Chapter 29

Sasuke stood beside his wife, he was tempted to wrap an arm around her waist to brand Sakura in the eyes of the Kage, but he refrained. Mostly because he did not ever express public affections for anyone, even his wife and daughter. However, he could not deny the temptation of branding his wife as his before these Kage who were looking at her with keen interest. Not that he could blame them for being interested in his wife, she was an amazing woman all on her own.

"So, we are here to discuss the rumors about the Ōtsutsuki clan." Kakashi said as he walked past Sakura.

"There have been rumored sightings throughout the Five Nations and more in the smaller nations," the Kazekage started and Sasuke stood there listening intently to each Kage who spoke and memorized the information. He looked to his wife who was focused as well and nodding every once in a while, and asking the occasional question or two. Yes, he was certain he could convince the Kage he was taking his wife for reasons that were legitimate, she was an intellect after all, and it would be the perfect cover for them and to keep his daughter with them.

"Well, Uchiha? Think you can break the mysteries of the Ōtsutsuki clan and bring them down?" the Mizukage asked snidely.

"Hn," he grunted with a nod as he looked to his wife who smiled broadly and nodded.

"Of course we can figure out the Ōtsutsuki clan," Sakura said happily.

"You won't be going with him," an elder spoke which had every head in the meeting snapped over towards the elders who had just entered the meeting then. Now he thought to hell with it as he grabbed his wife and pulled her to him, his arm slipping around her waist as he pulled her behind him. A frown was on his lips as he fought the desire to sneer at them, these elders were nosey and bothersome.

"Yes I will be," Sakura snapped, he felt her trying to pull herself from his grasp then.

"No! you will be staying here; this is no longer a folly for you, the Uchiha will be embarking on this alone!" the elder snapped. He held Sakura firm as she struggled against him, he felt her murderous intent then.

"And what makes you think you have any say over who will be going with the Uchiha on his mission?" a hard voice demanded. Sasuke felt Sakura stiffen beside him as he and she looked over to the Kazekage. "From what I know of the Uchiha and Sakura it would be beneficial for them to go on this mission together, to have one go alone would be hindering and cumbersome. Do you not agree?"

"Yes, and they are an excellent team," Kakashi spoke up then, he gave him a pointed look which had him relaxing a bit. Kakashi was going to try to keep his family together, Sasuke was going to have to thank him later.

"Well, we need Sakura here; since Tsunade has retired from the hospital and the need for a medic of her caliber in this village is needed." The elder snapped.

"Are you trying to split them up so you have some form of leverage on the Uchiha?" Kakashi finally asked. Sasuke felt Sakura freeze beside him then, and she pressed herself firmly to him as her hand came up to grip the front of his shirt. So, his wife was finally understanding just why he hated this village, and the council.

"No, this is about a need and Sakura happens to be able to fill that void," the elder defended.

"No, Sakura will travel with the Uchiha," Kakashi said. "And they will be leaving this evening, together."

"Thank you Hokage, come on Sakura," he dragged his wife off with him before she could murder the elder before them.

"But!"

"No, that is my final decision on the matter," Kakasih said as he pulled his wife away with him.

"Let me at that elder! Let me at him! I'll break every bone in his body! I don't care! I will not let him get away with that talk!" she was shouting. He used Susanoo to keep a firm hold on her as he all but dragged her back to the Uchiha mansion.

Suigetsu was waiting for them with Sarada there in the living room.

"Hey," Suigetsu greeted. Sasuke nodded.

"Take Sarada, we will meet you in an hour ten kilometers outside of the main gate," Sasuke said sharply.

"You got it," Suigetsu grabbed Sarada and disappeared.

"I hate them!" she shouted.

"I know, Sakura, I know, but stop it!" he snapped as he released her, he pinned both her hands above her head before she could destroy his family home; if anyone was going to destroy this mansion it'd be him when the time was right.

"Well, let me go, I'm going to go beat some sense into that elder!" she snapped and he stared into those furious green eyes.

"Sakura, think of Sarada, if you do something hot-tempered then I will be traveling with her alone while you are stuck here," he snapped; it was true though. He was not having his daughter in this village, he didn't want his daughter under the council's watch. That would no doubt mess up his daughter and wife, he didn't want them to go through everything he had before he had defected, and after he had returned. Granted the council was nothing compared to the watch of Orochimaru, but still, he didn't want them under observation.

"Huh?"

"I do not want to leave you behind!" he snapped; there he had said it. He had admitted one of his darkest secrets; he had given her power over him, given her the advantage over everything he was by admitted this. And somehow… it didn't feel dangerous though, it didn't feel as if he had given her the edge over him.

