To Love and to Love Again Chapter 31: Secrets
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!
Blood pooled around her hands as she cut through the barriers.
Sakura sliced through the tissue as precisely and delicately as Tsunade had taught her. Blood continued to seep out of the cut as she reached into the incision and gently led the baby out of its mother. The baby's healthy screams filled the OR, and the general applause and congratulations were spread to the happy new parents as Sakura proceeded to close the incision.
She had been back to work and on a mission for exactly four weeks now. Things were as standard as she desired them to be, and she made sure her schedule was as packed to the brim. She needed the work, and she needed to be focused on other people to the degree in which thinking about her own life was impossible at work.
Yet his absence still lingered heavily upon her the second she was without a patient that needed her.
Sasuke had been gone for exactly four weeks and one day. She kept count and then moved on to something else, which was her routine these days.
She was perfectly fine.
Once she scrubbed out of her gowns, she decided to grab a quick lunch before her next C-section was prepped and ready to go. Walking through the halls, Sakura kept her eyes straight as she wondered what they would be serving for lunch today.
Eating was a challenge as of late, as her appetite had disappeared with Sasuke. But she forced herself to eat for the kids. She couldn't exactly pass out on them when she got home, even though she wanted nothing more than to do just that.
"Sakura!" Naruto called out as he waved to her from the lobby. She gave him an empty smile, sending chills up his spine. He knew she was putting up a farce for everyone, and given the circumstance he couldn't blame her. But when she smiled like that, it reminded him too much of Sai and how he would put on that same forced and empty smile when they first met.
"Going to Ichiraku's?" she asked.
"You know it. Want to come?"
Sakura shrugged, not really feeling like walking all the way over there for ramen.
"I'll just stick to the cafeteria. I have another cesarean in about 30 minutes so I'll stay here. You go ahead though and I'll see you at four," she said before leaving in the opposite direction.
She heard him mutter an okay, but didn't turn around to see him. As she walked toward the smells of the cafeteria, Sakura kept her head up, eyes straight and breathing even. She was perfectly fine, and she would stay that way. Just keep walking, just keep breathing, and just keep moving.
The mantra hadn't failed her so far.
Naruto had taken the task of driving her home every day after work. No way in hell they were going to risk anything happening to her now, especially with Sasuke on the loose.
Thinking about Sasuke poured all kinds of fuel onto Naruto's anger. Thankfully, the agency acted quickly using a look-a-like to make it seem like Sasuke was discharged so it wouldn't raise suspicion among the hospital.
But it was the biggest punch in the gut to learn that not only was his best friend the elusive Sound assassin they failed to catch, but that he had taken Sakura's heart in the process. Naruto knew she was in love with him. He could feel it. The only thing saving Sasuke from Naruto's complete wrath was the fact that Sasuke had fallen in love with her too. Naruto knew him well enough for that at least.
The change in Sasuke since Sakura's arrival proved as much. He was content to just live the remainder of his days in a straight line, but meeting Sakura changed him. The big question here was how did he know when to escape?
Something, or more likely, someone had tipped him off. Right away Itachi became their prime suspect and he had been interrogated. Anko had only just discovered Sasuke's true identity, and within minutes, he had vanished. Not only that, but there seemed to be another party after Sakura's life, and now they weren't so sure if Sasuke was the real target all along.
There were so many possibilities crossing over each other that no one knew which was more probable. Sakura loving Sasuke was just another factor thrown into the mix. She wouldn't tell them anything when they found her that night.
As soon as word reached everyone of Sasuke's disappearance and who he was suspected of being, it was a mad dash to the Uchiha house to find him. Sakura was there with the kids and that was where he would most likely be. They needed to get him while they still could.
But he eluded them. They found Sakura on the bench staring up at the night's sky, drained of energy after having obviously cried her heart out.
She had completely shut down. All she would say was "He's gone."
She had been crying beforehand, but it was like the life was sucked out of her. Getting any information out of her that night was impossible, and the next day she put on a brave face and acted like she was okay.
But she never did tell them what happened that night, and they had a feeling she wasn't going to. What reason could they give her to talk? To her, they were just her close friends at the hospital. They couldn't make her tell them anything. Her father tired the police angle on her, but she wouldn't have it. There was no official investigation on the surface so she didn't have to say a word if she didn't want to.
Whatever happened between them that night, she certainly did not want them to know.
And now she was getting worse. Naruto wished every day that he could find Sasuke and beat the shit out of him for doing that to her. Sakura had been walking around like a well-oiled machine; never stopping to take a break with a manufactured smile on her face like an android.
He picked up his cell and dialed Kiba. He picked up on the first ring.
"Still nothing Naruto," Kiba informed. "We've been combing the area for a month now and there's no trace of him anywhere. We're pulling back the hounds today, and not by my say so," he added.
"Yeah Tsunade mentioned it. This bites!" he said as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.
"Tell me about it. This whole situation bit us in the ass. Doesn't exactly make us look like the most observant of people does it? Friggin Sasuke," Kiba muttered.
"Hey, if any of you find him back off. He's mine to pulverize the minute I see him," Naruto claimed.
"Yeah well it doesn't look like we'll find him in the wilderness. If Sasuke is who they say he is, we won't find him until he wants us to," Kiba said grudgingly.
Naruto agreed. Sasuke dodged them for this long and finding him now while he was consciously on the run wasn't going to be easy. "I don't care how well he can hide, I'm going to find that bastard and give him hell! I'll call and see what Granny's up to at the base. I know they're not just going to let this go and I'm sick of waiting," he said before hanging up on Kiba and calling in at base.
Perhaps if he nagged enough, they'd tell him something new.
"What have you found so far?" Kakashi asked Guy via hologram.
"Even with the full force of our youth canvasing the area, there's nothing more than the scent of his blood that suddenly disappears outside the city limits," Guy informed. "Kiba and the hounds are just as confused as ever. It's like he vanished into the sunset!" he exclaimed.
"Which we know he didn't do," Kakashi responded. "Sasuke's been under the radar for years, even with active surveillance for former Sound operatives or any crime organizations. You can't do that without skill or resources," he reasoned while pulling up a file.
"The Uchiha's are well equipped and resourceful enough for his needs. How are things going with Itachi by the way?" Guy asked.
"About as eventful as your search," Kakashi replied. "He's cooperating. He gives no indication of having any knowledge of Sasuke's activities or past, nor does he seem surprised at that discovery which doesn't give us any definitive sense of where he's at. Exactly what he intended and I expected no less of him to do so."
"It's hard to believe that Itachi was in the dark about his own little brother's involvement with Orochimaru," Guy thought. "He's the leader of the Akatsuki unit and surveillance and Intel are their specialty."
