To Love and to Love Again Chapter 28: Seeing Red
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!
Neji placed the X-ray of Sora's head against the light. He closely examined it before turning to Sakura and Sasuke. Hinata was currently wrapping some gauze around Sora's head on the exam table. The cut on his head was small, but it was deep enough to require two small stitches. Luckily it was just along the hairline, so it was easy to cover.
"It's only a superficial wound," Neji explained. "No bone damage whatsoever," he added to Sakura's relief. Neji turned to Sora and examined his eyes with a small light, going back and forth between his pupils. "Does it hurt when you move your head Sora?" he asked. Sora shook his bandaged head. "Good. No concussion to worry about either."
"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he held onto his sleepy daughter. Suki was trying to fight off sleep, eager to observe her Uncle Neji sew up Sora's head and see as much of the hospital as she could, but she burned out with all her excitement. The lollipop Neji had given her was slipping out of her little hand. Sasuke took it from her and tossed it in the trash.
Neji gave Sasuke a quick bothered glance, as if asking why the hell he was here in the first place. Sasuke discreetly glared back. Maybe he could coax Neji into going to the dojo next time. It would certainly be gratifying to beat the shit out of his big-brother aura, which was getting old now.
"You can give him meds for the pain, if he has any," Neji said to Sakura. "He needs to come back in-"
"Five days to remove the stitches," Sakura finished as she chewed on her fingernail and held herself together. "Yeah, I figured." She waited patiently while Hinata finished wrapping the gauze around Sora's head. He looked like he just came out of brain surgery.
Neji placed his hand on her shoulder, sensing her distress. "It's just a cut really. The gauze makes it look worse than it is."
Sakura nodded and released her breath. "I know," she said leaning her head against Neji's shoulder. "I can't help it. All that blood on his head was just…" she shrugged and was grateful when Hinata finished her work, allowing Sakura to finally fuss over him.
"Are you okay sweetie?" she asked while gently tracing the gauze over his head. Sora glanced at Sasuke before giving his mother a reassuring smile. After Sasuke told him to be brave for her, Sora made sure he did just that. He didn't want his mommy to worry.
"Uh huh," Sora said before he yawned and rubbed his eyes to stay awake. Sasuke smirked. He was glad that nothing was seriously wrong with Sora, but did they have to bandage his head in that manner? Sakura was already on edge, and she was probably thinking back to the night their house was broken into. Sora was injured then too.
"Let's go home," she said as she scooped him into her arms and kissed his cheek. "Thanks Neji, Hinata."
Neji nodded. "Sure and this means no Karate, at least until the stitches come out," he said directing his gaze at Sasuke, who simply glared. He could have sworn he saw the bastard wink at Sakura as if he was doing her a favor.
"I knew it," Sakura replied. Sora on the other hand scowled. "No means no mister," she said when she saw his rebellious face. "If you were more careful today this wouldn't have happened."
Sora looked to Sasuke, pleading with his eyes to say something. Sakura saw this and for one thing was surprised that Sora thought of Sasuke as a higher authority than her, and also directed her gaze to him, daring him to defy her.
Sasuke shrugged. "Consider it part of your training to take a break for a while. I'll take you to the dojo when you're healed." Sora nodded and plopped his head on Sakura's shoulder in defeat, while she gave him an approving smile.
She sat in the back seat of the car with the kids on the way home. In the haze of her life, she came to realize that she was now referring to Sasuke's house as home. They were either at his house, or he and Suki were at hers. It was comfortable for now, but Sakura knew that sooner or later they were going to have to raise the playing field. They had claimed each other in many passionate ways, but she had to face the fact that even though she cared about him deeply, she still didn't know that much about him.
Asuma sighed and began to chew another piece of nicotine gum as he turned the corner again so that he was out of Sasuke's field of view.
The younger Uchiha brother was so damn observant that it almost pissed him off. Kakashi had been specific in making sure that his presence was not detected, and for good reason. Sasuke was constantly checking his tail to see if anyone was following him. Kakashi was forced to call off the 24 hour guards due to increased need for cops on the missing person's case. He had no choice but to plead with Asuma to stay with Sakura while she was on the road. Sasuke seemed all too happy to be free of the guard, which is why Kakashi didn't mention anything about still keeping road-side tabs on him, hence the evasion on the road.
Not that it made any difference. Sasuke was still looking out for followers.
Aside from making his job more difficult, Asuma silently approved of the younger Uchiha's cautionary stance when it came to Sakura. He was behaving very much like a CIA operative, which was okay in Asuma's book. Sakura was a sweetheart and needed the protection more than she knew.
Still, tailing them wasn't pleasant. He never liked telling Kakashi when Sakura was sleeping over with Sasuke. That's not something you want to monitor, let alone tell your friend, no matter how close you are. To his credit, Kakashi took it all in stride, though he was always good at masking his initial reactions to just about anything.
Tonight would most likely be one of those nights, and when he saw Sasuke and Sakura walking into the house with their sleeping kids, it was confirmed.
Once they had gotten to Sasuke's house, Suki and Sora were both out for the night. She couldn't blame them. It was almost midnight and way past their bedtime. Once they were inside, they immediately settled the kids into Suki's room.
A few days ago, Sasuke had surprised her by showing her an extra child size bed in Suki's room for Sora to sleep. The gesture said so many things on so many levels. It was Sasuke showing her how integrated she was in his life, if he was making a home for her son as well. Needless to say she was speechless when she saw it.
She changed Sora into some spare jammies and tucked him in properly before doing the same for Suki. She would have taken Sora home, but it was so late that Sasuke insisted they stay over for the night.
While Sasuke went down to check his security system, Sakura went into his room and lazily got out of her coat and scrubs. She tossed them on his bed and walked into his closet in only her bra and panties. Being in his home was so second nature to her that she was comfortable walking around in her underwear, if even for the briefest of moments. It's not like he was there watching her as she did so.
She rummaged through his closet and pulled out one of his t-shirts and put it on. It was big on her and ended just a few inches above her knees. She was in the middle of folding her clothes when she felt his arm slide over her stomach and pull her back against his chest. Okay, so maybe he was watching her and she didn't realize it. He was always in freaking stealth mode.
She quirked a smile and turned her head back to see him. As soon as she did, he took her lips in a smoldering kiss. Sakura smiled into the kiss and pulled back to look at him, though she couldn't seeing as how his lips just continued placing kisses across her jaw.
"Sasuke," she said as she turned to face him. He grasped her hips and pulled her close. She smiled and placed her hands on his chest. "I'm not mad at you about Sora, so you don't need to go out of your way to be affectionate," she said with a chuckle.
He examined her expression. He knew she wasn't mad, but still. "You're thinking about that night," he said making her eyes widen slightly before looking anywhere but at him. He hit the nail on the head.
"Yeah," she said dejectedly. "He's still out there."
