Honestly, Sakura felt like she was on cloud nine for the remaining days of the week, which is not bad, because it was the most loveliest feeling in the world. And everytime her fingers so much as brush against the still bright Marks on her neck, a shudder would run its course through her entire body. Did he bite her so hard to make sure the Marks lasted? Sakura wouldnt doubt Sasori will do something like that.
That Possessive Bastard.
"The lovesick dreamy ass look on her face is honestly giving me the fucking creeps." Hidan grumbled, eyeing the red bruises on Sakura's throat with a look of pity.
"She looks like she's been attacked by an animal and liked it."
"No one asked you for your unwanted opinion. " Konan said, sending Hidan a glare.
"And if Sasori heard you call him an animal, he would sever your head from your body."
"Ohhh, I wanna see that." Deidara piped up from where he and Sasuke, surprise, surprise, were making riceballs for everyone.
"It would finally shut that dumbass up for good."
"Do you want to die, motherfucker." Hidan looked about ready to storm up to Deidara and strangle him.
"You guys do realize I can hear you, right?." Sakura spoke, her tone dry as sand.
"Yeah, so?." Hidan countered.
"That way if we're bad talking you, you'll hear it first hand."
"Deidara, please put some poison in Hidan's share." She called, making Konan snort.
The door to the household slid open that moment, causing whatever Hidan was about to say pause, Kami alone knows the absolute bullshit that comes out of his mouth. Sakura swears she was going to literally put a block of soap inside his mouth and give it a good cleaning.
She doubts that would help though.
"Shikamaru." Nagato greeted the exhausted looking individual toeing of his shoes at the Genkan.
"Nagato." He droned in replied.
"I need a place to crash for a few days."
"What's wrong Shikamaru?." Sakura asked raising up from where she was sitting at the table, going through some files for the hospital.
"You look like you havent gotten any sleep in a while. "
"Which is exactly my problem." He said, trudging forward to land face first into the sofa.
"Enoranreenrassingbbe."
"What was that, we dont understand stupid." Deidara asked, looking over his shoulder to smirk at the prone boy.
Shikamaru raised his head to flip Deidara off with a proudly raised middle finger, Sasuke scoffing beside him, and turned onto his back to stare up at the ceiling in a way that made everyone on the room feel as if the world as they know it was coming to an end.
"I said, I havent gotten sleep for the past few days because Ino has been hounding around my house, looking for me." He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly.
"Its fucking annoying."
"Never thought I'd hear the day you actually cursed outloud. " Sasuke said, a bit of a surprise leaking into his tone
"It means I'm annoyed to the point that I actually want to curse."
Sakura plopped down beside the sofa, reaching out a hand to pat Shikamaru on the head like he was some kind of puppy.
"What was her problem now?."
Shikamaru turned to give her a squinted look, somehow making him look sleepy instead.
"You, obviously. " He stated like she was supposed to know that already.
"She keeps asking me to tell her what you're up too and when I refuse, she keeps nagging and nagging, I swear my head is about to burst. Because of that I spent the night At Naruto's. " He narrowed his eyes at Sakura.
"He said he'll be coming a bit later, since Kakashi wanted him to go on a few errands for him, anyways... what the hell happened to you neck?."
Sakura's face bloomed bright red at his question, she cleared her throat quickly.
"....Well..."
"Apparently she got a visit from lover boy a couple days ago." Tenten said as she stepped inside, hands filled with a basket of fresh vegetables.
"That's the results, what I wanna know is how the hell did the Marks he made in a dream come to be when she woke up."
"Huh." Shikamaru said, sending Sakura a look.
"So you had fun."
"You, hush." Sakura said giving Tenten a scowl before pointing a finger directly into Shikamaru's face.
"And you, what do you mean Ino is trying to find out what I'm doing?."
"Obviously she's jealous, because you're doing something she cant."
Sasuke said like it was the simplest answer, maybe he wasn't wrong.
"Sakura." Nagato called, waiting until she looked at him then to ask his question.
"Have you ever told her of your feelings for Sasori?."
Sakura blinked at that, has she ever told Ino of her Feelings?
"..No...I havent." And she really didnt, their friendship was getting to a point where anything Sakura decided to tell Ino, she was either made fun of or plainly brushed aside. In the end Sakura made the decision to not tell Ino anything about what she was thinking or what she was doing, it was her personal business after all.
