Title: Remembering the soul

Summary: Post 699 and after Gaiden. Mama Saku is reminded on the daily of her missing husband through their daughter. Papa Sasu is finally realizing that being alone isn't the only way to attone for his sins.

Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.

Rated M

Chapter one: A rude welcome home

It was just another cloudy sunless day in Konoha. The trees rustling in the wind, a child's voice echoed my name. Breaking my spellbound eyes from the sky.

"MAMA!" Sarada yelled a fifth time.

She just turned 10 only a couple months ago and yet, her physical attributes remind me so much of her father. Dark as your soul hair, black onyx eyes that can pierce through you, and a beautiful smile that can melt your heart.

"Sorry Sarada, mama has just been thinking about papa.." Letting out a breathe I didn't know I was holding.

"You always do mama, he said he'll be back soon ok?" She tried to consult me,my own child.

"I know" I tried saying with the most realistic smile.

"Papa is thinking about us too. Every Time the sky gets cloudy, papa is missing us dearly, that's why I have to look up, to tell him we love him."

She looked at me with the saddest eyes and yet seemed like she was at ease. Letting her know that we're always on her father's mind.

"C'mon, aunty Ino is probably wondering what's taking us so long. Let's get you a hot cup of black tea for you to warm up with!"

Her sad yearning eyes turned to the biggest dazzling gems, mentioning her favorite past time. A visit to the tea house.

-It's unfair-, my inner thoughts keep pressing onto me.

-Sasuke isn't around to comfort her own child, and yet Sarada has to comfort you when you're lonely? What kind of a mother are you?!- Shut up, I know! -Its not fair! Sarada gets to watch all her friends grow up with a whole family!- Shut up I know!

I didn't realize I stood up in the midst of Ino's conversation with Sarada. With a blank look on my face, and tear struck eyes;

"I'm sorry, I need to use the restroom.."

"Are you okay Sakura? Do you want us to come with you?" Confused, Ino began to stand up to come with me.

"No I'll be okay. I just haven't been in my best moods.."

"Mama misses papa.." Sarada whispered softly, but loud enough for us to hear.

"SARADA!" I hissed, "I'm sorry Ino, but I think we have to cut things short, she's right, I do miss Sasuke, and with the renovations at the hospital, I've been self loathing quite often"

"It's not healthy Sakura, come over tonight for dinner ok? Sarada wouldn't that be nice?" Ino kept persisting.

She knows me well enough that being alone is the only thing I know how to do.

"It's okay, mama and I were going to build a pillow fort in the living room tonight" Sarada answered before I even could think of an excuse.

"A pillow fort?" Ino and I questioned and looked at her with astonishment.

"Remember you promised, I asked you on our way here!" She started to pout. Cheeks puffed up, and a noticeable flush of pink on her face.

I burst out laughing like a crazy woman. Ino did too.

What Ino didn't realize was that my own daughter resembled her father so much, that even her pouting was an exact reflection of Sasuke as a child pouting.

"Okay, okay. Let's go buy some snacks and a bunch of other sweets Sarada".

"Well you two have fun! Sakura, just relax and take a deep breath ok? You're not the only one missing sasuke." Ino perked an eye towards Sarada.

"She may not seem like it, but she misses him too. Every time we mention Sasuke, her chakra levels fluster just a tad bit. If you were more aware of your surroundings, you'd notice too." She whispered into my ear.

On our way back from the market, I felt his Chakra, still far but the familiar and irresistible sense of him is near.

"Mama! Look!" Sarada yelled.

"It's papa's hawk!"

Flying through the sky and towards the Hokage tower, a large and mesmerizing bird flew above us with the same type of presence Sasuke has when walking into a room full of people.

Sarada looked at me with the happiest and widest smile I've seen on her in the longest time. The other time happened just a few weeks ago when Baruto asked her to go with him to the tea house.

"Mama! Can we wait at the village gate pleaaaaaaase!?" I couldn't say no. She was just so happy, and I wanted to be there as well. Seeing his black onyx eyes meet with mine and a family waiting for him. It would be a beautiful sight to see.

"Ok, our house is on the way, so let's drop off the groceries and then we'll go. Ok?"

With no hesitation, she hopped on a roof top and yelled at me to hurry.

I let out a giggle and followed her home.

-When did she get so fast?- I thought. -Sasuke, she's grown up so fast. Hurry home before she leaves too...-

Before we could even reach the gates of the Uchiha manor, we're greeted with Naruto, Kakashi Sensei and Shikamaru.

"Hokage Sama!..." Sarada started to run but stop mid way, something was in the air. This heaviness weighing me down, trying to continue forward. Step by step, but their presence in front of me meant something.

"Sakura chan..." Naruto turned his face away from my sight

"We need to get you too the gates Asap! Sasuke...SASUKE'S IN TROUBLE..." He finally spilled.

"He's being pursuited and badly injured. You and Shikamaru are to meet him at the 100 meter post. Shikamaru will be your backup and you're to retrieve Sasuke and heal any wounds. His pursuers are unknown and I only read a brief description..there was too much blood on the scroll to read what had happened." Kakashi said as calmly as possible, keeping his eye on Sarada who went stone cold.

"MAMA, I WANT TO COME TOO!" Sarada yelled.

"Honey it's too dangerous..."

"Please Mama! What if it's papa last time to see me..."

"You're mama is the best medical kunoichi we have Sarada, Teme..I mean Sasuke will be fine. You need to trust me." Naruto stepped forward and knelt in front of Sarada. He started to push back her hair behind her ears.

