Chapter 6- Protection

Sasuke stayed seated as Sakura brushed past him. Why hadn't he moved yet? Why hadn't he told her that there wasn't a moment since he's been away that he hasn't thought about them? Why hadn't he told her that in every turn all he wanted to do was go home to them? That the reason he hadn't gone home every one of those times is because he reminded himself of the danger his family was constantly in? Why hadn't he said anything at all?

12 years ago

"She needs to go to a hospital." Suigetsu cried in panic looking at the writhing body on the bed. Her groans and moans were the answer to Suigetsu's cry. No one moved even as she grabbed the bed sheets in her fists, screaming in pain. Sasuke remained outside the door of the dimly lit room. Kabuto stood beside the bed watching with a smirk in his face even as the woman on the bed cried out in agony.

"No, the child would survive. I'm sure of it." Sasuke heard Kabuto say. Even as Kabuto said this, Sasuke wasn't fully sure if that were true. He was starting to think that neither the woman or the child she was caring would survive. Suigetsu was pacing back and forth inside the room, his panic clearly showing on his face. His sword and water bottle were no where to be found. Sasuke assumed he had abruptly come here at the woman's cry, abandoning everything. Unlike Sasuke, who had taken his time in arriving here after the noise had awoken him. "I will get her something for the pain." Kabuto said leaving the room at Suigetsu's insistence. Sasuke watched as he passed him by and disappeared into the dark hallway.

But he turned his head back as Suigetsu swore under his breath, calling Kabuto every profanity he knew. Sasuke watched as Suigetsu picked her up into his arms, though her screams continued to reverberate around the walls of the room.

"It's okay, I got you". Suigetsu murmured as he came towards the door. Sasuke was immediately in action as he stood in the door way, blocking Suigetsu's path. Sasuke saw Suigetsu's eyes flash in anger. "Neither of them will survive if we trust that four eyed freak to do something. We have to get her to the nearest hospital or a sane medic nin." Suigetsu said in a harsh whisper. Sasuke continued to stare at the man but as another groan left the woman's lips, his eyes moved to stare at her.

She was drenched in sweat, her hair wild and her lips red from biting them so hard. It was abnormal for her to be in this much pain, he knew that. His eyes moved to the man who had helped him fulfill his goal of killing his brother. The man who had fought along side him. His eyes then moved to the woman's agonized face. She was the reason he had found his brother, her abilities had helped him the most and she was carrying his child. He side stepped and let Suigetsu pass. Suigetsu immediately sprang into action running as fast as he can opposite the way that Kabuto had disappeared through.

As her cries faded away, Kabuto hurriedly came into view. Sasuke knew that Kabuto knew something had changed. He passed Sasuke and went into the room, seeing his prized possession had disappeared from the room, he ran out in anger. But before he could get any further, Sasuke sheathed his katana and aimed it at Kabuto's neck.

"You are done." He said quietly, his one dark eye swirling in red. Kabuto slowly turned his head towards Sasuke, making sure the sharp blade didn't touch him.

"Your child is the perfect specimen, with Uchiha blood and amazing chakra control, it would be unstoppable. I know you want it Sasuke-kun…all that power in one small child." Kabuto's voice was barely above a whisper, his smirk back in place. "I can teach the child medicine. It would rule everything; the whole ninja world would be bowing before this child." Sasuke could almost feel the greed and the craving Kabuto had to have control over his unborn child. If the child stayed here, it would be under Kabuto's control. While the child controlled the world, the child will be controlled by Kabuto.

Whether this child survived or not, any future children Sasuke were to have will always be in danger of freaks like Kabuto waiting to take advantage of him and his family. There would always be treats to the only Uchiha.

These were Sasuke's thoughts as he left the bunker, cleaning the blood from his katana.

Present

Sasuke slammed his fist against the table as the memory washed over him. When will he ever be allowed to be happy, be free of constant fear. He stood from his chair, walking towards the hallway Sakura had disappeared through.

He heard Sakura's faint voice as he neared the room he had been occupying before the events of the day.

"Sarada, we have to go home." She said gently.

"I'm not going home until someone answers my questions." Sarada stubbornly replied. He heard Sakura sigh as he came closer to the door. He leaned his back on the wall beside the door, listening to mother and daughter.

"Your questions are not that easy to answer honey." She continued gently. Sasuke could almost imagine Sakura's green eyes softening with every word.

"I've waited twelve years for someone to answer them. I deserve some truth."

