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A/N: This one is, of course, based on Naruto Gaiden 700+8. That scene was just too cute to be left without a story. I hope you enjoy this one!
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" wake up, Sarada! It's time to go to school!"
The sound of that voice entered her room as usual. The light coming from the window, even if it wasn't that strong, was enough to tell her that the night no longer prevailed on the skies. It was time to wake up, she knew it. Still, there was definitely something wrong in that morning.
When Uchiha Sarada was about to wake up on that cold morning, her whole self was feeling odd. In her nose, the smell of the flowers of the garden couldn't be felt. Her eyelids were feeling way too heavy for just a small amount of skin and, unlikely the many other times, her body under those covers seemed like a bun inside an oven. A tired and dizzy bun who could barely convince its muscles to throw the covers aside. Yes, something wasn't right on that morning and she seemed to be the problem. And, for being the daughter of her mother, Sarada knew exactly what it was.
The Uchiha princes has known how to identify a fever ever since she first had one. She knew it wasn't something that simple but it wasn't something to be desperate about. It wasn't something that contagious and it wasn't something that would keep a responsible girl like her from going to school. She wanted her mother to be proud. She wanted her mother to see how determined she was and how she was ready to honor the name of the Uchihas. With all of that in mind, the 5 year old Uchiha beat all of her aching muscles, headaches and even that annoying dizziness and went to get ready for another boring day at school. That girl was, indeed, as stubborn as her mother.
Never before, dressing herself had been so complicated. Even if she was still learning how to do it properly, the fever that was spread around her petit body was certainly making everything harder. The material seemed to be slowly scratching her skin as she buttoned her white shirt and not even her whole wardrobe put together seemed to be making her warmer. It was just so cold and there were shivers running down her spine and her bed was so welcoming and the whole waking thing felt like a torture for her. Perhaps crawling like an earthworm wouldn't be the worst of the ideas considering her condition. Staying in bed would also be a good choice but, for being an Uchiha, Sarada refused to lose to a passing fever. Unfortunately, for her, all that bravery and determination wouldn't be of much help in her case. That fever was nothing compared to her strong and overprotective mama.
The way towards the breakfast table felt a lot longer than it usually does. Her breathing was short and fast and she could feel the back of her neck getting soaked due to the sweat as she was silently siting on the chair. The strength necessary to hold her head up was almost over and, for that time, the little girl decided to rest her right cheek on the wooden table. It felt good, indeed. She felt all of her muscles losing their forces and the hands that she had placed on her lap were already hanging loose by her sides. Keeping her black pearls opened was a great sacrifice for her and she didn't know if she would even notice if someone tried to cut her legs out. Few were the sounds that she could listen to by that time. Her whole system seemed to be slowly shutting down at that moment. But that was just until a strong spring scent filled a small part of her nostrils and she felt a calming pressure on her forehead. It could only be one person, she knew. The only person that had the softest of the hands and carried the spring breeze everywhere. She knew it could only be her. And, after realizing that, Sarada felt a lot safer.
" oh my... You're burning in fever."
" ... I-I'm okay, mama..."
" no you're not. Damn... When did it start? Why didn't you call me before?"
" it's nothing... Mom... It will be gone soon."
" ... Tch." Sakura placed her palm over her daughter's chest. " your heart is beating so fast and..." She lifted her daughter's face, carefully. " your cheeks are just like tomatoes... I'm gonna go get a towel and some water..." She said, hurriedly going towards the kitchen.
" there is no time for that, mom... I don't wanna be late for school."
" school? Are you crazy? There is no way I'm letting you go to school in this condition... I knew I shouldn't have let you go out and play with Boruto near the lake." With a towel on her shoulders, Sakura hurriedly reached for the phone.
" Hn... That idiot thought he could win over me..." She said, weakly lifting a finger in the air and smirking just like her father. Even if she could barely feel anything, her Uchiha proud was still unaffected.
" Tch... You are impossible just like your father."
" Hn. No I'm not."
" Tch..." She sighed. " I'm gonna call the hospital."
" what for? Are you taking me there?"
" of course not... I'm just gonna let them know I'm not going."
" what? Why not?"
" there is no way I'm leaving you alone like this, silly. Just one momen- ah. Shizune-san? Yes, it's me.. I'm with a little problem with Sarada here and..."
Sakura's voice became inaudible as soon as the girl started to think about what her fever had caused. Sarada hated to feel like that. She hated to feel like a burden to her mother. She hated to give her more trouble than she already had. It was not a secret to anyone that Sakura was working harder than any other mother of their generation. Since her husband had gone on that mission, she was responsible for taking care of their child and, in order to be able to offer her everything she could, Sakura kept her job at the hospital and worked as hard as ever. Being a single mother wasn't easy, indeed. But she knew it was for the best and her family deserved all of the best from her. They deserved all of her care and love. That's why, if her sick darling daughter needed her, the pinkette's priority as a medical ninja and, specially, as a mother, was no other than making her feel better. No matter what, Sarada came in first. And, even if it's hard to believe, the Uchiha Princess hated to know that.
