Chapter 14
Sasuke held his happy daughter on his arm as he walked through the hideout. She wasn't a noisy baby, which apparently was surprising but he didn't care. She always seemed so happy that it was kind of contagious to him. Despite himself he always felt a grin on his lips when he was with Sarada or Sakura or both of his girls. And they were his girls, there was no denying that. His beautiful girls, it was surprising him how beautiful Sarada was, then again she took after her mother in every way but coloring so did he expect anything less?
No.
The baby smiled as she grabbed a shaggy strand of his hair. He smirked at his daughter's pleasure over her accomplishment as they continued their hunt for Sakura. More than likely his wife was in the lab but he didn't know for certain. Tonight was the night he would bring up the most important issue he had for Sakura. Their daughter was a little older than a month old and perfectly healthy, along with surprisingly happy, and she was strong enough for traveling. Sasuke wanted to leave, he wanted to leave before Oroshimaru caught onto the fact that he and Sakura were here. That was about the last thing that Sasuke wanted to deal with because he didn't want his wife or daughter in harm's way. Then again their travels would have Sakura and Sarada in danger…
This was a difficult decision as he looked at his smiling daughter. She just looked so happy to be with him that he didn't want to let her go just yet. He didn't want Sakura to leave him just yet either because he needed her still. Sakura was the anchor in his ever shifting and ever turbulent world, and it sounded cliché but he realized this now. He didn't want her to go just yet. But being his usual selfish self in this matter would be more dangerous than helpful and probably lead his wife and daughter directly into the path of danger. Which wasn't a pleasant thought.
But he didn't want to be alone again just yet. He liked having a family again, he liked feeling like he was a part of something and feeling loved by his daughter and wife. He was a greedy bastard and so this was difficult for him. Sasuke decided that he would leave the decision entirely up to Sakura because if he had it his way he'd never return to the village and he would take his wife and daughter away with him. So it would be best if this decision was made by Sakura. She was more rational about this than he, and she would be thinking of their daughter first instead of him or her.
Yes, Sakura would decide if she and Sarada came with him.
Kami did he hope they did. He could protect them, he would protect them, he wouldn't fail them the way he had been failed. True Itachi had protected him but the village had failed him and he didn't want to fail his wife or daughter. He wouldn't and couldn't fail them, ever.
Surprisingly he didn't find Sakura in the lab but rather the library sound asleep in a chair. Sarada gurgled in delight when they found her mother. Sasuke wondered how his daughter always knew when they found Sakura but dismissed the thought as his daughter squirmed in his arms while smiling as they silently approached his wife. Leaning over her he pressed his lips to her seal while Sarada grabbed Sakura's pink locks and yanked on them. Green flew open and he stared at his wife.
"Sasuke, Sarada," she yawned as she stretched in her chair then took the baby. The baby was delighted and apparently hungry because she latched onto Sakura's covered breast. He took their daughter again as Sakura rearranged herself to feed Sarada, and he'd admit the sight was beautiful to him.
"What's up Sasuke?" Sakura asked as their daughter greedily fed. He just shrugged.
"It's time to leave," he informed her and Sakura nodded in understand and he inhaled sharply. Now it was time to proposition her with something he didn't want. It would either be time to split up now or to be together for his dangerous travels. "I can take you and Sarada back to the village or we can travel together."
There. He had offered it and he watched his pink wife closely now. It was terrifying knowing he had just offered this to her but she had to know how much she and Sarada meant to him so he was giving her a choice. Stay or go. Also he knew she'd be thinking of their daughter and her safety while he knew he could not do that because he didn't want to part with his girls just yet. However this was Sakura's choice, it was her decision and he'd do his best no to be hurt by whatever she chose.
"Oh, but…oh, oh," Sakura's green eyes widened as he watched the understanding dawn in them and he nodded firmly to confirm what he was offering to her.
"Sasuke, it's nice of you to offer to take us back but…" Sakura looked at their daughter and he waited patiently. It was killing him that she wouldn't finish her thought right now, he wanted to know her answer immediately. Couldn't she see that this was killing him? He hoped not but still, it was twisting a knife in his guts as he watched his wife and daughter closely. It was strange how often he watched her, how he was always watching his girls, waiting for the moment he could see him slip up and fuck this bit of paradise all up. Fucking up good things were a specialty of his so he was carefully watching his wife right now.
