a/N: hello...hehehe, my last attempt at a SasuSaku, (Mainly its a Bolt/Sarada) i just got inspired with my sister, she said, Bolt's hair is like that of a FF character, then I remember I'm a great shipper of Cloud and Tifa, so I kinda imagined Bolt and Salada looking like those two when they grow up...It's gotta be a sad fic, seriously...with deaths and all, and I'm greatly annoyed with Sasuke..why is it that everyone's with their families and he goes out travelling...hehehe, so I made this to just fill up my imagination... I'm not really updated with the manga... because the last i've read was when they were in the cocoon...and i don't read continuously so there might be something wrong, but for the sake of imagination...just let it be...hahaha, kidding :) i know the Sound village was made up, but well...i can't think of anything really, I was about to put Iwagakure, but it looks like a good country :( sad. To sasuke fans out there I can't probably give him justice so forgive me...and i made this without enough research so the Sharingan part will be totally made up! Thanks for stopping by to read ^_^
Chapter One – Retribution
Sarada, the twelve year old, aspiring medical kunoichi, was watching other kids play on her window, today, she's alone in her home, and her mom was suddenly called in the hospital while her dad – her dad's never there anyway.
She was sad and alone, but she never admits it, instead she gets a book, a medical one and studies. All her frustration and annoyance, she relieves them with studying, maybe that's the reason why her eyes gave out instantly, they became blurry and needed glasses to see.
Every night, even if she pretends to be asleep, she could never be deaf to her mother's wails, she knows her mother cries for her father and she never understood why she have to. If he left for them, why would they have to wait for him? However, she might just be sugarcoating herself, because deep in her heart she wants him to come home.
Sarada knew her mother decided to occupy herself with hospital work to distract her from the loneliness she felt, it's the same way for her, when she reads books, it's her safe haven. She looks again in the window, trying to find a turf of pink hair, but there's nothing. She checks the time and it's already becoming late.
Her mother would be hungry and tired so she decided to do some cooking, heating and cleaning. At a young age, she must learn all the housework, she must be strong for her mother, since she knows they will never be a family of three, it will only be the two of them always.
"Papa…" Sarada clutched her father's coat. "Why are you leaving again?"
"Sarada… Papa has a mission." Sakura held her daughter's shoulders. "You'll be back, right?"
"I will.. but it may take me long." He answered. He looked at Sarada, whose eyes were teary, he affectionately pets his daughter in the head. "Just wait for me."
"Okay." Sarada mumbled.
"Be careful, Sasuke." Sakura said, looking sad. Sasuke tilted her chin and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
"I will." He turns around and started to walk away. Sarada squirmed away from her mom and tried to catch her father.
"Dad!" but he was gone in an instant.
Sakura came later than usual, this time its past midnight and she checks to see Sarada, instead she sees the house clean, there's food in the table and she smiled, her daughter might be rushing herself to grow up. She checked her in the bed room and as usual her head rested on a medical book while her glasses still hangs on her ears. Sakura came closer; she removes the eye wear slowly and replaced the book with a pillow.
It saddens her that her daughter bears all the responsibilities on her own, she sighed suddenly losing the appetite she had earlier, she decided to just sleep beside Sarada. As she lay down, Sarada snuggled instantly next to her, and Sakura soothed her daughter's black hair afterwards embracing her too, her tiny heartbeat lulling her to sleep.
"A village in Sound's asking for back up regarding their medical dilemma. They need expert doctors sent there." Shikamaru states disrupting Naruto from his stupor.
"Oh… send someone there?"
"Yes…" Shikamaru rubs his temple, somehow Naruto had this not-listening-attitude sometimes.
"I see… well… we need to see the personnel files then." Naruto suggested looking at other scrolls.
"They specifically request for the best doctor, we can provide. You know who that is, Hokage-sama." Suddenly Shikamaru's words brought heaviness to Naruto.
"You meant Sakura-chan, do you?"
"I did tell them, it still depends on her decision… but they were insistent."
"Then tell them no." Naruto answered. "Sakura's needed here too."
"But currently, because of her efforts and discovery of the vaccine, the epidemic stopped here and we've completely eradicated the cases. The Sound asks for her too."
"Well- I don't think that's for us to decide." Naruto said. "Geez… everything would have been easy if she decided to be a housewife-only."
"To whom then Naruto?" Shikamaru asked. "You knew her situation; she tried to overcome it by becoming the best doctor."
"Damn that Teme! He should've just stopped his emo track as soon as he had a daughter. Ugh. Never mind." Naruto scratched the back of his head, then stood from his chair. "We'll continue this tomorrow; I can't be late at Himawari's party."
"Right." Shikamaru agrees and followed Naruto as he walks out of the office.
"Sarada? Let's go to Himawari's party." Sakura happily urged her daughter who was reading a book; it might be a Ninjutsu book or something.
"Ok." She answers, closing the book and placing it to her shelf.
"Good! You should choose your best clothes, you need Mama's help?" She asks gleefully, while Sarada shook her head slightly.
"I'll be fine mom." She says and she walked to her bedroom. After a few minutes she came out, wearing a beige-colored dress and a pink sweater.
