Teaser Chapter

Chapter -35- Part 1

Chocolate Roses

Half a day had passed since his departure, and originally, I intended to give him all the space he needed to kill Orochimaru. I was confident that he could do it in no time. However, the hours passed, and Sasuke had yet to return. I spent my time preparing for Sakura's funeral with Kakashi that afternoon. It was not a hard task; all we needed was a casket to ship her in when we sent her to Rose.

The sun hung high in the sky when I was able to catch my breath. The tension in the cabin was crushing—I knew I helped contribute to the solemn air—and I needed to escape. I left the cabin and in turn, sat on the outside steps. The scene ahead of me was no better than what I saw in the inside. Hospital aides were cleaning up the bodies of the fallen, burning the bodies of the Rogues and properly separating the bodies of their comrades. Some warriors cried out in pain, their screams echoing across the long stretch of land, while others just prayed, tears streaming down dirt-stained cheeks upon finding a brother. Watching this was heavy on my heart, and at that moment, all I wanted to do was contact Hinata. Even in the toughest of times, she was able to find a way to comfort me, console me. She was the only one. I twirled my wedding ring around my finger before bowing my head and issuing a prayer myself.

I had barely made it through the cabin door when I heard Anko seethe the words, "Holy shit." I followed her voice, finding her by Sakura's bedside. The sheet that we used to cover her body had been removed just enough to show her face.

"What are you doing?" I asked, harsher than I expected.

"Naruto..." Anko's face had drained of color, her hands shaking in her lap. I approached the woman skeptically, awaiting direction. "What—"

"She's not dead." Anko said. I didn't respond, rather stared at the woman, searching for a sign, a reason as to why I didn't notice she was crazy. "Don't look at me like I'm crazy. Touch her, you'll see what I mean!"

Warily, I extended my hand and touched the side of Sakura's pale face. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt the warmth beneath my touch. "Explain this." I demanded.

"Body Preservation. It's an ancient genjutsu of war. It was commonly used to trick the enemy into thinking their opponents were dead. It lasts for a couple of hours, and it literally shuts the entire body down. It is harder to determine the cause of death when it comes to bodily functions being that we're vampires. This genjutsu, coincidentally, complicates that even more to the point where, if done correctly, all sign of life is completely invisible."

"So you're telling me that Sakura used this against Orochimaru?"

"Yes. Most likely, Sakura activated the genjutsu just before Orochimaru began to inflict final blows. This would mean that Sakura was already 'dead' when Orochimaru killed her."

"It's genius!" my eyes found the pink-haired woman, my brain unable to process what was happening. Sakura was alive. Sakura was alive! "What about her baby?" I blurted out. Anko looked taken aback. "She was pregnant."

Anko ran a hand over Sakura's abdomen, her eyes closed intently as she focused on the woman. "I don't believe this." Anko quickly rose to her feet, knocking her seat over in the process. "Naruto, get Kakashi. Get everyone!"

"Is it al—"

"Yes. I don't know how, I really don't, but I'm gonna need help with this one."

The hours passed, and after calling for every medic in the camp, we were able to piece together the mystery of Sakura's baby. When Sakura activated the genjutsu, she did so not just around her, but around the baby as well. Although the womb sustained damage, the genjutsu protected it enough so that Sakura's energy could merge with the baby's, thus triggering the regeneration process possessed by all vampires. Because of her quick thinking, she not only saved the life of herself, but of her unborn child.

By the afternoon, Sakura had gained a lot more color. Anko announced that Sakura would wake from her genjutsu in less than two hours, and that, of course, she would want to see Sasuke first thing. Moments after she announced this, I'd hurried into the woods to find Sasuke. Using Kyuubi's tracking abilities, I was able to sense Sasuke's chakra almost immediately.

My heart swelled. Sakura and her baby were okay, Sasuke was okay, and for the time being, things seemed like they were going to be okay. If there was anything I was right about it would have to be this. I just couldnt afford to be wrong. Not this time.

Sakura and her baby are okay! –the people all rejoice and sing- And poor Naruto has no idea about Sasuke's curse mark! Will things really be okay?

I'm not even going to explain why it took me so long to update…just go with the flow! Part 2 of this chapter should be coming soon, so don't worry!

-Jazz Out