Hello readers! Hope those of you that read the last chapter are on the edge of your seats, wanting to know what's going to happen next. Now on to the third chapter you've all been waiting for! There may be some spelling and grammatical errors present.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do own this fanfic.

Chapter 3: Pieces

"We come to you live with breaking news this morning. After spending close to two hours putting out the flames, law officials are finally able to investigate the explosion of a residence in one of Konoha's most peaceful neighborhoods that occurred a little after one o'clock this morning. The area has been taped off as a crime scene with investigators documenting the incident and collecting whatever evidence they can find. The street has been closed off and occupants of the surrounding houses have been evacuated as a safety precaution. Firefighters are still working to put out some smaller hotspots that developed from the debris. Police are roaming the area on the lookout for any suspicious characters that may have been involved."

"Neighbors said they woke to the sound of massive gunfire, which was then followed by an explosion that rattled the building close by. Officials speculate the violence is gang-related and whomever they were targeting either lived or was hiding out in the now destroyed housing complex, but have not found any sort of connection to prove otherwise. We've seen crime scene units documenting and collecting firearms and shell casings. The number of casualties has not been announced, but officials from the coroner office have been seen loading several body bags into vans these past few hours. A cleanup crew was seen earlier here washing away the blood that stained the pavement after investigators finished collection. Officials are not releasing the name of any of the victims until they can identify them and contact their family."

"The only detail released by the chief of police was these gang members were armed heavily and had no intention of sparing the innocents in the way of their target. Officials are still unsure which gang is responsible and no specific gang has come forward claiming responsibility, but police have their suspects. If anyone has any information regarding this attack, they are asked to call the tip line immediately —"

Naruto stood up angrily and turned off the television. Unable to contain his anger, he hurled the remote across the living room, not caring if he woke anyone up. The whole incident was going to be the main topic for some time before it would finally die down and become yesterday's news. Then again an attack of that scale in a peaceful neighborhood would be on the news every day until the person or persons held responsible were caught and behind bars. Every news channel was currently covering the incident that it was driving him insane.

"Gang-related my ass," he muttered. "Stupid police must have been in on it."

The same story was being announced and he was fed up with it. If only those reporters knew the truth, but that would only cause all hell to break loose. He was at the scene hours ago, part of the firefight, and knew the whole event wasn't gang-related at all. He was in the middle of enjoying his midnight snack when he got the emergency ping from Sasuke on his cell phone. He knew it was serious and had bolted out of headquarters without a second thought. Whoever had attacked the couple, they had the knowledge and skills to execute the strike. He knew they weren't just any typical mercenary team based on their skills and equipment quality.

He was exhausted both mentally and physically, body bruised and sore but there was no point in sleeping after everything that had happened in the past few hours. The events of what had happened were fresh on his mind and it pulled at his heart knowing there wasn't anything he could do to make it better.

"How's Sakura-chan doing?"

The blond turned around and faced a woman with long red hair. Her light-colored eyes contrasted against her skin and hair. She wore a muted blue set off pajamas covered by a thick green robe and black sandals. Her facial expression was filled with worries as she questioned her son. He looked at her apologetically knowing he must have woken her up with his ruckus.

He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Not too good mom."

She walked over to him and cupped his face in her hand, examining his slightly bruised face and cut lip. "And Sasuke–kun?"

"He hasn't left her alone for a moment," Naruto replied, pulling away from his mother's warm touch. He didn't want her to make a big fuss over his injuries. "I can't even get him to give me his gun." He took his seat on the couch and placed his hands over his face. "Everything was fine just yesterday. They were happy and now their lives are in pieces."

"Teme we got to go!" Naruto yelled, quickly moving some of the scraps away to get to the couple.

With the additional help of a female agent, Naruto removed the large piece of plywood hindering the dark-haired man from getting up. Sasuke carried his wife up bridal style and got her into the awaiting vehicle. Covering him from behind was Naruto and the female with brunet hair tied into two buns. Once the couple was in, the female agent climbed in and closed the door in time for it to take a few bullets. Firing a few more rounds, Kakashi took his place in the driver's seat.