"Eh? Why that dress?" Sakura asked. "You should wear the red one!"
"No mom. You bought that dress when you thought Dad's coming home. I don't want to wear it." Sarada answered sitting near the window sill again. "I think its fine." She answered while looking outside.
"Sarada?" Sakura called out walking towards her daughter, as soon as she looked at her, Sakura hugged her daughter. "Okay that's fine, you'll look good whatever you wear anyway."
"Thanks mom." She answered clutching Sakura's dress. "Can I bring that Anatomy book?"
"Why? You should play with the other kids." Sakura said.
"I don't want to play with them. The book's fine." then Sarada pondered. "Himawari's a good kid, maybe I'll play with her."
Sakura sighed, she must do something with her daughter's introversion. "Alright."
They went to the party together, hand-in-hand, Sarada looks around and see perfect families, every children there had mothers and fathers and Himawari who's turning ten was with her mother, Aunt Hinata. The Hokage, Himawari's father was singing happy birthday. She wonders how the Hokage could make time for his family, while her dad can't. (Bolt disagrees otherwise, the ruckus he made that day probably made his father make time for them.)
She sat near the corner and opened her book, Sakura decided to get some food for the both of them, after passing by to give Himawari's gift.
"Happy birthday." She greets kissing the girl in the cheek.
"Thanks, Aunt Sakura." She says. "Where's Sarada-san?"
"There." Sakura points out and Himawari nods and scampered to Sarada.
"Sakura-chan." Naruto called. "I have something to tell you by the way, but I guess it could wait, since we have a party and all."
"Sure, it's about what anyway?"
"Would you agree if I send you to Sound? They need you there as a doctor?" He blurts out, seeing Sakura's surprised reaction. "I knew you'll say no, right?" he adds.
"That was sudden, Let me think about it." Sakura answered getting an iced tea from the tray a waiter carried.
"Don't, just say No, they can't force you if you said you've retired."
"But I haven't retired." Sakura looked up to him. "Maybe they really need some help there."
"The one who needs help is your daughter Sakura." Someone interjected making Naruto and Sakura look at the one who spoke, it was Ino. "Sorry for intruding Hokage-sama, but Sakura-chan, are you nuts? Look at your daughter."
Sakura glanced at Sarada, she's talking to Himawari but her face still lacked luster, the thing that young, hopeful and happy children had on their faces. "We're doing fine."
"I know you are, dear." Ino said and Naruto moved away from the two of them seeing it's a girl talk. "Sasuke's a demented bastard, is he not coming home yet?"
"Ino…"
"What? how many years has it been? Five? He barely stayed home even in those years he's married you! How can you let yourself be ruined by that guy?"
"You know he's looking for redemption, that's why – "
"Redemption?! Redemption my ass! What does he think of you? Someone who he could just marry and have a child with then abandon? Aren't you and Sarada enough yet as a miracle for him? He's suppose to live in solitude but you chose to be with him."
"I know it's my fault, so Ino just – "
"It's not your fault. Maybe it's mine, you know, I'm still the one who forced you to confess to him, remember?" Ino sighed. "This is a happy party so I should stop, you're right, and I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Sakura waved a hand. "You're concerned, I get it." She glanced at her daughter again. "Maybe we really need to move on."
"That's the spirit!" Ino cheered. "I'm just going to Sai, ok?" Sakura nods and Ino, disappeared from her view.
"Happy birthday Sis!" Bolt greets Himawari, who was with Sarada. "Oh Hi Sarada."
"Hn." She replied adjusting her glasses.
"Geez…What's with the silent treatment, eh?" Bolt complained. "Seeya later then!" he loudly said as he chased Shikadai and Inojin who were making their way to the clown show.
"Ahhh… Clown show!" Himawari exclaimed. "Let's watch it together, Sarada-chan!"
Sarada agreed, and Himawari held her hand and dragged her to the pile of children watching the Party Clown show.
"Let's have some Pinata! Volunteer?" The clown called.
"Sarada-chan! You should try it." Himawari said.
"eh? But – "
"Yeah Sarada, You should try it." Bolt agrees and everyone looked at her. She looked at her mom, and Sakura gave her thumbs up.
She raised a hand, removed her glasses and placed it atop her book in their table, the clown tied a bandanna at her to cover her eyes and she was spun 15 times. Her eyes felt a bit heavy and somewhat irritated but she thought it was just because of the bandanna, it's probably dirty.
When it's time to hit, she hit with all her might and it was a jackpot for her since she had broken the pinata. Everyone clapped including the clown.
"Nice hit! What's your name?" the clown asked coming closer.
"Sarada." She answered, she's feeling rather uneasy now, and her head hurts a bit, probably from the spinning.
"Okay let's remove the bandanna!" the clown said merrily, bowing down to her head level, she removed it. Sarada's eyes were still closed and as soon as she opened it.
The clown's eyes were glued to hers. Suddenly he clasped his eyes and shouted moving away from Sarada, this surprised the children, and they ran away.
"Red eyes! Red eyes! Ahhh a nightmare!" the clown shouted.
