Chapter 29.5. Suna

"If I were you, I'd hate me too."

I woke up to the sound of the door clicking shut, and soon after Sasuke came around to his side of the bed and took a seat with his back to me. As he removed his shoes, I quietly cleared my throat and reached out to him to let him know that I was awake.

Once he kicked off his work pants and tossed aside his dress shirt, Sasuke turned around and took my hand in his before getting into bed.

"Hey." I whispered as he settled in beside me.

"Hey." He replied in a low voice, a hint of a smile on his face as he placed a hand on my stomach, "How's our boy been treating you?"

I sighed as I recalled how painful the day had been, "He's finally sleeping after being active for fourteen hours. I counted thirty kicks today."

"Thirty?" Sasuke's tone swam with surprise, but he continued to gaze lovingly at my stomach, "Maybe it's Suna's climate. Don't worry Kosuke, we'll be back in Konoha before you know it."

"For a *rising sun, you think he'd be able to handle a little hot weather." I jokingly grumbled.

"You're expecting too much of him." Sasuke raised his eyes to mine and smiled, "Sure, he's growing in his mother's fiery womb, but it's probably nice and warm in there. Nothing like the dry heat outside."

He gently rubbed my stomach as we said this and both of us quietly laughed when another kick, albeit softer than the ones I'd been feeling all day, came at the end of Sasuke's sentence.

"Seems like he's still awake." Sasuke commented as he pulled his hand away from my stomach.

I grabbed his hand before he could lay it next to his side and looked at him, "Yeah, well, so are we."

Understanding shined in his eyes and I shut my eyes as I leaned in for a kiss. When our lips came together, I held his face in my hands and climbed on top of him. Sasuke's hands slid down my waist before settling on my ass, and I quietly moaned against his lips as he groped me.

He took the chance to dip his tongue into my mouth and I sucked on it feverishly before he broke the kiss off. Not yet satisfied, I began to trail kisses down his neck as I rolled my hips against his, and Sasuke groaned and squeezed my ass harder.

I slid a hand in between us and pinched one of my nipples for self-relief before burying my face in Sasuke's neck.

"Sasuke-kun…" I whined, arousal pooling at my core, "Sasuke-kun, I need…!"

I could feel Sasuke hardening under me and mewled again as I rocked against his length, but I knew I wouldn't be getting what I wanted when Sasuke removed his hands from my ass and pushed for me to sit up.

Stubbornly, I remained laid down on top of him and brought my other hand to his member, hoping to excite him to the point where he would rather continue than stop. Sasuke hissed as I rubbed his clothed appendage, and I kissed up his neck as I tried to reclaim his lips.

"Sakura. Sakura, wai—" I cut him off as I enveloped his mouth with my own, and I felt him growing even harder.

That encouraged me to keep going, and I dipped my hand under the hem of his boxers and moved to touch him freely. Sasuke pushed me back with all the strength he had before I could do so, and I pouted as he put me back on my side of the bed and nudged my hand away.

"We can't." He whispered, jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the bed beside us, "Sarada's right there."

I peeked over him and saw that our four-year-old daughter was fast asleep in the sheets.

"I'll be quiet." I offered, reaching out to touch Sasuke again.

He held me back and shook his head, "I don't want to take the chance. Tomorrow."

"But you're heading out early tomorrow, and you always come back so late…" I protested, "Let's just do it now."

"Sakura—"

"Sasuke-kun, please…" I begged, now on the verge of tears, "I don't think I can last till tomorrow."

Sasuke sighed and told me to turn around, and I sniffled, concluding that I had annoyed him beyond the point of words.

With tears in my eyes, I turned away so that we were no longer facing each other and tried to sleep but to my surprise, Sasuke's strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me close so that my back was nestled against his front.

He hiked my night gown up with his left hand as it traveled up my thigh, and I bit my lip as his fingers came in contact with my dripping center. Sasuke didn't spend more than a few seconds touching me before I felt his solid erection sliding against me, and it only took a moment for him to line himself up before he pushed in.

I whimpered as quietly as I could while he filled me up, and when he was completely inside, I clutched the pillow tightly and took shallow breaths as I waited for him to move. I felt his breath on my shoulder and shivered when he took a deep inhale of my scent.

"Sakura…" Sasuke quietly groaned my name as he pulled out, "Mm, Sakura…"

I shut my eyes and shoved a fist into my mouth when he thrust back in, and I was forced to bite down as one of his hands went to my chest while the other returned to my aching core. He rubbed a stiff nipple in between his fingers before pulling my breast and squeezing, and I felt more wetness seep out of me.

When his palm pressed down on my swollen nub, I yelped, and Sasuke nipped at my ear as he shushed me.

"You have to be quiet." His hoarse voice in my ear only served to further stimulate me, "Otherwise we'll have to stop."

His motions came to a halt, and I choked on a frustrated moan.

"N-No, please…please don't stop." I begged, bringing my fist out of my mouth, "I'll be quiet, I promise."

Sasuke waited a bit for me to calm down and when he seemed sure that I would be able to control myself, he resumed his thrusts. They became sharper and harder, and it became increasingly difficult to stay in the present as I felt myself get closer and closer to that peak.

"Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun, Sasuke-kun…!" I whispered as my toes curled and I climaxed.

He grunted into my ear and continued to pound me despite how I clamped down on him, desperately chasing his own high. I whimpered when I felt his length pulse inside me, and Sasuke trembled as he emptied himself.

When he finally finished cumming, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my cheek. I sighed in bliss as he removed himself from me and threw one of his arms over my shoulder.

"Need to clean the mess…" I murmured as my eyes fluttered shut.

Sasuke laughed gently, "Don't worry about it, just sleep."

"I love you." I mumbled as my vision darkened.

I managed to stay awake long enough to hear Sasuke chuckle and say, "I love you too."

*The name Kosuke means rising sun

The first few weeks in Suna went by relatively quickly, but of course there were some drawbacks, the main one being Sasuke's absence. He was here for work, and I understood that to some extent, but I was entering my sixth month of pregnancy which meant that my moods swings were returning.

It was after one particularly annoying day that Sasuke happened to come back to the hotel at a slightly more reasonable time. I should've been happy, and a part of me was, but the larger part of me demanded that things always be like this. What should've been a chill exchange between a tired couple turned into an argument of epic proportions.

"What do you want me to do, Sakura?" Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh as he changed into a grey t-shirt, "This isn't regular work; I can't just call out."