"Mama, please..take me with you...if it is papa's last time, I'll never be able to forgive you and Naruto Sama again.." She burst into tears, rubbing at her eyes, I could see that her sharingan has activated. What a beautiful child of mine. Her persona is exactly like mine, and her appearance takes after her father's.

"Kakashi, Naruto, I'll take great care of her. Shikamaru and I are some of the best shinobi of the village. We could handle it.."

"Tssk...it'll be a pain but we could deal with it. Just as long as she won't be too much of a distraction. Remember, the goal of the mission is to save Sasuke, not make the matters worse." Shikamaru lost any argument at hand. He just stood there, watching Sarada. As if everyone knew a secret that I still didn't understand.

"Mama...I promise I can do this."

"Sarada..it's different..it's your father we're talking about" Kakashi is well aware on how traumatizing it is to lose someone they love so desperately.

"I know you can, but understand the circumstances are different, this isn't training and this isn't a normal mission…" I don't know how to explain it more. The sight of losing your father..or watching your mother crumble into a thousand pieces. I don't know what would be harder to see. But I know, taking her with us is the best decision I can make. I can't let her not see her father, even if he doesn't survive. What mother would take their own child's right away. I can't, but I'm not just her mother, I'm the mother of an Uchiha. Her blood runs thick as her father's. Her love will only turn to anger and anguish if I take this right from her. Her well being is my life, if I can't give her this, I can't offer anything else in this world….

The pain makes it difficult to move as fast as I am now. I can't even hide in the brush without leaving a trail of blood behind. Questions of who are they, where did they come from, and why I didn't notice sooner ran through my head. The poison from a shuriken is filling my veins..I can feel the rush of warmth through my open wound swallowing my whole right arm towards my torso to my heart..All I have left to save me is the message I sent to Naruto, that dobe. Hopefully I can make it to a welcome party. I just want to see her smile one last time..Their smile...Her beautiful pink hair, and her dark, soul melting eyes...I just need them to know...I love them..

I can barely make the scent of Konoha...I can feel her Chakra….I just need to be there..everything is going dark….but I see pink..pink like cherry blossoms flowing through the wind….what is this….this chakra…? Shikamaru...Sakura….Sarada?!

I fell into the arms of the one person who can save me..the only one who has saved me...the light of the dark tunnel…"Sa…..Sakura…."

The only question I had to ask…"W….Why….Why is Sarada here….."

"PAPA!?" Sarada was yelling as she finally caught up with Sakura and Shikamaru..

"Fuck..Sasuke, what have you been doing!?" Shikamaru tried to ask as calmly as possible with an awe struck face, looking over my bloodied and wounded body.

"Anata! Sarada, we need to bring your father to the hospital as soon as possible." All I can hear is Sakura, and her voice echoing our daughter's name

.

-I can't pass out in front of them. I can't pass out in front of Sarada. I can't let her feel like they came too late. I can't bring myself to destroy my daughter in front of her eyes..- I kept thinking. I just need a little longer for Sakura to heal me.

"Shikamaru….they're ninja from the Sound...against orders from Orochimaru, they're here for me and only me. They want revenge.." I tried to explain. Every word coming from my lips, felt like a thousand daggers being pierced into my lungs. The poison...it's working...and it's painful to sort of say.

"Sakura, you need to heal him as fast as you can before moving any forward, you can sense his chakra depleting right? You need to do something now! Otherwise we'll be buring another Uchiha that doesn't belong 6 feet underground..UNDERSTOOD?!" Shikamaru exclaimed.

-I can't let that happen.-

Sakura was frozen. Sarada was crying, in a battle stance, right next to Shikamaru, as the sound ninja approached.

-That's my daughter- I thought so proudly. Her beauty resembling her mother when she was younger, and yet the skills from me, and red ruby eyes, from the legendary kekke genki of the Uchiha clan. I'm a proud father, who can only love from the shadows.

"Sakura!" Shikamaru started to yell her name, but all I can see were her green emerald eyes hiding behind tear full eyelids.

"Sakura! Snap out of it! We need you to do this! Sarada and Sasuke are counting on you! No need to cry now, your family needs you!"

-Sakura, please, stop, I can feel every drop of your warm tears fall onto my cheek. Even when you're crying, I still find you to be the most beautiful kunoichi. I'm glad to call you Uchiha Sakura, but please, Sarada is watching…-

"MAMA! PLEASE….PA...PAPA….!"

I can hear her blocking the shuriken coming her way. A little more training, and all her hesitation will be gone.

-Sakura...please stop crying...I can feel the poison flowing through me. You can't let me die here in your arms like this. My….our daughter is protecting me...us right now..that isn't right…-

I can feel my eyes grow heavy...first my left eye shuts, hiding the rinnegan from the world..And my right eye slowly follows, as I capture the last tear fall from Sakura's eye..Time sits still for a moment…And then through my eyes shut, I see a green glow. This warm and strange feeling yet such a familiar chakra…...Sakura...anata..thank you…..

"SASUKE KUUN!" I yell at the top of my lungs. As I see both of his eyes start to fade away. His heartbeat slowed to a point where if you weren't experienced enough, would consider him dead.

-SHANNARO- My thoughts yelling as I push every ounce of my chakra into him. Destroying every ounce of poison in him. The concoction is lethal but not advanced enough for my healing jutsu to break away the chemical compounds.

"Sasuke..Sasuke please…" I begged even though I didn't know if he could hear me…

"Shikamaru...Sasuke kun...Sarada is here...please...I'm begging you...Sarada is only 10, she can't live her life without a father...you know this better than I do!" I tried to make up everything I said for him to hear me.

-I can't live without you baka! Don't leave me like this...I need you!-