Playing in the mud was the children's favorite activity after a light afternoon rain.

Momiji, Hyuuga Takatori and Uzumaki Raito herded the younger kids to their favorite spot, talking amiably. Yuki and Natsumi were the same age as Hyuuga Midori and Uzumaki Hikari. They watched over them with hawk eyes as they settled on a dry spot under a large tree. As the only girl in the group, she got to sit on the swing while the boys sat on the ground.

Shrieking wildly and splashing on the muddy water, the twins and their friends delighted in the dirt and messiness of their play. They didn't care if their mothers had forbidden them from playing because it was too much fun to resist. All of them knew- especially the older kids- that they'll be scolded soundly but it was beside the point right now.

Patches of blue sky peeked from behind white clouds. The air was light and cool. The humidity preceding the rain was gone. It was perfect weather for gardening and outdoor activities.

Momiji wondered about their garden at home and who was tending to them. She worried about their vegetables and flowers. But she didn't dare suggest that they go back because she didn't want their hosts to be offended. So she stayed quiet while the boys argued over another retelling of their fathers' match.

Swinging her legs on the swing, she looked up at the sky.

Soon, her mother said. Soon your father will be home and you'll have a new baby sister or brother.

But I don't want to, she'd yelled. Tears welling up in her eyes, she'd hidden behind this tree and sat on its swing before she went back inside. It still hurts. She didn't show it to anyone because she had to be strong for all of them.

"Hey don't be too rough," she shouted wearily as Yuki tackled his sister face-first to the ground. The cousins were making mud cakes. She wished that her siblings were as docile as they were. "Another one Yuki and I'll send you in alone!"

"Sorry!" Yuki yelled, waving.

She smiled at the muddy hands, clothes and feet. Miraculously her brother had avoided getting mud on his sweet face. Compared to his twin sister, he was more meticulous with his appearance. Natsumi looked like she was ready for a bath.

"You're quiet," Raito said, nudging her. He was her best friend and rival in school. Sakura once told her that Raito reminded her of Naruto when he was that age. Good, funny and wild- like father like son indeed. "What're you thinking about?"

"Shut up," she muttered, red-faced.

Though she'd tell the boys anything, she'd rather keep her emotional well-being to herself. Yurika was the only person she'd talk to about serious things. She didn't believe that the boys in their juvenile and immature minds would understand the gravity of the situation.

"Hey, isn't that your father?" Takatori observed as he squinted towards the distance. He pointed out the familiar tall figure walking towards them. Though he didn't know him much, it was enough for him to distinguish the Uchiha clan's patriarch.

Momiji's head swerved to the direction quickly. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes widened like saucers. True enough, it was her father who was making his way through the dirt road. She could recognize the same tall, broad-shouldered man anywhere. "What's he doing here?"

"Weird reaction," Raito smirked.

She got up and kicked him. The Uzumaki retaliated by pulling her ponytail. Glaring, she returned her attention to the coming figure. Her legs stood wide apart, hands clenched on her sides and her eyes were fierce.

Sasuke stopped right in front of her. He nodded to acknowledge the boys who waved to him. Turning his attention to his daughter, he waited for her to say something. She glared at him. Reading her stance, he immediately realized that she was preparing for battle… or at the very least, a shouting match. Just like her mother, he smiled to himself.

The boys smelled danger in the air. They got up and went towards the younger kids. The twins saw their father immediately but they were prevented from approaching him by Momiji's icy glance. Instead of disobeying their sister, they went without protest with the older boys.

The younger girls cried at the interruption. But their brothers merely picked them up, mud and all, while holding a twin with each hand. It was obvious that the children of Konoha would always look after one another.

Now that they were gone, father stared down at his daughter.

"Darling brat," Sasuke started to say.

"Don't," she yelled, eyes ferocious. Her hands clenched tighter; he saw the white crescent moons of her nails imprinting themselves on her palms. She was wearing his favorite pastel blue dress. He remembered with a pang of pain that he bought her hair butterfly hairclip just for that dress.

