Hello. First off, I'd like to thank you for taking time out of your day to read this. It means quite a bit to me. And that's where I stop being nice. Here, I'd like to explain a bit about myself and my intentions for writing this story. I am a former aspiring writer, who is in the midst of trying to rediscover his love for word-craft. Which means I am no professional. That means I will make mistakes in my writing. I will not always be grammatically or stylistically correct. My style of writing is my own, and it is far from perfect. If you are here expecting that, then you will be sorely disappointed. As I stated earlier, I am attempting to reconnect with my creative side that I have left dormant for many years, and this story is my first venture back into that side of myself. As for the contents of this tale, what i want to put on paper is clear to me. I have a set story I want to tell, which means if you do not like it, tough. There are plenty of other reads out there for you. I am doing my research as I go for this project, so some facts may be off slightly. I apologize for that. If you would like to leave constructive criticism, be my guest, but I ask that you refrain from doing so if you are unsure your advice is sound and appropriate. I've heard plenty of 'expert' opinions in my life from faceless internet authors to fill a book of bullshit with. But, if all you have is hate in your heart for me and my work, please, be my guest and share it with me. If I've learned one thing in life, it's that if your are making enemies, you are doing something right.

That being said, this tale takes place in the canon universe up until the birth of the Next Generation, when some 'minor' changes come about. This will mostly be a daily life type of tale, with some intermittent action, but there will be no 'grand' battles, so if you are here for that, sorry. Regardless, I have no update schedule for this story, but I hope to put out a decent sized chapter every week, if not every two weeks. The first chapter will be rather short though, as I am using it mostly as a launching point and as motivation to sit down and write, knowing someone out there might be waiting on the next chapter.

I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with it. This is purely a work of entertainment, with no intention of profiting from it.

Now without further ado:

Chapter 1

"Oof!"

"Oh! Oh, I am so... so sorry, ma'am!"

"It's...it's okay..."

"Here, let me help you pick these up," Sakura Haruno sat on the paving stones of a small backstreet after bumping into a strange man and falling backwards onto her rear. She tried to be frustrated at the man for knocking her to the ground, but she was just as much to blame for it. She had been lost deep in thought, and wasn't expecting anyone else to be traveling along this obscure thoroughfare.

"Thank you," she huffed a bit, accepting the mans help. She brushed her long, pink hair back from her eyes, aiming to get a better look at the stranger. He was bent down on one knee, looking at the groceries that were spilled all over the street. He was gently placing them back inside the large brown, paper bag that he had set upright. He grabbed the carton of eggs off the ground and popped it open.

"Oh, good!" he exclaimed, looking over the eggs. "None of them appear to be broken," he said, whilst gently placing them inside the bag. Sakura continued to watch him as he replaced the spilled contents of her weekly shopping into the large bag. She should be helping, but for some reason, the mans voice enraptured her. It was a deep, soothing sound. Like maple syrup. As he finished placing the last item of food back where it belonged, she brushed a long strand of vibrant hair behind her right ear.

"All done!" the man said, finally looking up from the groceries. Sakura took in as sharp breath, almost audibly. His eyes, a piercing ice-blue, caught her jade orbs. His short-cropped dark brown hair, and slightly scruffy full beard framed his features. He had a large, goofy smile plastered to his face. Although a bit of a plain looking man, Sakura felt something in her gut... no her heart that she hadn't felt in years...

Sasuke.

Those black eyes held just as much mystery... and pain, as they had back in the days of the academy. She stared deep into them. His finger rested on her forehead. It was... cold. Her lips parted slightly.

"Wait for me," Sakura's cheeks flooded with blood, turning a tinge of red. "Thank you," a smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. He lowered his arm and turned away from her.

"My deepest apologies, ma'am. I wasn't paying any bit of attention," he said, placing his hand on the back of his head nervously. Sakura stared at the man. It took her a moment to realize the position she was still in. Before she could drag herself to her feet, the man sprang up quickly. He offered his hand to her, still smiling like a fool. She looked up at him for another moment before grasping his hand in hers. He pulled up firmly, setting her on her feet.