As much as she wanted to run away towards the ninja academy, Sarada couldn't really bring her body to obey any of her commands. At that moment, when she heard her mother canceling her appointments because of that stupid fever, Sarada felt like hiding inside a hole. She hated to feel like a burden to the one who didn't abandon her. She hated to feel like another problem to the one who would do anything for her. Even if Sakura would never admit, her daughter knew she was a busy woman and that she had no time for a simple child's fever. It was not fair to her mother, Sarada thought. But being a mother isn't a matter of being fair or not. Being a mother is a matter of protecting the children and loving them more than loving any other thing in the world. However, Sarada was still too young to understand that. She was too young to understand that, until she was feeling completely better, her mother wouldn't be able to rest. And that, thankfully, would be just a a matter of time.
It was only when Sakura hung up the phone that her child's orbs managed to follow her around. The pinkette was still wearing that red dress of hers and the apron was probably a little dirty due to the preparation of Sarada's bento. The long hair of the Uchiha matriarch was softly tied behind and just some locks were escaping and resting behind her ears. Sarada's mother was, indeed, a gorgeous woman. Even with a worried expression, Sakura was, for sure, beautiful. Too bad that, behind all that preoccupation, Sarada couldn't see how happy Sakura was for being able to do something for her child. That feeling was, for sure, unexplainable.
" okay... I already got rid of the hospital and of the clinic... Now I'm gonna go get you some medicines and some blankets. Do you need anything else, Sarada?"
"... I want you to go to work... I want to go to school and... And I don't want you to be stuck here with me... I don't want to be a burden for you."
" uh? Where did this come from, honey?"
" mama... I-I... I know you have your obligations and.. And I don't want you to get rid of them just because of me. I'll be okay on my own..."
The pout on the little girl's reddened face was just too cute for anyone to resist. How come such a young girl could think about so many complicated things? Sarada was so mature and responsible that Sakura even forgot she was 5 sometimes. It felt as if she was growing up too fast and all her innocence and her childhood were already being left behind and, deep inside, Sakura knew it was her fault. It was her fault for not getting rid of all of her worries and for not telling her the truth and for not making sure her childish dreams could make her smile more. All that maturity was, indeed, her fault. But, at least on that day, Sakura would make sure nothing troubled her precious kid. Sakura was, truly, gonna let her be a child.
Slowly approaching the chair where Sarada was siting, the former Haruno kneeled near her daughter and, as she offered the little one the warmest of the smiles, her right hand went to caress her dark hair. The movement was soothing and smooth and it was pretty much the opposite of all the discomfort that fever was causing her. Her mother's hands were, indeed, magic. And she didn't need chakra to make them feel like that.
" Sarada... You are not a burden... You will never be a burden, sweetie. You are my daughter and I love you. There is no way I'm gonna leave you alone. Specially when you're not feeling well..."
" ... Then why isn't papa here? Even when I'm not sick, he's never home... Doesn't he love me?"
" your papa loves you too much. He loves you more than anything else in the world. And that's why he can't let anything bad threaten you. He will be back as soon as he finishes his mission, you'll see. And then, I promise you, you're gonna see how much he loves you."
" ... Do you promise?"
" of course I do. You two are really alike... I'm pretty sure you will be best friends."
" best friends? But he is already my papa."
" uhm... Maybe you're right." She smiled. " so, until he returns, don't ever forget how much he loves you... How much we both do. Can you do that for me?"
" yes, mama."
" good girl..." She kissed the side of her head. " now... What do you wanna do? I'll be here the whole day and I'll make sure you get well soon. What do you think about watching some tv under the blankets? I can even make you your favorite food when you feel like eating."
"..." Her dark eyes finally widened and, with a faint blush that was mixing with her fever's redness, the little girl observed her mother. That lovely smile and that caring attitude. All that sincerity in her voice and the fact that she belonged to her. Everything made Uchiha Sakura seem like the perfect mother in her child's eyes. Even if her opinion about being a burden wasn't completely changed, Sarada knew her mother wasn't mad because of that. She knew she was worried and probably trying not to make any mistake but that was how she would usually be whenever those things happened. Sakura really couldn't make any mistake in a case like that. It was her own daughter, after all. All the care in the world wouldn't still be enough. And all that special attention Sakura would give her, was, indeed, the one thing that made her mother so special.
" thank you, mom." She said, almost throwing herself at her mother's arms. Such thing caught Sakura with her guard down at first but, after she got used to it, the pinkette started to hug her child back as tight and as delicate as possible. That daughter of hers was, indeed, the cutest girl in the whole world. Hugging her felt like hugging all of the world's fluffiest stuffed toys and not being suffocated since she was still so small. Having a daughter was, for sure, on the top of the list of the things she has done right in her life. If not for Sarada, her days would be nothing but empty and lonely without the love of her life. With Sarada by her side, half of Sasuke would still be with her. Yet, better than having half of a husband, was having a full daughter.
