I got the most amazing review from eliimg that was just lovely. I really appreciate your kind words and it's nice to know that people like you exist in the world of the internet where people just say the most awful things. So, this chapter is dedicated to you. Thanks, I hope you stick around because its people like you that make me want to keep writing stories. Thank you for the support and I hope you will enjoy this story.

Thanks everyone else who commented and/or liked it as well, please continue to let me know how you are finding the story so far.

Chapter 10- Disappointments

Sarada stared with wide eyes at her father, tears brimming at the rim of her eyes. Her gaze turned to her mother sitting beside her on the bed. Her mother's kind and sad eyes made her turn back towards the cold eyes of her father sitting on a chair in front of her. It didn't take long for her anger to boil and turn into rage.

"You are a monster." She managed to somehow keep her voice in control though her vision was completely blurry. She saw something akin to sadness in his eyes for a moment but she couldn't find it in herself to sympathize with this horrible person.

"Sarada…" her mother attempted gently to calm her down. But she was all rage, her fists trembling at her sides as she stood up, her father following suit abruptly standing so so tall, so so far.

"I hate you…I hate you so much. You might be my father but you will never hear me call you that." Her growling was only stopped by the resonating slap that stung her soft cheek. Her eyes widened even more, her hand having automatically cradled her stinging cheek. Her brimming tears finally escaped as her eyes finally landed on where the slap had come from. Her shocked and sad eyes turned to the equally shocked and sad green eyes of her mother. Her mother's hand flew towards her own face as it covered her mouth in shock.

As the tears flowed down her face, Sarada pushed past both her parents and ran out of the room. She didn't even notice the two figures that were in front of her as she pushed past them as well.

"Looks like she found her answers." Suigetsu said looking at Karin as she watched Sarada's back.

Sarada ran and ran finally making it out of the maze like hideout. The sun hit her eyes and she squinted her puffy and red eyes with tears still falling out of them. Small sobs escaped her and her small shoulders shook. She finally walked over to the nearest tree and sat down under it with her back resting on the bark.

He had wanted her because she was a weapon. He had wanted to use her to hurt the world, to hurt the very people she cared the most about. And her mother hadn't even had a choice in having her. How did her mother not hate her? How did she care about her so much when she had destroyed her youth with an unwanted child from an unloving man? Thoughts of her mother lead her to the resounding slap. Her small hand went up to her cheek.

Her mother had never hit her before. And it was all that horrible man's fault too. She and her mother were both hurting so much because of his selfishness. Until now her image of her father had been one of power. She imagined him to be someone who no one would trifle with, who everyone respected because he was so strong. She had respected him. As mad as she was because of his obvious abandonment, she was still filled with pride just at the thought of him because of all the great things her mother had told her about him. Now that image in her head is replaced by the image of the monster that wanted to make a weapon out of her. The monster that had ruined her mother's life at the age of seventeen for the sake of power.

Sakura sat back down on the bed still shocked from the events of the last few minutes. Tears escaped from her wide eyes and her heart ached at the surprised look of her daughter's face as the slap resounded inside the small dark room. A sob escaped her lips as Sarada's dark eyes, filled with what could only be betrayal, had looked up at her. What could she be thinking right now? That her own mother had abandoned her for someone who wasn't even there half of the time?

But…that's not what had happened. She didn't even know what had happened. But she knows Sasuke's reasons, she may not agree with them, but she understands them and she knows despite everything, Sasuke loved Sarada…more than life itself. She couldn't bare the pain that has passed across his pale face at Sarada's words. If nothing else, Sakura had taught Sarada to respect her elders, most of all her parents. And Sasuke didn't deserve that, not from the one person he treasured the most in his life.

"I've never hit her before. I've never needed to." He muttered, may be to Sasuke, may be to herself, she wasn't entirely sure. Sakura stood up, wiping her face with the heel of her palm and walked out of the room intending to find her daughter, leaving Sasuke behind.

Sasuke finally found his mobility and sat down on the hard surface of the bed where his wife and child had been sitting. His heart ached, the pain reminding him of the night, now so many years ago, his family had been killed by the person he loved the most. How is it possible he is being denied happiness so many times?

The first time his family was taken from him, he had no idea why it had happened. Why life was so cruel and wicked. But he couldn't blame confusion anymore because he knew exactly why his family was breaking apart. Him and his stupidity. Him and his decisions. Him and his fears. Sasuke felt he should find Sarada and comfort her as much as she didn't want it, but he felt so out of place, like he didn't belong with the two of them. He felt as if the two of them will be happier without him. Just as he had slowly chipped away at Sakura's life, he feared he may be slowly chipping away at Sarada's too.

