A/N: Thank you everyone for your support and I hope you continue to enjoy this odyssey through the end! This chapter has some violence and references to Kakashi's childhood abuse.
Bonds Through Time
Chapter Forty-Three: The Suna Apprenticeship
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Kakashi
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He wasn't fooling anyone, least of all Guy. His heart wasn't in the competition- seriously how serious was jumping rope until you tripped going to be? They'd both reached five hundred jumps at this point — Lee counting for Guy and Tenzo counting for Kakashi.
He'd been eager for the distraction. He'd only been back from the mission to Amegakure with Sakura, Sai, and Ino for a couple of days before he learned his temporary roommate for the past month was leaving again. The Godaime had finally approved the Kazekage's request that Sakura apprentice under Lady Chiyo in Suna. Kakashi had offered to be on the escort team, but Tsunade had refused his request. Apparently, old lady Chiyo still had nightmares about the White Fang. Since Kakashi was the spitting image of his father, he'd been understandably sidelined.
Kakashi finally let his guard down, formed a real connection with Sakura after years of misunderstanding each other. And then she left. Though, he wasn't the only one upset about her departure. He ran into Sasuke a couple times in the last few days and he was equally bummed out. Though, of course for completely different reasons. Sasuke was dating Sakura. Kakashi was….good friends with her.
Itachi and Shisui had accompanied Sakura and Izumi, along with Shikamaru and Temari. Temari had been in Konoha for the past couple of weeks, representing Suna in a few formal meetings with the Godaime and the council. It hadn't taken long for the message to pass between the two kages. Then Kakashi had been invited to a small wedding ceremony between Itachi and Izumi Uchiha. He'd sat in the row directly behind Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto with some of his Ro Teammates. And maybe he'd enjoyed sharing a dance with Sakura at one point, but he didn't miss the heated glare Sasuke had sent his way.
He tripped on his rope and cursed when Guy shouted in victory. He sighed in defeat, knowing his drifting thoughts once again cost him a victory.
"You did well, Captain," Tenzo murmured. "Nine-hundred and seventy-five."
"My rival! Did you get distracted? Where did your mind drift?" Guy asked, wiping the back of his hand across his wide, sweaty brow.
"Just thinking back on the wedding," Kakashi answered. It had been a small celebration — Itachi and Izumi obviously, but also Fugaku, Mikoto, Sasuke, Izumi's mother, Shisui and his father, Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Genma, Yugao, Shizune and Tsunade Senju. It was a fairly small affair considering Itachi was the Uchiha heir. "I don't understand why anyone would choose to honeymoon in Suna."
"You mentioned Sakura will be doing an apprenticeship in Suna," Tenzo said, handing Kakashi a canteen of water. "Do you know how long she'll be gone? It seemed like she was just starting on the path to achieving Jonin. It will be hard to get the missions she needs if she's studying."
Kakashi took a long pull from the canteen and then dumped the rest of the water on top of his head to cool off. "At least a year." She asked if she could write him before she left and he was actually looking forward to these promised letters. He even planned to write her back! Not that he would admit to anyone that he was going to be writing one of his former students.
"So, does that put you back on the solo-A and S class missions?" Tenzo asked.
Kakashi shook his head. "Anbu Commander asked me to come back to Konoha. I'll be leading the team hunting down Danzo." He laid his hand over Tenzo's shoulder. "Ready for a Ro reunion?"
Tenzo's dark eyes blazed. "He should have been stopped long ago. I am eager to help bring down that shadowy figure that betrayed the trust of the village."
Kakashi nodded. That was one dark chapter he was ready to close and happily forget about.
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OoO
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Sakura
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She'd settled into Suna easily enough. The travel from Konoha to Suna had been slower than usual, as there was no real need to hurry and she was pretty nauseated and tired still. Izumi had been a great companion and Itachi had seemed relieved to be allowed a small wedding rather than the stately affair his clan would have preferred.
Chiyo had actually been thrilled to have two apprentices. She'd been disappointed that Sasori had no interest in medicine and was hoping that having younger medics from Konoha might also help building the Suna medical system. And before she started showing too much, Sakura and Izumi were both active with the Suna hospital. The large, billowing white-coat certainly was helpful at hiding a certain roundness in Sakura's midsection.
