Sacrifice and Surrender

Interludes I-III

[Interlude I: Heart Bandage]

Sakura was glad that Matsuri had introduced Shouta to her. It meant that there was someone close by to check on her when Yuri was out of the village - something that was happening more and more frequently.

Yuri had been named one of the jonin leaders, one of the elite. The way Sakura heard it, he'd had a very intense battle against Tobirama to earn that position. Sakura was sorry she'd missed it. His position was important, and he was given a lot of responsibility in training up the shinobi under him. It meant that as the missions came into the village, he was often named as a team leader. Yuri had the kind of disposition that meant he got along with others easily, yet was authoritative enough to demand respect. While Matsuri was pregnant, him being away so often wasn't ideal, but there wasn't anything they could do about it.

Shouta had brought both Matsuri and Kagami into the hospital when he'd arrived. She was having a bad day, so Sakura had set up a room for her to rest in, and taken Kagami around the hospital with her to give Matsuri a break. It was almost lunchtime. Sakura had sent Hikari off to shadow one of the other doctors, and Shouta was reading through the medical scrolls from the clans.

She was in her office with Kagami, who was tiredly laying on her chest, his little arms wrapped around her neck. Sakura smiled at him, feeling affection so strong it might have overflown. He was the cutest little thing. He suddenly wriggled out of her hold and plodded across the room. Sakura looked at the papers on her desk and sighed. She really needed to fill out the reports for the Hokage, but until Shouta was finished with his work, she needed to keep watch over Kagami. He came back around her desk with his hands full.

"Up." He demanded, an unusually serious look in his eyes.

Sakura held back a smile and pulled him back up on her lap. He looked at her with an amusingly serious look. She saw bandaged in his hands and asked him what they were for. He stuck one of her chest, just where her heart was.

"Mama say Kuku hurt 'ere."

Sakura looked down at it in surprise. He took his hand away and the bandage fell, and Sakura took the adhesive off it and helped him stick it back on.

"No hurt now, Kuku."

He looked at her with determination and Sakura kissed his forehead, and hugged him too her. Matsuri must have said something about her heart hurting, and seeing her put some bandages on patients... he was a smart boy.

"I love you, Kagami!" She squealed.

He wriggled in her arms.

"Kuku better?"

Sakura smiled. She sat back and tapped his nose, which he scrunched up.

"Kuku better," she said.

He gave her a bright beaming smile and planted a sloppy kiss right on her lips.

"Love Kuku," he murmured, settling down on her chest and hugging her again.

Sakura felt warm and happy, with a slight pang of sadness and longing. Even if it didn't work and she couldn't have her own children, she could always love Kagami and his little sibling, and all the children in the village. She could be content with that.

Kagami twitched, falling into sleep. His hand resting over the bandage on her chest, and Sakura smiled. Well, maybe she'd love Kagami just a little more than anyone else.

*

[Interlude II: Smile]