And so, the day went by as those two enjoyed themselves a little. They watched movies under the blanket as Sakura had promised and, since the medications she had prepared for Sarada were correctly used, the little one was feeling a lot better than when she had woken up. Even if she wasn't fully recovered, she could walk by herself already and didn't need Sakura to bring her everything she wanted. She didn't need to be that much pampered anymore, but her pink haired mother made sure to keep doing so just because she could. Sarada deserved only the best treatment worthy of a princess. And who better than the Queen to do so and to still keep her company, right? Having a fever wasn't really that bad, after all, Sarada thought. At least not when the one taking care of her was no other than her precious mama.
After the long, dizzy and funny day those two spent basically on the couch, the night came and Sarada insisted on sleeping on her own bed. Even if Sakura had asked her to sleep with her at least on that night, the 5 year old girl decided to remain in her own bed. Sakura helped her with a warm and relaxing bath, then she made sure to dry her daughter's small hair and put on some warm pajamas on her. No cold would threaten Sakura's little girl on that night. The matriarch was determined to bring all of her vitality and childish energy back by the end of that night. She wanted to see her daughter healthy again. She wanted Sarada to get rid of that feverish expression and go have fun like she always do. But, unfortunately, this whole healing process is a bit slow sometimes. By the time the little girl was almost asleep, Sakura realized her eyelids were lower than normal and her cheeks were growing even redder. Her fever was back. Yet, this wouldn't be that much of a problem.
" how are you feeling, sweetheart?"
She said, carefully placing a small towel over Sarada's forehead.
" better... I think... Better than when I woke up, for sure."
" good..." She smiled, fixing the position of the panda toy her daughter loved. On that night, the bear was the chosen one among his other stuffed friends to give the little one the best of the hugs. " are you sleepy?"
" a little... Mommy... Can you tell me a story and stay with me until I sleep?"
" of course." Sakura said, pulling a small chair from the corner and placing it near the edge of Sarada's bed. " what kind of story do you want to hear?"
" uhm... Can you tell me about when you and dad were in the same team as Uncle Naruto?"
" sure. Let me think of a good one... Thanks to those two, I have many memories of funny things... There was even a time when your father and I went out at night to-"
"... Mama's dirty..."
" no no no!" She blushed, waving her hands over her face. " it's nothing like that... We went to see the fireworks... Your father was at the hospital after a mission and your uncle Naruto and I went after him to watch the fireworks with us... I was impressed when he said yes. You wouldn't imagine how grumpy your papa was back then... Not that he has changed that much."
As she remembered the past and told her daughter about the adventures of the great team 7, neither one of the girls could suppress the genuine smiles on their faces. Sakura smiled due to the nostalgia of her younger days and Sarada smiled for seeing her mother that happy. She smiled for imagining how her father was and for how similar they seemed to be. She smiled for the funny things the man that became the Hokage would do. Everything seemed just too perfect in her childish imagination and all of the memories she didn't live were really making her happy and relaxed and tired of so much fun. It had been a perfect day, indeed. And, before she knew, her eyes closed and she slept with a smile on her face. Apparently, the story had served its purpose and the little girl with the darkest of the eyes was left sleeping like an angel. Looking at her on that state was, for sure, a really satisfactory thing. Sakura's emerald eyes simply couldn't get tired of such view. She was just so small and so cute and so fragile. She had come from her and was almost ready to start with her chakra training at the academy. Sakura wanted to treasure her little girl forever no matter what. She would protect her from the dangers of the world and nothing wrong would ever happen to her. She would make sure of that. Her mother wouldn't let anything happen to her.
" if only you were here, Sasuke-kun... You would see how perfect our little girl is..."
With that longing feeling filling her eyes, the pinkette leaned her head on the soft mattress of her daughter and watched her for as much as she could. It had, indeed, been a long day and every second of it had been worth it. The only thing she hoped was that, deep in her heart, Sarada knew how loved she was and would always be. And she knew it. She definitely knew it. Specially by the time her eyes opened in the middle of the night and caught that strange and impressively beautiful scene.
For her eyes were still good by the time she was 5, Uchiha Sarada didn't miss a single detail of that painting-like figure that was her mother at that time. Long pink locks were falling to the sides of her adult body until they met the little girl's mattress. A soft expression drawn on her lips and that intriguing purple diamond decorating that forehead of hers. Her arm was being used as a pillow as her hand was holding the little girl's small foot. Sakura was totally asleep and the dim light of the winter moon that was coming across the window was just making her shine even more. At that moment, Sarada saw how devoted her mother was to her. She saw how she was worried and how she loved her without limits. Even if there was something she didn't want to tell her regarding her father, Sarada knew it wouldn't be as important as all that love her mother gave her. Nothing could ever change that feeling that mother and daughter shared. Nothing could ever break them apart. No matter what happens, Uchiha Sakura and Uchiha Sarada will always be mother and daughter.
" good night, Mama..."
The End