing against her was enough to cloud her mind even more. She released more breathy moans as her neck feel prey to his continued advances. Sasuke was getting highly annoyed at her damn full sleeved shirt blocking most of her neck from his hungry lips.

She held onto him tighter as the shirt on his back began to gradually slide off. Sasuke pushed off the wall and kept moving towards the room. He kicked the door open and quickly maneuvered to the bed, where he unceremoniously dropped her on top.

Her head hit the pillows as she watched him stand near the foot of the bed, looking over her with lust that came out of nowhere. As he moved towards her, his shirt slid off completely and landed on the floor before he pounced over her and claimed her lips once again.

Sakura's hands went on auto pilot as they traveled up and down his front, memorizing every muscular detail they could. He was one fine piece of anatomy if she did say so herself. As a physician, she could fully appreciate that.

Sasuke grunted as her warm hands explored his chest and abs. She had no idea how that gesture was driving him over the edge. Sakura loved the feel of his sculpted abdomen against her fingers. How did such a busy man find time to work out?

"Sakura…," he groaned as her delicate fingers went up and down his torso. Her hands slid back up, over his pecks, along his neck and to the sides of his descending face, just before it meshed with hers all over again.

Sasuke's body was barely suspended above hers as he ravaged her mouth. Her hands traveled from his head, down his strong sturdy back, but she dared not go lower than that. Sasuke must have wanted her too because he pressed his body against hers, pinning her in place and leaving his hands to roam free.

"Sasuke," she whispered breathlessly as his hands went up and down her sides, rolling up her shirt as he did so. His mouth never left her body as it went down her neck and across her right collar bone, where his teeth began to graze her skin.

He moved down and left a trail of kisses along her chest. He pushed himself against her, and her eyes snapped open when shefelt just how aroused he was becoming. The motion seemed to trigger Sakura's resistive reflexes. She was quickly waking up from her lust ridden stupor.

He sensed her resistance, but he wasn't having any of that. He was so close now. His hands slid up her frame, quickly and completely rolling her shirt up and off her, leaving her in only a bra and pants. She didn't even have time to be surprised as his arms slid up her own, where he intertwined his fingers with hers and held them down at her sides, trapping her.

Sakura couldn't concentrate, yet subconsciously she realized they were getting too carried away. As much as she thought she wanted this, now was not the time and certainly not the place. But how do you calm the beast when you've fallen prey to his lust?

"…Sas…mmm…" she couldn't stop as he kissed her deeply to silence her. She was becoming less resistive, and even more responsive. Sasuke released her arms, letting his own run up and down her bare sides. The feelings he stirred in her were too much. She wanted to feel all of him. Her arms betrayed her as they ground against his back all the way up to his scalp where she angled his head and deepened their kiss.

Sasuke's hands relished the feel of her silky skin, where he briefly traced the outline of her bra before moving to unclasp it…and Sakura wasn't going to resist him.

Suki slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. She brought one hand up to her face to rub the eye boogers out of it, and yawned. She kept rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the soft light that was coming from the balcony's glass doors.

"Mmmm Daddy…?" she mumbled wearily as she kept rubbing her eyes. She slowly got up and looked around the room. "Aunty Sakura?" Her eyes landed on Sora, who was still sleeping lopsidedly with his mouth open.

"Aunty Sakura?" she called out again. She remembered that Sakura said she would stay here with them, but she wasn't here. Where was she? She decided to wake up Sora.

"Onii Chan, wake up," she said shaking him. Sora only mumbled and rolled the other way. Suki pouted and began to shake him harder. "Onii Chan, where's Aunty Sakura?" she asked impatiently.

Sora only mumbled again and readjusted himself comfortably in the blankets. Suki, who was now fed up him, hopped of the bed and began to scurry out of the room trying to find somebody.

"Daddy! Aunty Sakura!"

Sakura gasped and suddenly found to strength to pull away from Sasuke. She broke the kiss and Sasuke regretfully removed his hand from underneath her bra hooks. Both were panting heavily.

Sakura tried not to look at him as she quickly slid away from his grasp and shuffled to find a robe and throw it on herself. She ran out of the room towards the little voice, not even giving Sasuke a second glance in fear of what she would see. She heard Sasuke's grunt of severe frustration, but placed it in the back of her mind as she entered the hall and saw a frantic Suki running in her direction.

"Aunty Sakura," Suki cried rushing towards her. Sakura met up with her half way and knelt down as Suki ran right into her arms. She wrapped her arms around the small girl and held her tight.

"What's wrong Suki?" She pulled away to look at her face. Suki looked up at her and pouted.

"I woke up and you weren't there."

Sakura gave Suki a kiss on her forehead and hugged her again. "Aw I'm sorry sweetie. We're you scared?" Suki nodded and held on to Sakura tightly.

Sasuke had walked back into the hall, still somewhat turned on and heavily pissed off at the interruption. His shirt was thrown back on, but not button up. His hair was in disarray and his breathing was rash and unsteady…until he saw what was before him.

