Only Time Can Tell

STRONGER

CHAPTER 25

STRONGER

INOJIN YAMANAKA

It was the moment that I hugged Sakura that I noticed just how much I missed my own mother. Sometimes she can be really scary. And I mean really, really scary. But, other times I can see how my dad fell in love with her. She made me my lunches, wrote really embarrassing and occasionally terrifying notes in them, but I didn't mind. I remember before I went to the Academy, I spent most of my days with her. She would teach me how to cook, and take me to see the other Konoha children, but what I loved the most was when she would take me to the flower fields in the village.

She explained to me that after the village was destroyed a long time ago, all of the flower fields had taken a long time to grow back. But then she would smile. I remember what she said.

"It took a long time for them to grow back, the soil had changed so much. No matter what methods we tried, it took years. I remember the first time I saw a flower in this field. Do you have a guess when it was?"

"No."

"Well, it was the day you were born." She ran her hand through my hair. "And I realized why it took them so long for them to grow back. They had to grow back stronger, so they wouldn't be destroyed with the wind, and in the process, they became even more beautiful than I remember them. The flowers now, will never die."

We weren't the only ones in the flower field. In the front where we were had all of the more colorful wildflowers that our land had to offer. But in the back, the taller flowers grew. A little girl stood among the sunflowers, a bouquet of them in her arms, her eyes bright with happiness as she watched us.

I waved. It was Uzumaki Himawari. She's a few years younger than me, and the daughter of the Hokage. I saw her around with her mother in that flower field often, always picking the most beautiful of the sunflowers. Her mother would help Hima reach the taller flowers that were beyond her reach, and then, smiling as they passed, they would leave. Hima always smiled at me. She was beautiful, like she too belonged among the flowers.

Then my mother would usher me away back to the shop where we sold the flowers. I hoped that one day I would see Hima walk through our door, so I could give her some of my flowers one day.

I miss them. I miss them so much.

"Where...where are they Inojin?" Sakura asked me for the third time. She sat up in her bed, her eyes fixed on mine.

"They left with Neji-"

"Neji?"

"Yes, he was in the hospital before us, he wanted to help out." Sakura got a far away look in her eyes. I knew that Neji Hyuga was an old friend of her's, hearing his name again must be a shock. "My papa woke up, and Neji told him that he might have an idea of where the scroll is."

"Sai woke up?"

"Yes." My voice sounding hollow. A steady panic was residing somewhere in my mind. I couldn't seem to make it go away, no matter how many times that Sakura comforted me and told them that they were probably fine. It was the probably that made me worry so much.

"Is anyone else awake?"

"No. I check on everyone often to see if anything changes."

"Wh-....where is everyone else? Sarada-"

"They left. With papa and Neji. They made me stay here with Shikadai." Sakura paled a little then. Her daughter was gone, and possible in harm's way, too far away for her mother to reach her.

"Where is he, then?"

"He's probably still camped out in front of the vending machine." Sakura smiled a little now.

"It's ridiculous how much he reminds me of his father when he was younger." Just then there was a tremendous banging sound from in the hallway. The sound of hushed panicked nurses voices. "What was that?"

"I...don't know."

"Sir! Sir! Wait-...please!" I heard a nurse say, the sounds coming closer. "Sir!"

Another banging sound. A crash. "Sir!" Another bang. Like doors opening growing closer and closer in succession. "Sir!" They were close now. I reached into my pocket for a kunai. I held it my hands shaking. I'm not always a sensation when it comes to combat.

Our door burst open, and darkness stood in our doorway. For a moment I was terrified that it was death itself. It moved swiftly forward, faster than I could move, I prepared myself for death, then I felt it push me to the side.

"Sakura." It said. And then I felt really, really stupid. The figure came into focus. He was tall, dark and looming, no wonder I mistook him for death. He wore a long black cloak, that draped across his shoulders, his hair the same raven black. It was the most mysterious figure in all of Konoha, Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura's husband. Not death.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sasuke." Sakura's eyes filled with tears, and I looked away as they embraced. That kissing stuff...it still grosses me out.

"Where is Sarada?"

"She's gone, they went on a quest, with Sai and the others. Naruto and Hinata are still in bad shape. I just woke up, Inojin knows more than I do." I felt my stomach clench in fear as I watched the tall dark figure turn to face me.

"Do you know where my daughter is?" I felt cold all over.

A chill ran down my spine. "They headed to a temple on the edge of the Hidden Cloud, I don't know exactly where it is. It was an old hideout of Orochimaru's." Sasuke's eyes widen slightly.

"Orochimaru..." He said softly. He turned back to his wife.

"I didn't know you were coming back to the village." Sakura smiled.

"I got your letter. Ino made sure I got it." Sasuke knelt down next to her. "I'm going to find Sarada,"

"Then I'll come with you."

"Don't be ridiculous, you're too weak right now." Sakura's eyes narrowed. "It's not your fault, I'll be fine. I'll be back soon." Sakura grabbed his sleeve as he stood again.

"Please..." Sakura's eyes clouded with tears. "Make sure that she's okay." Sasuke disappeared. All I felt was a torrent of wind pass by me at speeds I couldn't imagine.

"It's....really him...." I said feeling that the air had been stolen from my lungs. "Sasuke Uchiha."

"Yes."

"Will he make it to them in time?"

Now when I looked at Sakura I didn't see a worried woman who had been weakened by being in a coma for days, now I saw a look of determination in her eyes. She was no longer worried. She looked back to normal, her eyes regaining their same intelligent glint. She smiled with confidence in her voice she said. "He will find a way."