Disclaimer: I, Lady Sassy Sas, do hereby disclaim all rights to the wonderful world that is Naruto

"Sakura." She breathed in deeply as his breath gently caressed her neck and basked in the feather-light touches he left along her arms with his bare hands.

Her head fell to the side, unconsciously giving him more access, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. Her heartbeat increased and she pleasantly drowned in his warm embrace.

Goosebumps and shivers flowed along her skin as his hands delicately moved down and rested lightly on her stomach just underneath her top. She shakily sighed when he whispered her name again. She had lost all track of time.

That was fine with her.

"Then tell me to leave!" she glared at the man in front of her.

"Leave." He responded in a clipped tone.

Sakura stood there in disbelief, the fight fleeing out of her in that one cold word. His eyes were hard and unforgiving as they held firm in her gaze.

Without a word she turned and slowly left. Her world came crashing down when she crossed the threshold and he didn't ask her to return.

She sat on the swing outside of the academy and gazed into nothing. She had a choice and she had made it but in hindsight it didn't matter which way she chose; it was a lose-lose situation. She had lost both. They had both won and now she was left on the side at a complete and desolate loss.

"Ohaiyo, Sakura-chan."

She slowly tilted her head to look at the face of her old academy sensei.

"Ohaiyo, Iruka-sensei."

When she didn't say anything else and went back to looking at the ground he sat down in front of her.

"What brings you here? Trouble?"

Sakura scoffed softly, "Doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Does it have anything to do with the rumours currently going around at the minute?" when she gave him a curious look he quickly jumped in to explain, "Of course, I don't follow the rumour mill but one does tend to hear things even if one does not listen. I won't judge you, Sakura."

"Why not, everyone else is."

"Even Naruto?"

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Everyone except Naruto. Even if I did the worse thing imaginable, I doubt he'd criticise me."

"Ah."

A gentle breeze blew her hair around her face. She breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself.

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching?"

"I've got today off."

"I never remember you taking a day off when you were teaching us…"

"Somebody had to keep an eye on Naruto, ehehe." He laughed sheepishly.

Sakura smiled in reply.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura frowned and bit her lip. She hadn't even talked about it with Ino who was supposed to be her sister. She didn't want to bother Naruto with it; he probably wouldn't follow anyway. Sai would be less than unhelpful, and Yamato was god-knows-where. And she couldn't bring herself to bother anyone else in the Konoha 11. Shikamaru would've been her go-to person for advice but like hell was she travelling to Suna for it.

That didn't really leave many others. Iruka hadn't been anywhere on her list but she supposed she could trust him. He had been her teacher before she had become a genin. Then again she hadn't kept in touch with him after that.

"Arigatou, Iruka-sensei but I think this is one of those things I have to handle on my own." She gave a tentative smile.

"That's alright." He got up and turned towards the academy, "You know where to find me if you change your mind."

"Is there an 'us'?" she shifted on her feet as she gazed at him from across the room.

"That's up to you."

"But-"

"I gave you my answer countless times; you're the one holding back." He gave her a level stare.

She always got lost in his eyes. But as her eyes shifted away from his she heard him sigh in defeat, like he always did when he knew she wasn't going to give a definite answer.

"Why did you agree if you were never going to stay?"

"I thought this is what I wanted. Turned out I was wrong."

"What about our daughter?" Sasuke nodded towards the picture of their ebony-haired daughter.

Guilt flitted across her eyes but went away quickly enough. She felt horrible for everything that had happened but she knew in her heart of hearts that this was not what she wanted.

"She's training to be a ninja. She'll cope."

"Sakura, that's not fair to her."

"She needs to learn distance."

"Like this?"

"It's not like I'm going to leave her, Sasuke. I'm still am and will always be her mother."

"You used to say I was cruel but somehow I think this is worse and all because of an adulterous affair."

Fire blazed in her eyes, "Oh please! Let's not pretend like you're not at fault here as well! You came back, asked me to marry you which I did, bore you a child and then you up and leave and don't come back for years. You can't stand to be in this village for longer than a four-month period leaving me to raise her by myself! I was lonely and he was there! Where were you, Sasuke!?"

She breathed heavily as her rage burned deep. Sasuke was also angry if the twitching fingers were anything to go by.

"At least I was faithful."

"Ha!"

His voice dropped like an icicle, "What?"

"Karin."

She saw something flicker in his eyes: surprise?

"Yes, I know about Karin."

"How?"

"The 'how' and 'who' don't matter. What matters is that I know and I know it was before my affair started."