Kakashi nodded. "I know. Reading Itachi is nearly impossible and it's too risky to trust him. Sasuke escaped somehow, and whether Itachi had anything to do with it is on the forefront of my mind. But if Itachi was truly unaware of his brothers past, then Sasuke is a lot more dangerous that we think and that is the last thing I want to admit."
"So you'd rather have Itachi be guilty of knowing and aiding Sasuke's escape than have his hands clean of all this?" Guy asked incredulously. "That kind of negative thinking will burn away whatever youth remains in your body! I can't allow that blasphemy to spread. Itachi is a sworn Agent of the CIA. His youthful spirit, though reclusive at best, burns stronger than most!"
"He's also brother to one of most dangerous assassins of the most dangerous Organization we've ever encountered," Kakashi returned. "Think about it Guy. Sasuke had to be twelve when all of this began. Itachi was already an advanced Agent and still living under the same roof. He may be CIA, but knowing him he would still find a way to do his job and protect his little brother; even sacrifice himself if need be."
"Then what do you intend on doing?"
"Keep him under close watch. Itachi wants to find his brother as much as the rest of us, of that I'm sure. Some bonds can never be broken, no matter how deep the cut runs," Kakashi said as the door to his office opened. Guy was able to make out Agent Anko Mitarashi, before his face changed its expression and pointed at her through the screen.
"Kakashi…," Guy said dramatically before puffing out his chest in indignation "Damn you and your moving speeches! I take back what said about your power of youth, as the proof of it just walked in. You've got the looks, the skills, the attitude, and a woman ready to bring forth the extension of your virility! GAH that really burns me up for some reason! Why do you always have to be so cool?" he shouted before Anko sent a senbon needle she had been using to eat dango with right at the screen. It simply phased through the light projections and planted itself into the wall.
"You do realize that's a hologram right?" Kakashi asked her as he turned off the monitor along with the image of Guy saluting the sunset.
"All I realized are that Senbon make excellent dango sticks," she replied as she made her way over to him and tossed him a file. "Tsunade did more research on the curse mark's ability to pass genetically. The info's in there. I've already read it. She needs to do more tests on me. As if I haven't already given her enough blood," she muttered before turning around to walk way as best she could. At almost eight months pregnant she refused to waddle, no matter what the cost.
"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked, putting the file down.
"Back to the training center," she answered. "I need to make sure everything is ready. Recruits still need training, even during a crisis."
"Anko, you're not supposed to be handling that anymore," he said. "You're not supposed to be doing much of anything as far as the training center goes; not now anyway."
"Look," Anko sighed. "You don't need to worry about me. You have a lot more to think about right now and I can handle myself."
He got up and walked over to her.
"I don't care how well you can take care of yourself. I don't have to worry about you? Do you think I have you ranked somewhere on this list of priorities? Or do you think yourself second or third or fourth after the mess we have here? Dammit Anko," he practically growled as he took a hold of her shoulders. "How long is it going to take for you to realize that you mean more to me than that?"
"We're getting into this now?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be letting me do whatever the hell I want because I'm carrying this little dango in the oven, or pot of boiling water to be correct?"
"Yeah, however I'm the father," he reminded. "That means the well-being of the mother of my child is my duty and as far as you're concerned, I get to do whatever the hell I want to keep you safe and healthy."
"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't give me the excuse to be useless," she replied. "I'm the one who discovered Sasuke because no one knows Orochimaru or the curse better than I do. Now that everything's gone to hell do you think it's in me to just kick back and rub my damned swollen ankles?"
"No, but it means that you're going to let me take care of you, whether you like it or not," he stated. "It means that you're going to tell me when something's bothering you, or if you need something, or if you have any leads to bring them to me so we can check it out together. You let this suspicion of Sasuke linger for months and never once did you mention it to me. And the whole time you were carrying my child and didn't think it was important enough to tell me until now?"
"I was back in Kyoto managing the base and all the other cases there! You were needed here, and you still are!" she pointed out. "I couldn't let you be distracted with me. I know the responsibilities and impossible decisions you have to make daily. I'll be the first to admit that this pregnancy was the most random thing that could have ever happened amidst this chaos. It didn't make sense to put this on you. What were you going to do? Travel back and forth every time I wanted a dango?"
"Yes," he answered without hesitation, making her pause. "I would have been there for everything and anything you would have needed because that's what a man does for the woman he loves," he stated as her face froze. "I didn't see this pregnancy coming any more than you did, but did you honestly think I wouldn't have been happy about it?"
She looked surprised, and for good reason. In all their years together they had never put a label on their feelings or established any sense of permanent togetherness; more on her preference than his. It was a distance she was comfortable with, but all that went to hell the minute the stick was a big plus sign. Now she had to own up to her own feelings.
"I don't know how this baby's life will be affected because of my curse mark," she said in near whisper. "On top of everything else, there's that to worry about."
"And we'll get through that, but together this time. I won't let you shut me out ever again," he said.
Anko relented after that. He wasn't making her say it back, the jerk. He didn't have to. He could read her like a book and he knew that she loved him. He also knew she feared loving him, as she did most things.
But he was just as stubborn as her, and if he insisted on bringing her dango whenever the hell she wanted, well then who was she to refuse him that privilege? The kicking in her abdomen told her their little ninja was okay with more dango as well.
Kakashi placed his hand over her bump and cracked a smile at the movement. If it was one thing he needed in this insanity, it was something to hope for and Anko gave it to him. He leaned in for a kiss that promised to be good, when the sound of sniffling caught them off guard.
"… (sniff)…Damn you…Kakashi," came Guy's voice from the intercom of the hologram that Kakashi had somehow failed to turn off. "….Why do you always have to be… (Sniff)…so damn cooooooool!" he shouted before Anko tossed another senbon into the machine.
Lunch was uneventful. Sakura forced herself to eat what she bought, which ended up being ramen anyway. She ate half the serving before putting the rest in a to-go container. She wasn't about to waste it when Naruto would be happy to eat it.
She was informed that several of her patients rescheduled their appointments with her due to the weather. It was pouring outside, and Sakura couldn't fault her pregnant patients for not making the commute. Unfortunately, that left her with a few hours to kill, and nothing to kill them with.
She decided to go to the cart outside and buy some hot tea. She hadn't gone in a while, and even though she had just eaten, or attempted to eat, she needed something to do. She saw that the cart was moved under the cover of the hospital instead of the center of the quad due to the rain.
The tea was forgotten as she looked out at the space where Sasuke's life was almost taken from her. She had had nightmares about the shooting. She saw him get shot over and over and over again in her dreams, and she was always unable to do anything for him. Then he would just disappear. But his eyes haunted her. They were red and spinning and she didn't know what that meant, but she would wake up shaking and whimpering.
"Dr. Haruno," the owner of the cart called out. "Haven't seen you in a while."
