(A\N: Alrighty, sorry if this took longer than expected. There are a lot of important little things in this chapter, so look closely. :D Anyway, enjoy the chapter! :)

Chapter 9

Konoha

Sakura opened her eyes wearily, finding it hard to do so. She felt as if she hadn't slept in a long while. Her body ached, just a little. She could hear birds chirping in the background, and sunlight was hitting her back through the thin sheet, warming it.

It felt nice.

As did the warmth pooling near her stomach. She looked down to see a mop of messy black hair and smiled softly. Mikomi was curled up at her side, arms around her waist, face pressed against Sakura's stomach.

Sakura's fingers went to her forehead and she breathed out a small sigh of relief, noticing the usual white band that she always wore there was still in place. They hadn't taken it off.

"She wanted to sleep with you."

Sakura looked up to see Itachi sitting in a chair beside the bed. His gaze was soft and contemplative, and Sakura looked down at Mikomi once more, running her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"I…" Tears threatened to spill from her eyes but she stopped them. Now was not the time for tears. Deidara would not be forgotten, and she would make sure that like Deidara, she protected Mikomi with her life. But she could not afford to mourn for him now. Later…later she would give him the proper rest he deserved.

"You're not wearing your Akatsuki cloak." Sakura finally murmured.

"Hn." Itachi shrugged, a graceful roll of his muscled shoulders, making his black shirt shift. "Kisame and I destroyed them. It didn't make sense to keep them now."

Sakura nodded as she slowly sat up, making sure she didn't wake Mikomi. "How was Mikomi while I slept?"

"Quiet."

Sakura gave a small frown, a way to hide her worry and tears. "She loved him a lot."

"Hn."

Sakura merely looked down at the hospital gown she was wearing and cringed softly. "How long did Tsunade-shishou say I needed to stay here?"

"She said you could leave when you awoke after a quick check-up."

Sakura nodded once more.

"You stayed."

Sakura blinked, looking over at him. "What do you mean?"

"You could have been killed." Itachi's voice was hard and implacable as he watched her, his eyes glinting crimson.

"Itachi…"

"It was foolish and reckless of you." He grabbed her arm, pulling her closer as he stood from the chair. Their lips met and Sakura's eyes closed, merely enjoying the feeling of his lips against hers. His tongue brushed the edges of her lips, seeking entrance. She gave it to him eagerly, her own tongue running over the roof of his mouth, her teeth tugging at his bottom lip.

One of his hands was running through her hair, the other was steadying him on the edge of the bed, a few inches away from Mikomi's head. Sakura had one of her hands fisted in his dark shirt while the other hung limply at her side.

Itachi pulled away as they both panted softly for air. He stared down into her eyes, his own gaze half-lidded. "Never do that again." His voice held a hint of frustration and anger in it, and his eyes flickered with a strange pleading.

Sakura smiled softly, lifting out a hand to touch his cheek. But he pulled back, standing straight as the door opened.

"Forehead!"

Sakura didn't have much time to think as Ino grabbed her up in a hug, mindful of the young girl sleeping beside her on the bed. "I missed you so much!" Ino's voice was clogged with tears as she held her friend tightly.

Sakura smiled softly, meeting Itachi's eyes over Ino's blonde head. He merely gave a soft grunt, leaving the room with a small turn of the door handle.

"Ino-pig, you're going to wake my daughter up." Sakura chided softly, smiling as she returned the hug.

Ino grinned sheepishly, before her gaze went to the slumbering form beside Sakura. "She's adorable, you know. She looks a lot like you."

"Thanks." Sakura laughed softly. "Most people say she looks like Itachi."

Ino shook her head. "Besides her eyes she has…well, she has your face, kind of, and those are definitely your lips! Besides…she's a lot like you too, from what I saw when she came to the hospital with Itachi to see you. She's quiet like him, but she isn't cold. She's friendly, even if she tries to pretend otherwise."

"Did she say anything? About—about Deidara?" Sakura asked, voice becoming strained at the thought of him.

Ino shook her head. "She hasn't said one word at all. Itachi even asked her some questions but she just…stiffened and looked away."

"Trauma?" Sakura asked softly.

"I think so."

Sakura nodded, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again. "How did everyone take it? I mean…seeing her." She didn't remember much, only that she somehow got to Konoha's gates and was then brought to the hospital.