"That's it, I'm sacrificing that bitch to Jashin." Hidan said making Sakura snicker, he sounded so serious about it too.
"You aren't sacrificing anyone, you damn menace." Tenten said, smacking the back of Hidan's sliver head.
"Is that all you think about?. Wait dont answer that, I really dont wanna know."
"Then why ask, fucking bun head." He yelped as Tenten once again smacked the back of his head.
"Oww, what the fuck was that for?."
"What did I say about calling me ridiculous nicknames?." Tenten asked sweetly, looming over Hidan like a dark Angel.
"....Not to call you names."
"And what did you do?."
"...Call you names."
Tenten nodded, like a proud teacher.
"Now you know why you got smacked, lesson learned I hope." She patted his shoulder roughly, smirking as his face scrunched up at the puppy treatment.
Sakura and Konan shared a amused look at that. When it comes to Hidan, no lesson will be stuck In his head, pretty soon he'll be back to calling Tenten names and she'll go right back to smacking him silly.
"While that's amusing and all that." Shikamaru grumbled.
"Can I please get some sleep now, one more day without some shut eye and I swear I will snap."
"Alright, let the porcupine sleep, god knows what will happen if he doesn't"
Shikamaru sent Hodan a dry ass look, not even bothering to reply to the idiot's baiting, he merely turned his back on the immortal and settled himself on the sofa for a nice, long nap.
God really knows how much he needed it.
"Sakura-Chan?." Naruto called, peeking his head into said girl's office.
"Hey."
Sakura looked up from where she was scribbling, to blink tiredly at one of her blonde haired brother. She let the pen she was using drop onto the paper, leaning back on her chair with her arms stretched above her head, there was an audible crack to her back, making her sigh and Naruto chuckle.
"You're obviously tired, yet work is all you do." He said, dropping into one of the chairs next to her desk.
"Well, if I dont see about my patients, who will?." She shot back.
"Anyway, what's up?."
"How was the talk with Hanabi?."
Sakura raised an eyebrow at him at that, he sent her a grin at her, rather shamelessly.
"I trust you on this, she seems to genuinely care for Neji. "
"Hanabi is different from the rest of the Hyugas." He said, fiddling with his thumbs.
"I went with my instincts, I don't think telling her was the wrong thing to do."
"As I said, I trust your judgement. " She said before a grin lit up her face.
"By the way, you should have seen the way Sasuke was arguing with her, I swear he was a kid."
Naruto barked out a laugh, shaking his head.
"Ah, let the guy live a bit, he got his brother and his cousin back, plus he's gaining more family, I say let him act like a kid."
"Heh, its nice to see him like that.." Sakura smiled.
"Being a kid, he never really got to be one." She looked up at Naruto with a soft gaze.
"Neither have you."
"Couldnt be helped." He said flapping his hand in dismissal.
"All that matters is now, he has the most important people of his family back."
Most important people huh?. Sakura mused. A glance at the calendar told her that it was two days away from Naruto's birthday.
Maybe she could...
"Nagato said that Ino was still causing you trouble?." She snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of his voice.
"Yeah, been stalking Shikamaru for information on me." She rolled her eyes heavenward, praying for patience with one Yamanaka Ino.
"Ino was the one who changed first, it seemed that our friendship wasnt that strong for her to take my side or support me in what I'm doing, it's easier for her to backstab me."
Naruto made a face at that.
"Sounds shitty."
"It is." She replied.
"Okay, is that all you came for, now scram I have work to do." She said making a 'go away' gesture with her hands, she didnt want the mood to become more sour than it already is.
"Sakura-Chan, I'm heartbroken." Naruto said mock scandalized.
"How could you just throw me out like this."
"Who was the one who came in here?." She said picking back up her pen, eyes still glued on the calendar on her desk..
"I wanted to check up on you." He pouted.
"Eh... I didnt know there was so many of me to check." She snickered.
"No really, scram before I call Shishou in here."
"Okay, okay, I'm going, I'm going. " If its one thing Naruto's scared of, its Tsunade's rage when he's causing mischief in the hospital.
"See you at dinner?."
"I'll try, unless you're the one who gets kept back by his girlfriend."
"You're one to talk, I can still see those Marks even though you tried to cover them up."
Sakura jerked the collar of her shirt up higher, warm blush on her face.