"I'm right here," Sakura soothed as Suki clung to her. "I'm not going anywhere." She patted Suki's back and kissed her forehead. She rested her chin on top of Suki's head and caught Sasuke's eye.

Part of her was afraid that he would be upset with her and she couldn't blame him for that. But the other part couldn't believe how sexy he looked, standing there with his pectoral muscles in all their glory visible for her to feast on. She almost wished they weren't interrupted. Almost.

Sasuke leaned back and took in the sight. Regardless of the unwanted interruption, there were too many things perfect with what was before him. Sakura's soft smiling face as her arms comforted his delicate daughter made his day. Sakura's gaze upon her was what really set it in. She looked at Suki as if she was her own child. That's all that mattered to him.

"Daddy's here for you too," she told Suki. She looked in her father's direction. Sasuke came over and ran his hand over the side of Suki's face and kissed her cheek.

"She knows that," he said as he brushed his thumb across her cheek. Sakura smiled and held Suki close. It was just now that Sasuke could truly appreciate Suki's resemblance to Sakura. It wasn't just the eyes anymore. It was her very essence. Sasuke always thought that Suki took after him, but you'd never think that when compared with Sakura.

"Suki is Sora still asleep?" Sakura asked.

Suki pouted and nodded. "Yeah. He didn't wake up when I told him too."

Sakura chuckled. "Well he can sleep a bit more. It's early and he's probably still tired from last night." Suki gave off another yawn. "And you're still tired too. Why don't you go back to bed sweetie?"

"mmm mmm" she mumbled, shaking her head sleepily and rubbing her eyes. Now that she wasn't so worried about Sakura's whereabouts, sleep began to kick into her little body.

"I promise we won't leave you," Sakura assured as Suki looked at her with sleepy eyes.

Sasuke, who had been standing by long enough, took Suki from Sakura's arms and walked back to the room to put her to bed again. Sakura decided to take this time alone to bolt into the main bathroom and get her shower in. She made sure to lock the door before turning around and leaning against it.

She closed her eyes and sighed. Sasuke was more aggressive than she had expected. She opened her eyes and gasped.

"What the hell?" She ran to the mirror and hastily and examined her neck. It was covered with something that she hadn't been wearing in years: hickies!

"Two, three, four…five! Five friggin hickies!" she gasped disbelievingly as she examined the red blotches spread throughout her neck. "Good thing its winter and I brought turtle neck shirts."

She began to wonder whether Sasuke was really attracted to her, or if he was just insatiable. They were really pushing their limits with each other. If it wasn't for Suki, Sakura was pretty sure that she'd still be in that bedroom, too emotionally drunk to push Sasuke off her.

What really scared her was her willingness. She wanted it just as much as he did, and she was afraid of losing her own resolve. It had been three years since the last time she was intimate, and to suddenly jump right in again was something she didn't expect.

Just the thought of him looming over her, kissing her, touching her…

Sakura shook her head and placed her hands over her flushed cheeks. She really needed that shower…and a cold one at that. All these thoughts about Sasuke were making her body react. The heat in the center of her core was proof of that.

She turned the shower head on and let the water run lukewarm. It was winter after all, and a cold was the last thing she needed. She stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the water run over her heated body. Too many thoughts were swimming in her mind, and she planned on washing them away for now.

But one thing was certain. If this happened again, she wasn't so sure that she would be able to stop it, let alone want to.

Sasuke had tucked Suki back into bed and stayed with her until she was asleep. Then he got up and walked back into the hall, across the foyer and towards the other room again. He heard the shower run in the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom.

He leaned against the door to the bathroom briefly before stepping away from it and walking back into the living room. There were too many things to think about, and when Sakura was around him, he found it harder to think about anything else but her. He tried hard not to focus on the fact that she was still resisting him at times.

He walked to the balcony and leaned against the glass doors as he watched the snow fall outside.

His thoughts drifted to the news reports from last night. "There's no way they could be related."Several missing persons were reported over the past year—strictly missing, as in no bodies have been found. It may have been a long shot, but when you're Sasuke, there's no such thing as impossible.

There were two other alternatives about what could have happened to the kids. One, they wandered off on their own, however that wouldn't explain the broken glass. Two, someone took them by force and tried to leave with them. As much as that thought angered him, it was the most probable cause.

The question was what anyone would gain by taking Sora or Suki?

There was no doubt that Sasuke is a powerful man. He had a respectable social status among the upper class, not only in Tokyo, but within Japan itself. The Uchiha family history dated back to the feudal era as a powerful military based clan. But even so, to have those types of enemies would be impossible in this day and age.

Last night gave him plenty of time to think about the previous night's occurrence.

The sound of small footsteps coming down the hall caught his attention. Sasuke turned around expecting to see Suki again but instead he saw Sora emerge from the hall, rubbing his eye and oblivious to Sasuke's presence.