"Sasuke is still in shock." Ino laughed loudly. "You should have seen his face! He never stopped looking at her. After Itachi brought her to the hospital Tsunade had to practically threaten to castrate him before he'd leave. I think Tsunade was doing it for his own safety. Itachi looked ready to kill. Probably because Sasuke was the one that carried you all the way here."

Sakura laughed softly at the image, before shaking her head. "Sasuke wasn't…mad..?"

"I think at first he was too shocked to be anything and after that he just stared at her in awe. I guess…I guess she looks a lot like his mom." Ino shrugged. "I heard him whisper her name when he was looking at her."

"Oh." Sakura whispered.

"Besides…he's wanted to rebuild the Uchiha Clan for a long time, ne? He's finally getting to see the beginning of it. I'm sure he's elated." Ino's voice was a little dry this time.

"I'd think he'd hate me because it was Itachi who is rebuilding the Clan." Sakura whispered. The man who had destroyed it was the one beginning it anew. Surely that would make Sasuke bitter?

"I think he's finally realized that maybe he can't hold on to his thoughts of revenge." Ino sighed, before cracking a small grin. "He's gotten pretty mature ever since you left." She then pointed down at the small armband on her shoulder. "And looky here, I even get to be a member of Konoha's Military Police. I guess even old fan girls can become the Uchiha hotty's subordinates."

Sakura let out a laugh. "You? A policeman?"

"Hey, you make it sound like I wouldn't be able to handle it." Ino huffed, frowning, before a grin found its way back to her face. "You look awful Forehead, like you haven't eaten in days."

Sakura groaned, "The last thing I remember eating was some dango in Rain…"

"Dear god!" Ino exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how long that must have been? And it's…it's dango that's not filling at all!" Ino was reverting to her 'mother hen' mode as she fussed over Sakura, still careful to keep her voice low enough that Mikomi could sleep.

"Mikomi loves dango." Sakura defended, sighing. "Listen, I need…I guess I need to see Naruto. Where did Itachi go?" She couldn't feel his chakra signature anywhere.

"Well change into these clothes first." Ino held out a packaged she'd had behind her back. "I think your husband went to go speak with the blue guy. That fish-face has been edgy ever since we brought you here—or rather, ever since he got in a fight with Gai and Lee."

Sakura stopped opening the package to stare at Ino incredulously. "He…he got into a fight with…Lee? What happened?"

"Lee and Gai had just come back from a mission and so they jumped into the Hokage's office and you know how Lee and Gai are with their 'dynamic entry'…"

"Oh god…"

"They kicked open the door and it landed on Kisame. He tried to shove his Samehada down Gai's throat and Lee was trying to attack him to defend his sensei's honor and was screaming about 'youth' and all that jazz."

Sakura let out a small giggle at the thought and stopped, feeling guilty. How could she be laughing when not long ago Deidara had died. She was being so…so selfish! Her smile fell and her shoulders slumped as she slowly pulled the clothes out of the package.

Ino seemed to notice her discomfort, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Sakura…you can't feel as if you have to hold everything in. It's ok to smile. I mean, you can't look sad all the time for Mikomi right? She needs you to be happy so she'll be happy."

Sakura looked up at her friend with a small smile. Ino always had a way of making things better.

"Besides, with that emotionless bastard of an Uchiha as her father she needs all the happiness you can give her."

…and ruining them just as quickly.

Sakura's eye twitched a bit. "Ino-pig…that's my husband you're talking about."

Ino grinned. "I know."

Sakura was about to retort when she finally looked down at the clothing Ino had given her. There was a pair of navy shinobi slacks, which wasn't all that strange at all. But the soft grey yukata was another matter altogether.

Stitched on the back, in all its glory, was an Uchiha symbol.

"For the Uchiha matron." Ino smiled.

"Ino…"

"Sasuke was the one who suggested it."

Sakura stared down at the cloth, fingers shaking. "He…" Sasuke…and she couldn't help the small smile that curved upon her lips.

"Put it on, Sakura." Ino ordered. "I'll be outside. We'll head to the Hokage's office and then get some food ok?"

Sakura nodded numbly, until the sound of Ino closing the door behind her broke her from her reverie. She tugged off the hospital gown—after making sure the curtains on the window were pulled shut of course, and then slowly\tentatively\nervously, slipped on the yukata. It felt cool against her skin and for some strange reason, she felt as if more settled onto her shoulders than just the cloth.

