Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then it's SaixSakura all the way. I'm still praying for it.

The Color Pink

Epilogue

It was one late afternoon during the beginning of the summer season. The village of Konoha was bustling with people going about their business, rushing to finish before darkness settled in. At the park, the number of playing children began to dwindle as parents came to pick them up to be taken home. Soon enough, only a small number remained playing, among them a young boy with dark brown hair and the trademark, dark eyes of his clan, and a young girl with raven-black hair and soft, green eyes. The boy was showing the girl some new moves that his father taught him only a few days ago and his female friend was watching him with awe as she attempted to copy his moves.

A young man, wearing a black midriff-shirt with matching black pants strolled into the park and paused a few feet from the playing children, an amused smile evident on his face. He watched them for a few more minutes before walking closer.

"Yume-chan."

The little girl turned her head from throwing a plastic shuriken that her Kakashi-oji had given her. At the sight of the man, her eyes lit up and she gasped loudly. With all of her seven-year old speed, she ran to him. Sai went down on one knee and caught her in his arms.

"Daddy! Welcome home!" she squealed, hugging him tightly around the neck. "I missed you sooooooo much!"

Sai chuckled. "I missed you too, princess." He broke away from her and brushed a strand of dark-hair, similar to his own, behind her ear. "Why don't we pick up Mommy from work and surprise her?"

Giggling, she nodded before turning around. "Gomenasai Ken-chan. But I have to go now."

The little boy's face fell and he pouted. But before he could answer, a different voice nearby said, "You can play with her again tomorrow, Kenji."

Surprised, the young boy turned his head to see his own father, waiting for him. "Dad!" he exclaimed, happily.

"Your mother wants you home now," Sasuke continued, a soft smile on his face as he turned to the little girl. "He'll be here tomorrow."

Kenji turned to his friend, a hand behind his head. "I guess I have to go too, Yume-chan. I'll teach you the rest tomorrow, 'kay?"

The little girl smiled and nodded. "Okay. Mata ashita!"

The little boy beamed at her before turning on his heels and running towards his father. Sasuke took his hand and ruffled his spiky brown hair.

Before leaving, the older Uchiha turned to Sai. "Haruno," he said, in greeting.

"Uchiha," Sai replied with a tilt of his head.

The two flashed each other an awkward smile before Sasuke led his son away. Kenji waved at Sai and Yume before turning his attention back to his father, talking excitedly.

Unlike Sasuke as a child, Kenji was more upbeat and less sullen. Though he was a little bit shy like his mother, Sai had to admit, the kid had plenty of talent; most likely a prodigy like his Uncle Itachi. From what Sai heard from Naruto, Sasuke was very much welcomed to spend time with Kenji while Kimiko was working. She had resigned from her job at the nightclub and the grocery store and was now working full-time in the Hokage office as the assistant treasurer, on Sakura's recommendation. Kimiko was in actuality, very intelligent which showed in the improvements in Konoha's finances over the years. Meanwhile, Sasuke had been raised to Jounin rank two years after Kenji was born. When he wasn't away on missions, he was teaching his son, from basic kunai throwing to the Katon Goukakyuu No Jutsu; also, the boy's sharingan had begun to make appearances so Sasuke was teaching him how to activate and suppress it as well. Sakura and Sasuke were now on speaking terms because of Kimiko and their children's friendship, but Sasuke and Sai? They were still awkward around each other, though they learned to at least smile in the other's presence.

Yume tugged at her father's hand and Sai looked down to smile at her.

"How was your mission, Daddy?" she asked, bouncing excitedly. "Did you fight a lot of bad guys?"

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "It went well. No, I didn't fight any bad guys, I just escorted the daimyo and his family to their summer home."

It was a lie; Sai and his eight-man team (consisted of Team Gai and the old Team Asuma) were almost ambushed on the way, but his daughter didn't have to know that. Though she was obviously going to begin her training as a kunoichi in the fall, he didn't want to expose her yet; she was much too cute and innocent and Sai wanted her to remain as such.

"Now let's go see Mommy."

"Can I get a piggy-back ride?" Yume asked, tugging at his hand.

"Of course, my princess."