"I'm sorry, I've been busy and all. Can I have a green tea? And a muffin?" she asked. She felt bad for not visiting more often and figured she could snack on the muffin later. She knew she needed the energy. Packing her schedule to the max plus taking care of the kids when she got home was exhausting, but it was better than the alternative.
"I've been hoping you'd stop by," the woman confessed as she handed her the tea. "How've you been since the shooting? I know you were right there when it happened, I saw it all go down."
Sakura took the tea and sipped on the hot liquid. "I'm fine," she answered. The woman looked like she didn't believe her.
"Well, I know you didn't get hurt, but Mr. Uchiha…," she said, letting the question linger between them as she handed her the muffin. Sakura debated for a second if she should answer, as she didn't see any reason to explain anything to her, but perhaps the woman might be able to tell her something she missed.
"I know the police have already questioned you," Sakura said recalling her father explaining the procedure as they went along. "But is there anything that you noticed that day that seemed strange, or out of place?"
"Not that I could say," the woman answered. "There were a lot of people out there that day. And to be honest, I didn't really pay any attention to anyone once you and Mr. Uchiha came into view and…well…you know…," she said with a blush. "It was almost like something out of the movies. Young couple in love and then disaster strikes. How is Mr. Uchiha doing?"
"He's fine," she said quickly. "Can you think back further?" she pressed. "Has there been anyone that you've seen lingering around the area. Maybe a man that didn't seem to really be here for any reason?"
"The only person that got under my radar was this high strung red-headed woman with a seriously offensive haircut. Walking around like she owned the place or something," she mumbled, making Sakura sigh. This was useless.
"Well, if you remember anything else, you tell me okay?" she asked before walking away. Getting any more info out of anyone was going to be tough. People saw and forgot what they wanted simply to make sense of things. She wasn't any different, but she needed answers and she needed them now.
She replayed their last conversation over and over again in her head, and none of it made any sense.
"It will come out eventually. There's no stopping what I am and what I've done. If only you knew what I was you wouldn't be anywhere near me."
"I'm not…well. I'm not normal Sakura. It's beyond your imagination…But I'll stop this before I won't be able to anymore. Before anyone else finds out, I'll stop this bastard from doing anything to you but I have to leave, and I don't know how long I'll be gone or when it will be over."
What could he have possible meant by that? One thing she did know though was that Sasuke cared about her. She felt it in the last kiss they shared before he left. But he didn't trust her and that's what was biting her soul. And what's worse, he supposedly knew who was behind all of this.
Didn't he think telling her might actually be a benefit? If she knew who to look out for, then she could better protect the kids and help the police in their investigation. But he didn't want her help, and he certainly didn't want to go the police; and for good reason.
"…I'm a wanted man."
"Who wants you?"
"…Your father."
Her father; not only the police, but he specified her father. Sasuke made it clear to her that his past was dark and not fully behind him. Whatever he was involved with then is affecting him now and she was in the middle of it. Her father being a police chief couldn't have made things any better for him.
Her father had asked her many times what had happened that night, and each time she refused to say anything. What could she say? She herself didn't know what was going on or what he was involved with. All she knew was that he thought he had it all figured out and was out on some mission to put an end to all of it. But then what? He had to have known that his sudden disappearance wouldn't go unnoticed. He had to know that everyone would be looking for him, and should he choose to come back he would have to explain himself and confess his past, whatever the hell it was. How would he get out of that one?
He couldn't. He asked her to wait for him, and even though he didn't trust her, she still loved him enough to do just that. She needed him to be okay. She needed him to come back to her. Even though it was killing her, she knew that she would see him again or she would die trying.
She had fallen in love with Sasuke Uchiha. Now she had to find out just what that love entailed.
She made it back to her floor and opened the door to her office. She held her breath. The place still had the faint scent of roses lingering in the air. She was forbidden from opening the window for safety. They even went so far as to place a bookshelf in front of it in case the crazed shooter might want to take care of her as well. Moving her office seemed pointless because all of them had windows, so they took whatever measures they could to protect her.
Life was a big game of hide-and-seek for now. She didn't know where to hide and she didn't know who was seeking her which made her sick, and doctors hate sickness. She sat down at her desk and decided to call the school to check on the kids.
This was another habit that formed over the course of Sasuke's disappearance. Every day Sakura would call the school and speak to Lee about Sora and Suki. Kurenai was on personal leave, so Lee took over as their teacher.
"Hello Miss Sakura," Lee greeted enthusiastically. "How are you today?"
"I'm fine. What about the kids Lee?" she asked.
"They are the perfect examples of the blossoming of youth! Both are perfectly fine and working hard on their projects for today," he informed.
"Great," she said before she saw her door open. Gaara walked in, surprising her. "I'll be there to pick them up as usual around 4:30. Bye." She hung up and looked at him curiously. "What are you doing here Gaara?"
"Checking on you," he answered. Sakura sighed and got up to give him a hug, which he returned. Sakura was the only known person to give and receive hugs from Gaara, save for Sora who simply got his head patted.
"I don't know what you hoped to find," she said as they parted. "You could have called. You didn't have to travel all this way for me."
Gaara studied her thoroughly which made Sakura uncomfortable. His eyes, a more subdued shade of blue green made her feel like he was reading her thoughts. Everything about Gaara was a mystery, especially that vibrant red Kanji Tattoo on his forehead. Sakura never asked him about why he had "Love" stamped on his forehead, and she never planned to. He never did anything without a purpose and his visit now was no different.
"I want you to tell me what happened the night Uchiha left," he said straightforwardly. Sakura took in a deep breath and walked back to her desk.
"Sure you do," she replied. "Everyone does. They all want to know, but that doesn't mean they need to know."
Gaara wasn't deterred and when he continued to stare at her, she decided to tell him what she told everyone else.
"He left. He didn't tell me where he was going or why," she said. "I don't even know how the hell he got out of the hospital."
"But he did tell you he was leaving, and I'm sure that he gave you something you could use for a reason. Sakura, your feelings for him make you want to protect him…but his behavior is not that of someone you want to protect."
"I'm not trying to protect him," she said, although that wasn't entirely true. "I'm still trying to figure him out. None of this makes sense, and I don't want to talk about him anymore," she said before grabbing the muffin and biting into it, even though she thought to save it for later. If she was eating, she couldn't talk.
"You may think you're not protecting him, but trying to save him is no different," Gaara stated. "If you tell me what happened, I can help you get a better understanding of him."
Sakura washed the muffin down with her tea. "Why Gaara? How can you possibly help me anymore than the police? Any more than his family?"
"I know Sasuke on the business end of things," he explained. "Running competing Hospitals allowed me to know him on some level. He's smart, determined, calculating and aggressive with his policies. Those things can be transferred into his personality; a side that he may not have shown you and had no reason to up till now," he said looking at her pointedly. "What did he say to you that night?"
Sakura almost chuckled. If only he knew some of the bizarre things Sasuke had said, what would he do then? Still, there was a part of Sakura that wouldn't allow herself to disclose that information.
