Darkest Before Dawn

Repair

   "Papa!" Kana and Haku shouted simultaneously. Sakura watched the heart warming scene as the kids were reunited with their parents. They were outside the Hokage's office on the ground floor when Kisame and Zabuza waltzed up to them, fully expecting their children to be safe and unscathed- which they were. Kisame tousled Sakura's hair.

   "We really can't thank you enough, pint-size. Honestly, what would we have done without you?" he grinned.

   "Thank you so much, Sakura." said Zabuza, "But the men that took them..."

   Sakura reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper written with neat, narrow handwriting. She handed it over to them.

   "This has the full description of the select group of people who kidnapped them. The ones who did it are already dead, but I'm sure that there are more of them. I've seen some of them in Kiri after an... unpleasant... experience, so you may have to look into that." she informed.

   The three of them talked for a few more minutes with Haku and Kana in their father's arms before Sakura walked them over to gates. They would have stayed the night, but they left short notice and rushed over to make sure their kids were alright.

   "Nee-san, nee-san, we'll send you lotsa letters when we get back!" Kana exclaimed as she hugged Sakura's leg. She smiled down at the girl.

   "I'll be sure to reply." 

   They waved to her and walked off. Sakura sighed in content before walking back into the village to find something to do. Not even five minutes into her calm silence, Naruto popped into her bubble with a wide, shimmering grin.

   "Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! Me, Kakashi-sensei, and teme were thinking of going to Ichiraku's for dinner and we want you to come along, dattebayo! Sai's also gonna be there and he's this really assholey kinda guy but I guess you two'll get along. So whattya say, Sakura-chan? You wanna come?"

   She couldn't find the heart to refuse him.

   "Fine, Naruto." she smiled, "Let's go?"

   He hooked his arm with hers and tugged her down the street.

   "Yup! Let's go!"

~

   An hours worth of talking later, just as the five left the restaurant, the unexpected showed up.

   "Sa-ku-ra-chan!!"

   An explosion of red nearly tackled Sakura to the ground. It was a stone shinobi, the rest of Team Seven discovered once the dust cleared. He wore the standard uniform: a shirt with one long sleeve and one not with a tan flak jacket. His shoulder length blonde hair was tied back in a short ponytail with a long slice of hair covering the left side of his face. Currently, he had Sakura trapped in a bone-crushing hug.

   "Wha-wha-wha?! Who the HELL are you?!" sputtered Naruto as he pointed at the stranger accusingly. Without letting go of his captive, the man grinned.

   "The name's Deidara, yeah."

   Naruto looked at Sakura and waved his hands at Deidara incredulously.

   "I met him a few years back and we've been friends since." she explained. She couldn't keep a smile off her face once he finally let go and slung an arm over her shoulders. "But I didn't know you were coming. What are you doing here?"

   "Isn't it obvious? I missed you, hm."

   "I saw you a few months ago!"

   "But still~"