"But I think that for the time being it would be for the best if we stayed with you." Relief swamped him as her emerald eyes looked up to his. "My being an Uchiha by marriage in the village was difficult. People didn't treat me the same and they always watched me as if I would betray them at any moment. But I had friends, and there were also the villagers who didn't know what to think of my being an Uchiha. I don't want her in that hostile environment or being treated poorly because she's an Uchiha when I love her and you. If it's alright with you I would like for us to stay together for a bit longer. When she's a little older I'll explain to her life in the village so she isn't hurt by the villagers. I don't want her to ever feel left out or hurt like you and Naruto were when you were children."
"Hn," was all he could manage as he poked his wife's seal. She was staying with him and the thought was liberating to him as he sat with his girls while Sarada greedily fed. There was a part of him which was aroused at the sight of his wife but another part of him in awe at what her body was doing for their daughter when they hadn't even known about the girl.
"When are we leaving?" Sakura asked once Sarada was done feeding and handed off to him so Sakura could rearrange her clothes.
"Tonight," he answered as he handed Sarada back to her mother so she could be properly cared for. Sakura nodded as she rubbed the baby's back.
"Alright, I'll prepare everything and Karin will probably give us what supplies we need." Sakura smiled at her daughter's burp and he smirked. Then he snatched his daughter back and held her because when they would be traveling he would not be holding her. Sakura would hold her because he would be defending his girls, and having only one arm meant that he couldn't be hindered with burdens if he were to defend his wife and daughter.
"Sasuke! I just had her!" Sakura said running up to his side looking rather pouty.
"You get her when we're traveling, she's mine when we're not!" he argued and Sakura gaped at him.
"She's not a thing Sasuke! She's our daughter!" Sakura argued and he thought about his phrasing earlier then internally kicked himself.
"She's mine, you're mine and I'm not letting her go," he informed his pouty small wife. Besides, he liked holding his daughter, he also liked teasing his pinkette who was expressing something between shock, serious, a glare, and laughter. But he was completely serious about them being his.
"Fine, you can hold her for now," Sakura sighed. He smirked then decided to give her a rare kiss on the lips. It was just a quick peck but he watched her go red as he walked to their room to pack for the journey. Sarada was giggling with delight and he kissed her brow before he put her in her dresser drawer crib. This was the closest to happy he had ever felt and he liked it, he was beyond thrilled that Sakura was willing to travel with him still and he was even more relieved that his daughter would be with him rather than in the village. His fears were different from Sakura's but apparently neither of them wanted their daughter in that village. At least, he didn't want her there until she was a little older and tougher and a little meaner so she could defend herself. That was his only wish for Sarada at this moment; that she could be as strong as her mother and stand against a village which would more than likely hate her for being his daughter.
Hinata chuckled at her husband as he again chased after their crawling blonde son. It had been a simple day, that is until Temari asked her to watch Shikadai and Ino had shove Inojin at her as they had both run off for some emergencies or other. Temari had business in Suna, Shikamaru was on a mission with Sai and Ino had been called to the hospital. Which made Hinata an appointed babysitter for the two babies.
Shikadai was a lazy baby, which was a relief for Hinata because Boruto was not. And Inojin was a quiet baby, which made it easy to deal with him because Boruto was not. Her baby was loud, boisterous, and fast.
How was a crawling baby that fast? She just laughed as she held Shikadai on her lap at the kitchen table then looked at the letter she had just received from Sakura. Humming a bit to herself she opened the letter. It was always nice to receive letters from a woman she considered to be like her sister, Sakura always sounded so happy in her weekly letters. It was obvious to Hinata that her friend was happier with the Uchiha than without; which seemed to shock Temari and Ino but both of them were happy for their friend. Smiling Hinata started reading the letter as Naruto crashed into something else chasing Boruto.
It was a good read, it was clear how happy Sakura but something at the bottom edge of the page had her eyes narrowing and leaning in to examine the letter. There was a faint little smudge which was uncharacteristic of Sakura's letters and it looked like something Boruto would've done on her letters because he waved his fist or something. Hinata frowned a bit but then smiled, it could be anything but she doubted that it was a baby, Sakura would've told her if she had had a baby or been pregnant. Of this Hinata was certain because she and the pinkette were very close.
They had become close after the war when Naruto being the brute idiot that he could be hadn't even noticed her and Sakura had seen her struggling. It was partially thanks to Sakura that she had even snagged Naruto. So she just didn't think Sakura would have had a baby without telling her.
"Naruto, would you like to switch, I'll watch Boruto and you watch Inojin and Shikadai?" Hinata asked her husband who slumped into a chair panting.
"Yeah, believe it!" he waved his hand and she handed him Shikadai and Sakura's letter then went to hunt up the speedy Boruto.