Itachi had only been able to stay with them for a couple of months before he'd needed to return to Konoha and help with Anbu missions and Clan business. Izumi hadn't minded. She had explained to Sakura that the life of a shinobi wife was to appreciate when your husband was home and pray for him when he was working.
Sakura was confused until Izumi explained that in the Uchiha clan, all mothers retired from active shinobi duty to raise their children. The only exception was being allowed to work in the hospital if one was trained in medicine, but even that was frowned upon. Sakura was starting to appreciate Mikoto's interference in Sasuke's desire to marry Sakura. She would hate to be a dedicated housewife. She wanted it all — family and career. Was that too much to ask? It didn't seem like it should really be a problem considering husbands and fathers didn't give up their career when they had a family.
After Sakura reached seven months along, she could no longer work at the hospital. Though Izumi did, but wearing a pillow under her shirt to sell the story. It seemed ridiculous, but Sakura accepted the rouse. Her company these days had been limited to Lady Chiyo, Izumi, the Kazekage, and Shisui, and her letters back and forth with Kakashi. She'd tried to write with Sasuke and Naruto, but Sasuke was a man of few words and Naruto's handwriting was so illegible it gave her headaches trying to decipher his scrawl. She occasionally wrote to Ino, but it became clear that her childhood friend was irritated that Sakura had been chosen for the apprenticeship and she'd not even been considered.
Shisui had started dating Sasori's cousin, Lyna. It was pretty cute seeing her big brother figure blushing and nervous. He often came to her for advice and she helped him pick sentimental floral arrangements — with meanings she learned from Ino. She also gave practical advice, like be clear in his intentions and listen to her, but also share his own thoughts. That was something Sasuke was pretty bad at and it bothered Sakura.
She stared down at the letter she'd been composing for her correspondence with Kakashi. He might not have talked a whole lot in person, even when they'd shared a room together in Amegakure. However, he did hold his end of a conversation and had good input and was a great listener.
Kakashi,
I hope this letter finds you well. I'm adjusting to life here — it's arid yet there are clever irrigation systems used by the farmers and drought-hardy vegetation that thrive here. Lady Chiyo has her own green house — apparently the Kazekage comes from a very prominent family. He's from part of the Suna nobility. I imagine that's why his parents were targets. It's a shame that your families are tied together in tragedy. I've spoke with Lady Chiyo about you at length and she's decided she doesn't hold a grudge against you for the sins of your father. Maybe you can come and visit some day? I'm glad our villages formed an alliance — there is so much we can learn from each other. Our cultures are just different enough to inspire new thoughts and creativity.
Izumi and I have worked with other medics for our first few months here at the hospital and it was nice to see the improvement in skills after just a few helpful tips that I was able to give that I learned from Master Tsunade and Shizune-senpai. I love Izumi, but I surpassed her skills in my first six months as a medic. That's not to say she's not talented. She's still working at the hospital while I've taken to working in some complicated research with Lady Chiyo at her family's estate.
The field of prosthetics here is much more advanced than back home. After an injury, many of the shinobi here opt for body modification. I'm also working with the Kazekage on cloning organs. I know you lost your eye in battle and your teammate transplanted your friend's and it's a constant assault on your immune system having the foreign DNA. I'm also concerned about how the use of the Mangekyou Sharingan affects your visual acuity. I've found some ways to improve this with my close work with you, Itachi and Shisui, but it still leaves a lot to be desired. Your optic nerve is working a lot harder than theirs.
Enough about the science. The stars here are very pretty at night. I think you'd enjoy the view from the roof of the hospital. I know it's silly, but I'm actually having a hard time sleeping these days. I got used to having you beside me, that it's weird. It's been months. Oh well. Have you ever had that problem before? I know you've had a lot more mission partners other than me.
I have access to Gaara's family's library. It's massive. There's no Icha Icha I'm afraid, but I think you'd enjoy the variety. Are you picking up any new hobbies? Are you training in any new jutsus? You mentioned working on some sort of teleportation with your eye. How's that going? I'm working on a refined soldier pill — cleaner, more energy, less hang-over. Once I perfect it, I'll see what you think of them. I think it would be really helpful in your chakra recovery.
I didn't mean to write a novel. I guess I missed you more than I thought I would
Sakura.