The weight and responsibility of the Uchiha Clan, even if only just a little. She wondered idly what it would have been like to meet Itachi's parents. Would she have been able to call Mikoto 'mom'? Would they have even approved of her at all?

The blanket shifted and Sakura turned to see her daughter slowly sit up, rubbing her eyes. She was wearing a new shirt and shorts—her others had been covered in Sakura's blood after all—and her hair stuck up at odd angles.

"Good morning, Miko-chan."

Nothing.

Sakura smiled softly, before walking over to her daughter and running her fingers through her hair, combing it down. Mikomi did nothing, gaze plastered to her feet, which moved back and forth as she pumped her legs impatiently.

"It's ok Miko-chan…" Sakura whispered, gathering her daughter in her arms. Mikomi stiffened, before relaxing, and Sakura felt her shaking.

"Deidara will always live forever right here." She pressed her palm against Mikomi's heart. "So don't worry, ok? Every time you see a bird just remember…it's him sending you a nice little kiss and a 'hello Miko-chan'."

Mikomi's eyes glistened with tears, but she tried her hardest to hold them back as her shoulders shook.

"It's ok to cry, Miko-chan…I won't tell daddy ok? It'll be our little secret."

Mikomi sobbed silently, clutching her mother's new yukata, soaking it with her tears. Sakura merely petted her hair, whispering comforting words to her. "Miko-chan…your father really wouldn't care if you cried. Big girls can cry too."

Mikomi shook her head furiously against her mother's shirt.

"I'm a kunoichi, and I cry sometimes."

Another furious shake.

"And Deidara would think it was pretty stupid not to cry. He likes it when you're expressive, remember?"

And Mikomi slowly nodded. Sakura smiled down at her. "Now let's go, Miko-chan! We're going to get something to eat and then meet up with daddy, ok?"

Mikomi gave another nod, clutching her mother's hands tightly. Sakura merely picked her up, holding her against her hip as she opened the door.

"Dang it took you long enough Forehead—Oh!" Ino whirled around, but her teasing frown turned into a bright smile at the sight of Mikomi, who was watching the girl curiously.

"This must be Miko-chan! You were asleep when I came in to talk to your mommy so we haven't met. I'm her best friend, Ino."

Mikomi merely buried her face in her mother's shoulder.

She didn't like Ino, not one bit. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with her personally but her hair was too blonde and her eyes too blue and it hung in front of her face on one side just like Deidara's and—and Mikomi didn't like that at all.

So she looked away because she didn't want to look at the girl who reminded her so much of her uncle.

Ino seemed a bit worried at Mikomi's reaction, but she merely smiled. "Alright Sakura, I decided that hospital food is out of the question—you remember how nasty that stuff is, right? So we're going to head to Ichiraku!" At this she pointed dramatically down the hall, striking a pose with her other hand placed on her hip.

"Aren't we supposed to go see the Hokage first?" Sakura asked wryly at the sight of her friend's antics. It seemed that no matter how old Ino got she was still the same dramatic girl that Sakura had always known.

"Oh…yeah…" Ino frowned. "Man, I didn't want to talk with him right now…"

"Why not?"

"Er well…" Ino rubbed the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly. "I kind of um…yelled at him earlier about um…something about the mission and sending Atsuko on it and uh…he isn't too happy with me."

"Ino…" Sakura's tone held warning, and Mikomi peeked at the blonde from behind her dark bangs. She was blushing, avoiding Sakura's gaze as they walked. Mikomi tried to ignore all the doctors and nurses that were watching them as they went down the stairs and up to the large receptionist desk.

She sent an Uchiha-worthy glare at the secretary whose gaze had turned a bit too sour for her tastes when she'd looked at her mother. The secretary seemed to notice it because she looked to the little child—and flinched.

Mikomi silently wondered why the people in the hospital looked at her mother with such angry eyes—or shocked gazes. Her mother was a really nice person. She'd never done anything bad. No one should glare at her like that, not unless they wanted her daddy to hurt them for being so mean to her mommy.

"Where are Itachi and Kisame?"

"They're probably at the Hokage's tower. We're still trying to get everything settled. I mean…you guys just popping up here and telling us that Pein and the rest of the Akatsuki want to kill us all…it's just…" Ino gave a small sigh. "It's hectic. There are Anbu and little Chunin messengers running amuck in the Hokage tower. That's another reason I don't want to go in there. It gives me a headache."

Sakura nodded. "Are we…are we being welcomed in Konoha?"

