HELLO!

I bet you were all waiting for this chapter! :D

But yet, you wont review :(

Anywho! Because of the wait I added extra to this chapter! Just for you.

I DO NOT own NARUTO that is property of Masashi Kishimoto. I do own Kaori (and any other OC's) and the plot-line. PLEASE DO NOT STEAL!!!!!

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Previously…

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Sakura woke to the midwife smiling at her, fear over took her. Where was her baby? She looked around frantically, half afraid to see it.

"It's okay, Sakura. The baby is right here." The mid wife handed her a baby…

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Now!

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Sakura smiled at the little baby in front of her, and for the first time in months didn't feel fear.

The little baby had beautiful teal green eyes, like Sakura's own, and Sakura's creamy skin. A beautiful girl, the midwife announced. But most happily she had a small tuft of RED hair. Sakura smiled, and almost started laughing. Everything was…well…not right, per say. But better…better than having the child and when she asked who her father was saying 'Oh yeah, he's married to another woman.' Now she'd jut have to say, 'he doesn't know about you, but that's okay.'

Sakura named her child Kaori Haruno and lived in the Village of Thunder until Kaori a little over a year old. Then Sakura decided to go back to Konoha and bring back Mari. She longed to have Mari by her side again.

Kaori was lovely but Sakura missed her other daughter.

So one morning she snuck out, past the crazy but nice villagers and into the forest, carrying her baby on her hip.

"We're going to get your sister. She'll like you, wont she?" Sakura spoke softly to the baby on her hip. Kaori just gurgled and didn't respond; at one year of age most babies don't have much to say.

Sakura walked in quiet through the forest for a while, switching which hip Kaori was on every once and a while.

After about an hour she sighed, she was going nowhere fast. This speed would get her nowhere close to the Hidden Village of the Leaves by nightfall.

Sakura stopped for a moment and listened to see if they were being followed. Then relaxed when she heard nothing but the sounds of nature.

She reached around and grabbed the pack that rested on her shoulders. Sakura rooted around in it for a moment before pulling out a carrier.

She set Kaori in it and tightened the straps, so her baby was secure. Then Sakura set the pack back on her shoulders and put the baby carrier on backwards so she could see Kaori.

Sakura then took off, jumping through the trees at lightning speed, a useful technique she'd learned from the villagers of Thunder.

Sakura stopped again after a while of blessed out traveling when Kaori started crying. Sakura sighed and lifted her shirt to feed her, but Kaori just cried more rather than feeding. Sakura scratched her head and look at her own flesh and blood, "What is it, Kaori? What is it that you want?" she asked the baby. Kaori just wailed in reply.

Sakura sighed and pulled a soother out of the backpack, the second it was in Kaori's mouth she calmed down. Sakura sighed in relief and continued running.

As planned Sakura reached Konoha before dark, she hesitated for a moment before rapping on the guardhouse. "Hmm?" a startled voice asked from within, I know that voice! Sakura thought excitedly. "Shikamaru? Still haven't learn to not fall asleep while on guard duty?" she asked teasingly. "Sakura?" a head bobbed into view, Shikamaru rubbed his bruised head, for he'd got up so fast he hit his head on the ceiling. "Yes." She nodded. Shikamaru grinned, surprise evident in his face. "It's so nice to see you!" he said with sincerity. Sakura grinned back, a bit unsure of what he would do. "Things have changed." Shikamaru said, slouching again. The smile wiped entirely from his face. He suddenly seemed somber. "I bet." Sakura motioned to the finally sleeping Kaori. Shikamaru's eyes widened as if he just noticed the baby. "Congrats, Sakura." He said walking out to slowly open the gate.

Sakura smiled and they exchanged goodbyes, then she took a deep breath and continued on into her birthplace, and her one true home.

Sakura trudged into Konohagakure, carrying Kaori in her arms.

I'm coming for you Mari, Mom's finally coming. Sakura thought desperately, walking up to her old house, that now must be the property of 'Sasuke and Ino'.

Sakura took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A man with dark hair and dark eyes opened, "Sakura?!" whoever he'd been expecting it must not have been her.

"Yes. I've come to get Mari." Sakura spoke bravely.

"Who is it, Honey?" a sickly sweet voice called and Ino walked down the hallway, holding vase that Sakura distinctly remembered being hers.

"Sakura." Sasuke spit through his teeth. "Huh. You can't have him." Ino turned up her nose and walked into the kitchen, my kitchen. Sakura thought, seething.

"Mari?" Sasuke turned back to the matter on hand. "I don't have her, she's with you and Gaara in Suna." He closed the door on Sakura's face.

She snorted and walked off.

"Suna?!?!" she thought after a moment, why?

Sakura sighed and turned down the familiar route.

A few hours later she walked through the protections of that village. Sakura snorted while hopping the wall, clueless guards.