"Thanks," she mumbled, a bit sheepishly. Something about this man was making her feel like a girl again...

"I'm Kenta. Nice to meet you!" he bowed slightly towards her, showing respect. He raised back up, extending to his full height once more. Sakura, now on her feet as well, got a better sense of this Kenta. A tall man, with broad shoulders, he was an impressive looking man. She was staring again, and he caught onto it this time. "Is something wrong, ma'am?" he asked, his smile now replaced by a concerned scowl.

"N-no!" she stammered, waving her hands in front of her. "I'm sorry! This was just as much my fault as yours," she said, recovering from her embarrassment. "I was lost in my own head!"

"Oh? Is something on your mind" he asked. This caught Sakura off guard a bit. Why would a stranger be asking about her personal thoughts.

"Oh, it's nothing you should be concerned with!" she said quickly, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Ah. My apologies again, ma'am. You were just giving me a curious look. Anyway, here are your groceries!" he hurriedly picked up the brown bag and handed it to the pink-haired lady. She quickly thanked the man again. "Well, I should be on my way. Again, sorry for knocking you over, ma'am," Kenta smiled again, and walked past Sakura. She caught a bit of his scent as he strode by. Cherry blossoms. His boots scuffed against the paving stones loudly. Sakura felt her heart drop. For some wild reason, she felt as if she needed to see this man again.

"Wait!" she shouted, spinning around to face him. He had only gotten a few steps down the street. He stopped quickly and turned to face her, as well. He had a questioning look on his face. She fidgeted briefly, and stared at her feet. "I'm Sakura," she said quickly, not looking up to meet his eyes. Kenta smiled a bit at this.

"Well, maybe I'll bump into you again, Miss Sakura," he said. Her head shot up, her jade eyes locking with his icey blues. He gave a little wave and turned back around, continuing on his way. Sakura felt a grin spread across her face. She dipped her head a bit, allowing her long hair to fall in front of her eyes once more. This feeling, this... warmth in her chest was spreading. Why did this stranger make her feel this way? She new what this was, but... why? Why this man, whom she had never met before? Why did he make her feel like a lovesick adolescent again? Only he ever made her feel this way...

Sasuke.

His arm rested over her. She laid with her back pressed up against his abdomen. Her hand intertwined with his. She felt the warmth from his body radiate into her. She had never felt so safe, or so loved when she was in his embrace. She felt a heat in her chest, as well. This warm, all encompassing heat in her chest, was the love she felt towards the man she called her husband. She squeezed his hand slightly. He stirred a bit, responding to the pressure. Sakura smiled, and drifted off to sleep.

Sakura watched as Kenta rounded the corner and disappeared from her sight line. She stood there a few moments longer, her thoughts lingering on his bright smile. She turned back to the way she was originally headed and continued on her way home. For the first time in the last year, her idle thoughts were consumed by someone other than him.

Sasuke.

Sakura laid the soundly-sleeping Sadara down in her crib. The 4 month old girl seemed to always sleep like a log. She must have inherited her husbands calm demeanor. Speaking of, the aforementioned husband sat across the nursery in a rocking chair, reading a book. He seemed to be only browsing it, though. He looked up at his wife as she sat down next to him in another chair.

"Who would have thought that raising a child would be just as demanding as any mission!" Sakura sighed as she settled into her seat. She raised a hand to her temple and began rubbing it gently.

"She is quite the handful," Sasuke responded. He closed his book and set it to the side. He turned back to his wife. He was about to say something, but he noticed that Sakura had passed out in her seat. He smiled a bit to himself. Sasuke stood up slowly, trying not to wake either of his ladies. He softly wrapped his arm around his wife and flashed them to their bedroom, where he gently laid the sleeping woman on the bed. Sakura briefly cracked open her eyes. She smiled slightly, before falling back into her sleep.

Sakura turned the key in the lock to her front door, the bag of groceries in her other arm. She pushed open the now unlocked door and stepped inside. " I'm home!"

Well, I hope you enjoyed! If just one person did, then the 3 hours it took me to write this was well worth it! Stay tuned for more!