Sasuke said nothing as they both fumed from other ends of the living room. They heard the front door open and close softly and the barely audible sound of small feet walking up to the door.

A second later and a dark head of hair and red glasses peered around the door frame.

"I'm home, mum, dad."

"Welcome home, Sarada-chan. How was your day?" Sakura asked in a forced cheery tone, never taking her eyes away from Sasuke.

"It was good. Shino-sensei was teaching us the substitution technique."

"You should excel in that." Sasuke glanced her way.

"Yes, father."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, "Why don't you go over to Aunt Ino's, Sarada-chan?"

"O-okay."

They waited until they heard the front door close again and for a minute after that before getting back to arguing.

"I hate when you do that."

"What?"

"Put all that pressure and expectation on her! She's just a child!"

"She's an Uchiha and therefore must excel in everything."

"Including vengeance?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and in a blink of an eye was standing a hair's breadth in front of her. "You have no right to say such things, especially when you know what happened."

Sakura scoffed and matched his tone and steely attitude. "Get over it! It's in the past and should stay there. Besides, you had many opportunities to turn back and you never took them. Hell, how many times did you try to kill Naruto and I in those years?"

"As you said: it's in the past and should stay there." He smirked at her obvious annoyance in being quoted.

He took a step back and they both sighed.

"I think this has been coming a long time, even before the affairs," Sakura whispered.

Sasuke said nothing and just stared at her.

"I'll get the papers of Tsunade-sama in the morning." And with that she left Sasuke in the house as she made her way to the training fields.

"There's an 'us'." She alighted on his window sill.

He didn't move or answer her.

Sakura frowned as she moved into the room and came around to his side of the bed.

"Didn't you hear me? I said we're a coup-" and then she saw the blood on his side.

Dropping to her knees, her heart picking up the pace she placed her hands over the wound and green chakra emerged. Scanning for poisons and finding none she quickly healed the slash.

She watched his face as he groggily came to, "Sakura? What?"

"Ssh. Just sleep." She told him gently as she stroked his hair and trying not to disturb him, climbed over his body and lay down by his side and cuddled up to him.

This is what she wanted.

Without a doubt, this is what she needed.

"Sakura?"

"Mmm?"

"Marry me."

Sakura jolted by his side and he met her questioning gaze.

"Marry me." He repeated.

Silence…

"No."

"Why not?"

"I've told you before, Kakashi. I have no intention of getting married again after what happened with Sasuke."

Kakashi refrained from punching the wall in frustration.

"Forget Sasuke. He has nothing to do with this."

"Maybe not for you."

Sakura put her book down to meet his eyes with her own. Ever since she had declined his proposal over two months ago they had had this argument. And every time she told him the same thing: the truth.

She didn't want to get married again. She had no desire for that. She was content with being his life-long partner without a legal declaration.

"Sakura…" he growled.

"Be annoyed and angry at me all you want; it's not going to change my mind. You have me, Kakashi. Why does it matter if we have a legal document claiming so or not?"

"It would make us official."

"Like we aren't already?" she raised a brow. "Everyone knows we're together and have been for a long time."

"I just-"

"No. Just accept that the answer is no."

"Then tell me to leave!"

"Leave."

Sakura sighed in contentment as Kakashi ran his fingers continuously through her hair. It was a warm, sunny day and they were on holiday. Well…mandatory holiday/leave.

They were sitting lying in the grassy area beside the steps where Shikamaru used to watch the clouds. Sakura now knew why he always chose this spot. It was perfect. It caught the odd gentle breeze so they didn't get too hot from the blazing summer sun.

She opened her eyes and stared at Kakashi's masked chin as he gazed at the sky.

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want children?"

"What?"

"Do you want children?"

Kakashi dropped his head so he could look at her cautiously, "Why?"

Sakura shrugged, "I'm just curious."

"You already have a child."

"I know that and I love her to the high heavens but I'm asking if you want your own children, with me?"

Kakashi was silent as he thought about it.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No."

"How come?"

"I don't really know; can't say I've actually given it much thought."

Sakura contemplated this and nodded before settling back down to take another cat-nap and bask in the heat and his presence.

"Do you want children? I mean, more children, with me?"

Sakura cracked her eye open, "I think my previous question answers that for itself." She smiled slyly and felt him huff a laugh.

xXx

"Then tell me to leave!"

"Leave."

Sakura was fuming and the broken porcelain that surrounded the wall behind Kakashi gave her current mood away.

"If you don't want to then just say so! Stop being a bloody coward!" she screamed, grabbing for another projectile but nothing was left.

Kakashi didn't give an inch. He just stood there looking bored as usual but they both knew it was an act.

