This is actually an idea I have been playing around with in my head for the better part of a year, but after the end of Naruto I finally had everything I needed. I hope you enjoy! (Sequel in the works- see bottom for more)


.:Just A Memory:.

Sakura gasped as she sat up a hand going to her head and the other to her swollen abdomen. She clenched her eyes shut against the dim evening light trying to regain her bearings. She was outside in Konoha, that much she was sure of, but the last thing she remembered was being in her new apartment unpacking boxes.

How had she gotten outside?

She blinked her eyes open using the wall to stand up. She tried to gauge her exact location, but she couldn't. This place was as familiar to her as it was foreign; it reminded her vaguely of her childhood. The streets were less crowded with buildings and shops as she remembered. Almost exactly the way it had been before the war, before the village was destroyed and rebuilt from the rubble.

The night was cold and caused Sakura to pull her sweater tighter around herself. She wasn't dressed to be wandering around outside.

Unpacking, she had been unpacking….It had been a box of Sasuke's things, there had been a picture. It was a picture of his family, she was sure, though the image was foggy now. She had placed it back in the box and gone to put it on the shelf for Sasuke to go through when he got back.

Bringing her hand back up to her head where she was met with mild tenderness drew her to the conclusion that the box had fallen, but she couldn't remember.

"Excuse me, are you alright?"

Sakura turned around startled from her thoughts by the soft voice.

She was met with a frightfully beautiful woman who seemed to strike cord within her, but she couldn't seem to place the woman.

"I…I think I need to sit down," Sakura started slowly bringing a hand back over the bump in her abdomen.

The woman's eyes widened for a moment as if taking in the situation. She brought a delicate hand up to brush her long black hair behind her ear exposing her dark eyes to the pale moonlight beginning to set over the quiet village.

"Do you live nearby? I could walk you back to your home; surely it's too cold for someone in your condition to be out in this weather without proper clothing?" Her brow was wrinkled in concern and Sakura felt something pulling at her memory, something painfully familiar about this woman.

"I don't think so," she looked around feeling as though the street lights were dancing around her. She brought her hand back up to her head.

The beautiful dark haired woman just looked at her then back up the street. "Well, it's getting late. Why don't you come with me? My husband runs the police force I'm sure he can help you. While we wait, I can get you some tea to warm you up."

Sakura found herself nodding along with the woman's words as she allowed her to lead her down the street.

The strange buildings she couldn't quite place at the moment passed by in a blur as her head ached dully. Her eyes began to tire along with the ever present thrumming in her back and feet she had grown accustomed to over the last few months. Sakura somewhat sleepy gaze drifted to the ground as she seemed to walk in a kind of daze until she found herself being led gently into a warm house.

She found herself sitting in comfortable living room area, though it was more traditional than anything she was accustomed to.

"Here you are, I hope you like jasmine," The woman smiled before her.

"Ah, yes," Sakura offered her own smile in return. "Thank you for your kindness."

"Yes, of course, my husband should be home soon and then we can get you back to our family. I'm sure they are very worried about you."

Sakura's mind drifted to Sasuke who was meant to return tonight and she smiled lightly.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience; I was confused when you found me. I'm sure I could find my way back now," Sakura admitted with a slight blush as she tentatively replace to small cup in her hands back on the tray it had been brought out on.

"It's no trouble. Please," the dark haired woman caught her sleeve, "it would make me feel better knowing you got home safely. It is very dark out now and given your delicate condition I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or the child."

Sakura bit her lip wondering what Sasuke would think when he returned to find her gone and whatever mess she had left behind that led to her being outside in the first place.

Eventually though she nodded picking up her cup for another sip of the tea.

The two sat in silence for a short period of time before her gracious companion spoke.

"Is this your first child?"

Sakura looked up almost startled by the woman's sudden question. "Oh, yes it is."

"A boy or a girl? If you don't mind me asking," the woman smiled kindly as she sipped at her tea. Sakura was temporarily struck by the elegance the woman exuded effortlessly.

"It's a girl," she smiled shyly feeling slightly intimidated by the woman's regal aura.

The woman hummed cheerfully. "I always wanted a daughter; my husband and I are expecting our first as well. My husband is hoping for a son, but I secretly hope it's a girl." She laughed lightly as if indulging in a private joke.

Sakura smiled unconsciously glancing down to the woman's abdomen that was covered partially by the table; she couldn't be more than three months into her pregnancy.

"There's a special bond between a mother and her daughter," the woman spoke almost wistfully. "However, I am blessed to carry any child the Kami bless me with," she smiled brightly. "Do you have a name picked out yet?"

"We have talked about a few, but we haven't decided on anything yet, we were thinking about naming her after his mother." Sakura finished quietly.

"How lovely, I'm sure she would be honored," she trailed off in thought. "I always like the name Sarada for a girl," She laughed again. "Strange, isn't it? But I always thought it was such a lovely name. If I have a girl I think that is what I will call her."

"It's a beautiful name," Sakura assured her, feeling herself calm in the warm presence of this woman.

"Is your husband excited about the baby?"

Sakura lips split into a fond smile as her hand went to her chest to finger the outline of the necklace Sasuke had given her, resting just below the neckline of her dress.

"He's not very good at expressing himself sometimes, but he's always wanted a family. He expresses his happiness in his own way," Sakura let out a measured breath briefly wondering if Sasuke had returned yet to find her absent.

The dark haired woman gave her a warm smile. "He sounds like a good man. My husband is the same, always so uptight about everything, but I can tell he means well."