"Momiji," he tried again.

"Don't," said his cherry-headed daughter with tears in her eyes. "I don't know you. Get away from us."

"I'm your father," Sasuke said, anguished. He didn't want to believe his ears. The memory of that horrid night came rushing back to him. She hated him. "You know that. I'm here to…"

"Don't want to hear it," she said fiercely. The wind blew hard. Her ponytail whipped her face but she refused to flinch. Her eyes automatically changed to Sharinggan red. Though she knew that her father was a master of many ninja arts, she will fight if she had to. Because she didn't want him to think that she didn't learn anything from him and to show him that she could fight for everything that she'd ever believe in. "Get away."

"Your mother and I…" said the dark-haired father in a soft and soothing voice "have made our peace. We're not going to fight anymore. We'll be a family again…"

Upon hearing those words, she launched herself at him.

Avoiding and dodging her attacks was easy. He tried not to hurt her. She was crying while she kicked, punched and tumbled through the air with growing inaccuracy. He'd seen the tears welling in her eyes; he heard the sobs in her throat. She was as gifted as he was but her turbulent emotions hindered her from truly hurting him. It was as though through physical pain, she'd be able to tell him what was truly wrong.

Sasuke let her vent her feelings out in the mock-battle. She screamed when she missed; she yelled when she hit. He got a cut on his cheek and a bruise on his knee. She was dirty, unkempt and bleeding in places but she never quit. Her ferocity awed him. He imagined that someday she'll be a formidable foe in battle.

It was easy to deduce that she'd been practicing her knowledge. She must've been venting her emotions on trainings and practice, he thought. It showed how much his daughter had inherited from him. If she got some comfort from punching and kicking things then she was definitely his child.

Momiji attempted to punch him and failed. She landed on the ground, face-first. He waited for her to stand up. She didn't.

Sasuke stared at the fallen figure of his eldest daughter. He felt anger at him, pity for her and regret for all of them. If it meant hurting Momiji this much then he wouldn't have snapped. He wouldn't have dared hurt Sakura if it meant hurting Momiji because he definitely didn't know that his daughter would care this much.

Feeling sorry, he knelt down on one knee.

His expression softened when he heard her sobbing. As gently as he could, he helped her sit up while evading her half-hearted punches. Fighter to the end, he thought with amusement.

The late spring afternoon sun peeked through the leaves and branches of the huge tree. It bathed them with the softest light. Staring at Momiji, he sighed when he saw another young girl in her place. The ragged pink hair, battered and bruised body with snot, tears and dirt mixing on her dirty face reminded him of the girl Sakura who'd cried and fought for him while he lay vulnerable to enemy attacks on the Forest of Death. That was the girl he'd protected later. That was the girl he wanted to marry.

He blinked and saw Momiji with the same fierce dark eyes now filled with tears.

"Okay?" he asked very softly. Now he treated her like a delicate little bird that'd fly away at the slightest provocation. Smiling slightly, he watched her wipe her face with a pocket handkerchief.

"Not okay," she choked out. Sobbing still, she refused his help and got back to her feet. "I hate you."

Sasuke suppressed a smile. She was his daughter through and through.

He leaned down and picked her up. She screamed and flailed and kicked when he carried her on his shoulder as though she was a sack for the mill. This was the only way to convince her. Smiling a bit when her fists hit his lower back, he walked.

oOoOoOo

"I HATE YOU!" Momiji was shouting when they passed. Sakura, Hinata and Tenten looked up from their afternoon tea. The other children laughed until their stomachs hurt when they saw them. The twins giggled and nudged at each other.

"Oh my," Sakura said, surprised. "I didn't know Sasuke will be that harsh."

"Harsh measures for drastic times?" Tenten guessed, chuckling.

They stared at the retreating figures in the distance. The three of them wondered where they were going. The only direction the dirt road led was back to town. Certainly not back inside the Hyuuga compound.

Momiji saw her mother's amused expression and yelled louder. She was red with embarrassment and fury at this latest stunt from her father. He walked easily and energetically as though a wildly protesting girl on his shoulder was nothing. And he seemed deaf to her screaming no matter how loud.