A few weeks later, she received a letter back from Kakashi. It was hand delivered by Sasuke. She'd hugged him around the neck, discovering he'd be replacing Shisui in Suna as her "guard" and Itachi was also going to be in Suna. She was due to deliver within the month and it was getting pretty uncomfortable lugging around an eight pound baby in the desert climate.
"Hey," Sasuke greeted, standing at the door of her private apartment. He smiled down at her, a shy smile on his face and his eyes widened as he soaked in the changes in her appearance. The smile on his face widened.
Sakura waddled towards him and then flung her arms around his neck, hugging him as best she could with her new center of balance. "Sasuke," she murmured against his neck.
"You're so big!" Sasuke whispered, a laugh erupting from his lips. "Sorry, I mean, wow. It's so strange to see you this way." He held onto her shoulders and looked down at her, his dark eyes bright with affection. "You look lovely."
Sakura drew him inside the room and after closing the door smiled up at him. She shifted to stand in front of him and pressed her lips against his. He'd grown taller in the months since they'd last seen each other. Sasuke had been hesitant in returning her kiss, but he did, but with decidedly less enthusiasm than the last time they'd parted. Sakura leaned back and stared up at him with a frown.
"Sorry," Sasuke murmured, looking sheepish. "It's just, you're about to be a mom. It feels wrong to be— I dunno — romantic?" He grimaced. "Sorry, I'm probably explaining it wrong."
Sakura released his shoulders, hurt by his explanation. He was about to be a dad, but that didn't make her see him any different. She didn't bother to point that out to him. She smiled up at him, one of her fake, polite smiles. "How long are you here for?"
"Ah, until after the baby," Sasuke answered, dropping his bag inside her room. He then looked between his bag and her. "Is it okay if I stay with you? I can sleep on the floor. I want to be at your side in case you need anything."
"Um, sure," Sakura answered, avoiding his gaze. Why wouldn't he want to sleep with her? She wasn't so big that she took up the whole bed. She turned her back on him and straightened her queen-sized bed, just looking to busy herself. Sasori had offered her a king-sized bed, but he'd consented to the slightly smaller option. This reunion wasn't going very well in her opinion.
Sasuke tapped her shoulder with an envelop. "Kakashi asked me to give this to you. We just finished a mission together. Found some more clues about Danzo and Orochimaru. Hopefully, they'll catch them both soon."
Sakura took the envelop and sat immediately on her bed, stretching her legs out in front of her. Eagerly, she opened the letter and laughed immediately spying the cute cartoon he'd drawn in the corner — a couple of his ninken playing around an elaborate sketch of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. He really was a pretty decent artist.
Sasuke sat next to her, mimicking her position. "I'm just going to shut my eyes for a few minutes, take a little nap if that's okay," he asked.
Sakura blinked up at him, momentarily confused why he wanted to sit next to her, yet planned to sleep on the floor. Was he trying to read the letter? "Sure, take all the time you need. I have today off for leisure and was planning to read and mostly keep my feet up."
"Let me know if you need anything," Sasuke murmured and then closed his eyes.
Sakura,
Yo. I am indeed working on some new jutsus. I'll show them to you when you get back home — hopefully the kinks will be worked out by then. I'm sure you've been impressing the medical experts in Suna by now. The new soldier pills sound promising. The cloning of organs will certainly be useful should another war knock on our doors. Unfortunately, with our line of work, it seems likely.
As far as how I sleep— I don't normally get too close with my mission partners and over the last few years, predominantly take solo missions. If it's a bad night, I do have my pack. I found myself missing you as well at the oddest of times. It's weird, we've known each other for a few years now, but I feel like I just met you on our last mission and then you're gone. I don't make friends easy and I certainly don't write letters back and forth, but I'm curious about what you'll find there. I've done months' long missions before— infiltration. I haven't ever been invited to another village as myself with an opportunity to learn. I can't blame the Kazekage — he's recognized your beautiful mind back during the chunin exams. Though, I must admit, Shisui has always been your biggest promoter — even when you were a little kid at the Academy.
