Chapter 12
Sarada worriedly watching her father looking at Daichi holding her mother, before turning sharply to see Daichi also making disturbing eye contact with her father; made her wary of the unanticipated situation, as she decided to quickly rush over to her father instinctively to reassure him that her mother seemed to be okay for the most part.
"Papa I know this looks bad but, its okay mama's only been drinking and," She started to explain to him before noticing the doctor surprisingly getting closer to the pair; causing Sarada to stop after sensing his close presence and now possible open death wish.
"Uchiha …Sasuke I presume," Daichi said to him directly, making Sarada next narrow her eyes at the deadly implications of his known attitude towards her father; as she definitely wouldn't be saving him.
"Gomen… I know it's not an ideal situation speaking with you directly like this, but I was treating Sakura-san to a meal; since she helped me out the other day… Though I didn't take her for a light drinker," He spoke hurriedly before kneeling down, making Sarada act quickly catching his hint to help her from the doctor's back.
"Mama…" Sarada spoke trying to wake her up before seeing her mother's eyes gradually stir open a bit. "Are you okay?" she asked next before seeing how red her mothers face seemed to be.
"Sarada?... My… lovely daughter." She said in a giggly tone, before reaching to wrap her arms around Sarada's neck proving Daichi's words for once were accurate, since Sarada could easily smell the alcohol on her mother's breath.
Sasuke looking down at Sakura before looking up at the Doctor without as much as a word or thanks, saw next the man bowed before turning to leave promptly; since Sakura was now in the care of her family.
"Ja ." Daichi spoke after turning his back and waiving a hand, while he gradually increased the distance between himself and Sasuke.
Sasuke watching him leaving on his own, before seeing Sarada start to struggle getting her mother up on her own two feet; decided to finally step in to help as he quickly scooped Sakura up in his arms in order to bring her into the house much to Sarada's relief.
Outside
As Daichi walked away from the Uchiha house while putting one of his hands inside his pocket, the doctor clicking his teeth in reaction to seeing Sasuke`s non changing facial expression towards him; made him undue the tight neck piece of his buttoned up collared shirt, before pulling out a small phone from within his pocket next in order to make a prompt phone call.
Ring
"Hello…" The voice on the other side answered immediately after only one ring.
"Is it done?" Daichi asked as he continued his walk home
"I… Well… There was a complication and." The voice said nervously causing Daichi to stop walking as he was silent for a few moments.
"Sir I'm Sorry I'll try again tomorrow." The voice said frantically.
"What do you mean complication?" Daichi asked in a more serious voice.
Uchiha Bedroom
Almost an hour after finally stirring awake from her sleep as she sharply sat up in bed, Sakura grabbing her mouth in quick response after finally waking up; hurriedly ran to her bathroom, since she was in great need of it as a result of her slamming the door urgently behind her.
Rinsing out her mouth to rid herself of the intrusive liquid, Sakura splashing some much needed cold water on her face next tried to recover her full bearings; before she painfully reached up for her throbbing head, making her agonizingly aware she was experiencing a very unwanted symptom of drinking too much since she was definitely having a hang over.
"What happened?... I only remember going to the restaurant." She spoke to herself before looking down to see that she was still very much in her dress she had put on from before.
"ITA…" she said in quick response after feeling the continued pounding of her head persisting more causing her to reach into her medicine cabinet, in order to take something to relieve the mild annoying pain before she finally left the small room.
However Sakura shutting the door behind her after exiting the bathroom, found a second headache coming on after the first one began to fade; after her eyes met with the tall silhouette of her husband, obviously waiting on her to come out of the room as he spoke immediately once the pair had made eye contact with one another.
"What were you thinking?" Sasuke almost yelled after getting her attention, since he in truth had been watching over her since he brought her inside.
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questioned to herself with squinty eyes over his loud voice, since his volume caused her headache to enhance sharply making her instantly regret ever touching the wine she had drunken with Daichi.
"Answer me… Where were you?" Sasuke asked next after not getting an initial response to his first question, especially since he knew she had heard him based off of the strained look on her face.
Sakura however quickly recalling prior to dinner how upset she had been with Sasuke for standing her up on their date; since she used it as fuel to drink more than she normally would have, continued to walk past the Uchiha instead of responding to his questions since she wanted him to know she hadn't forgotten what happened with her cold response behavior towards him.
"Hey," he responded after seeing her dismissal of him, before he stood up to reach for her wrist to stop her from freely walking away without a word.
"Do you know how worried Sarada and I have been about you?" Sasuke added in a louder voice as he tried to get her attention.
However Sasuke feeling Sakura pull her arm away from him as she seemed to get visibly angrier watched her walking staggeringly over to her dresser next as she shuffled through her clothes in an attempt to obviously grab something to change into.