Ino grinned. "Forehead, if Naruto didn't welcome you back to Konoha then he would have been assinated by your staunch defender Sasuke." She giggled. "And with the old council dead and a new one in place well…things move much more smoothly these days."

Sakura gave a small smile, shifting Mikomi on her hip as they walked out into the sunlight. It was blinding at first, and Mikomi blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the light. And then she stared in wonder at the sight before her.

The street was bustling with people: laughing people, screaming people, singing people. Families strolled down the streets with groceries in their arms. Blushing couples walked hand-in-hand, embarrassed to look at each other. Shinobi teams strolled down the streets talking to one another about jutsu and training schedules.

The smell of food made her stomach growl, and there was so much color that it was frightening. She was used to Rain and the darkness that came when Leader-sama always used his rain jutsu. There was never any sunshine, and everything always seemed so monochromatic there.

But here…the sounds almost made her head hurt they were so loud. And the fact that people turned to stare at them as they walked made her uncomfortable…and so did the whispers.

"…Akatsuki…traitor…see that symbol?"

"….Uchiha…massacre…"

"…Hokage-sama…trust…no longer missing-nin…"

If her mother noticed the whispers—and she knew that she did—she ignored them, smiling as she chatted with Ino. Mikomi noticed that Ino was sending vicious glares at the gossiping groups that said anything derogatory, and Mikomi decided that she liked Ino a little more, even if she reminded her of Deidara.

"AHA!" Ino shrieked out, pointing exuberantly. "Ichiraku straight ahead!" She grabbed Sakura's hand and dragged her towards the booth.

"Yamanaka-san." The man greeted, before his eyes went wide at the sight of Sakura and her daughter walking in behind the hyperactive blonde. "…Haruno-san?"

"Uchiha." Sakura amended with a small smile, before sitting down, Mikomi in her lap. The young girl hadn't wanted to sit in the seat beside her, opting for sitting as close to her mother as humanly possible. She fidgeted a bit beneath the man's surprised stare, but her mother's comforting presence surrounded her and she calmed.

"Three miso ramen, please!" Ino chirped, winking at Sakura. Sakura smiled softly, realizing that Ino remembered Sakura's favorite kind of ramen and had decided to order the same for Mikomi. The Ichiraku owner blinked a few times before getting out of his stupor and hurrying with their orders.

"After this we're going to go and see your otousan." Sakura smiled softly at her daughter, who nodded.

"Aw man…do we really have to go to the Hokage Tower after this…?" Ino whined, looking over at her friend with pleading eyes.

Sakura nodded stoically, and Ino groaned.

"Here you are, please enjoy." The man placed the bowls in front of the two women and Sakura placed Mikomi's bowl beside her own.

"Itadakimasu!" Ino sang out before digging into her noodles. Sakura followed behind a bit more sedately, watching Mikomi stir her noodles around in the broth for a few seconds before picking some up with her chopsticks.

Sakura merely gave another smile, watching her daughter eat her noodles stoically. She had the hardest time concealing her laughter at the side of her daughter's serious face as she slurped up a noodle and a bit of the broth splattered across her cheeks, making her blink.

But her laughter and smiles stopped abruptly and turned to shock as a hand reached out and wiped the broth off of Mikomi's cheeks with a napkin.

"I see you like ramen." The soft monotone shook her from her stupor.

Sakura could only turn her head and stare in surprised delight at the person leaning against the booth on her left, his dark eyes soft and thoughtful, his dark hair a little longer than she had remembered it.

"Sasuke."

He smiled.

"Hey! Where the hell is Ino!?" Tenten yelled out, shoving a stack of papers into a disgruntled Chunin aide's arms. Her face was flushed with anger as she glared around the Hokage's office, trying to locate the blonde. "She said she'd bring Sakura here TWO HOURS AGO!" They had been working non-stop since Sakura and the others had arrived.

Hinata smiled softly, trying to calm her soon-to-be sister-in-law. "Tenten-chan…I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this…"

Tenten opened her mouth to retort when Temari spoke, her voice a loud roar that silenced everyone's loud yells. "EVERYBODY QUIET! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THE HOKAGE IS TRYING TO THINK!?"

…

…

…

Everyone exchanged sheepish glances with one another, chuckling softly as they blushed. Naruto merely sighed, before giving Temari a grin, "Thanks." He turned to Shikamaru, "Man, your wife sure knows how to take charge."

