The Return

Chapter 44

 Sasuke Alone

"Sasuke, we don't have to go to an inn every night. It's getting expensive" Sakura sighed, laying down on the futon.

"It's fine." He watched nervously as she turned on her side. She wasn't even showing yet, but every movement she made these days set him on edge. Being prone to fainting anyway, he worried that he wouldn't be there to catch her fall if he wasn't around. He had to get back to the mission, but he hated leaving her alone. She refused to return to the Leaf of course, even when he offered to visit her weekly. So, he settled for providing her with a comfortable place to stay while he was away. He only left for a few days at a time, but he still didn't want to miss a single moment with her.

As she drifted off to sleep, he tucked her into bed. "Please keep mom safe" he whispered, smiling softly.

He left quietly and closed the door behind him. He paused at the reception desk. "Please tend to my tsuma's needs and be sure to check in occasionally. She's in Room 214. I'll be back in two days. If anything happens send me a message by hawk. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Uchiha. We'll take it from here" the receptionist bowed.

Sasuke left, pausing to look at the candlelight in the window of their room. I'll be back soon, Sakura. He took a deep breath before teleporting away from the town.

He arrived in a desert. It was barren, devoid of any life except for him, as far as he could tell.

He smiled to himself though as he glanced at the torn jacket on the ground. He smirked, bending down and tracing his hand over the back. He would continue to be there for her, just as he was back then, at that moment where their eyes met. He remembered how they connected back then; her love finally reached him at that moment despite his darkness.

Standing, he continued his journey. If there was even a hint of danger that threatened his family and the Leaf, he would eliminate it. He would do whatever it took to keep them safe, even from a distance.

As he teleported from place to place, he took out the last letter Naruto sent him. It was troubling, to say the least:

Sasuke,

I hope you are doing well on your journey with Sakura. You could write me every now and then, dattebayo! Anyway, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. It's unfortunate but even with your help over the years, there have been rumblings of something even greater than the Otsutsuki clan. I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of Kaguya's ancestors. If you and Sakura could check out the goddess' previous domains and scout the Land of Fire for trouble, that would be much appreciated. I don't want to take away from yours and Sakura's time together, but it's something that needs to be done. Kakashi sensei is concerned too. In order to keep the peace, we've worked so hard to maintain, I fear you're going to be sent on a lot more missions too. Hopefully, you and Sakura can work together on this even so. She is a lot smarter than both of us, dattebayo!

#1 Candidate for Hokage,

Naruto Uzumaki

Sasuke wished Sakura could be there with him now but remembered Karin's warning that she should avoid going on dangerous missions. Besides, if she got hurt in any way, he'd never forgive himself. He knew that with her by his side he could control the darkness, but if she were gone...and their child...well, he didn't want to think about that. Naruto, what would you do? he wondered. He smiled, thinking he'd probably support Hinata in the same way. Perhaps he was a little too overprotective of Sakura these days. He'd have to apologize when he returned.

As the sun began to set, he stopped to rest back in the real world. Sitting by a tree, he ate some onigiri and took a small bracelet and picture out of his pack. He placed the band on his wrist for a little while to feel connected to her again. He wondered what his wife was doing now. Despite the guilt of leaving though, the picture of Team 7 cheered him up. Their bonds and their love would sustain him even when he was alone.