Friday, 15th of December.
Sasuke finished the letter to Kakashi and sent the hawk away. He turned back to Sakura who was still asleep on the bed. They were in the Land of Hot Waters, the land where they got married. This place was known for its hot springs and Sasuke thought that it would be good for Sakura to come here and relax for a few days even a week or two.
They had arrived two nights ago and she had slept for the whole time. Every time he tried to wake her up, he was hearing an extremely tired voice and he could see that she could barely keep her eyes open. When he asked her if this was normal, she told him that it was because she couldn't feed herself properly. He was getting worried. Yes she was eating but barely and definitely not enough.
He approached her and kneeled beside the bed. His hand moved a strand of hair away from her face. She was asleep and he felt guilty for waking her up.
"Sakura." his voice was a quiet whisper but he knew that she heard him. She moved in her sleep and opened her eyes. "I am going to go get a doctor so they can inject you food."
"I'm fine."
"No, you are not. Don't worry we can stay here for as long as you need, or we can go anywhere you want but you are getting an IV drip."
"I'm fi-" her eyes closed again and he knew that he lost her for at least the next few hours.
He stood up and prepared himself to go. He wandered in the city trying to find a hospital. The place was beautiful. You could see the steam from the hot springs rising above the roofs and everyone was very relaxed. Even Sasuke was feeling calm if he was not thinking about Sakura. The atmosphere of the place was definitely helping.
His mind thought of Naruto. Was he alright? Did he manage to get Hinata back?
He was still worried about Sakura being taken away, especially now that she was weak. He had summoned a few snakes before leaving her alone to guard the bedroom. These snakes were specialised in paralysis and could paralyse an enemy only by the sound they made. Hopefully this will be enough for now.
Sasuke finally found the hospital. He walked in and went straight to the receptionist. The woman tapped on her keyboard for a few second before she lifted her head up.
"Can I do something for you?"
She oddly reminded him of Karin except that her hair was brown instead of red but she had the same annoying voice.
"I need a nurse to come with me somewhere."
"May I know why you would need something like this?"
"My wife, Sakura Uchiha-" he rolled his eyes. No one was going to know her like that. "Sakura Haruno is in bed very sick. She can take care of herself but I just need a nurse to do an injection that can feed her."
"Sakura-sama? Tsunade-sama student?"
"Yes, herself. Can you do it or not?"
"Can she not heal herself?"
"I'd rather talk about this to a doctor or a nurse. Get me someone."
"Very well." her fingers dialed a number and she brought the phone to her ear. "Hi, yes can you send someone to the reception desk? Sasuke Uchiha is here and needs a nurse for Sakura Haruno, now named Sakura Uchiha... apparently."
He clenched his jaws. His wife was in a bad state and these people were trying to gossip about his relationship. Without a word for her, he looked at the room and waited. Soon after a young woman appeared in front of him with a big smile on her face.
"What can I do for you?"
He explained the situation to her and reluctantly admitted that Sakura was pregnant.
"Noooo! A new Uchiha in the world! Hopefully that child will take his or her mom's talents for medical Jutsu. Her and Tsunade are a blessing to our profession. They have both developed so many cures or surgeries to save people. It's an honor to work for her. Please, bring me to her and I'll also do a check up on that baby."
"The baby has been through... some things."
He watched her face decompose. "What do you mean? How many months old is that baby?"
"Ten weeks old but it shouldn't be ten weeks. Her pregnancy officially started in the beginning of October but we traveled to a dimension and spent 20 days there. The issue is that the length of a day was different over there and it seems like 20 days turned into six weeks in our own world."
"Excuse-me?"
"You'll think about it on our way there."
No caring if she was following him or not, he walked back to the inn hastily. His summoning was still in the room so he knew that nothing had happened but he didn't want to risk anything. The tiny nurse was stumbling behind him trying to carry a machine and a heavy bag. He stopped and turned around.
"Give me something to carry."
"Oh, no it's- it's fine! You are royalty, you shouldn't carry anything."
"I'm not royalty. Hand me the machine."
He grabbed it without her consent and continued walking. This time she was faster and they got back to his bedroom quickly. He was going to have to erase her memory after she was finished. It was a private mission and her knowing it could be dangerous for the Land of Fire and Konoha.