"Targets secured," Kakashi reported. "Everyone back to HQ immediately."

The silver-haired man stepped on the gas pedal and drove the SUV back onto the road. The sound of several bullets hitting the bulletproof exterior fueled him to gas the car to get away from their enemies. Once they were out of range, the older man never let his foot off the accelerator, speeding as fast as the car would allow. Every few seconds, he would peer at the reflection in the mirrors to make sure they weren't being followed but also at his daughter. Sakura had regained consciousness during the ride but was disoriented and Sasuke was afraid she had suffered a concussion. She mentioned feeling pain in her abdominal region even though there wasn't any further bleeding. The female agent was monitoring the pregnant woman's condition, ready to report to the medical team if something serious occurred. Neji did minimal treatment to Sasuke's wounded arm to prevent him from bleeding out until they got back to headquarters for proper treatment.

Once they reached headquarters, Naruto busted the back door wide open and Kakashi hastily got out from the drivers' seat. He carried Sakura onto the awaiting stretcher and the medical team wheeled her in quickly, wasting no time in admitting her in. Despite the gunshot, Sasuke followed her down the hallway ignoring the fact he needed a doctor to look over his injury. Tsunade was already at the trauma station waiting for the arrival of Sakura. When her prized pulp was wheeled in, the currants were drawn as she and the team worked. Kakashi and Naruto took a seat, waiting for a member of the medical team to report to them. Sasuke stood in front of the station eager to know the results of her condition. He would never forgive himself if something happened to his wife or unborn daughter. He brought this upon them and he was going to make sure to take down whoever was involved.

"Kakashi!"

The said man turned in the direction of the voice and saw Itachi running over. Behind him was a woman with waist-long raven hair whose flawless resemblance was inherited by her youngest son. She aged well, deceiving those that didn't know her actual age. The color of her hair and eyes were more than enough proof of her relation to two of the organization's top agents.

"What's the situation?" Itachi asked.

"Sakura was rushed in not too long ago," Kakashi answered. "Tsunade is looking over her as we speak."

"And the others?"

"Zero casualties on our end, but I can't say the same for the civilians," the older man answered. His lone eye landed on the raven-haired woman. "Mikoto–san, do you think you can talk to Sasuke?"

She looked over at her youngest son and instantly knew he was filled with guilt. She nodded at the request aware she may be the only one who's word would get through to Sasuke. Mikoto went over to her distressed son and placed a hand on his shoulder. She knew he was greatly troubled and there was nothing she could do to help him.

"Standing here isn't going to do any good," she said. She noticed the wound on his arm and frowned. "Go get yourself checked out; we'll be here when Tsunade–san comes out." Her son didn't listen to any of her words. She knew he wasn't going anywhere and having him standing in front of the secluded section was making her worry more. "At least take a seat Sasuke–kun. You're making me even more anxious just standing here."

Sasuke looked at his mother. She was already uneasy by the news of her daughter–in–law and didn't need any more added to that. He obeyed her request and took a seat, his eyes never leaving the medical station. Time seemed to slow down that minutes began to feel like hours. The moment Tsunade stepped out, Sasuke immediately stood from his seat awaiting the news of his wife's and unborn child's condition.

"Everything is alright. Sakura doesn't have a concussion, only a few minor scratches, and bruises; no bone fractures. We want to monitor her for the next few hours to make sure her condition doesn't worsen."

"And the baby?" Sasuke asked.

A small smile graced the doctor's lips. "The baby is fine as well," she reassured. "The bleeding is nothing to worry about, just a false alarm."

Sasuke was relieved by the news. His wife and unborn child were safe despite the danger they had narrowly escaped, but deep down he felt there was something wrong. Seconds after Shizune came out from behind the curtains and whispered something to her superior. Tsunade's eyes narrowed and she nodded at her assistant.

