I can't tell you much about this story without giving away too much, but I hope you enjoy it. It's centered on Sakura and Sarada and their relationship with minor Sasusaku (I haven't fully decided yet). Hope you enjoy it.

After reading Naruto Gaiden, my respect and love for Sakura only increased like heck. I love that woman.

ALSO I wrote this like 2 years ago, so if there are inconsistencies please forgive me. I started writing this when Naruto ended ages ago but never finished until recently. so bare with me guys. Thanks!

Chapter 1: Unanswered questions

From the sounds coming from around her, Sakura already knew where she was even before she opened her eyes. She was in the hospital. Unfortunately, she also vaguely recalled why she was here as well. She had had a minor fight with her daughter Sarada and had released her monster strength during it, which resulted in her bringing down her house…quite literally. She should've been more careful, but when Sarada questions about her father from her, Sakura doesn't know what to say and in return ends up doing something stupid.

Speaking of her daughter, Sakura slowly attempted to open her eyes. The bright light coming from the open window momentarily blinded her, showing her only brightness for a few seconds before the room's ceiling came into full view for her. She slowly blinked her emerald eyes at the white ceiling before she sat up making sure she didn't give herself whiplash. Curse her faint heart for failing to keep her upright in the direst of situations.

Sakura ran her eyes around the room as the white sheet covering her fell to her lap. Just then the door located to her left opened revealing Shizune in her usual black ukata, her black eyes smiling at the now conscious Sakura.

"Ah Sakura! Glad to see you awake. You were out like a light for almost 3 hours. I was getting worried." She heard Shizune's voice as she tried to understand the words.

"Sarada?" Sakura asked as her mind cleared and she swung her feet off the bed.

"She's fine. She went back to the house to get something." Shizune said with a smile. "You can leave as soon as you are feelings better. You just fainted out of shock, quiet frequent for you so I wouldn't worry too much about it." She added with good humour.

"Thank you Shizune-san." Sakura said with a smile as the two left the room Sakura previously occupied. Sakura waved to Shizune and exited the hospital and into the streets of Konoha hoping to run into her daughter.

She had to apologize to Sarada. She rarely raises her voice at Sarada. She rarely has to. Sarada is an incredible child for her age. She is nothing like Sakura herself used to be when she was twelve years old. Sarada was much more mature that sometimes Sakura wished she would be more like a child so that she could spoil her little girl more. But Sarada rarely gave her enough chances for such a thing.

While Sakura worried about boys and typical girl things when she was twelve years old, all Sarada wanted to do was be with her father. She and Sasuke have been married for twelve years, but he had left the village while Sarada was still a baby. Sakura had waited day in and day out for him to come home and spend time with Sarada. But after waiting five long year, she had stopped waiting for him. Just as soon as Sarada began to understand her surroundings, Sakura decided not to give her daughter too much hope in the father department. She didn't want Sarada awaiting her father's return to them like she had waited for Sasuke in her younger years. She wanted to give Sarada a chance to be a child before she is forced to face the realities of life.

Sakura didn't know whether or not Sasuke was coming back. She didn't even know if he had planned on coming back when he left all those years ago. Frankly, she didn't even know why he married her.

Well… she had a hunch, she just didn't want to believe that was the only reason. But considering her "marriage" she doubted it was anything else.

Sakura turned the corner to her house and came face to face with the consequences of her anger management issues.

"Oh kami, I have got to get myself under control." She muttered to herself as she walked around the house. "Sarada." Sakura shouted hoping to catch a glimpse of red somewhere. "Honey, are you here?" Sakura tried again. Her heart quickened slightly as her callings went unanswered. "Sarada?" she tried again, this time a little louder and a little bit more desperate.

Just as Sakura stepped into what was supposed to be their backyard, her eyes came in line with a piece of paper hanging from the cherry tree in their backyard. The paper was folded in half and hanging from a thread from a lower branch of the tree. The paper twirled with the wind and Sakura immediately ran to it as one side read "MAMA" in big bold letters. She ignored the debris around her as she tripped over lord knows what to get to the piece of paper.

Sakura hurriedly ripped the paper from the thread and opened it to reveal the round and neat handwriting of her daughter. Sakura's heart ran at an incredible speed as it pounded against her ribcage. She could practically feel her whole body pounding along with her heart as her trembling hands held the paper between her fingers.

Dear mama, I'm sorry I couldn't say this to you in person. But if I had waited for you to wake up you would never have let me do this. I know you think I'm too young to know the truth about my father, but I'm not. I need to know everything about him. While I was looking through things, I found a picture of papa. When I took the picture out of the frame it had more people in it. One of them were a lady…with glasses, just like mine. I don't know why you hid this from me when you know I can handle anything. I never thought you would lie to me like this. How could you possibly hide this from me?

