Red Eyes

Papa…

That one word made her move forward.

Even as sweat dripped down her face and as her body screamed her to stop, Sarada could not contain her joy.

Of seeing him. Of feeling her arms around him. His smile.

Papa...

She remembered when she was very young, she used to stare at her classmates holding their fathers' hand after a day in the park. Their small hand hidden inside their father's, warm and safe. Sarada had simply watched, awed at the sight and then confused. Doko wa…doko wa watashi no chichi desu ka? Although her mother's hand held her own and her bright smile extinguished the sadness in the child, Sarada noted that was the first time she had ever thought about her father that way. She couldn't have been more than three years old.

Her mother hadn't told her much about her father. She only noted that he was a strong shinobi and on a very long mission. There were times when Sarada became unsatisfied with her mother's stories, but she noted that her mother's eyes always became sad whenever she asked about the man who was more of a legend than a man.

Since that day when she realized she longed for her father, Sarada had wondered what he was like. She had seen from far away the varying personalities of her classmates compared their classmates, and the young dark-haired child if she was more like her mother than her father. Nanadaime-sama stated that when she saw her fight the strange boy with the Sharingan eyes that he was reminded of her father. Sarada had not heard many people compare her to her father, including her mother, and she was happy. There were times deep in her heart that Sarada was afraid that the person known as Uchiha Sasuke was an illusion.

Her father had always been distant to her, but no longer. As she thought about embracing him after twelve long years, the proud Uchiha began to feel tears against her eyes. Papa… The lie that she had fed Nanadaime-sama did not matter. She would get to see her father. And he would tell her…

Sarada was only aware of seeing the tall building before her eyes. It almost look like a temple from the ancient past, soaring in the sky. The dark-haired girl could see the tomoe markings and of the diamond in the center of the door that would lead her to where her father was.

She found him sitting down against the wall, his hair long and covering half of his face. He wore a long black cloak, and she noted that he wore fingerless gloves similar to her mother in her youth. Papa… Altogether, he was different than she imagined. His appearance was radically different than the picture that she had found. Somehow, it seemed surreal seeing him move towards her. Sarada heard his voice, deep and soothing at the same time to her ears.

Somehow though, he pointed his sword at her, and asked her if she was one of his comrades. At that moment it felt as if Sarada's entire world collapsed. She was only aware of her breaths coming out of her chest, and of her heartbeat in her ears. Her eyes were motionless as the time appeared to still. The girl tried to speak, but found out that she couldn't. She was only aware of her father's sword.

Then she became aware of it. She looked down at her hands, and saw chakra running through her veins. Her breathing increased, and Sarada looked up to find identical red eyes. One belonging to her father, the other her. Sarada slowly became aware of the world around her, seeing the bright chakra in her father. So beautiful… she thought. Despite herself, Sarada smiled. I…awakened the Sharingan. I…

"Papa, it's me." Sarada had tears in her eyes, but she didn't care. She looked at her beloved father's face. "It's Sarada."

Her father had told her that she was the only Uchiha to awaken the Sharingan under her circumstances. Now as the kunoichi walked in the village with her headband proud across her forehead, she thought about the week that had changed her life. She had found her father. She now knew who she was. She understood the reason why she existed.

And most of all…she knew what it meant to be a shinobi.

Sarada thought about what her father had told her. He had realized then, after seeing the expression on her face and the longing in her voice, that she was who she said she was. His daughter, who he hadn't seen in twelve years. She couldn't forget the feeling of his arms around her, feeling so small around him. I…never felt anywhere safer since then, Sarada thought. She glanced up at the profile of the mountain bearing the faces of the Hokage, and smiled when she saw a familiar figure.

Her father had told her the truth. Her birth had been secret because of the Uchiha name, and both her mother and father had tried their best to protect her from enemies who would have harmed their daughter. Enemies such as those who now were died. Uchiha Sasuke had explained of the Uchiha past through his very own eyes. She had seen the very beginnings of the history of their clan through the use of the Sharingan. Her father hadn't said a word after the genjutsu was dispelled. Although she knew through their short time together that their father was a quiet man, Sarada could since that this silence was different. He wouldn't look into her eyes as she swallowed the truth of what she had seen, and the surprise echoed across his face when she stated that what happened in the past, what he did in the past, made her not ashamed to be part of the history of the Uchiha clan. It was the first time she saw her father smile.

He had told her that she was the only Uchiha to not awaken the Sharingan without sadness, rage, grief, or vengeance in their hearts. Even his older brother had been afraid when he had awoken his Sharingan. Sarada had awoken hers out of joy. "The Uchiha clan loved more deeply than any clan I have come across, and I am proud of you, Sarada." The daughter looked at her father at the soft smirk on his face. "You awakened your bloodline out of love, not from hate." Then, surprisingly, his large hand lied against her head. It felt almost like he was about to stroke her hair. "I hope your legacy does not fade in the coming generations." Hearing the pride and affection in his voice shook Sarada, and she was not ashamed to cry, especially when she saw her father cry with her.

As Sarada continued to smile at the lone figure standing on the head of the Nanadaime-sama, she thought of what she had learned from her father. A shinobi is one who protects the future of generations, and is the light in the darkness. The bond between her and her father had healed, although there were so many things Sarada wanted to ask her father. There were many things that she wanted to do with him. However, seeing him from afar and watching him was enough for her at this time. As Sarada heard the voices of her comrades calling to her, she could feel the smile on her father's face as he watched from afar.