Ok, heres the next chapter!! Please review!
~~~Chap 7~~~
I ran the whole way to the gates, my mind far away from my body. I could feel my baby wiggling around on my back, but it only registered in the back of my mind. The memories that came back of the elders, they hadn't liked me at all. What would they think about my daughter? Would they hate her because she was mine? Or would they try to use her like they did her father? I glanced at Gaara, he was watching me. My hands reached behind me and rested on Shakana's back. I smiled at Gaara, he looked away.
It wasn't a long run, but it still tired me out. I was glad that I could keep up with the others, even though I was the last in the group. Gaara lead the group, Hinata stayed by my side. She started to fill me in on stuff that was going on, but she realized that I needed to remember who people were to understand what she was talking about. TenTen, the girl with brown buns from my dream, she was dating a guy named Neji, who was also Hinata's cousin. Kankuro was a big player and never dated, just slept around. Hinata said that the girls in the village were getting smart and were staying far from him, I laughed at that. She told me a little about the guy named Neji, her cousin. He was like Gaara, quiet and always had a mask on. That confused me, because the whole time sense the jail house, Gaara had never hidden anything from me, not even the pain he felt. TenTen was as hyper as always, Neji had his hands full with her. And the little girl I used to teach, Anna, she was now teaching some of the other girls how to use a bow. Hinata said that she really missed me, just as much as she had. I think I was like the girls mother, always there for her and everything. She said that Anna still lived in the orphanage with no one but herself, I frowned at this.
It took about a half hour to reach the village gates, even at the fast speed we ran at. My legs felt like Jello when we stopped before the gigantic gates. Gaara and Naruto were not with the group when Hinata and I caught up, Temari said they were getting the elders in his office, they were going to be the first to know about Shak. I could feel me breathing starting to become ragged. Hinata helped me take her from my back and I held her close to my chest. The gates opened a crack and Gaara and Naruto slipped through. Gaara came to my side and kissed Shakana's head.
"Hide her under this." He put a dark brown cloak around her shoulders and clasped the clasp on her neck, his fingers lingered a little to long on her skin. "We need to go strait in to see the elders before you can talk to anyone. TenTen understands and will be waiting for you." He whispered to me. I nodded and took a deep calming breath. He stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes calculating. I gave him a small smile and turned towards the gates as they started opening.
Gaara stood at my side, Naruto and Hinata in front of us. Temari was at my other side, Kankuro in the back, I was in the middle of them all, and as soon as we entered the village, I saw why.
People were all crowded in front of the gates, a few of the people were holding the others back. Everyone was cheering and some were yelling my name, I smiled and kept walking, holding my daughter closer to my chest. One girl was standing next to a tall man that had long black hair, she was smiling at me, when I caught her eye she winked. The man beside her just nodded. I nodded with a small smile, I easily recognized TenTen from my dreams. She was taller, and her hair wasn't all up in its buns. And she wasn't wearing the same shirt, though her pants were the same. Her shirt was now a belly long sleeve. Red and White, just like her other one had been. The man, Neji, had the same pale eyes as Hinata, I don't remember him. He was wearing a skirt over some pants, Hinata said it had something to do with family tradition for men.
The line of people went all the way to a large tree. I looked up at the massive tree house and gulped. I wasn't to sure on height's, I hadn't been up higher then the balcony, but that had something to keep me fro falling and was made of stone.
"Are you ready?" Gaara whispered as he slipped his arm around me waist. I took one of my arms from under the cloak and wrapped it around his neck, nodding as I shut my eyes. I could feel small chuckles shake his body. We were suddenly swinging in the air, I risked opening my eyes. Gasped at when I saw.
We were half way up to the tree house, I could see most of the village from here. The small huts were not to close together, having just enough room for children to play. The sun beams were coming through the trees canopy, sending beams of light here and there, the shadows made it look dream like. Now I know why I didn't believe that this place was real, it was like a dream, and still is. All of the colors mixed together well, it was all earthy. A few children were standing in the small yards looking at us as we flew upwards to the tree house, they smiled and waved.
We landed on the top, I didn't look away from the village. Gaara's other arm wrapped around me and he kissed my hair. "The village has gotten a lot bigger." He whispered. I nodded and looked up at him, he was looking at me with a small smile.
"It's beautiful." I whispered back.
"It is." Temari smiled as she jumped up from the ladder. "We should go inside." Naruto climbed up behind her and followed us into the tree house.
Gasps were heard all around the room as I walked in behind Gaara. I grabbed his hand and pulled his face down closer to mine. "You didn't tell them?!" I hissed quietly. Low enough so only he, and I guess Temari could hear, she laughed from behind me.
"Other's would have known." He whispered to me, his face was calm with a tint of humor in his eyes. I scowled at him and pulled my arm back into the cloak, playing softly with Shakana's short hair.
