Well... so it's been a while since I last updated. You would think that these past months in lockdown I would have had plenty of time to write. Not the case. I work as a writer, and it turns out that working from home has meant doing double the work in my case. I spent a lot of time writing so it just didn't come out as good as I would have liked when doing it for fun for things such as this. I like to do things the right way, and doing it under those circumstances, it would have been quite bad. So I waited until I had a break, and here we are, finally. I would like to finish things up, we're about 60% done here, and I think I could get things done in about 3 months if I keep up a good rhythm, so, here's hoping I guess.
Anyway, enough of that, back to the story, a little recap won't hurt.
These last chapters, we've been on a flashback exploring Sasuke's and Sakura's story after Shippuden, and now, we are finally getting back to the present. Yes, I am intentionally skipping over the day of the birth, but that's because I'm not quite ready to unleash the reveal just yet, but, we are getting there, sooner than you might think. So bear with me.
Sorry for the long wait but here's chapter 21.
Uzumaki-Hozuki Clan House
Ding, dong
Sakura rang the doorbell, before looking down at her youngest son, who was besides her, giggling with excitement.
"Shisui... you promised me, you'll behave right?" she asked, Shisui nodded "Don't give Karin a hard time, or else..."
"I'll be good, mommy" Shisui nodded. The door opened. Sakura had to blink as, apparently, the door opened by itself. She looked down and was provided with an explanation, in the form of a little boy with red hair, purple eyes staring at her, his sharp teeth in the form of a grin.
"Namigetsu!" she heard Karin's voice yell as she ran to the front door "what did I tell you about answering the door!? It could be a stranger!" she scolded.
"But it's not a stranger mom! It's Shisui! I could sense him!" the boy smiled "wanna see my new toys?" he asked his friend.
"Yeah!" Shisui cheered as he ran after him up the stairs.
"No running in the house!" Karin scolded, but the boys were already way beyond her sight. She sighed in frustration.
"I'm so sorry to do this to you, Karin" Sakura sweatdropped.
"It's alright... big day for your family, happy to help" Karin adjusted her glasses "besides, this means you owe me, twice"
"I know, anytime you need it" both women nodded "so... he can sense chakra already?" Sakura asked with surprise.
"Yeah..." Karin looked down "you'd think I'd be proud, but so far, it's only been bad news because of it" Sakura let out a small laugh "laugh now that you can, your son will awaken his own sharingan and misuse it soon enough, and I promise you, it won't be that funny"
"Considering family history, I have about 4 or 5 years left for that" Sakura shrugged.
"Don't be so sure... these boys are growing up way too fast. I swear I was way older than him when my own abilities awakened, how are they doing this? They haven't even started training or anything like that"
"Pretty sure that has something to do with our dear husbands, making them spar for their own amusement" Sakura observed.
"I heard that" a man fully dressed in Anbu Black Ops gear said as he appeared out of nowhere.
"I know" Sakura smirked.
"We don't make them spar you know, we just let them play, which does turn into spars often, but that's not our fault" Suigetsu said as he took off his mask, Karin and Sakura simply rolled their eyes "to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit anyway?" he asked.
"She's dropping off Shisui, since the other two are waking up today" Karin annoyingly explained as she adjusted her glasses.
"That was today already? Shit... night shifts really mess me up. And I was planning to take a nap, which obviously won't happen now" he complained.
"Yeah well you owe Sarada for that whole maternity test thing, so you get to watch them today" Karin scolded him.
"What!?" Suigetsu yelled.
"About that..." Sakura spoke up "you never actually told me, how the hell could you think Karin was the mother and not me? You were there"
"No I wasn't. I was off collecting a legendary sword remember? You guys called me and by the time I got to Karin's place, you had already delivered Sarada" Suigetsu explained himself.
"And how does that explain that ridiculous conclusion you arrived at again?" Sakura insisted.
"Well for starters I didn't actually see you, I saw only Sasuke holding Sarada while both of you were nowhere to be found"
"Yeah well giving birth is kind of exhausting. I was passed out. Even more so, since it turns out I did it twice"
"But you don't remember that"
"No..."
"We've been over this. It was all pretty much natural. We could never perform an ultrasound so we could have never known she was actually carrying twins. Whatever happened, someone took advantage of that" Karin explained.
