Chapter 28

Sakura didn't answer immediately, she bounced her daughter on her hip as they both stared at the current Hokage. Sarada's wides were wide and serious as she stared at Kakashi, and Kakashi just stared back at her with wonder, curiosity and a knowing look which warned her that there'd be no lying to Kakashi. Sighing Sakura brushed her daughter's ebony hair back.

"She's my daughter," Sakura finally answered. "Kakashi-sensei, meet Uchiha Sarada."

"My, my, she's going to be a looker when she grows up," he said as he came nearer to her. He reached out a hand and touched Sarada's cheek, the girl grinned and Sakura relaxed as she rested her brow against her daughter's head. Sarada actually dropped her bear and grabbed Kakashi's mask, yanked it down with a devious grin and both Kakashi blinked in shock.

"So that's what you look like! You know, for an old man you're not that bad looking!" she teased, he blushed as he pulled his mask back in place. Sarada's curiosity was sedated and she squirmed to get to her bear. Sakura sat down and set her in the grass. Sarada grabbed the bear and darted up a tree; she didn't use her hands either as she perched herself up in a branch and giggled in delight.

"Uchiha, she's Sasuke's of course," Kakashi said as he sat beside her and they watched Sarada as the girl played with her bear. "She has excellent chakra control for a toddler, how old is she?"

"She's almost three years old, I got pregnant either just before we left or soon after," she admitted as she smiled at her giggling daughter. Kakashi seemed to be smiling too as they sat there. "And before you ask, she's exactly like her father."

"Oh is that so?"

"Yes, a little happier and more carefree but she is exactly like him." It felt so good to her to be telling someone she loved about her daughter, and to finally brag about her pride in her daughter.

"And let me guess, Sasuke doesn't want anyone to know about her?" Kakashi guessed.

"Yes, I think he's terrified of what the council will do if they find out about her, or his enemies find out about her," she admitted. Sakura had a sneaking suspicion he wasn't being paranoid and protective all at the same time. She didn't mind, he was an excellent father, attentive and involved; though he was very quiet about his affections about her.

"Is he good to you?" he asked in a fatherly tone.

"Very," she admitted with a smile. Sarada came running down the tree with a flower in her hand and her bear being dragged behind her as she trotted up to Kakashi. The girl shoved it to the Hokage, her smile bright and happy, Kakashi faltered for a moment before he took it from Sarada.

"Thank you Sarada," he sounded like he was smiling.

The girl waved and then she ran up a different tree.

"She doesn't talk yet, but I think she will when she has something to say," Sakura admitted to him, her former mentor was enamored with the flower as he sat there staring at it.

"Are you sure she's the Uchiha's kid?" he asked flatly. Sakura burst into laughter as she fell back into the grass staring at the morning sky.

"Oh yes, she's his kid alright," she chuckled and stole an upside-down peek at her daughter who was playing in another tree.

"She seems to be plenty your kid as well," he said blandly.

"I don't know, I see a lot more of Sasuke in her than anyone else, Sasuke and maybe a bit of Itachi as well, Sasuke says she has his eyebrows," Sakura said softly.

"You do know that the council will find out about her," Kakashi said softly and she sat up a bit then. Yes, she would be a fool not to know that the council would find out about her, however she didn't know why they should care or even be notified. It was not their business if she and Sasuke decided to have a whole slew of children, it was only hers' and Sasuke's business. However, she had a feeling Sasuke was being very careful about the council's wishes after all he had done and the deal he had struck with them for his punishment.

"I don't know, I believe that this is Sasuke's decision, it's his family too," Sakura admitted. "Besides, I do not bow to the council's wishes, I am an Uchiha and my husband is in charge of the family."

"Ah, well, the council will not be pleased to hear about this," Kakashi admitted. "However, they will not be hearing it from me. The council has meddled too far in his life since he was a child, it is no wonder he keeps his secrets close to him."

"Huh?" she blinked, that was the first she had heard of the council meddling in his life and trying to control him.

"Yes, ever since the massacre, they always tried to control him. In a way, I feel it is their fault for trying to control him so hard that made him go so rogue in the first place. He has never been a man to be controlled," Kakashi admitted.

"Well, that is true, but I don't know, I think he's more afraid of losing Sarada than anything," she admitted softly. She was Sarada's mother and his partner, but she was sure he was terrified of losing his daughter or losing anyone else he dared to claim as family. Besides, he had suffered enough lose for ten lifetimes, it was amazing he had ever bothered to come back to the village at all after everything he had lost.

"And you as well," Kakashi said softly.

"Perhaps," she conceded as she stared at Sarada.

"Well, I won't tell anyone until you two are ready to tell everyone else," Kakashi assured her.

"Thank you, hey?" she had an idea.

"Yes?"

"Mind watching her for a moment, I have to go break the bones of a certain sitter in charge of watching Sarada!" she growled darkly.

