Hey everyone! Finally finishing writing this chapter XD This is one of the longest chapters I wrote, being just over 4000 words without AN. I wanted to kind of emphasis, what would be going on in Sakura's head while trying to make this decision. So i thought I would get my girlfriend to help me write this chapter, because I for one would have no clue what a girl would be thinking in this situation lol :P So also say thanks to her for writing it :)

So vacations finally over :( and I am going back to school tomorrow. I have final exams D: in 2-3 weeks (lol I forget went but I know it's in January!) So unfortunately I will most likely not be updating for he rest of the month. I really have to buckle down and study so I can get a good mark and hope get into my first pick university :P

Well hope everyone enjoys this chapter!

Summary: Naruto and Sakura are assigned to an unusual mission by Lady Tsunade. Will this unusual mission change how they see each other? Will they discover something about the other person, that they didn't see in them before? Mainly NaruxSaku pairing, plus other minor pairings that I like.

Disclaimer: I do not own the anime/manga Naruto or any of the characters used in this story from the anime/mango Naruto.

ooo PREVIOUSLY ON THE LAST CHAPTER ooo

She shook her head at him, "You just keep surprising me." With that, she finally sealed his smiling mouth against hers in a warm, chaste kiss that made his chest squeeze almost painfully in his chest.

Sighing against her mouth, he wrapped an arm around her waist to press her front against him. Pulling back, he pressed his lips against her forehead.

"Come on, Sakura. We've still got some shopping to do, right?"

She grinned and nodded. As she pushed Sam's stroller with one hand, she offered Naruto her free one. "Well then, let's go then. The day is wasting."

Smiling, Naruto linked his fingers with hers and couldn't deny the absolute contentment that welled inside him.

A contentment that hadn't been present since he met his father during the fight against Pain. Maybe it was because he now had other things he cherished. Or maybe it was because he had all the family he needed right within his grasp.

ooooo

A Bundle of Joy

She first started noticing something was off about a week before. At first it wasn't anything too suspicious.

Naruto would just slip off whenever the little make shift family would go out. He would disappear for a few hours.

Sakura honestly didn't think much of it. As long as he didn't cause any trouble, he could do whatever he wanted as far as she was concerned.

But then things started getting a little weirder. Whenever she would settle at the restaurant with her friends and Sam in tow, Ino would smile at her.

While that in itself wasn't anything to be concerned about, it was the way she smiled at the pinkette was what made her concerned.

She smiled at her like she knew a big juicy secret that the pinkette didn't know, and she was enjoying every minute of it. Then, every time she saw Hinata, the kunoichi would give her a smile knowingly and look away before Sakura could comment. It made her a little wary, but she pushed it from her mind.

But then about two days ago, Naruto started really acting funny. It all started when they were out going grocery shopping. They had been making their way down the aisle, when he had spoken up.

"Hey Sakura," he said from behind her. Sakura tilted her head and hummed in response, her attention split between Sam in the stroller and the grocery list in her hand, "What's your favorite food?"

"What?" she asked, finally turning her full attention to him, "Why does that matter?"

Naruto smiled at her innocently and rocked back on his heels, "No reason. I just realized I didn't know. So… What is your favorite food?"

She narrowed her eyes in thought as she pushed the shopping cart further down the aisle, "Well, I don't really have a favorite food. I like a lot of them. But if I had to pick one, it would probably be sushi."

He raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

She turned to smile up at him. "Yeah, it's a little bit expensive, but you can't go wrong with sushi. There's so many different kind to choose from I can never get bored of it. But like I said, I like a lot of other things as well."

He nodded, a speculative gleam in his eyes. When she saw the look on his face, she was immediately on alert, "Why did you want to know exactly?" she asked.

He laughed and shrugged her question away, "No real reason. Oh! Look! Pocky!" With that, he stepped toward the sweet treat, missing her frown and searching gaze.

