Authors Note: I'm super excited to get this chapter out to you guys! It's my longest one yet. Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing, following, and favoriting. I love that you love my story, seriously. Keep letting me know your thoughts! I cant WAIT for the next chapter though. I'll get it to you asap.

P.S. 3 dots represent change of POV. More dots (i think 10) represents passage of time. I finally have a method for it that works.

Chapter 5

"She's got your eyes, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura was sitting propped up with pillows in a surprisingly comfortable bed (nothing else about this place was exactly homey), in a room not too far from where they had been in the lab for the delivery. Sasuke was reclined in a chair right next to the bed, watching his wife watch their new child.

It had been a little over an hour since their daughter's birth. There had been quite a bit of mess to clean up, and Karin had selflessly taken care of it all, even helping Sakura clean herself up. She was eternally grateful to the fiery red-head and would always consider her a friend for everything she had done today.

Sakura didn't have much chakra after experiencing such a draining ordeal, but she used what little she had to heal the tear she had suffered down below. She really didn't want to be feeling that any longer than necessary. Her body would just need rest to fully recuperate. Sakura then attempted breast feeding for the first time. It was not as easy as she thought it would be. It was actually very stressful at first. Her daughter just wouldn't latch right away. She kept getting a taste, letting go, then crying because she was hungry. But Sakura applied what she had learned throughout the years of occasionally performing deliveries and being privy to breastfeeding instructions while in the room during checkups, and with Karin's assistance (she felt having a woman's help would be better than Sasuke's awkwardness) she finally managed to find a position that worked well. She had to hold her baby along her forearm, with her head in Sakura's hand, and pretty much tuck the infant under her arm. She had to pinch her breast into a weird oblong shape to get her daughter to latch on and then she could release her breast. It worked after the third try and her daughter seemed to learn quickly, not having any more trouble. The sensation of her baby feeding was weird to get used to at first, but after a little while she hardly even noticed it. It made her heart happy to know she was continuing to sustain this precious life with her own body, despite her being on the outside now.

Now she was finally relaxing with a sleeping child in her arms, staring at her little squishy face. She just couldn't get enough of it. Sakura had always been studious, and it was no different now. She studied her tiny little nose, which she thought resembled her own a bit. She studied her soft, fuzzy black hair that she had so much of for such a little head, which strongly resembled her father's hair. Sakura was secretly happy about that. She loves her own pink locks, but she was happy to have a child that would resemble the Uchiha clan and be a constant reminder of who her father is. She moved on to her little fingers that were peeking out of her wrapped up blanket and marveled at the miniscule fingernails that graced the tips. 'Amazing', she thought to herself. Her body made this beautiful creation, this blessing for her and Sasuke. Long ago she had merely dreamed of a moment like this, not truly thinking she would ever be holding her and Sasuke's little girl. It was a miracle just to become his wife, and she would have been happy for the rest of her life with just that. But this was a whole new level of joy. The love of her life had come to her and had now made her a mother. A matriarch to a renowned clan that had suffered so much pain and hardship. A clan that until this journey had only consisted of one lone survivor. A tormented soul who had had his family brutally taken from him and who was alone for so many years. She finally got her dream to give him a new family to cherish, and a new clan to build. A new beginning.

Thinking heavily of her darling husband, she looked his way with overwhelming love in her eyes. "She's got your eyes, Sasuke-kun."

'Hn' he murmured in quiet agreement, the corner of his mouth tilting up slightly. Sakura could tell he had so much on his mind. He always became very reserved when deep in thought, and spoke even less than usual, which was saying something. But the lilt of his smile reassured her that it was mostly good things he was contemplating. One thing though was bothering Sakura, and it needed to be resolved immediately.

"Sasuke-kun, it's time for you to hold her," she said softly to him. His jaw tightened ever so slightly, but it was enough to communicate to her his inner turmoil over the idea. "I don't want to wake her. It can wait" he said. But she knew better. He wouldn't admit it, but Sakura knew he was afraid. It was only natural for new fathers to be this way, but even more so for Sasuke who had never experienced anything close to this before. She knew he was likely insecure about his lone arm and was probably worried he would drop or hurt her in some way. Which was of course nonsense. As if Sasuke, one of the new legendary Sannin, elite ninja, co-savior of the ninja world, and the least clumsy person she knew, would allow his brand-new baby to fall to the ground. Yeah right.

"Anata, it's time," she said again, giving him a stern but reassuring look. "She won't wake. You should hold your daughter. I promise, there is no feeling like it."

He looked uncertain but nodded in agreement. She saw him gulp a little as she made to come closer to the edge of the bed, and she was slightly amused at how unsure he was. He had no idea the confidence she had in him. Sakura was excited for him to finally hold his daughter. The only other true Uchiha besides himself. Something he once thought he'd never have.