"Here she is. Just so you know, she's been asleep for the last two days. Even before that she was sleeping a lot but she told me that it was normal."
"What about the food?"
He opened the door and let her walk in first. After looking in the hallway to make sure that they weren't followed, he locked the door behind him. "The food? She is not eating and if she tries to, she gets sick. In fact she gets sick all the time."
"Very well. Can I go close to her?" he nodded and watched the nurse form far away. She was moving her hands over Sakura's sleeping body. He sat down on a chair in the corner of the room and waited for her to finish when his bird got back with a letter. He rushed to it and grabbed the note before releasing the bird. The nurse gave him a scared look.
"Village business. So what is going on?"
"Well... you're right. She needs to get food into her body as fast as possible. The tiredness will go away. She lacks of a lot of nutrients but especially iron. An iron deficiency can make you dizzy and tired. Has she seemed very clumsy lately? Like she struggled to keep her balance or things like that?"
"Yes but she said it was because of the baby."
"It could be. Either way it's better to be safe than sorry and to do that. I will assume that it's due to the fact that she couldn't eat."
Sakura moved in her sleep and slowly opened her eyes. "Sasuke?" Her voice was a tiny whisper but he rushed to her side.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired..."
"I brought a nurse. She will inject you food."
"Can... I... see what you are going to inject me with?"
The nurse nodded and handed her the bag. Sakura watched it closely and controlled it with some chakra. Sasuke wondered how she still had energy to do that without food in her system. She gave it back with a smile. "Sorry, don't take it personally."
"Oh I am not Sakura-sama! Would you like me to check on the baby as well?"
"Can you do that?"
"Yes, I am training to become a doctor so I'm not the best at it yet but I can try my best!"
Sakura nodded. "I'll tell you what to do."
Sasuke watched the two women talk about how to check up on a baby's stats. He didn't really understand anything but he was happy to see Sakura awake. He decided to open the letter from Kakashi.
"Sasuke,
It is good to hear from you, we were all getting worried. I have to admit that I am concerned about Sakura's health. You did not tell me exactly what is going on but if it is a health issue, she should be in Konoha. Please do not let your own need take over what she needs.
I am glad to hear that you found the scroll. Feel free to send it to me so I can send it to the deciphering team. The work you are doing is really helpful, thank you.
I understand that, if you ask me to give you your time off for the next few months because of Sakura, it is because there is a serious issue going on. Take care of her and bring her back eventually.
Regarding Naruto, him and Sai recovered Hinata in the Graveyard and mountains. She was attached to a pillar alone. Based on what she said, they left her shortly after they kidnapped her. The real target was Sakura, keep an eye on her.
I have updates on something else. Suto, the woman you brought back with Kotaka, has been released. She is allowed to stay in the village. The interrogation team realized that she was under a genjutsu that was put on her a long time ago. Just like Kotaka, she is human and comes from the Land of Rice. She is not possessed by anything, unlike Kotaka, and is completely innocent. Why did Black Zetsu chose her? We still have no idea.
Update me on the situation as often as you can.
Lord Sixth Hokage, Kakashi Hatake."
A wave of relief washed over his body. Naruto was safe, Hinata was saved and things were settling down a little bit. Now he only needed to get Sakura back on tracks.
"Excuse-me, Uchiha-sama?"
"Hn?" he didn't like these manners with him. He would rather her calling him Sasuke than this.
"She should be fine now. She is extremely weak and it will take a week or two until she can get out of bed. She needs someone by her side for showers and bathroom breaks. Her dizziness could make her fall and hurt herself. I will give you my address so feel free to come and get me if anything is happening."
"Thank you."
"Oh and she needs to be injected this bag three times a week. The needle is in the arm already and all you have to do is connect a new tube and throw away the other one."
"Hn." he activated his sharingan and before she had the time to panic, he erased the information he didn't want her to remember from her memory. It was done by placing the victim under a genjutsu that wouldn't affect her everyday life.
He brought her outside and closed the door after her.
"Sasuke?"
He rushed to the bed.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm alright. Where are we again?"
"In the Land of Hot Waters."
"I want to get up."
"You can't. You are to stay in bed so you stay in bed."