"Set up the operation room immediately and get Sakura prepped," the head doctor ordered. "Something has come up," Tsunade said to Sasuke. "You need to come with me now."

—xXx—

Sasuke stood at his wife's bedside wearing a scrub suit over his clothes. His left arm was over her shoulders protectively as his right hand held hers. Sakura wore a solid color hospital gown pulled up to reveal her belly as a medical blanket covered her from the hip down. She held his hand tightly as she rested on the slightly angled bed set up to give birth if her mentor deemed it necessary. Tsunade was running an ultrasound scan of Sakura's belly to check on the unborn child in her womb. The monitor was turned away from them to prevent Sakura from seeing what was on the screen.

"I told Shizune–san the baby stopped kicking me and she looked scared," Sakura said, evident distress in her voice.

He squeezed her hand gently. "Maybe she's asleep," Sasuke whispered to reassure his wife's doubt. He stroked her hair with his other hand to calm her.

"But she kicks me at least once every half hour to an hour," Sakura whined, fear and worry evident in her voice. "Sometimes even more often than that. The last time I felt her kick was when we —"

"She won't kick if she's asleep right?"

Sakura nodded as Sasuke placed a gentle kiss against her forehead. There wasn't much he could do to calm his panicking wife but to stay by her side the entire time. He knew the bond with the growing life in her womb was strong and that the sight of her scared face told him her instincts were telling her something was wrong. The assassin was hoping her motherly intuition was mistaken.

After thoroughly checking her findings, Tsunade placed the device down and turned her attention to the couple. "I've given you a complete checkup," she said, pulling the gown down to cover her patient's abdomen. She took a deep breath before continuing. "The baby's heart has stopped beating."

Tears began the fill her emerald orbs. Sakura knew what the news meant, but didn't want to believe it. She had dealt with this scenario several times both as an intern and resident doctor at the university's hospital, praying it would never happen to her. It was a horror every expecting mother had and should never have to experience. Sasuke felt her hands shake in his and knew she didn't have the heart to speak.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke questioned.

Tsunade's eyes saddened. "The baby is dead."

Sakura began to cry the moment her fear was confirmed. Sasuke held his wife close, trying to comfort her. He held back his pain and rage to stay strong for his grieving spouse.

"You said the baby was fine earlier."

"We couldn't have anticipated her condition would change this fast," Tsunade said.

Her cries become louder. There weren't any reassuring words that would make things better. They had escaped with their lives and now their first child who had yet to be born was dead.

"I know this is not a good time, but we mustn't delay," Tsunade said. "The baby can't stay in the womb any longer or it will endanger your health, even your life. We have to take her out!" The blond doctor felt the pain of her young pulp when her sobs became louder. "We can't perform a cesarean without endangering you after the ordeal you endured. Sakura, you will have to go through a natural delivery."

Sasuke held Sakura's shaking form close as she continued to cry. The medical team present prepared her for delivery and got the necessary surgical implements ready. There was nothing he could say or do to change what had already been done. All he could do was to try to heal her breaking heart.

—xXx—

Outside the double doors, Naruto was pacing back and forth. Each time he turned around, his cerulean orbs would look at the closed entrances, hoping someone would come out and tell them what was going on. Mikoto was seated with Itachi next to her, trying to calm her nerves. She kept clenching and unclenching the bottom of her jacket, anticipating the news of her daughter–in–law. Kakashi stood beside the doors, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as he waited.

"Why does this have to happen," Naruto muttered. "After everything they've been through…" He turned his gaze up toward the ceiling. "If anyone needs to be punished, I'll gladly take it for them…"

The light of the operation sign lit up.

"Please kami–sama," Mikoto whispered, putting her hands in front of her for prayer. "Protect Sakura-chan and her baby."