Mama…why didn't you tell me you aren't my real mother?

I'm going to go look for them, I need to know the truth and you are not telling me anything. Please don't come after me.

I love you!

Sarada.

Sakura let out a loud sob as her free hand clutched at her heart over her dress. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks but none of that stopped her from running full speed towards the Hokage tower.

Sakura didn't bother knocking on the door to the room before barging in as the door slammed against the wall. Both Naruto and Shikamaru looked up at the sound, surprised at the sudden intrusion.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto began but didn't get to finish as she slammed a piece of paper onto his desk.

"Sarada has gone looking for Sasuke-kun. You need to let me leave now or else I'm just going to walk out of the village to look for her on my own." She demanded as Naruto stared at her with wide ocean blue eyes. His eyes widened double its size before he took the paper into his hand hurriedly and read it as fast as he could, with Shikamaru reading over his shoulder.

"What the hell!? Why would she do something like this?" Naruto questioned as concern filled his eyes.

"I don't know. Naruto please I beg you, let me go look for my daughter." Sakura pleaded as her eyes looked at the slowly darkening sky behind Naruto. "It's getting dark. Please." she tried again as more tears filled her emerald eyes.

"You will leave with Sai as soon as possible and look for Sarada." Naruto said but before he could say anything else, Sakura had already left the room.

If it were any other child, Naruto would've told her to look around the village before assuming they had actually left the village. But this was Sarada. She was every bit the teme and Naruto knew to not take her words lightly.

Sakura gave the message to Sai and told him to meet her at the gates in 10 minutes before going back to her own broken down house to gather a few necessary things.

Fresh tears continued to escape her eyes as she willed her hands to move faster and faster as she packed her things and got ready. 'May be Uchiha's just liked breaking her heart.' She thought as she ran towards the gate.

Sarada looked straight ahead as she jumped from tree to tree. Her dark eyes moved above her to look at the slowly darkening sky. She knew her mama was going to come after her no matter what. Which is why she had left as soon as possible from the village. Even if it had been a good idea to get a three hour head start, Sarada had absolutely no idea where she was going. She wasn't even a genin yet, all she had was training, no real experience.

When the thought first occurred to her two hours ago, her small heart had almost given up and gone back to the village. But her brain told her she had to keep going. It told her that she had questions that her mama refused to answer for reasons unknown to her. She was going to find those answers and the only one who could give her the answers she needs are her father…and her birth mother.

Sarada's heart squeezed painfully at the thought that her mama wasn't her real mother. Her eyes stung as they filled with tears. She tried to will them away because she never cried. As she grew up she learned to never cry and she never really had a good enough reason to spill tears unlike her mama. Her mama cried for everything.

On her first day at the academy, her mama refused to let go of her hand and cried big fat tears. Sarada had gone completely red as her fellow students and their parents stared at them. It had been so embarrassing for her.

On her tenth birthday, her mama had also cried about her baby growing up so fast. Unfortunately, it had been her birthday party and her fellow students and parents had yet again stared as her mama cried for absolutely no reason. After that she had refused to have another birthday party the year after.

It was ridiculous, the amount of times her mama cries. 'I have to hug her and console her every time.' Sarada thought as a sad smile took place on her pale lips. Before she realized it, Sarada was crying. Unfamiliar streaks of tears stained her face as the picture of her mama crying over her written letter came into her mind. She quickly attempted to wipe them but it was futile as more tears came out of her eyes, blurring the path ahead of her.

'This is stupid. I have to find shelter before it gets too dark.' She thought as her eyes again reached the sky as the sky lost its orange hue to give way to the darkness. She frantically looked around for anything that could keep her safe during the night, her onyx eyes running over every little space of the forest.

However, Sarada came to an unexpected halt as a dark silhouette suddenly landed before her. In an instant she had her new kunai in her hand and her legs parted to stand in a fighting position. She panted to catch her breath as neither of them spoke. As time passed with neither of them speaking, the moon rose above them, the light from the moon illuminating the face of the figure in front of her.

Sarada only saw one red eye stare back at her before her mind went hazy and she lost consciousness. The last thing she saw behind her closed eyelids were a picture of her mama waving at her with a smile and tear filled eyes.

"Mama." She whispered as she felt herself fall but wasn't awake for the impact.

Is Sakura really not her mother? Why does Sarada think Karin is her mother? Will Sakura find her daughter?

The unanswered questions will be answered in future chapters. Wait for them.

Rate and review if you have time. Thank you!