"Did he threaten you?" he asked, making her start.
"Of course not!" she almost screamed.
"Was he aggressive? Did he hurt you?" he pressed, once again trying to detect the slightest amount of hesitance. When he saw it, his eyes narrowed.
"I…no he didn't!" she said, even though he did render her unconscious and leave her outside. He knew she wouldn't let him go, and he did what he needed to get away.
"You were found unconscious outside in the cold. I know you didn't fall asleep so tell me what he did to you," Gaara demanded.
"He didn't do anything!" she shouted. "He wouldn't tell me anything! He wouldn't trust me with anything! He wouldn't allow me to find out what he was planning to do! He was still hurt…," she choked as tears welled up in her eyes when she thought of the pain he must still be enduring without meds. "He was hurt and he still left. I knew something is going on, but he just wouldn't tell me. How can I tell you anything when I myself have no idea?" she asked, wiping her eyes and forcing herself to get a grip.
"Sakura…you can help him by telling us what happened," he reasoned. "You're not the only one who wants him back. His family and his friends are looking for him too. You're the last person to have seen him before he disappeared. Anything he told you may lead us to him."
"Well he didn't tell me anything. He kissed the hell out of me like it was the last time he would see me and then he left! And I'm done!"
She got up and stormed out of her own office. She didn't know why but she had to get away from Gaara. Everything he said made sense, and she should have been helping them. But there was a part of her that was scared of what they might find out. Sasuke didn't exactly paint a pretty picture of himself with all his ominous clues, but she still had to believe that behind whatever darkness that followed him, he was good.
The passionate man and loving father she saw in him couldn't be an act. That was real, and he was out there now trying to keep her and their kids safe. She had to believe in him, and she had to believe that he was trying to fix this. But sooner or later she would need to know the truth, and if that meant talking, then she would talk.
Gaara watched her run into the elevators. He knew she wouldn't leave the building so he let her go.
Even though she didn't mean to, she still slipped and told him something new about that last night with Sasuke. She said Sasuke had kissed her like it was the last time he would ever see her. To Sakura, that might have been worthless and private information, but to Gaara it spoke volumes.
He left for the base, determined to get into Uchiha's head and find him. He recalled the meeting with Kakashi not long ago. It took him a while, but his research into Sasuke lead to no clues, and it was even longer before he realized that that in itself was a clue.
"I told you I would be keeping my eyes on the Uchiha." Gaara said. "You may find there are some questionable things in his past."
"What exactly do you mean Gaara?" Kakashi asked. "There isn't anything to implicate him in the least bit."
Gaara just simply gave him a look as if asking what more he needed to hear to piece it together. "Exactly. No one has a record that's that clean Kakashi. It's inconsistent. It's almost as if Sasuke penciled himself in where it was convenient. You'll find there's a seven year stretch in which his activities are nonexistent. What was he doing for those seven years?"
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "Exactly which seven years are we talking about?"
"Years twelve to nineteen," he answered. "Socially, Fugaku and Mikoto never saw much of Sasuke as they were detained with business. Itachi was already recruited on missions for the defense department. Sasuke was virtually alone. The Uchiha clan's involvement with the CIA has dwindled since the death of Obito thirty years ago," he said knowingly to Kakashi. "Since then it's been one member of the clan that's even aware. Sasuke was not taken into consideration because of Itachi."
Kakashi skimmed through the rest of the file, admitting that Sasuke had hidden himself so discreetly that even they overlooked him.
"We need to find him. Do what you must," said Kakashi.
Gaara took his leave, determined to do just that.
Ino and Shikamaru happened to be on duty that day, listening to the recordings of Sakura as the day progressed. It was almost time for her to go home with Naruto.
"Remember Naruto, don't bring up Sasuke unless she does," Ino said into the mic that connected her to Naruto's ear piece. "If you men have learned anything over these past four weeks it's that she won't talk if you keep asking her about it."
"Yeah I got it already jeez," Naruto huffed from the hospital lobby. "She's got to crack eventually right?"
"In case you haven't noticed, she's already cracked," Ino said dryly. "She just isn't showing you how cracked she is. Sakura's always hated her own weakness, even when we were kids. That's why she's trying to put on a brave front," she said recalling the times when Sakura would cry after someone made fun of her forehead or whatever. After a while, Sakura learned to just act like nothing was wrong and that their taunts didn't faze her, even though they did. It was her survival instinct and this was no different.
"Alright, so I'm walking on egg shells here. Is there any way to get her talking without bringing him up?" Naruto asked.
"You're mission is not to get her talking. It's to listen in case she does," Ino reminded. "You're not the best interrogator Naruto and frankly, none of us trust you to be delicate about this. You're just as mad at him as she is."
"You're damn right I'm mad," he said in a harsh whisper. "You've seen what he did to her. How can I just sit next to her and not even try to get something out of what happened? You weren't the one that found her that night so you didn't see how dead she was. Sasuke was a bastard but he was still my best friend dammit. I can't let him get away with doing that to her!"
He tried to control himself and keep a look out in case Sakura showed up and found him talking to himself.
"Naruto," Shikamaru said, deciding it was time to chime in. "If you can't adhere to rules of the mission, you will be pulled out. Keep in mind that this is as much of a test for you as it is for her. Like Ino said, you're not trusted to keep your cool about Sasuke and if that's the case, the agency won't hesitate to suspend you from the investigation."
They heard Naruto curse and they could tell he was losing his composure. Naruto's charisma had the ability to reach anyone, even the solitary Sasuke when they were growing up. It took a while, but regardless whatever angst Sasuke was going through, Naruto managed to reach him and draw him into their circle of friends. Their bond was one of brothers, and Naruto most likely took it upon himself to carry the blame for not noticing Sasuke's struggles while the rest of them were off training for the CIA.
"Naruto, I know you feel responsible for Sasuke," said Ino. "But if you want to help him, you're going to have to help yourself first. You can't blame yourself for what happened here just like we all know Sakura can't blame herself for it. Just be there for her and let her come to you on her own."
Naruto exhaled in defeat. "Fine," he mumbled. If it was for Sakura, he would try his hardest to be the listener.
He saw her approaching him, ready to go pick up the kids and head home. When she reached him, Naruto smiled at her and to the car they went.
As Naruto drove to pick up the kids, Sakura watched the cars go by and lost in her thoughts as she absentmindedly played with her necklace. She still wore it, even though it pained her to do so. It was the last thing she had of Sasuke, and having it on her made her feel as if he was nearby.
She had been having nightmares for weeks now. Every night she saw Sasuke in the quad, smirking at her, kissing her, and then getting shot over and over again. She couldn't do anything to stop it. When she would try, she would see that his eyes had taken on that strange red appearance. His three pupils would start spinning and make her nauseous, only to find him changing before her.
