"Sasuke, I have an A ranked solo mission for you." Kakashi said handing the ink haired man a manila file. "Two former ANBU agents slipped out of the Village without permission along with classified information. I need you to track them down and bring them back to the village." He explained. "I'll have a retrieval team follow you so you'll have back up if you need it and help to bring them back."
"So that means you're using me as bait?" The Uchiha said glancing through the files with his sharringan activated and cocking a brow at his former teacher.
Kakashi smiled. "You're as sharp as ever. They have a grudge against you and left the village after making it clear they had every intention of having you killed even at the expense of the village's safety."
"It makes you wonder what kind of hold Danzo had on these people if they'd rather abandon the village he was so adamant about protecting than stay in it with his killer." Sasuke said narrowing his eyes at the list of abilities listed for his opponents.
"Are you saying you saying you wouldn't do the same?" Kakashi asked.
The ink haired man shrugged. "I'm not an obsessive, reckless child anymore. I understand that there is often more going on than meets the eye and that sometimes even people with the best intentions get lost and choose the wrong path." He handed the file back to Kakashi.
"Wise words, particularly from a former rogue ninja." The masked ninja agreed tucking the file away. "Retrieval is the objective but if things get too dangerous, you know what needs to be done." He said. "You're far too valuable to allow yourself to be killed over a couple of bitter ANBU operatives."
"Whatever." Naruto said walking into the office with a stack of papers in his hand. "You're just afraid that Sakura will kill you if she ends up a widow because of this mission." He said handing them to Kakashi.
"Naruto, don't you know how to knock?" the Hokage said in an exasperated tone.
"It's just you and Sasuke." He replied leaning on the desk.
Kakashi sighed. "Never mind. The mission will start tomorrow." He said.
"Alright. I'll go prepare then." Sasuke said turning away.
"If you keep sending him on these long solo missions, Sakura's going to hate you one of these days. Especially when they haven't been married long." Naruto said as he walked towards the door.
Kakashi tugged on a silver spike of hair. "I know. Do you think she'll forgive me if I bring her back those sweets she likes from The Hidden Waterfall Village?"
Naruto chuckled. "I doubt it but it'll probably take the edge off so she'll only leave you bruised not broken after your next sparing session."
Sasuke nearly sighed as he left the Hokage building and headed back towards the apartment he shared with his wife. Their house was nearly complete and would probably be finished while he was gone. He couldn't help but fell a little pang of irritation. He knew that the village was important and that taking dangerous solo missions was part of his responsibility as a Leaf Shinobi, even so, were a few weeks of uninterrupted time with his new wife so much to ask for?
"Saskue! Your meeting ended sooner than I expected." Sakura said walking up beside him.
"Did your work at the hospital end on time?" he asked as they moved through the streets together.
"Yes. A once in a lifetime miracle." She replied with a smile. "So what mission are you being sent on this time?" she asked as they approached their apartment.
"It's a retrieval mission. I can't say much more than that." He said glancing around them cautiously.
"Ah. One of those." Sakura said with a nod. "I've been told that the Chakra Virus is running amok in a few towns to the south. I'll make you some special food pills to increase your immunity just in case." She said as they mounted the stairs.
He nodded. "Thank you." He said unlocking the door to their home.
She smiled and slipped out of her sandals quickly before making her way to the kitchen. "Do you have any requests for dinner?" she asked. "I have a bit more time than usual so I can make whatever you want."
Sasuke slipped out of his own shoes and followed her into the kitchen catching her around the waist as she made her way towards the fridge.
"Sasuke? What's wrong?" she asked laying her hand on his forearm.
"Does it bother you that I'm away so much?" he asked.
A small smile touched her lips. "A little." She admitted before squeezing his arm gently. "However, I understand why so it's alright. You're a shinobi, one of the best this world has to offer with unique powers that no one else has. It's only natural for you to be away from home often for long stretches of time." She leaned back laying her head against his shoulder. "As long as your heart is here," she said pressing his hand to her heart. "I can endure any amount of loneliness."
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I see. How about curry tonight? It's been a while since you've cooked that."
She smiled, a warm, radiant smile that made his heart throb before turning and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Alright. You can go ahead and get packed while I make dinner."
That night, they came together slowly, savoring the touch and feel of one another. Sakura seemed to sense that there was more danger associated with this mission, and like all warrior wives, knew there was a chance that her husband might not come home to her.
