It is Year three.

She no longer wonders about the sins in her actions.

People come to her in secret, with hungry stomachs and children at their sides. They ask for money, for food, and for supplies. Sakura never lets them leave empty handed. A part of her feels the need to apologize.

I am sorry for letting this happen.

She sees the homeless people in some alleyways, waiting for winter to kill them if not else. Women and young girls in hospitals who came in with tears, and torn clothes, and too many fingerprints on them.

Too many people are suffering, too many are poor. But Sasuke does not give in to her words.

The rich are getting their power and money, and the clans support him as long as he supports them. It's a malicious cycle. Sakura has the hospital in her control, the school system under her control, her own name has become a key to unlock many doors. But where it matters most, she is as insignificant as the helpless who come to ask for help.

She is nothing in the village if Sasuke does not give it to her.

This is all she can do for them. She cannot change the world anymore. She can only live in it.

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Shouta is three when a child comes out of her own stomach. Another beautiful one who takes after her father. Shouta sits on Ino's lap, happy as ever as the blonde bounces and coos to the little one.

"Look at your little baby sister," Ino takes his little fingers and lets him wrap his small hands around her own. "Look Shouta. Can you say sister? Siiiiiister?"

And Shouta formulates the words in his mouth in the cute way all young three year olds do. Sakura, too, smiles along with the child. Tired, she asks Shizune to take the baby from her breast. Young Sarada is fast asleep already. She watches her baby as Shizune puts her away in her crib beside the bed.

Sakura had asked her team to deliver the child in the privacy of her own home. She loves her people, but she's also scared of many of them. Those who want to harm her husband. Those who may want to harm her children. She is a mother and she can no longer afford any risks.

Pregnancy had been kinder to her than she had expected.

Sasuke, too, had been kinder than she had expected.

He had not refused the child, or shunned her as he had done during Shouta's birth. He was not as present as she would have a father be, but he is not as absent as Sasuke normally is.

She sees him much later in the day, when the day actually turns into night. He enters the guest bedroom turned into a delivery room, smelling of fresh soap and shampoo. His eyes don't leave the bundle in her arms, sucking at the pink nipple for the second time in the day.

He sits down beside her carefully, and softly strokes the babe's cheek, runs a finger over the mouth sucking. "She looks like you," he tells her and Sakura chuckles, "No she doesn't."

He brings the same hand and softly strokes her arm instead, before leaning to kiss her on the forehead.

That night, Sakura can't help but think of the dark-haired woman who is Shouta's biological mother. How much joy she must have been filled with. To spend the day in pain, then to be awarded with something as pure as a child.

But Sasuke killed her. She thinks bitterly. She does not need proof to know this. It could be her dead too, she wonders about this for a little too long before falling asleep.

After weeks of disturbing thoughts, she finally relents to her friend.

"It's postpartum sweetie, it's normal."

And after another couple weeks, she finds Ino's words to be true. Most of her worries vanished, only one truly stayed.

Will he ever be a good father?

But Sasuke takes Sarada into his arms gently many times. Wakes up in the middle of the night when he's required to, and stays with the child long enough for Sakura to understand that he cares.

And his change in fatherhood frightens her further.

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The relationship between her children makes her quite proud. They never fight in the way she expects siblings to. The older one shares anything and everything, while the younger one never asks for much. They are quite, sweet and very alike in many ways.

Shouta is five and Sarada is two when the next one makes his appearance. A young baby boy.

This one turns out quite the opposite. Mischievous and loud and highly arrogant from a young age, he turns out to be quite the load to handle.

As he grows, he takes her patience and her forgiveness for granted and causes as much havoc as he possibly can.

At the age of 10, he comes home from school with bruises on his hands from fights with children raised to hate them. "I'll beat him, I'll beat him until he can't breathe."

Soon she realizes how much anger issues the boy has grown with.

"Sasuke-kun, he won't listen to me." She whispers into his ears at night. "He sees me too often, he doesn't take me seriously anymore, and I don't know what to do."

"He's a child." Sasuke would say every time. She playfully bites his earlobe before leaving a kiss on it.

"You never forgive the small mistakes Shouta makes. Don't treat Kyosuke any differently. They're both your sons." She has gotten tired of setting this reminder to him constantly but without it, she fears her oldest with feel his father's distance.

