Author's note: It's the most wonderful time of the year! It's Halloween, guys! And you know what that means? That's right, some Halloween treats for you :D

MAIN WARNINGS WILL BE GIVEN AT THE END. You can choose for yourself whether you want to be spoiled or not :)

Warnings: Dual pov; canon divergent after the war; established slash; NOT FOR SAKURA FANS AT ALL!; Halloween fic

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Kishimoto owns it.

I hope you'll like this and Happy Halloween to all of you!

Dreams Do Come True

"Why can't I join nii-san on missions?" a girl demanded mulishly as Sakura made her way to the Hokage's office.

"Because you don't have enough experience yet," Naruto replied in a tone that said they had had this discussion before.

"But how am I supposed to get more experience if you only let me do D-missions?" the girl complained.

"Because that's how you build up experience," he retorted, sighing.

"Only experience for D-missions!" she protested. "I know I can handle more difficult missions, why won't you let me try?"

"Because I said so," Naruto said dryly.

"Dad said you and him got a more difficult mission when you were younger than me because you complained to the Third Hokage!" she shot back, clearly not intent on letting it go any time soon.

"Oh my god, did that bastard really tell you that?" Naruto complained and a chair creaked; he was probably swivelling back and forth in it.

Sakura pursed her lips and paused in front of the door which stood ajar, allowing the conversation to bleed through in the hallway. Naruto had acted quite rude towards Sasuke from the very beginning, but she thought he crossed the line by using insults where the kids could hear him. Why did he even think that was appropriate?

"Dad tells us a lot of stories," a boy remarked casually.

"Clearly! There was no reason for him to tell you this, though!" Naruto said aggrieved.

"So if you could go on a higher levelled mission when you were twelve, why can't I go when I'm already thirteen?" the girl demanded stubbornly.

"Because I was an idiot back then and you're smarter, Yua," Naruto huffed.

"That's not a good reason," Yua insisted. "You know I can handle it! I'm not weak!"

"I swear this is payback for all those times I was a little shit," Naruto groaned. "Haruki, what do you think?"

"She's been training a lot," Haruki replied thoughtfully. "If she believes she's ready, I don't see why she can't join me on some. As long as she doesn't get in the way."

"When do I even get in the way?" she huffed offended.

"Okay, how about this?" Naruto said abruptly. "You take on D-missions for two more weeks and if you can finish those without complaining, I'll let you go on one mission with your brother. If that one goes well, we'll see about you two doing more missions together. How does that sound?"

"Two weeks is still a lot, but fine, I'll do it," Yua acquiesced. "But you have to promise I can join nii-san on a mission then!"

"I promise," Naruto said good-naturedly. "Two weeks, only D-missions and no complaints. Then you get to bug your brother on a more difficult mission."

"I wouldn't bug him," she muttered.

Sakura decided she had waited long enough; it seemed the conversation was over anyway. She clutched the files between her left arm and her chest and knocked on the door with her right hand.

"Come in!" Naruto called out.

She shook her head. Since becoming Hokage Naruto had insisted that he didn't need an army of guards standing in front of his office, but his habit of just welcoming everybody inside who knocked was just senseless. Sure, an actual enemy wouldn't take the time to knock, but really, being a bit more on his guard would suit him better.

"Oh, Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled when she walked inside. "You here with the monthly reports?"

"Yep, got them all gathered on time for once," she replied dryly and shot a quick glance at the two others present.

Yua, Naruto's daughter, waved and smiled in greeting at her. With her blonde hair – slightly darker than Naruto's – and her dark blue eyes she resembled the Hokage a lot, though her face structure was more similar to Sasuke. Meanwhile Haruki, Naruto's sixteen year old son, seemed to have inherited mostly the Uchiha genes. His hair was just as unruly as Naruto's, but it was as black as the night and his eyes were equally as dark. He hadn't inherited Sasuke's fair skin, but that was the point at which he differed from his father. Both of them, however, did have very faint whisker like marks on their cheeks; the Kyuubi's influence during the time Naruto had carried them.

Haruki didn't resemble Sasuke only in looks; just like Sasuke, he was a lot more reserved than Naruto had ever been and the nod he offered Sakura was reserved, almost to the point of cool. She returned the nod, used to his standoffish nature. He obviously hadn't inherited Naruto's open and carefree personality.

"What, did you threaten them?" Naruto snickered and accepted the pile, wrinkling his nose at it. "I swear, all this paperwork …"

"No, I went with the bribing method this time," Sakura snorted. "Told them they could each get one more day off if they delivered the reports on time to me."

