Chapter 22

Sarada screamed in her arms, Sakura felt the hit in her back as she went flying off of her balance and into the grassy ground as she hugged her baby to her and rolled through the dirt. She gasped for breath when her back slammed into a tree as she saw three figures hurrying after her and Sarada. Trying to get to her feet Sakura let go of her daughter, several shuriken were released from her fingers as she grabbed them from her pocket on her thigh. The men tried to dodge them but she hit one of them in the center of his forehead as he slammed back into the ground. Her kunai were in her hands as Sarada was protected by the roots of the tree and she stood before her daughter as protection as well.

The toddler would not be hurt or harmed, for there was a reason mothers were the most feared thing in nature.

The first one to get close enough to her was met with her block of his attack. She saw the second one coming from behind her as she infused her chakra with all of her limbs. No one was touching her daughter, with this in mind she spun around as a chakra infused kick slammed into the one she was currently blocking and sent him flying through eight trees as she snarled like an animal. Her fist came up as the third came at her daughter, a greedy insane look on his face. Slamming her fist into his face she sent him into his own crater as the one she had kicked away came at her again.

"The Sharingan! The Sharingan! We must have it! We must! Imperfection must be perfected!" he was chanting as he came at her and she pulled a poisoned kunai from it's holster as she fended off his attacks, he slammed her into the ground.

Sarada screamed, and Sakura felt a new found strength and rage as she threw her attacker off of her and leapt up to see a fourth coming for her daughter from above the tree. Thrusting her fist up she released a shockwave of chakra which had everything near her and Sarada being leveled into a field of stumps and discarded trees. Her daughter was on wobbly legs as Sakura stood there ready for another attack. Her baby was near her too and holding onto Sakura's pack as she stood there scanning everything around her.

Activating her seal she felt it as it bled down and wrapped around her in a protective manner as she stood there looking around the cleared area with a kunai in hand and a protective mother instinct on overdrive as she stood there waiting. She was not losing her daughter without a fight as her toddler hugged the bag and looked around wide eyed.

"Eh!" Sarada pointed, a set of shuriken came flying at her from the direction her daughter pointed and Sakura twisted her body to evade as she pulled her own poison tipped ones to counter the attack.

Blonde rushed her from the other side then as Sarada screamed again.

Sasuke leapt back as he was attack then he spun around as he kicked the man in the ribs sending him winded away from him. Sasuke didn't relent in his attack though as he rushed the man with his blade ready as he slashed it and then blocked as the blonde countered the attack. His opponent's eyes bled red then as the tomoe sprung to life and Sasuke felt like murder at the sight of his family's eyes in the eyes of a man who was no Uchiha as he threw the man aside again. Sasuke let his own eyes evolve into his own Eternal Mangekyo Sharigan and the Rinnegan.

The imposter wavered in his attack then as he stood there holding his own weapon then he there.

"Murderer!" the blonde shouted as he rushed him.

Sasuke was ready as he blocked the attack and sent the other flying into the ground. Then this strange little creature with the Sharingan appeared then it disappeared with Sasuke's attacker. Standing there he felt uneasy, as he turned and noticed others coming towards him.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked appearing then, a shadow clone though.

"The Sharingan I've been tracking." He admitted, but now he understood how come the movements of the Sharingan imposter were so…erratic.

"Alright, meet me at the hospital," Naruto's clone said as he disappeared then. Sasuke grunted as he went straight to the hospital. There was a feeling of unease in his gut though as he walked into the hospital and was directed to where Naruto and Hinata were.

There was a very loud blonde boy climbing all over an exasperated looking Naruto. Hinata looked exhausted but Naruto looked worried as he hovered over his wife with their toddler noisily climbing everywhere.

"Sasuke! What the hell was that about!?" Naruto demanded.

"That was who I've been tracking." Sasuke admitted.

"Uh-huh, and where is Sakura?" Naruto asked him as he stood there and the lie slipped out with ease.

"Helping the last village hit, I'm going back now to resume the tracking," Sasuke stated. "I'm meeting up with Sakura and we'll resume the hunt."