"I'm not asking you to call out, I'm asking you to come back a little earlier!" I snapped, blood boiling at his response, "Tell them you have a pregnant wife and a daughter waiting for you, and that you'll be happy to continue tomorrow!"

"A pregnant wife and a daughter who aren't supposed to be here." He grumbled, hanging his dress shirt up in the closet.

Had I been in my right mind and not heavily pregnant, I might've offered my own snarky reply, but as I was already worn out from a long day of leg cramps and vomiting, the ability to think soundly was greatly hindered. Add to that my haywire hormones that were making me overly emotional and…yeah, it wasn't a good mix.

I dropped my hands from the crossed arm position they had been in and began to cry.

Sasuke's eyes widened and he touched my shoulders as he tried to calm me down, "Gomen, I didn't—I'm not mad that you're here, I'm just saying—"

"That we should've stayed home?" I finished for him, pulling away as I continued to sob, "Sorry for being such a nuisance."

He sighed, "You're not a nuisance, and neither is Sarada, but things won't go as smoothly as you think. They'll turn this into a bigger issue and try to question my priorities, especially Sakasaki. Since he doesn't like me, he'll probably ask me what's more important."

"And if it's between us or work, you'll choose work?" I sobbed harder at the thought.

"No, of course not, I—!" Sasuke cut himself off and took a deep breath, "You two come first, you know that. But you also know how hard it was for Nii-san to convince The Six to let me join this operation. This is my chance to get promoted, Sakura."

"Just think of all that extra money we'll have once I become a sergeant." He continued, "You wanted to go to Taiwan last summer, we'll be able to do that. And you wanted to expand the living room and touch up the kitchen, right? This promotion will cover it."

Sasuke turned me around and urged me to look him in the eyes, "You're an amazing woman, Sakura. But your paycheck as a doctor shouldn't be the only thing keeping us afloat. Bear with me, okay? Let me get this promotion and then my time is yours."

I sniffled and nodded, and Sasuke hugged me from behind before placing a hand on my bump and kissing the side of my head.

"My beautiful, understanding wife." Sasuke murmured into my ear, and I shut my eyes as I leaned against him, "You shouldn't stress so much, it's bad for the baby."

I felt myself starting to tear up again and silently cursed myself for being such an emotional wreck. Thankfully, Sasuke seemed to understand that I wasn't crying because I was upset. He held me tighter and kissed my cheek, and I whispered "I love you" in between tears.

A knock came at the door and Sasuke let go of me to answer it despite my whimpers at the loss of his touch. Sarada stood outside with a juice box and a bag of potato chips, and Sasuke step aside to let her pass before turning his attention to the man behind her.

He was bald, with an eye patch covering his right eye and a scar on the left side of his upper lip. Before Sasuke could question who he was and why he was with our daughter, I wiped my eyes and joined him by the door.

"Arigato, Shin." I thanked the man with a small smile, "Have a nice night."

Shin nodded his head and bowed before walking down the hall, and of course, the most obvious question came from Sasuke once he shut the door, "Who was that?"

I waved my hand, "Shin was sent by Shisui-san to help us with anything we needed while you worked. Do you not know him?"

Sasuke shook his head, and I raised a slight eyebrow, "But he's an Uchiha…"

"Never seen him before." Sasuke shrugged as he got in bed, "Then again, it's not like I know every Uchiha family member. If Shisui-nii sent him then he must be reliable."

I nodded as I joined him in the bed and laid on my side. Not a second later, Sarada jumped on top of me with a wide grin.

"Sarada." Sasuke scolded her, "You can't do stuff like that while your mother's pregnant."

Sarada pouted and started to get off of me, but I slipped her down so that she was lying in between us before booping her nose.

"Daijōbu, Sarada." I said as I smiled, not wanting her to feel sad, "Your dad just wants the two of us to be safe, ne Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke nodded and I looked back down at Sarada, "You know we love you, right?"

"Mhm." Sarada nodded her head, "I love you guys too."

She gave both of us a peck on the cheek before lying back down, and Sasuke and I chuckled. Sasuke rolled over to switch off the bedside lamp and when he returned to facing me, he took my hand and rested it gently on Sarada's chest.

I eventually fell asleep, with the last thing I saw being my husband and daughter curled up against each other, eyes shut in slumber.

Although Sasuke and I had that talk, saying was much easier than doing.

It only took a few days before I returned to my irritable ways, and somehow Sasuke seemed to be spending even more time away from us than before. It had gotten to the point where I was stuck in this perpetual bad mood, and I had even snapped at Sarada for being too loud one time.

I immediately regretted it, but the damage was already done, and since then Sarada avoided interacting with me whenever possible. As much as I didn't want to be disturbed while I was feeling so angry, I couldn't bear the loneliness I was currently facing, and I found myself confiding in Shin one afternoon.

He, Sarada, and I had gone to a nearby park upon my suggestion. I was using this as a means of apology to Sarada in hopes that she would start to talk to me again, and by the smile on her face as she raced towards the swings, I was hoping that I had made the right call.

Once she was settled in and playing with some of the other kids, Shin returned to the bench I had parked myself on. He held out two ice pops, and I picked the red one before he sat down.

The two of us licked our ice pops in silence and as a slight breeze sifted through the air, I couldn't help but think how Sasuke and I could've been doing the exact same thing in this very moment if he weren't so busy.

Tears welled up in my eyes at the thought and I turned away in an effort to compose myself before Shin noticed, but it became obvious that I was crying.

"Sakura-san?" The concerned tone in Shin's voice only made me melt further, "What is it?"

I shook my head, "Gomen but I just…I'm really lonely."

"Why?" He wondered aloud, "Sarada and I are here with you, right? And Sasuke-san comes back at night, doesn't he?"

"That's part of the problem." I groaned as I wiped under my eyes, "Sarada ignores me most of the day and when Sasuke comes back, he's too tired to do or say anything."

"Hm." He hummed as he finished off his ice pop, "Well, there's only a month and a half left before you three go back home."

"I know but even when we go back, there's no guarantee that we'll doing something like this." I sniffled as I tried to envision Sasuke and I out in the park, "Is this too much to ask for? A day where we can be a family?"

Shin scratched his head and sighed, "The Uchiha are really work-focused and goal-oriented, and since most of them grew up with both parents being Uchihas, they don't really see the need for stuff like that. But you wouldn't get it."

I paused from crying as I realized Shin had taken a tone of voice with me that I would've never expected. Blinking, I tried to come up with a reasonable response but could think of nothing.

With another sigh, Shin shook his head and stood up, "We should probably head back. How does pizza for lunch sound?"