"Sarada!" Sakura rushed to her side, and so did Naruto and the others, Sarada looked at her mom and it's like a great fear shook Sakura.
"Sharinggan?" Naruto was surprised as well.
"Mom my eyes feel weird." Sarada said, tears falling from her eyes. "Why is everyone sacred of me? Mom?" Her head felt heavier the moment she talked, the power might've been too much that it caused her to faint.
"Sarada! Sarada!" Sakura shook her daughter waking her up. "How could this happen? She's not even training yet? She's not even – "
"Sakura we should bring her to the hospital." Shikamaru interjected. "Ino gather the kids and explain, so that they won't be scared." Ino nods and with Hinata they called on the kids.
"Why is Teme not here to explain things?! What the hell do we know about Sharingan?"
"We should ask Kakashi." Shikamaru suggested, the ambulance came and Sakura helped them transfer her daughter to the stretcher.
She went with them to the hospital and administered the treatment herself, Sarada might have just panicked or it was still too early for her to have his eyes. But she stabilized her, with some medications and had her dextrose-d.
A few minutes later, Naruto came in, with Kakashi. He sat beside Sarada, and checked her eyes, they were back to their original dark shade.
"Aside from me, Sasuke's the only living Sharingan user, and since he's a no show, this might've frightened the others, but she's fine… her Sharingan awakened, but she'll be okay."
"How can it be awakened? She's never done any training to wake it up, or whatever." Sakura said pacing in the room.
"You know Sharingan can also be awaken the least you expect it to. I'm too old to teach her, it should be her father." Kakashi stood up walking towards Sakura, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's not gonna be reappearing unless she wants it too."
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." She said sadly sitting next to her daughter.
"She's a good girl anyway Sakura-chan, so you don't need to fret so much. I hope Teme could - "
"Stop." Sakura said squeezing her daughter's hand. "I've placed too much hope for him. I don't care anymore."
"Sakura-chan? Sarada needs Sasuke-kun this time."
"You think this is the only time she needed him? How about me? Is this the only time? Enough is enough."
"I'll leave you first." Naruto said, he can't argue with her now, she's having a hard time so its best leaving her, with Sarada. After he left, a few minutes, Sarada scrunched her nose and slowly opened her eyes.
"Mom…" she said faintly. Sakura immediately looked at her daughter's eyes, and relief filled her when they weren't bloody red. "What happened?"
"Nothing…It's just." She smiled. "You had your dad's eyes."
"What does that mean?" she asked. Sakura stroked her daughter's hair. "That clown was scared of me…everyone ran away from me…"
"No they're not… they were just surprised when you hit the piñata."
Sarada frowned then turned away from her mother. "That's not what happened… great. now everyone thinks I'm a freak."
"No one thinks that, Sarada… you're just overacting." Her daughter didn't answer, instead she pulled the covers up to her head. "I'll be back." She said.
She went out of the room and decided to catch some fresh air outside…she pondered what to do… she must accept the fact that Sasuke's not gonna be here, so she passed by the Uchiha manor and decided to get some old files regarding Sharingan.
As she went inside, she saw Naruto rummaging some old files, she stood there not making a move watching him doing what he's doing.
"Aha! Sharingan documents!" he exclaimed keeping it on the other side. "Don't they have Sharinggan for dummies here."
"Naruto-kun." Somehow her voice stopped him from moving he looked back and saw Sakura leaning in the door frame. "Even if you're the Hokage… This is still trespassing."
"Geez…Sakura-chan, I'm trying to help." He scratched the back of his head.
"Thanks." Sakura sighed and angel sat near the books he had littered, then she checked the 'Sharingan Documents' and kept it.
"You know… Sasuke loves you." Naruto said. "He said that, before he left, he loves you and Sarada… but maybe guilt haunts him as he sees you everyday."
"I know… but you can't blame me If I feel a bit angry at him right now."
"You knew someday, she'll have the Sharingan…Uchihas are always Sharingan users, even if Sharingan users are not always Uchihas." He said.
"I just wished it came when he's here…I wonder if he'll be delighted by that, though."
"He'll be, That teme." Naruto smiled. "He tells me everytime he leaves, that I should watch over you… I feel quite responsible for that – "
"Naruto, send me to the Sound." Sakura cuts his talk.
"Alright…I'll send you to the So – Wait what?"
"Send me there. Send me where they'll need me." Sakura repeated as she stood up the book on her hands.
"Sakura-chan? Are you out of your mind? This isn't the time to be leaving Sarada."
"I'm not leaving her. We're leaving together." Sakura walks out of the room and Naruto followed. "Sarada is pretty much embarrassed to talk to her friends… she'll be happy if I told her we're moving out from here."
"How can she be happy?" Naruto asked. "Sakura be reasonable."
"It's for the better, I guess..."
"Sakura-chan, Sasuke might come back now, Why are you doing this?" Naruto kept following her.
"We need to start over, Naruto…She won't need him, I'll teach her if I must." She continued to walk. "If you'll be stubborn about it. I'll be sending my own telegram to them."
So R&R and please don't be angry with my made up things...I'm quite busy with Med stuffs, so i'll probably upload later after the first three. :)