Disclaimer: Nope. Not mine and don't own anything.


Confusion.

That was what Uchiha Sasuke was feeling.

He told himself that children were childish.

The fact that his daughter was a little bit too understanding was more confusing and more worrying than his wife's emotional mood swings. Truth be told, even he was childish when he was only his daughter's age. He supposed children nowadays were not prone to emotional catastrophes that they (the adults) as children had experienced. After all, the current generation was more liberated than his old generation had been.

How had he come to question his own daughter's emotional sanity?

A while ago, he told his wife that he needed to go back to investigating about the sage of six paths, Kaguya and the borderlands of the five Villages. He did finish his journey of finding himself. He wouldn't have married Sakura and made a life with her otherwise.

As expected, Sakura complained and got angry. She blabbed on about how they had finally met and how he was there in over just a month and continued on glaring at him. Sakura could be a very long nagger if she wanted to but that was fine. Sasuke accepted Sakura for who she was when he decided to be with her, though with all of Sakura's complaints and ramblings, she told him that it couldn't be helped since it was a mission and so on by herself.

He had to admit though, Sakura's one way conversation was annoying and a bit amusing (in a way).

When he turned to say goodbye to his daughter, he expected some kind of outburst and drama that only kids the age of 9 and beyond could do. After all, kids that age whine and cry and get depressed for every little thing that they could possibly think of (just like he had been when he was younger) and her father basically not living with them for a period of time was something she surely would cry about..

Of course, he didn't expect Sarada to understand why he had to go. She was only a child. He couldn't expect her to just accept it.

Well, he hadn't had any desire to become Shikamaru but if that had actually happened, he would've thought how troublesome it was.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), his daughter hadn't done any of the annoying things he expected.

Sasuke worried that his daughter might be emotionally incapable. He did not want his daughter to become like him.

He wasn't stupid.

Uchiha Sasuke knew that he himself was a socially awkward person (not that he minded since talking to idiots were tiring, he preferred to be silent than be an idiot himself). Thanks to his wife and his unofficial brother or best friend though, he talked a little more and came to realize that he didn't need to be on guard every single moment with people he talked to.

Anyways, his daughter's response was not what he was expecting at all.

Uchiha Sarada, after being told by his father that he needed to be away from home had only stared at her father and told him stoically, "Don't worry papa, I understand." and only hugged him.

Her calmness and coolness about the whole thing was a bit of a relief (he didn't want his daughter to shout and cry because of him), it was kind of – in a word – irritating and needed worrying. Children saying 'I understand' are unbelievable and also, wouldn't she miss her father at all?

Sasuke was a tiny bit irritated by his daughter's uncaring and devil-may-cry attitude. If not for the fact that he knew that his daughter loved him dearly, he would've thought otherwise.

He was fairly certain that his wife was a woman that would speak her mind and was mostly emotionally open (sometimes, too much). He remembered Sakura complaining about how he'd get fat eating dozens of tomatoes that one time, said something about needing a sexy, hot husband. He remembered his own eyes widening and choking on his tomatoes when she said that. He could've ignored his wife's outburst. The fact that she shouted and let the whole village hear her made him tell her that she was annoying and created another set of their shouting exchanges.

Sakura was an open woman.

So he questioned whether Sarada was taking after him.

But really, that couldn't be it.

He'd known as a child that he frequently got upset with his older brother back when he didn't pay attention to him and whenever he didn't get what he want. He was – to be honest – whiny when he was a kid (hey, he was just a child back then). So then, he concluded that maybe his daughter was taking after the current him.

The thought made him frown.

He wanted his child happy, not stoic.

Thinking carefully about it, his child always smiles whenever he comes home and get enthusiastically annoying (not that he really minded) and get chatty like her mother.

One thing was for sure though.

He needed to have a word with Sakura before he left.


Sasuke planned to travel two days after he told his wife and daughter about departing for another mission.

Now, a day later, he motioned for Sakura to come when he saw her finish washing the dishes they'd used for breakfast.

He made sure that Sarada was upstairs in her room before calling his wife.

