Chapter Twenty-Three

Five Years Later

The park was filled with children running around, playing all types of games they could come up with their infinite imaginations. Their mothers chatted with one another as well to keep a close eye on their kind.

Two newcomers made their way to the park hand in hand. The mother had long pink hair that was tied back in a low ponytail, while wearing a red dress similar to what she wore when she was young, but had a different crest on her back.

At her hand was a small girl with short black hair colour hair like her fathers and red glasses that protected her mothers eyes. She wore a salmon sweater with a matching pink skirt and the average black open toed sandals. They walked together with sincere smiles on their faces as they reached the park filled with other children.

"Mom, can I go ahead to play with everyone else?" The young girl asked as she looked up to her mother.

"Go ahead I'll be sitting on the bench." She smiled back down to her daughter, as she jumped with joy running to join the other children. The other mothers saw that she arrived, and waved to call her over.

"Sakura come over here!" Ino yelled out enthusiastically while flailing bother her arms in the air. Beside the blonde sat Hinata, Tenten, Temari and Kurenai. Sakura waved back, with a gentle smile to match. She sat down beside her closest friends, quickly joining into the conversation.

"Temari, I didn't know you were here I thought you went to the sand with Shikamaru?" She asked as she noticed her friends quick return.

"We were going to stay longer, but Shikamaru didn't want Shikadai to miss the opening ceremonies so we came back early." Temari answered quaintly as she watched her own child play on the grounds.

"I can't believe tomorrow we'll be taking our own kids to the opening ceremony. It seems like we were just going to ours ourselves!" Ino exclaimed as she admired the small children running around. Kurenai laughed lightly as she watched the woman in front of her that had only been children those years ago.

"They sure grow up fast don't they." She muttered quietly to herself as the others talked amongst themselves, only Hinata noticing her voice.

"What was that Kurenai sensei?" Hinata asked softly.

"Oh nothing, I was just talking to myself." She answered back with a genuine smile, Hinata returning the same one. Sakura turned to face Hinata who was another of her closest friends, and the wife to Naruto, the sixth hokage.

"Hinata, where is Naruto?"

"He's at the mansion as usual. He's been working on a lot of paper work lately, actually he told me to tell you that he wanted to see you before the ceremony tomorrow."

"Thanks for letting me know, I'll go see him on our way back home."

"I'll walk with you then, Boruto wanted to see his dad too."

"Sakura! You want to join us tomorrow!" She quickly turned to face Ino who shouted out suddenly from behind.

"To do what?"

"We're going to take the kids out for dinner with everyone to celebrate their entrance to the academy." She answered ecstatically. Sakura thought for a moment, wondering whether or not she should attend the special event. With no other blocks in the way she thought of nothing else to get in the way.

"Sure why not!" She replied joyfully. The mothers continued to talk of upcoming events, recent events, about their children, and helpful tips to make things easy for everyone until Hinata's son, Boruto came running to them in excitement.

"Mom, mom! Can we go see dad now!" His bright blue eyes burned just like his fathers. Hinata smiled as she patted the boys head trying to calm down his never ending energy.

"Of course we can, Sakura and Sarada will be coming with us too."

"I'll go get Salada! SALADA!"

The young boy ran back to the park to find his closest friend, basically dragging her back to walk with their mum's through the thriving leaf village to the hokage's mansion. There were shinobi running all over with all types of paper documents in hand. While passing new faces and familiar ones, one particular face stuck out.

Lady Tsunade passed by, looking younger as always with an aging Shizune by her side. Both Sakura and Hinata gave her smiles and matching waves, and their children shrouded her with questions.

"Bolt!" Hinata exclaimed but was quickly ignored by her son. Tsunade looked up to the two confused mothers.

"I got them don't worry." She said aloud while trying to answer their innocent questions of their parents youthful days. They both shrugged with a soft sigh.

"Guess you can see what Naruto wanted to tell you." Hinata said as she turned to leave following their children.

"Aren't you coming Hinata?"

"I'll wait outside I don't think it involves me." She said back without turning her head. Sakura watched her walk away until she turned the corner, not being able to follow her anymore. Sakura then turned to make her way to the famous door.

Since she had been so busy taking care of Sarada for the past years, she hasn't really gone to work much or visit the mansion like she always had. Knocking on the door, she heard Naruto's voice tell her to come in.

Opening the door Naruto stood behind the desk wearing the average the undershirt that most jonin wear with the leaf symbol on it, and matching navy blue pants. The leaf headband on his forehead where it has always been, and on the coat hook hung the coat that many kage wore before, but instead had the sixth printed on the back

"Sakura-chan, Hinata must have told you I wanted to see you!" He shouted aloud as he put down the papers he had in his hands.

"What did you need to tell me Naruto?"

"Sit down Sakura, we haven't talked for a while!" He gestured towards the chair in front of the desk. Sakura walked to the desk to take a sit on the wooden chair.

"So how's being the hokage been lately?"