"Mommy?" he called out sleepily.

He stopped rubbing his eye when he was half way across the foyer. That's when he spotted Sasuke standing by the glass doors to the balcony. In his mind, Sasuke looked really cool standing there with is messed up hair, leaning against the door. Sora was actually a bit intimidated and didn't know if he should approach him.

"She's taking a shower," Sasuke said after a moment of silence. Sora looked in the bathrooms direction. At the turn of his head, Sasuke was able to glance at the cut that was on his forehead. Seeing that cut angered him. Not only did something bizarre happen to them, but Sora was actually injured.

"Oh…okay," he mumbled, almost pouting and looking at the floor.

"…What's wrong?"

"Mommy didn't wake me up." Sasuke raised his eyebrows and nodded his head in his direction, telling Sora to come over. "She always wakes me up," he continued as he made his way over and stood next to him.

"And why does she have to do that?" he asked glancing down at the boy.

"Because if she doesn't then I'll be late for school and I like to get ready really fast."

Sasuke smirked. "You don't have school today."

Sora looked at him blankly before looking away sheepishly and scratching the back of his head.

"Oh yeah," Sora chuckled. "I forgot."

Sasuke smirked at looked out at the horizon. "How's your cut?"

Sora shrugged and traced the cut with his hand. "It's okay now. Grandma fixed it and Mommy kissed it. Mommy say's that kisses make it all better," he said matter-of-factly. Sora looked up at Sasuke and grinned.

Sasuke knelt down and inspected the cut. He thought back to Sora's condition when they were found. Maybe, just maybe he might remember something.

"What happened yesterday? Why did you and Suki leave the party?"

Sora looked down at his feet with a frown on his face. "…I don't know. I don't remember."

"Are you sure? Did anybody take you or tell you to follow them?"

Sora shook his head. "I don't know. I think I fell asleep and then when I woke up, my head hurt."

"You fell asleep?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah and I had a dream of a ninja guy with white hair." That caught Sasuke's interest.

"Like your grandfather?"

Sora shook his head. "No he had white hair like my grandpa, but it looked like Aunt Shizune's hair and then he was running really fast and …"

Sasuke listened as Sora went on about his "dream". He was pretty animated about it, and what Sasuke noticed was that this kid had a knack for detail.

"…and he had a funny mark on his arm that looked like a 'd'..." Sora continued. Sasuke nodded at Sora's explanation, although it still puzzled him. He patted Sora's head and ruffled his hair.

"You have good memory power," Sasuke stated. "Most people tend to forget their dreams when they wake up. It's a good strength to have. Never lose that."

Sora beamed at the compliment. "Mommy says that too!"

"What do I say?"

Sasuke and Sora snapped their heads in the direction of the hallway and saw Sakura standing there dressed in pants and a light pink long sleeved knitted top. Her hair was slightly damp from her shower and the ends were curling a bit.

"Mommy!" Sora shouted as he ran to her. "Sasuke says I have good memory."

Sakura chuckled and glanced at Sasuke. "Well he's right. You have such a great memory." She bent down and hugged him. "You have an artist's eye, and you never leave out any details. Just like…," she paused and ran her fingers through his hair and let her palm rest at his cheek.

"Just like Daddy?" Sora asked hopefully. What Sora mostly knew about his father was that he was a great artist, and that's exactly what he wanted to be. Sakura lightly traced the cut on his head affectionately.

She smiled. "Yeah…just like Daddy."

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke rise and stay in his place. She kept her gaze on Sora and placed both her hands on the side of his head. "We have to get ready to go home soon. You go brush your teeth and wash your face so we won't be late, okay?" she said before whispering "Since we're here, we'll go and pay our respects." Sora nodded in understanding and scurried of to the bathroom. "Don't rush sweetie, we have some time!" she yelled as he disappeared into the hall.

As soon as Sora left, Sasuke was behind her in a heartbeat. Sakura stilled, but dared not to turn around; not after the way she left him hanging before. She couldn't feel his breath on her neck, as it was covered with her turtle neck top, but she knew he was close enough to have felt it.

"…I have to tell you something," she said with her back to him. He paused, waiting and anticipating a comment or complaint about their earlier behavior. Whatever she had to say to him, he had a defense ready.

"Hn."

She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at her feet. "Sora and I are going to the Kyoto Memorial Park after breakfast." Sasuke took a moment to decide whether he should relax or continue to brace himself. "Even though it's not that time of the year yet, I want to visit my mother… and take Sora to visit his father."

He watched her back as it remained somewhat tense. He had nothing against her going to the memorial sight, but he couldn't help feel that this was another chance for her to turn away from him again. Even though she proclaimed her desire to move forward with him, he still had his insecurities about her.

Not that he would ever let her know.

"It's snowing. Wear a thick coat," he ordered before turning away from her and walking back into the kid's room briskly. Sakura didn't look back at him as he left her. She wouldn't let herself do so.