She quieted when they entered town. It was a ploy to convince him that she had calmed down and he could return her to her feet. But she silently fumed when he didn't. Her father was aware of her inherent stubbornness. So he didn't let her go.

Sighing, she stopped struggling and wished that the ground will swallow them up.

"Done?" Sasuke asked a hint of amusement in his deep voice.

"Not quite," Momiji said through gritted teeth.

"We'll talk," he said in a reassuring tone. "Hang in there."

"As if I have a choice," muttered the cherry-headed girl. She frowned. They weren't going back to their house. Instead, her father was heading towards an old part of town. Curiosity got the better of her. She wished that she could see where they were right now.

Sasuke walked on. He greeted and waved to familiar faces; he ignored the sniggering townspeople. He acted as though it was perfectly normal to stroll with a girl draped over his shoulder. The road they walked on was welcoming and familiar. His heartbeats accelerated as he stopped in front of their destination.

Momiji squeaked when Sasuke lifted her and put her down. She looked around, curious, at the deserted road. Her sharp eyes caught the old flags hanging on neighboring houses with a very familiar crest. She thought hard to remember where she saw that.

"Where are we?" she asked in spite of herself. Cursing silently, she looked up to her father.

Sasuke stood silently in front of a house. It was an old house, an abandoned home. Twilight was setting in. They were all alone in this part of town. Nobody passed the deserted streets. It was closed off from the population though he'd rented most of the old compound to the villagers.

"Where are we?" Momiji repeated.

"This is my house," answered Sasuke. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he looked at the sorry sight in front of him. Days when it used to be clean and neatly maintained rushed into his mind. That was the scratch that he made when he failed to dodge his brother. This was the dent that his older brother made when he finally succeeded in pushing him back. It was strange to see all the little things that made his home, home.

"Huh?" the girl looked around. As far as she knew, the mansion was their house. It was where they were brought up. It was where they'd lived for their entire life. She didn't know this place at all.

Sasuke took a deep breath. He exhaled and murmured, "When I was a boy, this was where we lived. We weren't rich or powerful then. We were only a family."

Momiji stared at the house too, listening.

"I had Father, Mother and an older brother. When I was your age- nine to be exact- I thought that they were the world and this house was our kingdom. I didn't care if we didn't rule the clan. I didn't care if we didn't get a larger pension from them," continued the world-weary man "All I cared about was to get my brother's attention. I wanted to learn from him. He's very, very good and talented, you see. He was supposed to be the greatest Uchiha ninja there ever was.

"I know that Father liked him best. My older brother was supposed to be the next clan head because of his skills and wisdom. I thought he was perfect for it. When you're nine, the older people around you were the greatest…" Sasuke's voice trailed off. He whispered, "I thought he was the greatest."

"What happened?" she asked softly. The cherry-headed girl had never heard her father talk about his past. She never knew his side of the family although she was aware of their rich and noble history. All her mother told her was that her father's family was gone.

"Well," the father said in a low voice "that changed."

The darkness of night won over day. It became dark and hard to see but they didn't move. Momiji was not scared of the dark. She wasn't scared at all.

"History will never tell you about Uchiha Itachi," continued her father. "He's an evil and manipulative ninja who turned his back on everything. Just because his ambition was bigger than honor and integrity and respect for oneself…"

The moon climbed over the wall and they were bathed in its serene light. It was big and full. He pushed away thoughts of the red moon, bloody streets and murdered families… Instead, he pushed himself to go on.

"I was the same age as you. When I was walking home, I was hungry for dinner and I was expecting everything to be just as they were. But then I noticed that it was silent and dark and eerie. I heard the sound of bloody puddles on my shoes."

Momiji inched closer to him, slightly afraid now.

"Here, right in this house, I saw my brother standing over our parents' bodies. He murdered them. He almost killed me."

Sasuke closed his hand over her small one. She was trembling beside him, frightened and more curious than ever. He squeezed her hand to reassure her that he would not leave her.