Sai removed his backpack and slipped it over Yume's own shoulders before kneeling down to her height. She cautiously climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck while he held her legs. Together, they headed to Konoha's hospital.

"Did you have fun at the park today?" Sai asked.

"Uh-huh. Ken-chan taught me new things you can do with a shuriken. And he showed me how to walk up a tree. I almost got it, but I fell down."

Sai's heart almost stopped. "Were you hurt?"

"Nuh-uh. Ken-chan caught me. He was the one who got hurt, but there was a really nice lady who helped him."

Sai breathed in relief. "I see."

It amazed Sai how strong the friendship between the two have developed in just two years. Yume was the one to approach the little Uchiha first when she saw him playing by the sandbox alone two years ago; they were instant friends. And his daughter was a bit mature for her age; Sai and Sakura could leave her in the park for a few hours, tell her to stay put until they returned and she would do it. But then again, their home was only across the street from the park and Yume knew where the spare key was. She had quite a temper too; there was an incident a year ago when a young boy was shamelessly teasing her best friend, Kenji Uchiha because his parents weren't together. And since Sakura had begun teaching her daughter at the tender age of five how to enhance her strength using chakra… Let's just say that Sai and Sakura had to pay for the young boy's medical bills to make up for their daughter's behavior. At seven years old, she had become a mini-version of Konoha's heavy-fisted medic nin.

Father and daughter reached the outside of the hospital. Sai lifted Yume from his back and placed her on the ground before taking her hand to lead her inside. The little girl bounced along-side him, continuing to narrate her day's events. Sai could only smile as he listened, asking the occasional question and pitching in his own thoughts.

His smile widened at the sight of his wife standing by the front desk, clipboard in hand as she talked to a fellow medic, her bubble-gum pink hair pulled back in a tight bun, a serious look on her face. As he and Yume approached, Sakura turned her head and seeing him, her face lightened up and she ran up to him.

"Sai! You're home!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck. "I missed you!"

He kissed her cheek and buried his face in her the crook of her neck to breathe in her scent. "I missed you too, koi."

She smiled up at him before feeling a tug on her skirt. Her daughter was vying for her attention, now. Laughing softly, the kunoichi lifted her into her arms and nudged her nose with hers. "Did you have fun at the park with Kenji, Yume-chan?"

The little girl nodded her head vigorously. "Uh-huh! And Ken-chan taught me a lot of new things today!"

Sakura laughed. "I'll be glad to hear about them later." She placed her daughter back on the floor and turned to Sai. "I'll be done in about ten minutes. Think you can wait that long?"

He nodded. "I'll take her across the street for ice cream then."

At his proposal, Yume clapped her hands in delight. "Yey, ice cream!"

But Sakura frowned. "Sai, she can't have dessert before dinner."

Yume pouted and tugged at her mother's skirt again. "Please Mommy? Please, please, please?"

"Please, Sakura-chan?" Sai added, a similar pout on his face.

Sakura still could not believe the similarity between the two, but then again, Yume took after Sai in looks while she took after Sakura in personality and kunoichi skills, although the kid had some art skills as well, courtesy of her father.

The pinkette sighed and bent down to her daughter's height. "Tell you what. Why don't you and Daddy buy a tub of ice cream and we'll have it for dessert tonight?"

Yume's face brightened and she clapped her hands again, jumping up and down in happiness.

Sai grinned and kissed Sakura's forehead. "We'll be back in ten." And with that, he took Yume's hand and the two left the hospital, Yume waving to her mother.

Sakura watched them disappear at the entrance before turning back to Isuzu, who was watching the scene with amusement.

"She is so like you," she said, as Sakura walked back to her. "The resemblance between her and Sai is amazing."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

Isuzu giggled then flashed her a knowing look. "So, did you tell him yet?"

A small smile found its way to the pinkette's lips. "Nope. I'm kinda waiting for the right moment."

Isuzu raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Um… I don't know yet." She laughed a little. "Well, I better have this report done before my husband and daughter come back with a tub of ice cream."

Meanwhile, at the ice cream shop across the street, Sai waited patiently while Yume chose a flavor among the various tubs of ice cream lined up inside the freezers. He watched her eyebrows furrow as she bit her lip, her eyes examining each tub through the glass doors. The artist inwardly chuckled; she reminded him so much of Sakura whenever she was thinking hard about something.

