2 Months Later

In two months, the two of them had visited every X on the map; there had been no more recent killings, and they had only learned a few things: the attacker they were searching for hid itself exceptionally well, the witnesses of each killing spoke of only a kunai moving on its own into the neck of the victim, and an instant death. No one could track this individual, or entity, and there was indeed no sign of a scuffle because there wasn't one. Furthermore, the range of victims was wide, with no apparent link between them. Sasuke and Sakura, while frustrated at the lack of apparent progress, also cherished each passionate night they would spend together in each other's arms.

However, it was while staying at a town toward the east that it finally happened again. Almost.

They were walking toward the marketplace to purchase more tomatoes for Sasuke, when Sakura felt it - the slightest chakra signature, coming from the bustling, open road before them. Sasuke caught her slight change in demeanor as she scanned the crowd for anything suspicious, and that's when she saw it.

An older woman, carrying her basket full of vegetables, chatting with who was presumably daughter. And behind her, following in an eerily straight line behind her head, was indeed a lone kunai.

"Sasuke-kun!" she cried, but his Sharingan had been activated long ago.

To his shock, there was a young man with short brown hair who followed her, holding the kunai. Deciding not to take any chances, he leapt at the kunai and grasped it in his hand; blood squirted out and pebbled on the sandy ground.

"Everyone, please evacuate the area!" Sakura called out loudly over the noise, and at the sight of the two shinobi poised in fighting stance, the area cleared with chaos and fear.

"Finally, we've found you," Sasuke smirked venomously at the man before him, spinning the kunai quickly until the man let go and it fell to the ground.

".You can see me," the man gasped, then in studying Sasuke for a moment, his visage shifted. "...No, I've found you," the man's face grimaced into a sickly expression as he dropped the kunai and signed a jutsu that Sasuke was unfamiliar with. He disappeared with a puff of smoke, then reappeared next to one of the evacuating civilians, another kunai poised at her neck. Sasuke's face shifted into a silent scream of warning, but his wife had already anticipated the move.

"Shannaroo!" Sakura yelled, aiming a punch at his head. Noting that he was cornered, the man disappeared again, teleporting to the tall branches of the tree nearby.

"...You shouldn't be able to see me," he kicked the air with his feet, "...You're not a sensory type."

"...But I know chakra when I sense it," Sakura spoke toward the voice of the invisible person, "...And yours is only filled with malice. What is it you want?"

There was a pregnant pause, until the air broke out in maniacal laughter.

"Oh that's just perfect," he calmed himself, while Sakura approached her husband who was facing the invader with suspicion. "I want revenge."

"Revenge...? Against who? The war's over, you fool," Sasuke hissed at him, the word striking a chord with him.

"...a certain man...who killed my father."

Sasuke hesitated, "...and you're convinced it's me...?"

"No. But you'll lead me to him."

"Who is it then?" Sakura called into the air. There was a certain tension that was rising in this situation.

"...That's what you're going to tell me," the man suddenly leapt from his spot toward Sakura. Sasuke leapt in front of her out of reflex, a kunai poised at his head. But to Sasuke's surprise, the kunai went through his head and dropped cleanly on the other side.

There was only one other shinobi that could do such a thing.

Obito?!

Sakura punched the ground once more, leveling the entire area in attempts to make him lose his footing. It was successful.

"What the fuck?" the man cursed, revealing himself once more.

"...That ability," Sasuke commented darkly, "...There was only one other shinobi capable of that. And only because he had the Sharingan."

"...That's where you're wrong," he replied, "...If you're willing to dirty your hands in forbidden things, anything is possible. But regardless, I need some information from you..."

He suddenly slipped from both Sasuke and Sakura's view, and in a flash, Sakura was in his grasp with a knife pointed at her throat. Sasuke showed no emotion save for the tiniest widening of his eyes, refusing to betray how much this partner meant to him - for her own sake. Sakura scowled in his grasp, gritting her teeth at the man, "...You're a fast fucker aren't you..."

"...Who else, besides you, now wields the Sharingan?" the man demanded, looking straight into his eyes.

"No one. I'm the only one left," Sasuke's voice raised ever so slightly and Sakura could hear his patience running thin.

"You lie!" the man yelled, pushing the kunai ever so slightly into Sakura's neck. A small drip of blood ran down her neck. But she stayed stone still, hoping to solve this peacefully and with as much intel as possible. Sasuke would have to do the negotiating...

"...You're young, but even you should have heard of the Uchiha Massacre. I am the only one left."

"...And even you should consider the alternative: that there are many non-Uchiha wielding the Sharingan. So tell me this, or your partner here dies."

He pushed the kunai into her neck, and it was then that she kicked his knee inward. He screamed and broke free, and before he could return to his feet, he gazed up into the spinning tomoe of Uchiha Sasuke's Sharingan.