"Sasuke." She sighed rising up over him, switching their positions. "I love you." She trailed her hands over his chest and abdomen and he groaned.
Rising up, he settled her in his lap and held her close as they rocked easing her towards her peak as he began to reach his own.
"Sakura." He breathed burying his face in the crook of her neck his hand gripping her waist tightly as her walls started to flutter around him.
With a high pitched cry she shattered and he followed after her with a groan. For several moments, they sat together panting still joined.
"Sasuke." Sakura said framing his face with her hands her jade eyes pleading with him. "Promise you'll come back to me."
"You know I can't promise you that." He reminded her gently.
She draped herself around him her arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Please." She begged softly her arms tightening as she held him.
He tightened his grip on her waist. "I will never separate from you willingly."
She sighed and pressed a kiss to the sensitive flesh below his ear. "I suppose that will do."
He smiled and nuzzled at her shoulder before laying back pulling her down onto his chest. She adjusted herself finally separating their bodies and pulled the blankets over them both. She laced her fingers through his and laid her head on his chest.
"Be careful." She said softly. "Those who are on the ANBU are not only well trained, but most possess secret, and often times forbidden jutsu. Their hatred for you also runs quite deep." She squeezed his fingers. "I know you're not Naruto, but I'll say it anyway, don't do anything reckless or stupid. I won't be nearby to put you back together again."
"You're fretting Sakura." He said nudging her.
"Give me a break." She said wriggling against him. "You haven't proved to me that you can stay out of trouble yet."
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I see. I'll have to work on that then." He released her fingers and tipped her chin up to meet her gaze. "I'll be fine Sakura."
"You better be. Die on me and I'll have Orochimaru revive you just so that I can kill you myself." She muttered.
He chuckled. "I don't doubt it. Sleep Tsuma. Tomorrow is coming earlier than either of us want to admit."
"Alright darling." She replied laying her hand over his heart.
#%#%
"Do you have everything?" Sakura asked adjusting the strap on his bag.
"I do. You checked already." Sasuke replied resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "I have to go Sakura."
"I know." She replied quickly stretching up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek before hugging him tightly. "Please stay safe out there."
He sighed and returned her embrace sensing her anxiety before releasing her. He lifted two fingers and tapped the middle of her forehead. "I'll see you when I get back." He promised before stepping away and taking to the trees.
# # #
The ANBU were easy enough to track down. He wasn't sure if they were deliberately not trying to cover their tracks, or if they'd assumed that no one would come after them so soon. They led him on a wild goose chase doubling back and circling the same area several times. It was exhausting and infuriating. Regardless, he confronted them in a small village near the Fire Temple.
"Surrender peacefully and none of us will have to deal with the other more than necessary." He said standing before the two men he'd cornered at the end of a narrow canyon.
"Like we'd believe anything you say scum!" A ninja with salt and pepper hair snarled.
"You'll kill us either way." The second ninja, a man with blonde hair agreed.
"My objective is to capture you and bring you back to The Leaf. I have no desire to kill either of you." He replied drawing his katana. "However, if it comes down to my life or yours, I won't just roll over and die." A small smirk touched his lip. "My wife would be quite angry with me if I did."
"Tch!" the salt and pepper ninja sneered. "What an absolute disgrace. The Fifth Hokage's pet and the traitorous serpent's puppet, married and living openly in the village. You're both eyesores."
"When your disgusting spawn are born, the village really will be screwed." The blonde muttered. "The last thing this world needs is another psychotic murderer running around."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at that before he launched forward and slammed the salt and peppered into the stone wall behind him before turning to parry an attack from the blonde. He was done talking. He just wanted to get this over with. He'd wasted three weeks tracking them down. All he wanted was a full night's sleep with his wife curled up next to him.
"Why won't you just die!?" The blonde exclaimed as he sent a water attack at him.
The sharringan user avoided the attack and used the man's power against him by sending a bolt of lightning along the water hitting him straight on. He then turned his attention to the older ninja wincing when a shuriken nicked him before attacking again avoiding his earth style attack and retaliating with a brutal kick to the face. The older, more seasoned ninja took the hit in stride, quickly bouncing back up to attack again. Sasuke dodged the man when he charged at him and leapt up slamming his foot into the back of his head to force him back to earth and then landed on top of him, pressing his knee brutally hard to the space between the man's shoulder blades.