"You know what he told me? I should hate, hate, hate! I shouldn't forgive," said the dark-haired Uchiha with hardness in his voice. "I wanted to die because I couldn't bear the pain and the anger. I was nothing but fury. But I can't do anything because I was weaker than he was.

"I was lucky that I escaped. But my older brother had sentenced me to more than twenty years of suffering. I couldn't let go of my grudge, I couldn't move on. I grew up hating the world and everything in it. I pushed away friends and followed my own will. That's why they called me a traitor. In my want to be stronger, I even allowed myself to become a slave to Orochimaru.

"I lived and breathed revenge. So that when I came face to face with my brother, I'd be able to stand up to him and show him how much I loathed him. When the opportunity to avenge our family came, I didn't miss it. I'm not proud of it but I did it. I killed him too. Your mother wouldn't want me to tell you this but you must know."

Momiji's grip tightened.

"You must know that your mother fought to protect me from all of this. She strived to show me that I can live without revenge and I can love. Forgiveness was her gift. Love was her blessing." Sasuke said very gently. "It took me until that night to realize that. The ghosts are gone."

She stared up at him, tears welling on her jet-black eyes. He thought he saw himself for a moment before he picked her up in his arms. She snuggled closer to him, sobbing. His heart softened. "Momiji, I'm very sorry for what happened. I didn't mean to hurt your mother. I'll be a better man next time."

Nodding, his daughter hugged his neck and kissed his cheek. He smiled slightly because she hadn't done that since she was a little girl. Winning her heart was the most important thing in the world to him. If he was loved and adored by his wife and children then he didn't need to take revenge on anyone anymore.

"So don't think that Papa's perfect," he whispered. "We make mistakes. But I really hope you'll forgive me for that."

"I'm sorry too, Papa." Momiji murmured, sincerely contrite. "I didn't mean it when I said I hate you."

"Let's go home?" Sasuke offered. She smiled and nodded. He shifted her to a more comfortable position before he started to walk. It was easy to feel strong and invulnerable when he was sure that he was forgiven.

oOoOoOo

Carrying his sleeping daughter, Sasuke arrived in the Hyuuga compound later than expected. He followed a servant who led the way to the informal dining hall. Expecting Naruto and Neji at least, he was pounced upon by an anxious Tenten.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately alert.

"It's Sakura," Tenten said quickly. "She went into labor."

He handed Momiji to her. "Where was she taken?"

"Neji and Naruto-kun took her to Konoha General Hospital," answered the weapons expert calmly. Her husband and cousin-in-law had been quick to their feet to bring her to the facility. All of them were worried sick.

"Hinata?" asked Sasuke as he grabbed a glass of water and downed it in one gulp. "Is anyone else with her?"

"Oh yes," answered Tenten as she carefully set the sleeping girl on the table. "She's with them. Sakura's been going on labor for almost three hours now. It was much unexpected when she suddenly complained of stomach cramps and then her water broke."

"Okay, thanks," said the worried spouse before he headed towards the door. He turned again to Tenten with a questioning look. "Take care of the kids, please?"

"No need to tell me," laughed Neji's wife "I will. Take care of Sakura-chan, all right?"

Sasuke waved goodbye before he left the mansion through the back door. He sprinted and ran as fast as he could back to the village proper. It didn't occur to him to change clothes at least. Bursting into the hospital's lobby, all of the people inside gasped at his wild appearance.

"My wife!" he said frantically. There was a stitch on his side but he didn't care. He managed to gasp, "What. Room. Please?"

A nurse approached him with a hesitant smile. "Uchiha-sama, your wife is being tended to. She's in the delivery room right now."

"WHAT!" Sasuke panted, doubled over now with pain. The nurse looked at him, alarmed. She thought that he was the one who needed assistance. "Take. Me. There."

He waved away her solicitous offering of an arm and walked as normally as he could to the waiting area. Neji, Naruto and Hinata sat on the drab green chairs, looking worried. They all got up, save Neji, when he entered.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said frantically. "Sakura-chan is giving birth!"