"He won't be able to hurt you," he reassured. "I won't let that happen. That's why it's important that you don't go anywhere alone, especially with Sora."
"And for how long?" she asked. "You can't always be there for me Sasuke. You're not a cop." She placed her palm against his cheek. "You're in just as much danger as I am. The fact is it's going to be too much for you take on."
"Like hell it is," he ground out gripping her hips tighter. He was the exact opposite of a cop; an ex-assassin. He knew everything there was to know about getting to someone and that gave him the greatest advantage. Still, it wasn't like she knew that. "Don't go anywhere without telling me. I can be there without a problem."
Sakura shook her head and pulled away from him, running a hand through her hair in frustration. Now was so not the time to get into his control issues, because she certainly wasn't in control at the moment and someone needed to be.
"Sasuke, before you met me you were at work almost all the time and now you're out of the office more often than not. This is ridiculous!" she said more to herself. "I mean, what possesses someone to harass a person like this?" she asked as she faced him again. "Can I really think I have a legitimate stalker?"
"You do," he answered firmly. "Just because things haven't happened after a long time stretch doesn't mean you don't," he said before looking at her purposefully "And just for the record, we don't really know what he wants with you, so we don't know if we're dealing with a stalker or a killer Sakura."
She jerked back and shuddered. She never thought about that, but damn he sure did have a point.
"It's hard to think that this is just some random person. Wouldn't that person have to know me to some degree?" she asked calmly, trying to mask her deathly fear at the moment.
"Not always," he answered "And there are many things about a target that can lure a stalker in. I'm using the word target, because eventually, he'll try to seek you out." He saw her try to suppress a shiver. Good, he thought. The more fearful she is, the more alert she'll be.
"But wouldn't he be consistent?" she asked, still trying to downplay it. "I don't know much about this, but from what I've heard, wouldn't a genuine stalker be harassing me in an almost compulsive manner? Instead of that all I get a series of creepy moves. He breaks into my house and then he calls me telling me he's watching me. Both events had a significant time in between. What are the odds that he'll get bored with me? And if he wanted to kill me I'm sure he would have done it by now," she said as nonchalantly as possible, though inside she was crumbling.
"Again, we don't know what he wants with you and he's not going to go away!" he replied sternly. "He knows where you live, where you work, your phone numbers and who knows what else. Keep in mind that he's already contacted your directly, broken into your house and rummaged through your things. He's most likely taken something that you wouldn't even know was missing like that damn nightgown," he said with intense hostility at the mere thought. "He wants to be near you and having something like that, something that's touched your skin with your scent, is as close to you as he's going to get until he tries again."
Sakura wheeled around nearly losing her balance as she did so. She was astounded at how specific his train of thought was.
"Again with the damn nightgown?" she asked incredulously. "How long have you been thinking about this?" Sasuke added so many levels to seemingly mundane actions. "I don't know for sure if he's taken it or if I've just lost it," she added, not wanting to admit that this was happening.
Sasuke shook his head. "You asked what it is about you that could draw him in. It wouldn't take a lot. You're attractive, accomplished and you're a well-known public figure. Articles have been written about you and your general info is easily accessible to the public. You're the best of the best; a real life commodity. To obtain your affection or even just attention would be enough of a driving force for someone to try to get to you. All it takes is one look from the wrong eyes, and you'll find yourself the object of his unwanted attention."
Sakura's mind was going in circles. Trying to make it seem like this wasn't as bad as it looked wasn't working when he had two more levels to top her. But every word that came from Sasuke's mouth just made it more real. When was this going to end? When will she finally feel normal again?
He saw the emotions play out on her face. She didn't want this to be happening, but he wouldn't sugar coat how bad it really was. Even though there's been no activity for a while, he wasn't going to risk it.
"Obsession doesn't really have restrictive parameters," he continued. "They don't have to know you to want you. And Sakura…listen to me," he said standing as tall as he could. "If someone wanted something or someone badly enough…they will try to find ways to get to them. If they aren't successful after a few attempts, their mentality towards you can change."
She stared into his steely black eyes and waited.
"The jump from stalking to killing isn't a long one. It's all about the stages of obsession. He may think you're perfect right now, but you're going to do something that will disappoint him eventually. And when that time comes, when he realizes that you're not as perfect as he might have thought you were, he'll react. You have no idea how long he's been studying you, because that's what they do. They study their victims until they have their routine memorized. He'll know when it's most likely the safest time to get to you if he wanted."
Sakura listened, taking it all in. She didn't want to show him how defeated she was at the moment.
"If they can't have it, then they feel it's their place to make sure no one can," he continued. "They can kill you with a snap of their psyche." He saw the fear in her eyes but he knew she understood now.
"Dammit," she said quietly. "I have to do something about this. I can't just sit around and wait for him to-"
"That's exactly what you're going to do!" he said grasping her arms. "You are never to go anywhere in search of him Sakura. Think of what you're risking before you do something stupid. I'm never going to allow that."
"What if he decides to come after the kids? Or you huh?" she asked pointing at him. "It's not just me that I'm worried about. What if he really does get bored with me and moves onto another innocent woman? I could never live with myself if that happened Sasuke."
"I won't let anything happen to you, or the kids," he promised. "I won't let it. Help me do that by listening to me."
Sakura was getting annoyed. His I'm-made-of-steel-and-nothing-can-phase-me attitude was seriously pissing her off. He wasn't a cop; he was a corporate mogul for heaven's sake. Money didn't mean protection and he and the kids were exposed to just as much danger as she was.
"How do you know so much about this?" she asked suddenly. "Everything you've said makes sense, but how exactly do you know so much about obsession?"
Sasuke took a moment to stare into her eyes. He was being too careless in his anxiety over her safely. He forgot just how sharp she really was.
"It's not hard to figure out," he said after a moment. "If you look at history and all the other victims of an obsessed stalker, the outcome is almost always the same. Look at the news today. Do you have any idea how much worse this whole missing persons thing is making your situation? Hundreds of them of all ages have been vanishing. That's making me anxious for you."
Damn. He had another freaking point. She had gotten updates from her father from time to time about that case, mostly because he was calling to warn her about suspicious people. Of course that would make Sasuke worry about her as well.
"I know just how bad that situation is," she replied. "You think it's connected to me? You think that I may go missing?"
"I don't know. I just know that you can't take any risks. If the need to do something stupid pops into your mind, then think about our kids. Think about what losing you would do to them," he said. Sakura looked into his eyes deeply.
She didn't know if he realized what he just said. The minute he said "our kids", something clicked in her chest. He was telling her more than enough to make her stay put.
From the get go of their first meeting, Sakura didn't know what to make of him. The shock and confusion she felt from the moment she first set foot in his office immediately forced her to raise her defenses against him. But now, just a few months after that day, all her walls were down. She was so ready to accept that her feelings for him were so much more than just a mere attraction.