While she was showering, she decided that since they were in town, she and Sora should take the opportunity to visit Sai and her mother. By deciding that, she also felt obligated not to indulge in Sasuke for the time being.

She heard him coming back and turned to see him carrying a droopy-eyed Suki with him. Sasuke went to the couch and picked up his coat and draped it over her. She met them at the door and held it open for them.

"Be back by noon." Sakura looked at him and nodded. "We leave for the train station at exactly 12:00 pm. Have everything you need ready by then."

Again, Sakura nodded. "Don't you want to tell me not to talk to strangers?" she teased as she smoothed out Suki's hair. Suki smiled at her and looked back at her father.

Sasuke would have kissed her right there as a reply, had it not been for Suki and the fact that he'd been purposely holding back to keep his composure. Instead he leaned forward and smirked.

"Don't talk to strangers," he replied before shifting Suki in his arms and walking towards the door.

She watched them leave with a smile. Regardless of her insecurities about her relationship, she really couldn't see Sasuke and Suki as anything less than family. She closed the door as they left.

"I'm finished!" Sora declared as he got out of the bathroom. Sakura turned and smiled at his new fresh face.

"That's great. Now hurry and get dressed. You know where we're going today, right?"

Sora nodded and smiled. "We're going to see Daddy. I can't wait to give him my drawing," he said excitedly. Sakura couldn't help herself as she scooped him up and cuddled with him.

"Aww, I know you can't," she cooed as she attacked his cheeks with kisses. Sora tried to resist, but giggled nonetheless.

"Mommy, no more kisses!"

Sakura pretended to pout. "What? I can't help it. Your cuteness was showing and I'm your mommy, I have to kiss you!" She planted more kisses on his cheek. She smothered him with motherly love all the way to his room, where she left him to get changed.

Sakura thanked the cab driver as she and Sora stepped out. She wore a long black winter coat over her outfit with velvet black gloves, while Sora was bundled up in a grey jacket, black snow cap and black mittens with a matching scarf.

They walked in a slow pace into the memorial park. Sakura carried a bouquet of white lilies. According to her father, they were her mother's favorite flower, next to the cherry blossoms that weren't in season at the moment. The park was glistening white with fresh snow lying across the field. The pathways were barely visible since people rarely visited this place when it snowed.

Sakura and Sora trudged through the snow, and made their way toward their site. After a good ten minutes of walking, they finally came to their destination.

Rin Haruno Hatake

Beloved Wife, Mother and Friend

"Hi Mom," she greeted softly as she came and placed the flowers before the large memorial stone. Sakura's father had chosen an enclosed area of the park as her mother's resting place. A large cherry blossom tree that wasn't in bloom at the moment stood next to it, casting its snow covered braches over the stone.

Sora came forward with his special drawing of an angel. Sakura had punched a hole in the paper and tied a string to it. She lifted Sora and allowed him to tie the drawing onto one of the tree branches so that it dangled elegantly over the grave.

"Let's say a prayer for Grandma," she suggested as she put him down. They both held their hands together and said a silent prayer.

Sakura's prayers to her mother were always special to her. It was the only way she could ever talk to her, and it was a way she knew her mother could hear her. She silently told Rin about Sora and their new lives in Tokyo. She also asked her mother for guidance.

"Please watch over me Mom. I've met someone, and he means more to me than I ever thought he could. Let me know that what I'm doing is right, for both me and Sora. And please continue to watch over Daddy. I still miss you Mom and Daddy does too. I only wish you were here to help me be the best mom I can be to Sora."

She ended her prayer and looked down at Sora. They bowed to the grave and left.

They continued to walk along the park, making the familiar turns to get to their next destination. The one that held more pain and memories than the first loved one. Sakura looked at Sora as they walked. Her baby was going through the same thing she had to go through by visiting a parent they would never know.

They turned the corner into another private area. This area was serene, just like the other one. Here, there were also cherry blossom trees covered with snow. Below it stood the beautifully engraved memorial stone of her husband.

Sai Arisugaki

Dearly loved Husband and Father

Emotions threatened to spill out of Sakura's body as she approached the snow covered monument. Here was what remained of her beloved. Her best friend and father of her child, reduced to a memorial stone. Sakura held Sora's hand as they approached it. She laid a single red rose before the grave. The brilliance of the red was able to shine against the white snow, highlighting its very essence. Sai would have appreciated it.

"Say hi to Daddy."

"Hi Daddy. I brought you a present," Sora said as he released Sakura's hand and carefully brought his drawing out of his jacket with a little difficulty due to his mittens. Sakura once again lifted him up to attach the drawing to the tree.

"It's me and Mommy and you," he explained. Sakura saw that it was a caricature of the three of them together. Sora actually was pretty good about the detail in Sai's face. "I hope you like it Daddy."