"Just stay down." Sasuke grumbled tying the pair up before signaling for the retrieval team.
"No! I won't let it end like this!" The blonde exclaimed.
Sasuke caught a glimpse the explosive tag and placed the man under genjutsu just before he set it off ripping it from where it was hidden beneath his clothes and then pulled a similar one from his partner.
"Is this what Danzo would have wanted?" he asked the pair of ninja. "The pair of you killing yourselves after abandoning the village he'd worked so hard to protect?" he asked.
The blonde's eyes widened. "What do you know?!" he snapped. "You abandoned the village you traitorous scum!"
"I know nothing. That's why I asked." Sasuke replied. "All I know is that he authorized the extermination of my clan after backing them into a corner."
"The Uchiha Clan was a threat to the village!" the salt and pepper ninja snarled.
"The Uchiha Clan was a part of the village." Sasuke said glaring at the pair.
"You're just an unfeeling monster." The blonde replied his eyes still defiant.
"I suppose so. Coming home from school and finding your parents dead lying in a pool of blood in your living room tends to have that effect on people." He replied. "I still can't imagine how big of a threat the other children and infants of my clan were to Danzo's objective but like I said, I don't understand him or his methods at all." The salt and pepper ninja paled at that and Sasuke cocked a brow. "What's that look for? Did you honestly think that I was the youngest member of my clan? Exterminate the clan meant every man, woman, child, and babe was slaughtered. But it was for the good of the village right?"
The pair of ninja glanced at one another exchanging an uncertain look and then looked down.
A group of ninja with masks descended and Sasuke glanced over then. "You're the retrieval team Kakashi sent?"
They nodded. "Yes Lord Sasuke. We were ordered to assist you with either disposal or retrieval of the rouge ninja."
"Excellent. As you can see, they're still intact. Do you need anything else from me?" he asked.
"No. You're free to go." A woman with purple hair said stepping forward. "I'm sure Sakura is anxiously awaiting your return."
He nearly smiled at that and bowed to his comrades before taking to the trees. As he moved he became aware of a stinging sensation that seemed to coming from where he'd been nicked by the kunai earlier. It wasn't terribly irritating though so he ignored it concentrating instead on getting to an inn to stay before heading home the next day.
Once in his room, he took two of Sakura's food pills, swallowing them without tasting them and sighed. His head was starting to ache and the tingling sensation was getting annoying. Deciding that sleep was the thing he needed most, he laid down and closed his eyes visions of his wife dancing through a green field surrounded by the petals of her name sake swirling in his head.
When he awoke the next morning, he checked the shallow slice in his shoulder and was shocked to see that the wound had changed color, now a strange shade of purple. He'd also never felt more tired. Every step was exhausting and his vision started to blur as she staggered towards the village. His head was pounding worse and it pulsed in time with his heart beat.
"Damn." He groaned leaning against a tree as he clutched at his racing heart. "Was I poisoned?" Even so, he was immune to most poisons and he'd never felt this awful after receiving a dose. He formed seals, bit his thumb and summoned his largest hawk.
"Lord Sasuke, what is it?" the bird inquired.
"Take me home." He rasped falling forward onto the creature's back. "Take me… to… Sakura." He said his vision fading.
"As you wish."
%*%*
"What is that?" Inari, one of Sakura's young assistants said pointing out the window of her office.
"What?" Sakura said turning in her chair and studying the shape moving through the sky. "That looks like a bird. A hawk maybe?" She said standing and moving closer to the window squinting to get a better look. "Wait is that?" her eyes widened in recognition. "It's Sasuke!"
Knowing that her husband wouldn't use such a method to return to the village unless the situation was dire, she quickly sprinted out of her office and up the nearby flight of stairs running for the roof. She threw open the door and looked up at the sky as the massive bird of prey circled once before landing near her.
"Sasuke!" she exclaimed rushing forward to catch him as he slid limply from the animal's back. Her hands glowed green as she checked him over. "This fever is insane." She said between gritted teeth as she ripped his cloak, vest and shirt off her hands hovering over his heart. "His heartrate is out of control too." Her brow furrowed as she moved them over his abdomen. "His other internal organs are shutting down? How? Why?" She glanced at the bird. "What happened?"