"Thanks for informing me," he said sarcastically.

"She went into labor just after you went off with Momiji-chan," explained Hinata calmly. The Hyuuga heiress gestured to the well-packed bag on a chair. "It's a good thing that we're prepared. She'll be fine, don't worry."

Sasuke thanked the gods that there was at least one female presence in the hospital. The nurse left after seeing that he had friends. She looked clearly disappointed that she won't have the chance to experience firsthand the Uchiha charm. He smiled at Hinata gratefully.

"How long will it take?" he asked anxiously.

"We don't actually know," Hinata said uneasily. "It's up to Sakura-chan and her baby."

The dark-haired man sank down on one of the chairs, suddenly powerless. He felt weariness seep into his body after his frantic run to the hospital. His adrenaline rush was wearing off. A quick glance at his companions confirmed his belief that they truly cared for them.

"Shikamaru would be here," said Naruto slowly. "Ino-san will also come to help."

"He must be grumbling now," muttered Sasuke under his breath. He didn't want to think of the moment when his presence would be asked for. Though they'd created three children, he was never present when they were born. So the birth of their fourth child was his first actual experience of being there.

They all winced when they heard Sakura scream. It was anguish to sit there and do nothing. Sasuke got up and started to pace. Naruto offered to buy gum or candy to ease his nerves but he refused. Instead he told the blond that they can start sparring and his friend immediately shut up.

Neji departed around ten pm. He wanted to be in the Hyuuga estate just in case.

Hinata prepared cups of coffee to get them through the night. She sat with her much missed husband, holding hands. Now that he was back, she decided that life couldn't get any more perfect. They worried about their friends but they never forgot to give gratitude for their union.

Sasuke's legs tired of pacing so he sat down and leaned back. He closed his eyes against the harsh overhead light. Composing a prayer seemed like the logical thing to do but he knew no prayers. So instead he talked to the almighty God.

If they make it, I swear I won't hurt anyone again, he bargained. Well, at least anyone who doesn't have any connection with my work amended the ninja.

Change started inside. He's changed, all right. There were no traces of the old angry and immature youth. In his place stood a mature and wise man who could make decisions and serve his family. He was definitely the man that he was when he still had amnesia, except that he was conscious of it now.

So please believe in how much I changed, Sasuke prayed.

oOoOoOo

Spring morning dawned, bright and warm. Sunshine peeked in between the blinds and tickled Sasuke's face. He frowned in his sleep. Then he heard a soft voice talking in his dreams.

"Sasuke-san?"

He cracked his eyes open. It was morning already? Where did the night go? Rubbing an eye, he sat up. It took him more than a few moments to register the unfamiliar surroundings. Realizing his location and purpose, he turned to Hinata wildly.

"Sakura?" was his first question.

"Safe and sound," answered the dark-haired woman. He smiled gratefully at the angel who was Naruto's wife. Stretching, he got up. "She's in her room now. You can visit her."

Sasuke barely listened to her instructions. All he knew was that he was rushing down the corridor and up the flight of stairs. His eyes passed the blur of labels until he got to the corner bedroom. Uchiha Sakura, it said.

With a knock, he pushed the door open and peeked.

For a moment he felt overwhelmed and nervous and afraid. Because he didn't know what she looked like without her vivacity and brilliance. Because he was scared that he might say and do the wrong thing.

"Hey," Sakura whispered as he approached the bed. She lay on stark white hospital sheets with her slightly greasy pink hair spread out on her pillow. Her body looked strangely small without the hillock rising in her stomach region. But her green eyes were bright and her smile was kind. "You came."

"I'm here," he said quietly. Groping around blindly for a second, he grasped a chair and pulled it. Then he sat down because he feared his knees would fail him. "How was it?"

"Painful," she cracked a smile. He reached forward and brushed her bangs away to get a better look on her face. "But it will fade. Hinata said you were dead to the world when the baby finally came out. We didn't want to wake you."