"Y-Yeah, that sounds fine…" I weakly nodded my head as I stood up, and I watched as Shin went over to Sarada and collected her with an outstretched hand.

Sarada took his hand with a big smile and waved to the other kids before walking over to me with Shin, and the three of us went to the car.

Sarada excitedly told Shin about the imaginative adventure her and her new friends had gone on in the hour that they'd spent playing, and Shin engaged her with his usual smile and lighthearted laugh. Every now and then, Sarada would turn to me for a reaction, and I would nod and smile, but other than that I kept quiet the whole ride.

Even after we had gotten the pizza and were back at the hotel, I could barely eat, Shin's words playing over and over again in my head like a broken record player.

"You wouldn't get it."

It was one of the things that the Uchiha opposed to Sasuke and I's engagement had said to me when they heard of our planned union.

"Uchiha men aren't like other guys."

"You weren't raised like us, it'll be hard for you to understand how we do things."

"You're going to regret this."

That and worse had been said to me over the span of nine years, and while I had never really gotten over it, I'd learned to just live with the fact that some of Sasuke's family would never accept me. However, it had been a while since those opinions had been said to my face.

Sure, some of the extra Uchiha officers that had come to Suna gave me weird looks from time to time, but if they bore any ill-begotten feelings towards me, they kept their thoughts to themselves.

I had to wonder if Shin was of the crowd that believed Uchihas shouldn't mix with outsiders, but I quickly convinced myself that he wasn't like them. After all, there was no way Shisui would have sent him to me if he was prejudiced.

While the thought did little to restore my appetite, I was able to move past the weird shift in Shin's personality today. If I put my feelings aside for one second, he was sort of telling the truth.

When I last spoke with my sister-in-law Izumi, I brought up the topic of work and how the men were barely home. I'd been hoping for some company in my complaints, as I assumed Itachi's circumstances would be even worse considering how high ranking he was.

Instead, Izumi displayed a tolerant attitude of her situation, saying that it couldn't be helped and at least Itachi's hours weren't being spent in vain. I had been astonished of her then, telling her that she was a saint for being so understanding. Now I felt a bit jealous; if only I had the same spirit as her, then I wouldn't take things so harshly.

I wanted so desperately to be like her, but my failure to conform only made me feel worse.

Despite Shin never talking to me in such a manner again, his words floated into my head anytime I had a moment of freedom, which was basically all the time.

It was because of this that one day when Sasuke came back incredibly early, so much so that the sun hadn't even set, what should've been a chance for family bonding was ruined by my sensitive temper.

Sasuke had picked Sarada up after coming in the room and spun her around. I'd greeted him and he'd acknowledged me with a nod. That was normal, there shouldn't have been anything wrong with that. Of course he couldn't drop Sarada and give me his full attention, especially when Sarada seemed to be giving him a detailed recount about one of her adventures. But, nonetheless, it set me off.

"Why did you marry me?" I asked faintly, my voice wavering as I spoke.

Sasuke glanced at me and continued to bounce Sarada up and down in his arms, "What are you trying to say?"

"I just…" I looked at Sarada, "I think I'm the only one bothered by how our family functions. You guys don't have a problem with it."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed as he set Sarada down, "And where is this coming from?"

Sarada looked between us, her smile waning as she recognized the tension enveloping the room.

"It's because I'm not an Uchiha." I echoed the age-old sentiment I'd heard long ago, "If I was, I'd probably be better at managing my feelings."

A tear slid down my cheek as I said this, and Sarada reached for my hand. I pulled away instinctively and Sarada looked up at me with an expression of clear hurt, but that gear of self-destruction was turning in my head, and I didn't attempt to apologize.

I wouldn't have gotten a chance even if I wanted to, because Sasuke immediately shot me a harsh glare before ordering Sarada to go to the bathroom and brush her teeth.

Sarada didn't move from where she was besides us, "But I already—"

"Now." The firmness of his tone silenced any objections she had, and she left us alone.

Once the bathroom door had clicked shut and the sound of running water could be heard, Sasuke turned to me.

"What's going on with you?" He crossed his arms as he regarded me, "Is this a hormone thing? Are you hungry? Tired? What is it?"

I weakly shrugged my shoulders and looked at the ground, "I'm just telling the truth."

"And what exactly is that?"

I fought back tears as I said my next words, "You would've been better off with another Uchiha."

He let out an exasperated sigh, "Sakura, no. Come on, I thought we moved past this once Sarada was born."

"No, you moved past it." I sniffed as I recalled the glares I'd received from some of the other Uchiha in the hotel, "And why wouldn't you? It's me that they have a problem with, not you."

"Who?" Sasuke couldn't seem to understand what I was getting at which only hurt me more.

"You're family." I replied with a shaky breath, tears starting to get the best of me, "No matter how hard I try or how many kids I have, they will never accept me.

"…That's not true." Sasuke tried to argue, but from his pause I knew that even he didn't believe those words.

"Isn't that why we had to get our own place?" I questioned rhetorically, "The Uchiha family compound is where all the Uchihas stay except us. Why? Because I'm not one of you."

"Sakura—"

"But I bet if something happened to me, they'd take you and Sarada in without a second thought." My voice broke at the admittance.

Sasuke shook his head as he reached out to me, "Why are you thinking about this? I know that my family can be…difficult, but that's just how it is. I married you, not them, so why…?"

"You don't want to be around me…!" I broke down as he placed his hands on my shoulders and sobbed, "You're only with me because you have to be…!"

"What?!" His voice rose incredulously, "Why would you think that?"

But at this point I was beyond discussion and words, and I only cried harder when he raised his voice. All I could think about was how I might've made him mad, which just gave him another reason to not like me, and that looped back to the main mantra in my head that I wasn't good enough because I wasn't an Uchiha.

It got to the point where I was coughing and struggling to breathe, and Sasuke watched on with increasing concern as I stepped back, my head spinning.

"Sakura, calm down." His voice was gentle as he took me by the hand and led me to the bed, "Here, lie down and breathe. Okay? Just breathe."

As he helped me ease onto my side, I continued to snivel and whimper, and Sasuke ran a soothing hand up and down my arm as he whispered for me to calm down. I shut my eyes and focused on pulling air in through my nose and letting it out through my mouth.

I don't know how long we sat there, me lying down and him by my side, but it must've been a while because the next thing I knew, Sasuke was at the bathroom door knocking for Sarada to come out. I didn't move from my position and kept my eyes shut as the two came to my bedside.

"Is Mama okay?" Sarada asked, close enough that I could almost feel her body heat.