I'm envious of the stars and the library. Maybe I'll find a way to come and visit you. I tried to get assigned to Suna, but the Godaime had denied my request. Maybe now that you've soothed Lady Chiyo's ruffled feathers I'll get to see what all the fuss is about. I can't let the only friendly faces you see be Uchiha clansmen. I actually ran into Sasuke the other day — he's more surly than usual. I guess he's missing you too. I do find myself wondering what kind of letters you're writing him. Naruto asked for my help in writing you back — his original letter was rather challenging to cypher. Hopefully, the version that made its way to you makes a little more sense. To be honest, I'm not the only one that's been requesting to visit with you in Suna. Naruto's requests have also been denied — apparently, as a tailed beast holder, the council has deemed it too dangerous for him to travel outside of the village. Which, to be fair, does make sense. His mother was generally trapped within the perimeter too while she was alive. It drove her crazy.
If you want, I could probably see about letting one of my hounds stay with you. I'll have to chat with them, but I could see about extending the contract to you so you could summon one of them. I know you have the contract with the slug, but Sasuke has both the hawks and that one snake. I'm sure he'd help you figure it out. Send your next letter back with one of Sasuke's hawks that way I can answer you right away.
Let me know.
K.
"Did he have anything interesting to say?" Sasuke asked, his eyes closed, but seeming to sense when Sakura folded the letter back up to place it in the envelop.
"He's offered to let me borrow one of his ninja hounds to keep me company," Sakura answered. "Looks like he and Naruto both requested to be assigned to Suna, but Master Tsunade is keeping them away. Though, it should be fine after the baby is born."
Sasuke's eyes were opened and he was studying her carefully. "If you want him to come visit, I'll make sure to see that it's arranged. It's my parents that are taking all these precautions. I understand why — it's fine if Izumi gives up her active status, but you've got too much to offer the village."
"Yeah," Sakura murmured, rubbing her hand over her belly. She felt their daughter kick against her hand. "Oh!" She grabbed Sasuke's hand and laid it over her womb and her heart warmed at the smile that spread across his stoic features. "That's your daughter, Sasuke. She must like your voice."
"You think so?" Sasuke asked and he was answered with another flurry of activity.
"You could maybe read a story or sing to her," Sakura suggested.
"I'm not much of a singer, but I can recite a story my mother used to read to me as a child. It's more of a history lesson, but I always liked it." Sasuke laid down, keeping his hand on Sakura's womb and positioned himself so that his mouth was very close to the baby. He fell into a recitation of ancient Uchiha lore, talking about the magic of the susanoo and their legendary powers and weapons of protection. "The Uchiha are known for their intense love, my princess. We fiercely protect that which is ours and will not stop at anything to defend those precious to us." Sasuke glanced up and met Sakura's eyes for a moment before he continued.
Sakura felt her own self grow drowsy listening to the sound of Sasuke's deep voice. It had also changed in the time they'd been apart and the sound was incredibly soothing.
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Kakashi
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It had been two weeks since Kakashi led a team of current and former Anbu members — himself, Shisui, Tenzo, Yugao, Gekko, Genma, and Tsunade's senior Apprentice Shizune. Their objective was to track down Danzo and eliminate him. Their luck truly took a turn for the better when The Sannin Jiraiya caught up with them along with Pain and Konan from Amegakure.
Kakashi had been surprised at the two foreign shinobi joining their group, but quickly came to appreciate their skills. They were certainly a little nicer to be around on neutral ground than they'd been during his mission to Rain. Though, he couldn't help but wonder if that humanitarian mission led to their cooperation with Konoha.
This time, they actually caught the old warmonger! The elusive Danzo wasn't able to slip through their hands after years of escaping. Orochimaru might have gotten away — the slippery snake that he was, but Danzo was an old man. His child soldiers weren't as many as when he'd been running Root as the covert black -ops to the official Anbu black-ops.
Some of the child soldiers might be able to be rehabilitated, but many of them chose to defend their leader to the death. Though, without the Aburame orphan he used in the past to poison his prey. Thankfully, Itachi had rid the world of that particular menace.
During the battle, Danzo's bandages were removed. And it was only Shisui's forest-green Susanoo and it's barrier that protected their group from the repeated assaults of countless Sharingan eyes implants into a pasty-white right arm. No matter how many times they defeated Danzo, he seemed to keep cheating death and reversing the outcome of their attacks.
