It had been seven weeks since they left the village of Hinode. They were more than halfway to the mountain region where the Nakayama family resided. They had crossed one sea and would need to cross another before reaching their destination. During this time, Sakura realized the cause of her extreme exhaustion.
Most women experienced nausea with the first trimester of pregnancy. Sakura didn't have that problem, probably because she automatically corrected any gastric unease without even thinking about it, but the fatigue was a different matter. Sleep didn't cure the exhaustion, because her body was busy starting a new life. She wasn't sure how far along she was exactly - at least two months. Was the baby conceived at her apartment back in Konoha? Was it the product of their time in the caves?
Most nights since they left Hinode they spent taking turns being on watch, but they still managed to find time to at least hold each other in the early mornings and the late evenings - taking time together for watching the sun rise and set.
Sasuke was washing up in the nearby creek while Sakura ran a diagnostics on herself, running her chakra in a gentle probe. It confirmed her suspicion. There was a single baby growing in her womb. She didn't know if it was a boy or girl, and it didn't matter. Sasuke and she had created a life together. She concentrated and was able to gage the age of the fetus - it was approximately ten weeks old- that meant it was a conceived back in Konoha. That meant the child would be due towards the end of March.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Sasuke asked, startling Sakura. He stood in front of her, his hands on her shoulder - flesh and blood on her left shoulder and his prosthetic on her right shoulder. "You're not caught in a trance are you?"
Sakura blinked at him, focusing on those mismatched eyes. "I'm pregnant."
Sasuke's mouth dropped open and he stared at her blankly for three seconds before his eyes lit up and his lips curled. He wrapped his arms around Sakura, drew her close, and crushed her against him in a fierce hug. "That's amazing!"
"I d-d-don't know if it will be a b-b-boy or a g-g-g-irl," Sakura stammered.
"If it's a girl, I always liked Sarada," Sasuke said, pulling back to arm's length to meet her eyes. "If it's a boy, I'd love to name him Itachi, but I'm not sure if the rest of the village would understand."
"Sarada? Salad? Are you serious?" Sakura asked.
Sasuke smiled sheepishly. "It was the name my mom had picked out if she had a daughter. I mean, Itachi's name means weasel. My name means help. Not everyone can have a pretty name like Sakura."
"I think I should start having more energy soon," Sakura said. They would revisit the baby names later. She did not want to name her daughter salad. "When my patients were pregnant, the second trimester was the best time — normal, if not elevated energy levels, and not really showing much weight — so my balance should still be fine."
"We could head back to Konoha, wait until after the baby is born," Sasuke suggested.
"Our only lead may be cold by then, and can you honestly say that after you're a father you will abandon your new family to pursue obscure clues about the Otsutsuki?" Sakura couldn't believe she was arguing against Sasuke returning to Konoha.
"They've been around for millennia, they'll still be here," Sasuke protested. "I don't know if you should be risking yourself and the baby."
"I'm not an incubator," Sakura growled. "And after the baby is born, I will want to be in Konoha for a few years at least. I don't want you out here on your own while I'm doing the single mother routine."
"We need to get married," Sasuke said, releasing her shoulders and stepping back. "You're actually the ideal mother for an Uchiha child. With your innate abilities to break Genjutsu — our kids wouldn't be able to put you under their control."
Sakura gaped at him. "That's where you mind went? That our kids wouldn't mind-control me to get their way?"
"You said you wanted to do a honeymoon at the beach, we're close to the shore. Let's get married." Sasuke dropped to one knee and held Sakura at the waist, his thumbs gently circled where their baby was nestled and he stared up at her face. "Will you be my wife and mother to my children?"
"You want to marry this far away from our friends?" Sakura asked, overwhelmed. She had dreamed of marrying Sasuke with their friends and her family there to watch, but he didn't have family and perhaps that would be too painful for the socially anxious man she loved.
Sasuke stood up, arms wrapped around Sakura's waist, and kissed her forehead. "You and this baby are my family and you are my best friend. I don't need anyone else at our wedding." He smirked. "Aside from witnesses and the officiant to marry us."
Sakura felt the pop of her old girlish dream wedding. Reality was always better than fiction. "Okay, yes. I love you. Let's get married on the beach." She cupped Sasuke's face in her hands and stood on tiptoes to kiss his lips. "If it's a girl, she really needs a cute middle name though."
