I'm in love With You

Epilogue-chapter 1..

.......Time drifts on, as with life, love and death.................

Five years and 10 months later.......

Late autum's wind was never anyone's forte, say, but the self absorbed overly depressed kind. An eerie wind swept past Konoha's inhabitants with harsh touches and  shrilled cries. A sorrowful reminder about the many layers of garments that needed donned, least she whisked them away in an equally harsh manner.

Life went on amidst this seemingly turbulent undercry for normality spelt the season, and the people knew better; most having to start and force their days with an equal fervor to that of an optimistic fool. Shinobies did their duties as heralded, leaders and medical-nins underwent their own with out much mishaps along the days. But the people were as always resilient to this rash turn of nature, going about their businesses despite its severity. Ah, such was life, such was its existence, such was its purpose for most.

Bundled beneath coats that seemed far to heavy for their short stature, minature silhouettes of children, one boy, age 5 and another, a tiny thing of a girl, age 3, trotted their way up the hill that housed some of the Villages buried citizens. Clutching each other's hands the boy, Satoru and his sister Genne(Gen-nii), crunched fallen leaves up a familiar trail towards their long gone loved ones; their mother not that far behind their every step.

"Sato, be careful as you go up dear, and hold onto your sister will you", the woman called out as tenderly as a mother would.

" she's a slippery one oka-san"

"I'm not, mommy Sato's-"

"Genne no arguing with your brother now, just be careful as you make your way to your grandfather"

"WE WILL! " They both shot back with every bit of sweetness such young hearts could hold; each Baring long stalks of lillies to mass the graves. Both children went about their offerings in comical banter until they met their final loved one.

"Hello mebuki-nii-chan, how are you doing today- Gen-nii say hello to our older sister" the boy reminded.

"Hello mebu-nii-chan" Genne placed her last lilly atop her older sister's grave in all of its crumpled up glory for she held tiny hands that clutched at every thing in a breaking manner. 'Must be her mother's curse', her father once joked to which they woke the very next morning with him fast asleep beside them, instead of their parent's shared room.

"Hope you're not cold where ever you are?"

"Look up nii-chan, Oka-san says that all the good people sleeps forever in the sky", both lifted their heads towards the heavens before heaving an excited, inquisitive sigh.

"Do you think their in the clouds sato-nii?", the three and a half year old questoned.

"I don't know, maybe I guess-"

"Okay that's enough you two, come take a break here" interrupted their mother as she called from a near by grandstand. "Come warm your selves up with some tea before we head back okay, I have the night shift so your grandmother's gonna be sleeping over"

"But I wanna stay with papa Nars" the smallest of the two protested as she fumbled her way towards her mother.

"Unfortunately love, your godfathers are working"

"Again!!, and when is dad coming home, I miss him" complained Sato after taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

"As do I honey, but work is work okay, if you want some one to complain to blame your uncle for his messed up schedule"

Genne sighed long and tiredsome before munching on her food. Above, what remaining shrivel of greenery that attached itselft to the surrounding trees soon feel with a sudden uplift of the wind. The days were long and boring, even more so with their father away on some unknown mission, orders from the hokage himself and their uncle. Both children sensed that their mother was not okay with this new change in the usual structure, even if it meant a longer vacation for both parents in the end

"Sakura?"........ All heads moved as with the sound of a familiar tone.

"Papa Sasuke! " The kids approached him in excited glee even before Sakura could have voiced her greetings. The little one was already up in his arms, with twin locks of bright pastel coloured braids that flanked the sides of her head, those famously green orbs of her mother's now decorated a cherubic face. She quite reminded him of Sakura during their genin days; a not so annoying memory of their years past, he admitted.

"What brings you here?", Sakura questioned while patting a seat beside her. It was quite unexpect since both Sasuke and Naruto had their hands full at the moment.

" Not much really, was just passing by when I saw you guys heading this way- have you been behaving Genne?" Sasuke turned to face Sakura's mini version surely awaiting an answer, but her brother raced her to it.

"She hasn't, mommy Gen-nii yanked Sakomo's hair this morning, some even came out in her hands"

"Gen-nii? " the pinkette yelled.

Sasuke chuckled quietly to himself,  watching and keeping a silent record of days as such; days where peace and tranquility were more than a mentioned notion. Both children  were being scolded by their mother in a loving yet stern manner and it was refreshing in the least, knowing that his best friend, his sister and teammate, had become such a compassionate mother to both of her children; a role neither her nor Shiranui had fully been prepared for, but accepted never the less.

"When will he be back?" Conversation starter to flow as per normal with them both keeping a watchful eye on the little ones.

"I'm not sure but Kakashi sensei said it was scheduled for this week, so I'm guessing in a day or two..... When are you guys heading out?"

"We should be gone by seven I'm hoping but-" oh the annoyance were heard.

"I know I know" Sakura laughed amidst pouring them both some warm tea. "Naruto and his ramen versus clothes dilemma again huh?"

All she got was a irritant 'tsk'. It was always the same when ever they had to leave for days on other important matters regarding the daimyo, and yet still, Sasuke still found himself tethered to his last nerve string each and every time. "Hey don't give me that look okay?" she teased. "You married him"

"Fuck you"

"I would but unfortunately dear you're GAY"...... What followed after that seeming insulting remark were loud bouts of laughter as both shinobies sought to alleviate their comical symptoms in equally comical ways; one clutching her sides while the other wiped tiny heads of tears away. Soon after, the party of four departed the quiet grounds with spirits much too lifted for a grave yard visit.

" see you when you get back okay- kids? "

"Hai oka-san?"

"Say good bye to your papa". Off they flung them selves recklessly into their god father's arms, each being the recipients of tender kisses and  heartfelt hugs before parting yet again. A little while after, the gates to Sakura's ancestral home came into view, then with hurried steps, Sato and Genne rushed into the unlocked premises upon catching a whif of something extraordinary.