"Mind your business." She said, flipping him off with the other hand.
"Now go away, how many times do I have to tell you that. "
Naruto laughed, giving her once last wave before he bounced out her office.
Sakura's gaze drifted back to October 10... Naruto's birthday...
She had the perfect gift in mind. Sasuke's birthday had already passed but, it wasnt to late for her to give him something.
"I feel as if she's planning something, if the jittery energy she's been giving off lately is anything to-."
Kakashi's hand stopped mid word as Neji paused, the door to his office slid open revealing His pink haired daughter marching her way inside Like she owned the place followed by Konan, Sai, Nagato, Tenten and Shisui. Who, Kakashi noted, looked a bit confused as to why they were there to begin with.
"Dont ask." Tenten sighed as the door closed shut behind them.
"I was literally about to get lunch when I was ambushed." Her eyes rolled heavenward at that.
"Dont be so dramatic. " Sakura huffed.
"Dramatics aside, I wanna know why we're all here." Shisui said, crossing his arms.
"Seems suspicious. " Nagato added.
"Shut up." Said girl gestured them all towards the desk.
"I feel as if I'm in some kind of Spy movie." Sai muttered as they gathered around her.
"Maybe you should stop watching those movies then." Konan deadpanned.
Sakura ignored their bickering, turning to face the sliver haired Hokage instead, a determined look on her face that could only mean trouble for them.
"I'm going to need a place to hide."
She blurted out, making them all pause.
"What?." Neji and Tenten asked, blinking at her dumbly.
"I'm going to need a place to hide. " Sakura repeated a bit more slowly because her family were are apparently deaf and couldnt understand when she says something ONCE!
"And what's the reason you need a place to hide?." Nagato asked, his lavender eyes looking at her intently.
"What mischief are you up too."
She wouldn't call it mischief per say.
"Sasuke's birthday has already passed but Naruto's is coming up. " She said.
"And what I'm planning to do is definitely going to get me yelled at, so I repeat again, I need somewhere to hide after I'm finished. "
She was sure of it.
Today is October 10th, he was turning 23 years old today, Naruto thought fuzzily in his sleep, really not wanting to get up. He was forced to however when the aroma of food drifted into his nostrils. Naruto's eyes flew open at that, he jerked up, sitting perfectly still in the middle of his bed.
Huh, who was that in his kitchen? He lives alone, it remained like that the last time he checked. Was he haunted? Wait, did ghosts know how to cook?. Ridiculous Naruto, you baaka, obviously they can't, how would they even hold the chopsticks?.
Maybe he needed some more sleep.
Naruto flipped the blankets off his legs and hopped off the bed silently. He wasnt a ninja for show, now was he?. Naruto was just about to ease open his door, not wanting to alert whoever it was there that he was awake, but before his hand could grasp the handle the door was opened before his eyes.
The first thing he saw was red hair, then the blonde that was identical to his own.....what...what..was.
There was...
"Happy birthday!. Oh my baby is turning 23 years old today, can you believe it, Honey?."
"Time sure does fly, doesn't it?."
There was no way on earth that his parents were standing before him, with a plate of steaming hot breakfast in hand and bright smiles on their faces.
His very much Alive parents.
"Huh? Its your birthday today, why are you crying sweetheart?."
He was crying? Naruto's hand raised up to press it to his cheek, fingers pulling away, damp with his tears.
"Naruto?."
At the sound of his dad's voice, Naruto's head jerked up, tears trailing down his face like a river.
"..How are you here?." He croaked.
"What do you mean how are we here?." His mom propped her hands on her hips giving him a stern look.
"Is there a reason we shouldn't?."
"I... I." He lunged forward to wrap his arms around them both, a sob leaving his throat. He still couldn't believe this, his parents were here, breathing and alive in front of him, making him breakfast on his 23rd birthday.
Naruto suddenly pulled back, eyes growing widening in a heartbreaking understanding. Oh God, if his parents didnt know how they were alive once again then that mean...she didn't..
"Mom.. dad. I gotta go." He murmured, pulling sway from them to go throw on a jacket, shoving his feet into his boots before he was heading straight for the door.
"Wait Naruto." His dad called behind him.
"Where are you going?."
He didnt bother to look back as he pulled the door open, letting the early morning sun light caress his face.