"Whether the questions are answered or not, I will still be your mother Sarada. The same one who scared away your monsters and stayed up with you when you were sick. The same one who played with you and danced with you at that recital when you were too shy. Do you remember?" Sasuke heard Sakura ask, her voice full of emotion and Sasuke was sure, eyes full of tears. He also heard a quite sniffle which he was sure came from Sarada.

"I won't love you any less even if I find answers. You would be my mom no matter what. I just want him to answer, I just want him to tell me. After that we can leave. We can go back to just the two of us like its always been." Sarada said and Sasuke was utterly surprised and impressed with her matureness. He could hardly believe she was twelve years old. Had he missed watching his daughter grow up to be this amazing person? Of course he has, and he would never get another chance. His entire life, existence is a failure and a pain to others. Constantly causing suffering to Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Itachi, his parents and now this child he had brought to the world in an attempt to fulfill a goal.

Sasuke's anger at himself boiled inside him and he started walking away from the room that he desperately wanted to go in to. He was barely able to make it inside of the kitchen when his hands shook and finally let it fly towards the wall in front of him. The wall barely moved but his fist stayed in it as it burned. He had broken a few fingers, he was sure. He gritted his teeth because he knew he deserved it, he fell to the ground, his right hand holding on to his left which still burned. He couldn't move his fingers; they were in too much pain. He moved to rest his back on the wall he had injured his hand on, still holding on to it. Looking at it, he winced as the skin on his hand peeled, blood dripping down very slowly. He rested his head on the wall behind him, his hand still shaking because of the pain. 'Heh…I would've thought I would be immune to pain by now' he thought as he sardonically smiled at the ceiling.

Sakura walked out of the room leaving Sarada behind. There was probably no way of convincing her daughter to come home with her. And truth be told, there was a small part of her that wanted her daughter to know everything. Lying to her to keep her safe seems like a stupid thing to do when all it does is distance her from her father and even Sakura herself. She couldn't lie to her daughter anymore, everyone had kept secrets from her when she was younger and it didn't protect her…it made her feel less and less like a member of team seven.

Sakura walked into the kitchen, not wanting to see Sasuke but knowing that he will be there, possibly in the same position as she had left him, rather most likely in that position. But she was surprised as she neared the kitchen to find that he wasn't sitting on the table, she entered the kitchen wondering where he might be when as she came through the door way, she saw Sasuke sitting on the ground beside her. She looked down at him to notice his skinned fingers and instantly knew that it was broken from the way he was holding on to it. She sighed sitting cross legged in front of him. His gaze moved to her face as she sat down.

"Still so reckless." She muttered before gently taking his hand from his grasp and started healing it. He wanted to protest, but the warmth that radiated off of her chakra and because she was sitting so close to him after what felt like so many years, he let himself have this moment of peace. This moment where he wasn't following an enemy, where he wasn't thinking about running his katana through someone, where he was just him, just Sasuke enjoying having actual physical contact that won't end in him killing someone.

Sakura didn't ask him what had happened, she could guess anyway. As she finished healing him, she looked up at his pale, blank face. They stared at each other. She still held his hand in hers and he didn't move to take it away. She lifted her free hand to his face, moving his bangs from his eyes so she could look at him properly. She watched as his face came closer to hers and she wanted so badly to move closer to him, to feel his lips on her after so long, but just as he was mere centimeters away from her lips, she slightly turned her head away from his. He halted, looking at her, she could feel his eyes on her. She bit her bottom lip but he didn't move an inch even as she refused his kiss.

"I can't Sasuke…. I can't give that little girl anymore hope. I can't keep disappointing her." she murmured as her eyes filled with disappointed tears. Sakura remained still as he moved his lips and kissed her temple instead, remaining there with his lips tightly pressed to her skin for a few long seconds before standing up and walking past her.

Sakura remained sitting there, her tears falling down her cheeks and her heart cracking a little bit more. She knew she has done the right thing. Sarada's head was already filled with so much confusion, she couldn't possibly add more questions to her already full paper. Sakura didn't want to give Sarada hope that there was a chance her parents could live together only to have to break her heart when Sasuke eventually left, because he always did. It wasn't just her that would stand to get hurt now, there was a whole other person to think about. And she and Sasuke both had to think about her and do what's best for her. She couldn't selfishly follow him like she used to, she couldn't selfishly let him do to her whatever he wanted.

There was something more important in her life now that she wanted to protect. She wasn't sure Sarada will be able to handle being hurt and she will do everything in her power to make sure her baby didn't get hurt, especially because of her.

A/N: I just realized I'm not going to be able to upload all the story before I go on vacation so I'll be uploading faster so I can get the story for you guys before I leave. So expect fast uploads you guys.

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