"Say something!"

"I will once you stop acting like a child having a tantrum." He replied mildly.

He knew the comment would get under her skin but he didn't care. He would not give into her mood. He would have a rational conversation with her when she calmed down. Until then…he turned and left.

"Do you have to go?"

"Hai."

"Can't he give this mission to someone else?"

"It's too important. He trusts only me."

Sighing. "Hurry back."

"I'll try."

"You're pregnant."

"What?"

"You're pregnant."

"How far along?"

"Around three months."

Sakura should feel happy. Joyous even but she didn't. Instead, she felt the exact opposite.

Sakura raced along the corridor, one hand on the side of the gurney the other holding Kakashi's hand tight.

They barrelled through the double doors and into the vast chamber where a massive jutsu was painted on the floor. They placed Kakashi in the middle and then she retreated to one corner and three other medics went to the different three corners. The other four took respective places behind them.

Sakura gathered chakra and nodded at the others.

"Begin."

Kakashi was not happy when he found out that Sakura had nearly died bringing him back and had had a miscarriage on top of it.

Again it hit him: he didn't realise how much he had wanted a child to call his own until it was too late. It didn't improve his mood any.

But as he stared at her still form on the bed, attached to a ventilator and other machines he didn't know who he was mad at. Himself for putting her in this position or at her, for being reckless enough to perform such a draining jutsu while pregnant.

It didn't matter.

She was alive.

He was thankful for that.

"You should have let Shizune do it!"

"She wasn't there and neither was Tsunade! I was the only one skilled enough to do it!"

"Then you should have let me die."

Sakura blinked and shook her head in disbelief.

"Like hell."

"Why not? You wouldn't have been hospitalised and our child would still be alive."

Sakura felt as if she had been punched and left winded.

"What?"

"You heard me."

"You're blaming me for the miscarriage?"

"Who else am I going to blame?"

"Yourself."

"Oh, I'm doing that too."

"If you hadn't of left, if you had told Naruto to pick someone else like I told you to do before you left then I would probably still be pregnant."

"So it's all my fault then?"

"Not all, no. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you say you didn't know if you wanted a child? What's the big deal?"

"…"

Sakura raised an eyebrow before falling onto the sofa. She was drained. She hated having arguments.

"I didn't know until it was too late." He whispered from behind her.

Sakura kept her focus on the coffee table in front of her. She didn't know how to reply to that.

"I'm sorry." She sank into his touch as he laid comforting hands on her shoulders, supporting her.

"One of us seems to be more interested in this relationship than the other."

"That's not true and you know it."

"Do I? I've yet to see evidence to the contrary."

"Don't be like this."

"Like what?"

"You know damn well what!"

Silence flowed around them as they tried to calm themselves down and not wake up Sarada and their seven-month-old daughter.

"I'm starting to think Sasuke was right?"

"Excuse me?" Sakura was stunned.

"He told me you liked to pick fights, over little things but especially if you don't get your way."

Kakashi avoided her gaze and looked out the doors at the night sky. How many arguments had they had over the past year? He'd lost count. But he fretted because even though they now had a child, they had been drifting apart for some time.

"Naruto wants me to go on a mission."

"And?"

"It's S-class."

She knew she had his full attention when he tensed and looked at her.

"What does it entail?"

"Classified."

Silence.

"I haven't accepted yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I'd rather be here with my family than risk dying and never seeing my daughters grow up and leaving the man I love to feel guilty evermore."

She gave a small smile and joined him, cuddling up into his side.

"I love you, Kakashi. Honestly."

"I worship you and the kids."

"I know. Kakashi?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm sorry."

He responded by kissing the top of her head.

"Then tell me to leave!"

"Leave."

Yua shot up with a wild look in her eyes to find herself in a small white room, surrounded by the smell that can only be found in medical centres.

"You're awake at last."

She shook as she recognised the voice and didn't turn. She knew what he was here for. He was going to make sure he finished the job.

She reached for the button to call the nurse but a large hand shot out a grabbed her wrist, preventing her from doing so.

Ever so slowly, she met his gaze and her heart plummeted. Dread filled her stomach but for a completely different reason.

It wasn't him.

But she still feared being in the room with this man, especially after what happened.

The echo of a memory kept bouncing around her head…

"Then tell me to leave!"

"Leave."

Another update! All mistakes are mine. If this chapter has left you feeling a bit confused then I've done my job because it's meant to. If not...well...fudge-ikins.

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It's 02:00 here and I'm tired.

Hope you enjoy!

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Lady Sassy Sas xXx