AN: I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story. Hope you guys continue to read and continue to enjoy it. Thanks everyone for the reviews, please let me know if you guys like the story so far and I gladly welcome all comments. Enjoy!

Chapter 5- Going home

Sasuke's eyes fell on Sakura as she stood at the door, her emerald eyes bloodshot and brimming with tears. But her eyes didn't even turn his way as she stared at Sarada longingly. Before Sasuke could even comprehend what was happening, Sarada had jumped into Sakura's arms, her small arms tightly wrapping around Sakura's waist and Sakura's arms wrapping around Sarada. Sasuke watched as the tears cascaded down Sakura's eyes.

"You scared me half to death." She said as she closed her eyes making more tears fall from her eyes.

"I'm sorry mama. I'm so sorry." Sarada cried, hugging her mother even tighter if possible. Sakura let go of Sarada and kneeled down in front of her, coming to eye level with her. Sasuke watched as Sakura ran her thumb over Sarada's cheek, wiping the tears from her face.

"You don't ever do that again; do you understand?" Sakura said as she held Sarada's face between her hands, her green eyes looking at Sarada's black ones meaningfully making sure her words were getting to her daughter. "When you want to go somewhere, you tell me next time. You are all I have so don't…don't leave me like that again, okay?" she finished softly and desperately, her eyes refilling with tears.

Sasuke felt a little guilty as Sarada wrapped her arms around Sakura's shoulders hugging her again as she sobbed. Sakura ran her hand over Sarada's hair comforting her. After a while of Sasuke just sitting there feeling completely out of place in this family reunion that he shouldn't feel so awkward around, he stood up from his seat at the table.

"You should eat something." He said, making the other two occupants of the room come back from their moment. Neither of them turned to him though as they detangled from each other, Sakura again wiping more tears from Sarada's face, this time with a warm smile on her pretty face.

"Have you eaten anything?" she asked Sarada instead. Sarada nodded her head in reply with a sniffle. Then Sakura's eyes turned to Sasuke just as he was done placing a plate full of porridge on the table. "Did she eat?" she asked skeptically as if knowing what Sarada said was untrue. Sasuke's eyes turned to Sarada just as she lowered her head having being caught lying. Sasuke shook his head once wondering how Sakura could've possibly known that Sarada hadn't eaten her meal.

Sakura and Sarada sat side by side on the chairs at the table with Sasuke sitting across from them. He watched as Sakura picked up a spoon full and directed it towards Sarada's mouth. At first Sasuke thought Sarada would refuse, but she seemed like a different person from the one who had interrogated him a few minutes ago now that she was near her mother.

Sarada opened her mouth and ate the porridge as Sakura fed her. Sasuke was left to wonder why he felt so alien as he sat across from his wife and daughter. He also didn't want to disrupt the two either because he was relieved. There were countless times that he had wondered how Sakura was faring with this whole deal of him being away from them. He used to visit Konoha frequently when Sarada was just a baby but as she got older it became harder and harder for him to leave when she begged him not to with her big dark eyes. Sakura understood what he needed to do but Sarada was an innocent child who knew nothing of the cruelties of the world. His visits became less frequent and he is now realising the holes in his plan to keep his family safe. He has lost the best period of Sarada's life which allowed him to bond with her.

Sasuke watched as Sakura also took bites and the two of them finished the bowl. As much as he missed these opportunities, he couldn't help internally smiling as Sakura wiped Sarada's mouth. He had undoubtedly known that Sakura was the most caring person he knows other than Naruto. But still, Sakura had an innate sweetness that assured him that even if he left, she would bring this child up with all the care in the world. He now saw the proof of his instinct.

"Were you on your way to see Naruto?" Sakura's next question was directed at him, which was wholly unexpected because she hadn't inquired about him at all since they saw each other in the forest. He nodded his head in reply. Of course she knew about his visits to the hokage. Naruto would've told her about it but he found it rather unsettling that she would be so fine with him coming to the village and leaving without saying anything.

Sakura sighed breaking her gaze from his. She was so relieved she couldn't possibly put into words how much. Sarada was always such an obedient child that Sakura never had any need to be harsh when disciplining her. But the scare she gave Sakura today would count for all the good she has done in the last twelve years.