"Maybe Hana? Flower — is kinda like Sakura, and I definitely think she should be named after you," Sasuke said.
"It's probably a boy," Sakura reasoned. "And we're arguing over nothing."
Sasuke laughed— a strange sound to emanate from such a tortured soul. "There is no one I enjoy arguing more with," he assured her. "We'll need rings, they'll need to be chakra infused so we can find each other in case we are separated."
"Wouldn't those be helpful even if we weren't getting married?" Sakura asked.
"That's why I was already reading up on the subject," Sasuke said. "I thought it would be an interesting subject to discuss at our next book club. It shouldn't be too hard for us. With my affinity for various elements and your precise chakra control — the hardest part will be deciding on the metal to use for the bands."
"Onyx," Sakura said.
"That's a pretty brittle stone. Though there are plenty of caves in the mountain region we'll be headed that I'm sure we could find some," Sasuke reasoned. "You don't want something glittery?"
"I'm predominantly a surgeon. A big gemstone is not for me," Sakura assured him. "Maybe not onyx, I just want dark — like your eyes— eye."
The tips of Sasuke's ears brightened red at the compliment. "Tungsten maybe, it's durable. We'll need a little alchemy to put it together, but we can find the rings with a jeweler and then infuse them with chakra for our purposes."
"I can't believe we're getting married." Sakura giggled, feeling silly and nervous. "I can't believe we're having a baby!"
"I can't believe we're at least three days away from a beach village and a jeweler!" Sasuke pulled Sakura against him again in a fierce hug. "Three days away from calling you my wife."
Sakura felt herself begin to cry as the emotions began to overwhelm her.
"What's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you in pain?" Sasuke demanded, worry flashing across his face.
Sakura dashed away the tears. "Pregnancy hormones, I guess. I'm happy — very happy! I am looking forward to this next chapter of being a family — together."
"We are restarting the Uchiha Clan, but this time, it will be a family that focuses on caring for one another, not quests for power," Sasuke promised.
"I'll hold you to that," Sakura vowed.
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The quaint beachfront village felt like a lifetime away. As it would happen, it was a popular place for weddings. Along Main Street there was a market, a travel agency, flower shop, a couple of clothing boutiques, three diners, and a jewelry store. They secured their passage to the next continent past the sea. It wouldn't leave for another week. That gave them time to plan a small ceremony and look at rings.
Their next stop was the jewelry store ran by a husband and wife jewelers. They had a few Tungsten bands in stock.
"It's a durable metal and elegant with a gold inlay if that's something you're interested in," Mrs Hoseki explained. "We can have it resized by tomorrow once we get your measurements. We do a lot of beach weddings, so we've really streamline the process."
"That would be great, but we don't need the gold inlay," Sasuke answered. They didn't want to deal with any additional impurities when they added their chakra, even if it was gold. "Do you know if there is an officiant we can book for a wedding? We're a little far from home, but we really don't want to wait anymore."
"These sandy shores of ours are a destination for a reason, young man," Mrs. Hoseki said with a smile. "Our son is actually a wedding officiant, so I can book him for you. The boutique next door has a lovely stock of dresses, robes, and suites for purchase or rent. And the flower shop can make an arrangement that will fulfill the fantasies of any little girl grown."
"We definitely need a bouquet and a boutonnière," Sakura exclaimed excitedly. "My best friend is a florist and she's already going to be so upset at us for eloping. She'd never forgive me if we didn't at least have the right floral arrangement."
They trusted the jeweler to make the arrangements and to prepare their wedding bands. Next they went to the florist and not only picked flowers that would make Ino proud, but also rented a condo the florist owned on the beach for the duration of their stay.
The clothing shop was next. "We can rent a wedding dress or we can buy a simple multi-use dress that I can wear later," Sakura mused. She'd dragged Sasuke into the boutique clothing store the florist recommended. This would probably be the only time she'd have a chance to go clothing shopping with Sasuke without him complaining.
"We? I guess financial decisions are from a joint household. Whatever you want to do. Maybe, we can have a bigger ceremony with our friends later on- like a renewal of vows or something. I have a feeling you and Ino probably role played your dream weddings as kids," Sasuke teased.