Maneuvering herself to the edge of the bed and sliding her feet down to the floor, she was face to face with Sasuke who was sitting up, fully attentive.

"Just hold your arm close to you, like you're going to hold your stomach, but turn your hand up. Her head will be in the crook of your arm, just like mine. The most important thing to watch is just that her head is supported, and not bending in an odd way. But ill place her properly so you know what it looks and feels like." Sakura finished her instructions like she was teaching a patient how to properly care for an injury. It was just in her nature. But her voice had a calming effect on her husband, and he visibly relaxed knowing she would help him do everything right.

Sasuke did as he was told with his arm, and waited with bated breath as Sakura leaned forward, holding out their infant and gently placed her in her father's arm.

…

Sasuke remained very still. He gazed down at his tiny little girl, eyes softening. Truthfully, it was his first proper look at the infant. He had allowed Sakura to soak up as much time as possible with her before he would get his turn. She had earned it after everything it took to bring her into the world. But he knew the moment would come, so he patiently waited. Now he was holding their baby for the first time, and though his mind had raced through everything that he could do wrong, he trusted Sakura to keep him straight. He was beyond grateful for her kindness and her encouragement, seeing through his façade and knowing how to help him in his insecurities like nobody else could.

Sasuke took his time observing all the features of their little one. Bundled up in the blanket like this, she was shaped like a peanut. He observed her little fingers and nails, so small and delicate, peeking out as she framed her face with her hands in her sleep. Her forehead was large, but not too much, just like her mothers. Enough to perhaps fit a purple diamond in the middle of it, if she chose to follow her mother's path one day. Her eyes were closed, but he knew when she opened them, he would see onyx staring back at him. Maybe they would be almond shaped like Sakura's. Her hair was as black as his own. Thick and spikey as well. But he imagined it would be so soft to the touch. He felt a pang in his chest, regretting for just a moment his choice not to have a second arm. He longed to brush his fingers along the top of her head as he held her. But he would have to wait until he put her down. That would be alright too.

It had been a few minutes as he looked at her, when he glanced back up at Sakura. Not surprisingly, she was crying. But when he looked at her this time, his heart swelled with love and pride. He was happy to see her crying, for once. They were tears of joy, and he had helped put them there.

Smirking, he said "Annoying."

She chuckled through her tears, wiping at her cheeks and blushing faintly. She knew he was only teasing. "I'm just so happy Sasuke-kun. Thank you."

"Ah" he said, looking back down at their daughter. "Me too."

Peaceful quiet resumed for a few moments, both deep in their thoughts, when Sakura brought something up that had already been on Sasuke's mind.

"She needs a name, anata."

Sasuke remained quiet. He had an idea for one, but he was suddenly nervous to voice it, not sure if it was right. He'd certainly never done this before, and figured Sakura should be the one to decide. But…he had thought about it.

"What are you thinking?" She asked him curiously, noticing his hesitation.

"I don't know if it will be right. I've just had an idea for one. You can decide though." He was still looking down at his daughter, mulling it over in his mind. Sakura waited patiently. "I was thinking of the name Sarada."

"Sarada" Sakura repeating quietly. She smiled softly, look at her baby and said it again. "Uchiha Sarada. I love it Sasuke-kun. That's a good name for her. What made you think of it?" she inquired, looking at him.

Sasuke would probably never tell anyone else this, but Sakura was his loving wife who he kept no secrets from anymore. She would understand.

"When I was young, I remember my mother sitting in the kitchen one day staring at a vase of wildflowers on the table that I had picked for her. She had been lost in deep thought when I walked in, and I remember sitting down next to her and asking her what she was thinking about. She told me she had always wondered what it would be like to have a little girl, and what she would call her. She assured me she loved me and Itachi more than anything. But seeing us with a little sister would have been a joy. I asked her what name she would pick for a girl and she said if it were up to her, she would pick Sarada. At the time I didn't care for it, since it reminded me of the leafy food I didn't like. She laughed when I mentioned that and told me salad reminds her of spring which was her favorite season, and the word Sarada just had a pretty sound to it."

Sasuke quieted after his explanation, lost in his memories once again. It was a pleasant one that made him miss his mother, despite the limited number of memories he had. He didn't want to forget any details of her, and the things she enjoyed.

"Thank you for telling me that, Sasuke-kun. I would love to name Mikoto's granddaughter the name she longed for her own daughter. Continuing her memory." Sakura's voice was thick with emotion again. Sasuke was grateful for her caring so deeply for his long-lost family that she would never have the chance to meet. How he wished she could.