"I'll be back, I promise." And with that he slammed the door shut behind him.
The village was still asleep, there was only a couple pedestrians here and there, yet Naruto didnt pay them no mind as he ran through the streets heading in the direction he has come to know as a second home. His heart was racing along with his feet and the corner of his eyes continued to burn with the tears he was fighting to keep back.
That... overprotective, sentimental sister of his... he was going to crush her against him and not let go until either she demands it, or someone has to pry him off.
He snapped out of his thoughts just in time to avoid colliding with another body, he had reached the Uchiha compund without knowing and was only a second away from crashing into Sasuke and Itachi if he hadn't stop.
There was tear tracks on both their faces also, eyes red and noses looking a bit stuffy, a unusual look for the siblings.
Did she also...
Sasuke grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer in an act of desperation.
"Where." He croaked throat dry as sand paper, actually croaked!.
"Where is she?."
"Naruto... Where is Sakura?." Itachi asked, his voice thick, as if tears were flooding his throat.
"I thought she would be here." He said, eyes looking back at the houses, the lights were on. Yet the presence he wanted to feel so badly, wasnt there.
"That's why I'm here because I thought she would be here."
"She's not... I woke up this morning to.." Itachi swallowed.
"To our mother making breakfast in the kitchen, just like she used to."
"Father.... Father was sitting at the table." Sasuke said, palm rubbing his left eye.
"Sitting there like its was the most normal thing..." His breathing hitched as silent tears started running down his cheeks.
"Like he wasnt dead for years." Itachi wrapped a hand around his shoulder, beckoning Naruto into the hug as well, something he gladly accepted.
"Today is my birthday." He whispered as they huddled closer.
"I woke up to mom and dad outside my door."
"Your very first present." Sasuke snorted. His eyes going soft.
"If she wasnt already set on Sasori..." The words went unspoken but Naruto understood them perfectly. He scoffed, jabbing a fingertip in the meat of Sasuke's shoulder.
"Well that's to bad, you lost that chance years ago." He said ignoring the glare from Sasuke and turned to face Itachi, who looked highly amused despite the red eyes and nose.
"If she's not here, and not at her apartment, where could she be?."
"She must have prepared in advance knowing she was going to pull something like this. " Itachi murmured, a thoughtful look on his face.
"And I cant seem to find Shisui anywhere, it's almost as if he's-."
"-Part of the plan." Naruto and Sasuke summarized, voices soft in realization.
"Heh," Naruto smirked.
"Sakura-Chan got the biggest troublemaker to go along with her plans."
"My dear heart did bring us back." Itachi said ruffling Naruto's hair fondly.
"We tend to be wrapped around her little finger."
"Arent we all." Sasuke snorted, he turned his head to the direction of the tower, eyes narrowing.
"I bet Kakashi knows something, let's head over there, he has to know where Sakura is."
At the mere mention of Kakashi's name, Itachi's face flushed red once again, making Naruto and Sasuke snicker.
The second they stepped into the office, the sixth Hokage didnt look surprised at all to see them. In fact it looked like he was waiting for them to show up. Nagato and Sai were standing besides the desk, also looking as if they were waiting.
"Ah, if it isnt my two favorite boys!."
"Two favorite boys my ass." Naruto hurried forward to get all up in Kakashi's masked face.
"Tell me where Sakura-Chan is or I'm going to burn all your porn books."
"Maa Maa." Kakashi chuckled, waving a hand in the air.
"No need to go to such threats." He didn't deny they were porn books though.
"Then spill, where is she?."
"Shouldnt you be home right now?." Sai asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You know, enjoying your present?." He said glancing at the Uchiha siblings also.
"After. " Was the answer he got, from all three of them.
"Kakashi. " Itachi spoke, trying not to react as those dark grey eyes zeroed onto him and staying there, giving Itachi his undivided attention.
"How is she..?."
At that, the sliver haired man seem to decide that they had beaten around the Bush enough. He rose up from his chair, pulling the window behind his open and hopped out, waving a hand behind him for the rest to follow.
Doesn't anyone use the door, you know, like a normal person?.
They followed him straight to his apartment, which wasn't far from the Hokage tower. Naruto was impressed, this would have been the last place he would have expected to find his sister.
She really did plan this out good.
The sight that greeted them however once they were inside, nearly broke his heart.