"You have no idea." Shikamaru muttered in reply, earning a sharp smack on the head from said wife.

At the moment it was pure chaos in the Hokage's office—and the rest of the tower. Messages were being written and sent to all the different allied villages, information on the Akatsuki was trying to be gathered, and panicked Council members were trying to be calmed.

At the moment they'd been sent out and the only people in the room were the Konoha twelve minus Sakura, Ino, and Sasuke; the Kazekage and his brother Kankuro, Sai, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Kisame, and Itachi. The rest of the old Jonin senseis were out on missions—and were being called back to the village at record pace of course—and Anko was with Ibiki at the interrogation unit.

Chunin aides were also running amuck, relaying messages to Naruto and the others from the hospital where Tsunade and Shizune were stuck at the moment with an influx of wounded, unable to come to the meeting for a few more hours.

"Hey everyone, didja miss us?" Ino poked her head inside, grinning like the Chesire cat.

"THERE you are!" Tenten rounded on the girl but was stopped by Neji who put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head with a sigh to calm her. She deflated a bit, giving her fiancé a small pout that didn't affect him.

Ino merely skipped into the room, followed by Sakura and Sasuke who were walking a bit more sedately.

Itachi stood abruptly, eyes narrowed a bit at the sight in front of him, hands clenched. Kisame choked on his sake, standing, ready to stop Itachi from doing something he'd regret. Everyone else just stared.

Mikomi was holding Sasuke's hand.

Sakura saw Itachi's small glare and sighed softly, walking up to him. She bent close, leaning in and whispering so no one else could hear. "Ita-kun…Sasuke is her uncle. He deserves this. Let them be." Itachi did nothing to show he heard her save for a small relaxation of his tense muscles.

Sasuke stared up at his brother and there was a long moment of silence.

"Itachi."

"Sasuke."

Sakura looked between the two brothers and almost gave another sigh. She was saved, however, by Naruto. He practically leapt up from his seat and launched himself over his desk, landing in front of Mikomi, who jumped backwards, looking like she was ready to get into a defensive crouch.

"Miko-chan!" And he did the worst thing he could have ever done.

He tried to hug her.

Sasuke merely grabbed the girl away from the towering blonde, holding her up as Naruto face-planted into the floor. Mikomi was staring down at the Hokage with wide green eyes.

"Miko-chan…" Naruto whined. "I just wanted to hug her…she's my little niece too teme!"

"Leave her alone dobe." Sasuke intoned. "And she isn't your niece."

"Yes she is!" Naruto argued back, standing and leaning forward towards his friend. "Sakura-chan is like my sister and so that makes me Miko-chan's uncle!"

Kisame gave a loud, frustrated sigh before sitting back down to enjoy his sake. He had a feeling this was going to be a long meeting, especially if the Hokage was prone to random outbursts like this.

"Naruto, we have to get back to the matter at hand." Kakashi drawled, noticing Mikomi's discomfort, Itachi's irritation, and Sakura's waning patience. Sasuke slowly put Mikomi back down on the ground as Naruto gave a defeated sigh.

"Ok, ok…" He waved Kakashi off before going to sit back at his desk. "I guess we'll just have to save introductions for later." And he seemed to become a different person, his cheerful smile hiding behind a serious frown.

"Sakura, you, Itachi, and Kisame escaped from the Akatsuki to tell us that they plan on taking over the world with the power gained from all the nine beasts, correct?"

Sakura nodded.

"They are allied with Cloud." Kisame put in. "So that means they'll have at least one army on their side if not two, if Stone decides to join them. Or…Mist…"

Naruto nodded. "We're allies with several smaller villages, but if what you say is true then that means we'll be fighting against three of the great shinobi villages."

"Suna and Konoha cannot fight them off alone." Gaara added, "even with the help of the smaller villages."

"Not now, since they have all nine beasts." Kankuro groaned out. "Man…you guys gave them the Kyuubi on a silver platter!" He sent a small glare at Sakura and Naruto.

"It was the only way to save Konoha before." Naruto defended, bristling a bit in indignation.

"Besides, what makes you think that the Akatsuki have the Kyuubi?"

…

…

…

Silence reigned after Sakura's calm question. She was smiling softly at them all, her eyes glinting mischievously.

"But…but Sakura-chan you…you took the Kyuubi out of me!" Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

"And we saw you give it to Leader-sama." Kisame cut in. "That chakra in the scroll was huge. It had to have been the Kyuubi."