A bell jingled as the shop door opened. Sai heard his name being called and turned his head.

"Hey, buddy! Nice to see you back!" Naruto was grinning at him, one hand raised in greeting while the other held a stack of books; a heavy looking backpack was strapped to his shoulders. "How was the mission?"

Sai smiled back at him. "It went well, a few interferences at the beginning, but successful all the same. How's the studying?" He gestured to the books.

As of last year, Naruto was declared as Tsunade's official heir to the Hokage position. At first, the council was very reluctant about her choice; Naruto was a known troublemaker as a child, did not make Chuunin until he was seventeen, and was the host for the nine-tailed fox. However, Tsunade pointed some things out; he saved the Sand's Kazekage from Akatsuki and Konoha from Pein at sixteen, became a toad sage at seventeen, and passed the Jounin exams only months after. And also, Naruto Uzumaki worked hard; he studied Konoha's history, the past Hokages, and every political affair in existence; he faithfully attended every political meeting alongside Tsunade, offering wise opinions and even learning to control his emotions so that he didn't explode when something contradicted with his beliefs. Seeing the determination in every fiber of the blonde's being as well as taking his accomplishments into account, the council have agreed to give him a chance. Tsunade was prouder than any biological mother.

In response to Sai's question, Naruto rolled his eyes and shrugged. "A bit hard. But I'm managing. Obaa-san's having the yearly meeting with the other Kages next week and she's taking me with her to Suna. I gotta prepare for that."

"I see. What about Hinata? She's not supposed to go anywhere, right? My wife will have your head if she heard you're making Hinata travel in her state."

Right before Naruto was declared Tsunade's heir, he had finally proposed to Hinata. A month later, they were married and after another month, Tsunade's declaration swept throughout Konoha. Naruto's wife was very supportive of his aspiration; she had given up her birthright as head of the Hyuuga clan and instead, passed it on to her little sister, Hanabi. As soon as the eighteen-year old was declared the official head, her first project was the eradication of the Branch House; she wanted the Hyuuga clan to become one House. Her declaration had not been approved by the Hyuuga elders as of now, but she was steadily gaining supporters. She did, however, manage to eradicate the use of the Caged Bird Seal, finally freeing her older cousin, Neji from it as well as approving his request to marry Tenten. Hinata couldn't have been more proud of her little sister. And to add to her happiness, she was declared twelve weeks pregnant and her husband was inspired a lot more to make it to his dream of becoming Hokage.

"Yeah but we talked about it." He began to look a little worried. "She said she'll be fine, she's only three months along. And I guess I just have to trust her judgment."

"Is she moody yet?"

"Ugh… you tell me. Now I know what you were going through with Sakura-chan."

"Welcome to the world of parenthood."

Naruto grinned. "Everything's finally falling into place."

"That it is." Sai patted him on the shoulder, a smile on his face. "I'm happy for you, my friend. Everything you've ever dreamed of are finally coming true. I never thought I'd ever say this, dickless, but I'm proud of you."

"Aww… Thanks, buddy." Naruto grinned at him before looking around. His blue eyes caught sight of his goddaughter. "Hey, you didn't tell me Yume-chan was here. Hey, Yume-chan!"

Gleefully, he bounded up to the little girl. Sai watched as his daughter's face lit up at sight of the godfather who spoiled her more than her parents did (second only to her godmother, Ino). The artist wasn't lying; he really was proud of his idiotic, blonde friend. He had matured well but still retained his bubbly and positive personality. As far as Sai was concerned, Naruto deserved everything he was currently gaining. Sometimes, he even thought about not calling him 'dickless' anymore; but where was the fun in that?

That night…

"… Yume-chan, finish your beans."

"But Mommy, I want ice cream now."

"Finish your beans first," Sakura said, firmly.

Pouting, the dark-haired six-year old picked up the remaining beans with her chopsticks, shoved them into her mouth and chewed quickly before swallowing.

"I'm done!" she announced, proudly. "Ice cream?"

Next to her, Sai chuckled and stood up. "How many scoops for the princess?" he asked, opening the fridge and taking out the tub of chocolate ice cream.