They were bonded, in a way that was so inexplicable to her. She felt like she was missing him, long before she knew he was gone. She wondered if they ever crossed paths in another life, if there was such a phenomenon.
As frustrated as she was at the moment, she knew she was beginning to fall for him. Slowly but surely she knew in her heart that she was falling in love Sasuke Uchiha.
"Okay," she whispered, though she wasn't really sure if she was agreeing with him, or agreeing with her sudden acceptance of her feelings.
He could see something brewing in her mind. She had come to some sort of conclusion. It was all there in her eyes. The skin chemistry between them was enough for him to know what she was feeling, and right now, she was thinking about him.
"I'll stop this," he vowed before bracing himself to ask her something that he did not deserve to ask her.
"Trust me."
He held his breath as she looked him in the eye, analyzing him amongst the uncertainty within her. She had no choice. "I do," she whispered before he pulled her against him and kissed her with ferocity like no other.
Whether she wanted to or not, she knew she had to trust him and he knew that. It did little to ease the gnawing feeling at the pit of his stomach. He knew he could never tell her about his past, no matter what the circumstance. He would not lose her, and he'd take his secret to his grave. He wanted to keep her in his life, without having to explain himself to her.
The dobe was right; he was surely a possessive bastard indeed.
Naruto sneezed as he finished his 3rd bowl of ramen at the bar in Ichiraku's. He had a mission coming up soon and needed to load up beforehand. Kiba was his partner this time and was supposed to meet him soon. After a few minutes, he strolled into the bar.
"Hey man," Kiba greeted as he took a seat next to Naruto and ordered some ramen.
"Yo" he replied slurping down the rest of his soup. He put the bowl down with a satisfied sigh and pulled out his favorite froggie wallet to see if he could get away with another bowl. Kiba eyed the childish wallet with the old-school clasp at the top. It was loudly colored and obnoxious.
"Just like his owner," he thought with a wry grin. "You're a grown man for crying out loud, get a real wallet!" he chided eyeing the beat up thing.
"Up yours. Hurry up and order your puppy chow," Naruto ordered as he bounced his wallet in his palm. It was a keepsake from his father and he was fond if the frog; even named it Gamabunta for the hell of it. Not that he was about to admit that to anyone, especially Kiba. The ridicule would be endless. "I'm not the one with red fangs tattooed to my face" he said pointing to Kiba's head. "And I didn't used to walk around with a puppy on my head either."
Kiba smirked at the memory of his younger days when Akamaru was a puppy riding around in his hoody. Now he was a giant beast of a dog and Kiba couldn't' have been more proud. Now if only Akamaru would produce some puppies for his son Jun. Keep the tradition alive.
"Better Akamaru than Shino's legion of insects," Kiba returned with a shiver. He still couldn't understand the Aburame family entomologists. Rumor had it that they actually acted as hosts to their bugs with their own bodies. Shino was already one scary bastard without that thought in mind.
Naruto blanched. "Yeah well, Shino's one scary bastard," he said as if he read Kiba's thoughts out loud. "Enough said."
Kiba's bowl of ramen came. "So," he began as he broke his chopsticks. "I hear you're afraid of little girls now," he said grinning. Of course he was referring to Naruto's training match with Sakura the other day.
"Hey, you saw what she did that punching bag. Those aren't delicate little healing hands she has everything thinking they are. Those are wrecking balls with nail polish," he said as he visualized her form in flight. "Forget Shino, Sakura's the scary one."
"Speaking of Shino," said Kiba. "He'll be coming with us on the mission."
Naruto spit out his drink and grimaced. "Say what? Why? Shino's a lab rat; he doesn't usually do these kinds of missions. If anything he's usually out doing reconnaissance outings."
"For him it will be reconnaissance. The mission's in the northern region and it's been three years since the …incident," Kiba said as his grin widened. "He wants to track down another bikochu. Try not to fart on this one or Shino's going to go apeshit."
"Hey it's not my fault the damn bug decided to fly downwind of me at that moment," he defended. Naruto didn't even attempt to get back on Shino's good graces after that, assuming Shino had good graces. Three years is a long time to wait for a damn bug.
"Yeah well I suggest you ease up on the gas-inducing foods. Even Shino has a breaking point and I don't want to be there to see it happen."
"Hmm," Naruto mumbled. He still didn't like it, but there was nothing he could do. Kakashi requested that Naruto gather some Intel from the CIA branch in that region, but was not told of what. That info was confidential and since Kakashi requested it, it must be important.
"We really don't have a choice then," Naruto said sighing before emptying his wallet and standing up. "Fine. I'm going home for a while, and then I'll meet you at the spot before we leave."
"Why the hell are you going home? We're leaving in two hours," said Kiba. Naruto just gave him a look.
"In case you forgot, that region is Hyuga territory. Hisashi still has it out for me. If I die, I want it to be with fond memories from home," he said grinning.
Kiba snickered. "Fond memories indeed. Careful or you'll be a daddy before you know it. It happened to me and it sure as hell will happen to you someday."
Naruto stopped and turned around as a grin the size of the Hokage Mountain spread across his face. His blue eyes blazed. "I can't wait for that day. Believe it," he said before going off to find his wife for some practice rounds.
The following weeks came and went by in a blur. February ended with minimal activity, except for a very memorable Valentine's Day evening with Sasuke. Sakura cared for him deeply, and felt ill at ease whenever he wasn't around. Like it or not, they had yet to openly talk about their relationship. Sakura didn't blame him in the least bit because she was certainly just as skittish around that topic as well. She was content just to be with him, no labels needed.
But it wasn't just the two of them. Having kids to explain themselves to was also a delicate subject. Sora and Suki, being the angels that they were, were eventually going to ask questions. She knew sooner or later they would have to discuss it, and she didn't know exactly what to tell them. Sora and Suki would need to know if his mommy and her daddy were going to get married, because to a five-year-old, dating was as foreign a term as taxes were.
But the kids never actually asked any questions, and Sakura figured that until they did, the topic would never willingly be brought up in conversation. Only time will tell if anything more will come out of it.
When March came rolling around the corner, Kakashi was in memory lane. Tomorrow was his little girls 26th birthday. He was sitting at his desk, but instead of reading his usual novel, Kakashi found himself flipping through a photo album instead.
He smiled when he saw the picture of one-year-old Sakura sitting in her high chair and making a mess out of her organic baby food. Tsunade insisted that Sakura be fed a special super organic baby puree at every meal, which is probably the secret to her infamous "inhuman" strength.
He turned the page and saw little Sakura playing in the inflatable kiddy pool. Her pouting face didn't look like she was having much fun with all the water wings Kakashi put on her arms. He flipped the picture again at Sakura's first day of kindergarten.