"It would be a pleasure," Kakashi said and then he was up the tree with Sarada.

"Don't read Icha Icha to her or I'll break your bones as well!" she shouted and then she started stalking after Suigetsu's chakra. He was going to suffer for daring to bring her daughter here when this was one of the last places her husband wanted her to be.

"Suigetsu get over here!" she shouted as she saw him trying to shrink away from her.

"Thank you for walking me home, Kakashi-sensei," he heard his wife before he saw her. He refrained from running up, grabbing her and dragging her off to interrogate her about what Kakashi knew. Instead though they both walked into the house quietly chatting. He looked at Sakura when she walked into his kitchen.

"Hey, want to have breakfast here?" he heard her asked when they were in the entrance of this house. He hated this house, it felt so… empty.

"Thank you, that would be lovely," Kakashi said as he walked in.

"Morning!" Sakura cheered when she walked into the kitchen and to his side. He grunted as he sipped his coffee, she started getting breackfast ready so he decided to sit with Kakashi while he let Sakura make hers' and Kakashi's breakfast. He'd take some too if she made it, he hadn't eaten with the dobe this morning, too worried about his wife and daughter being found out; eating was the last thing on his mind this morning as he now sipped his coffee.

"You have a lovely daughter," Kakashi said to him and he choked on his coffee. He glared at Kakashi then. "Oh don't worry, I will not be saying anything about her. She's a sweetheart."

"Hn," he grunted. He didn't know what to think now that someone knew about his daughter; not that there was something wrong with that, but it was worrisome to not know what to say about this. He was more worried about the council finding out about her and taking his family away from him.

"She seems to be a lot like Sakura," Kakashi said absently.

He nodded in agreement; a quieter version of Sakura but a lot like Sakura.

"Smiles a lot too," Kakashi said.

"Yes, she does," he agreed. Sarada was always smiling, it was the reason he was afraid of the council taking her and Sakura away, they were the light in his life. Oh, he didn't doubt Sakura would be fine regardless of if they were apart or together, however, he really did want to be involved with his daughter's life. He hadn't had a parent looking over him after the massacre had happened and he remembered envying the kids who had parents. He didn't care if that was stupid, but he wanted to be around, he wanted to see his daughter smile and grow up into a healthy, happy young lady. But a part of him knew he didn't deserve that good in his life, and he also had a feeling the council would take it away from him without regards to his child and wife.

"You did good Sasuke, you and Naruto both, you've done well for yourselves. You should be proud of yourselves," Kakashi informed him.

They both winced when something clattered and Sasuke tried not to dart over and get her out of the kitchen; the woman was a disaster zone walking. And before one got the wrong idea, she was not a bad cook; however, it was not she who did the cleaning of anything when they had lived in their house. He could come home for his week and spend a week cleaning up his wife's mess; it must have been a woman's thing though, or it was a Sakura thing. No matter, Sakura was messy.

"Breakfast is ready!" she called out. He didn't want to go near that kitchen to see what sort of damage she had done, but he sighed as he got up and walked with Kakashi into the kitchen. He felt an eye twitch at the mess before him.

Honestly! She had only been in here for twenty minutes!

"Sakura," he growled out.

"I'll clean it, I'll clean it, stop the growling; go eat!" she ordered as she handed him a plate and shoved him off. Kakashi was snickering as they walked to the table. He glared dangerously at his old sensei then, this was not funny; the woman was a mess!

Gaara was walking towards the Hokage office for the coming meeting. He was bored and dreading the thought of having this meeting, but a secret part of him was interested in it and to see Sakura. He hadn't seen her since her husband had dragged her off with him off on travels into the unknown. Oh, there was the oddball rumor or two which would drift his way, but other than that he hadn't really kept up with Sakura's exploits.

"Morning Gaara!" he looked over his shoulder, down the hall and saw an old sight from a photo on Kakashi's desk. Team 7 in all their glory were walking towards him. Kakashi was besides Sakura who was walking with the Uchiha and Naruto darted forward.

"Naruto," he acknowledged.

"Man! It's great to see you! Anything happening!?" Naruto began prying.

Gaara didn't answer as he opened the door, his eyes on the pinkette who was chatting with Kakashi. She was still beautiful, and still intriguing, however he caught an evil glare from the Uchiha which had him smirking. He knew full well what was being said.

See, silent people had a language all of their own, and he and Sasuke; despite despising each other, always had interesting conversations. Starting from when they had first met as genin.

"Well!?" the blonde demanded loudly.

"No," he answered honestly.

"Drat, you're worse than Sasuke!" Naruto grumbled.

Both he and the Uchiha smirked in response.

Gaara felt a bit of envy though when Sakura turned her smile on Sasuke and then him.

"Hello Gaara, it's been a while," she said happily.

He nodded as she walked past him and again he envied the Uchiha for getting her. Then again, her heart had always belonged to the Uchiha.