Last Time ...
Hashirama laughed heartily. "Minato, you can call me 'Great-Grandmaster' too! That monkey is a student of both Tobirama and me!"
"You guys are having a family reunion!" Tobirama sighed, nearly driven mad by these clueless guys. He glanced at Izuna and Obito, then suddenly said, "You Uchiha aren't without a chance. Obito Uchiha was also a student of the Fourth Hokage, Minato."
Izuna chuckled. "The Uchiha who wiped out the Uchiha~"
Obito awkwardly looked away.
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As the only non-Konoha ninja, Sasori often felt out of place. Fortunately, he didn't care. Sasori just watched as Sasuke Uchiha, a war criminal of the Fourth Shinobi World War, was finally released with the strong guarantees of his teacher, the Sixth Hokage Kakashi Hatake, the ninja world hero Naruto Uzumaki, and one of the new Legendary Sannin, Sakura Haruno. Sasuke then said he wanted to leave the village to atone for his sins. Sakura Haruno, the silly girl who was rejected but didn't give up, begged Sasuke to take her with him again.
Then, Sasuke gently and tactfully rejected him. Sasori couldn't bear to look. Was it really necessary to hang himself on this crooked tree, Uchiha Sasuke? This little girl was beautiful; in a few years, she wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a stunning beauty. She was good now, of course, just lacking a bit of charm and allure. With that, how could she not have suitors? If she thought there were few better than Sasuke, then why not that Kurama kid?
Itachi looked at the familiar forehead slap and didn't know what to say. Wasn't this the gesture he often used to appease Sasuke when he promised something but couldn't keep it? The last time, it was him who broke his promise, and that's when he gave Sasuke a forehead slap. What did Sasuke mean by doing the same to Sakura now? If he misunderstood him, that would be fine, but if it was also just appeasement... Itachi didn't want to think about it anymore.
Minato, however, said with a hint of regret, "It seems Sakura-chan really likes Sasuke. I thought she'd be my daughter-in-law. She and Naruto... they seem so alike, just like me and Kushina."
Minato looked at Naruto, feeling that his son was unlike him, utterly disappointing. He clearly liked Sakura-chan, yet dared not confess, dared not steal her away. So what if Sakura liked Sasuke? Deep affection is not as good as long-term companionship. Why drag things out, hesitate, and give Sakura her love, only to abandon his own?
Minato admitted to being selfish and cunning. Everyone perceived him as upright and gentlemanly, but only he knew his dark and ruthless side. His choice of Kushina was indeed based on affection, but also on practical considerations. He was a commoner, while Kushina was from the powerful Uzumaki clan and the Nine-Tails' Jinchuriki. This identity, while subjecting her to discrimination, also made her indispensable to the village. Connecting with Kushina meant gaining access to the higher-ups, far easier than any effort he could make on his own.
When he set his sights on Kushina, he went to great lengths to create opportunities for her to fall for him. Many felt he was completely under Kushina's thumb because she often scolded and beat him, but this was because he didn't care; he considered her temper a bit of fun. In reality, Kushina was the one he had completely under his control, even imparting to him the Uzumaki clan's secret sealing techniques. This is why he later rose to prominence, becoming Jiraiya's disciple and ultimately the Hokage.
Of course, he truly loved Kushina. So, when Kushina was dying after childbirth, he followed her in a suicide pact. Kushina would never know, until her death, that their initial love was tinged with ulterior motives and calculation.
Minato looked at Sakura and Naruto again, realizing that their missed opportunity wasn't just due to Naruto's retreat and cowardice, but also because the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter had interfered out of kindness. At least, seeing her holding his cousin Neji's portrait as they walked down the aisle was enough to make one feel suffocated.
Of course, in terms of marriage choice, the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter was actually a perfect choice, even more perfect than the Uzumaki clan. After all, the Uzumaki clan had been wiped out, though its foundation remained. The Hyuga, however, was still thriving, a powerful ninja clan on par with the Senju and Uchiha. Moreover, unlike the declining Senju and the extinct Uchiha, the Hyuga could provide Naruto with more political support, helping him to ascend to and secure the position of Seventh Hokage.
