Sasuke hears Sakura before he can see her.
She cries out in pain, a contrast to the earth shattering display of power that had lead him here. Rage, blind rage, something he's not felt for quite some boils to the surface and his Susanoo crashes through the cavern walls pining the Shin's father roughly to the pillar.
He barely manages to dodge and in the process a good portion of his leg is sliced off. Sasuke takes a step forward to decapacitate him once and for all but when he hears Sarada exclaim his attention is quickly diverted to his wife who is breathing heavily and clearly wounded.
He brushes past his daughter bending down to assess his wife. His Sharingan analyses her wound immediately and his eyes focus on the blades that have embedded into her arm so deeply that they've severed almost all of her nerves leaving her arm unusable.
He hesitates for a moment before he pulls the blades out and his expression falters as Sakura who despite her best efforts to keep her face neutral winces.
He quickly pulls away, burning the blades away with his Amaterasu. He glances back at his wife, his Mangekyo spinning worriedly but he won't insult Sakura, not in front of their daughter by fretting over her and making her seem any less stronger than she was.
Sakura had gotten over far worse than this and treating her like he'd done when they were genin by purposely shoving her out of every fight for the sake of her safety was highly demeaning for the talented and strong kunoichi she'd evolved into now.
He still needs reassurance though and he asks anyway,"You'll be able to heal your self now, right?"
Sakura's gaze softens and she smiles. While to their daughter it sounds cold and apathetic from Sasuke's part Sakura is well aware of the restraint Sasuke is exercising. He's trying to respect her best he can, to believe in her strength as a kunoichi and put it over his obvious concern.
"Thank you Anata." She says softly focusing her healing jutsu to repair the damaged nerves and muscles.
Sarada looks at the entire exchange puzzled. Whilst there is nothing outwardly romantic about how her father stands a feet away from her mother as she heals herself there is something strangely personal about the whole thing.
Sasuke does his best not to let his concern show and when he hears Shin dragging himself across the cavern he instantly turns around tearing his gaze from his wife to the bastard that started the whole thing.
"You shouldn't be able to move with your leg like that." Sasuke comments unsheathing Kusanagi and walking towards Shin.
He probably would have cut the bastard into half, not just a small portion of his leg had he not been preoccupied about Sakura.
While Sasuke is no longer the cruel and hateful man he once was, hell bent on revenge, Sasuke has no love lost for the pretend Uchiha who has gone after all the people he cares about the most, starting by disgracing Itachi's memory, impaling Naruto, attacking his daughter. The final straw was having the audacity to kidnap and injure his wife.
It doesn't help that with the multiple Sharingans embedded him he looks distastefully similar to Danzo.
"We will interrogate you once we bring you back to the Leaf."
If you're alive till then.
In a flash one of the Shin clones, a son, puts himself inbetween Sasuke and his father.
"Move." Sasuke says coldly,"I have no qualms with you."
"No." The boy says vehemently,"I shall protect my father."
Dark anger and black rage once again surfaces within Sasuke. He was not going to let this go so easily and he raises the sword to remove the obstruction from his face.
"PAPA STOP IT!"
Sarada's desperate voice stops him short and he returns to himself as his blade stops inches from the sons throat.
For a brief moment he's reminded of Sakura, a much younger version of her wrapping his arms around begging him to come back to himself.
Sasuke-kun, please stop it.
And then the pain hits him.
He doubles over as The father Shin withdraws the blade he'd used to impale Sasuke by passing it through his son.
"Sasuke-kun!" The anguish in Sakura's voice is clear and he can hear her move forward towards him. She's stopped short though by the multiple blades that angle towards her and Sarada eying them cautiously.
"The tables have turned." Shin announces,"As expected you're all weak."
Sasuke winces bending down and Sakura's eyes catch the movement as she worriedly calls out,"Anata!"
She steps forward but the blades impale the ground a few inches ahead of her blocking her path.
What do I Do?
How do I save you?
How do I save our daughter?
She conveys all of it through one word.
Sasuke straightens his back and while he doesn't say anything or even look at her it's enough for Sakura to understand his message.
Trust me.
Sakura instantly relaxes letting a small smile grace her lips.