Big green eyes on her sweet little face smiled back at him through the photo. Kakashi glanced up at his now grown up daughter's photo on his desk. Time sure does fly. Raising Sakura was one of the most difficult yet rewarding things he had ever done with his life. She was his only baby. It was a precious memory.
He eyed the jade earrings he bought her. They were the exact shade of her beautiful eyes. Maybe a party was exactly what they all needed to lighten up a bit.
Sakura lay in bed, aware that in a few minutes she would have to get up and get ready for work. She was also highly aware of the pitter patter of her son's footsteps up and down the hall. She knew he was waiting to surprise her with her birthday gift. She smiled into her pillow and wondered what this year's drawing would be. The door creaked open, and Sakura flopped over on her back and saw Sora poke his head through.
"Hi sweetie," she greeted groggily.
"Happy birthday mommy!" Sora shouted as he jet-set himself onto her bed for a birthday morning hug. Sakura "oomphed" as he landed squarely on her stomach. Ah but his baby days were officially over.
"Thank you Sora," she wheezed as she struggled to get up. Sora knocked the breath right out of her.
"I made you a present," he said holding up a drawing of Sakura as a ninja. She took the picture and stared. It was really good! In the drawing she was dressed as a kunoichi with her leather gloves and red top with black leggings. She had an assortment of weapons including a kunai knife and some shuriken as well as what she assumed was a medicinal pouch and a head band with a leaf symbol on it. She looked totally kick ass and couldn't believe all the detail he put into it.
"Uncle Naruto said it was accurate," said Sora. "What does accurate mean mommy?" Sakura chuckled. She might have traumatized Naruto during their sparing session.
"It means it's really fitting of me," she explained. "Thank you sweetie," she said as she hugged him close.
"Aunty Ino said you should dress better at your surprise party tonight," he said with such serious authority in his voice that Sakura tried hard not to laugh. So much for the surprise, but Sora had yet to catch on that he let anything slip.
"Then I will do just that. Are you going to wear a tuxedo again for mommy?" she asked. Sora's face fell into neutral, and then regressed into annoyance.
"I don't want to," he pouted. Sakura pretended to pout.
"But I love when you wear those little suits. You look so handsome in them," she said affectionately. She couldn't resist scooping him up close and planting kisses on his cheeks. Sora put up a good struggle before Sakura took pity on her little mighty man and promised him he didn't have to wear the suit. Sora looked so relieved.
She laughed and agreed that she would wear a pretty dress before shooing him off to get ready for school. She couldn't help the anxious feeling she had in the back of her mind, and tried to brush it off as she got ready for the day. She tucked the drawing into her bag, fully intending to get Naruto's opinion of it later.
Sakura opened the door to her office and was immediately assaulted by the scent of roses. She actually stood and stared. Her office literally was covered in orange colored roses. She could barely see her furniture.
"What the hell?" she said as she walked in. The scent was overwhelming. There were simply way too many roses in here. Sasuke wouldn't do something like this would he? The sound of her desk phone jarred her out of her thoughts. Dumping her stuff on the floor, because she didn't have anywhere else to put them now, she reached for her phone and answered.
"Dr. Haruno," she said.
"Happy birthday…doctor," came a distorted voice on the other end. A chill swept through her body at the sound of that voice. This was the kind of crap you saw on movies, but it was happening now.
"Who is this?" she asked, knowing she wouldn't get a straight answer.
"Come now Doctor," said the voice. "You can't expect me to answer that and have daddy all over me would you?" he said, assuming he was male. The chill that swept through her body intensified. This person obviously knew her, enough to know that her father was a cop.
"What do you want? And are you responsible for all these roses in my office?" she asked trying to maintain a certain bravado, when really she was scared stiff. She had to let someone know and have this call traced, but dammit this wasn't a movie and she didn't have that kind of crap lying around. She had to at least tell Sasuke, but how could she do it without breaking the call. Her cell!
"You don't like the gesture?" he asked. "I know most women prefer red roses, but you're not most women. Perhaps you're the kind of woman who prefers jewelry? You certainly have no qualms about wearing a one million dollar diamond necklace that Uchiha bastard gave you every damn day," he accused with obvious hostility.
Sakura was reaching for her cell when she froze. One million dollars? For her necklace? How could Sasuke spend that much on her? More importantly, how the hell could this person possibly know that?
"Who. Are. You?" she asked again through clenched teeth. "Why are you watching me?" she asked before she pulled out her cell and began to text Sasuke. Thank goodness for text messaging.
The voice began to chuckle, creeping her out even more. "Ah but you are the most fascinating woman I've ever seen. You've accomplished so much, for a mere woman. You've earned my respect, and my admiration. Not an easy thing for a mere woman to accomplish my dear."
Sakura snorted as she sent the message. "I'm no mere woman, you bastard. This isn't a game. What the hell do you want with me?"
"It's really quite simple Sssakura," he answered. The way he said her name sent a new wave of chills through her body. "What I want with you is simply…you."
"You sick bast-"
"Be careful doctor," he interrupted suddenly. "You have such beautiful children. I would hate for anything to happen to their sweet little faces." Sakura gasped as her legs lost their strength. She fell to the ground, clutching the phone to her ear as a bone chilling fear so great it made her nauseous engulfed her.
"Leave my children alone," she demanded with whatever voice she had left. "Do you hear me you bastard? Touch my babies and I swear-"
"What doctor?" he chided. "What will you do? Send daddy after me? I don't think so. I think you're smart enough to know that's not a good idea. And it wasn't very smart of you to get the Uchiha involved just now. Watch yourself my dear, or you'll be seeing a different kind of red," he warned before disconnecting.
Sakura held onto the phone as the dial tone buzzed in her ear. She was shaking. Not only was this actually happening, but somehow he knew that she sent Sasuke a text message. She screamed when her door suddenly burst open and Sasuke stood in the doorway. He seemed stunned at first by the sight and scent of all the roses, but recovered quickly and swept her up off the floor.
"What happened?" he asked in a hard tone of voice. Sakura was still too stunned to speak. He grabbed her phone and listened to the dial tone. Then he tried to check caller ID and got a restricted number. "Sakura who called you?" he asked. Her text message nearly sent him into cardiac arrest. "The stalkers on the phone come right now!"
When he got no reply he turned, only to find that she had fainted in the middle of about a million rose petals.
It was safe to assume that the surprise birthday party was off.
Since receiving the message more than two hours ago, Kakashi still hadn't calmed his fury. The fury stemmed from helplessness and the helplessness stemmed from their damn lack of anything to trace this bizarre bastard that was enamored with his Sakura.
In two hours, all they had managed to do was trace the call to a disposable phone that had been tossed somewhere near the end of the city limits; no prints or any DNA to point to a person of interest. As Kakashi exited the vehicle, he took the steps up to Konoha Leaf Academy four at a time in his haste to get to his grandson and Suki.