"Well, that clearly helped," he chuckled and quickly browsed through them. "Anything in particular I need to look out for?"

"No, not as far as I know," she answered. "The new wing for the mental health department is nearly finished, though."

"That's good news! They had some problems with the delivery of the bricks at the start, right?" Naruto remembered and placed the pile next to another one.

"Yeah, but they managed to solve it before the delay could become too long," she confirmed and stretched her arms. "All right, I'm going back. I still need to finish a couple of appointments before my shift is over. Have fun with the paperwork."

"Yes, so much fun every time," Naruto droned, scowling at the piles adorning the desk.

She offered another nod to Haruki and Yua and left the office, cheerfully ignoring Naruto bemoaning all the documents he still had to read. He really should have thought about that before he had accepted the position of Kage when Kakashi retired.

On her way down the first staircase, she spotted Sasuke walking towards her and she brightened instantly. It didn't matter how many years would pass by, Sasuke remained absolutely gorgeous and her heart started beating quicker with anticipation. She knew harbouring a crush on him even after all these years was most likely stupid, but she couldn't help it! She had loved him from basically the moment she had met him; feelings as deep as hers were difficult to ignore! Even him being married couldn't destroy her crush on him. It still stung a lot to know she had lost out to Naruto of all people for Sasuke's heart. If it had been Ino or any of the other girls, fine, she could have handled that eventually, but Naruto?

Ino had told her on multiple occasions already in a very exasperated and completely undeserved tone that Sakura should finally give up after all these years, but giving up wasn't in her vocabulary! How could she give up on the first guy she had actual serious feelings for? Was it that wrong to keep hoping that Sasuke would eventually give up on Naruto?

Most likely, but nobody had ever said that love was fair. Could anyone blame her for still harbouring hope after all these years?

"Sasuke-kun!" she called out, smiling brightly. "You came back from a mission?"

"Just a visit to Suna," he answered dismissively. His cloak still carried some traces of sand actually. "Nothing special. You came to drop off the paperwork?"

"Yeah, got it on time for once," she smiled and perked up when she remembered which event would take place later tonight. "You're attending the party tonight, Sasuke-kun?"

He raised an eyebrow and she blushed unwillingly. "Not exactly a party person," he said dryly.

"Well, sometimes you need to let loose, don't you think so?" she smiled sweetly. "I could help you with that, you know?" she added meaningfully.

"No need for that," he murmured and walked past her. "You have fun at the party."

"The invitation still stands!" she called out to his retreating back and sighed softly when he didn't even glance back.

Perhaps she should give up, but – nobody had ever said love was easy either.

The party was outdoors in the centre of the town. Braziers ensured that the cold October wind wouldn't bother the guests too much and a big tent had been placed in the middle as cover for possible bouts of rain. There wasn't any real purpose to this party; it was just meant as an occasion for people to get together and have fun.

Sakura used it as a way to wind down after weeks of stressful interventions at the hospital. Ino had said it was also a great way to get to know cute guys, but so far Sakura hadn't really been successful in that regard. She had tried! But honestly, none of the guys here could even hold a candle to Sasuke, which wasn't her fault! It was hard to supress feelings, who could blame her?

"Does the invitation still stand?"

The deep, all too familiar voice had Sakura jumping in surprise and she whirled around, her mouth dropping open before she composed herself. "Sasuke-kun!" she called out hushed and grinned surprised. "I thought you wouldn't show up?"

Sasuke, dressed very nicely in a dark red shirt and black trousers, smiled faintly. "Naruto isn't exactly a fan of parties," he murmured and came to stand closer to her, which really didn't help the butterflies already starting to race in Sakura's belly. "Well, it's more that he doesn't like me being at parties where you are."

She was taken aback by that frank admission. "How so? Aren't we friends?"

A complicated look passed over his face. "He believes there is a reason not to trust us two together," he replied delicately after a moment.

Her heart started thudding quicker. "And is he right to believe that?" she asked breathlessly.

"I love Naruto," he began and by now they stood close enough to form their own private bubble, "but … I'm not sure how much of that is – real love and how much of that is some form of obligation for all that he did for me."

"If you feel obligated to stay with him, it's not real love," she retorted and frowned. "You've never really struck me as someone who would stay simply because of some form of obligation, Sasuke-kun."

He shrugged. "I'm not, but Naruto has done a lot for me and with the kids now …" He hesitated, pursing his lips slightly.

"Then why are you here?" she asked softly.

