Misspent Youth


"Daddy!"

Sasuke feels nothing but pain the second his three-year-old daughter runs in and jumped on him, waking him from his peaceful slumber. He should've known that allowing her to spend so much time at Naruto and Hinata's place was a stupid idea, but Sakura insisted and he had no choice, even though that is where his daughter got her energy from.

"What, Keiko?"

"Happy birfday!" Keiko gave a bright smile to Sasuke, even though he was hidden underneath the covers. She blinked her green eyes before pouting on sitting on his back. "Daddy, up! mama said so!"

"Tell your mom to leave me alone."

"Daddy!"

Sasuke smiled slightly to himself while rolling his eyes. Keiko was terribly persistent, something he knew she got from Sakura. There was no doubt about it. Keiko had gained everything from Sakura, from her pink hair to her personality (which really did shock Sasuke the second he held his daughter the first time, as he was absolutely sure Uchiha genes were the dominant ones).

At least she's not a boy with pink hair…

"Daddy, come on! Mama made bweakfast!"

"It's 'breakfast', Keiko."

Keiko pouted once again, not budging an inch from her place. Sasuke usually corrected her when she spoke, even though he knew there really wasn't a way to stop her lisping.

"Keiko, leave your daddy alone. I didn't tell you to sip on him!"

Keiko looked over her should to see Sakura walking in. The little girl nodded, before jumping off Sasuke onto the floor. Before she left she pulled the blanket off Sasuke enough to give him a smile, which he responded to with a smirk.

"What, you goof?"

"Birfday!"

Sasuke nodded, setting his hand on Keiko's head. "Thank you, Keiko."

Keiko's smile grew wider as she turned around and ran out, saying she was going to go and wake her older brother.

Sakura smiled and giggled a little as Keiko ran by, before looking at Sasuke who was finally attempting to get out of bed.

"So?"

"What?"

"How do you feel about turning 30? Same as I did?"

Sasuke just shrugged as he pulled on his shirt, looking at Sakura. "Should I feel like my life is ending?"

"I did not feel like that!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head as Sakura turned and left, telling him to hurry up and to get Sanosuke out of bed before he came downstairs. He nodded to himself, leaving the room and taking a detour to the left to get the six-year-old boy out of his own bed.

"All right, Sanosuke. Don't be stubborn today." Sasuke didn't bother waiting and picked Sanosuke up, making the six-year-old yell.

"Dad! I was sleeping!"

"Exactly. It's time to get up, kid."

Sanosuke gave a pout, before nodding as Sasuke set him down.

"Happy birthday, dad."

"Thanks. Now, get downstairs."

"All right!"

Sasuke shook his head as Sanosuke ran out, following behind slowly.

Sanosuke and Keiko were a handful. They were two years apart in age and both had energy to spare. Sanosuke was born almost a month after Sakura's 24th birthday, with Keiko following when both she and Sasuke were 26.

Now, Sakura was four months pregnant with their third child, and Sasuke had started thinking about how much time he wasted as a teenager going after revenge, only for it to blow up in his face soon after.

After spending nearly ten years going for revenge, first against Itachi, then Danzo, then the Leaf Village and finally the Juubi, Sasuke realized, after being home in the village for seven years and holding Sanosuke for the first time, that he wasted those years. Yes, the training was great and helped him become an ANBU Black Op, but he knew he had wasted his time with Orochimaru.

Why?

He lost out on time he could've spent with Sakura. Sasuke had always been fond of Sakura when they were younger, and, although he hid it, nothing changed when they were Genin.

Sasuke realized that, if he hadn't run off for revenge and let it get the best of him, he and Sakura could've spent more time together, and maybe started their family a little earlier.

It was all right, though. Now, even though he was thirty, Sasuke knew this was perfect. He and Sakura had a family, and he loved it. His family was absolutely perfect to him.

"Sasuke, come eat already!"

"All right, Sakura!"

Sasuke could hear Sanosuke and Keiko bickering already, and was prepared to deal with Keiko's waterworks the second Sanosuke said something she didn't understand or like.

Sasuke smirked to himself as he sat down with his family at the table.

I misspent my youth, Sakura. I could've spent it with you… but, I'm not going to waste it anymore.