Sakura held back her tears as she knelt beside him. "He loves it. You know how I know? Because when you were really little, he said that he hoped for you to get his talent in art, and you did. You're just like your Daddy you know that?" she said as a couple of tears slid from her eye.

"Why are you crying Mommy?" Sora asked worriedly as he tried to wipe the tears away. Sakura shook her head and held him against her.

"I just miss him sweetie. I miss him a lot," she said kissing his forehead. She held him close and together, they both looked at the grave, with Sora's drawing displaying what they wished was still their family.

From a distance, a figure stopped in his tracks at the two people he saw at this grave. Kakashi had come earlier and had actually visited Obito's grave, then went to Rin's, where he saw Sora's drawing. He knew that Sakura was here, and he knew where to find her.

He watched as his only child continued to mourn the loss of her husband. He would forever regret all the trouble he gave them when they were dating. Hell, he only began to accept Sai when Sakura became pregnant with Sora. But what he learned was that Sai, an Agent who was trained to lose his humanity in the most intense CIA training, managed to break free from that and find himself with Sakura. She saved him, and in turn he protected her and loved her unconditionally.

Forgiveness was something Kakashi never asked for from Sai, yet he knew that the former ROOT Agent held no hostility towards him. Sai accepted him as part of Sakura's life. Kakashi only wished that he could have saved his son-in-law. He wished that maybe he could have been more of a father to him as well.

But it was far too late for regrets. What's done is done, and there were still pieces of this broken family to put back together.

"Sakura…" Kakashi whispered. He began to walk towards them.

Sakura turned her head at the sound of his footsteps. When she saw her father there, she stood up and immediately went to hug him. Kakashi held her tight. There was nothing more he could do for her. Nothing would make it better.

They pulled apart, and Kakashi took his moment to pay his respects to his son-in-law. He stepped forward and placed a special medal right next to Sora's drawing. The inscription on the medal was for excellence, which was exactly what Sai provided the agency for more than fifteen years before he died.

"We should get going. It's getting cold," he noted. When Sakura didn't respond, he calmly walked on a bit to give her some time. He stood and watched her.

Sakura stared at the grave. "I'll always love you, Sai…" she whispered. She couldn't have possibly seen the spirit of her love come before her just then, but she felt his presence. Her father on the other hand, was able to sense him fine.

Kakashi just stared as a faint outline of Sai came before Sakura and Sora. He watched as Sai placed his hand on Sora's head proudly. Then Sai stood tall before Sakura as she whispered that she loved him.

She closed her eyes as a gentle breeze came and engulfed her being, making her hair flutter out. This was Sai's presence, and she knew it. She could almost feel his lips on hers as he kissed her, and she relished in the sensation. As the wind settled, Sai gave his wife and son one more look, before disappearing again. Another tear slid from Sakura's eye as she smiled up at the sky.

"Bye Daddy," Sora said as he too, looked up at the sky. Sakura quickly looked down at him in surprise. He felt him too. Her baby felt the presence of his father, and that brought so much joy to her heart. She knelt down and hugged him tight, letting the tears fall as she smiled up at the sky.

"Daddy loves you Sora," she sobbed as she kissed his head. "He loves us both very much."

Sora hugged her back and looked at the drawing above the grave. He didn't like seeing his mommy sad, but she was smiling.

"Don't cry Mommy," he pleaded helplessly as he tried to wipe her tears away, but his mittens wouldn't permit him. Sakura chuckled and wiped her own tears away.

"I'm sorry baby. Let's say goodbye to Daddy for now." She stood up and they both bowed to the grave and whispered their farewells to Sai.

A light snow fall came from the heavens then. They looked up at the sky once more, enjoying winter's gift. Sora stared in wonder as the snowflakes coated his eyelashes. He blinked them away and he smiled.

"Let's go back now. We'll visit Daddy again soon," Sakura promised.

Sora nodded. They both looked at the memorial stone one more time, before turning and walking towards Kakashi, who was patiently waiting for them. Kakashi smiled at her reassuringly. It was a difficult thing to come here, because when it's time to leave, it felt like losing their loved ones all over again.

"I think some hot chocolate is in order here," he suggested in an attempt to cheer them up.

"Yeah!' said Sora as the three of them began the walk back to the park entrance. Sora had a bit of trouble trudging through the fresh snow, so Kakashi ended up carrying him. Sakura held onto her father's arm as they made their way to his car. It was time to get back to life...for all of them.

"Dammit," Sasuke cursed as he and the rest of his group gathered on main floor of the hotel.

He was just informed that their train was going to be delayed for another day due to mechanical damage. They would have to stay here for the night again. His parents however, were going back via private plane, which had limited seating, so the rest of them were stuck here.

"That means another day without ramen!" Naruto grumbled as he put his hands behind his head. "Isn't there one ramen stand in this whole city?" Hinata just smiled at him sympathetically.