'I don't think I've ever known Naruto to take interest in what I like to eat,' she thought but later shrugged it off, 'Whatever he's planning, I'm sure it will come out soon enough.'

ooooo

But by the next day, the pinkette was too worried about the Counsel's deadline for the adoption papers to take notice of Naruto's strange behavior and whispered conversations with Ino and Hinata.

To be honest, she wasn't entirely sure why she was so reluctant to give an answer immediately about adopting Sam. Like the blonde shinobi had pointed out, they were basically raising him together anyway.

Sam and her practically live at his apartment. Whenever Naruto had a question about the baby, he went only to her for help, well and sometimes the Hokage when she didn't know the answer to something.

Sakura knew almost everything there was to know about the basics of raising children. She had read over countless parenting books and magazines.

So why was she still so unsure?

Maybe it was the idea of her being responsible for another human life. If she were to adopt Sam, he would need her. It wouldn't be something she could just put in a few hours, then go back to her regular life.

He was a baby that needed love, attention, and care 24/7. It was different when she was just helping Naruto raise him. If something happened, the responsibility fell ultimately on Naruto, not her.

But at the same time, she loved Sam. She had never known she could love someone as much as she did that little baby boy. Whenever he so much as burped, she was there to hear it, to make note of it and to care about it.

She knew that he liked to rub his face in the crook of her neck and nuzzle there whenever he was upset. She knew that he took two naps during the day time for about half an hour each.

She knew that whenever he woke up from his naps, he liked to be held for a little bit before being fed.

She knew that whenever he wasn't with her or Naruto, he would cry and wouldn't settle until he smelt one of them nearby.

She knew that he liked to pull on Naruto's blonde hair and laugh whenever he was being swung around by the nine tailed fox jinchuriki.

She knew that he was the most adorable, loveable, happy baby she had ever met.

But was that enough to raise him? Was that enough to be responsible for his health and care?

She wasn't so sure.

And whenever she would sit down and think about her option, she would come up with two scenarios.

One, she could say yes and sign the paperwork with Naruto, effectively adopting Sam. But what if she and Naruto didn't work out? Where would that leave Sam? The last thing she wanted was for him to be raised in the type of environment that wasn't full of love and laughter.

Another scenario was she said no and Sam was taken from them or Naruto signed the paperwork with someone else. Someone like Hinata... That thought was what really made her come up with her ultimate decision. She loved Hinata just like she loved the rest of her best friends from the rookie 9. But the idea of Hinata being the one to pick up and hold Sam and cuddle with Naruto and Sam during the cold winter nights made her sick.

It was her that Sam turned to when he felt bad. It was her that Naruto kissed at night and cuddled with when they slept in their bed. She was Sam's mother and Naruto's girlfriend. Not Hinata. No one else but her.

Sighing, Sakura ran a hand through her pink hair. Sitting in front of her, happily playing with his smashed carrots, Sam grinned when she turned her attention his way.

Looking at him with the orange mess smeared all over his hands and face and making his blond hair stand on end, she couldn't help but feel as though it was so right.

When Sam had been brought into her and Naruto's lives, it hadn't for one minute felt unnatural. It was almost instinctive how much she had come to love and care for the baby.

Smiling, Sakura tenderly ran a wet napkin across the baby's face to clean it, and didn't attempt to stop the feeling of protectiveness that welled up inside of her.

Sam was her son. She and Naruto would raise him together.

She wouldn't settle for anything less.

Now all she had to do was tell Naruto and sign the paperwork to make it official.

"Sakura, are you in here?" she heard a deep voice call from the foyer to her boyfriend's apartment. Grinning, she got to her feet.

"In here Naruto. Sam is just finishing up his lunch," when her boyfriend came into view, she tilted her head a little. He wasn't dressed the same way he usually was.

Instead of his regular outfit, he wore an orange dress shirt and black dress pants. When he saw the confused look on her face, he grinned sheepishly at her, one his hands hidden behind his back.