Picking up on Sakura's exhaustion, he cocked his head at the pillow next to her. "Rest. I'll hold her a while." Sakura yawned right on cue and nodded her agreement, stretching out next to them. "Wake me in half an hour Sasuke-kun. Sarada will need to eat again" she mumbled quietly, immediately drifting off to sleep.

…

Stirring slowly to the sound of a soft whimpering, Sakura almost thought she had imagined it. Suddenly, a loud wail broke through her sleepy fog and she shot up in bed, searching for the source. Sasuke was sitting up holding a crying Sarada, looking alarmed and unsure of himself. "She just started crying. It's only been 20 minutes."

Sakura wasn't worried as she reached for their daughter. "It's alright anata, I warned you she would want to eat again. I just misjudged how soon it would be."

Sakura shifted her shirt out of the way, exposing her swollen breast, and helped Sarada latch on like a pro. The roomed quieted to just the sound of her suckling, and Sasuke relaxed a bit. Ten minutes passed, and Sakura looked at him, assessing him with a medical eye. "Sasuke-kun, it's your turn to get a nap. This is how it's going to be for a while, so we both need to rest when we get the chance. Come lay next to us and I'll wake you when I need it again. That cat nap helped me, even if it was cut short."

Sasuke hesitated. "I'm not that tired right now. It's early afternoon still."

"Well, I'll be honest it's hard for me to track time in this place, but regardless our nights are going to be filled with this type of schedule. If you can rest now, you'll thank yourself later" Sakura encouraged. "At least lay down and relax either way. Sarada is done again and will be resting for a while." True to her word, the infant was fast asleep, nuzzled up against Sakura's skin. She shifted her shirt back into place and snuggled her close.

Sasuke relented and got up, stretching his arm over his head. Sakura watched him, mesmerized, and felt her cheeks warm up in a light blush as his shirt hiked up a bit and exposed a defined line on his lower abdomen. She didn't know what it was about Sasuke that just made everything he did look so…inviting. Sasuke cleared his throat and Sakura raised her eyes guiltily to meet his knowing gaze, and her blush deepened. "Careful Sakura, you might drool on Sarada" he said, smirking in a very cocky sort of way.

"Tsk, I would do no such thing" she replied haughtily, acting as if nothing had happened and focusing intently on their sleeping child, a smile peeking through her mask of indifference. She loved him, plain and simple, and couldn't help herself from showing it sometimes. Truthfully, she didn't want to help it. She wanted him to know every second of every day. But she was a grown woman after all, and a new mother. She had to show some decorum, occasionally.

Sasuke made his way to the bed and stretched himself out next to them, turning to face Sakura's right hip, throwing his lone arm over her legs and closing his eyes. "Wake me soon Sakura. You need your rest more than me. I didn't just have a baby."

Smiling, she replied "Alright Sasuke-kun. For now, just sleep. We will be right here."

"Ah" he mumbled, slowly drifting off as she knew he would. He may not have birthed the baby, but his stress levels were almost just as high, and it had taken its toll on him. She watched her two favorite people sleep and felt so much peace. She couldn't wait to get home again but having this time alone with them was precious, and she would cherish it forever.

….

Two weeks had passed, and Sakura was ready to go. They had packed up their belongings and were standing outside the entrance with Karin. Sakura was feeling emotional at this goodbye. She felt closer to Karin than she ever thought she would and leaving her behind was bittersweet. Karin had helped them regularly throughout their time in the hideout, and even held Sarada again late one night when Sakura sat with her. The infant had been awake through most the night and Sakura was exhausted, but so was Sasuke. She had let him sleep and made her way through a familiar corridor to the kitchen, which also had lounge area with a couch. She had grabbed herself a snack and sat down heavily, when Karin also made her way in. She had sat near Sakura and the girls chatted a bit before Sakura's eyes started drooping. It was then that Karin gathered the courage to offer her help, holding the baby while Sakura rested a bit. Grateful, and not the least bit worried, she had handed the baby over. Remembering Karin's soft look at little Sarada brought a fondness to Sakura's heart. She felt privy to a kindness that Karin wouldn't expose to anyone else, and Sakura knew she could trust her to protect her daughter no matter what. She was a piece of Sasuke, and both girls cherished that thought. Sakura had rested for a while before Sarada demanded more food, and she had made her way back to their room.

Now they were leaving. She wasn't sure how Karin would feel about it, but throwing caution to the wind she quickly embraced Karin in a brief but crushing hug. "Thank you for everything, Karin. I'm truly grateful."

She released her, and Karin's face was beet red as she muttered "Yeah, yeah.." looking away.

"You should come visit Sarada sometime" came Sasuke's unexpected voice. Even Sakura was surprised at the comment. But she suspected it was Sasuke's way of saying his thanks, knowing it would mean something to Karin to know he welcomed her to know his child.