Sakura gave a chuckle at the comment. Their conversation lulled into silence again for a short length of time before Sakura broke it. "My parents are rather happy as well to be filling the role of grandparents."

"Oh yes, I can imagine. I would love to have grandchildren of my own to spoil one day," The woman smile deviously and Sakura laughed nodding along with her.

"Goodness, how rude of me? We've been talking all this time and I haven't even gotten your name."

"Oh, it's Sakura," she smiled sweetly.

"Such a beautiful name, for a beautiful woman," She spoke easily.

Sakura blushed muttering her shy appreciation for the compliment.

There was a series of muffled sounds and the dark haired woman across from her perked up as she stood slowly. "That must be my husband; I'll be back in a moment."

Sakura nodded lightly as the woman excused herself from the room. After a moment she found herself needing to stand as she was beginning to cramp from sitting on the floor so long. She paced the room taking in more of the traditional décor placed sparsely about the area.

Sakura's hand began playing idly with her necklace, a nervous tick she had developed; she pulled the chain out from beneath her dress, her thumb playing over the delicate fan hanging neatly on the end.

"She's just in the other room," the voice was muffled, but she could make out the sweet tone of the woman who had helped her.

Sakura glanced around the room her eyes catching a lavish frame that seemed almost out of place. Something about the cool silver twined in elegant designs seemed familiar. Her head began to ache again as she approached the frame.

The image captured was elegant and formal, a traditional wedding photo no doubt, of the woman and the husband she had spoke of. Her head throbbed as she brought the photo closer. Clasped in the dark haired woman's petite hands was a fan, an Uchiha fan.

Something clicked with in Sakura as she heard the woman and her husband enter the room. The hand holding her necklace dropped limply to her side leaving the pendant exposed. She turned slowly her mind trying to put the pieces together in a logical manner but it kept crumbling beneath her fingers.

"You're his…You are Uchiha," Sakura almost dropped the frame.

"Sakura," the beautiful woman with the oh-so familiar eyes and lovely dark hair she had seen so often, stepped towards her concern written on her face.

The man stopped his wife by gripping her shoulder protectively to keep her close to him. "That necklace, where did you get it?"

Sakura looked down knowing what he was talking about already. It was the necklace Sasuke had given her when he proposed; he said it had been his mother's, a family heirloom.

The dark hair woman fingered an identical chain around her own neck. "But how?" The woman, Mikoto, she reminded herself of the name she had heard from Sasuke, looked questioning at Sakura as if seeing her in a new light.

Sakura felt dizzy again as her head throbbed painfully. It had all been so familiar because she had been staring into the eyes of her husband's mother, a woman she had become acquainted with through old photos and rare stories from her husband. These were his parent, Sasuke's parents.

The frame slipped from her fingers and cracked against the hardwood.

Sakura turned finding a paper screen door leading out to a back garden and she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. However, the added weight of her pregnancy and the tiredness of her muscles did not get her far as she leaned against a building feeling the cold air brush harshly against her sweaty face.

"Sakura."

Someone was calling out for her, but she was so tired now.

"Sakura."

She just wanted to sleep.

"Sakura…"

Sleep.

.:.:.:.:.

Sakura's eyes opened to a dark room and a sterile smell she knew all too well.

She was in the hospital.

Turning her head in a sleepy daze Sakura found a mess of black hair next to a calloused hand covering her own.

Sakura's hand twitched under the grip as she returned his hold.

Her movement seemed to wake him as she heard his heavy intake of breath as he sat up blinking at her.

"Sakura," he exhaled.

"Sasuke," she smiled weakly still feeling rather drowsy.

She let out a muffled squeak as Sasuke pulled her body into his in a rather awkwardly positioned hug as he worked around her pregnant belly and the hospital bed she was lying on. She felt his breath against the curve of her neck as his nose pressing into her hair.

"Foolish girl, I told you not to do anything stupid while I was gone."

Sakura huffed in indignation. "I was only moving boxes. It must have fallen…" Sakura murmured still feeling the dull throb in the back of her head.

"Must have," Sasuke grunted pulling back to look at her, his dark eyes lit with annoyance and concern bored into hers.

As she stared back at him she was struck with the strange sensation as if she was trying to remember something just beyond her grasp.

"A photo," she spoke lightly.

"What?" Sasuke's brow wrinkled in response.

"Was there a photo in that box?" It felt like she was missing something.

Sasuke was silent for a moment. "My parents wedding photo."

The memory of sweet jasmine tea and soft laughter flitted through Sakura's mind.

"What about it?" Sasuke leaned further back.

Sakura opened her mouth, but the word wouldn't come. She shook her head lightly before looking at Sasuke.

"It's nothing. Can we go home?"

Sasuke shook his head, "Tsunade, wants you under observation for twenty-four hours."

Sakura groaned lightly knowing better than to try and convince Sasuke to sneak her out. She glanced up at her husband shyly.

"Will you stay with me?"

Sasuke looked at her carefully before tilting his head down in time for her to catch the shadow of a smile on his face.

"Aa."

Sakura pushed herself over as Sasuke took a place carefully beside her.

AS she began to drift off to sleep again she laced her fingers through his.

"I thought of a name," She heard Sasuke shift beside her. "I think we should name her Sarada. Do you like it?" she asked softly.

"It's perfect," she felt Sasuke's lips press against her hail line.

Such a beautiful name, for a beautiful woman.

Sakura smiled.


I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review to let me know what you thought:)

*Just came back to do a bit of editing, I put this out in a bit of a rush haha. Also I would like to let you know I will be doing a sort of sequel for Sasuke, that should be up later today (11/30/14). Thank you for reading!