Though, she supposed she couldn't really blame Sarada's intentions or find fault within them. Sarada was always curious about her father and Sakura had always had to side step all her questions regarding Sasuke. She should've known Sarada would be impatient now that she was older.

"If you want to rest a little, we can stay a little longer. But we leave right after." Sakura said sternly to Sarada. Sarada's eyes widened a little before filling with anger.

"I'm not going home." She cried in outrage which surprised Sakura.

"Yes you are going home." Sakura repeated folding her arms in front of her chest, leaning back on her chair. Sarada suddenly stood up, her chair screeching against the floor. Sakura's green eyes widened at her daughter's actions, genuinely surprised.

"No I'm not. And you can't tell me what to do because you are not my mother." She said surprising both Sakura and Sasuke before running out of the kitchen. Sakura was left to stare in shock at her daughter's retreating back. She untangled her arms and put her elbows on the table, pushing her hair back with her hands, letting out a tired sigh.

"She's with you for a few hours and your stubbornness has already rubbed off on her." She said looking at Sasuke's surprised eyes, resting her cheek on her palm. Sasuke didn't say anything, only opting to stare at her face instead.

Sakura also stared back at him, finally looking at him after what seemed to her like forever.

He was still so handsome. Thin, pale lips, pointed nose, eyes looking at her through one dark, one purple adding more mystery to him, like it was even possible. He has new scars on his face, aside from the one on his forehead that he's gotten during the war and the one on his left jar from when he had fought Deidara. There was a new long gash on his right cheek and to the left of his nose.

She knows all of his scars. The one from the right side of his ribs to the left, the one from his left side to the middle of his stomach, the one on his right thigh, the countless number of scars on his back. Even after all these years, she can still tell the littlest changes on him. What was it about him that she found so fascinating? How many times had she wished to be with him? How many times had she hoped he would come home? Since she was twelve years old, all she had done was wait for Sasuke. Wait for Sasuke to accept her, wait for Sasuke to love her, wait for Sasuke to come home.

After having so much experience in being disappointed by him, she had learned to never expect anything from him. But Sarada didn't know all this. Sarada was just waiting to spend sometime with her father, to get to know him, to hold his hand and walk around the village like other children did. Why couldn't he give this innocent child that happiness? Why couldn't he just fill her little heart with the happiness that she so craved?

As Sarada became older, it became harder and harder for Sakura to accept the decisions Sasuke had taken. Yes, she understood why he did it, understood his reasons, but how can she accept them when Sarada is looking at her with her big beautiful eyes, asking her why her father didn't love her. How can she answer that question when the most innocent creature in the face of the planet was staring at her with tear filled eyes?

There were so many moments in the last twelve years that Sakura hated Sasuke. Especially after Sarada came into theor lives, because after Sarada she refused to understand Sasuke. She could understand Sasuke abandoning her, but an innocent child who thought the world of him, how could he be so selfish?

"I don't know what to tell her. I don't know anymore lies to tell her Sasuke." she said in defeat. "Even I don't know why you continue to stay away from us…from her." She continued while Sasuke remained motionless. "You missed your child's whole childhood because you were fighting off imagined threats. Threats that you THINK will come, while she waits at home waiting for her father to come home." She wanted Sasuke to know the dangers of what he is doing, to know what he's missed. But his choice to remain unmoving has broken Sakura's resolve to stay calm. "Is it me?" she finally asked, straitening up in her chair. "If you don't want to come to a home where I am at, then I will gladly leave Sasuke, if it means she can have her father home. I can't watch her be disappointed anymore. I can't watch her as she thinks day in and day out that her father doesn't love her, I can't Sasuke." she was vaguely aware of the tears cascading down her cheeks, but it broke her heart. It broke her heart to see Sarada's small heart breaking because him.

Sasuke continued to stay unmoving, which resulted in more tears escaping her eyes. Sakura finally took a long breath, wiping any remnants of tears from her face. She sighed again, getting up from her seat. She was resolved to take her daughter and leave this place, leave this man. The two of them have survived this long without him, they can continue to do it in the future. Sarada would have to come with her, if Sakura knows her daughter at all, which she absolutely does, she was just as upset and surprised as herself about the event that has occurred. She would be able to convince her baby to go home with her. Her mind was made up as she left the kitchen and the man that had disappointed her her whole life.

Rate and Review. Thank you.