"Will you stay with me at least?"
"I am here." she took her hand out of the blanket and opened it. He understood that she wanted him to hold her hand so he did. They stayed like that until she fell asleep again.
He watched her when a Konoha bird landed at the window. He slowly got up, making sure that she wasn't waking up, and read the letter.
"Sasuke,
I have received your message and understand your worry. My former student has been pushing herself too hard since the end of the war. I appreciate that you want to help her with her mental state before the baby arrives. Here is a little note that you need to bring to the hospital. They will prepare the medicine and she has to take it three times a day. It is a pill I created after the third war to help ninjas deal with the trauma. There is no therapy needed and everything happens with these little pills. It will stabilizes her and make her less emotional. If they refuse to make it, just come down to Konoha by bird and I will give you a box.
Concerning the baby, I understand your worry and I share it. Sadly there are no ways for me to help as this is unprecedented. Let's hope that this baby will be fine.
Lady Tsunade."
He wrote a note to Sakura and put it next to her on the mattress. He quietly left the room and ran to the hospital to get these pills as quickly as possible.
He came back with four jars of these pills, just in case. Sakura was awake.
"Hi, I got your note."
"Hn. Here, take that. Tsunade made these for you."
"You contacted her?"
"Hn."
"You shouldn't be this worried about me."
"I will stop worrying when you will eat and when you will be able to stand up and get out of here for a walk."
"What are these pills?"
"Something for your mind."
"My... are you serious?!"
"Sakura, you are not stable. You had a panic attack the other day. You had a nervous breakdown. This can get much worse unless you take care of it now."
"I'm fine."
"I will make you swallow these pills with my Susannoo if I have to. That's non negotiable."
"It's my body, if I don't want to take them, I don't have to!"
"You are putting in danger your own life and the one of the baby. You are affecting my life because you are careless. What do you think is going to happen if you lose it? Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Sai, Tsunade, Kakashi and I will be devastated. I told you that I didn't want to lose you and that is what is going to happen if you don't get it together now."
He knew that his words were harsh but hopefully she will understand his perspective and make an effort.
She stayed silent and played with her hands a few minutes. He realized that she was crying when a tear fell on the blanket. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her.
"I'm a doctor. I shouldn't need that."
"You being a doctor means that you can take care of others perfectly, not that you have to take care of yourself perfectly"
"I know but I have studied all these things. All of them. They shouldn't affect me like that."
"But they are affecting you. Remember what you said to me? Things are the way they are and we have a responsibility to change them."
"You know... everyday I see another side of your personality. Will you stay by my side?"
"I will. You are my wife."
"Wife or not you don't have to stick with me through this. You should leave to go back to your mission. I will go back to Konoha and stop being a dead weight to you."
"You don't get to choose what I should do. I made the decision of staying by your side because I didn't in the past. Now I am here."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Hn?"
"For someone who hate saying what he feels or how he feels, you do show it a lot, why?."
"Showing is easier. It doesn't imply opening up with words."
"I know but... it might be stupid but you never told me that you loved me. I know you do but I've never heard it."
He looked up and thought for a minute. "I did say it to you once. It was after you drank with Suto. You kept saying it to me while I was trying to put you to bed and I answered you by saying it."
"I know I remember. But that's cheating because I was drunk. So.... do you have something to say to me?"
"Yes, that you are annoying. Go to sleep."
"Can I have the t-shirt that you are wearing now?"
"What is this obsession with my t-shirts?"
"You never lie down with me. A t-shirt that smells like you kind of feels like you are."
"I don't want to give you my t-shirt because it is my only one left."
With a smirk he lay down by her side. He wasn't touching her but it didn't take her long before she hugged his torso with her arm. Her head found its rightful place and she kissed his neck.
"That's better than a t-shirt."
"Take a pill."
"No."
"Then I will sleep on the sofa."
"Ok fine! Give me one!"
He grabbed a pill and gave it to her. She swallowed it. "Happy?"
"Hn."
"Now can I hear it?"
"No. Good night."
"That's not what I want."
"I won't say it. Just go to sleep."
"Mh." he smiled. She was already falling asleep.
When she was deeply sleeping he kissed her forehead and whispered a quiet I love you too.