"Probably a versatile dress, one that would be useful later," Sakura reasoned. "I'm sentimental, if I rent something I'll be sad that I don't have it when you're out on missions and I'm feeling lonely."
"Wow. Already planning for my absenteeism," Sasuke murmured.
"Do you really think you'd be home on a regular basis? I'm trying to be realistic." Sakura pulled a cute red dress off the rack. She'd always liked the color, but it was also the preferred color for Asian weddings.
"That's pretty." Sasuke examined the dress. "Good material. Maybe we can get a couple of those white bracelets at the jewelry shop too. I noticed you admiring them."
The back wall had a rack of baby onesies and other accessories including a front facing baby carrier. Sakura's gaze swept in that direction and Sasuke followed her line of sight.
"We do have several months to get baby things," Sasuke pointed out.
"Maybe just a couple of outfits, we might be in the middle of nowhere when it's born," Sakura pointed out.
"Fine, but get the baby carrier too then," Sasuke conceded.
They purchased the dress, rented a ceremonial robe for Sasuke, the baby carrier and a couple of unisex onesies. Then they walked back to the jeweler. "You didn't answer my question," Sakura said quietly as they made the deposit for the the rings and bracelets. The jeweler would have them re-sized for them by the next morning.
"I cannot see the future, but I do know, that right now, in the present, we are here together. And that's what matters," Sasuke said. "There will always be another mission, another threat, and an endless quest for atonement."
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The weather was perfect, the breeze refreshing, the sky clear, the water warm, and the white sand of the beach cool. The condo they rented had a view of the water and a bed that felt like sleeping on a fluffy cloud. When they slept, it was amazing. When they were awake, it was amazing. Frankly, it was the best week of either of their lives. They ate together at the diners and talked about simple things - the weather, the flora, the fauna, baby names, what kind of home they'd want to raise their family.
They sat cross-legged across from each other on the bed, enjoying the yellow lamp light illuminating the room as twilight settled over the sky, their shadows dancing playfully over the wall.
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"We could live in the apartment for a little while," Sakura suggested. "I'm subleasing right now, but it's still mine."
"No. Too many neighbors," Sasuke protested. "And I don't want to live on the Uchiha compound — too many ghosts."
"I have some savings, but I wasn't expecting to place a big downpayment on a new homestead," Sakura said. "What do you have in mind."
"I have some money from my inheritance. Danzo and the council confiscated a lot of the Uchiha wealth, but my immediate family had a decent amount in savings. Kakashi is actually in charge of the Trust — which I understand that now since he and Itachi were actually friends. I need to send back a mission report anyway, I'll make a request that he put down the downpayment — I think twenty percent of cost — for a house for us on the outskirt of town. Maybe not too far from the Hyuuga clan."
"The Hyuuga clan?"
"Naruto will eventually marry Hinata," Sasuke explained. "No one else in the village compares to him if Hiashi wants his daughter, Hinata to match with the strongest most valuable shinobi in all of Konohagakure. His father was the Fourth Hokage and he'll be the Seventh. If he continues with Hinabi as the heir, she'll be the one forced to marry one of her second cousins."
"You've actually thought about this more than I have," Sakura admitted.
"I may have been young, but the Uchiha clan had the same politics as the Hyuuga. At least one positive thing came from the tragedy - I'm free to marry whomever I choose." Sasuke smirked at Sakura. "And I choose you." He shrugged absently. "I would like to think we might have ended up together in an alternate reality regardless."
There was no easy response to Sasuke's declaration. It was strange to imagine a scenario where Sasuke would have been bound by clan politics. Would he have rebuffed them, or stoically accepted them? "I don't want us to live with my parents. They can be stifling. But I do want to live close enough that they can be a part of their grandchildren lives."
Sasuke nodded. "Family is important. How many bedrooms? I was thinking four. With room for expansion if necessary."
"That seems like a lot," Sakura mused.
"Room to grow, but also room for a friend to crash if they need it," Sasuke explained. "One of your friends. My friends wouldn't dare to intrude — except maybe Naruto."
"You have friends?" Sakura teased.
"Fine - not so much friends, as former teammates and acquaintances." Sasuke leaned over the bed for his backpack on the floor and pulled out a packet of paper. "So, we will need a letter to Kakashi. One to your parents." He looked across the bed and met her eyes. "I don't think we should mention the pregnancy."