Black markings began to overtake his body, and Sasuke would laugh maniacally as the marks completely consumed him. She ran to him, but never got any closer. She wanted to go to him and hold him, prevent him from drowning in the black, but she would never make it.
She would always wake up in a cold sweat with her arms outreached as if to grab him. Sleep eluded her often after that.
"Hey isn't Sora's birthday coming up?" Naruto asked, trying to distract her from whatever she was thinking. She was clutching that necklace like it was her lifeline.
"Not for a while," she answered.
"Really? I thought he was born in May?" he asked.
"…No. He was born July 23rd," she corrected.
"No kidding!" Naruto exclaimed. "I think that's Neji's birthday too. That smug bastard got me an educational video on basic mathematics for my birthday. I'll do him one better and get him a tutorial on how to remove the stick you don't realize is lodged in your-"
"Neji was born July 3rd," she interjected. From back at the base, Ino saw the danger signs waving. Naruto was headed for a disaster.
"What? No I'm positive it's the 23rd," he said. "I know because it's marked in my calendar at home: surprise birthday for the Bas-" he stopped talking abruptly when he realized which bastard that entailed. He could feel the eyes rolling for whoever was listening in on the monitors back at the base. Sakura's conversations were recorded in case she said anything about that night after all.
"It's Sasuke's birthday," she said with her voice devoid of emotion. "He shares a birthday with my son."
"Naruto…you Idiot," Ino screeched through his ear piece.
"That's just fucked up," Naruto thought as he drove on in silence to the school. How many times was life going to bombard her with all these coincidences? Not only did her son look Sasuke, he was born on the same day of the same month too? This went beyond resemblance. The kid could have been his clone.
Naruto looked over at Sakura and felt the weight of the situation heavy in the air. He knew that every spare moment she had, her thoughts were full of Sasuke even if she tried not to. She must have been losing sleep too. He could see the toll it was taking on her. Every time someone tried talking to her about that night, she would just close off. Gaara was the last one to try and Sakura literally ran away from him.
Naruto figured since he brought up Sasuke anyway, he might as well give it another go. To hell with what the agency wanted. It wasn't as if she could go anywhere. What was she going to do? Jump out of a moving vehicle?
"We'll find him," he said, ignoring Ino's protests buzzing in his ear. He turned the mic off.
"No we won't."
Naruto glanced at her as he continued to drive. "Why do you say that?" he asked. "I know it's been a few weeks but we'll-"
"He was shot in the chest," she said. "He lost more blood than anyone realized, and he should have died…but he didn't. Tsunade saved him. She worked her magic and saved him, but that was still a lot of blood. How was he able to compensate for that loss so soon? How was it that a patient fresh out of surgery manages to sneak his way out of the ICU, the most heavily monitored care unit in the damn building, with a fresh wound on his chest neighboring his heart?"
"If only we knew," said Naruto, even though they did know. Sasuke was always three steps ahead of them. Why should his escape routes be any different? Navigating his way through the vents in a hospital that size of all things; the crafty bastard.
"I keep thinking someone had to have helped him," she went on, "but I can't think of anyone that would do that."
"It's not your job to figure that out Sakura," he pointed out. "Your dad has most of the police force out there looking for him. Finding Sasuke isn't on you."
"Then why does everyone assume he told me some deep dark secret before he left? Why does everyone assume the connection to finding him is in something he said to me?" she asked. "You're all wondering what we talked about, that much is obvious."
"You were the last person to have seen him before he left, and we know that wasn't by accident. He wanted to see you, and for a reason," he said, making Sakura tense.
"He came, and he went, and there was nothing I could do to stop him," she said stiffly.
"But you tried. How did you try to stop him?" he asked. Sakura stared out ahead of her, intent to not give him an answer. "Sakura, anything you have to say about that night could be helpful. What you see as insignificant might tell us something else entirely."
Sakura slowly looked at him in a way that made Naruto uneasy.
"Gaara cornered me earlier today saying something similar to that," she said. "You all seem to think that Sasuke gave me some encrypted message as to who he is and what he was up to, and I don't have any answers to that."
"If there was nothing to say, why won't you tell us anything that passed between you two? I can't imagine he made the trek back to you only to have a staring contest. I know how you feel about him. Sasuke's not an easy guy to get along with, believe me when I say that. But don't forget that you're not the only one that wants him back. He's my friend. He's Suki's father. He became one for Sora didn't he?"
Sakura's composure nearly cracked after that. Naruto could tell she was doing everything she could to keep it together, but she couldn't stop the shaking in her hands.
"Sora and Suki both look at me every single day and without words, they ask me where he is," she said. "They know something is going on, but how can I tell them that he just left?" she asked, letting a tear fall through. She wiped it way quickly, determined not to start crying again.
"…What did you tell them anyway?" he asked.
"I told them that Sasuke had to go somewhere for a while to get better, and that they can see him when he is," she answered. "They were so sweet. They didn't know to ask where or why he left. They trusted me completely that he would be back. But the more days that go by, the more anxious they become. And I get more frightened that something might have happened to him," she admitted as the tears continued to fall.
Naruto could imagine the rant Ino was throwing back at the base. He wasn't supposed to make her cry. He pulled over and stopped the car before pulling her into a hug. She didn't have the strength to resist him.
"I'm fine," she choked.
"The hell you are! Why are you doing this to yourself? Why won't you just tell us what happened?"
"Because I'm scared," she said as a new wave of tears fell. "Because I'm tired and emotional and falling apart every second I have time to think about him. I can't be this broken up, not when I have both of the kids to think about or patients that need me to be put together. People's lives are in my hands and when I think about that night, I fall apart. That's why I can't talk about it. That's why I can't talk about him, because I can't afford to fall apart right now!"
"When you're ready you know you can come to any one of us, even your dad, and we'll be ready to listen to what you have to say," Naruto offered as he held her tight. He gave her a few minutes to get it together. It was better she get the emotions out than bottle them in.
"I know…thanks," she whispered. Naruto let her go after that. Ino was right, and now that he understood why she wasn't talking, he knew that eventually she would talk. He just hoped that by then it wouldn't be too late.
Sakura couldn't keep her mind off of Sasuke all throughout dinner. It was especially hard with the kid's right in front of her, looking more like him every single day. Harnessing her strength, she got through dinner by letting them eat in the living room and watching their favorite ninja anime.
Sakura allowed herself to watch the anime as well; anything to not think about Sasuke. Ironically, one of the characters reminded her of him, and that plan went to hell. Still, it was a good anime. Sora and Suki seemed to really like it.
Sakura was so engrossed in the anime that she was surprised when she found her plate empty. She hadn't had much of an appetite and only ate because she knew she needed the energy. The kids were still eating their dinner, so she decided to make something for dessert.
She headed back to the kitchen and rummaged through the fridge to see what she could make.
