Chapter 25

"So? How have you been?" Sakura asked as she settled her godson on her lap; and yes, she was his godmother! Her adorable godson (he looked like his father's shadow clone honestly) was grabbing her pink hair with a force she didn't think a toddler should have as he stood on her lap.

"NO!" he shouted in her ear. Sakura winced; he definitely had Naruto's lungs.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh, you're almost as bad as Naruto," Sakura grumbled as she set the energetic toddler down and he trotted away to explore.

"Boruto!" Hinata seemed worry and Sakura chuckled.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine, there's nothing here that he could damage and it actually mean something. I think Sasuke destroyed just about everything breakable when he was younger after the massacre," she admitted. Her husband's family home lacked a lot of it's riches and though she had never really inquired about it she had seen him angry enough to break things a time or two. His temper though dangerous, was never released upon her or Sarada' he took it out on inanimate objects rather than anything else.

"Oh, that's a relief, I cannot tell you all the things he broke at my parents' home," she sighed as she leaned back on her chair. Sakura chuckled into her cup of coffee as Hinata leaned back. There was a crash, a devious; slightly evil laugh and footsteps as the toddler toddled through the other room.

"Oh, he's definitely his father's son," Sakura chuckled when Hinata flinched at the sounds.

"You have no idea," Hinata groaned.

"That's good though, he'll be a tough kid, and grow up into a fantastic shinobi. Does he have the Byakugan?" Sakura asked looking over her shoulder toward the room where he was running around.

"No," Hinata admitted.

"That's not all that bad, he'll still be a very strong child, though I would worry about a Naruto clone like kid with the Byakugan; he'd try to peep into the girl's bathroom," she chuckled.

"Sakura!" Hinata laughed, "That's probably true," she sighed.

"Hopefully he will not be as childish as Naruto when he grows up," Sakura grumbled, more to herself than Hinata who looked exhausted. Hinata clearly hadn't heard her, thankfully, for the mother was still intently listening to her child who was running around loudly in the other room. Sarada was definitely never that loud, she just chuckled at the difference of children.

"So, how is this pregnancy going?"

"Well, it's easy, with Boruto I was so sick in the mornings, and this time I only crave ramen; all the time, but it is the easier pregnancy," she chuckled.

"That's good, an easy pregnancy is always nice," she mused. At least Hinata was aware of her pregnancy, Sakura had not been so lucky. However, Sarada was a perfectly happy little girl who she wondered about at this moment.

"How have things been for you and Sasuke?" Hinata asked tentatively.

"You know, we work at it," Sakura admitted when Boruto appeared covered in toothpaste and Sakura burst into laughter, Hinata sighed, and the boy grinned devilishly.

"Catch me Mama!" he shouted and ran for Hinata, Sakura caught him before he could leap.

"Get back here you brat!" he shouted, she giggled as she darted off nimbly on her two legs while holding her new stuffed animal.

Karin laughed at the exasperated shouts from Suigetsu who was currently being out foxed by a toddling Uchiha who was giggling in delight. Sarada made a nimble little jump and Karin gaped as she perched herself expertly up on the highest shelf of the lab. The girl was sitting there swinging her legs as she smirked, like her father, in triumph for getting up there.

"You know, I don't think Sasuke was this much trouble when he was last here, and she was definitely easier to watch before she started walking!" Suigetsu huffed out as he stared up the shelf.

"I think this is Sakura's personality," Karin said nervously as she cautiously approached the shelf.

"Hehe!" the girl laughed, she looked and sounded like her mother as she grinned while hugging that new bear her father had insisted she needed before leaving her with them. Karin was nervous though, there was a crazy look in those onyx eyes of the baby girl which made her think this child was smarter than they thought and she was about to do something crazy.

"You know, for an Uchiha she laughs a lot, it's a little scary," Juugo said when he looked up at the girl.

Sarada stuck her tongue out then as she happily smiled from her perch.

"Alright Sarada, time to get down from there!" Karin declared as she grabbed a chair and stepped up on it. The girl grinned and stood up, wobbly at first, her toy in hand.

"No! Sarada! No! Stay put!" Karin panicked, Suigetsu and Juugo were running, and the little girl jumped, Karin caught that small body, she wrapped her own body around the girl as she lost her balance and fell towards the floor. FUCK! Was the first word in her mind as she waited for impact.

"Ow," she heard beneath her, she looked down at Suigetsu. "Definitely his kid, definitely!"

"Kami! What the hell did you think you were doing!?" she shouted at the white haired man she had landed on. She put Sarada aside as she clambored to her feet. The toddler crawled onto Suigetsu's stomach then. "Sarada! Get off of him! I need to check him!"

"Hn," the girl answered, they all stopped when her palms rested on Suigetsu's chest where she had landed and they flickered green slightly, the girl frowned, she tried again. Karin's scarlet eyes widened, Suigetsu was frozen with shock.

"What is she doing?" Juugo asked.

"I think… no, she's too young! Sarada, come on go play with Juugo!" Karin ordered as she picked the toddler up. Sarada struggled then, escaping Karin's grasp as she hurried up to Suigetsu, she kissed the man's cheek and smiled before grabbing her toy, toddling over to Juugo and grabbing his hand as they left.