Sakura merely grinned. "It wasn't."

Naruto blinked a few times, before he gasped as he remembered something from the day of the sealing.

He saw Sakura run her fingers lightly over the two scrolls, biting her lip in concentration.

"Two?" Naruto asked confusedly.

"I can't fit all of it into one." She answered back readily—almost too quickly. "Because of the severity of the jutsu I need to use two scrolls."

"Two…Sakura-chan…one of those scrolls you used…they weren't both for the Kyuubi."

Sakura shook her head. "No Naruto…they weren't."

"But you gave a scroll to Pein with an amazing chakra level. What was that then? It had to be something that could trick him." Kakashi pointed out.

Sakura nodded.

"What did you use?"

Sakura gave a small grin. "It's a secret."

"Sakura-chaaaaaan!" Naruto whined. "Come on, tell us!"

"Sorry Naruto." Sakura shook her head. "But let's just say that the Kyuubi is safe. No one can get him now."

"When Leader finds out that he doesn't have the Kyuubi he's going to come looking for it." Itachi murmured, making the room go quiet.

There was a long moment of silence before Sakura shrugged. "They'll come after us anyway."

Everyone nodded, faces darkening.

"Well, we can't think about this anymore today." Jiraiya sighed, pushing off of the wall he'd been leaning against. "We're all tired and worn out from too many surprises and you guys have been running around nonstop since our team got back to Konoha."

"Yeah." Naruto grumbled. "I guess we all need a good night's sleep."

"Which brings up a good question." Kiba grinned. "Where are they going to stay?" He pointed to the former Akatsuki members.

"How about the Uchiha compound?" Ino suggested.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "No." His rejection was echoed by Sasuke, who merely sneered at his older sibling. No matter if Sakura cared for them both, the two would never get along it seemed. Years of pent-up hatred made getting along a little difficult.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in return. "Why not? Afraid you'll feel too guilty if you return there?"

"Hardly." Itachi drawled.

"I think staying at the Uchiha compound is a good idea." Naruto cut in. "It's got plenty of houses so there's enough space for everyone. And think about it, you two can live in separate houses on opposite sides of the compound if you want! You won't have to see each other at all. And besides, Mikomi needs to see her uncle, right?"

Mikomi merely held her mother's hand, looking from Itachi to Sasuke. While it was true that she had grown to like the quiet dark-haired man that her mother had said was her uncle, she wasn't too sure about him still. Her shinobi training told her not to trust him, even if she wanted to. And besides, her daddy didn't seem to like him at all. But her mother did…she was confused, and she bit her lip, squeezing her mother's hand tightly.

"The Uchiha compound is fine." Sakura finally decided. We need to resolve this, one way or another. I won't have Mikomi stuck between these twos' hatred for one another.

"Alright, the Uchiha compound it is then!" Naruto agreed, catching Sakura's gaze and winking. She smiled back. Naruto then stood, stretching. "This meeting is officially ended. Everybody meet back here tomorrow afternoon. Try and sleep in, I have a feeling we won't be getting much sleep soon."

There was a chorus of agreement as everyone filed out of the room, leaving only Sasuke, Kisame, Itachi, Sakura, and Mikomi. Naruto was standing at the door, waiting for them to leave so that he could lock the office behind them.

"Let's go then." Sasuke said stiltedly, walking towards the door. Sakura watched his retreating back worriedly. She wondered if there was really any way that this could be resolved peacefully. But she wanted so badly for Mikomi to know and love both her uncle and her father.

And Sakura would be damned before she let the two of them ruin Mikomi's future with their constant hatred of the past.

The clearing was silent, with a few birds chirping in the distance. Their cheerful song was almost a mockery of the depressing scene below, which was bathed in bright sunlight. The entire clearing was a field of uprooted trees and shattered boulders.

Only something like Deidara's highest explosives could have caused this, or so Sasori believed.

The only explosives you had that could have made this would have killed you in the process, Sasori thought, and his thoughts were troubled. He had always been fond of Deidara, had considered him more than just a mission partner.

But all the facts led to his death, and Sasori had always known that such a thing was inevitable. Deidara had always wanted to die in an eplxosive manner. Well…he had gotten his wish.

Sasori slowly crouched down next to a pile of rocks, picking up a small sliver of an orange mask. His face was stoic and emotionless as he stood, dropping the piece of ceramic and crushing it under his sandal as he turned to leave.