"What is it Sasuke?" Sakura asked, sitting beside him on the couch.

"It's about Sarada." he started.

"Huh? What did that kid do now? I swear, if she got into a fight Boruto again…" She frowned, glancing at the stairs.

"That's not it." He repositioned himself uncomfortably.

"Then what? Did she try to mold chakra in her fist and accidentally damage some building?" Sakura tried to guess.

"No. Stop jumping to conclusions and listen." Sasuke didn't mention that the person likely to accidentally cause damage to some random building was her.

Sakura lifted a brow and stared at her husband. It was rare for Sasuke to talk about something not regarding Sarada and Boruto's fights and Naruto's complaints and the ramen.

Sasuke stayed quiet for the time being. He didn't know how to tell Sakura about his concerns – more like – he didn't know how to start.

He stared at his wife.

"…."

"…."

"…."

"Sasuke, just out with it." Sakura said while tapping her fingers on her crossed arms.

Sasuke glared at the table behind Sakura and closed his eyes.

"Sarada…. She's…"

"…."

"I think she's emotionally off… incapable." He corrected.

Sakura blinked.

She didn't know if what she's hearing was right.

No.

Did her husband just say their daughter was insane?

"And you know this how? What exactly do you mean Sasuke?" she frowned, her brows stuck together as she stared at her husband incredulously.

Sasuke paused for a second before speaking.

"When I told her about leaving for the mission, she was somehow… detached. She looked too understanding and it's… worrying."

Sakura, once again just blinked.

After a while of processing her husband's words, she smiled and sighed in relief.

"I thought you were saying that our daughter was insane. Don't make me misunderstand anything like that ever again Sasuke, I might just explode." She laughed heartily and repositioned herself from her rigid behavior.

Sakura's expression turned serious and looked at Sasuke in understanding and consideration. She knew exactly what Sarada might've been feeling. After all, she was one of the people her husband left behind when he pursued his revenge. Although this time was different since she knew that Sasuke was gonna come back.

"Before you came back, Sarada frequently asked about you. What you liked, what you disliked, what your jutsus are and asked anything concerning you. She looked forward to meeting you and always told me that she was sure that you would come back and we'll become a happy family with a bright smile." Sakura smiled at remembering five year old Sarada's smile.

"When you came home, she was ecstatic. She immediately latched on to you and didn't leave you alone for a second. I'm sure you remember her when she grabbed your kunais and practiced out back. Well, she was very glad to have you here. She probably realizes that unlike your previous missions these last few months, you would be gone for a long while. She doesn't want to show you that she'd be lonely. She's probably stopping herself from lashing out on you and holding herself back from saying what she really wants to say." Sakura sighed.

Sasuke remembered everything that happened when he came back to Konoha and looked at Sarada for the first time. Sarada was bouncing up and down after running to him and hugged him as tightly as a six year old could. He remembered feeling joy when he took a hold of her for the first time. The knowledge that someone was happy over him returning home and the fact that he had his own family…

"Children understand more than what they're showing, especially our daughter. Talk to her. She's bottling up everything she's feeling about your mission. Don't wait till it's too late. She might come to hate you for leaving you know." Sakura smiled.

"More importantly, she might hurt herself because she's not being honest." She added before kissing Sasuke's forehead and getting up from the couch to leave her husband think over what she'd said.

She was just glad that Sasuke was thinking deeply and was worrying about their precious daughter. She knew he wanted an advice. She hoped that everything would turn out okay once they have their talk.

Sasuke was mulling about everything.

He knew it wasn't wise to leave Konoha whilst his daughter was bottling up her own emotions.

Sakura was right. He had to talk to his daughter.

Now, if only he could think about what he needed to say…


Um, guys, just to let you know, i wrote this fic waaay before i read the gaiden and the last of naruto manga so that was probably a long sentence of self explanatory dumdums.

I probably would update this next week but I don't want anyone to hope too much cause they might be disappointed.

Btw, how was it? is this any good or what? pls pls teell meeee. I might have embarrassed myself you know!

R&R

God Bless