"I'm…not sure." Sasuke admitted to her with a sigh, "But I know that she's very sad right now."

"Hm…" Sarada hummed, stepping away, "I don't want her to be sad. How can we make her happy?"

Sasuke paused for a second before replying, "Let's just give her as much love as we can. Your mom is going through a lot of changes because of the baby, so sometimes she might get upset without a really good reason and say something she doesn't mean. Forgive her for me, okay?"

"Okay!" Sarada enthusiastically agreed, and Sasuke hushed her for her to be quiet, "Oops."

The two of them shared a quiet laugh before I felt Sasuke lift the covers over me, and after tucking me in Sarada said something to Sasuke that I didn't catch, and the two of them left the room.

I let the tears I'd been holding back flow freely as I went over their compassionate response to my disagreeable behavior. As my combative and sorrowful mood waned, the damage I'd done weighed heavily on my mind and I cried at the love I was receiving despite how difficult I was making things.

After crying to myself for a few more minutes, I fell into a true slumber and woke up hours later to the click of the door. Sasuke and Sarada had returned with food, and although I couldn't tell what it was, it smelled delicious. I sat up just as Sarada came to me with an aluminum takeaway plate.

I took it from her and looked down at all the delectable meat, the yakisoba on the side, and the portion of veggies in the corner, and began to cry again.

"Arigato…" I blubbered, setting the plate aside and pulling Sarada in for a hug, "Gomen ne, Sarada, gomen. I love you…"

Sarada hugged me back and pulled back to give me a smile, "It's okay, Mama. I love you too."

I turned to Sasuke who was approaching me and offered him the same apology, but he put a finger to my lips and urged me to eat. I kissed said finger and pulled the tip of it into my mouth before nodding, and Sasuke's eyes flashed with perception.

Glancing down at Sarada, he removed his finger from my mouth and nonchalantly wiped it on his shirt before heading back over to the bag of stuff they'd bought and bringing out a water bottle. He handed it to me while clearing his throat and mumbled something about helping me out later.

I nodded again and almost burst into tears at his kindness. I was an emotional, horny, aggravating mess, but he loved me all the same.

Tears trailed down my cheeks as I ate the food and Sarada joined me on the bed with her own plate.

"Mama?" She rubbed my hand encouragingly, "Is the food okay?"

"It's more than okay." I told her as I wiped under my eyes, "It's perfect, arigato."

The three of us ate in silence for a bit before Sarada broke the silence by telling us about a local Suna legend she'd no doubt picked up at the playground.

I can't remember much of what happened after we finished eating, but the main thing I could recall was that Sarada had asked if she could go to the park. Sasuke understandably told her that he wouldn't be able to take her, and Sarada happily replied that Shin could.

After some deliberation, Sasuke eventually gave in and Sarada brought Shin to our room so the two could be formally introduced. Shin shook Sasuke's hand and spoke to him with an undertone of reverence, assuring him that Sarada would return unharmed.

Once the commotion was over, I looked up just as Sasuke came over to me. He helped me swing my feet over the side of the bed before dropping to his knees and pressing kisses to my thighs. I sucked in a sharp breath as Sasuke tugged my underwear down my legs, and when his tongue flicked against me, I groaned.

"Sasuke-kun…" I whined as he licked a slow stripe up my slit, "Gomen…"

"For what?" He spoke into me as he kissed my lower lips.

"F-For being so annoying…!" I moaned as his tongue pressed into me and found a quick rhythm, "And - ah – m-making things more – hahn – challenging!"

Sasuke pulled my swollen nub into his mouth and grunted his forgiveness, and I lifted a hand to my mouth to muffle the moan that left my throat as he wildly sucked my clit.

"I love you, Sakura." Sasuke reminded me as I neared my limit, "Nothing will ever change that. You hear me? Nothing."

I shakily nodded my head before cumming with a long moan, and Sasuke continued to swipe at me with his tongue. I whined and jerked as I came down from my high, and Sasuke sat back before standing up.

Sasuke held my face with one hand and leaned into kiss me, and I selfishly slid my tongue into his mouth and freely moaned. When he broke off from me, I found myself following after him for a few seconds before coming to my senses. I looked down and found Sasuke rock hard from our actions, and I ran a hand over his clothed member.

He grit his teeth before grabbing my hand and gently pushing it back, and I looked up at him in confusion.

"I'll be fine." Sasuke assured me, planting a kiss on my forehead, "You just rest."

True to his word, once I swung my legs back on the bed and leaned back, my eyes grew incredibly heavy, and I found myself falling asleep within seconds.

I woke up some hours later to the sound of the door opening as Sarada returned from the park with Shin. I moved to get up and greet Sarada, but Sasuke advised me to stay resting, and I went back to sleep.

When I next woke up, it was dark, and Sasuke was fast asleep beside me. Seeing him so relaxed made me not want to disturb him despite my current food cravings. I had eaten to my fill earlier in the day, and there were even some leftovers I could microwave, but doing that would wake up everyone in the room.

Besides, I was in the mood for something sweet and none of that food was particularly sugary.

I thought long and hard about where I would be able to get some candy at this hour of the night and remembered that the vending machine in the lobby sold chips as well as sweets. With a vague plan in mind, I got up as carefully as possible and grabbed a keycard off the nightstand before pulling on a robe that the hotel had provided.

I grabbed some bills out of Sasuke's wallet and started for the door. Just as I opened it, I heard Sarada call out to me. I turned back to her and lifted a finger to my lips, and she slipped out of bed to come to me.

"Mama? Where are you going?" She innocently asked me, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Downstairs." I whispered and held out my hand, "Wanna come with me?"

Sarada enthusiastically nodded her head and slipped into her slippers before taking my hand. The two of us walked down the hallway and waited for the elevator. When it arrived, we stepped inside, and I pressed the button for the ground floor.

Once we were downstairs, I went over to the vending machine and assessed my options, but as soon as I saw that they offered Hershey's Cookies N' Creme, I made up my mind and inserted one of the bills I'd taken. I pressed the corresponding button and got six bars before turning to a wide-eyed Sarada.

"Grab those for mommy, please." I said before lifting my finger to the button pad, "Do you want something?"

Sarada handed me the bars before pointing to a bag of potato chips, and I frowned.

"Sarada, you've been eating too much of these lately. It's not good."

Her face fell and she moved her hand over to the bag of M&Ms. I shook my head and sighed as I pressed the button for the chips.

"I won't buy these again after today, okay?" I warned her as I confirmed the purchase, "They're too salty and not very filling."