—xXx—

Her eyes were red and puffy as perspiration dripped from her face. Her breaths were uneven and heavy as she endured both emotional and physical pain. To induce her body to go into labor, the amniotic fluid surrounding the dead fetus was discharged. Unfortunately, she couldn't be administered any pain killers due to her weakened state in fear that it may lead to additional complications. With each contraction, she felt like her body was being ripped apart and she would pass out from the pain. Sasuke stood at her bedside with his right hand in hers, feeling her pain each time she squeezed tightly. There wasn't anything he could do to relieve her suffering as she toughed it out on her own. He held her close as he whispered whatever reassuming words he could to keep her conscious.

"The cervix is open," Shizune said, standing beside Tsunade. "We can start labor."

The blond doctor looked at her pupil. "Are you ready Sakura?" The said woman nodded slightly. "When you're ready, take one deep breath, lower your chin, and push."

Sakura did as she was told, sobbing the entire time, unable to accept the thought her baby was dead. The physical pain was unbearable, but she proceeded to endure through. Sasuke stayed by her with his forehead against the side of her head. He whispered into her ear, telling her to remain strong and that he would be there with her every step of the way. He felt her pain every time she squeezed his hand over and over again, each time feeling tighter than the last. He couldn't do anything for this wife but watch her tolerate it all on her own.

"Keep pushing Sakura-chan," Shizune said. "Take deep breaths."

She closed her eyes tightly and squeezed Sasuke's hand with whatever force she was able to muster. Both the physical and mental exhaustion was taking a toll on her weakening her body. Sakura continued to do as she was instructed with her tears washing down her cheeks. With each exhaled breath, she grieved her pain. When it was finally over, Sakura leaned into the man beside her and cried harder. Sasuke held her tightly, letting her weep into his chest. This was the first time he had ever seen his wife so emotionally tormented and defeated. The silent room was filled only with her sorrow cries instead of the wail of a crying newborn. He turned his distressed gaze over to the doctors and saw Tsunade clean the stillborn infant with a medical towel before wrapping it in another. He released his hold on his wife and laid her down on the bed.

"Can I hold her?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade's half-lidded eyes looked at Sasuke then at the little bundle in her arms and nodded. After what they just went through, letting him hold the child was something she couldn't bear to take away. She gently handed the baby into Sasuke's waiting hands desiring the situation to have been different. Alive or dead, being able to hold his child would hold great meaning to him. He held the tiny child as if it was second nature to him. Though premature in his eyes the baby only looked smaller than any other newborn. The light-colored hair on her head was evident enough she was going to have her mother's pink hair. Looking over the still infant with heavy eyes, Sasuke couldn't help to blame himself for the death of his first child.

"Sasuke–kun," she whimpered. He immediately turned to look at his wife. "Let me see her."

Sasuke was hesitant but went over to her. When she held out her arms, he knew he couldn't say no and placed the child in her arms. Sakura sniffed as she looked at her daughter, tears still streaming down her cheeks. She brought her left hand over and gently stroked the child's cheek with the back of her index finger. Her shaking fingers went down to the infant's tiny hand.

"Can you say mommy?" Sakura whispered. She stroked the infant's hand. "Say mommy."

Sakura continued to sob as she held onto the tiny hand with her own. She would never get the chance to hear her baby's voice or see her grow up, only in her dreams. Sasuke placed his hand over theirs and held his wife's head against his chest. He wished things were different so they wouldn't have to deal with the heartache.

—xXx—

When the light of the operation sign went off, everyone was on edge to know how Sakura and her baby were doing. It had been over an hour and the wait was nerve-racking. The moment the doors opened, Sasuke exited with his head down, his bangs covering his eyes. Mikoto stood from her seat and went over to her son.

"How is she Sasuke–kun?" Mikoto asked.

"Sakura is fine," he answered, quietly.

"And the baby?"

"Her name is Uchiha Suki…" Sasuke said. "And she's dead."

