A/N: Hi! I just wanted to say that I really, really appreciated the reviews I got on my first story. They made my day! This is my first attempt at a multichapter story, so I hope you like it. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Konoha. The place came to her in her dreams. Fleeting glimpses of a life in the village, scenes of growing up surrounded by friends, and memories of her mother haunted her sleep and when she woke up, she would be filled with a strange sort of longing for a 'normal' childhood. Sarada loved her papa with all her heart, and she knew he was trying his hardest to give her the best he could offer, but sometimes, she wished she could go back to the village she spent the first few years of her life in, years which she barely remembered.

"Sarada," her father called, breaking her out of her thoughts. Sarada looked at him as he walked through the door. He had just returned from another one of his interdimensional travels and it showed on his face. Sarada considered herself an expert in decoding the difficult puzzle that was her papa's expression and from what she could see, he looked exhausted.

"Did you find something?" she asked. Sasuke looked at his daughter and sighed.

"Yes," he admitted. Despite her curiosity, Sarada dropped the topic, knowing that it was all her father could tell her. Instead, she decided to regale him with the rather interesting events of her day.

"Uncle Suigetsu let me practice with the Executioner's Blade today. It's heavy, but if I give enough chakra to my arms, I can use it."

"Really?"

"Yep. I can show you tomorrow. Aunt Karin taught me more about concealing chakra too. She says I have a natural talent for it because of my chakra control."

"Hn." She remained silent as Sasuke got up to polish his kusanagi, setting it down carefully after doing so and walking into the bathroom to shower. While waiting for her father, Sarada looked around the room. It was small, but cozy, much cozier than the rooms in Orochimaru's other hideouts. Sasuke would usually leave her with one of the former members of Team Taka whenever he had to travel between dimensions, often for days at a time, which gave her a lot of time to familiarize herself with the Sannin's various hideouts–and his subordinates.

"Papa, are Aunt Karin and Uncle Suigetsu dating?" she asked when her father returned.

"What kind of a question is that?" Sasuke asked, blinking in surprise. Sarada shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm just curious."

"Why?"

"What, is it wrong to be curious? Besides, I think they'd make a good couple."

"You're just like your mother," her father said, shaking his head in amusement. At his statement, Sarada suddenly quieted. "She would always try to get Suigetsu to ask Karin out, but he never listened to her," he added. Sarada smiled, happy to hear his words about her mother. Sarada knew she was a strong kunoichi, Konoha's best medical ninja in fact, but she longed to know the little things about her. Her favorite foods, whether or not she liked flowers like Sarada did, what her hobbies were. These were all questions Sarada could never ask her herself, so the job fell to Sasuke instead to fill her in on all the details. Despite being a naturally aloof and quiet person, her father would always answer her questions, even if they were about the smallest things. It was during these conversations that Sarada would notice a shift in her father's mood. Whenever he talked about his wife, his eyes would grow softer and he seemed lighter, more carefree.

"Maybe he'll listen to me," Sarada suggested. "I could follow in Mama's footsteps and get them together." Sasuke snorted.

"The only way you'd be following in your mother's footsteps would be if he didn't listen to you. The only couple Sakura's ever successfully gotten together was Naruto and Hinata, and even that wasn't really her fault."

"Well maybe I'd just be finishing what Mama started, not following in her footsteps. I don't want to do that anyway, I suck at medical ninjutsu."

"You'll get better at it eventually." Sasuke said.

"Speaking of ninjutsu, when are you going to teach me Kirin?"

"When you're older. And learn the Chidori first."

"I already know the Chidori. You taught me it, remember," Sarada grumbled, placing her glasses on the nightstand beside her small bed before ducking under the covers. "Good night, Papa."

"Good night," her father whispered, pulling the blanket around her snugly. It was the last thing Sarada heard as she drifted into sleep, dreams of Konoha and her mother waiting for her.

"We're going where?!" Sarada screamed, looking at her father with shock written all over her face. It was morning and the first words he had said to her were ones she never believed he'd say, no matter how much she secretly longed for them. Sasuke sighed.

"Konoha." Sarada squealed at his answer and launched herself at her father in a hug, nearly toppling him over in the process. Her excitement was short-lived, soon replaced by confusion.

"Why? Do you need to talk to Nanadaime-sama about your mission or something?"

"Yes," Sasuke said, not missing the way his daughter's shoulders slumped. Sarada pulled away, trying to hide her disappointment. So I guess we'll only be able to stay for a little while. But still, at least I'll be able to see some of it and meet Mama and Papa's old friends. Maybe I'll even get to meet Nanadaime-sama himself! Sarada squealed yet again, much to Sasuke's puzzlement. Her admiration for the seventh Hokage had only grown as she got older, fueled by her father's stories about his time in Team 7. Being the Hokage seemed like the dream job for Sarada. Helping the village, making connections, it all seemed so surreal when she thought about it, a stark contrast to her rather solitary life. The only person she had regular contact with was her father, and even that could falter due to the nature of his mission. Sometimes, he would have to leave her alone when nobody could watch over her, a predicament that seemed to grow in frequency as Sarada grew older, though she supposed it was mostly because her father had started to trust in her abilities more.

"When do we leave?" she asked, unable to hide the excitement in her eyes.

"Now." At his answer, Sarada's enthusiasm quickly turned to panic as she raced to grab her belongings and stuff them into her pack. Sasuke smiled at his daughter's antics, picking up her glasses from the nightstand. "Don't forget these." Sarada gasped and grabbed the lenses from his hand, placing them on her nose and pushing them up to prevent them from falling. After finally managing to secure her pack on her shoulders, Sarada looked towards the now bare room, completely devoid of any sign that it had previously been occupied. She didn't feel any attachment to the place, but a strange nervousness about returning to a village she knew so little about made part of her want to stay. She looked at her father, who was waiting by the door expectantly.

"Ready to go?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow at her sudden hesitancy. Sarada squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. I've dreamed about going to Konoha for years. I can't let this opportunity go to waste.

"I'm ready."