"What would you have me do?" he asks impatiently. "Lock him up?"

"If that's what it takes," she says frustrated. "If we leave him be, his anger will swallow him up."

But of course, Sasuke makes no move to teach his son a lesson. "Anger can be a powerful tool." He tells her during breakfast.

My ass, you useless tool.

It is only when the boy accidentally pushes her youngest, Suki, down the short flight of stairs that Sasuke decides it is time to control his anger. But even his father's words don't make much change. It is when Shouta, already fifteen, takes him between the stretches of their backyard that young Kyo finally learns a few things.

"Hit me." He urges. "Hit me again." And the boy does until his own fists are raw with pain. Then he settles down on the ground from exhaustion and cries from seeing the bruises on his older brother.

"Do you get it?" Shouta asks. "Do you understand yet?"

And Sakura has never been prouder of her first child.

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But it not Kyosuke that truly worries her.

It is the youngest with her beautiful green eyes and her lovely pink hair. The one everyone expects to turn out just like her mother.

Sweet, and innocent, and strong.

But Sakura sees the world the youngest grows up in. The village is absolutely under the control of her father by the time she is born. It has expanded to territories and regions. Konoha is rebuilt into the status of power and riches and crime.

Young Suki is born into money and authority and ignorance. Spoiled to her bones with her father's love.

She will turn out like Sasuke, this is the fear she holds.

Seeking recognition, power, and status.

People will underestimate her and she will use it against them.

But then again, Sakura reminds herself, her child is still young. A mother's worry extends too far into the future.

Things will be okay.

Suki is spoiled. Kyosuke has anger. But Sarada is knowledgeable and Shouta is wise.

They will balance out, she hopes.

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In the dead of night, she enjoys time spared to have intimate touches.

She strokes his biceps gently, feeling the curves that have bulked out within the years. He's reading his reports half naked in bed, with only his bedside lights turned on, giving the room an intimate touch. She runs her fingers down to his stomach and leans in closer.

She leaves a light trail of kisses on his shoulders.

His eyes don't leave the papers in his hand, but he takes his other and drags it down her back before resting on her rounded buttocks. Her slim figure had filled out nicely enough over the years. Pregnancy had left curves behind, filling out her breasts, her thighs and slightly on her stomach as well.

"You havn't shaved in a while," she feels the rubble on his jawline.

"hn." He won't respond until he's finished his work, she knows this.

But he looks too tempting in the moment to resist, and after 15 years of marriage, she's learned to take in her fill of what she wants rather than waiting as she always has.

So she drags her tongue from his chiseled stomach to his toned chest while simultaneously dragging her hands lower to his abdomen. He leans back further with a sigh, enjoying the company of his woman.

She feels the bulge she would have never expected, not with his poker face, and pulls on his boxers until she can feel the heat completely in her hands. Regardless of whether he's finished with his papers or not, he lets them drop to the ground and helps her pull up her silk night gown, enough for her to settle herself between his legs comfortably.

They go slow, and gentle, in a way they haven't in a long time.

"Fifteen years, Sasuke-kun" she looks him intimately in the eyes, pressing her forehead against his, breathing with their rhythm. "We've been together fifteen years.. I never thought you'd stay for so long."

"And what would you do?" he asks. "If I left?"

Sakura does not take his words seriously, instead she smiles against his lips. "I would drag you back.. into my bed," she says shyly then proceeds to bite his lower lip, "And tie you up here naked."

And she would. Because if Sasuke has taught her anything after years together, it's how to get what you want.

He smirks while pulling down the silky strap and revealing her naked left breast. He flicks his tongue over her wonderfully soft nipple and proceeds to bite and suck until he left a mark.

When they finish, he lays her down beside himself. He leaves his hand on her lower stomach and says, "We should have another."

She laughs. "oh please. I have enough to worry about with those four."

"No?"

"I should get my tubes tied I think. Safer then."

"You should always have the option."

"We're almost forty. That option is about to leave us in a couple years anyway."

Sasuke lays down on his side. "Well, you. I always have the option."

She hits him on his arm, hard. "Just because I raised Shouta as my own doesn't mean you can start spreading your sperm like pollen." She says angrily and turns away. But Sasuke only smirks at her, and throws an arm around her.

