Shattered (#1 in Shifting Series)

An Unwanted Trainer

Sarah was moping around as she went about life without Kakashi.  Even the occasional "paparazzi" reporters were unable to stir her from the mood she had settled into in the silence that seemed to surround her.  She had quickly unpacked her things.  It was rather fast since she did not have very much.  She had only been in the Leaf Village for a short period of time.  She wished that she had asked Kakashi about her phone before he had left.  It would have made her smile to have a photo of Demiana up in their home.  She missed looking at her daughter's sweet face, the big brown eyes so full of wonder at the world.  She had been her greatest treasure in her old life.

Sarah had loved being a mother.  When she had been pregnant, it had been the most wonderful sensation to feel her daughter moving within her.  Then when she had been born, the love she had felt for the small baby had been the deepest she had ever known.  She had taken Demiana everywhere with her, only when she had gone to work had she left her with her mother.  Never a stranger.  Some people had gotten after her about holding her as much as she had, but now that Demiana was gone, she was thankful that she had ignored them.

True to Kakashi's wish, she got up every morning early like before and would take a long jog.  She would go to the training fields and practice the techniques he had showed her.  It was not as intensive, though, as when she had a sparring partner.  She was feeling particularly down as she wandered through the village on her day off after her morning routine.  She would smile and give a nod when someone would call out to her.  It amazed her at how quickly everyone knew who she was now.  Her thoughts turned inward, her body going more on auto pilot as she continued walking through the village.  How was she ever going to get better on her own?  She really wanted to surprise Kakashi when he returned.

"Sarah!"

She looked up as she once more focused on her surrounds and smiled as she saw Sakura coming towards her.  A small bump was starting to show around her middle, the child she was carrying starting to show its presence in the world.  Sarah could not wait to see if it was a boy or a girl.  Would it look like Sakura or like Sasuke?  She had no idea, and it was exciting waiting to see.  She hugged the other woman when she reached her.

"You're glowing, Sakura!  How is the little one?"

"Hungry," Sakura laughed.  "I swear, I eat and I'm still hungry after."

"Oh, I remember those days."  She tilted her head to the side, "What are you up to today?"

"Not much," Sakura admitted.  "Sasuke has been out of the village again so I was bored and thought I would take a walk around."

Sarah smiled at that, "I totally understand that.  I just got done working out and trying to train."

Sakura tilted her head to the side, "How is that going?"

"Lousy," Sarah admitted.  "It just isn't the same trying to train by yourself.  I feel like I'm standing still right now, which is very frustrating.  Kakashi was going to start trying to train me with Ninjutsu, but Naruto came before he could start."

Sakura tapped her chin in thought, gave a nod, then hooked her arm through Sarah's.  "Well since we don't have anything to do let's hang out together.  Maybe you can help me decide which crib we should get."

Sarah smiled at the thought.  "Sounds like fun to me.  I'd love to look at all the baby stuff."

Sakura grinned at her as she lowered her voice to ask, "Think you and Kakashi sensei will be having one yourselves?"

Sarah almost choked at the words.  She had not even thought about it, in truth.  As old as she was, she had not considered having another child as even a possibility.  "Uh... I didn't even think about it actually."