Mikoto gasped as her hand came up, covering her mouth. Tears formed in her eyes and began to flow down her cheeks. "How could… She was…"

Itachi comforted his grieving mother the best he could. Kakashi shut his eye and looked away. Sasuke turned away from his mother and slammed his right fist into the wall nearby. He lowered his head even more and let a single tear fall from his eye. Naruto went over to his best friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was the first time he saw Sasuke so vulnerable and broken. He could only imagine Sakura was feeling much worse. The raven-haired man turned to face he blond with crimson orbs spinning and then rushed out.

"Where are you going teme?" Naruto shouted.

The blond rushed after the young man, not knowing what Sasuke was up to. Agents that were still wondering the halls quickly moved out of the way once they saw the dark-haired man rushed toward them. Naruto followed him to the garage and saw him grab his abandoned black duffle bag. Knowing fully well what was inside, Naruto sprinted as fast as he could and tackled his friend down to the ground.

"Let me go!"

Naruto grabbed the bag and tossed it as far as he could before he was kicked off. Getting back on his feet quickly, the blond blocked the direction in which his friend was planning to head toward.

"No way!" Naruto yelled throwing a punch at Sasuke's face. "I know what you're planning to do."

The dark-haired man threw an uppercut into Naruto's stomach. Naruto roundhouse kicked Sasuke's right thigh, making the man's leg give out for just a second.

"I'm not letting you go anywhere!"

Sasuke threw a straight punch toward Naruto's face, only to graze his cheek. He quickly followed his attack with an uppercut and connected with his opponent's jaw. The blond took a step back and spat some blood out from his mouth, keeping his eyes focused on the movement of his rival. Seeing that he wasn't going to attack first, Naruto pressed forward once more. Sasuke threw right his fist out but was dodged as he received a forceful knee into his gut. Taking full advantage of his hunched body, the blond elbowed his friend's back to force him to the ground. The dark-haired man slumped forward, coughing violently from the sudden wind knocked out from him. Naruto took a few steps back and loosened the button of his shirt as he watched Sasuke slowly getting back up.

"Just turn around," Naruto huffed, keeping his arms up, ready to either attack or defend. "I don't want to fight you anymore teme."

"They need to pay!"

His crimson eyes spun wildly as he glared at the man in his way. Naruto knew there was no way Sasuke was going to back down easily for his inner demon was taking over. The blond rushed in and sent a roundhouse kick right into his wounded left arm then sent a blow into his face. Grabbed his opponent's right arm, Naruto stepped around and threw the dark-haired man onto the ground.

"We don't know who they are!" Naruto yelled.

"I'll find them!" He slowly got back up. "And kill them all!"

Having enough, Naruto grabbed his best friend and shoved him against the wall. He landed one last punch with his right hand to disorient him before using his left forearm to pin him.

"Sakura-chan needs you there with her!" Naruto applied pressure. "She already lost the baby! How do you think she would react if we told her you were dead?"

Sasuke stopped his struggle and pushed his comrade off him. The blond kept his eye on the man before him, ready to take him down again if needed. What Naruto said was right. After all these years, they still didn't know who was involved. He could become the lone deer surrounded by a pack of wolves if he went out blindly. Most importantly Sakura needed him more than ever after her emotional devastation and he would be condemned for leaving her like that.

Within the confines of his room, Itachi typed away on his laptop. The desk lamp was turned on to laminate just the small area to reduce the strain on his eyes as he worked. He shifted his gaze over to the large king-sized bed for a moment to check on the lone occupant. Sleeping peacefully in the very center was his son unbothered by the typing on the keyboard or the dimmed light. His raven hair was messy against the white pillow and his mouth slightly ajar with a bit of drool. The comforter was pulled up to his shoulders to keep him warm and as he snuggled against the brown teddy bear he held tightly.

