AN: YES! I HAVE FREE TIME! Good lord, it's a miracle! I should have a party!
Chapter Sept as the French say…
"Mama." Sakura said, trying to get the young child to talk. The little girl just stared back blankly with her wide green eyes, but they were set deeply like Itachi's. She also had a small mop of black hair on top of her head. The mother sighed and picked her daughter up.
Midori was a quiet toddler. She was unusually observative of her surroundings and her piercing green gaze could unsettle even Kakashi. Sakura was always chasing after her because she was so curious. She had just passed her first birthday which was a quiet day spent with her mother.
Sakura walked through her wing of the Uchiha complex and imagined what it would be like in 200 years. Perhaps the clan would truly be restored, and people would actually live in the now empty halls. She sighed at the fantasy and looked down at her daughter. She just stared back. Sakura laughed and swung her up in the air. Midori giggled.
"Sakura-chan!" Somebody yelled from the front gates.
"It's unlocked!" She yelled back, careful not to yell into her daughter's ear. In a split second Naruto was standing in front of her grinning like a maniac. "Did something happen?"
Hinata came up behind him panting heavily. "Water…" She gasped and Sakura quickly led her to the kitchen and gave her a seat.
"Care to tell me what's going on?" Sakura demanded while handing Hinata the cup.
Naruto, still smiling like an idiot, answered her question. "Hinata's pregnant."
Sakura stared at him. "You just figured that out?"
"Wha- you already knew!"
"It was pretty obvious. Whenever we would train in the morning she was violently sick, plus she tried to subtly ask me questions about pregnancy. Naruto, you're a little slow still." Sakura chattered. She looked around to find Midori gone. "Where's my baby!" She started freaking out. "Midori!" She yelled. There was a cooing sound from the corner and the mother sprinted over.
Her daughter was playing with a kunai.
"Oh my goodness!" Sakura cried and snatched the weapon away. "How on earth did you get that?"
Naruto laughed from behind her. "She's a natural. I wouldn't be surprised if she was a genin by 6." He took a look at Hinata who was silently watching the pair. "I've got to get you home. The run over here wasn't too good for you, huh?"
Hinata rolled her eyes and carefully stood up. "You are just too fast for your own good." Sakura sighed and led them to the front door. She had let her daughter stay in the master bedroom while she let her two close friends out.
"Sakura, I was serious about Midori." Naruto said. "She'll be very powerful one day, be careful not to let it get to her head."
"Relax Naruto. She'll be fine." Sakura smiled. "Thanks for the concern though. I'll tell you when she starts to walk and talk, maybe then we can start training her."
They exchanged quick goodbyes and Sakura headed back into her house to check on Midori. "Bathtime-" She started singing, but stopped dead in her tracks.
"Dada!"
"Very good." A dark form said from the bed. "You'll be as smart as your mother one day."
"Itachi!" Sakura cried. Said man stood up but was almost knocked down when Sakura came flying at him. "Do you know what I've been going through!" She yelled and tried to punch him in the chest.
"It was for the best, I assure you." Itachi answered calmly, dodging every single attack.
"Yeah, living here all alone with a one year old is great for me!" She almost screamed and attempted a kick at his side. He caught her ankle in his hand.
"Listen to me." He commanded. Sakura quieted down and sat on the bed. Midori's reaction was to crawl into her lap. The Kunoichi quietly stroked her daughter's hair. "Things have quieted down lately. There's a new headquarters in the next town over and we need a doctor." His eyes twinkled mischievously.
Sakura froze her hand partway through the toddler's hair. "I can go back now?" She paused and looked at the dark haired child. "Midori will have a father?"
"She always did." Itachi huffed and picked the little girl up who giggled in response. He looked down at his wife. "So, yes or no?"
"Y-yes! Of course!" Sakura laughed. She was going back to, as strange as it sounded, the Akatsuki.
----------
"What?"
"I'm going away for a while, perhaps a few years." Sakura repeated. Naruto stared blankly back. "Midori will be coming with me. This is for medical study." She lied.
"Where's Midori?" Naruto asked skeptically.
"With my kage bunshin at home." She lied again.
Naruto sighed and started to fill out the paperwork. When he finished it was stamped with the Hokage's seal. "You have the freedom to travel through our ally countries no questions asked. That'll only last two years, so make sure your back in time." He smiled. "Have a safe trip."
"Thanks. I'm leaving now." She ended and walked out and back to her home. Itachi was trying to feed Midori, who was having more fun inspecting the food.
He was almost on his last nerve. "Please eat." He repeated for what seemed the hundredth time.
"Dada!"
Itachi used that split second to shove the spoon into her mouth. Sakura almost laughed at the look of complete shock the came over the little girl's face, then giggled at her glare. It was definitely an Uchiha glare.
Itachi quickly grabbed another spoonful. Midori eyed it carefully. Sakura knew that the clogs in her mind were churning at full speed. If anyone other than mother tried to feed her, she became impossible.
When she sulkily opened her mouth Itachi was suspicious. "Good girl." He placed the spoon in her mouth and deposited its contents. He was surprised when the contents were flying back at his face.
Sakura gasped when the apple sauce landed on his cheek. She held her breath hoping that Itachi wouldn't have a violent reaction. The father looked socked for a moment, and then started to wipe the apple sauce off his face. Midori stared at him innocently.
"Sakura," He called.
"Don't worry; I'll take care of food." Sakura laughed and came out. Midori squealed and pointed at her mother. "Mama?" Midori just squealed again and Sakura sighed. "Alright, open up." The small child dutifully did so and Sakura quickly fed her. Itachi watched on.
When she was finished, she took Midori to get bathed while Itachi went to take care of random Akatsuki duties. When he came back Sakura was packing the baby's clothing. There was already a duffle sack where she had put her possessions. Itachi took the larger bags. "Meet me three miles outside the east gate." He left with that order taking the larger bags with him. Sakura packed a smaller bag with a few Kimonos and Yakutas so that she wouldn't appear suspicious.
As she handled the fabric she remembered that this had once belonged to Itachi's mother. The Kunoichi wondered what kind of woman she was, but somehow got the feeling that she shouldn't ask Itachi. He was a bit touchy on the clan killing subject. She snapped away from her daydream and continued to quickly shove the last set of shoes in the bag.
"Midori!" She called and the baby cooed back. "Come on, let's go." She wrapped her in a blanket and quickly walked out of the house after making sure it was locked down. She had no regrets leaving that awful place.
She got out of the gates with no fuss and Itachi was waiting for her exactly three miles away. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked.
"Of course I am." She scoffed and held the baby away from the cold night air. Without a word the pair jumped through the trees. She didn't return in two years, or any amount of time after that.
FIN
AN: Haha, first part is DONE! I'll be working on a sequel whenever I have time, but it may be a little slow, so forgive me for that. A quick thanks to all my reviewers for their support and constructive criticism. You don't know how much I appreciate that people point out my weak area's nicely and tell me how I could improve instead of cussing me out and saying how much my story stinks. If they don't like it, then they shouldn't read it. Geez.
Well, see you in the sequel….whenever I get an idea for it….
Lavonia