"Alright, I'll go with you to meet up with you and Sakura," Naruto said firmly and Sasuke stopped then. If they all found out about Sarada then he and Sakura both would be in big trouble and he didn't want to lose his family now that he had them again. He had to complete this mission and then he'd retire with Sakura and Sarada, and live a quiet life.

"No," Sasuke said firmly.

"No!?" Naruto and Hinata looked statrtled at his fimr no.

"No, stay with your family, Sakura and I will send a report and will come here as soon as we can, no you are not coming with me though," Sasuke stated coldly and then he enveloped himself in a different dimension before running for Sakura and Sarada because he couldn't shake the feeling that they were in danger.

Sakura was slammed back into the ground as he slammed her back into the ground, Sarada was screaming and a snarl escaped her lips as she rolled him down and her chakra infused fist slammed down on his chest, he spat up blood and she was on her feet again. Standing there with bruises, blood and scrapes she was as ready for the next attack.

"Who's next?" she spat out in disgust as she stood as a barrier between her daughter and those attackers. Another man came at her, he was fast, she was ready but black appeared before her again and a memory flittered through her mind again as she stared at her husband's back.

"Murderer!" one of their attackers shouted and then lunged for Sasuke again.

But the strangest little creature with a Sharingan appeared then and all of their attackers were gone. Sakura stood there for a minute when Sarada's sniffling had her turning around and picking up her daughter to hug her close.

"You're alright, you're okay baby, mama's here, papa saved us," Sakura whispered as she kissed Sarada's brow and hugged her daughter closer to her than necessary.

"We're leaving, now," Sasuke said coldly.

"Yes," she agreed as she stood up and hurried after her husband and Sarada was hugging her neck as they walked back towards what had once been their home. Sasuke looked at their home burning and Sakura felt like crying, but he looked at her then he touched Sarada's cheek as he stood closer to them.

"You're alright?" he questioned.

"Yes, where are we going now?" she asked.

"Sound, Karin will watch Sarada for a little while. Naruto wanted to come with so I said I'd bring you to him for a little while," Sasuke informed her. She looked at Sarada then as she sighed.

"Alright, it'll be nice to see Naruto again," Sakura admitted as she shouldered her bag and walked with him as they walked into another dimension and she leaned on him. "Thank you for coming for us."

He didn't say anything as she slipped her fingers into his hand and entwined her fingers with his. He tightened his grip and she smiled reassuringly as Sarada tugged on her hair. She felt happy with him as she walked beside him, and for the first time in a long time she remembered why as a little girl she had liked and been obsessed with Sasuke.

Because, when they were like this, together, they fit. They had always fit in a way, clicked, and he had never thrown her away or discarded her like he would the other girls of their class and it reminded her that she just might be special to him. And it also reminded her that he had chosen her to be his wife out of the hordes of beautiful women who had chased after him.

Sasuke looked at his wife who was holding his daughter and his hand and felt relief as they walked out of the dimension before the latest hideout for Team Taka and his nerves got the better of him. He didn't want to leave Sarada here but he needed to.

"Hello?" Sakura called out as they entered the hideaway.

"Ow! What the hell! Who the fuck is here!?" a shrill voice demanded as the redhead appeared and her bloody red eyes were dangerously lit as she walked out into the open and then all of her hostility melted as she rushed them. He winced.

"Why didn't you guys say you were coming! Oh my! Is this Sarada!? Holy shit she's grown up! So cute and beautiful, thank Kami she looks like you Sakura, no offense Sasuke," Karin informed him and he frowned dangerously as he stood there looking at his wife and daughter there.

"Karin, can you watch Sarada for a little while?" Sakura asked in his stead.

"Of course, Auntie Karin always happily watches Sarada! Come one baby, wanna see the lab?" Karin asked taking Sarada without a second though and he looked to his wife who looked sad and amused as she looked to him.

"She'll be fine here, so let's go to Naruto before he tracks us," Sakura said sadly and he saw how this was upsetting her but he didn't say anything as he nodded and they started running. It would be a few days of them alone before they made it to the village. It was a scary leaving his daughter in the hands of that loon but the way Sakura was calmly accepting it made it easier for him as he looked to Sakura then.

"We'll be alright and it's only for a few days Sasuke, we'll have her before we know it," Sakura assured him.

"Let's go," was all he said as they race on.