With no desire to delay any longer, he turned eyes back to the screen before him. His crimson orbs allowed him to scan the screen in front of him faster as he attempted to hack into the secured backup system. He had attempted to do so countless times before and failed not only due to the complicated encryption, but the thirty-seven sequenced code would change every thirty minutes. Within the longer code are six smaller sequenced codes that would need to be decrypted between every other five characters that were on a fifteen-minute timer. Whenever an outside source attempts to infiltrate the system, the timing of the sequence codes would change from every fifteen minutes to every five minutes within the first hour of detection. The timer on the sequence changer wouldn't reset to normal until after seventy-two hours have passed from the last attempt. The brain behind the technology not only design it to prevent tampering but unauthorized access as well unless you had the skills to beat the system. With such a narrow window, his numerous past attempts have slowly gotten him closer and closer, but with a small window of opportunity, it was difficult when hacking wasn't his forte.

With less than five minutes left before his last fifteen-minute window was gone, he inserted in the last line of code and punched the ENTER key. A soft sigh escaped his lips as he sat back against his chair to wait for the results of his efforts.

Sasuke sat on the couch across from the hospital bed Sakura laid in. His crimson orbs were completely focused on the unconscious form of his wife. He watched as she breathed even breaths with no sign of misery over her face. After his brawl with Naruto, he had his arm and other possibly bodily injuries checked out and changed out of his dirty clothes. Lying on his lap was his silver handgun with the silencer attached. The infirmary had rules against weapons present in the area, but he completely ignored it despite knowing they were safe within the confines of headquarters. He had been ordered several times to go back to his quarters to rest, but he continued to stay in the room, unwilling to leave her alone in her current state. His body and mind screamed at him to sleep, but he disregarded his health's need.

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cellphone. Clicking into the photo section, he selected the album titled family and the first image that took over the screen was one of a cute little girl with dark emerald orbs and pink hair. Not too long ago Sakura had been playing with an application that gave couples an idea of what their child could look like when inheriting their parents' genes. She had inserted in their infant and adult photos and the program produced an image that was currently on his phone. They had picked out the name Suki a month ago when Sakura was told the gender of their child was likely a girl after an ultrasound and they never imaged it to be that fitting. Their beloved daughter was no longer with them, but she should always have a place in their hearts.

"Stop… don't…" He turned his gaze toward his wife; her body was beginning to twist. "Please… don't take her…"

The dark-haired man got up, pocketing his cellphone. As he walked over to his wife's bedside, he slid his gun to the back of his belt, keeping it close. He took hold of her hand in his as tears began to fall from her eyes. She continued to mutter her nightmares, desperate to fight it despite it being a reality.

"Why?" She gripped his hand tighter. "Let her stay… don't take her away…"

Sasuke whipped her tears away, wishing he could take all her pain and shoulder it for her. He noticed his presence seemed to calm her and took the small space left on her bed to be with her. He owed her so much and it wasn't going to be easy for both of them to move on after what happened.

Artificial sunlight slowly crept through the fake windows and lit up the room. The research and development team had designed the special ultraviolet lights that changed according to the sun's brightness due to the majority of their facility being underground. With headquarter located away from the city and close to the cliff area, certain areas did receive natural sunlight through the fake cliff rock made of unique fiberglass material.

The apartment wasn't very large, but the warm color palette made the place feel like home to the occupants. It was big enough to house a family of four, with rooms to accommodate each member. The entire living quarter had the temperature set at a comfortable level.

"I don't know what to do," Mikoto said before taking a sip of her hot tea.

She was sitting on one of the kitchen counter stools with her hands wrapped around her teacup. Seated across from her was a woman with long red hair. Her light blue eyes were saddened as she looked at her friend. She was well aware of what had happened and knew very well Mikoto didn't get an ounce of sleep because of it. The emotional stress was only making it worse.

"Sakura-chan has suffered a huge loss no mother should ever have to endure and Sasuke–kun…" She exhaled a heavy sigh. "I've never seen him like this before."

The red-haired woman patted her friend's hand. "Sasuke–kun has been given some time off to collect himself. Naruto–kun will help us watch over him to make sure he doesn't do anything rash." She withdrew her hand and reached into her pocket for a creased document. She left it folded and placed it in front of Mikoto. "I went ahead and got a space arranged by Fugaku–san and Izumi–chan."