She grinned as she grabbed the bag and tore it open, "Okay!"

With a shake of my head, I smiled and the two of us went back up to our room. I ate four of the chocolate bars before my cravings eventually died down, and I set the remaining two bars on the nightstand before lying back down and sleeping again.

The third time I got up in the night was due to an extreme thirst, and this problem proved to be harder to solve. I got through three water bottles before I came to the conclusion that water wouldn't fix this.

'Coffee.' I thought to myself as I looked around the room, 'I want coffee.'

I shook Sasuke awake and he lazily looked at me with one eye, "Hm?"

"Sasuke-kun, I want coffee." I told him in a low voice.

"Sakura, it's…" Sasuke turned to look at the beside clock before looking back at me, "2 a.m. Where am I gonna get coffee from?"

"I don't know."

"Then why—?"

"Please, Sasuke-kun." I whined softly, "I need it…"

Sasuke sighed and turned away from me, "I'd go get it for you, Sakura, I really would, but there's nowhere to get it from. Everything's closed right now."

With a sniffle, I rolled out of bed and repeated the process from earlier, wearing my robe and tying the sash above my bump before heading for the door. I went downstairs and got a bottle of grapefruit juice from the vending machine, and while the bitter taste was somewhat fulfilling, I finished a second bottle and knew that this wasn't going to be enough.

But where could I get some coffee from? Just like Sasuke had said, the clock behind the front desk said it was just after 2 a.m., and breakfast didn't start until 6. My understanding of my hopeless situation only intensified my cravings and I turned towards the elevator, ready to head back upstairs and wake Sasuke up in search of a coffee maker.

When the elevator dinged, I looked up and found myself about to bump into Shin. A light bulb went off in my head when I saw him, and I turned around to follow after him as he went to the vending machine.

"How can I help you, Sakura-san?" Shin yawned, inserting a bill into the vending machine and pressing for a bag of M&Ms.

"Sorry, I know it's late—err, early but you wouldn't know where I could get a cup of coffee from, would you?"

Shin grabbed his bag of M&Ms before straightening up and turning to me, "I can make you one if you'd like."

"You would do that for me?" It took a concerted effort to keep from crying at the kind gesture.

"Wouldn't be a problem." He assured me as we walked back to the elevator, "I have a caffeine addiction, so I bring a coffee maker everywhere I go."

I laughed in relief and stepped in beside him, "I'm not addicted but I woke up craving a nice warm brew. It's a good thing I caught you because I was just about to drive my husband crazy begging him to find some for me."

Shin chuckled as the elevator went up, "I guess Sasuke-san owes me for this."

"He definitely does." I nodded.

We arrived on his floor, and I followed him to his room. The door clicked shut behind me and I turned to find a standard store-bought coffee machine on the small table by the front. Shin grabbed the coffee pot and rinsed it in his bathroom sink before returning to the main room.

I asked if I could take a seat on the edge of his bed, and he nodded his permission as he opened up a bottle of water and poured it into the reservoir. He then opened a coffee sachet and poured it into a fresh filter before placing the filter in the machine and powering it on.

Within two minutes, the pot was ready, and Shin poured out two cups before asking if I wanted any sugar, milk, or cream. I told him how I liked my coffee and he made it for me before bringing the mug to me with a saucer. I took in a deep breath of the scent and sighed with satisfaction before taking a sip.

"Kami…" I smacked my lips and smiled at Shin, "I don't know how I can thank you for this."

"Just drink up." Shin nodded, lifting his mug to his lips and smiling.

Taking his instruction, after blowing on the coffee for a bit, I brought the mug up to my mouth and took little sips. It took about ten minutes due to how hot the coffee was, but I managed to finish it all. A small burp left me just after I'd finished up, and I lifted a hand to my mouth before giggling.

"Want some more?" Shin asked, setting his own mug down and getting the machine ready for another batch.

"Oh, no." I shook my head as I held my cup out for him to take away, my eyes getting heavy, "I mean, I do but I can only drink one cup a day for the baby."

"Hm, shame." Shin said as he took my cup from me and set it down.

I noticed that his own mug was practically untouched and pointed it out with a laugh, "For someone with a caffeine addiction, that cup looks awfully full."

Shin glanced down at his mug before answering me, "Well, that's because I'm not actually a caffeine addict."

"…Huh?" I said after his words took a moment to register, "But you told me—"

"I lied." Shin cut me off with a smirk, "Made the coffee machine thing more believable."

I blinked, "I don't understand, why would you—?"

"To get you to come to my room." He interrupted me again, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms, "Sure, we might be on good terms but who's to say you would've come with me had I not added that little piece of information?"

I shook my head as I started to stand up, "I don't really get what you're saying but I think I'm gonna go."

I fell right back down on the bed and looked at my legs in shock, not believing that they'd just gave out under me.

Shin laughed, "No, I don't think you'll be going anywhere. What time is it? 2:43? That's just about fifteen minutes then."

"Fiftheen mineths fer what?" I slurred as I lost control of my tongue.

"For the drugs to kick in." Shin straightened up and approached me, "What you're experience right now are the effects of Rohypnol and Valium. Honestly thought they would've hit harder but maybe the baby's absorbing them for you?"

I recognized the two popular benzos and tried to stand up again, but if anything, this attempt was worse than my first one. My arms wouldn't listen to me and although I got them on the bed, I couldn't muster enough strength to push and stand up.

"Why?" I managed to say as I completely lost feeling in my mouth.

Shin lifted me up in his arms, "We're gonna take a little trip together, I'll explain when we get there."

My eyes shut against my will and the last thing I remembered was the room door shutting as Shin took me out into the hallway.

The next thing I knew, I was in a dimly lit room and tied to an uncomfortable wooden chair. As drowsy as I was, I could make out two people standing by a desk on the far side of the room. They seemed to be arguing about something, and I did my best to focus listen.

"You said you wanted an Uchiha, I got you one." Shin grumbled.

"A real one." An unfamiliar female voice countered, "The woman doesn't have a drop of Uchiha blood in her body. You could've at least brought the girl with you."

"…She's pregnant." Shin added after a pause, "You'll have you're Uchiha in a few months."

The woman laughed, "You're joking right? Anyway, the deal's off. Find someone else to take her."

"What?" Shin sounded alarmed, "No, you can't say that. Not after I've brought her to you."

"That's your business, not mine. I'm not taking her."

"But she's…" My vision went dark as I drifted back into unconsciousness, unable to hear the rest of their conversation.