"I missed it?" Sasuke looked as though he regretted it.

"You did," Sakura managed to sound more cheerful. She squeezed his hand reassuringly when he helped her sit up. He stacked her pillows to prop her up and kissed her when she winced at the pain. "He's in the nursery but the nurse is getting him right now."

"He?" whispered her thunderstruck husband.

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. A large motherly-looking nurse entered the room carrying a tiny blue blanket-wrapped bundle. She smiled at the couple as though she delighted in the knowledge that the child had a happy family waiting for him. "There you go, honey. Nice and easy…"

"Thanks Megumi-san," Sakura murmured as she shifted the bundle to a more comfortable position. She waved with her free hand as the nurse exited the room. Turning to her shocked spouse, she giggled. "He's right here, Sasuke. Our youngest baby is a boy."

She smiled widely as she let Sasuke get a hold of their baby. The dark-haired man looked as nervous as a first-time father. Soon enough father and son found ease. Her eyes misted over when she saw Sasuke's tender expression.

"We can name him Ginjiro," Sakura suggested softly. "Because look at his eyes…"

Sure enough, the baby boy opened his eyes blearily. His father gasped. Two bright silver eyes stared at him before closing. The baby turned slightly to become closer to his chest. His heartbeat soared at the onslaught of paternal love.

"W-Where?" he sputtered in amazement

"My side," Sakura winked weakly. "Along with crazy hair colors and stubbornness, silver eyes are also a family trait."

Sasuke managed to laugh.

"Ginjiro," he repeated, rolling it on his tongue. Names were very important to them; names contained powers and controlled fates. "For your silver eyes and your position as my second son… Yes, you'll be Ginjiro."

oOoOoOo

Sasuke went back to the Hyuuga compound with Naruto and Hinata. Ino and her husband took over. ("Nurses here keep Sakura's room open as she's a regular patient now," Shikamaru said sarcastically.) He thanked the hospitality of his friends before packing his children's things and herding them home.

All of them were quite eager to be around him now especially his eldest daughter who thought that his history was their favorite secret. The twins were very excited at the prospect of a new brother. They didn't really care that the arrival of the newborn would push them out of their spoiled and comfortable spots as the babies of the household.

He changed, repacked some thing and hauled his family to the hospital for a quick peek at the baby. While his wife stayed in the hospital for a few more days, he was going to resume his duties as father.

They stared through the nursery's glass wall to get a look. The girls immediately spotted their baby brother in the corner.

"He's so small!" Momiji gasped.

"It's a he?" Yuki asked, curious.

"Will he like tea parties too?" Natsumi tugged at his shirt.

Smiling down on his children, he pointed him out. "You were smaller, Momiji-chan. Yes, it's a boy. I don't think he'll complain, Natsumi-chan."

"Yay!" cheered the youngest girl. "We'll dress him up, play tea parties and make drawings!"

"Uh right," her smiling father agreed. "Let's go visit your mother now."

The children ran ahead of him. He followed in a more leisurely pace. Then he slowed when he saw Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san waiting for him outside of Sakura's room. The kids paused to give their Auntie Tsunade a kiss and a hug before running inside.

"Good afternoon," he greeted.

"Good afternoon Sasuke-kun," answered the buxom Godaime. Shizune entered the room to leave them alone. After that, she turned compassionate brown eyes to him. "Better, I hope?"

"Definitely better," he said quietly. His dark eyes reflected how much he thanked her for her help. "Thank you again for being there for us. Without your help, we would've destroyed everything."

"It's nothing," said the Mother of Konoha. A mischievous grin played on her lips. "Did you like your welcoming gift?"

"Yes," Sasuke nodded, a bit embarrassed. It was weird that the blonde knew about Sakura's pregnancy first. "Thank you again."

"All's forgiven," Tsunade said quietly as she opened the door. She greeted her student smilingly. All of the noisy happy children inside the room showed her the future of Konoha.

Now that they had happy and responsible parents, she could rest with the assurance that Konoha's future looked bright indeed.

oOoOoOo