"Paper work as always, so how's Sarada doing?"

"She's been doing fine. She's really excited for going to the academy tomorrow, she won't stop talking about it." Naruto looked down to his clasped hands that he'd placed on the big desk that had been rebuilt so many times.

"Has she asked about him." Sakura broke the stare she had with Naruto, staring out the window behind his head.

"I told her what he told me to promise her." Naruto saw her eyes go dim as they always would whenever the topic of Sasuke would slither its way into any conversation. He could see the pain and anger she had for him, but also the undying love she had for him.

"There's something I want to tell you about the situation. Ever since you went up to the council to personally tell them why he had left, they didn't believe you one bit. They found someone who'd been secretly staying by Obito waiting to see if he had any plans for disaster. He confessed to using you against Sasuke to get him to follow his orders. Tsunade also witnessed to whatever mark he placed on you."

"So what does that mean?" He leaned forward with a dopey smile spread across his face with a suspicious giggle to go with it.

"They found no danger of him returning to the village, so that means he can come back Sakura." She stared at him with disbelief for a few seconds, before she slammed her fist into the desk breaking it in half. Naruto jumped back in complete fear not expecting the reaction.

"Chaaa! What the hell! Why didn't those idiots realize it before. I told them I was telling the truth and now Sasuke missed out on the important years of Sarada's life!" Her rage slowly faded, as she began to break down in vicious tears. Naruto rushed to her side, holding her as she fell to the floor. The door opened with Hinata, Boruto and Sarada walking through as Sakura continued to cry in Naruto's care.

"Mommy, why are you crying!" Sarada shouted out noticing the sadness right away. She walked forward but Hinata quickly grabbed her pulling her back not knowing what else to do. Sakura quickly wiped her face, instantly stopping the hiccupping sobs. Getting up with the help of Naruto, turning around with a bright smile.

"Mommy is just so happy!" Sarada smirked just like her father, bringing more tears to Sakura's eyes, as she bent down to take her daughter into her arms holding her as tight as possible.

The sound of running water hits the aluminum material of the sink as Sakura ran the liquid over the once soapy dishes she had just finished washing. Sarada sat at the table finishing the full glass of milk she'd been drinking for her breakfast. Grabbing the recently dried towel, she wipes the remaining water off of the dishes.

"Sarada have you finished your milk?"

"Yeah!" She said back, as she jumped up from the table to pass Sakura the last dish she had to wash. Sakura quickly washed the glass, letting it dry on the rack.

Sarada was already gone from the kitchen. Sakura followed the quiet hums of her sweet voice coming from the front door. She sat on the step putting on her small shoes, her bag already packed and ready to go. Sakura knelt down putting her hands on her small shoulders.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah!" The two stood up quickly, Sakura putting on her shoes with ease. As they walked out of the Uchiha mansion, Sarada held on to her mother's hand tightly.

"Are you excited Salada?"

"Of course, I can't wait to go to the academy you went to mommy!" They walked in silence with pure innocence in the air. "Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Will daddy be there, like he promised?" Sakura looked up to the blue sky as they passed the now filled houses that were once part of the Uchiha compound. Sarada did not bother to ask her mother anymore questions.

Sakura and Sarada arrived late to the opening ceremonies, Naruto had already begun his speech by the time they'd arrived. Sakura quickly showed Sarada where to stand, as Sakura took a place in the far corner at the back of the lines of proud parents. Ino, Ten Ten, Hinata and Temari laughed quietly to themselves seeing that the ever so perfect Sakura was late.

"I was here so many years ago, and it seemed like I was here forever! Which I was, it took me awhile to finally become a real genin! Thanks to Iruka sensei, who still works here to teach you guys, is probably the best guy for the job! When I was here I didn't really think about what the future generation would be like, just that I wanted to beat my closest friend at his game. But now I look at all the kids here, our young people who I know will grow up to be fine ninja. Then I think man have I grown, and I know everyone here will too." Naruto continued on from his introduction, as he continued on with his speech with many other inspirational lines that he'd come up without having to read from a sheet of paper.

Sakura smiled as she saw how much they had all grown since they had been standing there themselves, but now stood their own offspring. From the corner of Sakura's eye, a dark figure moved beside her, closer than most people would stand. Turning her head slightly, she'd already guessed who it was.

"She's beautiful, just like her mother." His low soothing voice sent a shiver up her spine, as she looked into the same onyx eyes that left her weak to her knees.

His hair was longer than when she last saw him, and his face was more defined with age. He wore a navy blue undershirt like Naruto's, and with matching pants. He held out his hand close to hers, she stretched it out joining their fingers and palms. Turning back their attention to the ceremony they both watched their daughter begin her life, together as a family. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she wore a weathered, broken, and rested smile.

END

All characters portrayed are Masashi's Kishimoto's creation. Main events are also by him, but SasuSaku events are by me. All credit to original creator Kishimoto! 

[[Edited it to change the names to their child's real name, respectively of course!!]]