"Naruto and Ino as well," Sakura added. "And one to Tsunade - she needs to know of the pregnancy in case something happens — I want her to know. I might have a problem with my chakra and she'll be the only other one that can help me figure it out." She took one of the papers and started her letter to Ino. First apologizing for the shock of the elopement and then describing the floral arrangement - a blend of sunflowers, yellow roses, red and white lillies.
"As long as she doesn't get drunk and blab the news to everyone in her gambling circle," Sasuke grouched as he began his formal letter to Kakashi. His hawk was going to be holding many more letters than usually. "Remember, no more than three lines. Hawk has to carry these a long way for delivery."
Sasuke removed his prosthetic, set it on the nearby table in their condo, and then rubbed at the remainder of his left upper arm. The missing limb started above the elbow, much more inconvenient than if it had been below the elbow. The phantom limb sensation persisted and it was still strange not being able to sit at a table, propping both elbows in front of him. It was stupid, but he really missed being able to sit in that posture.
"Will it bother you if I choose to not wear the prosthetic?" Sasuke asked, avoiding Sakura's gaze, feeling ashamed at the memory that caused the life-threatening injury.
"I think it would be wise to use it while we're trying to blend in, doing reconnaissance. It's one of those injuries that holds reputation. Only a few connections have to be made to discover your true identity," Sakura reasoned. "I should color my hair — probably the same shade of blond as my mother - it will fit my complexion."
"It will be strange seeing you as anything but a pinkette." Sasuke squinted and stared at Sakura's hair, trying to imagine a blond version. It was weird.
"It's not too weird. I've done it before— I don't look that different. If your upper arm is irritated, I can heal it." Sakura reached across, her cool fingers touching his exposed skin and a soothing sensation calmed down the fiery nerves.
"The prosthetic and your hair- it would be wise to help us avoid revealing our identities," Sasuke said. "I mean, in the future, you won't be able to accompany me on future missions, except on maybe the most rare occasion. You have your obligations to the hospital and the village."
"And our child," Sakura added. "It makes me sad that I couldn't repair the injury, but you and Naruto obliterated each other's arm. It's a miracle you didn't completely disintegrate each other. I'm not disgusted to look at you." She traced the fingertips of her right hand lightly across his collar bone, up his neck and down his partial arm. "Certainly not disgusted to touch you. War leaves scars, some more visible than others."
Sasuke's gave fell to Sakura's still flat belly. "Do you think our child will be disgusted?"
"Children don't start off judgmental. Everything is a wonder to them. You will be their daddy. You'll be wonderful just being there." Sakura brought her hand back to his chin, tilted his head towards her, and kissed his lips softly.
"And that's why I'm marrying you," Sasuke murmured, moved by her words. "I don't deserve your unshakable support, but I appreciate it."
"That's how unconditional love works," Sakura said. "You'll feel that way about your children."
"I feel that way about you," Sasuke assured her. "Let's work on those rings."
As they sat lotus stye facing each other, they worked on the wedding bands with the required alchemy. They had to infuse the Tungsten metal with both their blood and chakra. It took a few hours and both were light-headed afterwards. As long as they were in the same dimension, they'd be able to track each other. However, if another dimension traveling enemy emerged to fight, the connection would be too weak to trace. However, it would be faint enough to know if their partner were alive or not. They agreed, that might be all the reassurance needed.
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Sasuke was absolutely dreamy at the wedding ceremony. The wind swept his dark hair from over his eyes, allowing his gaze to be unobstructed as he made his vows. He wore a dark blue set of ceremonial robes that were similar to his clan's. Sakura left her hair down, cascading down her back, a pair of pearl encrusted barrettes holding the hair down at the sides. The pair of white bracelets caught the light of the setting sun. Their witnesses were the couple that owned the jewelry shop — Mr and Mrs Hoseki, and their son was the officiant.
It took all of Sakura's willpower not to cry. She managed to resist, seeing the confidence in Sasuke's expression. All the heartache, all the times he'd told her thank you or said she was annoying before leaving her behind was fading into distant memory. In these past two months, they'd both lived an entire lifetime compared to the nineteen years before all this. She knew this moment in time was going to have to be enough to carry her through countless years in the future when his quest for atonement sent Sasuke away from her.
It was inevitable.
Their happiness was only to be fleeting and brief, but like the material of their wedding bands, their love was to be everlasting.