"Aw not the news!" Sora whined from the living room. Sakura went back to see that there was an emergency broadcasting that cut through regular programming.
"This just in, the national weather broadcast is placing a storm watch over the greater Tokyo area. Doppler radar predicts a massive storm heading this way within the next few days. Special advisory warnings are placed to remain indoors, as the number of missing people continue to rise with no leads as to their whereabouts.
In other news, the investigation regarding the shooting of Business Mogul Sasuke Uchiha, is still in progress with no lea-"
The TV turned off abruptly.
Sora turned around to find his mother with the remote in her hands and a weird look in her eye.
"They were talking about Daddy," said Suki as she turned to look at Sakura.
"Why was Sasuke in the news Mommy?" Sora asked. Sakura looked at both of them without a clue as to what to tell them. Both of them continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer.
"Because he got hurt a while ago remember? And he's a very important person in this city, so that's why he's on the news," she answered knowing that to be as close to the truth as possible.
"Is he getting any better?" Sora asked expectantly.
"Yeah…he is," she said. "So what do you guys want for dessert?" she asked tossing the remote on the couch and walking back towards the kitchen. Sora and Suki followed her and sat down at the table.
"Mommy, when is Sasuke coming back?" Sora asked. Sakura paused for a moment before rummaging through the cabinets for pudding mix.
"I'm not sure sweetie," she said. "But he'll be back as soon as he's all better."
"Can we go see Daddy?" Suki asked. Sakura stopped and turned toward her. "Because I need to give Daddy a kiss so he can get all better," she added. She missed him. They both did.
Suki finally asked. Sakura was hoping beyond all reason that she wouldn't, but she did. Could she see him? It wasn't so much that she asked that particular question that finally made Sakura burst. It was the fact that Sora was sitting right next to Suki, looking for the entire world as if that question and person in question applied to him too. Where was his daddy?
Where was Sasuke?
And it was in that moment when the weight of her world hit her: two kid, two absent fathers, no answers. It was too much. She stopped rummaging through the cabinets and instead sat down at the table. She took Suki into her arms and kissed her cheek.
"I need to tell you both something," she said taking hold of Sora's hand.
Sasuke had enough time. It was time for her to start talking, for all the good it would do them. First, she would tell the kids a version of the story that wasn't going to be easy. Then it was onto the bigger fish.
She just hoped she had enough strength to withstand two disappointed faces first.
Sora and Suki sat with the others in a circle by the big tree in the school yard for their lunch period. After being teased a bit for having matching lunch boxes, Sora silenced everyone with a glare. Suki thought Sora looked just like her daddy when he did that, and immediately the feeling of sadness took over.
Last night, Aunty Sakura told them that Daddy went somewhere far to help catch a bad guy. She said that he wasn't going to come back for a while until he caught him. Suki asked why he needed to catch him.
"Because he's a hero, like the ninja's in your anime," she said. "He's very strong and very brave, and there are bad guys out there that need to be caught. We need to be strong for him and trust that he will come back to us. Can you do that for him?" she asked them.
Suki and Sora both nodded their heads, and she sent them to bed after that. Aunty Sakura was sad too. She also missed daddy, she told them so. Today she packed them both a bento box with extra roasted tomatoes and little hot dogs cut like octopuses. She even put Suki's favorite chocolate cookies in there.
"My dad say's I can get a puppy soon," Jun declared. "He says it's time for Akamaru to have some."
"But Akamaru is a boy doggie," Akira stated. "Boy doggies can't have babies."
"My dad says he's a stud," Jun replied.
"What does that mean?" Suki asked intrigued. Jun looked at her, then at the sky, and then shrugged.
"I don't know," he said sheepishly. "But whatever that is, it means he can have puppies."
"But how?" Akira persisted. "Only girl doggies can have the babies," she said assuredly.
Jun simply shrugged once more. "But the puppies need a dad too," he pointed out.
"So how do they make puppies?" Suki asked. Once again, Jun shrugged, and everyone else sighed.
"I asked my ad once," Jun admitted. "He just laughed and said he'd tell me when I'm older. It must be top secret," he said seriously.
"Maybe my daddy will know," said Akira. "He's super smart and mommy calls him a "know-it-all" so he must know," she said confidently.
Akio sipped his milk loudly, interrupting Akira's speech. Akio and Akira's lunches were typically made by their Uncle Chouji, as their mother couldn't really cook. Their Uncle Chouji took it upon himself to feed his god-children.
"Maybe Aunty Sakura knows," said Suki. "She's a doctor for people babies so maybe she knows how doggie babies are made."
From his seat in the car near the school, Asuma smiled at the children's conversation. He could just imagine Akira asking Shikamaru about dog reproduction and had to stifle a laugh. Kids and their innocence.
Speaking of babies, the word was that Kakashi and Anko were expecting, and sooner than Kurenai. Asuma had to grin. Though the timing was bad, it was about time Kakashi got things rolling with her. Whether or not he married her was still in the air, but with Kakashi you never know.
He was informed earlier today that Sakura had voluntarily told the police about her last encounter with Sasuke. Now that they knew what happened, things seemed to be better with her as well. She basically confirmed all their suspicions about Sasuke. The vague clues he gave her fit into the facts that they had.
Asuma was to listen to the interview once his shift was over to give his input. For now, the kids were his main goal.
Ino drove to Sakura's house once she was informed that the interview was over. Sakura had taken the day off from work to talk to the police. Uchiha Fugaku paused his retirement to run the hospital in Sasuke's absence. The Uchiha's were also interrogated about Sasuke, but they were stumped like the rest of them. Seeing as they were one of the few Uchiha family members to be completely unaware of the CIA, their suspicion was let go.
Ino knew that interview couldn't have been easy for Sakura, so she decided to see how she was doing. She dialed her cell.
"Hey Ino Pig," Sakura greeted.
"Hey forehead!" Ino greeted cheerfully. "I hear you played hooky today. Let's grab some lunch and talk about Tenten's post- baby hairstyle." She heard Sakura chuckle.
"I can't. I'm back at my house cleaning up. I still need to maintain this house you know," she said.
"Then I'll pick something up and bring it over. I'll…help you clean," she offered, gritting her teeth. Ino didn't like cleaning either.
"That's alright Ino. I wouldn't want you to break a nail or anything."
"Alright Forehead here's how it's going to go down," Ino said with an edge in her voice. "I'm going to go see Chouji at the Hidden Leaf, force him to make us lunch, then I'm bringing it over and you will eat it with me and you will like it. Do I make myself clear?"
"Don't tell me what to do Ino Pig!" Sakura said just as fiercely.
"Well I'm telling you! Suck it up because I'm coming over and you're going to eat if I have to shove it down your throat!" she said darkly before cheerfully saying "See ya!" before Sakura could say anymore.
