Remembrance

A/N: WAFF warning!

Naruto's newest addition to his family, Hiruka, was celebrating her second birthday and most of the ninja had turned up to celebrate the birth of the sweetest little girl in Konoha. Hiruka had her mother's gentle spirit and beautiful appearance topped off with Naruto's huge smile. Not even Hiashi or Neji could stay uptight with such a little girl pulling on their hands and asking for her present.

She had flitted from guest to guest, smiling and laughing when all her nee-sans and nii-sans had commented on her dress. After hours of admiration and gifts the girl had settled in her Sasuki-san's lap to curl up and have him read her one of her new picture books. He had taken her in his arms and turned the pages for her as she told him each picture was.

Sakura watched the duo from her table. Ino and Chouji were carrying on a conversation with Temari and Shikamaru about their parents' team formation. She wasn't interested. But watching Sasuke hold a toddler, smiling gently and holding her close enough that he could probably engulf himself in the smell of baby? That was one for the record books.

Of course, everyone knew Sasuke had a soft spot for the little girl. Who didn't? But he had taken to her immediately. She had taken to him as well. She was the first to greet him when he came into the Hyuuga mansion, and he was the first to teach her the meaning of being a ninja. She didn't understand the concept, but she had said in the cutest baby-talk Sakura had ever heard that if Sasuki-san was a ninja, and her dada was a ninja, then she would be a ninja. Naruto had gotten her a toy headband as soon as he could. Hiashi thought whe would be the best kunoichi to ever come out of the Hyuuga clan, that is if he let her get in any situation more dangerous than babysitting or lawnmowing.

It seemed that as her genin group grew up their children changed everyone. TenTen and Neji were expecting their first child soon, and Ino had a small infant constantly attached to her right now.

Truthfully, Sakura felt a little left out.

She continued to gaze at Sasuke as he held Hiruka, wondering is he would be the same with his own children. She imagined him coming home to her, ruffling their son's hair and swinging his little girl around playfully before settling into dinner-

Bad Thought!

She couldn't imagine such things. It was bad for her health and her sanity. Picturing things that could never come true were just not good to do; maybe it had been too long since she had had some fun of the right kind. She knew Kakashi would be up for bar-hopping, so maybe they should go out otnight and find some warm bodies to curl up to. She was just beginning to finally switch her mind from Sasuke-family mode to Get-laid mode when Ino elbowed her. Hard.

"Yo, forehead, you see that? He'll make a great father someday. Imagine all the little Uchihas running around with red eyes and pink-" Sakura smacked her hand over Ino's mouth.

"Don't say it, pig. I already told you, I'm not dating him. I'd sooner date Genma than Sasuke."

"Oh, really?" Sakura cringed; Ino looked way too smug for herr to be comfortable. "Well, I heard you already did the mattress mambo with ol' senbon boy. Was he good?"

She groaned. Genma had too big of a mouth. "Not talking about it, Ino. You know the policy."

"Aww, we don't speak about the one night stands? Guess that tells me how good he was then. He didn't even get a repeat performance." Ino squeaked as Sakura punched her arm, and the blonde ran off to find her husband and her baby. Chouji liked showing off his child a little too much.

She smiled as her friend left. Ino could always be counted on to put her mind on something else. Usually beating Ino into ground beef.

The party was dying down now; everyone was trickling out of the Hyuuga gardens slowly. Sakura was contemplating getting up to find Kakashi and arrange a night on the town when a shadow was cast over her table.

"May I sit?" She sighed to herself before gesturing to the empty chairs on her left. Sasuke sat down, arranging a sleeping Hiruka carfeully on his lap so she would be comfortable. "She has worn herself out. Too much excitement for one day, I believe."

Sakura nodded, and reached over to brush some midnight locks out of the little girl's eyes. She truly was a beautiful baby. It was a wonder that Naruto had a hand in creating her. Sasuke just stared at her, hoping she would break the silence before he did. He was tired of feeling like an idiot.

"I read your last mission report. Do you truly think that we've taken down enough of Akatsuki for them to be that little of a threat?"

He cleared his throat before replying, "Yes, I do. There are only two members left. They do not have the organization nor the funds to be of any major threat. What can two of them do at this point?"

She nodded, captivated by his coal eyes and his dark eyelashes. He was just so beautiful. She could see where he had begun to form laugh lines- a sign of how different he had become since his return to Konoha. He was still dark and moody, and arrogant to a fault. But after his mission of vengeance was done, he seemed to become a whole different person to her.

"I want some of my own someday." She snaped out of her though to notice his gaze was directed at Hiruka, and her eyes widened. Of course he did! He wanted to rebuild his clan! She knew that, stupid Sasuke. "I think it would be nice to have a family to come home to. I could rebuild my clan into something honorable, something to be proud of."

She smiled and nodded. He had been changing so much. How much of it was for her?

"Do you want kids, Sakura?"

She looked at him, startled, before picturing her ideal family. "Sometimes I do. I often want a family to come home to, and a baby to cuddle. But then I remember my job, and the kid in the grocery store last week throwing a fit over a candy, and I wonder if I do or not." He smirked at her.

"I think you would be a good mother. Ninja or not." He gathered Hiruka in his arms and got up, making his way into the house to put her in her bed. Sakura watched him go, and then turned her head to the gray cloud above.

Damn you, Sasuke.

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