Both Sarada and Sakura sat at the table, staring at the Calla Lily Sakura moved from the bedside table.

"What are we going to do?" Sarada murmured, afraid to break the silence.

She turned her gaze to Sakura who stared at the Lily almost hopelessly. Her hand continued to caress her stomach instinctively.

"Mama?"

Sakura's eyes moved to Sarada.

"I'm scared."

The two words alone screamed of her fear. Like her father's family before her, she'd never admit to being afraid. Not unless she were truly terrified.

Sakura knew the young one heard her argument with Naruto (she's not quite sure who hadn't) and that they were not safe.

But as Sakura stared at the terrified onyx orbs of her daughter, there was no question what was to be done.

"You're going back to Naruto's, Sarada."

The lack of nickname told the small child just how serious it was. Sarada shuffled to her, staying on her knees.

"But I want to stay with you, Mama."

Sakura shook her head, ignoring Sarada's tears.

"I'd love nothing more than to keep you with me, Sara-chan," Sakura whispered but she couldn't stop the wetness that started to cloud her vision or the slight tremble of her voice. "But you would be safer with Naruto within the Hyuga compound. They can protect you better than I-"

"But what about you?" Sarada urged, grasping her mother's arm desperately. "Who will protect you?"

'According to your father...me,' Sakura couldn't help but think bitterly.

She smiled at her daughter, despite the tears that now rolled down her cheeks.

"Don't worry for me, Sara-chan. I'll be fine. We'll be fine."

The uncertainty was clear on her face yet Sarada hopelessly sought comfort in her words and together, alone in their big house, the two clung desperately to one another.

And they cried.

Sakura knelt before Kagura in the garden while Sarada packed a bigger bag to take to Naruto's.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-sama," the slug spoke. "There was no activity outside. My only theory is that he truly can move by shadows."

Sakura shook her head. "I can't believe that. That would mean that no where is safe."

The slug's antenna twitched. "I'm sorry, Sakura-sama."

"It's not your fault."

"My mother would like to know if you are feeling well? She told me you have been sick for some time now? She said I am to assist in any way that I can."

Sakura looked back at the house to make sure Sarada was not without hearing range before nodding to the slug.

"During the war, I pushed the Saisen passed what should have been physically possible. Not only had I healed myself, I forced the chakra into someone else and healed them too. The strain of that has shortened my life span and had a negative affect on my body."

"Oh, Sakura-sama. I assume Tsunade-sama knows this too?"

"I don't know," Sakura answered truthfully. "She's checked me many times but hasn't said a thing and I don't go out of my way to talk to her about it. I prefer it this way."

"But why?"

"If Tsunade-shishou knew everything, she'd forbid me from keeping the Yin seal. I need this power. This is one of the only things I have that keep me empowered enough to protect my family and my home."

"But she could possibly help you. She might know how to slow down the affects."

She shook her head again. "No, I've been through her books and asked her often as a child. She has not yet discovered a way to heal the damage caused by the Saisen."

"What will you do?"

"Try and make it through the pregnancy."

A few days later...

Sasuke arrived to Otogakure where he received a greeting much like Suna. Without stopping, he made his way through the village and to the not-so-secret entrance to the base underground.

"Sasuke, what a surprise."

As Sasuke stepped out of the light from the entryway, his eyes adjusted to the darkness and made out the Snake Sanin.

"Orochimaru."

"How's the family. Sarada-chan should be what now? Eight?"

"I need information."

Orochimaru smiled. "Despite your path to redemption, you haven't changed a bit."

"Someone is targeting my family and I think he was an old experiment of yours?"

At this, the snake's smile fell.

"Someone wants to hurt Sakura-hime and Sarada-chan?" He asked.

He turned, heading deeper underground.

"Come."

Sasuke followed obediently. As nostalgia hit him, he was unsure whether he cared for it or not.

"Tell me about this man," Orochimaru spoke.

"He came to me via shadows. It's like he can appear wherever there are shadows."

The Sanin stopped. He didn't look at Sasuke or nothing. Just...stopped.

"That's...worrisome."

"Tell me what you know."