Asuma and Kurenai watched as Kakashi marched toward them, demanding the children's location with his eyes alone. As he got closer he saw that Sora and Suki were sitting on the couch at the side of the main office. Sora was drawing in his sketch pad and Suki was coloring one of his drawings with crayons, humming a children's tune happily in her seat.
"Have Sasuke and Sakura been interviewed?" Asuma asked when Kakashi stood before them.
"They're still at the police station. Sakura's trying hard to help them profile this bastard, but there's really nothing she has that can help," he said with frustration.
"We will find this guy Kakashi," Asuma reassured. Kurenai nodded in agreement.
"Will you continue shadowing her on the streets then?" Kakashi asked. Asuma gave him an awkward look, debating on how to phrase his next statement. Kakashi knew him well enough to know that he was withholding information. "Out with it. What do you know?" he asked.
Asuma sighed. "I'll keep tailing her, but I don't need to be shadowing her so to speak." Kakashi gave him a look that simply demanded more information without verbalizing it. "I've had a hunch about this for a while now. Sasuke Uchiha takes her almost everywhere in his car. Sakura rarely drives her own car anymore. I'd say about 80% of the time she's with him, either alone or with the kids."
"I know about that," Kakashi replied with quiet hostility. If Asuma was trying to imply their physical relationship, Kakashi wanted to cut him off while he was ahead. He was never going to be ready to talk about that. "But you still need to be discrete around Sasuke Uchiha and any other civilians."
"That's the thing. Uchiha is on to me," Asuma informed. That made Kakashi pause alright. "Yeah, I know he is. For a civilian, Sasuke's pretty hyper-vigilant. He knows he's being followed. I don't think he knows who I am or that I'm in any way connected to you or Sakura, but either way he's aware of being followed and he's damn good and evading me," he said with a troubled look. "I can follow him; it just takes more effort."
"How long has this been going on?" Kakashi asked.
"Few weeks," Asuma answered. "At first I thought Sasuke was being cautious for Sakura's sake. What with all this stalker business going around and he like any man would want to protect his woma-gah!" Kurenai elbowed him in the ribs, shutting him up at his choice of words which only spiked Kakashi's simmering temper. "Err, Sakura I mean. But he couldn't possibly have any Intel about our investigation to be that cautious."
"You're thinking he may have an informant? Itachi maybe?" Kakashi thought.
"No. Brother or not, Itachi wouldn't let Sasuke be privy to any CIA intelligence. What I'm saying is that perhaps Sasuke is cautious for other reasons. I may just be fishing here, but I think we should take a better look at Sasuke and the Uchiha's in detail. None of this happened until Sakura moved to Tokyo and met him."
Kakashi wasn't about to tell Asuma that he had already done an unauthorized background check on Sasuke and the Uchiha family. Nothing had come up. Sasuke's record was as clean as a whistle; nothing but a record of excellence and achievements that would make even the most accomplished of people weep with envy. But accomplished or not, Sasuke's vigilance was worth looking into again. There was always the chance that they may have over looked something, and they couldn't afford to take chances anymore. Kakashi glanced at the children.
Sora and Suki were oblivious to any threat to themselves, and for that Kakashi would always be grateful. Children shouldn't have to fear for their safety, and that included his daughter. Sora happened to look up from his drawing and caught sight of him. The sight of his grandsons smile lifted the burden of the situation, if only for a moment.
"Hi grandpa!" Sora shouted. Suki looked up from her coloring and smiled at Sora's grandfather.
Kakashi walked over and knelt before them. He ruffled Sora's hair and patted Suki's cheek. Seeing both of the children sitting side by side made Kakashi take a moment to appreciate their remarkable resemblance to each other. They really could have been passed off as twins. Their coloring was exactly the same, save for the differences in their eyes. He looked from Sora's black orbs to Suki's big emerald eyes and suddenly Kakashi found himself thinking that he had twins for grandchildren instead of Sora alone. He didn't really know how to feel about that, but it wasn't bad.
"Are we in trouble Mr. Sora's grandpa?" Suki asked. She must have been referring to why she and Sora were in the principal's office.
Kakashi shook his head. "No. The both of you can probably go back to class now. I'll be here to pick you up when it's time to go home."
"Are you sure Kakashi?" Kurenai asked.
He nodded. "There's no need for them to be removed from class so early in the morning. In any case I'll be here for the remainder of the day. If this keeps up they'll end up missing most of the school year," he said before turning to the kids. "You can go to class now."
Sora nodded while Suki lunged for a hug. Kakashi was surprised, but accepted the hug happily. Sora lunged for a hug as well, feeling reluctant to let Suki out do him. The result was both children tangled in his arms, giggling over their fight for affection. Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle and lift both kids up into his arms.
"You both are really something you know that? You put the Nara twins to shame," he said. Asuma choked back a laugh. When he thought about it, Shikamaru and Ino's kids were the real twins, but you wouldn't know it compared to those two onyx haired little ones.
Kurenai took both kids back to class, leaving Kakashi and Asuma to continue talking about the situation, and Sasuke Uchiha in particular.
They would get to the bottom of this. They had too.
Sasuke continued to release his fury upon the punching bag. He'd been at it for over an hour already, but the rage inside made him numb to his surroundings. He was aware of Sakura standing at the top of the stairs leading into the basement. He figured she'd venture down here eventually, which was why he didn't switch on his spy gear. To her it looked like an average basement home gym.
Sakura also knew that he was aware of her, and felt it was safe to walk down the stairs to him. He was certainly a sight to see when he was in a kinetic frenzy. In spite of all that was going on, the mere sight of his perfectly hard and sculpted body, dripping in sweat as his abdominals flexed with each breath he took made her shiver.
Sasuke continued to go at it and only stopped when she stood directly before him and the punching bag. She grabbed hold of the bag as it swung toward her, studying it.
"I don't suppose this is stronger than the one Lee had," she said thoughtfully while inspecting the bag. It certainly looked like it was made of more leather and less sand. It had to be hell on the knuckles. Sasuke didn't respond. He simply stared at her face, trying to regain his steady breathing.
He could see the stress under the surface just beginning to be released. She had to be in a panic over all this. She wouldn't be sane if she wasn't.
Sakura grabbed the necklace, toying with the diamond circle pendant between her slender fingers. There was one thing she didn't mention in the police report that had been bothering her. How the hell did that guy know how much her necklace cost? That was something she was dying to ask him, and now was as good a time as any.
Sakura thought about his words over and over again before she remembered something else that bothered her even more than the cost of the necklace.
"Now you had to get the Uchiha involved," she whispered. Sasuke turned his head, not certain of what he heard.
"What did you say?" he asked quietly. Sakura turned and looked at him carefully. Now that she thought about it, the way he said "Uchiha" didn't sit well with her. Something about it seemed familiar.