"How worried you've been? You're one to talk," Sakura finally spoke before she began too undue her dress, however finding herself strangely struggling to take the garment off as it stuck to her like glue while she tried to get it over her shoulders. Sakura becoming frustrated with the unforeseen challenge due to her still being inebriated tried to hide her frustration, from her tone as she didn't want to ask Sasuke for help.
"I can take care of myself." She said quickly while struggling some more with the outfit.
Hallway
Outside of Sakura's and Sasuke's bedroom, while Sarada tried to listen in on the beginnings of her parent's conversation through the other side of their door; after catching just how loud they seemed to have been speaking to one another too the point of yelling.
The young Uchiha nervously biting down on her thumbnail in reaction was concerned about her parents fighting due to Daichi's unexpected appearance; since she knew him being there with her mother would have understandably stir up some mixed feelings, of what may have really happened between the two of them.
Uchiha Bedroom
"Sakura?" Sasuke begin to speak before seeing her throw the dress on the floor after finally getting it off of her head.
"Besides… I was suppose to go out to dinner anyway, and poor Daichi only really asked me too get food because he saw that you had stood me up, I was waiting on you like an idiot…. And, and speaking of that… Where were you?… Baka!" Sakura yelled after turning grabbing some clothes as she got changed into her night clothes heatedly.
"Baka?... " Sasuke questioned to himself, since he had already anticipated that she would be highly upset with him.
However Sasuke understanding Sakura's frustrated feelings towards him, as he tried to speak more calmly after initially being irritated on his own at being worried for her whereabouts; wanted to make his answer back to her clear, since for him missing their planned date was by no means intentional on his part.
"… I was following up on that new my lead I told you about earlier, I was able to get some helpful new information on the case and I believe it may lead you to the break through you were looking for. But while I was getting the information there was a complication that unfortunately made me lose track of time." Sasuke admitted as he still felt annoyed with his amateur mistake.
Sakura slowly turning around to look back at Sasuke after hearing his accounts of what happened felt confusingly unsure of what to say next, since for one she was more than excited to hear they now may have a chance to put a stop to this unknown illness. But on the other side Sakura still felt she couldn't be entirely happy with the news over her very sore feelings about Sasuke not contacting her or at least telling her that he needed to cancel their date.
Hallway
"Maybe… This is my fault." Sarada said to herself after hearing the rest of the conversation, since it was her idea in the first place to make her father promise to pick up her mother up for a personal date.
Sarada not completely intuitive in the full workings of adult relationships, since she had tried to do everything she could to push her parents to spend time together from the time her father came home. Felt all the good she had tried to do over the last few days, had now only seemed to make things worse for her parents instead of help..
Flashback
"Thank you Sarada… and as a word of advice for you," Daichi said after putting a hand on Sarada's shoulder getting her attention.
"You should learn to be nicer even to strangers… You never know one day there could be a new man in your life." Daichi added slyly.
End Flashback
Sarada becoming conscious of the fact that she may have inadvertently pushed her mother and Daichi closer together after the date fiasco with her father, before she stepped away from her parents' door clinching her fist in frustration; realized upsettingly next that her family bond was now truly being tested, causing her to retreat quickly to her room next.
Uchiha Bedroom
"Sasuke-kun I don't know what to say," Sakura finally spoke somberly after a few moments of silence, as she found her eyes looking down after staring at him for some time.
"This is so wonderful news…All of the work you and I have been doing is really important, and the possibility of a way to cure people is astounding…. But to be honest I can't be as happy about it as I want too… You standing me up today without even a note or calling… was truly embarrassing." She paused while after feeling her anger drift away.
"…Sakura," Sasuke said softly after noticing her looking away.
Sakura hearing him calling out her name, while she grabbed at the sides of her arms in response; found a surprising tear run down her cheek as she felt she still wasn't in control of her emotions with the added effects of the alcohol.
Sasuke however seeing her looking gloomy after watching her angered phase noticeably pass, wanted to comfort her right away after seeing just how upset she was by his actions; as he slowly made his way over to her before embracing her in a hug while he pulled her into his chest.
"Gomen," He spoke even softer than his last words, as his grip tightened around her.
Sasuke not wanting to let go of her now that she was safe at home; couldn't help recalling Hideki's story while he held her, since in him learning she had possibly disappeared he was worried that something may have happened to her, especially with the very real lingering threat at work with unknown capabilities.
"I know you're upset with me… "Sasuke said next after slowly pulling her away as the two made eye contact with one another.
"But you need to be more careful and as for our date…Let me make it up to you." He added before lowering his towering height down towards her tiny frame, as he leaned in closer to her half parted lips.
However Sakura stopping him from kissing her as he was mere inches away from her lips, had put a hand to chest reluctantly; since she didn't want to start anything up without reflecting on her sobering feelings about the matter later.