"Yeah..." Sakura nodded as she thought again about the great question that could not be answered. She had been obsessing about that for almost 3 years now "Sasuke decided to show them the memories about that day, maybe they'll see something"
"That's good" Suigetsu nodded.
"Anyway stop avoiding the question! How the hell could you think Karin was the mother?" Sakura snapped out of her trance.
"Yes Suigetsu. I think it's about time you told her. You're not distracting her this time" Karin smirked at her husband.
"Why did I marry you again?" he asked her. He was forced to look back at Sakura who kept shooting an intense glare at him "alright alright, look. I was gone for almost a year okay? I figured you miscarried or something so you used Karin as a surrogate mother or something" Sakura gasped and glared even harder at him "the test was positive! It made sense back then! See? This is the exact glare your daughter gave me back then! You ladies get far too scary and make me think stuff!" he defended himself.
"Suigetsu Hozuki, you are by far the biggest idiot I have ever known without a doubt" Sakura hissed as she clenched her fist. They heard a loud thump coming from upstairs.
"I should check on the boys!" Suigetsu took advantage of the chance and disappeared upstairs.
"Be sure to hit your husband on my behalf for that" Sakura scoffed.
"Believe me, I've done that too many times" Karin answered "anyway you shouldn't stay here too long should you?"
"Right!" Sakura gasped as she checked the time "take good care of Shisui please, and I apologize for all the trouble he'll be worth in advance"
"I got this, you go take care of your other kids" Karin pushed Sakura out of her house.
"Thank you for this Karin, really" Sakura said.
"No problem, like I said, you owe me, twice" Karin smirked before closing the door.
Uchiha Clan House
Sakura got back to her house, after dropping the keys she simply sat down in the dining table, waiting. She checked the time. By her estimations, it would be about 10 minutes. Today was the big day. The day Sarada and Sakumo woke up from their trip to the past via genjutsu. She found herself nervously tapping her finger. She took a deep breath. She was somewhat nervous. That was some really heavy stuff her children had to see. She regretted for a moment making Sasuke go to work, since he was overthinking too much and needed the distraction. But she was sure she made the right decision, it was better if they talked to her first, and then they could talk with their father. A gentle and loving touch was better to start, the discussion of the messed up history of their clan with their father should wait for later. Unlike Sasuke, Sakura had total faith in her son and daughter. She was sure they would understand everything they saw and learn from the past, using said knowledge for their benefit later in their lives. It it was up to her, she would have let them know sooner, but she understood that it was her husband's decision. To Sasuke's credit, he always knew he would have to tell them the truth, as he learned from his brother's mistakes, and keeping them in the dark would make things worse in the future. But that also meant that he was risking them fall into a dark place learning the truth, much like himself back in the day, but Sakura never even considered such a thing, unlike their father, the Uchiha twins had a life with friends and a loving family, who were there to guide them down the right path. Sakura's eyes snapped up as she heard the door to the basement open. Her daughter walked into the living room.
"Mom..." she said as she saw her mother stand up "Sakumo's still... out, why?" she asked.
"He has more things to see than you, Shin, the Otsutsuki..." Sakura explained.
"Makes sense..." Sarada nodded as she walked closer, she felt light headed and almost fell down, but she was caught by her mother.
"You've been knocked out for three days... take it easy now" Sakura explained as she helped her walk back to the dining table "here,drink this" she handed her a mug. Sarada nodded and gulped it down, making a grimace when she finished "bad taste, sorry for not warning you..."
"I was counting on it" Sarada said. Sakura smiled. She was taken aback as Sarada hugged her, out of the blue.
"Now this is nice" Sakura warmly smiled as she hugged her back "I remember the last time you hugged me. I was taller than you then, and now we are the same height"
"Pretty sure I'm taller than you now mom" Sarada answered. They both laughed.
"I must say, I wasn't expecting you to regain that tenderness you lost" Sakura said as they broke the embrace.
"I don't know..." Sarada partially blushed "after seeing all that... I just needed to hug you" her mother nodded with a smile "where should I start..."