"To find out whether I didn't get myself stuck in a routine," he answered contemplatively. "And …" Here he hesitated again and in the glow of the braziers it was hard to miss how the tips of his ears coloured pink.

"And what?" she prompted and started becoming hopeful against her own will.

"And to find out whether I didn't make a mistake all those years ago by choosing him," he murmured; his visible black eye shining softly.

"How do you plan to do that?" she asked, holding her breath when the most gorgeous smile spread out across Sasuke's face.

Warm fingers touched her wrist. "I was hoping you could help me with that."

She probably shouldn't be doing this, Sakura acknowledged in the back of her mind as she muffled her giggling against Sasuke's shoulder. They stumbled through the corridor, making their way to the apartment she had been renting for a couple of years now. Sasuke's warm hand was like an imprint against her lower back and she couldn't help but press back against it, tilting her head to the side so that he could run his nose across the side of her neck.

She really shouldn't continue with this, but it was hard to feel chastised when Sasuke palmed her hip and brushed his lips against her jaw. Even harder still to feel guilty when she spotted the absence of his wedding ring. How was it her fault if Naruto couldn't keep Sasuke's attention completely on him? She had always thought they made an awkward fit; they were too much polar opposites. Such a thing could never truly last.

Perhaps she should play more hard to get, she mused when she managed to unlock her front door without too much fumbling. But this was something she had been dreaming, fantasising about, for so long! This was a dream come true, so how could she say no?

"Bedroom?" Sasuke murmured.

His low and husky voice sent shivers dancing down Sakura's spine and she bit down on her lip; anticipation building up in the pit of her lower belly, making her knees weak.

"Down the hall," she replied and giggled when he instantly started tugging her in that direction.

His hungry lips found hers again the second they passed the threshold of her bedroom and she let herself be ushered towards her bed. She couldn't believe this was finally about to happen! How many nights hadn't she dreamt about this, having Sasuke here with her? In how many fantasies hadn't he featured, leaving her hot and bothered even after she was finished?

As soon as she was on her back on the bed, he crawled between her legs which she eagerly spread for him. His eyes gleamed when he pulled away and gazed down at her. A way too attractive smirk slowly spread out across his face, stealing her breath.

"What?" she asked, smiling.

"You know what I've been wanting to do for quite a while now?" he asked her lightly, but there was a mischievous shine in his eyes.

"No, what?" she questioned, her own smile widening.

"This," he said and he kept smiling down at her while his hand moved.

She didn't understand at first what had happened. Sasuke kept smiling down at her, but a metallic taste started coating her throat, filling her mouth and when she coughed unexpectedly, something hot and wet dripped down the corners of her mouth.

"Wha …"

Searing hot, agonising pain suddenly shot through her, making her choke on her next intake of breath. The indescribable pain radiated from her stomach and she looked down, her mind blanking while every nerve in her body was screaming when she saw –

Sasuke's fingers clenched around the handle of a kunai – a kunai which was steadily, slowly rotating in her stomach. Her blood spilt everywhere, ugly squishy sounds filling the room amidst her panicked breathing and with every pump of her heart, searing pain spread out further and further. She didn't understand, her brain refused to register that –

Sasuke?

Her hands shot out instinctively to fend him off, but he merely slapped them away and in one lighting fast movement he had both her hands pinned against the headboard; the kunai now impaling both her hands.

That was enough to finally shock her out of her stupor and she opened her mouth to scream, terrified, but Sasuke shut her up with his blood soaked hand, squeezing her jaw painfully hard.

Tears started to well up, turning her vision blurry, but somehow Sasuke's beautiful face was still clear as day to her when he leant towards her with the most terrifying gentle smile she had ever seen.

"A gutless person like you really should have their insides match their personality, don't you think so?" he said conversationally and his thumb moved in a certain pattern across her mouth, a pattern she recognised too late as a jutsu meant to silence her.

Her lips instantly felt as if they were stuck together with glue, making her terror only greater as she realised that she had no way out.

How was this – why was this happening? Why was Sasuke doing this? How could he – what had she done to –

Her back jackknifed when he cruelly stuck his hand inside her stomach, squeezing her intestines harshly. Her eyes shot wide open and everything in her was screaming; the pain so intense, so indescribable she had no idea how she was still conscious.

She desperately wished she wasn't.

"I absolutely despise the way you think you have any chance with me," Sasuke spoke calmly as if he wasn't currently digging around in her stomach, jabbing organs before taking out a shuriken.

Panicking, she tried to kick him away, but her entire body started feeling heavy as if lead was replacing all the blood she was losing and her vision was growing fuzzy, darkness closing in at the edge of her vision.