Suddenly, the man blacked out and crumpled to the ground, shouting and writhing in pain. Sakura shivered slightly at the thought, having been subject to only one genjutsu in her life - from the man she was now married to. Sasuke sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"...I'm sorry you had to see that," he studied her, the red tomoes of his Sharingan still spinning. Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock, his mouth gaping slightly.

"...It's...okay," she replied, "...At least we caught him, and alive even. Shigure-san will be pleased..." She couldn't help but notice he didn't look like he was listening. He was still paused, staring at her as if he had seen a ghost.

"...Sasuke-kun?" she asked, "...Is everything alright?

His mind was racing so quickly he did not even process what she had just asked him. With the Sharingan activated he had beheld her, noting her chakra signature was the same as it had always been, green and voracious, teeming from her head to her toes with an emphasis at her seal and her heart. But there was something indisputably different about it today.

There was another signature, not her own. It was similar to his own, but also different and similar to Sakura's but distinct as well...and it was emanating from inside her. Below her stomach.

...She's pregnant?!

"...Sakura," he grasped her, his eyes still spinning as they focused on the fist-sized chakra signature that was shifting in her belly.

"Anata, what is it?" she asked, observing his intense focus on her own body. She followed his line of vision while he seemingly wracked his brain for words.

"Sakura, you're - " but the words wouldn't come out. A bead of sweat dropped down his forehead and he swallowed hard. It had been a long while since Sakura had seen him this speechless.

Yet he was interrupted by a sword thrust through his chest. His eyes widened in surprise as blood shot forth from his mouth.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried, grasping the sword from her side with her own hands to prevent it from moving. Healing chakra began to pulse through her palms.

"...I've waited my entire life for this moment...," the man growled, panting, "...no amount of genjutsu is going to stop me."

"You're dead," Sakura hissed, swinging a foot around Sasuke's body and directing a round-house kick to the man's head. The sword left Sasuke's body when the man flew from where he stood and hit a nearby tree.

Sasuke coughed as he pulled the sword from his abdomen, and it hit the ground with a clanging sound. But it was Sakura he was worried about.

"Sakura, get back!" he yelled, knowing her condition would not affect her but worrying about her endangering herself and her child unknowingly...one stab to her abdomen and...

He pushed the thoughts away, darting toward where Sakura was charging toward the man. He felt the blood still dripping from his open wound as he ran, each step sending a shot of pain up his spine.

"Sakura, stay back!" he yelled, in a moment of uncharacteristic loss of composure.

Sakura gazed up at him, so surprised by the change in tone that she didn't realize the man had stood once again. Sasuke used his Rinnegan for the first time in a long time, shifting places with Sakura and blocking the hit intended for her. He returned one with a vengeance, sending the man flying through the air until he fell with a sickening thud.

"Sasuke-kun, why?!" Sakura was now truly confused. Sasuke regrouped with her, keeping their backs toward each other.

"...Trust me," Sasuke replied, his voice deep in his throat.

"...H-hai...," Sakura bit her lip, gazing around for the return of the mysterious man. Although she saw nothing, she knew her husband had - his eyes had locked onto a piece of Earth before him, the same look a hawk holds while hunting its prey.

"...D-damn you...," a voice hacked, and blood spat out of the air, drenching the earth below, "...This isn't the end."

The world twisted and squeezed, and much like Obito, she felt him disappear. Sakura sighed, "...Damn...we almost had him...but I guess we got plenty of information, yes? He said he'll be back, so that's good. I mean - " she noticed Sasuke's Sharingan still active, but staring at her belly. If she didn't know him better, she would have missed the tenderness in his dark eyes.

"...So what is it, this thing that you wouldn't tell me? I could handle him no problem, and yet - "

"...Sakura, you're pregnant," Sasuke finally interrupted her, meeting her eyes; his normally calm and collected visage completely shattered.

Her emerald eyes dilated in surprise, and she paused for a moment while the realization hit her.

"...Are you sure...?" Sakura asked breathlessly, placing a hand on her belly.

"...Aah. I'm sure," Sasuke's breathing had quickened. They had never spoken about this before, and yet -

"...Anata...," tears flooded her eyes, and a blush dusted her cheeks as she reached to embrace him.

He was stiff in her embrace, still trying to process her reaction.

"...I'm so happy," she cried, and it was then he realized she was smiling. "...I was waiting for this moment, for so long..." she was laughing now, and he breathed a sigh of relief, "Who knew you would find out first?"

She broke away from him to press her lips against his in a tender kiss, the tears still streaming down her face. He was still frozen in place, a look of bewilderment and concern for her on his face.