However, seeing his son silently gazing at the cherry blossoms fluttering outside the Hokage Building before the wedding ceremony, and watching Naruto, who always smiled brightly like the sun, show no smile or only a faint one at the wedding, Minato finally sighed. He had managed to have his cake and eat it too, but his son couldn't.
Soon after Naruto and Hinata got married, Sakura also left Konoha to follow Sasuke. But all we see is Sakura leaving the village alone to chase after Sasuke; we don't see any memories of her traveling and spending time with Sasuke. The next scene shows Sakura returning to Konoha alone, holding a baby girl, announcing to everyone that she and Sasuke were married—their daughter, Sarada.
Scorpion was speechless and questioned, "I didn't see a wedding, nor did I see pregnancy or childbirth. Aren't these the most important and happy memories for a woman? How come these memories were skipped? A child just pops up? And where is that Uchiha kid? He just sent his wife and child back alone?"
Uchiha Izuna frowned. "When did our Uchiha clan become so secretive about getting married? Even though it's the last one left, it's still the head of the Uchiha clan marrying his wife. Shouldn't it be announced to the entire ninja world?"
Madara Uchiha was equally displeased, not out of sympathy for Sakura, but simply because he felt the Uchiha clan was so lacking in prestige.
"Hmph, that's right. When that Nine-Tails brat married the Hyuga clan girl, five nations came to offer their congratulations, Konoha rejoiced, it was a grand affair. How come when it comes to our Uchiha, it's all gone, we don't even know if they got married?"
Itachi Uchiha was also surprised by Sasuke's lack of consideration. This wasn't just a matter of a simple wedding; there wasn't a wedding at all.
Obito tried to explain to Sasuke, "Probably because there were no elders to handle things. Sakura's parents unfortunately passed away after Pain's invasion of Konoha." This was a conclusion drawn from Sakura's memories.
The Senju clan was also a traditional family; marriage was a union of two families and a symbol of the clan's prosperity. Hashirama completely disapproved of Sasuke's behavior; it was too disrespectful to his wife.
Tobirama had no problem with Sakura and Sasuke's relationship, since free love wasn't a concept in their era, but he strongly objected to the hasty nature of their marriage. He spoke bluntly.
"Both sets of parents are gone, but their teacher Kakashi is still here, isn't he? Tsunade is here too. Can't their teacher and mentor act as elders to handle this?"
But the result was that even Sakura's best friend Ino and Kakashi Hatake, who was not only her teacher but also the Sixth Hokage, knew nothing about it. The only proof was a marriage registration form signed by Sasuke that Sakura brought back.
Kakashi felt sorry for Sakura, but considering Sasuke's personality, he thought it seemed quite normal. He scratched the back of his neck and said dryly, "Never mind, it's all just formalities. As long as Sakura and Sasuke are happy, that's all that matters."
Everyone watched as Sakura held Sarada in one arm and her citizenship application form changing her name to Uchiha Sakura in the other, a happy smile on her face. They could only keep quiet. If the people involved were happy, what could outsiders say?
Sakura's life in the Tsukuyomi continued. She became the head of Konoha Hospital, eventually rising to the position of director. Meanwhile, she raised Sarada alone, juggling work and childcare. The hardship was immense. As a young mother, she lacked experience and was often overwhelmed. Sakura didn't have breast milk, making feeding even more difficult. She and Sarada often broke down in tears, but after crying, they had to wipe away their tears and continue.
Sakura's best friend Ino also had a child and could lend a hand occasionally, but she was too busy to help herself most of the time. Kakashi would help her when he had time, but as the Hokage, he had even more things to deal with than Sakura. He would take time out of his busy schedule to help Sakura, which was already incredibly touching. Minato felt that he might not be able to do that.
To Be Continued ....