When I woke again, the setting had changed, and I was now in some sort of lab. I was still tied to a chair, although this one was metallic and cold instead of wooden and uncomfortable, but the main pressing detail to me was the IV drip connected to my right arm.

I tried to tug on it with the little wiggle room I had, but if I was making anything move, it clearly wasn't showing. I gave up on trying to remove it from my arm and instead peered up at the IV bag, which, of course had no information whatsoever. All I knew at this point was that I was hooked up to it and a light greenish-yellow liquid was being filtered into my body, and had been for some time, seeing as how the bag was almost empty.

"Awake?" Shin's voice startled me, and I turned towards the direction of it, "Took you long enough."

He stood in the doorway looking like he'd been jumped. There was a large blood stain in the center of his shirt, his right arm was completely bandaged, and a noticeable deep cut started from the right side of his face before crossing down to his mouth.

"Where are we?" I asked him as he approached me and took note of the limp in his left foot.

"We're in—" Shin choked as he stopped in front of me, and I pulled back as flecks of blood jumped from his mouth, "An associate of mine's lab. They were a bit hardheaded and wouldn't agree to take you, but I found someone else who was interested."

I furrowed my eyebrows, only becoming more confused by his words, "I don't understand, why are you doing this?"

"Why?" He lifted a hand a hand to his head and laughed loudly, "Because I can't stand you, that's why. Your existence brings shame to the Uchiha, and it's high time someone got rid of you before you drag their name any further into the mud."

"You said 'their' name." I pointed out as he finished laughing, "Aren't you an Uchiha?"

"I wish." He shook his head, "I devoted my whole life to studying them, learning their habits, their values, their beliefs. I'm willing to bet I know more about the Uchiha family than they do themselves, but I know I can never be one of them, and I'm fine with that. Unlike you."

"You, and your unruly conduct that somehow snagged Sasuke-san's attention." Shin spat bitterly, "I watched you two from the shadows, hoping that your relationship was just the second son's way of relieving his boredom, but no, you two went and got engaged. And then you went and got married. And then you went and had a child."

"Itachi-sama had already proven his capabilities by being elected to The Six within his first four years of being on the force, and there was no doubt in my mind that Sasuke-san would've followed in his footsteps if it weren't for you. You made him weak and soft, you ruined him."

I hissed as a sharp stomach cramp hindered me for a moment, but once it passed, I opened my mouth to argue with Shin, "It's not like I forced Sasuke-kun to be with me. I loved him and he loved me, it's only natural that we got together."

"Natural?" Shin grabbed my chin and forced me to stare him in the eye, "Natural would've been knowing your place as a commoner and marrying someone of your class! Not only did you go and seduce an Uchiha, you seduced one of the sons from the main family! I mean, really, what were you thinking?"

"I—" I doubled over as another cramp hit me and shut my eyes.

Shin blew out a heavy breath, "I don't even want to know. Once Danzō-sama gets here, you'll be off my hands and out of my sight."

"Who's…Danzō?" I wheezed as the pain subsided.

"He's what the stories of the boogeyman are based off of." Shin snickered and crossed his arms, "He'll do anything to achieve his goals, and the worst part about him is that he thinks he's protecting the nation. I kind of feel bad for you, at least if Orochimaru had taken you, your life would be guaranteed but with Danzō? I'll be surprised if you last two weeks."

My ears perked up at the new name mentioned but before I could ask who this other person was, the pain returned. This time I felt it all throughout my midsection and my back, and I groaned as I tried to breathe through the feeling.

Bad idea.

"What's wrong?" Shin asked, and I would've laughed at the uncanny concern in his voice if I weren't aching.

"I don't—!" I shut my eyes and grit my teeth as the pain worsened, "I don't know!"

Shin uncrossed his arms and knelt in front of me, "Are you…are you going into labor?"

"What?" I shook my head at the statement, "That's impossible, I'm only at…29 weeks!"

"Still…" He clicked his tongue and stood up, "Of all the times to go into labor, it would be now."

I tuned out his mutterings as I tried to think of the cause for my pains. Was I really about to give birth? No, it couldn't be. I didn't feel the baby drop and my water didn't break…this had to be something else, but what?

Before I could continue to brainstorm potential causes for this pain, Shin's phone rang, and he answered it immediately.

"Yes, she's here." He nodded, "I can bring her to you if you'd like. She's awake. I understand. Okay, bye."

Hanging up, Shin turned to me and smiled, "It's been fun, Sakura-san."

He went over to a drawer and brought out a vial with a clear liquid and a syringe. After drawing as much of the liquid into the needle as possible, he stalked over to me and forced my head to one side before jabbing the needle into my neck.

I felt the immediate area around the syringe slacken as he pressed down, and I guessed that I had been given another depressant.

Shin ripped the IV drip out of my arm before stepping back with a twisted smile, "Next time you wake up, you'll be Kami knows where."

Despite my attempts to stay awake, I could feel my eyes growing heavier by the second. Even with the beginnings of another cramp, I couldn't stop myself from hanging my head and shutting my eyes. Shin left the room as I dipped into the beginnings of another comatose state, but he quickly returned as I heard many footsteps enter the room.

"Here she is." Shin sounded proud to be presenting me to whoever else was in the room, "Use her in whatever way you see fit."

There was a ruffling of clothing, I couldn't tell what was happening, but Shin spoke up, letting me know it couldn't be good.

"What's the problem?" Shin's voice was laden with panic, "No one knows that she's here and no one knows that you'll have her. I—"

He was cut off by a gunshot, and I couldn't mistake the thud of a body hitting the floor. Footsteps shuffled around me, and multiple voices grunted as they undoubtedly lifted whoever had been shot.

I could feel someone standing in front of me during all this, and their voice cut through my worries of being the next one to be killed.

"He was a fool," The old voice rasped out, "But even a fool has its uses."

As hard as I tried to will my eyes open, they wouldn't listen, and I felt the ropes confining me to the chair slacken as I was freed. Someone lifted me up and into their arms, and I felt a slight breeze as another person moved past me.

"Sir." A younger male voice called out, "There's blood on the chair."

"Is she injured anywhere?" The old man questioned.

"Not from what I can see." This response came from the person holding me, and I couldn't help but feel as though I knew the voice.

"Take her to the van and get her to a hospital, quick. If she dies, the Uchiha won't…" The old man's voice faded as I lost my senses and blacked out.

As soon as I had woken up in the hospital, the nurses around me asked a variety of questions and I did my best to answer them. It was at the mention of my intense abdominal cramps that they stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. People were paged, calls were made, and I found myself propped up on my bed and having lubricating jelly applied to my stomach.