"I know this ability," Shisui murmured. "This was my grandfather Kagami's power." He pointed his tanto blade towards Danzo's bandaged right eye. "This explains why he targeted me those years ago." He asked Kakashi to cover him and then using his superior sleep that had earned him his nickname Shisui of the Bodyflicker, he'd snatched the stolen right eye from Danzo.
Kakashi was right their beside him and sliced off the Root Commander's freak-ish right arm and all those stolen Sharingan repeatedly blinked at him — at least the ones that hadn't closed forever after whatever attack Danzo had sacrificed them for.
Standing over the helpless old man, for his child soldiers had been restrained, caught in wooden prisons by Tenzo or dead at the hands of his team. Konan and Pain flanked Kakashi as he stood over the monster that had brutalized Kakashi as a young teen after Minato-Sensei had died. The monster that had raped and sodomized Kakashi all in the name of "training" and he knew that he'd done that to plenty of other defenseless children under his authority. No one had stopped him and the victims accepted it as part of their duty.
"Do you recognize this face, old man?" Pain asked, his monotone question unnerving for even Kakashi to listen. "Yahiko was a good man and you had him killed to strike war into a village that had finally found peace because it wasn't profitable to you."
Konan met Kakashi's gaze, her usually emotionless facade pinched with grief. "I'm sure he's wrong you as well, Hatake. Would you like the honors?"
Shisui was at their side a moment later. "Let's not forget that you murdered my grandfather — your teammate and stole his eye just like you tried to steal mine." Green bars of energy held the old man in place.
"I did steal your eye," Danzo spat, his single left eye focused on Kakashi. "Your little skank girlfriend stole it back — I know she did. The one with that purple diamond on her forehead. I've been trying to find her for nearly a decade. Where did she go?"
Kakashi didn't know what he was talking about. "I think we've listened to enough from you. Even if I knew where she was, I wouldn't tell you! I have one request and then the rest of you can finish him off. We have authority to kill." He focused his lighting chakra into the tips of his index fingers. He'd used this move before more as a joke amongst friends, but he remembered when his father taught him the move as a deadly attack. "As I believe you're the reason my father decided to kill himself, think of this as a gift from him for what you put me and countless other boys and girls through you creep."
The smell of ozone was strong and he channelled a deadly amount of lighting into his fingers. It wouldn't kill him right away, but it would be a mortal blow. "A Thousand Years of Pain," he declared his gaze flickering briefly to Pain and witnessing a small smile on the other man's face. Then Kakashi shoved his fingertips to the warmonger's anus and fried his colon and prostate with the power of a bolt of lightning.
The scream out of the old man's throat was loud enough to hear for miles.
Kakashi smiled grimly as he inspected his work. "A chidori up your asshole is exactly what you deserve for all the little boys and girls you raped and murdered."
Konan dissolved into tiny paper cranes and then sliced and diced the man's remains until he was a crispy pile of wet meat.
"And I think this nightmare can finally be over," Shisui declared with a sigh. He slung his arm around Kakashi's shoulders. "You going to be okay?"
Kakashi nodded. He was bothered by Danzo's comment about his friend with the purple diamond on her forehead. Was that part of his stolen memories? "I'm fine. I'm just glad to be done with him once and for all."
"Maybe we can all move on," Pain agreed.
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Sakura
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On her sixteenth birthday, Sakura unlocked her Byakugo seal — a purple diamond stood proud on her forehead. A few days later, Sarada was born with Sasuke at her side, holding her hand throughout the hours long labor. Their daughter was beautiful with her dark eyes and wispy dark baby hair. Sarada loved snuggling both her parents and while Sasuke had spent the last two months sleeping on the floor, he'd taken to the bed when Sarada had been born. Their sleeping baby snuggled between them in a cozy family unit.
It had been nice and yet frustrating. Sasuke's kisses had been half-hearted at best and extremely chaste. It was as if he didn't see her as a woman anymore, but as a mother. It wasn't that he ignored her — he was very attentive — making sure she was taken care of in regards to providing meals, giving feet massages and accompanying her and Sarada on walks through the village with the baby carrier strapped across one or the other's chest. Though, the official report was that Sarada was the child of Itachi and Izumi. No one questioned the younger brother and his girlfriend for wanting to give the "new parents" a break and taking the baby out for daily walks in the village.