She made it to Sakura's five minutes after that. Sakura opened the door and eyed her suspiciously with the bags of food.
"Alright, so I may have had everything ready to go ahead of time. Sue me," Ino said as she forced her way into the house. "Would it kill you have lunch with me and take a break from all this cleaning."
"No. But it might kill me to repeat my interview with you. I know that's why you're here Ino," Sakura said knowingly. Ino turned looking at her.
"Well I admit it. I'm your best friend. I've hardly seen you these past few weeks, even before all drama. You can tell me what happened."
"I'd rather not," she said eyeing the food suspiciously. "Did you bring everything in the restaurant?"
"Chouji's trying some new things out and he's using us as guinea pigs. Eat up," Ino said.
"I think you could have handled this on your own," Sakura teased. Ino let the remark go, choosing instead to suggest a few choice haircuts Sakura should try to manage her forehead. The rest of lunch was eating most of what Chouji made, all of which Sakura approved. She even tried a new tomato dish and fell in love with it. She decided to save the rest for Sora and Suki once they came home from school.
That was the plan until she realized that between Ino and her, the tomato dish was gone.
"Maybe I'll get some more for dinner tonight," Sakura mused as she tossed the empty container. "The kids would love it."
"Not unless you eat like you did just now. And you call me a pig," Ino huffed. "But I'll admit Chouji outdid himself this time."
Sakura got up and proceeded to clean up the mess, saving what she could for the kids. Ino helped and after a while, Sakura made some tea to wash it all down.
"So are you going to tell me about it?" Ino asked as Sakura put the tea pot on the burner.
"Long story short, I have no idea where he went or why. But I gave as much of our conversation, however vague it was, to the police. I'll let them make what they will of it."
"That's the police. This is me Sakura, and I know that what's between you and Sasuke is a whole lot more than you care to admit. He left Suki with you, and that's saying something."
"It's saying that he trusted me enough with his daughter, but not enough to tell me where he was going," Sakura said bitterly as the water boiled. "It's been five weeks now. How much longer can I hope for him to come back?"
"Sasuke will come back to you," Ino reassured, making Sakura chuckle darkly.
"And what makes you so sure Ino? Did he tell you when? Because he certainly didn't tell me and look where that's gotten me," she said before looking away. "You know, my whole life, I've felt this disconnect with the world because my father kept me on such a short leash. It's like the choices I made weren't really my own. I didn't want to be hopelessly in love at sixteen but I was, I didn't want to be married before I finished med school but I did, and I certainly didn't expect to be a mother so young, but I am. Then my whole world went to hell and back but this time, it's Sasuke who's keeping me in the dark."
"Maybe he had a good reason for not telling you. Maybe he's just trying to protect you," Ino said. The topic of keeping secrets was hitting to close to home for her comfort.
"I'm not a child Ino," Sakura said. "I can take care of myself. What's driving me crazy is all the secrecy. I thought I knew him well enough but this is just insane. Lying to me is not protecting me, it's just lying. He didn't tell me the full truth, and that's the same thing."
"Sometimes we have to lie to protect the one's we love," Ino said. "And…Sasuke does love you, doesn't he?"
Sakura heard the water boil but didn't make any moves to take it off the stove. Ino got up and took care of the task.
"He didn't tell me so," she whispered.
Ino waited a few beats, before she realized something.
"You told him though…didn't you?" she asked. "You told him you love him." When Sakura continued to be silent, Ino knew then that this was much harder on her than any of them could have imagined.
"Yes. I did. And he still left," she whispered. "That's what I didn't care to share with the police. That I'm in love with a criminal," she said looking Ino in the eyes.
Ino found it hard to maintain eye contact. She was just as guilty of lying to Sakura as everyone else was, but it had to be done. She had a lot to digest after this. Sakura being in love with Sasuke didn't really come as that much of a shock, but the enormity of the situation was incredible. And Sakura didn't even know the half of the story.
"Ino, I know you mean well, but I'd just really rather be alone right now," Sakura confessed. Ino nodded in understanding. Sakura was completely closed off now, and nothing she said would have any impact on her.
"Okay then. Call me if you need anything forehead."
"Thanks Ino pig," Sakura said with a halfhearted smile. Ino took her leave, finally giving Sakura some peace. She appreciated the gesture, but she didn't feel like listening to people telling her how much they understand her pain, because they didn't. No one knew what it felt like to lose someone they love twice.
Needing to keep busy, Sakura decided to clean the house even though it was pretty clean already. There were still some boxes that needed unpacking in the attic. After the move to Tokyo, Sakura got pretty preoccupied with Sasuke and didn't really get around to fully unpacking. Deciding to commit was another motivator. She was not about to uproot Sora once more simply to get away from things.
This was his home now.
Once everything was orderly downstairs, Sakura opened the door with the steep stairs leading into the attic. There were several boxes and they were all dusty as hell. This would occupy her for a while at least. She got to work and lost herself in cardboard.
She had spent most of the afternoon dusting and organizing the boxes, which she actually found enjoyable. The memories of happier times put a smile on her face. All of Sora's baby clothes and things were neatly organized for a donation pile, as he wouldn't be needed them anymore and she certainly was not about to have another child anytime soon.
There were a few more boxes left, and they were all Sai's belongings.
"Now or never," she muttered as she pulled the first box. It was a pile of his clothes. Sai was never one for color. Most of his things were in the gray and black family. She smiled as she remembered the time she asked him if he was going for the Goth look and he simply gave her a smile followed by a comment if she was going for the air-head bubblegum look with her hair. She dutifully socked him in the face afterwards.
The clothes had to go as well.
The next box was filled to the brim with his artwork. She even found the scroll with Sora's first steps on them. These she was going to keep for life. She had a great time going through the rest of his collection. Some paintings and sketches she remembers him drawing, the others must have been from before he met her.
Then there was a pile all wrapped in old cloth and tucked away at the bottom of another box. When she unwrapped it, she found more drawings, but different from the others.
Those drawings were strange. They looked like human monster hybrids in all kinds of shapes and sizes. He went so far as to make notes of abilities under some of them. He must have been considering creating a manga of some kind, though he never told her about it. He never really told her much about his past, only that he had no family and was pretty much on his own.
There was one particular drawing that had her stop and stare.
It was a white man with large yellow serpentine eyes. His long black hair came down in curtains over his tunic and belt. But it was his long snake-like tongue that had her freaking out. This was creepy, on another level altogether. It gave her shivers and this unknown sense of evil. Why would he draw something like that? She certainly didn't want Sora to see something so demonic. She was just about to roll it back up and tuck it way, when she saw the writing on the back; Sai's handwriting.
OROCHIMARU
That was all that was written, followed by a symbol that made Sakura hold her breath.
Right there, in the corner, was Sasuke's Tattoo symbol.