"I do not know Lady Sakura. All I know is that he summoned me and requested I bring him to you before losing consciousness." The animal replied.
"Very well. Thank you for getting him here." She turned to the curious medics that had followed her. "Get me a stretcher stat and prepare the trauma treatment room!" she shouted.
"Yes Lady Uchiha!" they replied in unison before scrambling to do as she instructed.
"You are not going to die here." She vowed forcing her chakra into his failing organs coaxing them to continue functioning. "Do you hear me Sasuke?!" she growled as his heart rhythm began to flutter out of control his breath coming out in labored gasps. "I will not let you die! Damn it Sasuke! Don't you dare leave me behind again!"
She loaded him onto the stretcher and once he was situated in the Trauma wing, she began to bark orders.
"I want a full lab workup done yesterday and get an IV drip going now!" she snapped pulling her hair back into a pony tail.
"Yes Lady Uchiha!" her staff replied moving quickly to fulfill her requests.
"Someone go inform Lord Hokage of the situation!" she added pulling away the rest of his clothes. She immediately zeroed in on the wound on his shoulder and glared at the strange colored, oozing wound. "So you're the culprit huh?" She half muttered half snarled as she moved to his side grabbing a specimen container as she went. "Someone get him some oxygen! Can you not read the monitors!?" she shouted when his O2 levels dropped into the sixties.
"Yes My Lady!" a young woman squeaked rushing to set up a nasal cannula.
"I swear..." She grumbled grabbing a scalpel and using it to gently cut away the discolored skin putting it and some of the sickly green fluid that seeped from the wound into her specimen cup. "Take this to the lab and have it analyzed now!" she barked shoving it into the hands of one of the assistants. "Damn!" she hissed when his chakra dropped dramatically, his skin turning to the sickly shade of gray she remembered during the war, the shade that Naruto had turned before he had all but died. "No. No! NO!" she growled as the equipment went wild blaring in alarm as his heartrate and breathing plummeted. Her power flared and burst bright green in the room as she funneled her chakra into her husband's body tears she wasn't even aware of streaming down her face. "Don't do this to me." She whispered. "Come back to me Sasuke. I'm begging you. Please." Her hands pressed flush to his chest forcing more of her power into his body using it to sustain his life force.
"Sakura! What's going on!?" Naruto exclaimed bursting in with Kakashi hot on his heels.
"Naruto!" she exclaimed her voice a mixture of relief and fear. "Sasuke's dying! I have no idea what happened." She said her voice shaking. "I can't figure it out either because if I stop giving him my chakra he won't make it."
"No way. Sasuke…" Naruto breathed his eyes widening as his face paled before a look of determination came over his features. "Sakura. How long would he survive on just chakra alone?" The blonde asked.
"I don't know for sure. Two days at most." She replied sweat beading on her brow as her husband began to pant prompting her to increase the oxygen he was receiving.
"Alright." The blue eyed man said light flashing as he activated his nine tails chakra mode her hands slipping beneath hers as he took up a position across from her. "Leave this to me. You figure out what's wrong and how to cure him."
Her eyes widened. "Naruto."
He leaned forward and pressed his forehead to hers. "Sakura, Sasuke will not die here. I promise you."
She knew he spoke the truth, he always did. "Alright." She said closing her eyes for a moment as she accepted her best friend's comfort. She leaned away from him and then leaned down pressing a kiss to her husband's cheek. "I'll definitely find a way to save you." She promised him before dashing out the door heading towards the laboratory.
"Kakashi Sensei." Naruto said his brown knitting together. "If those ANBU guys are the ones that put Sasuke in this state, I don't give a fuck what they did in the past. I will destroy them." He growled.
"Agreed. This is unforgivable. Regardless of their personal feelings, Sasuke's existence is essential to our village's safety and prosperity." Kakashi said crossing his arms over his chest.
"Is that all you think of this?!" Naruto snarled.
"Not at all. That's how I'll look at it as the Hokage. From a personal standpoint I'm furious they put one of my precious former students in such a state, particularly when he had just managed to take hold of happiness that has been long overdue." Kakashi said his jaw clenching. "Once Sakura heals him, I will make sure the ones responsible pay for it." He vowed.
Sakura glowered at her microscope for a few moments longer before slamming her fist into the concrete floor cracking it and startling all of the lab and medical techs in the laboratory.