"He chastised me for getting involved with you," she said. "But he said your name in a way that didn't sound right." She saw his eyes harden and his jaw tighten. "Sasuke…I think he knows you too."
"Why do you say that?" He could see the emotions playing out on her face. She was confused and was trying to piece things together. That wasn't good for him. The thing about Sakura was that she's smart, and as a cops daughter she was suspicious by nature. He had to trend very carefully with her, but he couldn't ignore what could possibly be a link to her stalker.
"I'm saying he knows you too," she replied. "He knew I was texting you and that I'm involved with you. You could be just as much a part of this as I am."
"Sakura, now you're just pulling at the strings. He sent you an office full of roses! Yeah he might know about me, but I'm not the one he's really looking at, it's you." He saw her about to argue and cut her off. "He doesn't know anything pertinent about me."
"Why the hell would you spend one million dollars on my necklace?" she asked suddenly, making him tack a mental step back. He wasn't expecting that, and she knew it. "Yeah, that's right, I know about that. Want to take a guess as to how? My dear little stalker told me. So no Sasuke, I don't think I'm the only one he's studying in an up close and personal manner."
Sasuke's blood began to simmer. That bastard was crossing a lot of lines, and add that to Karin and her not so coincidental appearance in his life again and you could count on one big fucked- up mess. He took care of that kind of mess years ago, but he couldn't be too sure now.
He should have been the only living soul to know the price of Sakura's necklace; a necklace that came from a very specific mission from his days in the Sound Organization. The fact that someone else knows about it did not sit well with him at all.
"That necklace is worth one million and it's been in my family for generations. It wouldn't be difficult to get the net worth just by looking at it," he said in an attempted lie that he knew did not faze her in the least bit.
"So if I just waved this around in front of your mother, she would corroborate your story?" she asked cynically.
"What are you interrogating me now?" he returned.
"Stop trying to diverge from the topic. He knows you, I know it," she said. "It was something about his tone of voice. It was like somehow you were a nuisance to him. I can't see why."
Opportunity struck in more ways than one with that statement, and he wasn't going to let it slip.
Sasuke forcefully shoved the punching bag out of the way and stormed toward her before the bag could swing back at him. He laced his fingers in her hair, using the grip to pull her head back and attacked her lips in a fierce kiss. She went boneless in his arms and tried to keep her grip on him as he kissed her senseless. Something she said unleashed his aggression. She felt the floor mat on her back as he brought them down, leaning onto her and using his weight to trap her.
Sakura groaned in surprise when she felt his need against her stomach. His hands slid down her sides before he pulled back from the kiss, his warm breath mixing with hers as he looked down at her possessively.
"This bastard is obsessed with you and you can't think of a reason why I might be a threat to him?" he asked with dark obviousness laced in every word.
Sakura could have kicked herself if her legs weren't trapped beneath his. Somewhere in that rant she wounded his male pride and unleashed the territorial aspect of his character. Retribution was at hand for her, and that might not be all bad.
"You know I didn'-" he wouldn't let her continue as his lips sealed hers in a fiery rage. Sakura tried halfheartedly to pull away from him, to talk about this instead of leaving it off to fade, but she couldn't force herself to really try. He growled in pleasure when she opened her mouth and met his tongue with her own, fighting for dominance as usual.
Sakura didn't even notice when he was slipping her shirt up until they had to break the kiss for him to get it off her. He tore her bra off next and immediately took her breast in his mouth, making her throw her head back and gasp his name as his hand enclosed the other breast before switching over. His hands slid lower, easily slipping her cotton pants off in his haste to have her bare and writhing beneath him.
Sakura felt the air on her skin as he removed the last of her clothing, before being enveloped in heat as his equally bare body cascaded upon her. She was always so out of it that she never got to undress him, but as she felt every sinewy edge of him, she became less aware of anything else. She did notice that he always left the necklace on her though. That was the one thing he never took off her.
His lips sealed themselves over hers again as his hands worked their magic on her, sliding along her lithe upper body before homing in on the very heat of her. She was so ready for him, but he needed to make her see just how much she belonged to him before taking her.
"You belong to me," he said raggedly as he slipped two fingers into her, making her moan in pleasure. "Only me!"
"I…I…" she couldn't speak when his fingers were doing what they were doing.
"Say it," he demanded as he increased his pace, teasing her by keeping her on the edge.
"I'm yours," she gasped. He removed his fingers and plunged himself into her with one quick thrust, forcing her to contract around him and sending her off into climax. She arched her back and screamed his name as wave after wave of pleasure rolled off her. Sasuke thought there was nothing more arousing than Sakura at her peak, when her eyes were the darkest shade of green he had ever seen and burning with desire. He continued with his slow forceful thrusts, determined to bring her to climax again before he had his own release.
Sakura continued to keep her hold on him, clawing her nails into his back and gripping her legs tighter around him as he continued to thrust into her, all the while staring at her in the most possessive of ways.
Passion clouded her vision, so much so that she could have sworn she saw fire in his eyes. His skin was so hot and strong beneath her hands. She could feel herself beginning to reach her peak once more. Sasuke increased his pace and force until she was almost screaming in ecstasy.
She arched her back as she came once more, touching her chest with his and shouting his name over and over again. The site of her passion and the feeling of her breasts against his chest sent him over the edge as he found his own release, groaning her name through the motions. He slumped against her, spent after so much exertion. Sakura welcomed his weight over her even as she struggled to catch her own breath. Sasuke rolled to his side, taking her with him and maintaining their connection as he brought her on top of him.
Sakura just had enough strength left to make herself look down at him and grasp his face between her hands. "I guess it was… stupid to assume …you aren't a threat to any man," she said between breaths. Sasuke brought his hands up and rested them against her hips. Her necklace dangled between her breasts, catching the low lights of the basement and gleaming at him. She wore his mark so to speak, and it only intensified his claim over her.
"Hn," he said while breathing just as unevenly. Sakura smirked at herself at how winded he was and gave herself props. "If you think I'm going to sit back and let another man even think he has a chance with you, you're mistaken. You're mine Sakura. I don't care how possessive or ridiculous it may sound, but I won't let anyone take you away from me. Not now, not ever," he growled.
Sakura thought her heart might decide to abandon ship and punch its way out of her chest at the rate it was beating. She normally would have had her senses on alert at such a claim, but his words hit home and a happiness that she didn't know she had begun to sweep over her, making her smile at him.
"If you think I'm any less possessive than you are, then you're sadly mistaken," she replied. "You're mine as well Sasuke, and I'm not about to erase my presence from our life anytime soon, or ever," she promised with a kiss to his lips.
"Sasuke, you have nothing to worry about," she soothed. "How can I spare a glance at another man when I have you? No one can take me from you. No one."
He smirked at her before rolling her over and smashing his lips against hers; fully intending to pick up where they left off. She kissed him back eagerly, anticipating more to come. He pulled back and smirked.