There was nothing left here anyway.

He began walking away when he heard a small groan from behind him and stopped, slowly turning.

He hadn't even seen the body earlier, as it had been hidden from his view by a few boulders from the direction he'd come from. He walked over to the bleeding body slowly, stopping a few feet away. And he merely looked down at the pitiful figure lying on the ground in front of him. Blood was oozing from beneath a black and crimson cloak.

"H…elp…"

His voice was so desperate, so full of pain. He looked pitiful and helpless, so unlike the person that Sasori knew him as.

But then again, Madara had only been using him as a vessel.

He had said that the body was weak and the man's pleading eyes proved it. A weak Uchiha, one that wouldn't have been useful at all for anything else. So Sasori crouched down next to the body he had always known as Madara and who the others had known as Tobi. If this was "Tobi" then that meant Madara was either dead or as close to dead as an immortal could get.

Pein would not be pleased—or perhaps he would be because that was one less obstacle to deal with. But then again Madara was, if anything, resourceful and stubborn. Sasori doubted he had died, even with the magnitude of Deidara's jutsu. He turned the body of the dying Uchiha over and the man spit up a mouthful of blood in the process. The liquid speckled across Sasori's shoe.

The man could make a useful puppet, he supposed. He could use him against Hatake Kakashi, maybe trick Konoha into believing that he was still alive. Sasori shook his head, sighing. He would not do that and he knew it.

Because whether or not anyone else could see it, he'd developed a soft spot for the little pink-haired kunoichi as well. And Kisame and Itachi had been his partners for longer than he could remember.

Deidara…you fool, he thought angrily. You should have sided with Leader-sama. Everything would have been so much easier if you and the others had done what Leader-sama asked…

If Sakura had only done what Leader-sama had asked.

Everything would have been fine at the moment if that had happened. But instead everything was such a jumbled mess of tangled problems and questions and lies that Sasori felt as if he were getting a headache—which was impossible of course, but he couldn't help but think that he was getting one.

The stress certainly wasn't good for him.

And neither was the guilt.

Especially as he saw the small little object lying a few feet away, resting against a burnt stone. It was the little wooden bird he had carved for Mikomi. He walked over to the rock, picking up the bird and putting it carefully in his pocket. Then he slowly turned and looked at the dark-haired Uchiha once more.

His breathing was harsh and irregular—he'd probably punctured his lung, judging by the way he was spitting up so much blood—and his body was covered in burns and cuts.

Sasori merely sighed.

"We'll meet you guys back here in a few hours." Sakura spoke, grabbing Mikomi's hand. They stood in front of the Uchiha compound in silence which was broken by Sakura's voice.

"Eh?" Kisame grunted. "Where are you guys going?"

"Nowhere in particular." Sakura smiled back. She looked over at Itachi's questioning gaze and she sighed, "I'll tell you when we get back, alright?"

Itachi nodded, though he looked as if he didn't quite believe her. And she also knew he was angry about her leaving him with Sasuke. Alone. In the Uchiha Compound.

"We'll be back in no time. An hour or two at the most." She tugged on Mikomi's hand and the young girl followed her, gaze curious. "Come on Miko-chan!" They began walking away before anyone could voice a protest.

Halfway down the street Sakura turned back to yell over her shoulder, "I'm trusting you to keep the peace, Kisame!"

Kisame merely grinned, shaking his head as Sakura and Mikomi continued walking, disappearing into the throngs of people in the streets.

"Come on Miko-chan." Sakura smiled softly down at her daughter, trying to purvey an air of cheerfulness. "I want you to meet my okaasan. And then…" Her smile faltered a little, but still held. "Then we'll go see your daddy's okaasan and otousan tomorrow, ok?"

She saw the question in Mikomi's eyes, even if the child did not ask it: why weren't they going to go see Sakura's father?

Sakura merely grabbed a hold of Mikomi's hand and they continued their walk. The streets were becoming a little less crowded the more they walked. Mikomi didn't know where they were going, really, but decided that it was ok, as long as her mother was happy.

She was still a little bit in shock from meeting all the different people that her mother said were friends—or rather, having them stare at her. She always hated it when people stared at her. Staring meant you had gained their attention and her daddy always told her that it was a shinobi's duty to make sure they were never seen or heard. So being put on the spot made her feel vulnerable.