"Before that, sit" Sakura commanded "you need to eat something"
"I'm not hungry, really"
"Doesn't matter, like I said, 3 days sweetie, you need to gain some strength back" Sakura insisted. Sarada nodded and sat down, her meal already in front of her, and forced herself to eat. After a couple of bites, she really started feeling a lot better.
"There you go, you're starting to glow again" Sakura cheered.
"So, um..." Sarada started after she was finished "where's dad?"
"I made him go to work... you see, I wanted you to talk to me first... Sasuke's..."
"Worried that I might get... angry, after seeing all that. Like him" Sarada finished for her.
"Yeah..." Sakura admitted, not surprised at all by her daughter deducing that "Should he?" she asked "be worried?"
"No..." Sarada chose her words carefully "I get it. I don't agree with what he did. But I get it" Sakura nodded "I don't know... I could feel it, he was never a bad man, but he let his anger cloud his judgement... I don't know. It was all so... sad. And messed up"
"Try to remember that your father was in a dark place... he was misguided. But his heart always had good intentions, if that makes sense. Your dad is a man who's very passionate about justice. That is his main drive, even now. A tragedy just made him take it to a very twisted extreme" Sakura explained.
"That would be an understatement..." Sarada said as she thought about her words carefully "this is what hatred really does to people? I could feel dad's emotions mom... It's just that... I can't quite wrap my mind around being so angry you would be willing to hurt people you love... such feelings giving you reasons to hurt others... all in the name of justice. It's just so... wrong. I'm still trying to understand that. I still love dad. And I get how he got there but... ah. I don't even know what to say..." she frustratingly finished.
"It's okay" Sakura nodded "that was a lot to take in..." she put her hand over her daughter's.
"Yeah..." Sarada sighed as she was getting emotional going over everything mentally again "I do understand why dad wanted me to mature before seeing all that... hell, maybe I wasn't even fully ready yet"
"Sarada..." Sakura smiled "just saying that shows just how ridiculously mature you already are and that you were in fact ready" she reassured.
"I don't know... both of you were even younger than me and you had to live through all that... even a war, for god's sake..."
"Those were different times, and things have changed. You have to understand, in a way, your father just wanted you to have what he never had, a happy, and normal, childhood"
"And that's what makes me so sad..." Sarada said as she couldn't restrain herself anymore and started actually sobbing "I just feel so sad for him. For you. I love you both, mom. I never knew you had gone through so much, and I feel terrible now for judging you for lying to me when I just had no idea..."
"Sweetie..." Sakura's voice cracked as she walked next to her "don't you start crying or I'll cry too" she said as she hugged her again "don't worry about all that, we had a happy ending, we have you to prove that" she rubbed Sarada's back as she let her vent all her emotions out. It had been a while since Sarada behaved like this. But Sakura knew her daughter. Ever since she was a little girl, this was who Sarada Uchiha was. A pure hearted girl. A good person that loved her family and friends with all her heart. She suffered the pain of those close to her like it was her own. But she didn't like seeing her like that, even less when she had no reason to be sad, and should be the happy kid she always was "so hey... let's not think too much about the bad things..." she started as Sarada looked up to her "you got to meet your family in a way..." she smiled "what did you think of them?"
"Well it's no wonder Shisui confused me with grandma Mikoto when looking at a picture of her, seeing her in person was quite something, it was like looking into a mirror" Sarada chuckled as her tears dried from her face "although she reminded me quite a lot of you personally, if that makes sense"
"Don't you start with the Oedipus complex theory..." Sakura sighed.
"But it's kind of true. I mean dad is a lot like grandpa Fugaku too. It makes sense when you think about it"
"But it's weird, and not true at all! I'm pretty sure I have a more explosive temper to name just one major difference"
"Fair point. But that just means that grandma was better than you" Sarada shrugged in mockery.
"You can be so mean sometimes..." Sakura whined "I'll let that slide this time, because I do look up the patience she had..." she said as she thought about what she knew about her mother in law. She did hold Mikoto in a very dear position, and not just because she was Sasuke's mother "anyway, what do you think about your uncle though?"
"Uncle Itachi..." Sarada thought aloud as the conversation got back to a serious feel "I do admire him in a lot of ways..."