"...You're going to be a father, Sasuke-kun," she grasped his cold hands and placed them on her belly.

"Aah...," he finally let out the breath he was holding, and smiled softly as he closed his eyes and embraced her from where he knelt by her. And while he couldn't believe his good fortune once again, couldn't understand just why life would be so forgiving, his thoughts ran wild. That man earlier, he was after the Sharingan...and had endangered Sakura.

Sakura had always been in danger on his behalf...being kidnapped in attempts to coerce him in returning, to have his rinnegan removed and cloned. Yet this would put her at even greater risk: the child she now carried possessed Uchiha blood, and as consequence, likely carried the Sharingan. And as so many power-hungry men had sought to use his own Sharingan, he knew the child would not escape this fate, either...

He sighed, thinking frantically. The safest place...would it be back in the village? It might, if no one believed she were pregnant, nor knew her association with him...but even Naruto and Kakashi were busy men, would they be able to ensure her safety...? Surely on his behalf...

"Sakura," his voice was deep in his throat, sounded tired, "...You might be safer elsewhere."

"Huh?"

"Back in the village...I know that Kakashi and Naruto are busy, but perhaps the safest place is that which is farthest from me - "

"No."

"...What?"

"I said no," he caught the fiery determination in her emerald eyes, the kind he had only seen once before. The time that they had fought alongside against the Ten Tales.

"The safest place surely is with you," she reminded him firmly, "...We are always changing locations, and you saw how well the village was guarded against shinobi that were after you when they kidnapped me. It wasn't."

Sasuke sighed, but then gazed up at her with a soft smile, the kind he only offered her.
"You're right, as always," he planted a kiss on her diamond seal, "You're right. Stay with me. I will protect you...and our child."

"I know," she assured him, nuzzling his face softly, "And I will, too. I'm not the weak girl I once was."

"I know that, more than anyone," his dark eyes gazed deeply into hers. But he knew he had to at least make sure someone knew, in case anything came of him...

...

"Kakashi,

I hereby update you on the mission at hand:

We are currently tracking a potentially dangerous missing nin. Noteworthy characteristics: becomes invisible, possibly earth type. . ."

The letter trailed off as Kakashi re-read that sentence. Invisible...? Earth type...?

"...And personal vendetta against the Uchiha clan, especially due to the sharingan."

His heart stopped, if for a moment.

Kakko.

The rock ninja.

It had to be...someone related...because he had indeed disposed of Kakko, after the man killed Obito...

Or at least, they thought he did.

His heart was racing. At the very least, he needed to update Sasuke on their lethal tactics - cornering individuals into a cave, then collapsing it, etc. And at the most...

he needed to be involved. This was probably in revenge for what he had done, and he needed to communicate with this individual to prevent further bloodshed...

Yet there was still more written on the parchment, and he wiped the sweat off his forehead to continue reading.

"Also, I felt necessary to inform you that Sakura is currently pregnant. (Kakashi notes the ink blotches here where Sasuke had clearly paused his writing) This obviously puts her in a dangerous situation. If anything is to happen to me, I hope you will assume my duties in protecting her, my wife, and our child."

Kakashi fainted, dropping his teacup and collapsing onto the floor. The teacup shattered as it hit the floor, and the thud of his body followed soon after.

"Kakashi-sensei?!" a familiar voice from outside the door called.

Naruto burst through the doors he had been about to knock on, following the sound of shattering glassware. There lie Kakashi in the center of the room, his tea spilled all over himself. Naruto scanned the room for signs of intruders, activating Kurama.

"...There's no one here," Kurama told him, "...Idiot." Naruto scowled as he investigated the scene.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he shook his teacher, "Are you okay?" He noted the fact that Kakashi was still clutching a piece of parchment.

"...It's the letter," Kurama guided him, "It was the last thing he read. Be cautious...It could be a seal"

Naruto plucked the now wrinkled parchment from Kakashi's hands, scanning it quickly. His eyes widened, and Kurama also noted the jolt in Naruto's heart.

"What is it?!" Kurama demanded.

"...It's Sasuke," Naruto told him, "...He appears to have finally come to his senses."

"Eh? Why...you knocked sense into him years ago, what is there left for the Uchiha to realize?"

"...How much Sakura has loved him all these years," a huge, teethy grin was now apparent on Naruto's face, "...And that he deserves this love enough to claim it."

"Meaning...?"

"...Sasuke and Sakura...they are expecting a child together. Uh, Kurama, I'm feeling a bit light-headed, too, I mean, damn they always looked at each other so funny, and man all this time I thought it was just 'cuz they were uncomfortable, but now we're all adults, and my wife's pregnant and now they're expecting and - "

"N-Naruto! Snap out of it, at this rate you're gonna - "

" - ... pass out, too...Damn it..."

...