"Around about thirty something years ago -before you were born- I found a boy from Kumo. His clan was much like the Nara's with their Shadow manipulation jutsu while his mother was -funnily enough- an Uchiha. She met him while on a mission, they fell in love and so on..."

At this, Sasuke perked up as the Snake Sanin went on.

"His Sharingan did not develop, though it was never expected since his mother didn't inherit the Kekkei Genkai. This is what the father had been hoping for to further Kumo's power. Kumo has shone an interest in Konoha's clans secrets as you'd recall the Hyuga incident. Anyway, as such, the father cast them aside. I found them and the rest is history."

"What did you do to him?" Sasuke asked, annoyed with his avoidance of the question.

Finally, they reached some sort of scroll room. Weaving through the room, grabbing scrolls here and there, he finally moved to the back of the room where a desk sat, littered with opened scrolls and books. He sat down and cleared some space before opening up the texts he had picked up.

"Kimiko, the mother, gave her son to me -Kuromaru- in return for safety. Unfortunately, she fell into one of my traps and was poisoned by snakes."

Orochimaru couldn't help but look at Sasuke to catch the knowing frown upon his lips.

"My experiments on the boy showed that while he couldn't perfect the Shadow-style or fully obtain the Sharingan, the mass strain I placed on the boy caused something else to develop."

Opening another scroll, they revealed the crimson eyes of Kuromaru. Instead of commas, there was a black four point star.

"It looks like a version of Mangekyou," Sasuke stated, tracing the black star.

"Indeed. At the time, I had no idea what the Mangekyou was. Your brother would had been four at the time so the Mangekyou had still been unheard of to non-Uchiha members and with no Kimiko to fill in the blanks, I had to."

Sasuke looked at the other scrolls, finding more detailed information about the eyes of Kuromaru.

"I discovered that when this -the Bosekigan, I called it- activated, he had access to his father's jutsu but in a way that had never been seen. Both eyes developed certain properties that couldn't perform his ultimate technique without the other, the Kagekuro."

"Is his Bosekigan the reason he can move by shadows?" Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru nodded. "Like the Mangekyou, his eyes can do different things. His left eye allows him to become an intangible shadow, able to teleport from shadow to shadow while his right eye solidifies him again. We took strict precautions to make sure he never used the left if his right eye was playing up. Therein lies his weakness. Like all eye Kekkei Genkai, activation causes severe trauma on the chakra pathways to the optical nerve. He can only activate the Bosekigan once every four days, lest he wishes to destroy his sight."

"So all I need to do is take out his eyes?" Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru nodded. "Remove the eyes and he is powerless but once they are activated, he cannot be stopped. Attacking him while the Bosekigan is activated is futile, much like Obito's ability to move through objects. If I had to simplify this, it's practically a Shadow-users version of Obito's ability."

Sasuke straightened, intent on beginning his pursuit.

"I need to find him."

Orochimaru stood as well, walking alongside his ex-apprentice as he headed out.

"If you plan to hunt him, take backup," he advised. "Kuromaru is not to be underestimated."

Sasuke gave him a sideways look. "You already have something prepared."

The smirk was evil yet lacked conviction.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-sama."

Jugo and Suigetsu awaited him at the end of the hallway.

A couple months passed and Sakura grew bigger. Now at six months, one would expect the pinkette to be radiating happiness but instead, the Uchiha matriarch appeared to be thinning and losing her shine. She was pale and weakened, struggling to make it outside to pick the vegetables she'd eat that day. Sarada visited her everyday, trying to help her as much as she could but there was nothing she could do. While her health didn't seem to plummet, it certainly didn't get better. Her chakra had been working nonstop to develop a strong protective barrier around the twins should her failing health decide to attack the womb. Ino had taken to spending several nights with her to ease her loneliness yet she'd much prefer her husband. Often, she found herself forgetting things like where was or what she was doing. Something was wrong but she didn't know what.

Then finally, it happened.

On his quest to find the man stalking his family, Sasuke confronted Kuromaru many times, every time it ended without conclusion.