I recognized the action as a necessary step for an ultrasound and asked the doctor what was going on.

"We, well we're hoping it's not true, but we think your child is…" The doctor trailed off, unable to finish her words.

I understood enough from what she said and turned to her with a staunch expression, "No. That's impossible."

"You were bleeding heavily when you came in." A nurse quietly added.

"Still, it can't…it can't be." I refused to believe it, "He's fine. He has to be."

"That's what we're going to confirm." The doctor assured me as she rubbed a transducer on my skin.

I read her name tag as Doctor Matsuri before turning to the screen.

I watched the screen as Kosuke's body was identified and let out a sigh of relief when I confirmed that there were no outward deformities or hints of a problem. Matsuri sat up straight when her eyes went over to the screen, and I asked her what she'd seen.

"There's…There's no heartbeat." She hesitantly informed me.

With another look at the screen, sure enough I could see that the bottom area where a soundwave should've been recording the steady bumps on an infant heart was completely flat.

"No…" I held the sides of my face and shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes, "No, no, no…this has to be a mistake."

"Uchiha-sensei—"

"It has to be." I insisted to Matsuri, unable to stop my tears, "Please…"

Mitsui softly touched my shoulder and offered me an empathetic look, "Uchiha-sensei, I know how terrible this is, and I can't imagine the pain that you're feeling but as a doctor you know what should come next."

Of course, I knew. It was standard practice for labor to be induced if a woman's child was discovered to have died past the third trimester. It didn't have to be done right away, but each hour the child spent in the womb was another hour of possible deterioration, which would hinder the later process of determining what had caused the stillbirth.

I shook my head as I considered another possibility, "What if he's not dead? We'd be taking him out eleven weeks early…!"

"If that's the case then the hospital is perfectly equipped to support premature children." Matsuri patiently educated me.

With a furrowed brow, I considered her words and everything I'd learned so far as I made my decision. Assuming Kosuke wasn't dead, the ultrasound not picking up his heartbeat still indicted that there was something wrong, and at this point the only way to figure that out would be to examine him once he was outside.

After a moment of consideration, I nodded and Matsuri snapped her fingers, clearing the room of any men. I lifted my legs up and spread them for Matsuri as she applied a different kind of gel inside my vagina and spread it around. Five minutes went by before I felt the kind of contraction associated with labor.

"I-Is my husband—?" I cut myself off with a gasp as a particular sharp squeeze hit me, "Can you call him?"

"He's on the way." Matsuri assured me, "We called him about twenty minutes before you woke up, which means he should be here any minute now."

I nodded my head and grit my teeth as I felt another squeeze, and I prayed for him to hurry. I would never make the mistake of trying to give birth by myself again.

As if on cue, the room door burst open and in stepped Sasuke, short of breath and with a distraught look on his face.

"Sakura!" He called my name with a sigh of relief.

"Sasuke-kun…" I began to tear up, which was easy enough considering the pain I was facing both physically and emotionally, "I'm…!"

Sasuke froze in his tracks for a moment before shaking his head and coming to my side. He took my hand in his and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.

"I'm here." He assured me before turning to Matsuri, "What's happening?"

"We think that your child is…" Matsuri trailed off as we made eye contact and I begged her not to deliver the same devastating words to him, "…having some difficulty so we're inducing her."

"But she still has three months to go." Sasuke said that with a questioning undertone and Matsuri nodded before explaining that it was better to take him out now as a precaution than leave him to an unknown fate.

Needless to say, after five hours of pushing, moaning, and yelling, Matsuri informed me that she could see Kosuke's head, and gently encouraged me to keep pushing. Soon after, she announced that he was out, and I sat back for a moment to catch my breath after completing the strenuous process. Matsuri's gasp, however, reminded me of what I had done this for.

"What is it?" Sasuke questioned before I could speak, and I turned to Matsuri with the same concern.

"He's…alive." Matsuri said in disbelief as she handed him to a nurse to be cleaned up.

I let out a whimper of relief at the news and tracked Kosuke with my eyes. In the nurse's arms, I could see he had a few strands of light pink hair, and more tears welled up in my eyes as he was wrapped up and handed to me.

"Sasuke-kun…" I murmured weakly.

"Aa." Sasuke nodded, running a light finger down Kosuke's cheek, "He's perfect."

He was roughly around the size of an eggplant and could almost be held in one hand, but I was just relieved to feel his little breath on my finger. His little fists were curled up tight but with a soft nudge from my pinky, one of them relaxed enough for me to lay the tip of my finger on it, and I watched in awe as Kosuke grabbed my finger.

We remained like that for some time before Matsuri reminded me that Kosuke would need to be put in the NICU and monitored. As much as it pained me to give him up, I knew it was for the best, so I handed him over to Matsuri after planting a soft kiss on the top of his head.

I don't know what I could have done differently.

Kosuke died later in the night due to asphyxiation. I was told that his throat had swollen up from inflammation, restricting the necessary oxygen flow to his brain. Due to his vocal cords not being fully developed, he couldn't even cry out to alert one of the caretakers of his suffering. He passed away after choking to death.

When I asked what could have caused his throat to become inflamed, Sasuke and I were offered a variety of explanations. At the same time, my toxicology report came back, and after looking over it, one of the other doctors noted the high concentration of Valium in my as well as Kosuke's system.

"It was really prevalent in his brain." The doctor explained, "And with such large amounts, it's likely that his brain absorbed and sent the wrong message to his esophagus, leading to it accidentally tightening and killing him."

I blinked as what he said sank in, and Matsuri objected to the conclusion as despair took over me, but it was too late. I didn't pay attention to what else was said, and when I turned to Sasuke, I found the most unsettling expression on his face. I reached for his hand and my heart shattered when he pulled away from me.

Whether he said something about getting some fresh air or needing to use the bathroom – I didn't know. I couldn't hear anything over the static buzzing in my head, and I looked at my hands.

If I had never gone downstairs, if I had listened to Sasuke and waited till morning for hotel breakfast, I never would've gotten kidnapped. Shin never would have injected me and Kosuke would be just fine.

I killed our son.

"Sakura-san." There was a knock at the door, and I turned to find Shisui in the doorway holding a bouquet of pink carnations.

I returned my gaze to the window and watched as a mother pushing a stroller crossed the street. Although I couldn't hear it from all the way up here, it seemed as though the baby was fussing because once the mother reached the other side, she lifted her child out of the stroller and gently rocked them back and forth.