After the ceremony, they sat on the beach, enjoying the last rays of sun across the horizon as evening set in.
"There will never be another moment in our lives like these last few days," Sasuke said, his voice soft and laced with emotion. "Neither of us will be able to let our guard down like this again. We were lucky no one decided to take advantage of our situation."
"Considering this is supposed to be a time of peace, I don't think it was too unreasonable to relax just a smidge on our honeymoon, Sasuke-kun," Sakura murmured, lazily soaking in the final rays of the sun and using the name of affection from their childhood.
"When the baby comes, there will be so much more to worry about. Someone more important than either of us," Sasuke continued. "I know it feels like everything is calm and maybe it will be for a few hundred more years, or maybe in ten years that goddess and her clan will come back with a vengeance. We were so lucky last time."
"I wouldn't call that lucky," Sakura protested. "After generations of fighting, enemies became allies, many sacrificed their lives, and the morbidity of both physical and mental health is quite high nearly three years later."
"Okay, lucky was the wrong word," Sasuke conceded. "The odds were heavily stacked against us. We don't have the same allies if an enemy of that magnitude were to return. Those of us that did survive aren't as strong - me, Naruto, Kakashi -aren't nearly as strong now. There are no more Akatsuki to change their ways and join our plight for the greater good."
"You're confusing brute strength with wisdom," Sakura pointed out. "All three of you are smarter fighters now, but what we need is to outwit, not out brawl any future threats. Brains, not brawn are the way of the future. And as far as the Akatsuki- I'm glad they've been laid to rest."
"I'm not going to argue with my wife," Sasuke said, kissing the juncture between Sakura's neck and her shoulder. "The ship leaves in the morning. Are we still good heading West?"
"I'm not letting you go by yourself." Sakura reached behind her and clasped her hands behind Sasuke head, letting her fingers enjoy the feel of his soft, dark hair. "So, we'll see if the daimyo's family needs tutoring, or hiring guards, or needing medical care. We'll find an excuse to make ourself indispensable."
"We will need at least three to four months doing reconnaissance. Anything sooner, will be suspicious. You being my pregnant wife is actually a good reason for us to leave." Sasuke's chest rose and fell with his calm, even breathing. His respirations in rhythm with those of his wife. Planning missions was one of his favorite things and he was talking with ease as he brainstormed. "If we can last six months, that would be ideal, but I don't want you giving birth in the middle of a forest either."
"If we want to make it across the seas back to our continent, I've got four to five months maximum. I've delivered a fair share of babies, but I don't want to give birth on my own. If there are complications, you'll lose us both," Sakura warned. "I may not have the same control of my chakra. Though, at the moment, my control hasn't diminished. Ideally, I'd want Tsunade to deliver for us, or alternatively Shizune."
There was a long silence between them as the moon started to take its place and the stars began to twinkle. A few wispy clouds drifted overhead.
"Karin could deliver for you," Sasuke suggested. "She's at one of Orochimaru's labs that's towards the western border of his territory. We could reach there in a few weeks if we were in a hurry. It would be a good place for you to recover afterwards, before we go back to Konoha."
"I'm not sure how I feel about Karin delivering our child," Sakura admitted. "Though if she's only a few weeks from shore, I could probably last until 36 weeks."
"I told you, Karin and I were never involved romantically, she just had a crush on me — like half the girls from school," Sasuke assured her.
"It's not that. If you'd come to me with a pregnant wife and asked me to deliver your child, it would be so cruel, Sasuke." Sakura thought back to the time when Sasuke almost murdered both her and Karin. "Her feelings were just as genuine as mine. She's not like the school girls that crushed on you."
"Karin never knew the me before the darkness," Sasuke said quietly. "All she knew was a monster, it would have never worked. She knew that I had left Konoha because I was becoming too close to you — I cared about you too much. It's always been you. She's my friend and I value her. I actually think if we were to trust her with this, it will mean a great deal towards healing the friendship that existed between us."
"She's an Uzumaki. Do you think she'd ever want to come back to Konoha?" Sakura asked.
"Konoha isn't home for everyone, Sakura. If you and Naruto didn't live there, I'd be happy never going back there myself," Sasuke admitted. "And if our children are there, it will become home again."
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A/N: I know right, two in a row?