"Sakura-Chan. " Naruto whispered as he and Itachi stumbled forward.
Sasuke right on their paths, his breathing ragged.
"Easy." Tenten soothed, reaching out to run a hand through Naruto's hair.
"She's alright."
In the middle of Kakashi's bed, laid his pink haired daughter, hooked up to a small IV along with a small heart monitor, she was pale, so very pale with dark bags under her eyes, she was fast asleep, chest rising and falling at a sedated pace, the kind that happens when one is deep asleep.
"Had the right mind at the last second to hook herself up to the monitor. " Shisui said making Itachi snap his head in that direction, Shisui shrugged sheepishly under his cousin's gaze before he turned serious once again.
"She started first thing yesterday morning and didn't stop until she was nearly drained dry."
"You knew about this?." Itachi accused, Shisui shrugged, a bit more in a 'yes, what about it". kinda way.
"We were ambushed, and it wasnt like we could say no." He reached forward to press a kiss to Sakura's temple.
"And it's my Hime we're talking about here, as if I'll say no to her."
"She brought back four people at the same time." Konan said, after Shisui had pulled back.
"Kushina and Minato right after was Fagaku and Mikoto." She gave the sleeping girl a fond look.
"She didnt stop, no matter how much we begged that it was putting a strain on her."
"She didnt stay, as soon as she finished, she said to move her to Kakashi's apartment. " Nagato spoke, arms crossed.
"So, those four dont know what really happened."
So he was right, his mom and dad didn't know it was Sakura who brought them back from the dead.
Naruto finally let the tears he was holding back flow freely, reaching forward to grasp her hand, the one without the IV to bring it up to his lips, pressing kisses to her pale fingertips.
Sasuke quietly took her other hand, careful with the needle sticking in and pressed his lips to her palms, closing his hands.
This girl... he swears will always keep impressing him like this. She was a gem.
Tenten reached out to grab Itachi's hand, who was trembling where he stood. His fingers latched onto hers as his eyes stayed fixed on Sakura's face.
"When...will she wake up?."
"That's what we dont know." Kakashi said with a sigh.
"Using up that much Chakra to heal four people at the same time and activate the jutsus, it's going to be a while before she wakes up."
Itachi nodded, swallowing thickly before he leaned down to press his lips to Sakura's eyelids, forehead connected with hers.
"She brought our parents back.." Itachi murmured as he pulled away, squeezing Tenten's hand in his.
"She has done so much for us, I dont care what others think. She's ours to protect."
Neji, who was sitting next to the bed, reached out to brush his fingers against, silky pink hair.
"She wants you both happy." He said, looking up at Naruto and Sasuke.
"That's why she decided to do this, you grew up without your parents, she wanted to give them back to you."
"Itachi."
Said man snapped his head in the direction his name was called, meeting gray eyes that were already on his form, Kakashi croaked a finger at him and Itachi swore in that moment, his throat had run dry.
He vaguely registered Shisui's snicker as he moved forward, Tenten patting his arm as if she was giving away her child.
Seriously, these troublemakers. He was just lucky that Sakura wasnt awake to see this, that would have been three times the teasing.
When he reached closer to the man, Itachi could have sworn that the sliver haired man inhaled deeply.
"I'm going to need you and Shisui to get your parents and Naruto's here." He said, jerking a thumb to the floor, indicating just where he meant.
"The Office is to much of a risk, seeing how anyone could just walk in."
His gaze swept over to his sleeping daughter, eyes softening at the corners.
"Understood, is there anything else I should let them know before hand?." Really, he could feel Kakashi's body heat from the distance he was standing at.
"No, everything well be explained once they get here."
"Should we clear out?." Nagato asked then, nodding to himself and the others.
"No." Naruto said shaking his head, his fingers still holding Sakura's tightly.
"Mom and dad need to accept the truth as it is, I will not be sneaking around my family to please my parents denial."
Well said, Tenten and Sai thought at the same time. Naruto has matured greatly over the years, they couldn't wait to see him become Hokage.
"I agree." Sasuke nodded.
Kakashi chuckled at the determined looks on both his boys faces.
He only hope that the conversation to come would be civil, if he could remember correctly, Kushina's temper was something to trifle with and he was not looking forward to dealing with it if she doesn't like something in the era now.
Well, they'll just see how it goes until His little Sakura wakes up.