"Two please, Daddy."

Sai placed two scoopfuls into a bowl and Yume took it happily and spooned some into her eager mouth. The chocolate created a smudge on the side of her lips. Laughing softly, her father took a napkin and wiped the smudge away.

By the sink, Sakura watched the warm scene, a gentle smile on her face. It still amazed her how easily Sai had adapted to his responsibilities as a father; and the pinkette could see that he greatly enjoyed it. Since her birth, Sai loved their daughter more than anything in this world (besides Sakura, of course). He doted on her and spoiled her immensely, something that Sakura found both adorable and annoying. She couldn't count the number of times she had to punch the living daylights out of her husband for allowing their daughter to stay up late or have dessert before dinner (but of course, he always made it up to Sakura afterwards).

"I'm gonna watch T.V., now," Yume announced, jumping off her chair, her bowl of ice cream in her clutches.

Without another word, she left the kitchen for the sanctuary of the living room. Sakura and Sai watched her leave for turning to each other. They were finally alone. Smirking, Sai was in front of his wife in three strides and the two were in each other's arms. He was kissing her hungrily and passionately, his hands wandering at every piece of skin he could touch. He missed her so much.

Sakura gasped when his lips came down to her neck and nibbled at the soft flesh. She let out a soft moan. "S-Sai-kun… N-Not here… Y-Yume…" She pushed at his chest, gently.

He pouted.

"Later tonight, I promise," she said, nudging her nose with his before turning her attention to the dishes.

They washed the dishes in silence together, smiling at the occasional giggle from the living room.

Whenever Sai returned from long missions, he and Yume usually caught up during the night where they would either paint or sketch together in the living room; this was the only time Sakura would allow their daughter to stay up a little later than normal. So now, here they were, father and daughter doing art; he was seated on the couch with his sketchbook while she sat cross-legged on the floor in her pink pajamas with her crayons. From the corner of his eye, Sai watched as a red crayon slipped from his daughter's fingers as she raised two knuckles to rub at her eyes. The artist smiled, placing his sketchbook aside.

"Is someone sleepy, now?"

Yume shook her head before a yawn took over. Sakura entered the room with a glass of milk right on time to see the yawn and shook her head, clucking her tongue.

"Someone is definitely sleepy," she said, placing the glass of milk in front of her daughter. "Drink up so we can get you to bed."

Obediently, Yume grabbed the glass and downed it without pausing. She smacked her lips before releasing another yawn.

"Time for bed, princess," Sai coaxed,

"Good night, Daddy," Yume said, sleepily, climbing into his lap to give him a kiss.

Sai kissed her forehead in return. "Good night, my princess."

Sakura held her hand out and Yume slipped her tiny hand into it, the other hand rubbing her eyes. Just like every night, Sakura helped her brush her teeth, combed her hair in front of the mirror (while Yume's eyes kept closing and opening then closing again), then tucked her into bed.

She took the stuffed fox Yume was fond of and tucked it into her arms.

Yume smiled sleepily at her. "I love you, Mommy."

Sakura returned the smile as she stroked Yume's dark hair. "I love you too, sweetie." The pinkette kissed her daughter's cheek before pulling the covers up to her chin. "Good night. Sweet dreams."

She got up to leave when Yume's arm shot up and grabbed her hand. "Wait! Can you tell me a story please?"

"But aren't you tired, sweetheart?"

Yume shrugged. "Please, mommy?"

She flashed her cute, green puppy eyes at her mother. Eyes that Sakura could never resist. Sighing, she settled herself on the bed next to her daughter.

"What kind of story do you want to hear?" she asked, stroking the mass of dark hair.

Yume yawned and snuggled up to Sakura's chest. "The time you met Daddy. I like that story."

Sakura smiled. "Alright then." She leaned back on the headboard, an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Daddy and I met while your Naruto-oji and I were looking for a new teammate. He was chosen for our team and when Naruto-oji and I first met him, he was a little mean to us. But that was because he didn't know how to act around us or anybody for that matter."

"You found him really handsome, right?" Yume asked, between yawns, her eyes closed.

Sakura giggled. "Yes, I did. He was very handsome. But, I didn't like him at first and I always punched him."