It was the three coma marks. She examined the markings closer and knew that was the one. She knew that symbol well. Now that she thought about it, she remembered that there were times when Sasuke would conceal it. She was too preoccupied in the past to question him about it but that was the exact symbol.
"What the hell?" she whispered. She unloaded more papers and gazed upon more and more pictures and documents, all of them just as mysterious as the next. She found another document with the symbol at the top followed by text.
It was known as the Curse Seal of Heaven.
Sakura sat and read Sai's handwritten notes, horrified at every word that unraveled a dark and sinister individual with inhuman goals. How was Sai related to all of this? Why did he have such extensive material on these monstrosities? Sakura was beginning to feel sick to her stomach. Sai couldn't have been involved with all this kind of business.
She read on, realizing with every page that this was more than just some cult. Names and dates and locations all told her these were recent events not more than ten years ago.
She knew him. The Sai she knew and loved would never participate in human experiments. The father of her son would never sacrifice other children to this madness. In her haste, she knocked over another box, and a small black book fell out.
The little book fell and opened up to a page. As Sakura read, she couldn't' believe it.
"What is this?" she whispered to herself. This was Sai's handwriting and drawings again. All these pages were dated. It started fifteen years ago. Sai would have been twelve when all this began. She found another document, one that confused her just as much as the next.
Three little letters and one particular name sent a deadly chill down her spine.
C. I. A
The next name and title sent fire into her soul.
Hatake Kakashi, Commander
"Oh my God," she said as she dropped the book. "Oh my God," she whispered again as her breathing hitched. "That can't be true. That can't…"
She forced herself to grab the book again and flip through it. Sai hadn't left anything out. He included pictures of her father, his history, his missions, his subordinates, his rise through the ranks and his own hit list.
For hours, Sakura opened and read every note and scroll and looked through every picture. The entire attic floor was covered in what she fashioned as Sai's most intricate story of himself. The real Sai was laid out before her.
CIA data profiles, mission logs, hit lists, foreign intelligence years old, sketches and more of a different man leading a different life.
She fell to her knees and tried to control her breathing. Her world was in pieces and her husband Sai was a man she didn't really know. Sasuke, the love of her life, was a man wanted by the very organization her father controlled.
Who were the people in her life? Secret agents, spies, criminals…this was all stuff you hear about on TV or spy novels. Was this really happening?
Sakura tried to control her breathing as she thought of the children. Those two little kids, so alike in too many ways and now they shared one more thing, one more lie.
How was it that in this world she would find herself in love with two men, both of whom she didn't really know, and who were but a mirror image of each other?
One was a secret agent and the other a secret criminal? What was the world doing to her? How could she look at her babies and not see their fathers every time?
The rage, the shock and the hurt was too much for her to process. Her mind did what any would do in extreme chaos. It shut down and re-wired itself.
There was still one father left: hers.
She gave them everything she had. Now she's the one that needed answers, and by God she would get them. She grabbed her phone and ran back to the attic and grabbed Sai's book. Dialing her father, he picked up on the first ring.
Something was up. The sound of her voice, devoid of any emotion, scared the hell out of him when he spoke to her on the phone. It was raining like mad outside, and Sakura chose to stay in her own house rather than go back to Sasuke's.
He raced out of the base and made his way over to her as fast as he could. He found her door unlocked, which scared him even more.
"Sakura!" he shouted, before he spotted her.
He found Sakura standing in the living room, deathly still yet staring straight at him. Every cell in Kakashi's system went on alert. Something had happened, and it wasn't good.
"Is everything alright Sakura? Why wasn't your door locked?" he asked. She was looking at him with a hardness he had never seen in her before. It was as if she was trying to figure him out. "Sakura?" he asked again.
"I just had a very exhausting day," she said quietly. She still continued to look at him with that calculating gaze.
"Would you like to tell me about it?" he asked. This was his daughter, and he knew a mission when he saw one staring him in the face. He would not hesitate in front of her.
"I'm done telling everyone everything," she replied. "Now I'm the one that needs some information."
"What kind of information?" he asked. Sakura broke her eye contact with him and walked over to stand by the mantle. She gently caressed the photo of Sai holding baby Sora. She lifted it up and held it before him. Kakashi took the frame, trying to figure out where this was going. "Sakura?"
"You would tell me everything I needed to know right?" she asked searching his eyes for any sign of a flicker, any hesitation at all. There was none.
"Of course I would," he replied. He began to walk away toward her.
"What about things I wanted to know?" she asked, making him stop. "Things others might think I shouldn't know, for my own safety or whatnot. You would tell me, wouldn't you?" she asked.
Kakashi simply stared at his daughter, analyzing her tone and trying to decipher what she was getting at. He gave her a slow nod and continued to walk toward her.
"Good," she said slowly. "Can you tell me who the man in that picture is?"
He stopped walking. He literally froze. He glanced down at the picture again and a sense of dread began to fill him. She couldn't have. There was no way she could begin to think…
"It's Sai. Sakura what is going on? Did something happen?" he asked.
She held up a shaky hand as she tried to remain calm. "Just…tell me who the man in the picture is; the one that's holding my baby. The one who gave me that baby. Who is he?"
"Sakura I don't know where you're-"
"Well then why don't I tell you about my day daddy?" she interrupted. "My days have sucked lately and I've always wondered why I've felt so discombobulated with the people around me. Sometimes I fell like everyone's walking on eggshells around me and that I'm missing out on some inside joke you all share. I've always wondered, why. Then Today, Sai gave me some answers," she said pulling out a small black book from the mantle.
He registered the book for the full loaded smoking gun that it was, and knew that his relationship with his daughter as it had been was finally up.
"Explain to me what the ANBU Black Ops ROOT division is, and more importantly, why does Sai's name come after it?" she asked.
Kakashi stared at the familiar book, the one Sai composed during his life at the CIA. In Sakura's hands, the book was fire ready to burn.
"You would know what that is wouldn't you? Start talking," she demanded. "Commander Hatake of the CIA," she added. He could have died right there. There was no forgiveness in her eyes.
AUTHORS NOTE:
Stuff is happening now lol. Not much Sasuke for now but don't worry he'll be back sooner than you think.
One thing I must address here, and that a few of you have caught yourself, is the inconsistency with my timeline of this story. My story has a big plot hole and I am not sure how much time has passed in the story, or where they are in the year. So for the sake of the story and making things make sense, I'm just going to say that right now, the story is in the month of May. This is fan fiction and I don't think many people really care about realistic things, (I really don't) but for those of you that do, I'll give you this much at least.
Sora: Nobody cares!
Suki: Yeah you're boring the readers!
Jun: Yeah!
Sora and Suki: Get outta here Jun! No one remembers whose kid you are!
Jun: Don't blame me! Blame animequeen! She's the procrastinator!
Me: /-_-\ called out by my own chibi's.
I still really really really love reviews!