"Your father sees a lot of him in you you know..." Sakura warmly smiled "he will never tell you this directly. But Sasuke truly thinks his brother should have been Hokage. And seeing you take after him in so many ways... he truly believes in you"
"I guess I can see that..." Sarada started "Uncle Itachi had one flaw though... the same as dad's... they're both too independent, if that makes sense" Sakura nodded "and that's where I'll be different. I want to be more like Shisui, the older one, and Lord 7th. I want to be more Senju-like than Uchiha-like, because that's what it takes... Seeing all this, it has only made me even more sure of my dream. All the more reason to be the first Uchiha that becomes Hokage. All that stuff our family went through... I will make it right" she proudly announced.
"I knew it..." Sakura smiled, so proud of her daughter. "I knew that you would arrive to this conclusion" she playfully punched Sarada's arm "you should tell your father that, he'll like it very much... and anyway, save all the clan talk for later when you talk to him, I can't help you too much there"
"Yeah... you're right" Sarada said as she looked up and thought for a while "Mom, there is one thing I want to tell you though..."
"And what's that?"
"Perhaps the most important thing that stuck with me while seeing all that, is a huge sense of respect for you. All the stuff you did, because you love dad so much. It's very admirable..." she said struggling not to blush. Sarada was not comfortable talking about this, romantic stuff, with her parents, her mom in particular, but she had to say it. Sakura's eyes widened for a second, followed by a very warm smile.
"Thank you Sarada..." Sakura did blush as there was silence for a long time "what can I say, I'm a very passionate woman and love is definitely one of my main drives. I noticed it was hard for you to say that... and I know it's because you've taken after me there..." she looked at her daughter. Sarada couldn't hold her blush any longer and her face turned red as well "I'm not going to pressure you. But I want you to know that there is no one in this world that understands what you're going through with certain feelings as well as I do. The door is always open for you to tell me... you just saw how it was for me. And I don't want to see you suffer because of it, I want to help you be happy in any way I can, you know..."
"Alright, fine" Sarada decided to cut her off "I'm in love with Boruto" she said as her face turned into a darker shade of red "there. I said it. Happy?"
"Very" Sakura chuckled "we both knew it, but don't you feel better saying it out loud? You just took a huge weight off your chest, right?"
"Yeah..." Sarada sighed, as she did feel a lot better having told her mother. And her being more understanding than mocking, as she used to be these past years "if you want me to be specific, the most admirable thing you did..." she started, trying to find the right words to say what she wanted.
"Yes?" Sakura nodded.
"How did you find the courage to tell dad that you loved him? And so young too... you were even younger than me back then..."
"Courage huh..." Sakura said as she reminisced about those times "I wouldn't say that was courage... that was desperation. Trying to save your dad. Or even myself, from seeing him fall deeper and deeper... I wouldn't look up to that, to be honest" she confessed "why are you bringing this up though? You want to confess your love to Boruto?"
"Might as well..." Sarada admitted "he won't say anything to me. And although I would like to think he has these feeling for me too... the pass of time and seeing how he acts makes me think it just goes one way"
"I see..." Sakura nodded "from what I can tell, if this helps, I think it goes both ways. I tend to be right about these things... maybe you're right. Maybe you have to make the first move because he's just a foolish boy much like his dad back in the day"
"How was Lord 7th a foolish boy?" Sarada demanded.
"Sweetie" Sakura chuckled "you just happen to be biased, and I can see why, but it's very possible that Boruto is just too dumb to see the signs that I assume you've been throwing his way. It's not that he's afraid to love like your dad and brother, I think that he's just too thick headed and can't just take what's right in front of him. All boys tend to be like that, come to think about it"
"But Boruto is so direct with everything! Why would he just be so weird all of a sudden when it comes to me huh? I see him even flirt with other girls!"
"Has he actually dated or done anything with any other girl though?"
"No..."
"There you go" Sakura nodded "It figures. Just like Naruto. Did I ever tell you how Hinata threw signs at him, even confessed her love to him and Naruto just couldn't get it? It took years for him to see it, and the worst part, is I think he never actually realized he loved her... hell, that might just be the case with Boruto. Unlike you, he hasn't come to terms with the simple fact that he loves you. It's history repeating itself once again. Yeah. He has to just see that. Your plan might work. Or we might have to get Hinata's help..."
"Mom!" Sarada interrupted " I am not telling Boruto's mother!"