"What's going on?" she asked, whipping her hands on a towel and walking towards him.

"I need you to get dressed up. Can you get ready in fifteen minutes?"

She frowned and rested her hands on her hips, "Of course I can. What's going on, Naruto? Did I miss something?"

"I'll explain it all to you later," he said. His face turned a slight shade of pink when the hand behind his back came into view and she saw he clutched a small bouquet of red, white, and pink roses in his hand. She gasped at the sight of them.

She peeked up at him through her lashes, "Are those… For me?" she asked hesitantly with a blush appearing on her face. His grin widened even as his blush got a little darker.

"Yeah… They're for you. But you have to promise to be dress nice in fifteen minutes, okay?"

Reaching forward to take the flowers from his hand, she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "Okay, but…"

She stopped when she felt his warm fingers pressed against her lips. She blinked up at him when he shook his head. "No questions, Sakura. Just go get ready."

She sighed and shot him one last look. "Fine. But what about Sam? Do I need to get him ready too?"

He shook his head as he placed his hands on her shoulders and began to gently guide her toward her bedroom. "Ino and Hinata said they were going to take him for a few hours. Now go get ready or we'll be late."

Huffing, she did as he asked, but couldn't stop herself from burying her face in the fragrant blooms of flower that were in her hands and taking a deep breath.

Whatever Naruto had up his sleeve, she had a feeling she wasn't going to regret listening to him.

ooooo

"He should be ready for a nap in about an hour or so," Sakura told Ino while Naruto shifted impatiently behind her. In front of her, Ino nodded and smiled at the young pinkette's concern, "And remember he likes to cuddle after his naps a little, so just walk around with him for a…"

"Sakura," Naruto interrupted, "We're only going to be gone for a few hours. She doesn't need to know everything."

The pinkette shot him a small half-hearted glare before turning back to the fussing baby in the other shinobi's arms. While Sakura had been instructing Ino and Hinata, Sam had seemed to sense that something was wrong and had begun to cry in earnest. When he saw her attention on her, he sobbed and lifted his arms toward her pleadingly.

She had to blink back tears and couldn't stop herself from gathering the baby against her chest. He immediately nuzzled his wet face against her neck and clung to the material of her blouse in his tiny fists, but would not be consoled.

"We'll be back before you know it Sam," she whispered against the crown of his head. Pressing a lingering kiss to his blonde head, she took once last breath, before shakily, but firmly prying his hands from her clothing and handing him to the sympathetic shinobi.

She took a step back away from the child and had to turn her back when he tried to reach toward her again, instinctively turning into Naruto's warmth. Her partner sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steer her out of his apartment.

"He'll be fine," he whispered once they had stepped out into the warm night air. Sakura took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Smiling up at him, she nodded.

"I know, but this is the first time he's been away from either of us for more than a few minutes. It's… Harder than I thought it would be."

He nodded and pressed her a little more firmly against his side.

"If you want we can cut the night a little shorter…"

"No. You've put so much thought into this and tonight… Tonight is about us. We will see Sam soon enough."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her cheek, "Exactly. Don't worry. I'll make sure you enjoy yourself."

ooooo

"Can I take it off yet?" Sakura asked impatiently. Behind her with his hands on her shoulders to guide her, Naruto grinned and squeezed her shoulders briefly.

"Not yet. A few more steps and we'll be there."

She sighed and continued to slowly shuffle forward with his guidance. After they had left Naruto's home and she had calmed down, and Naruto had insisted on blind folding her and demanded that she not peek out of the blindfold. Whatever the surprise was, it was obviously something he was very excited about, if his slightly rushed pushing on her shoulders was any indication.

"Almost there… Almost there… Okay, you can open your eyes now."

She immediately reached up to yank the piece of cloth from her eyes and blinked a little to get used to the moonlight. The sight that greeted her made her gasp.

They stood in front of the very large Sakura tree. The colors of the blooms seemed to glow and create their own lighting that made Sakura blink in surprise. Turning to her boyfriend, she grinned.