"Lady Sakura, is something wrong?" Mutsuki asked approaching her cautiously.
"Absolutely." The pink haired woman snarled. "But first, I need you to go to the Konoha Orphanage and fetch me their director."
"You mean, Kabuto?" The assistant replied her expression clearly surprised, after all, Sakura's dislike of the man's methods was well known.
"Yes. Bring that scaly bastard here before I have an aneurysm!" she snapped.
"Yes mam!" The assistant squeaked before dashing out of the lab.
Sakura sat down and fisted her hand in her hair tugging lightly. "To think that I'd sink low enough to have to consult the likes of him." She growled. "But if it will save Sasuke, I'm willing to do anything, even collaborate with the devil himself, but I'll start with one of his demons for now."
&%&%
"Well this is certainly a surprise. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that the mighty Slug Queen, and Lady and mistress of the Uchiha clan would ever summon me." Kabuto said as he sauntered into the Laboratory. "What can I do for you my lady?"
"I don't have time for small talk snake." She snarled. "Sasuke's life is at risk right now."
Kabuto's serpent like eyes narrowed at that. "Sasuke? I see. No wonder you were willing to summon even the likes of me."
"What did I tell you about small talk?!" Sakura growled grabbing him by the collar of his robes and yanking him forward to where her microscope was set up. "Take a look and tell me what you see?" she demanded.
"So demanding. You haven't changed a bit." He crooned even as he leaned forward and looked through the eye piece. His brow furrowed as he adjusted the viewer. "Well, I wasn't expecting this." He admitted. "No wonder the great Uchiha prodigy is in such a sorry state. Tell me, where was he when this happened?"
"He was pursuing a pair of ANBU deserters." She replied.
"I see. Then it seems at least one of them had something to do with Danzo's pet project involving biological weaponry." Kabuto said looking at the sample through the viewer again.
"Damn it!" Sakura hissed slamming her hand into the nearby wall. "I was right after all. He actually made a weaponized version of the chakra virus."
Kabuto nodded. "So it seems. The project was something that was originally devolved by Lord Orochimaru several years ago, however, he decided that it wasn't stealthy or swift enough to be used effectively for assassination and scraped the project. Danzo offered to pick it up and Lord Orochimaru didn't protest since he'd already lost interest in it. Luckily for us they kept the original composition that keeps the virus from spreading unless coming into direct contact with the dispersal method."
"That stupid snake and that damn vulture." Sakura snarled raking a hand through her hair before walking to a nearby hazmat cooler and pulling several vials out. "Here. Administer these antivirals to Sasuke immediately."
"That won't work long term." Kabuto warned her.
"I know that." She snapped. "I just need to buy enough time for me to make a new one." She reached out and grabbed his ear. "You're going to help me if you know what's good for you." She threatened.
"Now now, there's no need for you to take such a threatening tone with me, Lady Uchiha. I too would be disappointed if Sasuke died now. I'll help you. No need to worry." Kabuto said reaching for a pen to jot down a chemical formula.
"Good. Now I won't have to break your legs to keep you here." Sakura said walking over to another microscope.
"What a fearsome woman. I'm amazed Sasuke puts up with her." Kabuto muttered. "Then again, having a wife that would even collaborate with her most hated enemy for her husband's sake might be worth more than I originally thought."
%*%*
"It's done!" Sakura exclaimed holding up the vile filled with clear purple tinged liquid to the light. "The anti-viral is finished."
"You're such a slave driver." Kabuto groaned pressing two fingers to his temple. "I haven't worked that long non-stop since the damn war. What's it been? Forty two hours?" he mused glancing at the clock.
"Thank you for your hard work." Sakura said bowing to him. "I'll be right back. I need to administer this right away."
Kabuto just waved her off. "Get going already. I'm too tired for this garbage." He grumbled staggering over to a padded bench at the back of the room.
Sakura nodded and sprinted out of the room and up the stairs. "I'm almost out of time." She muttered to herself as she made her way to the intensive care room where Sasuke and Naruto were staying.
"I've got it! The anti-viral!" she exclaimed bursting through the curtain.
"Anti-viral?" Kakashi said cocking a brow.
"No time to explain." She said grabbing an alcohol wipe. "How is he?"