"We can always stay here another day," Neji said. "There's no point in rushing back. We can all push our patients to other doctors for one day." He glanced at Tenten, who was sitting on one of the big fluffy arm chairs with her feet propped up and enjoying a muffin. He didn't want to rush anything in her condition. She looked like she was full term into her pregnancy.

"I'm not complaining," Shikamaru drawled as he leaned against the counter. "I'm in no hurry to get back to work."

"Not all of us are as carefree as you are," Sasuke ground out. From the corner of his eye, he saw Gaara and his group coming in their direction.

"Hey Gaara," Naruto called out. "You guys heading out already?" Gaara briefly nodded while keeping his stare on the Uchiha.

"Where is Sakura?" he asked, though it sounded more like a demand. Sasuke glared at the red headed man and chose not to respond.

"Where is Sakura?" Naruto asked, looking around. "And Sora," he added.

"Out," Sasuke replied. "What's it to you?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He remained standing where he was, letting the tension grow around them. Temari and Kankuro gave each other looks, worried about Gaara's reaction. He had a very protective demeanor when it came to Sakura, which they knew first hand. Not very many people were brave enough to challenge him, yet Sasuke Uchiha was another corporate super power. Competition was a given.

"Hey, let's not be so hostile in the morning. Won't do anyone any good," Temari said hesitantly.

"Ramen would make things better," Naruto mumbled. "You think a hotel that has everything would have a ramen stand."

"Shut up Dobe," Sasuke snapped as he pinched his sinuses. He could only take so much at one time.

"What's got you so uptight? I thought Teme mode was turned off for the time being," Naruto said before he grinned. "Sakura being gone getting to you?" he asked, getting a lot of head turns at his comment.

Ino and Tenten looked over from their places on the cushy chairs to tune into the conversation. Sasuke was giving Naruto a death glare. This was why the Dobe couldn't be trusted to keep his mouth shut.

"Sakura...," Gaara said, drawing everyone's attention. "..was one of the best doctors in my facility. Her well-being is of my concern. Don't be surprised if I try to bring her back Uchiha," he threatened. "She was my employee."

"And now she's mine," Sasuke shot back as he took a step forward.

That got a reaction from everyone. Shikamaru shifted, Neji raised an eyebrow, Naruto and Kankuro snickered, and Temari gave a small cough. Ino and Tenten stared wide eyed as the kids just sat around them. The personnel behind the reception desk stood in awkwardness as their guests increased the tension.

Tenten nudged Ino with her elbow. "Wow," she whispered from their place on the chairs. "Smell that tension," she said as she took a bite from her third muffin of the morning.

"Seriously," Ino huffed. "Forehead girl's got it good if she's got two hot guys fighting over her. She gets all the luck," she said with a sigh. They continued to watch Sasuke and Gaara stare each other down.

"Possessive bastard aren't we?" Naruto grinned as he nudged Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke spared him a glare that told him to shut up before he gets hurt.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed. "If anyone needs me, I'll be outside."

As he walked to the entrance he could see Sakura stepping out of a car and carrying a box full of some drinks with Commander Hatake and Sora. Shikamaru praised his good timing. He didn't want to be in there when she arrived. It was already awkward enough for him. He pushed the glass doors open and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He lite-up and watched as the three of them made their way toward him.

"Shikamaru," Kakashi nodding his head in greeting.

"Commander."

Sakura looked at him disapprovingly. Before she could speak, he interrupted her. "Save the speech. I get it enough from my troublesome wife," he said as he blew some smoke into the air. Sakura sighed. "By the way, you might want to get in there. You're the object of attention, and you might be able to cut the tension."

Sakura gave him a curious look before walking past him with Sora.

The doors were opened for them by the bell boy, and once Sakura saw Gaara and Sasuke giving each other death glares, she knew she was in for it. She walked up to the group, who had yet to notice her until Suki shouted her name.

"Aunty Sakura, Sora," she shouted. Everyone turned their heads in her direction. Suddenly, she got somewhat uncomfortable with everyone's curious glances.

"Um…hi everyone," she greeted as she made her way to the chairs where Ino and Tenten were sitting. "I brought coco," she announced cheerfully as she placed the tray in the center.

"Score!" Tenten shouted as Sakura handed her a cup. She gave one to Akio, Akira and Suki. Sora came by with his cup and took a seat with the other kids.

Kakashi waltzed in behind them and glanced at the group. "Did we miss something?" he asked looking at the glaring duo, both of whom we're still locked in a no blinking battle.

Sakura looked at them curiously. "What's going on?"

"Apparently we're going to be staying here for one more day," Ino answered. "There was some kind of problem with our ride back."

Kakashi's ears perked up at that bit of info.

"Another night in here?" Sakura asked as she looked over at the guys. "What about our patients? What if I get paged?"

"That's just going to have to wait," Sasuke replied, finally broke the glaring contest. "All your patients will go to the emergency on-call doctors. There's nothing more we can do."

"Well I have an idea," said Kakashi, who had a somewhat happy face. "You can all stay at my place," he offered.