"What was that about?" Suigetsu asked.

"Hell if I know, come on, lemme see that!" she ordered as she yanked his shirt off of him. Where a bruise should be forming there was…

Nothing.

"What the hell? You don't think?" Suigetsu asked as his fangers touched where a bruise should be.

Karin just stared at his muscular chest in distraction as her mind whirled with the possibilities of what Sarada may or may not have done.

"No, ridiculous, she's almost three; I doubt she'd have any chakra control even if she is an Uchiha, preposterous," Karin dismissed.

"Agreed, but," Suigetsu stared at his chest. "You're heavy."

"Asshole!" she shouted as she punched him and spun her heels as she stalked out. She saw Juugo with Sarada in his gardens, the girl was sitting on his shoulder as he pointed to the birds for her. The little black haired girl was nodding with fascination as her large midnight eyes stared at the birds. Karin bit her thumb as she thought this over and decided it was time to test the girl in her chakra.

True, it was obvious Sarada would be a very talented little girl when she was born, but now… Karin didn't know if this was normal, even by the abnormal standards of which shinobi were tested. Had Sakura taught her daughter anything about chakra? Sarada was clearly a very smart girl, Karin knew this despite her not speaking; for Karin could swear the little girl was reading and comprehending what she was reading when Karin had caught her with a medical jutsu scroll.

Perhaps, just maybe, there was more to that little Uchiha who was grinning in delight when a bird landed near her and Juugo.

"I think we need to tell Sakura and Sasuke about this when they come for her," Suigetsu said.

"I agree," she nodded. "Also, they said if anything were to happen to them we were to return her to Uzumaki Naruto. Did you know this?"

"No, because nothing will happen to them, Karin," Suigetsu snapped as he pulled on a new shirt over his head. Karin nodded in agreement as she just watched the little girl. She stiffened then.

"Suigetsu, take Sarada, leave now! Orochimaru's coming here, fast," she whispered.

"Yes," he nodded as he leapt over to where Juugo and Sarada were. Karin watched as Suigetsu took the girl form Juugo, Sarada waved good bye to Juugo and then they were gone. Juugo nodded to her and she held a breath as she steadied herself. Karin would never forgive herself if anything were to happen to Sarada, she would never be able to live with the guilt of if something were to take Sasuke and Sakura's daughter from them. They had both suffered more than enough for ten lifetimes, and they needed happiness. Once she was certain Suigetsu was far enough away from them she hurried to greet Orochimaru who was arriving just then.

"Well, I say we're about even," Naruto huffed as he lay there in the grasses of the training field. Sasuke said nothing as he stood over his friend.

"You lose," he informed Naruto who huffed indignantly.

"You know it's annoying how you aren't even winded and down an arm," Naruto snapped. He smirked.

"Dobe, you should train more than complain," Sasuke countered as he and Naruto left the training field. They were walking towards Naruto's ramen, mostly because Sasuke knew there was simply no way in hell that he could get away with not having ramen.

"Kakashi has a mission he wants to talk to you about, we've been receiving disturbing reports from some of our allies," Naruto informed him as he sat at the counter with his friend. He looked at the ramen placed before him and began silently eating.

"What about?" he asked finally after thinking of what this could mean for him.

"It's about Ōtsutsuki clan," Naruto informed him and he frowned.

"Why?"

"Just some disturbing reports, but seeing as how you're the only one with the Rinnegan that we know of." Naruto looked at his ramen he was wolfing down bowel two already.

"Aa," he clicked as he ate his ramen. He had nothing good to say about this, he didn't want to do anything about the Ōtsutsuki clan or this nonsense; again; after all it had cost him the first time.

"Look, Sakura might be able to go with you, but we'll talk to Kakashi about the mission details tomorrow," Naruto informed him. He just clicked his tongue before he lashed out that he was also worrying about his daughter and leaving his daughter. He didn't want to be separated from Sakura or Sarada, but that would mean he slipped up and he was not willing to do that because then the council would know; and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Sorry about this, but the Sharingan will have to wait if that's alright." He didn't respond then as he thought about Sarada and Sakura and all his past crimes.

"The Ōtsutsuki clan?" he questioned.

"Yeah, it could be nothing, but everyone would like to know for certain if this is so or not," Naruto admitted.

"And when is Kakashi going to speak to me about this?" Sasuke finally asked; he knew Naruto didn't notice how tense he was at this. But he was hiding it well. Sighing he looked at nothing, he wanted to go home now; speak to Sakura about this before they left to collect Sarada. This was a huge complication in their plans. If there was a new mission coming he'd need to speak to Sakura about this.

"Tonight," Naruto said happily. "I'd offer help, but… learning to be Hokage is hard!"

"Hn," he shrugged. It wasn't surprising but his mind was a universe away as he pondered how this was going to affect him and his family. He didn't ever want to be away from his family, so he and Sakura were going to have to figure out a plan for this new mission.

"Oh, did I tell you Hinata's pregnant again!?" Naruto demanded excitedly.

"Four or five times this day, dobe," he replied dryly and his friend had a happy and blissful expression on his face as he launched into his excited talk of being a father again. Sasuke just wanted to hold his wife and daughter at this moment, and think about this complication.