I noticed the sky, which had been rather dreary all day, clouded over with thick gray clouds, and raindrops began to pelt the treetops above. Bulbous drops streamed my glasses, though I can't move my arm even to wipe them clean; shock has rendered me immobile, secure, fixed in place.
Thunder shudders. I can hear my pulse in my ear drums. He's staring at me, but he's not speaking. I'm wondering if this is some sort of mirage… Why is he so serious? Does he recognize me? Is he angry? Is this how he always is?
"F-father," I'm able to stammer out lightly. He positions his hand defensively. I'm a bit wary now.
"We don't have time to speak," His voice is deep, smooth but tough. He moves suddenly, too fast for my eyes to follow.
I step rearward, the large tree behind me protecting my back. Is he warning me, or is he threatening me? I don't know him well enough to presume either. Am I to follow him? Or wait?
From my peripherals, I see a sword flying at me from the upper right. I flip out of the way and draw the small knife I carry at my thigh. The sword is in the grass about 2 inches deep, and I notice the colors of the handle are Uchiha colors; it's clear to me now that he wasn't exactly warning me, except about himself.
A chain yanks up the sword before I grab it. My nose wrinkles in frustration as I wipe the rain from my glasses. After so many years, he returns, and greets me with combat?! I feel red hot emotions bubbling up inside of me. The sword is thrown again in my direction, but instead of dodging, I cuff it away with my knife, full force. The chain buckles, and then falls limp once the sword hit a tree. The sword's metal had fissured from impact. I notice my knife is chipped too, so I toss it at the tree and stand resiliently.
"Why are you doing this?" I call out, though despite my strong stance, my voice cracks with emotion. My fists are clenched at my sides so hard, my knuckles are white.
I notice my father's chakra just ahead of me. I clasp my hands together and create three shadow clones; this ought to impress him.
Naruto had taught me the jutsu one evening, after I vented to him that I couldn't sneak out like I had planned to, because mother doted on me far too much to be remotely normal. I don't know why I confessed that to him, but I felt he would understand. Naruto laughed, and said that my mom could tell a person apart from a clone any day, except for shadow clones. I had read about them, but since the art of shadow clones were generally frowned upon, I had no way to learn it… But Naruto offered, as long as I swore not to teach it to Boruto. I didn't tell a soul. It took months to master, but I practiced in solace every day. He understood so many of my plights with mom. I could tell, from the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eyes when he talked about her, that he knew her well and cared deeply for her, despite the beatings she often gave him.
The shadow clones and I split up. I knew that my father would have no way of telling the three of us apart, for the fact that no optic specialty could discern a user from a well-formed shadow clone. My father wouldn't hurt any of them, as he couldn't anticipate which clone was really me. Surely, one of us Saradas would eventually spot my group or my sensei – unless they headed home with the first sight of rain.
A dark cloud births several colossal bolts of blue lightning from the sky towards the ground, creating a massive sound burst of thunder through the air. The ground trembles as if a small earthquake has occurred once the lightning reaches the ground; an explosion of soil and branches and fire shooting up from below. Myself and one other shadow clone jump just narrowly on either side. I turn the opposite way just in time see a stray lightning rod penetrate through the abdomen of the third.
The third Sarada screams a blood curdling shriek as the lightning rips through her, tearing the insides out with a swift, fiery explosion of blood and entrails that quickly disappeared in smoke. The clone was finished.
I hit the top of a thick, exposed branch and went to balance myself on my knees before vomiting profusely below. I cup my hand to my mouth, my body shivering with jumpy nerves, as I set my eyes upon my father, feet away, his arm extended as if he were controlling the storm. He had done this; he ended my clone without any discernable proof that it was me or not.
My guard was down, my stress levels up. I lost control of my other clone, and she went off, but was quickly destroyed by another strike of lightning. At this point, my reaction had made it obvious which Sarada was fake. With horror in my eyes, I leap for the ground and make a run for it.
He ran behind me, his speed far superior than mine. The storm above began to subside as he lost interest with controlling it any longer. I had no weapons left on me to disable him, except for the shuriken I had stolen from his desk... It was the only piece I had of him that was tangible; however after this fight, it meant nothing to me. Blindly, I toss it towards him as I ran, without noticing that it made connection. He was no longer following me! I turned my head for a second to check visually to see if it were true, before I collided with a warm, solid being.
"Na, Na-Naruto-sama," I can hardly make out the words to utter as I peer up at him, thankful to be in his embrace. There are no other sets of arms in this world I would rather have protecting me at this moment.
"You'll be alright," He assures me softly, and behind me there is a large, bright explosion of chakra and power. The sound was so loud it vibrated to my very core. I wince, trying to see, and I think I can make out Naruto and my father fighting, but I'm not entirely sure. The light fades away, exposing complete destruction of a large area of the woods at its wake, and I feel that everything is over.
I can't stop crying. I've been crying for who knows how long now.
Naruto returned back to his clone and I from the desolation of the forest, his clothing hardly marred. He smiled at me, and his shadow clone bid farewell and disappeared. That was the moment I became unintelligible and a pile of disgusting, weeping emotion. He invited me to Ichiraku to grab something to eat. He told me that was where he often went when he was upset at my age. His eyes and his smile aid to calm me. I'm entranced by him.
"Why would he do this to me?" My head is down at the table where we sit. My food is cooking; Naruto insisted on ordering me a bowl of noodles. He, himself, was just drinking a large glass of mango juice.
"Sasuke isn't really all that bad of a guy, Sarada," He says, but I interrupt him by slamming my fist down.
"I hate him!"
"Yeah, I can see why. Sasuke has a very strange way of showing emotion," Naruto started again, smiling and shooing away the cook and his daughter, who were peering at us nosily. "I'm not saying that is how he shows affection at all. But Sasuke can be a cold person, and can have cold ways of doing things. He was testing you and your abilities. Sasuke wouldn't fight that strongly with someone in battle who wasn't at that level too. I know it is pretty harsh, but you may want to consider that a sign of respect-"
"Are you kidding?" I spit out, then bite my tongue and stay quiet, as being rude to the Hokage wouldn't get me anywhere.
"He's not that bad of a guy," He repeats again, quietly, in thought. I read his face, sensing that there are things he wants to tell me, but can't. No one can talk about my father, and no one will talk about the past. Why wouldn't anyone do that, unless he was a bad guy?
My food was brought to me during the silence that followed. I ate slowly, enjoying the food but also Naruto's presence.
I decided I didn't care what anyone had to say about my father, even the Hokage. My father hadn't set eyes on me in almost a decade and had nothing to say or do, other than try to "test" me. He had missed many birthdays, events, celebrations. He missed by graduation. He left my mother to a cold, lonely bed for countless nights. I knew no past, and didn't care to know any future of him.
I was half done when Naruto let me know he had to leave. He paid for my food and bid farewell, and told me good luck. We agreed not to tell anyone about my father, especially not my mother.
The walk home, I was shaken, depleted. Mom was at work, the house dark and empty. I went straight to my room, collapsed on my bed and began to cry.
Through hugging my tear soaked pillow, I began to wonder. Why not Naruto? Why couldn't he be my dad? Why wasn't he my dad? Why was I stuck with Sasuke? If only there was a way I could go back, witness things, change things…