"It's so beautiful."

Naruto grinned and nodded wordlessly, "And that's not all. I set up a picnic and everything."

Turning, she saw the blanket and basket laid out at the base of the tree and felt her heart lurch in her chest.

When she felt warm hands clasp her shoulders, she gently leaned into the heat of him, "What… What brought this on?" she heard him chuckle behind her.

"You think I didn't hear from Ino and Hinata. About how wrong it is that we haven't gone on a date yet?"

At his words, she groaned and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I never meant for them to yell at you about it. I just… Thought it would be nice, is all."

He squeezed her shoulders, "I know and I agree. That's why I set this up. Besides, I know how much you've been stressing out about the adoption papers and stuff, so I wanted to give you a night to just relax and be my girlfriend."

She bit her lip and turned in his grip to face him. Reaching up, she framed his face between the palms of her hands, his eyes falling to meet hers. "How can you be so oblivious and childish one minute, and the most thoughtful, sweetest boyfriend the next?"

He grinned down at her, "Maybe I'm more complicated than I appear."

Her smile turned gentle as she skimmed her fingertips across the lines of his lips, "I've known that for a long time now. But despite that, you still manage to catch me off guard."

"Are we just going to stand here and talk, or are you going to go over there and taste my awesome cooking skills?"

She felt the blood drain from her cheeks, "You cooked?"

At the expression on her face, he couldn't stop himself from throwing back his head and laughing, "No," he managed between chuckles, "Don't worry. Ino cooked and made everything. Well… It was most probably her mom," he chuckled, "So you don't have to suffer tonight," he finished off with a big grin and gave her a thumbs up.

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, "Good," reaching down, she clasped his warm hand in hers and began to tug him towards the blanket, "I feel much better knowing that."

ooooo

An hour later, surrounded by the now empty containers of food, Naruto and Sakura leaned back against the base of the Sakura tree, their sides brushing together as they shifted to get comfortable.

"That was delicious," Naruto sighed, rubbing his satisfied stomach.

She laughed and looked over at him, "I guess it's a good thing Ino knows you so well or else there wouldn't have been nearly enough for both of us."

He didn't bother to dignify that with a response. Tilting her head back, the pinkette blinked her eyes up at the night sky, marveling at the sight of the stars through the branches of the Sakura tree.

"It's beautiful out here," she murmured, leaning her head against the bark of the tree. Next to her, Naruto looked up at the stars, but didn't comment. Chancing a look over at her and seeing her content smile, he bit his lip.

"Did… Did you have fun tonight?" he asked hesitantly, keeping his gaze trained on the night sky above him when she turned her attention to him.

"Of course I did! I…" she smiled a little, "I really needed this. I think we both did."

His heart racing in his ears, Naruto turned to face Sakura fully, tucking his feet underneath him so that he kneeled by her side. Reaching into his pocket, he palmed the item in its depths and felt his mouth go a little dry with nerves.

"Sakura, I…" He had to swallow the lump that wanted to lodge in his throat when she turned to look at him expectantly, "I didn't only put this whole thing together to give us a break, though we did need it. I actually did it to… Ask you something."

She tilted her head at his solemn expression and nodded for him to continue. He took a breath and reached forward with his free hand to clasp one of hers, cradling it as if it were made of porcelain, "Sakura, I know you've been really stressed out about the adoption and I promised myself that I wouldn't pressure you one way or the other. It's your decision and I won't try to change it once you've made up your mind, but I just thought that… You deserved to be asked properly, you know?"

She frowned a little, "What do you mean?"

He took a breath and plunged on, "Sakura Haruno, will you raise Sam with me?"

Silence followed his slightly rushed words as the pinkette stared up at him, her lips parted slightly and her eyes wide with surprise. A blush that rivaled the colour of her hair appeared on her face.