"Thank you Kushina–chan," Mikoto said. "Your family has done so much for us during the past two years. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Don't worry about it," Kushina said. "We are a family here and will help pick up the broken pieces any way we can."

Mikoto smiled sadly at Kushina, thankful to have the woman as a friend. She was still processing the news and it took a heavy blow to her heart. She couldn't believe her son has lost his first child when his wife had just started her third trimester. The couple was excited ever since Sakura had gotten pregnant and now they would have to prepare a burial. The couple had been married for three years now and after dealing with two family deaths, a third had to appear. No parent should have to bear the pain of burying their child. Recovery wouldn't be easy, but she was going to be there to help every step of the way.

His eyes were back to their normal color as he looked at the still form of his wife. It was close to eleven o'clock and he never once closed his eyes to rest when he laid by her side. He felt the phone in his pocket vibrate and pulled it out to glance at the message that came through before tucking it away again. She began to stir and Sasuke knew her world would come crashing down upon her when reality hit her. When she opened her emerald orbs, Sakura wished she had never woken up. Tears gathered in her eyes and fell from their pool as her heart ached heavily. She turned slightly to look at her husband.

"Sasuke–kun."

Sasuke immediately held her against his chest, allowing her cries to be muffled. Her slender fingers gripped onto his shirt tightly as she grieved. His left hand rubbed her back, attempting to calm her. She hurt so much but didn't blame him for what happened and he knew it. Regardless of how she felt, he felt responsible for everything that had happened. They stayed like that for some time with neither saying a word. Only the sound of Sakura's heartbreaking sobs filled the quiet infirmary room. The physical discomfort she felt after giving birth continued to remind her of her loss.

When her whimpers died down, Sasuke pulled away from her slightly to look at her. Her eyes saw the small blemishes to her husband's face, but all her mind was able to comprehend was the loss they had suffered together. His thumb ran over her tear-stained cheek gently before cupping her face. His distress gaze met hers; they were young and capable of conceiving another child, but emotionally it would be difficult. Words needed to be said, but he didn't know what he could say to make things better for her. He would do anything to turn back time to prevent so much from happening, yet it would be selfish of him to do so.

"Get a room you two," a voice said.

Sasuke glared at the grinning blond as he entered. He placed a kiss on her forehead then removed himself from the bed. Sakura whipped her remaining tears away with the sleeve of the hospital gown she wore. She noticed the bruises on Naruto's tanned skin and wondered if something had happened between him and her husband. Naruto placed a small bouquet of white roses on the table beside the bed then leaned toward the room's main occupant, hugging her tightly.

"We'll get the bastards who did this," he said receiving a small hug back from the woman. When he released her, a grin was plastered back on his face. "What kind of ramen would you like for breakfast Sakura-chan?"

"There's no need for ramen." All three occupants turned to the door and saw Mikoto walking in. "We brought Sakura-chan food," Mikoto said indicating the small food thermal in her hand.

"Uncle!" the little boy shouted from behind Mikoto before running up to Sasuke. The dark-haired man kneeled and picked up his nephew. When he was lifted, he turned his innocent eyes toward the main room occupant. "Are you okay auntie?"

Sakura nodded slightly to reply, even though seeing her nephew reminded her of how she was looking forward to being a mother. Sasuke placed the boy on the bed and he immediately wrapped his small arms around Sakura to hug her. She stroked his dark locks, knowing she needed family more than anything to support her recovery.

"Oy teme," Naruto whispered after elbowing the man lightly. "There's a meeting we need to go to."

The dark-haired man nodded then turned to his wife, grabbed her hand, and placed a kiss on her knuckle. It was his gesture of telling her he would be back later. Sakura clutched his hand and smiled slightly before letting him go. Sasuke went over to his mother and the woman just smiled at him.

"I'll take care of her," Mikoto reassured.