The sight drove stakes through my heart, and I tore my eyes away from them and turned back to Shisui who had since the entered the room and stood a respectful distance away from my bed. He offered me the flowers with an extended hand, but after I shook my head, he set them aside and approached me.

"I know you're going through a lot right now and you need to rest, but I have some questions about what Shin said before he was killed." Shisui took my hand in his gently.

"You mean before he killed himself." A wooden cane rapped at the door as Danzō entered my room, "Be careful when speaking, Shisui-san. We wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea."

The two stared at each other for a moment before Shisui shut his eyes and crossed his arms. A hint of a smirk on his lips, Danzō turned to me and bowed his head slightly.

"Uchiha-sensei, I've come to give my condolences about the loss of your child. Although I'm happy you are in good health, it is truly regrettable that we did not arrive sooner. Perhaps if we did, you would not be grieving as you are now."

I lightly nodded and Danzō returned the gesture before bidding me a good day. He brushed Shisui as he passed, and the latter didn't even acknowledge the attempt to unsettle him. It wasn't until Danzō shut the door behind him that Shisui made his move.

"Gomen, Sakura-san." He began with a bowed head, "I didn't offer my condolences because I wasn't sure if you—"

"Shisui, it's okay." She spoke through me, cutting him off with strength I wouldn't have been able to muster, "It's fine. I just want to be alone now."

Shisui nodded with understanding and left.

"Arigato." I thanked Her once the door was closed, "Hontōni, arigato…"

'Don't mention it.'

It turned out that Shin had never been sent by Shisui as he had claimed. Yes, he was a member of the police force, but how he had gotten approval for the operation in Suna was currently being investigated. I learned a few days ago that Shin really had no business being here, and he certainly wasn't authorized to act as a caretaker towards my family.

I took the information at face value and didn't ask for anymore. After all, what was done was done. Learning who Shin was and how he had fooled everyone wouldn't bring Kosuke back.

At some point I nodded off and woke up just moments before I was visited by others. This time it was Obito and Sarada, and I hugged my daughter close as Obito warmly greeted me. We exchanged a few words as I rubbed Sarada's back and Obito reminded me of his benevolent nature, as he was content to just sit with me in the room.

"Have…Is Sasuke-kun doing well?" I broke the silence with a question about my husband's well-being.

Obito scratched his head, "Uh, he's actually—"

"Mama, Mama!" Sarada called for my attention, patting my stomach, "What happened to the baby?"

I shared a helpless look with Obito who cleared his throat, "Sarada, that's…"

"He's gone." Sasuke's voice cut through the air like a knife, and we all turned to see him entering the room with a brown paper bag in hand.

"Gone?" Sarada tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Like on a trip?"

Sasuke shook his head and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Kosuke died, Sarada. When you die, you don't come back."

"Ever?"

"Ever." Sasuke affirmed with a nod.

Sarada looked at the both of us before inevitably setting her sights on me for the answers, "How did Kosuke die?"

My vision became hazy as I felt another rush of tears approaching, and I glanced at a stone-faced Sasuke before returning my attention to Sarada, "He…He died from suffocation."

Sarada turned to Sasuke for an explanation, and he gave one to her, "That means he couldn't breathe."

"Oh." Her lips curved downward in an expression of sadness, and she turned back to me, "Why?"

I felt hard lump form in my throat and did my best to swallow it down as I thought of how to answer her, but every option only made my throat lock up worse.

"Because mommy wanted coffee."

"Because mommy didn't listen and got drugged."

"Because of mommy."

I shut my eyes and felt the tears freely slide down my cheeks.

"Obito-nii, can you take Sarada for a little bit?" Sasuke shifted beside me as he asked his relative for the favor.

"Sasuke, I don't think you should—"

"For a little bit." Sasuke repeated, cutting him off, "Please."

Obito sighed and I opened my eyes in time to catch him standing up and taking Sarada's hand, "Come on, Sarada-chan. Let's go get some ice cream."

"Can it be vanilla?" Sarada asked him as the two made their way to the door, "I don't really like chocolate."

"I'll get you whatever you like." Obito promised her before closing the door behind them.

I couldn't bring myself to look at Sasuke, even after he placed the brown paper bag on the bed and brought out a bowl from it. Inside the bowl was a considerable helping of anmitsu, and a sizeable amount of red bean dumplings. I recognized my favorite foods and grabbed a dumpling after a moment of hesitation.

I ate in silence and Sasuke stood up and removed his jacket before sitting back down beside me. It was only after I'd bit into my third dumpling that he spoke.

"You wanted coffee and I told you I couldn't get it." I froze as he held my chin with one hand and lifted my eyes up to his, "That's why you went with him to his room. For some coffee."

His tone was level, and his face was unreadable, but based on his words, I knew that he wasn't stating this for fun. He wanted to confirm something, although I couldn't be sure what.

I offered a nod, unsure of anything else I could say, and Sasuke dropped my chin before standing up.

"S-Sasuke-kun, I—" I coughed as he made his way towards the door, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

"…So am I." He said before leaving the room.

'He hates you.' She said as soon as he left, 'He disliked you before but now he really hates you.'

"Please…" I held my hands to my head, "Please don't say that…"

'He thinks he made a mistake being with you, marrying someone so stupid.'

"No, I—"

'But it doesn't matter what he thinks.' She cut me off with a firm tone, 'Because the truth is that Sasuke-kun is as responsible as you are.'

"He's not…" I countered weakly, shaking my head, "I was the one who—"

'Went out looking for coffee, right? Coffee that he should've gotten you once you said you needed it.' She clicked her tongue, 'Don't let him guilt you into taking all the blame. When he comes back, tell him exactly what I said.'

I sniffled and wiped under my eyes, "I can't. I don't—I'm not strong enough…"

'Then let me tell him. You can just sit back and watch.'

I froze, recognizing what she was proposing and thought back to the last time I'd given her control.

'It won't be anything like that.' She assured me, reading my mind, 'This'll just be between us and him. A spousal affair.'

"Still…" I hesitated, not sure if I could completely trust her.

'Come on, Sakura. I helped you with Shisui, didn't I? I'll always protect you…'

I shut my eyes and gave in, and I could feel her smiling.

"There we go, now that wasn't so hard." She clasped my hands together, "I can feel how tired you are, and you would be after such a stressful situation. Why don't you sleep?"

'Really? But shouldn't I watch to see you talk to Sasuke-kun?'

"There's really no need. I'll tell you all about it when you wake up." She promised me with a light laugh.

I was cut off from seeing or hear anything just as the room door opened and Sasuke returned.