"What was that about?" Naruto asked once the meeting was concluded and they were leaving the meeting area. Kakashi said nothing about his reasoning for Sakura and Sasuke to stay together, people could assume what they liked, but after this morning he was not going to be separating them.

He hadn't expected it, meeting Sarada this morning though had made him understand several things about his former student. He was keeping his weaknesses close to him, mostly to ensure they were guarded and safe. Also, his daughter was unbelievably happy; it had startled Kakashi with how happy she appeared and carefree. For a child growing up in the middle of a dangerous situation, he had never seen a more carefree or happy child who had nothing but a bear and a tree for her entertainment. Not even the village children seemed as content as Sarada had appeared.

It had only taken those thirty minutes with the toddler though for him to know just about everything the Uchihas had been up to.

They also deserved to stay together, and Sarada appeared to be perfectly safe and happy in her life so Kakashi felt no need to upset her or her life. However, he knew it would not last, eventually Uchiha Sarada would become known to the world, it was inevitable, and in a way Kakashi dreaded her coming to light. The council would interfere with something they did not belong in the middle of, and no doubt they would break the family up. Kakashi could already hear the arguments about it, probably all being based on Uchiha Sasuke's hateful paste, and him probably corrupting his daughter to turn against the village.

Everyone would overlook the fact that it was Haruno Sakura who was Sarada's mother, and they would assume Sasuke so cruel as to hurt his child.

No, Kakashi fully understood Sasuke's secretive nature concerning his family, and this was also probably due to the loss of his family when he had been a child as well. Sasuke was obviously protective of both wife and daughter, and from what Kakashi had seen, he could not be prouder of the Uchiha for this change.

"Probably fears of the Uchiha going rogue again," Kakashi answered blandly.

Yes, he had stalled the council finding out the inevitable, now the only question was: How much longer could Sasuke hide his family.

"Well, teme seemed plenty mad; and Sakura looked furious," Naruto commented.

"How would you like it if you were ripped away from Boruto and Hinata?" Kakashi asked his student then. Those wide blue eyes hardened then, the dangerous chakra oozed from him and Kakashi smirked behind his mask. "Now you have some idea as to what the Uchiha family is feeling. Sakura is Sasuke's family, and they do not want to be apart. However, should they succeed in their mission I think the council will have to back off a bit. That was the deal after all."

"Oh right, why did you make that deal anyway!?" Naruto demanded.

"Because, there are some things that need to be done to ensure the safety of the Uchiha family and some valid points which the council need to be reminded of. The Uchiha family is not a force to be controlled or caged up, and if they succeed in this mission then they will be 'free' in a sense. The council will at least no longer have any control over them. Now, if you excuse me I should go tell this to the Uchiha family."

Kakashi disappeared then before they left, for if they didn't know the bargain he had struck it was very likely Sasuke would grab Sarada and Sakura and run off to disappear and never be heard from again.

Naruto had never really thought about who controlling the council could be, they were a minor influence compared to the Kage, but it appeared they held a great deal of power over the Uchiha family. Which was news to him, he had thought Sasuke had earned their trust by now, apparently he hadn't and that infuriated Naruto.

But more puzzling was how infuriated Kakashi had seemed to be about this. True his former mentor had probably been the happiest about Sakura and Sasuke's union, but he was also the most cautious about it. And yet… there had been a furious tone in Kakashi's lazy tone that had had even the council on edge. More interestingly, Kakashi referred to Sasuke and Sakura as a family, not to say they weren't but Naruto couldn't help but feel as if there was something going on here that he didn't know about and it was beginning to irritate him as he walked the halls of the Hokage office.

"The Uchiha family," Naruto tested out on his tongue as he walked, well, he guessed they were a family in a way. He and Hinata had also been a family before they had had Boruto, so he guessed in a way Sakura and Sasuke would be family. He wasn't sure about them though, their letters were both vague, and very secretive about their relationship. He didn't know what to think of them as a couple, he hadn't really seen them together since their wedding, and even then he hadn't really seen them, they had left a year after they had married, and during that year before they had left, Sakura had been here alone.

"Naruto, are you certain about this," he looked over his shoulder to Gaara.

"Yes, Sasuke is no longer a rogue ninja and he's not going to turn traitor," Naruto said it firmly. He had to believe it, he had to. Mostly because if he believed Sasuke could fall into the darkness again then that would mean he was wrong about his best friend; again. And Naruto refused to believe he was wrong about Sasuke, and he was never wrong about Sakura. Sakura would never fall though, she would remain out of the darkness no matter, and she would keep her husband out of the darkness. However, he couldn't help but feel like they were keeping a secret from him.