"Miko-chan…you aren't scared of Sasuke are you? You seemed to be afraid of him whenever he comes near you." Sakura spoke softly.

Mikomi shook her head, not speaking.

Sakura sighed softly, but merely began swinging her arm, in turn swinging Mikomi's as she hummed softly. She saw the corner of Mikomi's mouth tip up in the hint of a smile at the little tune and Sakura grinned at her accomplishment.

"That's good, I'm glad you're not afraid of him. Sasuke loves you very much."

Mikomi looked doubtful.

"Miko-chan…your father doesn't like many of my friends because…my friends and your daddy used to fight a lot. Like…like Hidan and Kakuzu. They act like they hate each other but deep down you know that they're really friends." It was a stretch but Sakura wanted to make sure that Mikomi didn't think she had to choose between her father and her mother's friends.

Mikomi nodded, looking a bit relieved.

Sakura continued, "So don't think that your daddy doesn't like them. He's like that to everyone, ne?" She grinned, as if she and Mikomi were sharing a secret. "He's emotionless to everyone else but we know better right? He's a softy at heart."

Mikomi smiled a bit more, looking like she wanted to laugh at the thought of her dad being a 'softy' but merely nodded, because she knew her daddy wasn't as emotionless as everyone thought he was.

"So people like me and you have to make sure your daddy doesn't get lonely, ok?" Sakura continued. "It's our job to make sure your daddy's coldness doesn't make people hate him, because we know he really doesn't want that, does he?"

Mikomi shook her head, still smiling.

Sakura grinned again, but her smile faded a bit as they stopped in front of a large gate. "Here we are, Miko-chan…the Haruno compound…" Sakura breathed in deeply, and Mikomi thought it looked like she was trying to gather up her courage and strength for a hard battle as she took a step forward, pushing the gate open softly.

It didn't make a sound as it moved, and Sakura led Mikomi into the small courtyard in the middle of the Haruno compound, just inside the gate. She knew her father was there somewhere, but he wouldn't sense them—Sakura's chakra was hidden and Mikomi's was too small to be noticeable by him yet.

Mikomi held her mother's hand tighter, seeing her mother's eyes begin to glisten as they neared the garden in the middle of the courtyard, where a small grey stone was placed. There were words on it, but Mikomi didn't read them as her mother let out a shaky breath.

"This is my okaasan, Miko-chan." Sakura bent down next to the grave.

Mikomi blinked, noticing just then that yes, the grey stone was indeed a grave. The entire area seemed more somber now, even if the grave was surrounded by colorful flowers.

So…her mommy's okaasan was dead then? Mikomi knelt down next to her mother, looking at the grey stone curiously.

"She would have loved to meet you very much. Even if my okaasan and your daddy's okaasan and otousan aren't here, they can still see you from where they are and they love you very much Miko-chan!"

Her mother was crying softly, the tears running down her cheeks, even as she smiled, trying to be strong from her daughter. Mikomi merely slipped one hand into her mother's, giving it a small squeeze.

Then she reached out her other small hand and tentatively touched the weathered stone. It was cold against her fingers.

"She loved orange roses too, just like you Miko-chan." Sakura held her daughter close, gazing at the small bush entwined around the stone. "She would have spoiled you rotten. She always wanted a granddaughter. She thought I would never settle down and have children."

Mikomi still did not talk.

Sakura's gaze darkened with worry, but she merely continued to smile. "We can stay a while, or we can go see your daddy's okaasan and otousan if you want."

Nothing, just a flicker in her eyes as she held Sakura's hand tightly in her own, staring at the stone.

Sakura sighed, and was about to speak when she heard a gruff voice behind her.

"What are you doing here?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, before she turned around slowly, shielding Mikomi with her body even as she furiously wiped the tears from her face.

…

…

…

"…otousan."

(A\N: Well here ya go! I hope you guys liked it. :D I know…some of you were hoping that the person Sasori found was Deidara but…I'm sorry everyone, he's really dead. There won't be any magical jutsu to bring him back. But remember, he's dead but not forgotten! :D Anyway, I know I promised a meeting between Sakura, Mikomi, and Lord Haruno in this chapter but…meh…it'll be in the next one. And so will a scene between Itachi and Sasuke, and more on Sasuke's thoughts on Mikomi. And there will be ItaSaku moments coming up in later chapters, now that they're in Konoha.

Anyway, see ya guys later! I'm going to go try and write some Shades of Grey.

Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)