He shifted nervously but forced himself to keep his gaze leveled with hers. But as the seconds ticked by, one more excruciating than the one before it, he couldn't keep his silence, "Sakura?"

She seemed to shake herself out of her daze and he felt his shoulders relax at her answering grin. He stayed still as she gripped the hand that cradled hers and brought the back of it to her lips. Her eyes closed on a wave of emotion so powerful she couldn't breathe for a full second.

'This man,' she thought, 'This man will be the end of me one day.'

Inhaling shakily through her nose, she opened her eyes and met his earnest gaze. "Naruto," she began softly, a tender smile playing at the edge of her lips and her eyes bright with unshed tears, "I have been very anxious this last week, trying to make my decision. There were a lot of factors to consider. It isn't only you and me that we have to think about; it's Sam. He's the one we have to consider the most. We have to think of what's best for him. I know in my heart that you are the best man to raise him," reaching forward, she rested her palm against the planes of his chest, directly over his heart, "This is the reason you would be the best father to that baby. You're the most loyal, caring, passionate man, person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I know, and so does anyone that's ever met you, that you would do anything for those you love and care for. But…" she paused and her gaze dropped to their clasped hands.

"But am I the best thing to Sam? Would it be in his best interest for me to help you raise him or would there be someone better for the job?" when Naruto opened his mouth to object, she pressed a finger to his lips, "These were the thoughts that have gone through my mind during this hellish week. That is, until I came to realize something. I realized that I don't care that I may not be the best person for Sam. Hell, for all I know, there very well could be someone that would be better for him. But I do know I love that boy as if he was my son. I would do anything for him. I would care for him until the day I die and I now know just how much of a mother to him I've already become in these last two months. So in answer to your question, Naruto. Yes, I will help you raise Sam. Because you, me and Sa … We're a family."

Naruto let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and couldn't stop himself from tugging on their clasped hands so she tumbled against his chest. Wrapping his arm around her, he buried his face in her pink locks, breathing in deeply for a moment.

"You have no idea how happy that makes me Sakura," he murmured against the skin of her neck. She couldn't stop the shudder of delight that danced down her spine at the feel of his hot breath on her and tightened her grip on him. After a moment, he pulled back and his grin was back full force, "Now that that's decided, I wanted to give you something."

The hand that had been buried in his pocket finally emerged, something clutched in his fist. Lifting it so she could see in the dim lighting, he let his fingers uncurl and reveal what lay in his grip.

Nestled in his palm, a beautiful glass necklace gleamed in the moonlight. In the center of the glass, dancing gently, a small twister spun strongly. With wide eyes, Sakura reached forward to gently touch the glass surface.

"There's a twister in this necklace…" she breathed.

"I had Kakashi help me forge it. I put the wind in myself," he boasted proudly, "He helped me embed my wind nature chakra in there. It will never go out, even if it's dropped into water or onto the ground. It's… It's to show you that no matter what, a part of me will always be with you."

Pressing a hand against her trembling lips, she looked up at him, "It's beautiful, Naruto. I'll treasure it forever."

Grinning he mummured, "Turn around," doing as he said, the pinkette reached behind her to gather her hair and bared her neck to the warm air.

Her eyes closed as the necklace came to settle on the hollow of her throat and cooled the skin it touched.

When Naruto's fingers gently brushed the skin of her shoulders, she reached up and ran a fingertip over the glass surface, marveling at the heat it emitted.

She turned back to him and silently wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his chest, "What would I do without you?" she whispered shakily. She felt his chest vibrate with his small laugh.

"Who knows? Now, you'll never have to find out."

Her grip around his waist tightened for a moment, "I'm so glad I met you, Naruto. You make me so happy."

Pressing a kiss against her luscious lips he simply breathed her in and reveled in the feel of her curves pressing against his angles, "Same here, Sakura. I feel the same way. I felt that way since we were in the academy."

ooooo

Hoped everyone enjoyed it :) Please don't forget to review, fav, and follow if you haven't.