Always.
She turns to Sarada who stares at the whole scene horror and hopelessness written on every inch of her face.
"This isn't enough to bring down your father Sarada." Sakura says confidently,"Trust us Sarada. We'll protect you."
While Sakura means every word she says Sasuke can hear the underlying message relayed to him through his wife's words.
I'll always trust you darling.
I've got your message.
Now tell me what to do.
He turns slightly, his Rinnegan flashing.
Understanding courses through Sakura and she immediately turns and runs away from Sarada. The blades all focus on her rushing towards her but she doesn't falter and picks up speed trusting in her husband completely.
Wind rushes past her and the world blurs around her and suddenly she's face to face with Shin her chakra laden fist finding it's mark perfectly sending the bastard flying back.
Sakura falls to her knees her legs not being able to support her any longer but she none less the she raises her head and glares at Shin.
"Do not underestimate the power of a parent." She manages to bite out venomously. The world tilts and Sakura collapses, the teleportation from the Rinnegan had taken it's toll on her.
Sarada rushes to her mother's side and Sasuke jerks up but is forced back down as his wound knocks the air out of him.
Sarada manages to help Sakura back up but she's still too weak to stand while Sasuke finally manages to regain his balance instantly putting himself in between his family and the multiple army of Shin that arrives.
A revolt takes place in front of his eyes as Naruto finally makes his entrance. The Father shin is discarded without a care whilst the younger start their attack, overwhelming due to sheer number.
But the father isn't to be forgotten about and the small creature with the teleportation jutsu appears starting to suck both the father and Sakura along with it.
"Sarada!" He calls out. His voice cracks and this time he does nothing to hide his desperation. His wife is still weak and injured and he's too far away to do anything.
He can't, no, he won't let her slip away again.
For a second he's afraid that his daughter doesn't understand but she's already moving before he can contemplate further.
"I know." She yells, I'll protect Mama!
Her Sharingan activates and she dodges the attacks sent her way easily before sending chakra to her fist.
"SHANNARO!" She yells smashing the creature and cracking the ground around her.
And Sasuke can't help but beam proudly.
All this while he'd been tip toeing around her afraid that she'd inevitibly turned out like bitterness, the hate it was all to reminiscent about how he was a child and he was afraid that Sarada had grown up to become everything he'd tried so hard to leave behind him.
Whilst Sasuke's hate had been directed towards his brother in Sarada's case he was the perpetrator. He had his reasons for not contacting them of course, he didn't trust himself enough to not come back abandoning his mission.
And because of his weakness, his inability to stay away from them unless he'd cut off all contact Sarada had grown up to become like him in the worst ways.
Or at least that's what he'd thought.
Because now as Sarada stands with the Sharingan activated, the ground destroyed around her he can't help but proudly think that while she's his daughter she's also undoubtedly her mother's daughter, fierce, kind and unbelievably strong.
He couldn't be prouder.
Sarada stares at her fist, there is no doubt in her mind who her mother is now that she'd displayed her Mama's signature super strength but she's surprised with how little the information means to her.
When Sakura comes and hugs her tightly, Sarada realises that her Mama would always be her Mama regardless of who gave birth to her.
But there was still one thing that nagged her. How could her father and mother who barely saw each other be so sure about how they felt about each other. How could they understand each other without a word and despite being apart for so long love each other unquestionably?
"How are you so sure that your feelings are connected with Mama?" Sarada asks Sasuke her eyes gazing at him searchingly.
Sasuke stares at his daughter a million answers racing through his head.
Sakura was his teammate, wife and the person he unconditionally trusted. While Naruto may have been his reason to come back to village Sakura had been his motivation to stay, to call it home again.
She'd given him hope and unconditonally loved him, something he had to spend several life times deserving but most of all Sakura had given him Sarada, a family again, something that he never thought he'd deserve to have again.
Looking at his daughter with her Sharingan reflecting the strong unbreabale resolve that could have only been her mothers Sasuke sees so much of himself in her as well his wife that the answer becomes all to clear to him.
"Because we have you Sarada."
I will beposting another part with how I imagine Sasuke's stay in Konoha to be like in a while! I hope you like it please tell me what you think!