5 chapters at least.

!~ Chasing Red ~!

"Mama," A black haired girl with glasses looked up from her homework and stared at her mother who was busy cleaning a shelf that held their new family photo.

The girl smiled to herself as she now had a nice family photo of her mama and papa with her. "Do you think papa will be back soon?"

The older woman with soft pink hair stopped her task and smiled at her daughter. "He's on a mission Sarada,"

"I know that mama," She smiled. "But when will he be back?" She pushed up her glasses and pouted. "He said that he will contact you when he'll be close by."

"Oh," Sakura nodded "He called last week and told me that in a week or two he will back, you know your father," She turned away so her daughter would not see her sad smile. "Always away on important missions."

"I hope he finishes his task soon." Sarada stood up from her chair and stretched. "Mama I'm done with my homework, I'm going to go now to practice my throwing skills,"

"Alright," Her mother smiled. "Be safe and be back before dinner time."

"Yes mama,"

Sakura smiled even more as she watched her daughter run out to practice, then her mood turned sour as the memories of her conversation with the Hokage she had a few months ago came back to her.

He was just here and yet again he left.

'Missions….he says he's on a mission….but I know the truth…'

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

"Naruto," She called at him and he rose his head from his paperwork. "I need to speak to you."

Sakura had barged into the Hokage office one day demanding to know why her husband's mission were one after another with no time to rest or see her and their daughter.

She didn't let him speak till all her thoughts and pent up feeling were released.

"He already called me Sakura-chan to let me know he finished his mission 3 weeks ago." Naruto calmly replied as she calmed down from her anger and stress.

"Then what the hell!?" She clenched her fist. "Why has he not arrived home?"

The blond straightened his sitting position and sighed. "He told me he had a personal mission to attend to,"

"Personal Mission?" She loosened her grip.

"I tried to ask him what it was about but he just tells me that soon he will give me all the details and to not worry."

"Make him tell you," She spoke confidently. Even though she was married to the man and even had a child with him, there was some boundary that she has yet to overcome but she knew that Naruto was closer to him. The Hokage was closer to him than his own wife….

"I tried but I think I have an idea on what, no," He stopped and rubbed his short blond hair in exhaustion. "Rather who he is looking for."

"A new enemy?"

He nodded in disagreement. "His old team members,"

A memory of a white haired man, tall orange hair man, and a red haired woman came into her mind. "Orochimaru's old experiments?"

Naruto flinched at her words but ignored them. "I think he wants to find them and re-create a team with them, a special team for the village."

Her fists were once again prepared. "Why? Why would he need them? We can be a team once more and-,"

"We can't," he said firmly. "As the Hokage I can't just leave the village and you know very well why you cannot be part of his team."

"I," She was shocked at the tone Naruto used on her. He was a leader she knew that but she hadn't seen him so serious, not like this towards her.

"You have to stay for your daughter," He seemed to calm down a bit.

"She'll come with us," His eyes widened at her words.

"Sakura," He now stood up and placed both his hands on his work table. "That's a stupid idea and you know it,"

"I can protect her, he will protect us," She tried to convince him and herself. "Sasuke-kun would never let anything happen to us, we are his family."

Naruto sighed once more and looked at her sadly. "I blame myself for not noticing that you left on that day to chase him while you were pregnant." She looked down the floor in embarrassment. "Do you know how much you had me worried? I'm just glad that you found someone to deliver Sarada."

"Yeah," She answered.

'I was lucky he was travelling with her…' She frowned to herself.

"I know you miss him, I miss Hinata when I go speak to the other Kages, but you have to understand that he'll be back,"

"I know," She smiled at her old teammate. "I just wish he would be for Sarada a bit more and a bit less on his mission."

"When he comes back I'll speak to him about it, don't you worry."

"Thank you."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

Since that day she wondered why it was taking him so long to find the three missing-nins.

Until one month ago when Sarada tried to find Sasuke on her own.

They had a small reunion in over 12 years of not seeing each other and Sakura was filled with joy. But it only lasted a while.

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!

"Papa!" Sarada hugged her father and Sakura stood still in full joy of seeing her two loved ones hug each other. "Mama!"

Her daughter loosened her hold on her father and waved for her mother to join.

Sakura blushed but ran to them. 'A hug with Sasuke-kun,' She stretched her arm and was happy that Sasuke did not pull away. 'Sasuke-kun,'

"Aw," A voice broke her thoughts. "How nice, I didn't know you had it in you Sasuke," A white haired man laughed as he drank water.

"Congratulations," A tall man with orange hair bowed at the three. "Sasuke I am glad you were able to have a family."

"Juugo, Suigetsu," Sasuke stood up and faced the men. He looked over them as he was searching for something…..or someone. "Is Karin here?"

"No," Juugo spoke. "She hasn't been here over in 7 month."

She saw how Sasuke smirked. "But she has been here."

Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah, she comes here to re-stock on supplies and help Juugo on his rage."

The orange haired man smiled. "She has created a treatment to suppress my intent to kill."

Sasuke nodded but had many questions "I have come across here several time in 12 years and I have not seen her here or anywhere I have searched. Do you know of a location she tends to stay in for more amounts of time?"

"She goes and comes. She can sense our Chakra so sometimes she finds us as we move around as well." He drank his water in boredom. "You telling me you haven't seen here in like what 12 years?"

The dark haired man nodded. "Juugo do you know anything about her whereabouts or if she carries a phone?"

"I am currently trying to live a normal life in a village 100 miles to the west, away from here. She comes by to give me treatment then she leaves. She stays for a couple of days and then she's gone by morning. I'm sorry but that's all the information I have."

"When does she arrive?"

"She is random but if you want I can provide a room for you and you can wait for her arrival."

"No," He responded in a soft voice. "She'll sense me before I could sense her and she'll avoid me."

"I will talk to her, is there something you need of her?" Juugo asked in pure curiosity.

"Yeah Sasuke why you looking for her? I thought you two had plans and travelling together?" Suigetsu smiled. "Then all of sudden she comes here with a pissed attitude and she started acting weird."

"Is Karin the girl in the photo we have at home?" Sarada came into the conversation.

"Yes," He responded with a bit surprise as he had forgotten he had left an old team photo of him and her at his house.

"What is she to you papa?" She looked up to him with her black eyes. "Is she a friend of the family?"

"She's-,"

"She's the one who helped me in giving birth to you." Sakura walked up and held onto her daughter. "She's an old comrade of your dad."

"Oh," Sarada was in deep thought and then she gave out a smile. "Papa I think I have seen her in the village when I was 9 years old."

"What?" Sasuke looked at his daughter in surprised. "In the village?"

"Yes! I think I remember her," She gave out a pout. "She had red eyes and red hair, she even had similar glasses like me. She came to my school and gave me a new pair of glasses, I thought she was a doctor."

"The village." He tsked. "Naruto."

"Sasuke-kun,"

"Let's go back to the village, I need to talk to Naruto."

!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Sakura gave out another sigh.

Since that day he had been searching for her.

He still is.

Thank you for reading.

Review? Comment?