So… Naruto… again, woo.

One thing that bothered me was the jump from Sasuke leaving to.. Sarada. Like.. what?

I wanted to know what happened. How did it happen. Why. When. Where.

Chapter Song: The Chainsmokers & Coldplay - Something Just Like This

"Hey, mom?"

"Yes?" Sakura turned to look at her daughter who sat upon the couch, staring at the picture of the three of them. Her, her mother, and father.

"Dads a bit...aloof..so...how did you two end up together?" Sarada looked at her mother, glasses slipping a bit.

Chapter 1

Sakura shut the door to her office, walked feebly to her chair, and slumped into it. She sunk down so far that the back of her head rested on the top. It was time to rethink her decision to run a medical clinic. Hell, trying to get other clinics started in other cities. Countries.

She. Was. Exhausted.

With a long sigh, she reached up and scrubbed her face between her hands. Having just returned from a trip to the Land of Mist, with nothing else to do but work, she had returned to the clinic to check on how things were going in her absence.

Only to find it running smoothly. Without her. Like her assistant had said it was.

"Told you it wasn't necessary to show up today," Sakura cracked open an eye to see her longtime friend walk in the door and sit down across from her.

"If you're going to be snarky and exude a well rested, chipper attitude; leave."

"Ooh, oooh. Shots have been fired and I blocked them with my good mood," Ino grinned and crossed her legs, getting comfortable. "So, how'd it go?"

Sakura sighed again and sat up straighter, unbuttoning the top few buttons in her top. Didn't matter if she did, her breasts weren't as large as Ino's to need to worry about it. "It went well. Things are going smoothly. I helped the head medic nin with some tips on dealing with problematic children and their psychosis."

"So the program definitely works."

"Yes, yes it does." And she hoped to God that it wouldn't be necessary some day soon. "So, have I missed anything?"

Ino guffawed and flipped her hair back, reaching up to tighten the ponytail. "Of course not. We've got this place running like a well oiled machine. I think we could both take off for a month and they'd never miss us." She grinned.

Sakura fiddled with papers on her desk; already completed and waiting to be filed. "That's good."

"Oh, come ooon, girl! You work so much! All you do is eat, sleep, and work!" Ino smacked her palms on the table, making Sakura jump. Her surprise was due to exhaustion of course… "You need to do something besides this!" The blonde waved her arms around, drawing attention to the wellkept room filled with information on the goings on of the clinic.

"This" is what kept Sakura busy. Kept her distracted. Kept her from focusing on the ache in her breast and the constant drifting direction her mind would wander in.

"I like working-knowing I'm helping the kids," Sakura smiled weakly to her friend, but given Ino's expression, she knew she wasn't fooling the other woman. "So, how are you and Sai? Still hot and heavy?"

Ino blinked, her mood changing, as her cheeks warmed and her eyes became downcast. "We're doing good. He's so reserved and in love with his art...Its just so damn adorable I can't stand it." Sakura was happy for her friend. Happy that the woman had taken a chance and was dating the man. He was a bit weird, complicated, but he put effort in and if he was able to make her friend happy, then Sakura approved.

"Have you posed for a nude yet?"

"SAKURA!" Ino's face flamed a deeper shade of red, surpassing the other girl's hair color. "I-Theres no-Hell we just-Oh my God." Ino covered her cheeks with her hands and looked down at her lap.

"So… thats a yes?"

"NO! Its a no!"

Sakura grinned and rolled her shoulders. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry, but really. Leave an opening like that and I'm going to stab it."

"A good stabbing is what I think you need, pervert." Ino grinned wickedly as Sakura's face heated. "Oh yeah. We both know you do. You're an adult and you're still a virgin."

God..how embarrassing. "Alright, alright. Lets not get into that. Its depressing." How could she have even thought of going to someone else? Toys, toys were good. Harmless. Genderless.

"Anyway...so I do happen to have a piece of information that I think you'll find interesting," Ino looked at her nails.

Sakura quirked a brow, "Oh? Well are you going to share?"

"Hmm… I guess," Ino smiled, her eyes kind and hopeful. "Sasuke should be back today."

Time. Breath. Sound. Senses.

It all stopped for Sakura.

"He...what?"

"Mhmm, he was spotted not far from Konoha. Should be here within the hour-Hey! Whats the rush?!" Ino yelled as Sakura bolted from the room.

The young woman did her best to power walk through the building, smiling distractedly at coworkers, children, and parents. Only a few more rooms.

A few more rooms.

One room.

Half a room.

Just get to the door.

Almost there.

She reached the doors and took off in a chakra powered sprint, leaping from the ground and along the rooftops towards the main gate of the village.

He was coming.

Sasuke Uchiha was coming home.

Disclaimer: This. . Explicit

Yo, yo. I'm gonna try to put out 1-2 chapters a week. So bear with me.

I'm a lot older than I was when I first started writing fanfiction so my writing style is… slow? Relaxed? Kinda like foreplay I guess (Yes all my stuff is rated mature for a reason) gotta enjoy that slow build. For all you young'uns out there I'll understand completely if this bores you and makes you lose interest =) No harm no foul 3