"Fading. Even with my chakra he's getting worse." Naruto said from where he sat at Sasuke's bedside his brow beaded with sweat as he continued to funnel his chakra into the ink haired man's still body. "It's like all the chakra I give him is just… destroyed or something."
Sakura nodded and swabbed her husband's arm before drawing up the medication. "You're not getting away from me that easily." She told him as she plunged the needle into his skin injecting the medication she and Kabuto had developed together into his blood stream. "I had to deal with that scaly son of bitch and his snide comments for forty two hours straight with no sleep. You'd better recover!"
Naruto's eyes widened. "You mean, you collaborated with Kabuto?" he asked.
"I did." She replied. "Sasuke was infected with a weaponized version of the chakra virus." She said using her chakra to bring down his fever. "It was one of Orochimaru's projects that he lost interest in. Danzo found out about it and took it over." She explained. "That… that monster." She growled swaying a little on her feet as she
"Sakura, you need rest." Kakashi said setting his hand on her shoulder. "You haven't slept in almost three days."
"No. Not until I know he's alright." She said firmly her hands moving over Sasuke's body, coaxing his cells into accepting the anti-viral that would save them.
"Sakura, you're about to collapse." Naruto said reaching out to her.
"No! I won't stop! I won't stop until he's out of danger." She vowed. "This fatigue, is nothing compared to the pain he must be in." she said her hands working towards his head coaxing his cells to repair.
"We can't stop her." Kakashi said when Naruto went to stand up. "All we can do is have faith in her abilities." He said.
For another five hours, she worked without rest. At the beginning of the sixth hour Sasuke finally stirred.
"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped her hand flying to his face. "Can you hear me?! Sasuke!"
He groaned and shifted. "I can hear you just fine, Sakura." He muttered wincing as he turned away from the fluorescent lights overhead. "Do you have to be so loud?"
A watery laugh left her lips as she leaned down and kissed his brow. "Thank goodness. You're just as moody as ever so you must be fine."
His eyes opened and he studied her for a moment. "You look awful."
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks, love you too babe." She replied even as her vision swam her hours of nonstop work and worry hitting her like a freight train now that the pressure was off. "Thank goodness… I was so… worried…"
She slumped to the ground and Sasuke's eyes widened in alarm. "Sakura? Sakura!" he exclaimed trying to sit up but unable to due to the lingering weakness left over from his ordeal.
"Finally reached her limit huh?" Naruto said walking swiftly into the room and picking her up off the floor.
"She's been awake working non-stop for almost four days straight. I'm amazed she didn't go down before now." Kakashi replied pulling the sheets on the second bed in the room back. "Just lay her down here. We all know she'll wake up and wreck half the village if she's not by his side."
"What happened to me?" Sasuke said hissing when he shifted and all of his muscles pulsed with intense, deep, achiness.
"You were infected with a weaponized version of the chakra virus." Kakashi told him. "It nearly killed you. Sakura, Kabuto and Naruto made sure that didn't happen."
"I see." Sasuke replied sitting up with his former teacher's help. "How long have I been out?"
"Nearly four days." Kakashi replied.
"No wonder I feel so rotten." He muttered. "Is the retrieval team back?"
"Down to business as usual." Naruto snickered. "You never change Sasuke."
"Yes, they returned two days ago with the escaped ninja in tow. Well done." Kakashi said.
He sighed and rubbed the remains of his right arm wincing at the pain there. "They weren't worth this trouble." He grumbled.
"No they weren't. Sakura is going to be out of commission for at least three days and you'll be recovering even longer." Kakashi grumbled.
"Is she alright?" Sasuke asked glancing over at her. "I can barely sense her chakra."
"She's just exhausted." Naruto assured him laying a second blanket over her. "This happens a lot actually."
The ink haired man's brow cocked at that. "What does that mean?" he demanded.
Naruto glanced at him and then paled. "Nothing important…" he stammered.
"Naruto, I swear I'll cast that Orochimaru genjutsu on you." Sasuke threatened.
The blonde sighed. "It's exactly what you're thinking. She works a lot… Too much, but she won't let anyone help her. She often collapses from exhaustion. We do our best but you know how stubborn she can be."
"She's not going to live much longer at this rate. Between her tendency to overwork and that damn jutsu of hers." The ink haired man snarled.