Honestly, the most thrilling part of Sakura's life these days was when she wrote to Kakashi. Though, her latest letter had been difficult to write. She'd told him about unlocking her Seal of A Hundred, but not mentioning the birth of her daughter felt incredibly dishonest. He'd written that his last mission had been very successful and that he was working on getting to visit her soon.
"You alright?" Sasuke asked, looking over from the rocking chair in the room. Sarada was sleeping in the crook of his arm and he was shirtless. Sasuke seemed to really enjoy the skin-to-skin bonding with their daughter.
Sakura flashed him a genuine, soft smile. "Just feeling a little restless." Sarada was three months old now and Sakura had healed from the childbirth. She felt a little rundown. She loved her daughter, but between nursing the bottomless pit, changing diapers, an erratic sleep schedule, and Sasuke not showing Sakura even an ounce of romance, she felt drained.
He gestured with his free hand towards the paper and pen on her nightstand. "Writing to Kakashi again?"
Sakura nodded. She gestured towards the stack of paper. "I've also been working on a letter for Naruto. Are you sure you don't want to add something? It would mean a lot to him if you were to write him as well, Sasuke."
Sasuke sighed. "I have other things to do than to worry about Naruto's feelings." He pressed a kiss to the crown of Sarada's head over her wispy dark hair. "I'm a father. I don't want to encourage him."
"You can't avoid him," Sakura murmured. "He's our friend. Family. He needs us — both of us. He's got to be so frustrated to be stuck in the village so often especially when we're both here."
Sasuke's lips pressed together in a thin line. "Fine, I'll write a sentence or two. Let me think about what I want to say." His dark eyes focused on their daughter and he let out a frustrated breath. "I can't say what I actually would want to say. Everything else feels superfluous."
"You're being evaluated for a place in Anbu — maybe tell him about that?" Sakura suggested. "You don't have to write about your deepest, darkest thoughts."
"I guess," Sasuke murmured, sounding unconvinced. He stared down at the sleeping baby in his arms. "Regardless of the legal labels, the three of us are family —Mama, Papa, and baby Sarada." He hugged their daughter, earning a faint squeal of protest that quickly settled. "You're my ladies and I'll always love you no matter what, I promise you this."
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Kakashi
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Finally, he'd been approved for a turn in Suna to watch over the Uchiha heir and his wife. Apparently, their baby was about to turn six months old at this time and they'd be returning to Konoha and needed an escort of trusted shinobi. Kakashi was one such trusted shinobi.
Truth be told, as much as he liked Itachi, it was the chance to visit with Sakura that made him excited. She sounded pretty down in her last few letters, but maybe she was simply homesick. He hadn't told her about his assignment to Suna, hoping to surprise her. He'd be there for a few weeks before the trip home — it would give them a good chance to catch up. He was eager to see the library she boasted about and the stars of the Suna night sky.
He'd been met by Itachi and Sasuke when he first arrived in Suna alongside the other Anbu selected for the guard detail. Kakashi had been the only one to remove his mask, as he'd been asked to come under his normal identity as a respectable Jonin of Konoha.
"Sakura is accompanying Izumi in the village on their daily stroll," Itachi explained. Kakashi caught the strange flash of emotion that lit up Sasuke's eyes and wondered about that. "It's good to see you. I heard from Shisui that Danzo was finally eliminated."
Kakashi nodded, slouching slightly with his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, good riddance." He tossed his bag to Gekko with his gear. "If you'll drop that off in my room. Let the Kazekage know I'll be visiting with Sakura first then I'll check in." Before anyone could argue, Kakashi set about tracking down his friend.
It wasn't long before he found the two kunoichi. For a moment, seeing Sakura with the baby carrier strapped to her chest, laughing with Izumi at her side, a prominent purple diamond on her forehead made Kakashi dizzy. For the briefest of moments, he thought maybe that baby didn't belong to Itachi and Izumi, but was in fact Sakura's, but that idea was preposterous. She was way too young to be a mother.
He materialized in front of them, earning three pairs of wide eyes — two dark and one jade. "Yo," Kakashi said, raising his hand and feeling ridiculously shy. He could feel his cheeks heat up in embarrassment and was grateful once again for his mask.