If Karin's face had been red at Sakura's hug, it was nothing compared to now. She stuttered out "S-s-sure. Maybe some time."

Smiling, Sakura turned to Sasuke. "Ready, anata?"

"Hn" was his reply, and they were off, Sarada tucked away in her daddy's arm, warm and hidden beneath his cloak. Sakura had recovered fully now and could provide initial protection in an emergency, so he had offered to hold her for a while until she needed fed.

They walked at a fast pace most of the day, much faster than they had with a pregnant Sakura. They still couldn't run, but it was a relief to be moving her body and getting fresh air for the first time in two weeks. They had waited until they felt comfortable exposing Sarada to germs and other things, knowing they would soon be surrounded by many people wanting to hold the baby. But being stuck underground for that long had started somewhat of a depression in Sakura, as she recovered from her elevated hormones. Nothing she couldn't handle, but it made a big difference being out in the sun, and feeling the wind on her face, exercising her body. She missed this.

She turned her smiling face up to the sky with her eyes closed for a moment while they took a short break to change Sarada. Sarada cooed from the ground as she got a little time on her tummy, raising her head up a tiny bit to look around.

Sakura was sitting on the ground cross legged, leaning back on her hands as she felt Sasuke approach her from behind. With her face up to the sun and eyes closed, he surprised her with an upside-down kiss on her lips, kneeling behind her. It was soft and brief as he moved to pull away from her. Smiling even bigger at the pleasant surprise, she quickly reached up a hand and laced her fingers through his hair, pulling him down into a much deeper, sultry kiss. Their tongues exploring each other at this new angle was tantalizing, and soon they were both out of breath as Sakura released him. They made eye contact, and both recognized the look in each other's eyes. Love, and something a little more passionate that promised to be very fulfilling later on.

"We should keep moving. If we make the most of our travel today, we should be in the village by late morning tomorrow" Sasuke said, voice a little husky as he stood up with his ears tinged red. Sakura nodded, thinking of being in their own bed for the first time tomorrow night, and she blushed at the ideas coming to her mind. "Ah, we can go."

"Come along Sara-chan!" Sakura chirped in a sing-song voice, scooping up their little girl. Just as she picked her up though, Sarada spit up and it landed right on the front of Sakura's shirt, instantly ridding her of any thoughts of passion.

Much to her indignation, Sasuke snorted loudly. She would be sour about it, but she rarely heard him laugh, so she couldn't help but smile even as she feigned irritation at him. These were the joys of motherhood, and despite grumbling as she passed the baby off and dug out another shirt to change into, she wouldn't change anything about it. She remembers the nights she lay awake pregnant and wishing to hold their little one, waiting to participate in all the motherhood things. Even the smelly ones.

"Ready?" Sasuke asked her in an amused voice as she finished changing and picking up her pack.

"Ready, anata, and you can hold her for a while." She said as she started walking away at a brisk pace, paying him back for his laugh, though it wouldn't be much punishment to him. Sarada was light as a feather at this age. An 8lb feather anyways.

They made their way through the familiar forest, well into fire country now, and only stopped once more before finally calling it a night late into the evening. They had covered more ground than they anticipated in their eagerness to reach the village. Instead of late morning, they would likely arrive early as everyone was heading into work.

After setting up camp and rocking Sarada to sleep, they snuggled next to each other on a log in front of the fire, just enjoying the peace and the warmth together. They were in a clearing where they could view the millions of stars up above, and the sight was sobering.

"We should send word to Naruto to meet us at the gate" Sakura said.

"Tsk, the dobe will have the whole village waiting there for us" Sasuke grumbled, not interested in a crowd.

"I'm sure he will be so excited he will forget to even mention to anyone. We will be there early, so he won't have a chance to gather them anyways. We can send one to Kakashi-sensei as well. I'd like them both to be the first to see Sarada. They don't even know she exists, let alone us being married. Well, not Naruto anyways. Kakashi at least knows that much, but only out of necessity." Sakura's heart was beating a little faster in anticipation. Naruto's face when he finds out will be well worth the struggle to keep it a secret. He will be a very proud uncle.

She forced herself to stop thinking about it because her eyes were fogging up a bit. She had to save that for tomorrow.

Sasuke must have agreed with her since he stood up and walked to the edge of the trees to summon his messenger hawk. She guessed he didn't want the sound to wake Sarada. 'He's such a good father' she thought.

After returning he said "It's done. Let's get some sleep." Right on cue Sakura let out a big yawn. She had worked her body today more than she had in months, besides giving birth, and she felt it. She needed the rest.

They curled up on their mats right next to each other with Sarada in between, and after giving her husband a soft kiss goodnight, they finally drifted off with thoughts of home in their dreams.