"Sorry," she said after biting her bottom lip, since she in truth really wanted the kiss physically but, she still felt reserved and withdrawn from everything that had transpired in over the short period of time despite Sasuke's credible reasoning.
"Sasuke-kun, when I'm less drunk I want to hear the details you've found tomorrow, but I'm a bit tired now and I think it would be best if we both put our full attention on the mission for now." She spoke since she knew if there was another situation like this, neither of them would be able to concentrate on their lines of work properly.
Sasuke pulling back from her before seeing her walk over to their bed, watched her get under the covers before turning off the light as she turned in bed while visibly trying to get some sleep.
Sasuke not saying anything else, as he had anticipated being in the dog house as punishment; decided to leave the room for her to rest on her own, as he wanted to give her some space while he instead went into the living room.
The Next Day
Early the next morning outside, as Sarada made her way through a familiar shopping area as she passed by several vendor stands some which were surprisingly empty despite a good crowd of people out and about shopping. The Uchiha puling out a folded up cloth from her pocket, looked at the material closely before running her hand over the embroidered stitching on the cloth as she recalled finding it after she woken up.
Flashback
Opening her eyes tiredly after finding herself incapable of having a decent nights rest, Sarada sitting up in bed sluggishly while she looked at her clock for the time; saw it confirmed just how early in the morning it had been, since she still felt more than a little exhausted physically and mentally. Reaching for her glasses next after rubbing the sleep away from her eyes Sarada getting up from her bed, found despite her exhaustion she was strangely unable to go back to sleep; as she instead wanted to see if her parents had already left for the day, especially since she hadn't recalled either of them stopping by her room yet, to tell her they were leaving for the morning.
However leaving her room after she got dressed and ready, Sarada making her way to her parent's room yet again; found just like she had anticipated both of her parents were already gone for the day. Since not only was their bedroom door wide open, but the bed was made up neatly which for Sarada was a clear sign her mother had left for work since it was something she did every morning.
Sighing at this before she made her way to the kitchen next, Sarada still feeling distressed by the latest outcome of events to happen too her family; tried to think of how to make things better before they could get any worse while she worked on making herself something to eat.
Once Sarada sat down at the dinning room table by herself while she tried to eat what she could, seeing Daichi's coat sitting on the back of one of the chairs; caused Sarada instant disgust as she turned up her nose at seeing the plague like object, since Sarada despite feeling at fault for the date, still blamed the doctor greatly for his interference with her family.
Getting up from her seat right away as she was unable to concentrate on eating with the coat staring her in the face, Sarada reaching for the garment quickly stopped after seeing something on the ground catch her eye as she reached down to grab what looked to be some thin material.
Seeing on further examination that the object in question was a cloth napkin, Sarada opening up the folded material, was amazed to see it had something written on it as her eyes got wider trying to read it out.
"Wait…This restaurant? " she questioned before recognizing the name being the same as the restaurant, Daichi had visited after purposing to his fiancé back when she had spied on him before.
Feeling curious with the man's choice of restaurant as she suspected this was the place he had taken her mother to eat, Sarada staring at the material for a few moments longer before tilting her head to the side. Began to think intriguingly next about the fact that Daichi's so called fiancé happened to be a waitress at the restaurant; before realizing not only would she know what may have happened with her mother and Daichi the night before, but she may hold the key to finding more out about the strange doctor.
End Flashback
Sarada retracing her steps from the day she had followed Daichi, as she soon left the shopping area in direction towards the establishment; had decided after leaving her house that she wanted to get some direct answers from Daichi's fiancé, in hopes of not only helping her parents come back together again but also exposing him for what he is; as she was going to make it known to his intended about his strange closeness with her mother.
Sarada secondly pulling out the picture she had found in Daichi's office from her pocket as she had brought the object with her to ask the waitress about; had admittedly wanted to show it to her mother and father the night before, but seeing as they had bigger things to worry about Sarada decided against it for now since she still had no other proof to go on or additional information to support her claim just yet
While Sarada contemplated in her mind next on how she would approach her self driven mission as she thought of different ways to get the information she needed. The Uchiha suddenly stopping after locating the restaurant, found herself gulping anxiously before recognizing a woman outside of the building as she appeared to be taking out the trash catching her interest right away.
Seeing she now had the perfect opportunity to speak with the waitress Sarada immediately approaching the woman got her attention as she was determined to speak with her.
"Excuse me?" Sarada spoke up to the woman, causing her to jump at being startled.
"Oh! I'm sorry you scared me…Yes how can I help you?" She asked as her demeanor seemed to be friendly, which had caught Sarada a little off guard.
"Ah?…Sorry I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment?" she asked hesitantly causing the woman to look at her with a confused expression.
