Title: That same odd spot
Characters: Uchiha Family (SasuSakuSara)
Timeline: After gaiden
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Sasuke came into view, halting his steps towards the backyard as he saw a familiar small figure seemingly frozen on her spot. Sarada was standing a few feet away from that old tree that Sasuke recognizes well – it's there then and is still here now.
For some reason, specific memories played inside his head. How many kunais and shurikens has this tree caught? It's branches are as vaguely spaced as ever; its trunk still as thick and sturdy but with random signs of barks tearing off here and there… everything about it is so different yet the same.
He found himself just standing there, looking at his daughter. How many times has his father looked at him and his brother like this? How many times has his mother stopped half-way through her steps at this very spot to call them for supper?
His attention shifted the moment he heard someone stand beside him. He didn't look her way but he can tell that she's looking at Sarada as well. "Ah, that spot again…" Sakura said, her voice sounded like she's witnessed this scene over and over and for some reason, she likes it.
Of course Sasuke took mental note of this – again?
"I would find her just dazed once in a while on that spot…" Sakura continued, as if answering a question. Sasuke was long convinced that she can read his mind, and he's grateful for that. It's way easier than him trying to say every single thing, especially when he's not really good with words. "I've been wanting to tell you…" she let her words hang, and this time Sasuke glanced towards his wife.
"Hn…?" He let out his usual tone, letting her know he's listening
"She was about four… when I first saw her stand there." Sakura spoke, a smile escaping from her lips, "Nothing special happened that day, not that I can remember. It's just that, one second I saw her playing, the next she was just standing there… as if she's looking at something…" Sakura clasped her hands behind her and Sasuke had to try to hold a grin escaping his lips - it's just that this gesture made Sakura and their daughter one and the same. "What?" she asked slightly annoyed.
Sasuke just looked towards Sarada again, pretending to have had a straight face. "…and?" he prepped, directing her back to her story.
He noticed Sakura suppress a pout, and he just had to tell himself to let it go, and stop teasing her.
"Anyway…" Sakura continued, "I asked her 'what's the matter?', and she just looked at me, as if I'm missing something so obvious." Sakura's smile now was somewhat gentler, "She told me that she's talking to someone…"
Sasuke found himself shoving his right hand inside his pocket and shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Someone…?" he said after clearing his throat. Memories just started flooding after that sentence from Sakura. All those hide and seek, those trainings and random games he would bug him over and over – it all plays as if he's reeled back many years ago.
Sakura glanced his way, but Sasuke kept his eyes on Sarada. "'He said he's Nii-chan' is what our daughter told me back then." He can feel her looking back towards Sarada, "I think she knows him, even without me saying anything." Her smile lingers and Sasuke can somehow tell what his wife's thinking.
After a few moments of silence, Sakura said "Yosh!" and patted his right shoulder lightly, letting her hand rest on his shoulder a second longer before she squeezed it lightly. He found himself leaning closer, as if he's waiting for a whisper. "There's plenty of time before supper." He looked at her and caught her grinning and he surrendered – giving out a small smile. "You know Nii-chan better than anyone." Sakura said this and then gave him a small poke on his forehead – directing him towards where their daughter stood.
Sasuke took another glance towards his wife who's now on her way to the kitchen before looking back into the open space, the familiar old tree, and that spot where his brother would often stand and ponder randomly – the same spot where his daughter, Sarada, now stands on, looking at him as if she heard him call out her name.
"What's the matter Papa?" Sarada asked the moment her father was about a few feet away from her.
"Sarada…" Sasuke paused, looking at the old tree, and then continued "I'd like you to meet someone…."
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I HAVE NOT WRITTEN ANYTHING IN AGES SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I wish I could've written this better but it's midnight and I have to sleep and I just had to get this off my system. Sorry for some OOCs. *bows a million times* It's been a year and plus and I'm still not over everything. Haha! *whacked*