Sasuke nodded, knowing his mother understood what it meant and left the room. Mikoto went over to the bed and placed the thermal on the table. She could tell from her slightly puffy eyes that Sakura had been crying not too long ago. She leaned down and hugged the girl tightly.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan," Mikoto muttered. She released her daughter–in–law and moved her hands to rubbed her now flat abdominal area. "They say massaging helps ease the pain after giving birth."

Tears gathered in Sakura's eyes. The dark-haired woman knew how to help relieve her pain in a different way and she was extremely grateful.

"Thank you."

As they walked down the hallway, Naruto chattered nonstop, blabbering about all sorts of things to spark some sort of conversation. The knucklehead agent wasn't paying much attention and didn't notice when Sasuke turn a corner to head toward his destination. He walked toward the living quarters, his mind completely deep in thought. Itachi had sent him an encrypted message earlier stating he had some good news. When he reached the door to his location, he pulled out his key to enter the complex. Once inside, he saw Itachi sitting at the kitchen counter in front of a laptop, sipping his coffee as he worked.

"You got something?" Sasuke asked as he took a seat across his sibling.

Itachi set an empty mug in front of Sasuke. "The backup drive has the evidence we need."

"You were able to get in?" Sasuke questioned.

A tiny smirked made its way across the older Uchiha's face as he poured coffee into the new cup. "It wasn't easy," he responded. "I have to hand it to her, she made it look easy and I've only succeeded now." Itachi placed the empty pot down. "Now our assumptions now have undeniable proof."

Sasuke took a sip of his beverage, not bothering to put any cream or sugar. "Then he has direct contact?"

Itachi shrugged his shoulder. "Most likely, but we don't know how much he has leaked."

"Would he know about our situation?"

He nodded to the question aware of what his bother was referring to. "Most likely since the only ones that do know were present in the infirmary," Itachi said closing the screen of the laptop. "Other than that, it's in our reports that were delivered straight to Minato-san."

"We know they are targeting the family of Itachi and Sasuke specifically," Shikamaru said.

He stood in front of the large conference room to give the debriefing details requested by the director. On the large monitor behind him displayed a photo of Sakura. Minato sat facing all those attending, observing if anyone's reaction was out of the ordinary. Before continuing, the male looked at over at his superior who gave him a slight nod.

"Troublesome," he muttered under his breath before addressing the room again. "We're assuming the wife of Uchiha Sasuke is the kill objective this time."

Agents in the large conference room began to murmur things to one another. It was the assassination of Fugaku and Izumi all over again, but this time with a failed attempt.

"We have reason to believe the police are involved with covering something up," Shikamaru continued. "We will be sending out various teams to secretly check out the scene for evidence missed and to the crime lab to analyze the findings ourselves."

The young man clicked a button on the remote he held in his hand. An image of the scene taken in broad daylight replaced the image of the pink-haired woman.

"Based on the current state of the location, we are left to believe Sasuke was also n intended target. The motive is still unknown and causalities this time include civilians."

The double doors burst open and both Uchiha brothers entered. Itachi headed toward the front of the room while Sasuke went to the empty seat beside Naruto and an older agent. The man looked to be in his mid to late thirties with a quiet friendly look on his face. His long hair was naturally gray and fell along his chin line.

"Where did you go teme?" Naruto whispered rather loudly.

Sasuke didn't answer and the man beside the empty seat stood up.

"I offer my sincere condolences," he said, putting his hand out for Sasuke to shake. "To you and your –"

The younger Uchiha grabbed the back of the man's neck and slammed him onto the desk. Naruto immediately yelled out his friend's name, afraid the man had lost his mind. Pulling out his gun from his side, the dark-haired man aimed it at the pinned man.

"Who are you working for Mizuki?"

Don't hate me for killing the baby! I already give myself a hard time for going forward with the decision. I was totally crying when I was writing this chapter; hope I didn't make too many readers cry. Sasuke and Sakura will have their happy ending, but not now. As for Mizuki, he was the best choice for a traitor since he's a known character.

Please review! Opinions are greatly appreciated!