"Do you really think I would ever choose you over Naruto?" he continued scornfully and the gentle gleam in his eyes had vanished completely, replaced by burning hatred instead. "The way you kept trying to flirt was disgusting. How stupid can you be?"

He cut open the rest of her stomach up until right below her ribs, more blood spilling out and pooling around them. He pushed her skin aside, ignoring the choking noises she uttered through sealed lips, and raised his hand, calling up a Chidori.

He paid no heed to her muffled terrified screams and slowly brought the Chidori closer and closer to her ribs.

"How about you learn the hard way that you're not wanted?" he suggested eerily.

Her vision whited out the second the lightening hit her lungs.

Sharingan eyes took in dispassionately how Haruno's back arched violently; her eyes rolling back. Several shocks made her body spasm and odd, choking noises filled the room until she became completely slack and didn't move anymore.

Leisurely he walked over towards the bed and studied the blank look in her eyes. Her chest no longer moved and when he pressed two fingers against her neck, he couldn't feel a pulse anymore either. He stopped the genjutsu and Sharingan bled away to regular black eyes.

"Took you long enough," he muttered and allowed the Transformation Jutsu to melt away.

Haruki sighed and rolled his shoulders. After having been in the same team as dad for years, one would have expected Haruno to at least be able to notice that she wasn't talking to the real one. That only proved what Haruki had suspected for years: that she didn't know dad all that well after all, in spite of claiming she loved him.

She hadn't exactly been subtle either. Every chance she had got, she had tried to flirt with dad, completely ignoring the fact that it made dad uncomfortable and papa uneasy. Haruki had heard his parents discussing her before, late at night when they thought he and Yua were asleep. Papa didn't like how Haruno basically ignored the fact that he had married dad, but didn't really want to disturb the peace too much either, not wanting to damage their friendship. But could he really call Haruno his friend when she didn't respect his relationship and tried fruitlessly to steal dad over and over again?

There was no way of course that dad would ever choose her; papa had never been afraid of that, secure in dad's love for him. But Haruki hated how tense papa became every time Haruno came near dad, despised the way she kept trying to flirt with dad no matter how many times he rejected her.

He loathed the way she tried desperately to break apart his family.

He had decided a while ago that she needed to go. Dad would never be left alone as long as she was around and papa would always be on her guard around her. If she was gone, they would finally be at peace. So he had started to plan everything a few months ago.

When one of her colleagues or the few friends she had would come looking for her tomorrow or in the next couple of days, they would find Haruno lifeless in her bed, an empty medicine bottle discarded on the nightstand. When they would dug deeper, they would find a bunch of prescriptions all signed by her and they would connect the dots. They would link all patients who somehow hadn't received their medication with Haruno having stolen the bottles instead. They would consider why she had done that and come to the conclusion that she had wanted some extra aid with sleeping, because hadn't she been stressed for a while now? And in her distracted state, perhaps she had been too tired, she had taken a bit too much.

They would never even suspect that she had been subjected to a particular gruesome genjutsu forcing both her body and brain to shut down completely, because why would they? Dad was respected as the Shadow Hokage and Haruki was adored by all as the oldest child of their current Hokage, praised for always being so willing to help and so sweet towards his sister!

Dad and papa might not have liked that Haruki had developed the Sharingan even after how careful they had been to make sure he would never be in a situation to receive it. The Sharingan was a blatant sign of the trauma he had gone through, but at this moment the Sharingan was also what kept his family safe. Perhaps if Haruno had actually been really interested in their family as the supposed friend she had been, she would have realised Haruki had obtained the Sharingan two years ago.

But she hadn't and hadn't that worked out awfully for her?

Without even granting Haruno one more look Haruki turned around and walked out of the room, ready to go home. He had promised Yua to help her with her fire jutsu tomorrow and knowing his little sister she was going to wake him up early in order to do so.

"Oh, Haruki," Papa smiled warmly when Haruki closed the door and started removing his shoes. "Did your training go well?"

The younger man walked over to him, letting his papa gather him in a warm hug. He smiled at him, catching dad's questioning look over papa's shoulder.

"Yeah," he grinned. "My training went really well tonight."

The End

AN2: Additional warnings: violence; description of blood and some mild gore; character death; dark Haruki

I hope you liked this Halloween fic :)

Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.

I hope to see you all back in my future stories! Please stay safe and take care of yourselves!

Cuddles

Melissa

P.S. For more information about my upcoming and posted stories, please visit my profile.