Sakura walked through the cave, turning left and right trying to find her daughter's small chakra signature. She had no idea where Sarada could be. According to Karin and Suigetsu, who she hadn't even had time to say hi to, she had come this way. Sakura wasn't sure what Sarada might do in her haste. She didn't want her running away again. She hurried her footsteps as that thought crossed her mind. Finally finding the small flicker of chakra, she hurried towards it, knowing Sarada was above ground.

Stepping out into the sunlight, she put her arm in front of her to cover her eyes from the bright light of the sun. Squinting her emerald eyes and running them over the surrounding area, she found her daughter under the tree across from her, with her knees pulled to her chest and her chin resting on her knees.

Her heart gave out at the tortured look on her small, pale face. Sakura let out a sigh before walking towards Sarada. She looked up at her with red tear filled eyes. Sakura sat down beside her, her own knees pulled half way to her chest. she didn't say anything because she didn't know what to say to make her understand how sorry she was. Before she could make up her mind though, Sarada spoke up, her voice small and trembling.

"Do you hate me?" the question was so absurd, Sakura looked at her daughter with eyes as wide saucers unable to find where the question has come from. She couldn't believe that that stupid slap has caused her to think such a thing.

"What!?" she finally asked, finding her voice. "What would make you think such a thing?" she asked incredulously. Sarada hesitated for a moment contemplating telling her mother everything just like always.

"Because you didn't choose to have me. Because I was forced on you because of…him." She said, her eyes filling with fresh tears. Sakura looked at her daughter with saddened eyes. She knew that Sarada already thought her father didn't love her, now here she was thinking the same about her mother.

"That's true…I didn't choose to have you." She finally said looking up at the blue skies, not a cloud in sight. She saw from the corner of her eyes as Sarada's head dropped even lower if possible. "But I can't believe, after spending so much time together, you would think such a thing." She said leaning her head back on the bark of the tree.

"But mama…how can you possibly love me?" she asked, still unsure. Its not that she didn't believe her mother loved her. It was that…how? For twelve years her mother had been both her mother and father and as she grew up, her mother became her best friend. There is nothing she wouldn't tell her mother. For such a long time, it was just she and her mother. Before this, she knew that her mother loved her more than life itself because aside from telling her every chance she got, her mother showed it to her as well. Through the nights her mother stayed by her when she was scared, through times her mother had chased away the monsters under her bed, through the sleep overs she had had in her mother's room when she felt lonely, through the kimonos and the dresses she had tried on that belonged to her mother while her mother did her make up, through the way she would glare at anyone who dared to call her "the Uchiha brat", through the tears her mother would cry when she thought Sarada wasn't looking. Through all of it, she knew her mother loved her, but how could she, how could she love the thing that took away her youth from her, took away her chance to be with a man who really loved her?

"Because you are so adorable, that's why." Sakura teased, pinching her daughter's already pink cheeks. Sarada's surprised dark eyes snapped to her mother's green eyes that she had always wished she had inherited. Her mother smiled at her and that smile reminded her of something, something that made her forget her question because it was irrelevant.

Sakura crossed her legs tucking one under the other and motioned for Sarada to come closer. She didn't hesitate in quickly sitting on her mother's lap while her mother wrapped her arms around her small body pulling her back closer towards her mother's body. With the back of her head resting on her mother's shoulder, she leaned back also looking up at the sky just as her mother had been. He felt her mother's lips land on her head with a gentle kiss that she held for so many seconds but Sarada still wished lasted longer.

Why? What a stupid question. Her mother didn't need a reason to love her. It doesn't matter why he loved her. It mattered that she does. It mattered that her mother would pull her close when she was upset, it mattered that her mother cried at her sadness. It mattered that she was here, protecting her and loving her. Why did she ever felt the need to find her father when her mother was all she needed, when her mother had never let her feel the absence of her father? They didn't need anyone else, they just needed each other, that was all that mattered.

To: naruhina (Guest): You are partly right but not entirely about the story, I guess you'll just have to keep reading. Thanks for the review I really appreciate you guys letting me know what you think about the story, but I do have to disagree with your take on the idea that the person who carried you to term is automatically your mother. There is so much more to being a mother than giving birth. That's just one tiny part of being a mother, the rest is taking care of them and loving them until, basically, you die. If that were the case, then surrogacy or even adoption wouldn't work. Being able to give birth just means you are physically capable of it, being a mother is so much more than having the physical capability to do so. I am happy that you will not give up on this story though because I think you will like it. Please continue to let me know how you like the story. Thank you.