Naruto's brow furrowed at that. "What are you talking about? What jutsu?"
Sasuke glanced over at the blue eyed ninja. "Are you saying you don't know? About that seal of hers?"
"What about it?" Naruto replied. "It's like Grandma Tsunade's right? It helps her heal really fast."
The ink haired man raked his hand through his hair irritated that the limb felt as heavy as lead. "That jutsu makes her cells divide at an unnatural rate. Cells only divide a set number of times in a person's life time, period." He explained.
Kakashi's eyes widened. "Wait, are you serious?" he asked his brow wrinkling.
"Why does everyone look so worried?" Naruto asked. "What aren't you guys telling me?"
"Forcing cells to divide like that is a short term miracle with long term consequences." Kakashi said.
"When she uses that jutsu, she's shortening her lifespan." Sasuke finished his head bowed.
Naruto's eyes widened. He looked down at Sakura, then to Sasuke. "You're joking. That can't be true."
"Why would I lie about something like that?" Sasuke snapped.
Naruto took a step forward. "You made her promise not to use it anymore, right Sasuke?" The ink haired man looked away and Naruto's brow furrowed as he rushed forward grabbing his best friend by the shirt. "What are you thinking!? You're her husband damn it! At least protect her from herself!"
"I can't stop her." Sasuke said his eyes narrowing at his friend. "No one can. You know that."
The blonde gritted his teeth. "Put her under genjutsu then! The way Itachi did with that crow. A trigger release one to stop her when she tries to use it."
"Are you seriously asking me to bind my wife that way?" Sasuke snapped his temper flaring. In the Uchiha clan, doing such a thing was the ultimate disrespect to one's spouse. "Butt out! This doesn't have anything to do with you."
"Like Hell it doesn't! Don't you care about what happens to Sakura!? Do you want her to die!?" Naruto demanded.
Sasuke's fist snapped forward connecting solidly with Naruto's jaw sending him flying into the nearby wall.
"Don't you dare ask me such a stupid question again." Sasuke snarled his eyes blazing.
"Alright boys. Let's calm down." Kakashi said stepping between them. "Everyone here is exhausted and therefore… snappy, to say the least. Let's get some rest and we'll talk about everything that's happened once everyone is back on their feet."
Naruto nodded and staggered out of the room with Kakashi a few steps behind him. He stopped and turned back. "Sasuke, don't take what Naruto said today seriously. He's just tired and stressed out." His dark eyes softened. "We both know how much you love her and how much her decision weighs on you." He said before closing the door behind him.
Sasuke waited until the footsteps faded before he leaned forward and covered his face in his hand. "It's not like I want her do die you loser." He hissed into his palm. "But I can't stop her." He whispered looking over at his sleeping wife.
Sasuke was awoken by the sensation of movement and then warmth pressing up against his side. His eyes opened and he glanced over unsurprised when his eyes met the jade ones of his wife as she slipped into bed with him.
"Are you alright, Tsuma?" he asked her gently.
"Alright? Of course I'm not." She replied her hand fisting in his shirt. "You scared the life out of me Sasuke." She pressed her face to his chest. "I thought I was going to lose you."
"Sorry." He replied touching her face.
"Sorry isn't going to cut it, you big jerk." She grumbled wrapping her arms around him as best she could.
He stroked her hair lightly not saying anything as she silently wept into his chest releasing days of pent up worry and frustration. Giving comfort was still something he was new to and with his body is the rough shape it was, there really wasn't anything more he could do for her.
"Thank you for saving me Sakura." He said after several minutes.
She hiccupped against his chest and held him tighter. "Of course I did." She sniffed.
He pressed a kiss to her floral scented hair. "I love you Sakura." He said softly. "Sleep. I can still sense your fatigue."
"That talent of yours can be annoying." She muttered but curled up more firmly against him her leg slipping between his. "I love you Sasuke. I'm so glad you're alive."
"Yeah. So am I." he replied softly as her breathing began to even out and slow.
Author's Note: I apologize for the tardiness of this chapter. My life has been crazy hectic between school starting up again, family emergencies, work, and preparing for major surgery. Due to that I can't promise when the next update will come, but I will not abandon or neglect this story. I hope to be back to weekly updates once I've recovered and my life has once again slipped into a more comfortable, manageable rhythm. Thank you for all of your love and support! I appreciate it!