"Daddy said the first time you hit him, it really hurt. But he was impressed because you surprised him."

"Uh-huh. And he never underestimated me ever since." Sakura giggled at the memory. "He helped me, Naruto-oji, and Yamato-oji try to rescue Sasuke, Kenji's father. He was taken by a really bad shinobi and trapped in an underground cave. Daddy was the one who found him first but the bad shinobi got in the way and we failed to rescue him. But Daddy gained our respect for trying to help us."

Sakura had to leave out the more mature parts of the story, but she and Sai agreed that if she was still interested in the future, they would tell Yume the whole story.

"After that, we all became friends and-"

Sakura stopped and smiled down at her slumbering daughter. Her face was so peaceful and so cute that the pinkette couldn't help but squeal in delight on the inside! Gently, she untangled Yume's hold around her waist, placed them around her stuffed fox instead then planted a kiss onto her forehead. She tiptoed to the door and turned back once to survey the room.

When Yume turned four, Sai painted a green meadow and pink butterflies on the once-bare white walls. In addition to the typical dolls and tea sets that a little girl was prone to have, Yume also had a bunch of plastic shuriken and kunai, courtesy of Kakashi. There was also a toy medic kit, given by Tsunade for the child's fifth birthday, next to a couple of stuffed animals wrapped in bandages. In another corner, crayon drawings and finger-paint paintings were taped to the wall next to a table with unfinished art projects.

Sakura smiled one last time before stepping out of the room and closing the door. As she walked through the hallway leading towards the living room, she paused to look at the portraits that hung on the wall; there were three. One was the family portrait that Sai had drawn while she was still pregnant with Yume; he finished it a few days after they left the hospital and he added color as well; it looked more like a photograph than a sketch. The other was a recent family photo, taken shortly after Yume turned six; Yume was smiling widely, her dark hair in pigtails while her parents stood on either side of her, an arm around her shoulders. In between these two was Sai and Sakura's wedding portrait; Sakura wore an elaborate white kimono with a cherry blossom design in pink thread, her hair in a simple up-do pinned with a satin, fuchsia hairpiece pinned to the side; Sai stood next to her an around her waist, wearing a simple white kimono with a grass design in black thread. Both wore happy wide smiles, their eyes full of love and contentment.

The wedding was simple. Only their closest friends and acquaintances attended; Naruto, Kakashi and Yamato; Teams Kurenai, Gai, and Asuma; Tsunade and Shizune; Konohamaru; the Sand siblings (Gaara's own wedding was set three months after); old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame; and Kimiko and her newborn son (Kimiko mentioned that Sasuke wanted to attend but a mission interfered; but Sakura knew the truth, he asked for a mission that would take him out of the village for a couple of days). They had the reception at a small but fancy restaurant where Sai and Sakura shared their first dance as husband and wife and kissed several times to clinking glasses. Later on, when Sakura threw the wedding bouquet to a throng of unmarried women as tradition stated, an unsuspecting Ino caught it (for some reason, the blonde wasn't among the eager group because she was busy babysitting her new goddaughter; she had just handed the baby over to Naruto so she could refill her glass of champagne when the bouquet of cherry blossoms and baby's breath flew out of nowhere and landed in her outstretched hands). Ever since, Konoha began seeing her in the company of none other than her teammate, Chouji Akimichi.

Smiling at the memory, Sakura touched the picture as a hand wandered to her middle.

She found Sai still sitting on the couch, examining one of Yume's drawings. He looked up when she approached and settled comfortably on his lap. Wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her closer, he buried his nose in her hair and breathed in deeply. Sakura shivered in delight as she leaned into his touch. He showed her their daughter's drawing.

"Look at this."

The pinkette took the drawing and examined it. "Wow, she's improving."

Yume had drawn a dog who looked a little bit like Pakkun, forehead protector and all. The silver-haired jounin had become so fond of the little girl that he sometimes volunteered to baby-sit if both Sakura and Sai had to leave for missions (Sakura warned him that if he dared read that insolent orange book in front of her daughter, she would get a restraining order against him). He was watching her yesterday and to Sakura's knowledge, Kakashi left Yume with Pakkun so he could run to the store and buy milk for her cookies.