Gaara looked down at me for a few more seconds before turning and walking over to the head of the table, standing in front of the large chair, he motioned for me to stand next to him. I quietly took my spot at his side, Temari at the other. All the elders were whispering to each other, throwing glances at me, my arms tightened around my daughter. I was scared that they would take her from me. My eyes flickered to Gaara, I could feel the panic rising in my throat. He was looking at me again, I could see worry mixed in his eyes. I swallowed the lump and took a deep breath, turning back to face the wrinkly elders with my chin held high. I could see Gaara turn to them too from the corner of my eye.
"Gaara-sama, What is going on?" A wrinkly old women asked, her eyes were hidden by all the extra skin around her eyes. But I could still tell she was scowling.
"Sakura is back." He simply said, sitting down in his chair and glancing at me from the corner of his eye. I could see his eyes rest where one of my elbows made a little bulge in the cloak from holding Shakana.
"I see that, but why?"
"Naruto and I found her." He glanced at Naruto who was standing by the door. "Well, Naruto did. Sakura had lost her memory. Uchiha Sasuke filled her head with lies and they were not reveled until Sakura stumbled upon Naruto while he was being trialled. Sakura saved his life by taking Sasuke away, instead of immediate death it was posponed. That night, Sakura came down to the jail house to find out who he was, she had been having odd dreams where he was in. She helped him then went with him while he helped me get out. We had to take her with us when we left, she was caught helping us. They would have been both sent to death-"
"We know the penalty for that, Gaara-sama." The old women interrupted, Gaara didn't look happy about that. "You said 'they'. Explain." She lifted her chin as she looked at me, I looked back at her the whole time as I removed my cloak. More gasps echoed in the room.
"When we found her, or she found us," Naruto moved from the door to stand at the end of the table. "She was pregnant. We still took her with us, and man was it a chore." He laughed scratching the back of his head with a grin.
"I thought it was Sasuke's child." I said, looking down at my baby. "I didn't want to leave at first, but then I started remembering little details, like the tree houses, some of my old friends. When she was born," I turned back to the elders. "I never thought that she was Gaara's child. I thought she was a Uchiha, not a Sabaku." More gasps. I smiled at their confused faces, Gaara seemed to like it to. "I didn't remember me and Gaara until I saw our little girl. The I remembered a little, I still don't remember everything, but I do some."
They were speechless, all staring at the bundle in my arms with big eyes. Shakana's hand reached up and rubbed against my cheek, I smiled down at her. Her big green eyes were bigger then normal, her small hair a little longer then I remembered. My smile turned into a frown. I glanced at Gaara, he was on his feet looking down at her. He gently rubbed her hair, it grew as he touched it. I gasped and looked at him with big eyes, he had the same look when our eyes met. Shakana's hands reached up for her daddy, he took her and looked closely into her eyes, I watched closely.
"What's going on?" I whispered. I could feel the tears prickling my eyes.
"I don't know." He whispered back, his face still close to hers. "She's getting a little bigger every second. But how?" He seemed to be talking to himself, Temari was by my side now, watching them as I was. I glanced nervously at the elders, they were whispering again. What would they do if they thought she was a monster?
"What is the child's name?" A man asked, he was sitting next to the wrinkly lady.
"Shakana." I said not looking away from Gaara, he was looking back at me. "Shakana Sabaku." I took a step closer to them and laid my hand on her head, my eyes slowly drifted from his to hers. She was looking up at her daddy, she smiled and giggled. A smile crept to my face at the sound, it was like bells. Temari let out a small "Aw", Gaara looked up at me and his lips twitched at the corners. It was weird to see him like this, hiding everything from me. He was so open over the last couple weeks, he was different now, his face only showed boredom and anger, though he never looked at me like that, last time he did a rock hit his temple. I looked at the small scratch that was left from the rock, a small chuckle came from my lips, he looked at me with confusion swirling in his jade orbs. I softly rubbed my temple looking down then back up at him, he rolled his eyes.
"How old?"
"A day." Gaara answered this time.
More gasps then some whispers about me already being out and about. Some were displeased but I thought I heard a few worried tones. "What do you plan on doing with it?"
I turned and glared at the old women, she sank back in her seat. "I am are going to rais my daughter and she will live here." My voice was almost a growl. "Do you object to that?" I could see the terror in the womens eyes, a smug smile came to my lips when she shook her head. "Good."
"Told you it was a big chore!" Naruto laughed, Temari joined in, no one else laughed, I stared at him with the same glare. He gulped and took a few steps back even though we were about five ten feet from each other. Was I really that bad?
"How do you plan on raising the child?" The man next to the old women asked, looking me directly in the eye.
"Explain." I said, slightly confused about what he ment. How else could you raise a child then how you normally do?
"Are you going to raise her Sakura-sama, or are you both going to raise her?"
"Oh." Was all that came out of my mouth, the anger sizzled away and was replaced by uncertainty. I didn't know what to say from here on. I looked at Gaara for help, he was looking at me waiting for my answer. I realized then that he didn't care if we were together, he wanted it, I could see the longing in his eyes. "Together." I said and looked back at the elder. "We will raise our daughter together." My voice had a more certain sound to it, I knew this was what I was going to do. I was going to live with my daughter and raise her with her father.
I hope you liked it! Please Review and let me know!! thank you!