In a fit of anger, Sasuke swung a hit at a towering oak tree that he stood by. Suigetsu yelped and jumped from his perch in said tree as it fell away from the enraged Uchiha.

Knowing better then to say something, Suigetsu settled back down in the camp. Sasuke eventually started setting up his tent before going in and not moving. Jugo returned with firewood and then fish.

"Ya know, I miss these days," the silver-haired water-nin spoke.

"You mean our days of travel?" Jugo wondered.

Suigetsu nodded and threw himself backwards on his bedroll, not bothering with a tent. He stretched out, gazing up at the stars contently.

"I must admit, I too miss our adventures."

"It's even better without that bloody four eyes here."

"Where is she?"

Suigetsu turned to Sasuke's tent where the Uchiha had laid down, staring at the roof of the tent as many thoughts ran through his mind, though he was curious of what became of the redhead.

"Karin? Fucked if I know," Suigetsu grunted. "One day she was with us. The next she wasn't. That was months ago though."

Jugo frowned. "Wherever she is, I hope she's not getting into too much trouble."

Sarada and Bolt spared at the Uchiha training grounds where Sakura watched, perched against a tree weakly yet lovingly. Sarada had wanted to show her the knew jutsu she'd learnt.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Suddenly, two Sarada's attacked Bolt who yelped and dodged as best he could. Despite her health, the former Haruno couldn't help but laugh, watching the two children. Her laughter turned to coughing and she hid the blood that had splattered her hand.

"Oh, crap!" Bolt shouted suddenly. "I just remembered I was supposed to meet Himawari and Haha-ue at Neji-oji's grave!"

"You'd better hurry up then, Bolt," Sakura laughed. "You don't want to keep them waiting any longer."

Bolt nodded. "You're right, Sakura-ba!" He turned to Sarada with a smile. "Good job, Meinu. I'll see you later?"

"How about you go with him, Sara-chan?" Sakura asked as she carefully got to her feet.

"But kaa-san-"

"I'm fine, honey. Go say hi to Itachi-oji and your grandparents."

The Uchiha heiress was conflicted but with the urging of her mother, she left with Bolt, both waving as they disappeared of the compound. With a relieved sigh, Sakura slowly walked back to house. Ino had gone home for the next couple of days since she wanted to spend time with her family, which made perfect sense to Sakura, yet the house seemed to echo the emptiness that was in her heart with the absence of her husband. As she wattled outside, she knew instantly something was off.

Slowing to a stop, she realised why it seemed so quiet.

"Kagura?"

Silence.

Sakura slowly moved through the garden, trying to spot a slug -any slug- yet coming up short.

"Looking for something?"

Spinning around, Sakura finally came face to face with her stalker.

Or should she say, stalkers.

Beside the strange man with scarlet eyes that reminded her of her husbands Sharingan stood a familiar kunoichi.

With choppy red hair and black glasses.

"Karin."

I'm tired .

These Christmas holidays have got me working long hours and I barely find time to myself.

I know you guys want longer chapters, but this story won't be very long if I do.

I shorten it for your sake.

I think.

Now...

We know who is stalking Sakura.

Kuromaru and Karin.

Someone said the glasses Sarada wears is Karin's coz she dies in the movie and they decide to give Sarada her glasses (WHY? DOES SARADA REALLY HAVE BAD EYES? PLEASE GOD NO)

So for the story's sake, Karin didn't do that and Sarada has her own glasses.

For the person who said Sarada was named after Sarawati or something, I only just saw that on Narutowiki and I stalked that site after Sarada was revealed.

It was only recently added. Even so, her name translates to Salad in English. I hope for our sake that when they dub the last chapter of the manga and the new series that'll come out next year following the kids, they call her Sarada. Not Salad. If that happens...im done.

Also, I finished writing my novel! ^_^

Granted, I have to go back through it and add finishing touches, but it's done.

Thanks for being so patient.

I love all of my readers and you keep me going.

Like Kuromaru's ability? I made that shit up xD ... clearly ...

I also like writing Orochimaru. I'm kinda happy he went good in the end.

I have no idea what happened to him after the war so just go with it...

Love you all 3

-Me.

P.S KEEP REVIEWING!