"Happy birthday Sakura," he said before claiming her lips once more.
They had all night, and the rest of forever, and he didn't want to waste one minute of it. What a memorable birthday indeed.
Hindsight is 20/20. That's what he was thinking as he ripped the listening device out of his ear and hurled it across the room, narrowly missing his minion's ear and shattering into pieces. He should have never installed a listening chip in her necklace, knowing that damned Uchiha would want it on her during sex. It was one thing to know about someone touching his Sakura in such a manner, but to hear it as it was happening, how possessive and carnal the mating was, was just too much to bear.
He heard her words, and regardless of her sweet voice, they burned his ears.
His minion (mystery dude 2) knew better than to make a smart ass comment and decided to leave the room, letting his boss simmer for a bit.
Kabuto was seething. So she didn't like his gift eh? No, that wasn't it. She didn't like it because of that bastard. That damned Uchiha. He'll show her. He couldn't wait to get his hands on her and show her just how much she belonged to him, how she was going to belong to him and not Sasuke Uchiha. Oh she'll see. After years of ignoring his presences, she'll be seeing red.
And he knew just how to accomplish that. His little cherry blossom needed a warning.
Suki hummed happily in her car seat as they drove to school the next morning. Sora was sitting next to her in his own car seat (which Sasuke saw fit to remove from Sakura's car and put in his own) and making a new drawing in his sketch pad. Sakura felt like humming right alongside Suki.
She glanced at Sora from the rear-view mirror and concluded that she would have to buy him another sketch pad soon. Sora was burning through them faster than ever with a few new drawings a day. She'd buy the jumbo pack at the store next time. Her baby would need it for sure. She was contemplating buying him an ink set for his birthday in July, but didn't know if he would show an interest in ink art. Ink was Sai's specialty. It was a complex art, and Sakura wasn't sure Sora would take to it just yet.
She looked at Suki, who was content to just play with her stethoscope around her neck. Suki had often asked Sakura if she could play with her real life stethoscope, and Sakura complied, letting Suki listen with her own heartbeat. Needless to say Suki was enthralled. Sakura smiled at them from her place in the front seat. She loved them both so much. She could feel Sasuke's eyes on her even though he was driving.
Sakura turned and faced him. She couldn't stop the slow smile that spread on her face as she recalled their night together. After everything they had been through that day, he still managed to make her day end with quite the gift. She couldn't help but replay their activities in her mind. Every touch, kiss and caress was brought to the surface, and he could see the lust in her eyes as they misted over into that lush dark green he couldn't get enough of.
Seeing her that way brought on his desires; ones he tried hard to push back below the surface, but her staring at him that way wasn't helping him. The only thing stopping him from pulling over and taking her right then and there in his car were their two kids sitting in the back seat, oblivious to their parent's lack of control with each other.
Sakura smirked, aware of his dilemma and took mercy on him by breaking eye contract and directing her gaze to the road ahead. She nearly chuckled when she saw him visibly relax.
"Daddy, are you going to come to my recital tonight with Aunty Sakura?" Suki asked. Sasuke glanced back at her through the rear-view mirror and gave her a smile, or at least as much of a smile as Sasuke could make without smirking.
"Yes Tenshi," he answered as they pulled into the driveway in front of the school.
"I can't wait to see you dance like a flower Suki," said Sakura. Internally, she was hoping that she could get off work soon enough to make it to the recital. She was up to her eyeballs in patients today and didn't want to stay any later than she had too.
Suki giggled. She couldn't wait to dance with Akira and all her friends in the flower garden recital they had been working so hard at. Suki was especially happy that she would be dressed as the Sakura blossom. She was so excited that Aunty Sakura would be there to watch her dance too. Suki loved every time Sakura and Sora would come to the house for dinner, or when she and her father would go to their house for dinner. Suki also saw that her daddy was happy too, because he would smile at her more often and he always came to her dance recitals with Aunty Sakura.
She also loved playtime with Sora. She tried to draw as well as he did, but she just wasn't as good at drawing things like him. Sora never let her be discouraged though. He would tell her that if he was good at drawing, then Suki was good at coloring. So now when Sora made some drawings, he would ask Suki to pick the colors for some of them. Suki was thrilled, and even more so when her Uncle Itachi stopped by and gave her own set of crayons and markers.
She glanced at Sora, who was in deep concentration over his newest drawing. Suki got a glimpse of it but only managed to see that it was probably another ninja.
"Is that a ninja drawing too?" she asked. Sora nodded but didn't give any other response. Sakura shook her head. When Sora was absorbed into his art, nothing could faze him.
They dropped the kids off at school, with Sasuke and Sakura walking them both up to the entrance and handing them off to Rock Lee. They were so grateful that the school was informed of their security situations and willing to assist them by keeping watch over their kids. Lee was more than happy to take on the job as it allowed him to fawn over Sakura every morning. Sasuke on the other hand, was tempted to do bodily harm to the green beast of youth. Didn't he realize Sakura belong to him?
She managed to get him away from Lee before anything could happen and soon they found themselves at work, ready for another day. Before Sakura was able to unbuckle her seat belt, Sasuke pulled her face towards his, smashing their lips together the way he wanted to do earlier.
Sakura unbuckled her seat belt and leaned toward him more freely as she tangled her fingers in his hair and kissed him back with gusto. She moaned as his tongue clashed with hers.
"I want you," he growled as he tried pulling her closer. Sakura shuddered with her need for him, but they were in the parking lot in front of a busy hospital and she was running late as it was. Responsibility was a real pain sometimes.
"I know," she breathed before pulling his face away from hers. "But we can't. Not here," she said before chuckling at his expression. It was as though he just realized where they were. That didn't stop his roaming hands from groping her wherever they could. If he was trying to persuade her, he wasn't going to win.
"My office then," he said before kissing her once more. Sakura chuckled as she pulled away again and opened the car door.
"You're insatiable," she said while quickly fixing her hair in the mirror and stepping out.
"Hn," he replied before stepping out of the car as well. They walked toward the hospital entrance together. Sakura was used to this by now, but the only difference today was that Sasuke had her hand firmly gripped in his as they did so. He also seemed to glare and any man that would so much as look in her direction.
"Stop scaring the people," she chided. "This is a hospital…your hospital. You don't want to be scaring patients away."
"He could be here," he muttered as he continued to scan the crowd.
Sakura stopped in the middle of the quad just before the grand entrance. So he wasn't being possessive, he was being protective. She stared into his eyes as an overwhelming feeling filled her. She realized that whenever she was around Sasuke, she wasn't afraid or thinking to look out for herself, because he was there doing it for her. She felt safe around him because he was carrying all her burdens. She was so grateful, and so happy that she had someone in her life that she could rely on again.