Sakura took a few deep breaths once in Suna. "Gaara." She sighed, thinking of her love.

But yet…at the same time, she didn't wait to run into him for fear of him asking about Kaori, or anything else.

"I'm in deep doo-doo." Sakura cooed to her daughter, Kaori gurgled back, smiling happily at her.

Sakura sighed and walked up to Temari's door. What am I going to say 'I'm here for my daughter, sorry for leaving'?!?!? Sakura thought franticly.

She knocked and almost immediately the door opened. "Oh, good. Your finally here." Temari spoke, then did a double take once she recognized Sakura.

"Sakura?!?!?!?!" she asked, "What are you doing here." Temari seemed to be in shock, or she'd already have her fan out. Sakura thought wryly.

"May I come in?" Sakura asked politely and Temari waved her in mutely.

"Mari?" Temari shouted once they were in, "Come here!"

A much bigger child than Sakura remembered ran in. "Yes, Temari-san? I was watching Makoto like you said." Mari spoke softly. Sakura almost fainted at seeing her firstborn.

"Mari!" Sakura shouted and Mari turned, noticing her for the first time. Sakura watched the emotions scroll across her face, shock, disbelief, hate, and anger.

"Mom?!!" She asked loudly. "Yes." Sakura walked over and picked her child up, carefully as too not disrupt Kaori.

Mari stiffened up for a moment, then relaxed and hugger her mother back.

"Why are you back, Sakura?" Temari asked coldly, Sakura wondered where she'd gone for a moment, then noticed the little bundle Temari held.

"Oh, you had a child?" Sakura asked, shocked. "Yes." Temari nodded tightly and unrolled the blue blanket to reveal a medium sized child.

"His name's Makoto!" Mari stated excitedly.

"Where have you been?" Temari asked stiffly. "In the Hidden Village of the Thunder." Sakura replied, still holding Mari.

"But why? Why leave Mari alone? Hell, why leave her with me?" Temari asked, outraged, she shock with anger.

"I didn't mean to!" Sakura replied, letting Mari go. "It was involuntary! I found out, uh," Sakura glanced at Mari, "Some news."

Sakura pulled Kaori around, to show Temari. She gasped. "You, you, you and Gaara?" she asked after a moment.

Sakura nodded and Temari reached out to hold Kaori.

"You're a cute little girl, aren't you?" Temari cooed at her, Kaori just had that effect on people.

"I'm, I'm a aunt?" she asked, Sakura nodded. "Wait. Does Gaara know?" Temari asked suddenly. "No!" Sakura stated loudly.

"But, I'm sure that Gaara would love children?" Temari asked bewildered,

"No! I…I once asked him and he just said 'No.' calmly, with those bleak eyes of his!" Sakura said, and she felt better right after saying so, finally getting that off her back.

"I don't believe that. Not once he sees her." Temari stated calmly.

"You think?" Sakura asked. "Yes." Temari seemed to have forgotten her anger.

"I don't think I could tell him." Temari still looked doubtful, but Sakura's tone ended the conversation.

"Well. I guess you could stay here again, until you get your feet back under you." Temari offered, nicely. "I wouldn't want to intrude." Sakura hedged.

"Not really. I mean I could use a hand with Makoto, he's colicky." Temari spoke softly about the sleeping baby in Mari's arms.

"Temari?!" a knock came from the door, a voice the Sakura feared. "Kaori!" she shouted softly, grabbing her baby and running out of the room.

"Oh. Hello. I wasn't expecting you." Temari said, Sakura ducked into the same room she had before.

"Have you seen Sakura?" the person asked. "Why?" Temari answered the question with a question.

"Because. She snuck into Suna." The person stated calmly. A wail filled the house. "No. I haven't." Temari snapped. "You woke him up!" she added harshly.

"Uh, I'll be going now." the man stepped back out, closing the door.

"It's all fine." Temari shouted back to Sakura. "Thanks. Why do he know I'm here?" Sakura asked, whispering while Temari rocked Makoto.

"Gaara has senses that no one else can even fathom." Temari replied shortly looking at her wailing child.

"Oh." Sakura replied. "What now?" she asked. "You stay, help me. Get to know Mari. Avoid Gaara if you're worried." Temari spoke quickly and quietly.

"I guess." Sakura agreed. And thus it was, but some things only last so long.

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A few years later… When Kaori is four…

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"Mommy? Who is my daddy? Mari has one! Makoto has one! Why don't I have one?" Kaori wailed at Sakura. She should have seen this one coming.

"Your daddy is someone special. But he doesn't live around here." Sakura hoped to not be caught in a lie any time soon.

"Sakura! I need you to go drop these papers off at the Kazekage office!" Temari shouted…

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Makoto means "sincerity" in Japanese.

Please REVIEW now that you've READ.

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THIS MEANS YOU!

Thanks so much for reading! :D

~WhenTheBloodMoonDies