"Kakashi! What are you doing here?" Sakura gasped, her hands flying to the baby strapped to her chest protectively, cradling her bottom and tiny shoulders.
"Hello, Hatake," Izumi greeted bowing her head slightly. She gestured towards Sakura with a warm smile. "Sakura is being a dear and giving this new mama a break from motherhood — be it briefly."
"Congratulations, Izumi, " Kakashi murmured. He gestured towards the dark-haired creature. "She looks just like her father."
Sakura let out a strangled sound.
Kakashi immediately patted her gently on the back. "Are you okay?" When she nodded he removed his hand from her and shoved his hands back into his pockets, otherwise he might be tempted to hug her — the urge was strong. "Congratulations on unlocking your Seal of a Hundred," he said instead gesturing with his chin to her forehead. "It looks good on you."
Sakura smiled. "Thanks," she answered breathless. "I can't believe you're here!"
An alleycat got into a fight with a rat in a nearby alley, making a terrible screeching sound that jarred Sarada from her sleep. The baby let out a terrifying shriek and clutched at Sakura and then suddenly Sakura's shirt front was soaked through. Kakashi's eyes widened in realization. He shifted his gaze back and forth only catching the panic in both kunoichi's eyes.
"Shhhh, baby girl, it's okay," Sakura cooed, staring intently at the baby strapped to her chest.
"We should head back," Izumi worried. "I'll uh…feed her and settle her."
Kakashi arched his eyebrow at that. "You know, I've spent most of my life around dogs and dealing with litters of puppies every spring." He gestured towards Sakura's dampened shirtfront and the way that the baby was desperately clawing at her breasts. "Look, I can keep a secret. Where can I take you for some privacy?"
Izumi rubbed her forehead with a grimace. "There's a building not far from here with a room for nursing mothers and their family. We can go there."
So, minutes later, the four of them were in a private room reserved for families — Kakashi supposedly standing guard while he stood at the door, his back to the women while Sakura nursed her daughter. He grit his teeth, understanding now why he'd been denied his request before. She had a baby — with Sasuke. He felt betrayed that she'd not shared this with him in spite of all their letters.
"You have questions," Sakura said quietly. "I wanted to tell you, but I was under orders."
Kakashi nodded. That made sense. Though, now that he'd seen that purple diamond on Sakura's forehead, Danzo's words haunted his mind. Was there some way that Sakura could have been that girl from his past? But then, how? It made no sense. It wasn't like time travel was a thing.
"So you and Sasuke are?" Kakashi asked. He wasn't sure exactly what he was asking. He knew she was with Sasuke, why should he be feeling betrayed? He and Sakura were friends. He cared about her — as friends.
"It's complicated," Sakura murmured. "If the council learned about baby Sarada, I'd be forced to retire as a chunin and devote myself to the hospital whenever I returned from maternity leave. This way, I can still achieve my jonin status and continue to train and grow in my knowledge and strength. Master Tsunade wasn't going to let me be forced into retirement."
"And neither would Lady Mikoto," Izumi added. "Itachi and I were planning to marry anyway. A child would be expected. I never liked the field and prefer the hospital. It seemed a logical cover story."
"Were you just going to let someone else raise your child?" Kakashi demanded. As an orphan, he felt rather sensitive about the subject. Though, the reasoning was valid, he didn't want Sakura forced into early retirement either. The double standards between men and women of the shinobi world were hard to ignore.
"She'll be living in the district with the rest of us," Izumi answered. "Sarada is family. The privilege of raising her won't fall upon just Sakura — the little baby has an entire clan excited to shower her with attention."
"Would you like to sit by me, Kakashi?" Sakura asked quietly. "I'm done nursing her. She's asleep again."
Kakashi closed his eyes. "Let me escort you back to your rooms. We can talk more later." He turned to face them and flashed his eye-crescent smile her way. "You owe me a tour of the library and an astrology lesson on the local constellations."
The warmth in Sakura's smile made his heart soar and he knew he'd said the right thing. Tears of relief fell from those beautiful jeweled eyes of hers. "I'd really like that," she whispered.
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A/N: So…that was a doozy. Hope you enjoyed it! You can see the end of SasuSaku and the building of KakaSaku at this point. I'm gonna take a little break again as I wrap up a couple of my other ongoing stories. Thanks so much for your support!