It was overwhelming to see how much he worried about her. Plus it was cute. She placed a lingering kiss on his lips in the middle of the quad, not caring who saw them, and there were quite a lot of people there stopping and staring.
"Sasuke…you know I-" she didn't finish as a loud crackling sound erupted from nowhere.
Time froze as a flurry of events simultaneously occurred within the next few seconds.
The thunderous sound of a gunshot fired.
Her eyes registered the blood splatter land on various places on her front, and Sakura's heart froze as Sasuke groaned in agony and clutched his chest as the blood poured out of the wound.
"SASUKE!"
Sakura caught him and fell with him on the ground of the quad as he groaned, still clutching his chest. Her coat was already soaking up his blood as his wound began saturating his shirt. Sakura immediately placed her hands over his chest and applied as much pressure as she could to stop the bleeding.
"Sasuke oh GOD!" she screamed as the pressure made him groan even more in pain. The people in the quad were frantically shouting and scattering away from the area trying to get out of sight.
"Sakura…," he groaned with so much strain it tore her heart. "Get away! Get out of here! GO!" he shouted with his eyes shut tight from the pain.
"NO!" she screamed. "I'm not leaving you." she said as the blood covered her hands. "Oh my God." She looked around everywhere as chaos ensued. "Sasuke open your eyes!" she screamed when she saw his eyelids flutter and his breathing hitch. "Sasuke!" she screamed while still applying pressure.
Sasuke didn't obey her and kept his eyes shut tight, either from the pain or losing consciousness, she didn't know. All of the sudden, Sasuke lurched from the ground, groaning in pain and wrapping his arm around her, making her shriek.
"NO! Get back down!" she screamed. "Sasuke get back down you'll make it worse!" she shouted trying to push him back down. In that instant, she saw red saturating his hard eyes.
Shock invaded her system in that second. His eyes were red! But there was something else. His pupils…split into something. She was too shocked to concentrate.
Sasuke was glaring up at the sky, until he shut his eyes once more. Sakura held his wound closed, trying to examine his eyes as panic invaded her system. Were his eyes bleeding? Had his ophthalmic artery burst?
Sasuke shut his eyes once more and clutched his chest. With great effort, he got up from the ground, pulling her up with him and began to move towards the concrete pillars for cover. Sakura panicked when he made the tremendous movement in fear of him bleeding out even more, which he did.
"Sasuke don't move, please!" she pleaded as she held her hands against his chest. There was so much blood that her hands were covered in it with trickles going down her arm and sleeves. Her coat was covered in splatter. He slumped over her when they finally reached the concrete pillar.
"SAKURA! There she is!" Naruto shouted.
Sakura looked up and saw Naruto, Neji, Hinata and Tsunade running quickly in their direction. Naruto's eyes widened in horror when he saw Sasuke on the ground in a pool of his own blood with Sakura's white coat drenched in red.
Sasuke's breathing hitched once more and his body began to go slack.
"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted as they reached them. "Sasuke open your eyes!" she screamed as Naruto and Neji hoisted him up from the ground while Tsunade held his wound closed. They placed him on a stretcher and immediately began to wheel him away with Sakura in tow.
"Sakura are you hurt?" Tsunade asked as they ran.
"No it's just Sasuke! Oh God Sasuke was shot!" she shouted as she ran with them, looking at his form and the dark red stains on his white shirt. Sasuke began thrashing on the stretcher, as if he was trying to get off.
"Stay down Teme!" Naruto shouted. "Just stay down and don't move you hear me?" he ordered as they ran through the emergency room.
"Page Shizune! I want and operating room prepped and ready STAT!" Tsunade ordered as they ran him through the ER. The ER personnel all shrieked with shock when they saw their CEO bleeding from the chest and being hauled away from them.
Sakura didn't care about them as she ran alongside Sasuke, her heart pounding with fear and shock.
Sasuke was shot! Oh God Sasuke was shot! She couldn't grasp it. All she could see was his blood pouring out of his chest and his skin turning paler. His eyes fluttered open, and Sakura saw that his eyes were black once more.
"Sasuke! Sasuke stay with me. Keep your eyes open," she pleaded when she saw his lids flutter.
Sasuke could hear her voice as she screamed for him to stay awake. The pain in his chest was almost unbearable, and he knew that he had lost a lot of blood at this point. But he had to make sure his Sharingan wouldn't be activated in public. He kept his eyes closed until he felt it subside before barely opening his eyes again. He saw her horror stricken face and relaxed a bit. At least she wasn't hurt.
"Sak…ura," he groaned. Sakura's heart clenched even more at how painful his voice sounded. He had been shot in the chest yet he could still talk. Her eyes watered as she held her hand against his face.
"Yes I'm here," she said. "Sasuke I'm right here. Stay with me okay, don't close your eyes!" she screamed when she saw his eyes close again.
Tsunade turned to her sharply. "We're going to surgery. Sakura stay away from there and that's an order! Don't you dare set foot into that Operating Room or I'll have your ass kicked out immediately!" she shouted as they quickly approached the surgical wing.
Sasuke felt his strength diminishing as his awareness of his surroundings was rapidly being lost. He could hear Sakura screaming, and tried with everything he had to keep his eyes open, but he couldn't.
"Sasuke!"
He could hear her, and he wanted to go to her, but his body and mind wouldn't let him. The last thing he heard before blacking out completely was her voice screaming at him to come back to her, before losing consciousness.
"SASUKEEEEEE!" she shrieked as they closed the doors before her. The hospital staff was wild with shock at what they had just seen: their CEO bleeding from a gunshot wound and Dr. Haruno standing in front of the OR, drenched in blood and screaming his name.
Sakura was left standing outside the OR, her bloody hands lingering on the door handles and eyes wide with shock. She couldn't go inside. She was frozen on the spot. She gazed at her bloody hands that were still on the door handle. Slowly she lifted her shaking hands before her and she saw just how much of his blood was all over her.
"No" she whispered as she trembled. "No I can't lose you…not you too," she said as her own breathing picked up its pace, making her light headed.
She slid to the floor, blood smearing the door as she did, and lost consciousness.
AUTHORS NOTE:
DONT HATE ME!
Thank you for reading chapter 28. I'm prepared for eggs of all kinds. I just wanted to thank all of you who messaged and threatened the stuffing out of me to update update update. Now that I have I hope you like it!
Thank you all who messaged me! Is it weird to say that I was happy that a lot of you cared enough about my story that you started getting hostile with your messages? lol. Well it just tickled me silly so I busted my burned out chops and produced this chapter.
Now i'm hoping i get reviews, but since i made you guys wait so long I wont even plead for them...i'm gonna make Sora and Suki do it!
*Sora and Suki walk up*
Sora- please review to authorlady's new chapter. Do it because I still have a boo boo!
Suki- *giggles and reaches into her docotros kit. Pulls out bandage and places on Sora's head* Review because my onichan said so!
:D