Sora ran up to him with an excited face. "Really Grandpa?"

Kakashi chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Of course, it's been a while since you came to visit."

"Yeah!" Sora shouted happily.

"We wouldn't want to intrude," said Neji. "I'm sure it would be a hassle for you to take care of everyone here. We can just stay here for another night."

"You would think I live in a box," Kakashi replied. "I insist. There are enough rooms in the house for all of you."

"It's true," Sakura said nodding. "It would be really nice and it's not far from here. It's actually closer to the Metro that the hotel. Besides, none of you can resist my super-secret Christmas cookies once you've tried them."

Both Suki and Tenten's ears perked up at that bit of info.

"I'm in!" Tenten raised her hand. Ino sweat dropped. Tenten still had a muffin and a cup of coco in her hands.

"Me too, me too, me too!" Suki chanted as she also raised her hand and moved to sit next to Sakura.

Naruto rubbed his chin. "Cookies aren't ramen, but they're just as good. Count me in," he said while giving the thumbs up. Kakashi glanced over at Sasuke, who was looking at Suki.

"Well? Is it a plan?" he asked directing the question to Sasuke. He knew that ultimately the decision would be his. Sasuke gave everyone a quick look before looking at Kakashi.

"Hn."

"That means yes in his language," Naruto transplanted. "Alright, we're going to Sakura's house!" he said just as Shikamaru made his way back into the lobby from his smoking break.

"...troublesome," he muttered.

Kakashi drove back to his home with Sakura and Sora. The rest of the group was behind them in the hotel van that Sasuke rented for the day. The two cars drove through the beautiful snow covered Kyoto landscape and into a private residential area. They reached a huge house that was surrounded by an iron black gate.

"Home sweet home," Kakashi said happily as they stepped out of the car. Sakura looked up at her old house.

Memories came flooding back of all the wonderful years she spent here. It was a large two story house/mansion with snow covered trees surrounding it. In the back, there was a large back yard and a swimming pool which must have been iced over by now. Her father had also built her a fort in one of the trees in the back yard, which now belonged to Sora.

Naruto whistled. "Wow. So this is where you live," he said as he and the rest of the group got out and admired the house. Ino stepped out and smiled. She used to come over here a lot when she and Sakura were younger. Everyone else got out of the car and carefully made their way through the falling snow and into the warm house.

"Brace yourselves," Kakashi warned as he opened the doors.

The group entered the large foyer, and heard a sound that was quickly coming towards them. That's when they saw an unexpected fleet of dogs in all sizes and breeds stampeding through the hall. Kakashi stepped forward and the dogs came to an immediate halt and lined up before him.

Sakura stepped before her father and bent down towards her pets. "Come here my darlings," she cooed as she clapped her hands. All ten canines broke the line and charged at their other beloved master.

Sakura chuckled and squealed as the dogs tackled her to the floor in excitement. They were trained to protect her, but they also loved their master's daughter very much. They licked her face and wagged their tails as each dogs fought to get to her. They also swarmed around Sora, who was having a fit of giggles. One particular dog, that was smaller than the rest jumped into the young boys arms. He loved his grandpa's dogs.

"It's Pakkun!" Sora said as the dog licked his face.

"Got enough dogs?" Tenten chuckled as she and the rest watched the amusing scene before them.

"Look at all the doggies daddy," said Suki as she pointed to them. Kakashi smiled and decided that they had had enough fun for now. He stood up straight and ordered them to sit.

Immediately, the dogs, including Pakkun, got off of Sakura and Sora and sat in a straight line. Suki, Akio and Akira stared in awe at the dogs, all the while thinking how cool Sora's grandfather was for having them all.

"Well, make yourselves at home. Sakura can show you to your rooms," Kakashi said as he took the dogs to the back. Sakura turned around and motioned for everyone to follow her.

Everyone gathered their bags and followed their pink haired friend into Kakashi's large and eclectic style home. There were tasteful pieces of art and beautiful furniture in the living room and hallways. What they couldn't see were all the hidden security sensors, mics and info screens hidden in select places throughout the house. But being mostly made up of CIA Agents, they expected something of the sorts in Kakashi Hatake's household.

On a side note, they wondered how much privacy Sakura really had as a youngster.

They passed by a large den area and continued onto the hall. Sakura lead them all to the main hall where the stairs were located.

"We have four guest bedrooms upstairs, and two down stairs. You guys can pick which ones you want. The kids can sleep downstairs. I think it'll be fun for them to be near the dogs. And Tenten, maybe you'd like one downstairs too."

"You bet," Tenten groaned. "Those stairs are looking like Mt. Everest right now. I'm such an invalid!" she cried as she made her way to the downstairs guest bedroom.

Neji sighed and followed her while carrying their entire luggage, all the while secretly counting the days till the end of her pregnancy. Ino and Shikamaru we to leave in a bit to work in a visit with her family while they were here, but agreed to stay for dinner. Sora led the kids to the dogs so they could play for a bit. That's when Sakura realized that Sasuke was gone.