Sai began planting kisses on a sensitive spot at the back of Sakura's neck. She let out a soft moan. He was driving her crazy!

"You did promise me, you know," he whispered, seductively.

A part of her wanted to just lean back and enjoy his caresses but the other part was yelling, "Tell him now!"

So she reluctantly pulled away from his embrace and stood up, looking a little nervous. He looked up at her, confused. Did his actions somehow offend her? But she always liked it when he touched her like this.

"I-I have something to tell you," she stammered, fiddling with the front of her shirt.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Okay?"

He waited. She didn't say a word.

"What is it?" he asked.

Biting her lip, Sakura reached into her pocket. Her hand emerged with a tiny, white object.

"What is that?" he asked, more curious now than ever.

Taking a deep breath, she handed it to him. He stood up and took it; her heart began pounding against her chest, anxiously awaiting his reaction. He just looked at the white stick, blankly as he tilted his head to the side.

Finally, after what felt like years of waiting, he said in a soft voice, "This is a pregnancy test."

She swallowed. "Yes."

He blinked. "It's positive."

She bit her lip. "Yes."

He looked up at her. "We're having another baby."

He's not smiling! Why isn't he smiling? Sakura thought in panic.

Before she could open her mouth to answer, Sai's hand shot out and grabbed her by the waist. She squeaked in surprise but he had already captured her lips with his. A hand stroked her cheek as the other caressed her stomach. She smiled into the kiss as she felt herself melt into him. The things Sai did to her… she often wondered what she had ever done to deserve him, this happiness she felt with him.

He finally pulled away for air, leaning his forehead against hers as they both breathed heavily. "We're having another baby," he whispered, a wide, joyous smile playing on his lips. "Yume's having a sibling. We're having a baby."

Sakura giggled and nodded. "Yes, we are."

"How far along are you?"

"About eight weeks now."

"Eight weeks…" Smiling, he went down on his knees to place his ear against her stomach before pressing his lips against it. "Hello little one. I'm your Otou-san."

Sakura giggled again and pulled him up to kiss him again. Sai lifted her into the air and twirled her around, happily, his lips never leaving hers.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips. "I love you. I love you. I love you. You make me so happy, Sakura-chan. If I could marry you again, I would."

At his words, Sakura flashed him a seductive smile. "We can't exactly relive our wedding day," she whispered against his ear as she played with the collar of his shirt. "But we can relive our wedding night."

At first, he appeared to be puzzled. Finally, her meaning dawned on him when she tugged on the bottom of his shirt.

"Well, you did promise me…" he replied, equally seductive. "And I missed you so much in the five days I was gone."

Without another word, he placed an arm underneath her legs and before she knew it, she was in his arms and he was carrying her towards their bedroom, like he did during their wedding night. He laid her down on the bed as she giggled like a teenage girl.

Before he could tug on the zipper of her shirt, she stopped his hands and looked into his eyes. "I love you, Sai."

He smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I love you too, Sakura."

To think that this all began with one night. One night was all it took for their lives to change. One night was all it took for their hearts to become one, to create a new life that brought them the happiness that they searched for, the love that they longed for, and the life that they dreamed of. It was an accident, yes. But it was an accident that they no longer regretted. They went through a lot, disliking each other then loving each other without realizing it 'til they almost lost the one thing that kept them together. Neither planned this. This wasn't part of the future that they envisioned. But you know what? This future was so much better.

A/N: Kudos to ScreamingFangirl122, kisukebenihime, and Sesshy'smate2012.

A/N: Here it is. The final ending. I really hope you all enjoyed the ride as much as I did. I'm really going to miss writing this story and receiving words of support and encouragement from all of you. You know what? When inspiration strikes me, maybe I'll write some one-shots based on this story; maybe some father/daughter moments, mother/daughter moments, even the arrival of Sai and Sakura's second child, maybe some Yume/Kenji and… oh, I don't know, Sasuke/Kimiko? But it won't be after some time because I'm starting college this year and I really want to do well on my first semester. But when I have the time and plot bunnies wouldn't leave me alone like one did with this, I will definitely write. Thank you so much everyone! This is caithzadz, signing off for the last time (for now). It was a wonderful ride. Aishiteru!