He kisses her neck as she tries to push him away.

"I'm leaving for Suna in a week." And she stops to look at him.

"Suna?" He had never left the village after his return and something tugs at the back of her throat.

"The Kazekage wants to talk. I want you to come with me."

"Talk about what?"

"Imports and export laws. Took them longer than I expected."

An official alliance. With Suna. Her friends.

"I can't go. I have many things to finish at the hospital. But take Shouta, or Sarada."

She sees the hesitation in Sasuke. "I'm promoting him. Shouta."

Promoting.

ANBU.

"No."

"Sakura-,"

She sits up and pushes distance between them. "NO."

But she knows his mind is made up.

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Sarada is twelve.

She's strong and proud.

She's decent in her studies and enjoys small things in life. Like dango.

But the only thing people will describe her as is an Uchiha. Sarada of the Uchiha clan. Sometimes she doesn't remember what a difference her name makes, but it doesn't take long before the village reminds her again.

Whether it's through the shallow presents her so-called pretentious "friends" give her, or through the nervous gaze the rest of the civilians hold during her presence.

And though many people tell her it's due to her royal lineage, she can't quite stomach the feeling that there's more to the story. Her family, her life, her father.

Her father, who remains distant, even as he sits only a few feet ahead of her, inside their private train.

Her food is starting to stink the carriage with its strong smell.

"Where's nii-san?"

He doesn't look her way when he answers. "With his squadron."

"Won't he be hungry too? Can't he come for lunch?"

"He'll eat with his teammates."

Sarada thinks the room stinks with the tension of their non-existent relationship as well. She wishes she had something good enough to say. Something enough to bring about a good conversation with the father she doesn't understand.

She pokes at the rice with her chopstick. "Why are we going to sand?"

"For business."

"What sort of business?"

"Hokage business."

"What sort of hokage business?"

He looks at her only to frown at her table manners. "Either eat the food or don't. Don't play with it."

"I'm not hungry."

"Then send the food back."

"No."

"Sarada."

"Papa." She's not quite misbehaving, but the train ride had been too long and was bringing about an attitude.

Sasuke only takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, as if holding back words. "You won't be alone if that's what you're worried about-,"

"I know, Shouta's here."

"You won't be seeing much of him during the stay. But the young Hyuuga girl will be arriving later in the day. I thought friendly company would be good for you."

Her father would've sounded quite considerate if not for the fact that she didn't quite like the arrogance of the Hyuuga girl. And she knew for a fact that the next heir of Hyuuga clan wasn't supposed to be a friend as much as a business association.

"That's great."

He looks at her with thoughtful eyes, "I thought you'd like to see places away from Konoha."

"I do." She takes another mouthful of coconut floured dessert.

"You're mother said you could learn a great deal."

She doesn't feel the need to reply, so instead finishes her plate of cake.

"Can I get another?"

Her father frowns. "Sweets are bad for you. No."

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Shouta is fifteen, almost sixteen.

He's the youngest in his ANBU squad, and he can feel the un-approving gaze of the Captain constantly at his back.

His comrades were much older, the youngest of them a whole four years older.

Mizuka, who treats him better than the rest, bring him the bland lunch for the day. "Not the usual foods you're used to I'm guessing."

There is an awkward air because he is right. Their lives are much different.

But Shouta accepts with a polite smile and honest words. "I'll get used to it."

The squad intimidates him in a way he hadn't expected. He had never realised how sheltered he had been behind his mother's skirt.

They disapprove not only of his age, but of the way he was promoted. No experience as a Jounin. An annoyance to many of them who had worked hard on their way to the top.

"I know Hana, she used to live with you correct?"

The name throws him off a bit.

Mizuka continues only when the other nods. "She used to train me for basic medic stuff. She's like your sister?"

"No." Shouta says a little too fast. "She's.. she's my mother's apprentice."

He leaves it at that.

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Inside a secluded basement floor, a young boy sits in the heat with sweat and a frown gracing his face.

"When is that damn air conditioner gonna be fixed?" He rubs away the sweat with a towel.

"It's not even that bad." A girlish voice tells him off.

"Shut up, himawari."

She throws her spoon at the blonde before yelling at the top of her lungs. "MOMMM, Boruto's being mean again."

"Ugh."