"Sasuke?" She went back into the hallway trying to look for him. She passed by the den, and that's where she found him.

He was gazing at a large framed portrait of a young pretty woman with reddish brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She was standing by a fully bloomed cherry blossom tree in a white dress, and holding onto her very pregnant belly.

"That's my mother," Sakura said from behind him. Sasuke glanced back at her as she walked up to him. She looked up at the picture and gave a soft smile. "That's the only picture I have with my mom and me together. It's one of my dad's favorites."

Sasuke looked down at her and studied her face.

"What?" He leaned in slowly. Sakura tilted her head back questioningly, until he pulled back. Was he going to kiss her?

"...You look like her," he noted as he looked back at the picture. "The hair makes sense now."

Sakura tried to playfully punch him in the shoulder, before he caught her wrist in his larger palm. He held onto her hand gently as he guided her closer to him. "You we're crying."

Sakura looked up at him questioningly. "You were crying when you went to the cemetery. You're eyes gave it away," he said as he released her hand. Sakura took in a deep breath and released it.

"Visiting the dearly departed tends to be an emotional event. It's not like you don't shed a silent tear or two when you visit your late wife, right?" Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that. When in doubt...

"Hn."

"I saw my husband and my mother. Extra tears are in order there," she joked. She was taken by surprise when he suddenly pulled her into his arms so that they were face to face, and dangerously close in the lip-wise. Sakura's hands were on his chest and he pushed their foreheads together.

"You need fewer reasons to cry." Sakura looked into his eyes and felt her heart do back flips as she gazed into his soul.

Simply being in his embrace like this was enough to get her heart racing. The small blush on her face couldn't be suppressed as it coated her cheeks. With heavy eyelids, she whispered.

"You know...we're still in my father's house," she pointed out. Sasuke smirked and slowly moved his hands sensually up and down her sides, foreheads still touching.

"And?" he asked somewhat huskily as the noses now touched.

"...and," she couldn't find the words as he lips finally came in contact with hers. It was a sweet yet passionate kiss. She slowly wound her arms around his neck as he held her close. She tilted her head to the side as he invaded her mouth with his tongue. This morning's "events" came to mind, and with it came a new sense of guilt. She completely left him hanging in the moment, and she hadn't seen him all day, let alone apologize for leading him on, then leaving him. Not that it was her fault but still.

She broke the kiss, but remained in his arms.

"About this morning, I'm sorry." She increased her grip around his neck.

He looked at her guilt ridden eyes. At last, she acknowledged this morning's interruption. Had he been feeling a bit more sinister, he would have ridden out her guilt and finished what they started this morning, but looking into her genuine eyes suppressed that side. All he wanted to do was embrace her now, and that's what he did.

"Sorry for what?" he asked before kissing her again. Sakura kissed back knowing that she was forgiven. That was Sasuke's language, which she was now knew like the back of her hand. She chuckled before he kissed her again and again. They continued to kiss until something painful implanted its way onto Sasuke's left leg. He broke away from her with a grunt as the sudden barking of a dog came. Sakura saw Pakkun standing in the doorway growling and barking up a storm at Sasuke.

"Pakkun!" she shouted with her hands on her hips. "Bad dog! Stop it! SIT!" she ordered, pointing her finger at the small dog. The dog stopped barking, but continued to growl at the Uchiha man that was "attacking" his master. That's what he was trained for right?

"Are you okay Sasuke?" she asked as she lead him to the couch.

"It's nothing."

He sat down and before he could stop her, she rolled up his pant leg and saw that Pakkun had left quite the mark on his ankle. She gasped and turned back to the still growling dog.

"Bad dog Pakkun. You know better than to hurt guests. Bad doggie!" she chastised. Pakkun began to make whining noises as he placed his tail between his legs. "Too late now. Go sit in your corner and think about what you did, before I tell Daddy!"

She turned to fret over Sasuke again. Pakkun left the den and made his way down the hall, still making whining noises. As he got half way into the hall, he stopped whining and entered the basement door.

The small dog made his way into the basement, then entered a secret passage way that lead him into a high tech surveillance room, full of monitors and real time playbacks of the happenings in the house. There was a large chair in front of the computers monitors, and Pakkun made his way over and jumped up and onto his master's lap.

Kakashi was watching a large monitor that had the Den on display. He had hidden a camera below the portrait of his wife and had witnessed and heard the entire "scene" with his daughter and Sasuke.

"Good dog," Kakashi praised as he stroked Pakkun's head and gave him a dog treat. Pakkun happily ate it as his master continued to stroke his head. Once a protective father, always a protective father.

"Dogs truly are man's best friend," Kakashi mused as he stared at the monitor of Sakura trying to patch up Sasuke's painful looking ankle. Pakkun always was his favorite.

Authors Note:

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