"I know I know" Sakura laughed "it was just a joke. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me" she winked.
"Well thank you for teasing me, again" Sarada got up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, don't get mad at me" Sakura apologized.
"I know that can't be helped" Sarada sighed "It's just that I'd rather deal with something more important right now"
"Oh..." Sakura said as her daughter proved to be even more mature than herself in certain situations once more. "I see. Yeah, you should go talk to your dad now. I have to tell you. It might not seem like it, but your dad is very worried. Be calm and direct like you were with me just now, it will be very helpful..."
"I know" Sarada nodded as both walked to the front door "I love you mom" she said as she hugged Sakura again before leaving.
"Me too Sarada, me too" she said as she hugged her back, a rare treat she was willing to enjoy.
Sarada walked towards the Police Headquarters, lost in her own thoughts. Talking with her mother helped, but she was still processing everything she just learned. She tried thinking about Boruto, but she just didn't feel like it right now. She could only think about what was about to happen. She could only think about her father. It was always a big fear of hers that her father was an enemy of the Leaf once. She always suspected it, but it was a very different thing to actually know it. The more she thought about it, instead of feeling anger for her father, she felt love, compassion, sadness. She remembered the first years of her life, growing up without a father, having a small family that only consisted of two people, unlike all of her friends. Thinking that her father grew up losing it all, and with no family at all remaining, only an older brother that was the incarnation of evil as far as he knew, broke her heart. Sarada loved her father so much. She was aware he wasn't perfect. He had plenty of flaws, but she knew how much she meant to him. And she reciprocated that. She couldn't lie to herself. She loved him so much that she also felt that anger and hatred to those who wronged him. But she couldn't hold those feeling for too long. That was long time ago. Different times. Different people. The Hidden Leaf she knew was a different place, that she loved as much as she did her father. Full of people, places and things that she wanted to protect at all costs. She was different from what the Uchiha were, and she truly believed she could make a difference. She came from a family that was discriminated against, something that still existed to a very small degree in the present, but she could fix it. And she was going to. This was what she thought about, what she wanted to tell to her father. She felt something behind her that broke her concentration on her thoughts. She dodged sideways and as she suspected, something, or someone, landed in front of her. She clenched her fist and threw it at what was in front of her, but this person dodged as well.
"One of these days I will land the punch and you will be very sorry, Mitsuki" she said.
"You know this ritual of ours will never end, keeps us both sharp" the white haired with pale skin young man smiled.
"Whatever" Sarada sighed.
"It's been a couple of days... good to see you're still prepared at all times"
"Sorry about that, I was away for 3 days, and it's not a good time for a spar right now" she explained, Mitsuki nodded.
"You look distraught, so I had to make sure you didn't lose your touch, don't worry, I won't ask you to train or anything" he observed.
"Why thank you" she rolled her eyes, it was all about fights with Mitsuki "well yes, I am distraught, I have to go talk my dad, important stuff"
"I can only imagine... learning the true history of your clan must be a big deal" he casually said. Sarada froze on her tracks.
"How the hell do you know that" she demanded.
"I went to see Suigetsu and overheard him and Karin talking about it, I'm sworn to secrecy, so don't worry, I won't say anything" he reassured.
"Right, I forgot you were close to Suigetsu and Karin... spying on them is not acceptable behavior though" she scolded. Mitsuki simply shrugged.
"How are you anyway? I'm your teammate, so I worry about your well being, emotional one included" he asked.
"I'm alright... I just don't want to talk about this with you now, right here in the open"
"Understandable. I just want you to know you can talk to me about these things. Happy to help" he smiled. Mitsuki had become a very understanding and good friend of Sarada's. It was hard to remember the times when he was just some weird robotic dude in the very beginning. He had come so far. Sarada smiled.
"As long as you don't slip things out" she joked.
"You ought to give me more credit. I know how to keep secrets. You should know..." he smirked. Sarada raised an eyebrow "now I can tell you about how much I admire Itachi Uchiha and not worry about the consequences" he whispered in her ear.
"Mitsuki... you..." Sarada said, in shock.
"Yes, I know, everything" he confessed.
"How?" she demanded.
"My parent taught me all about shinobi history. The true history of the Uchiha clan included"
"And you never told me anything... you son of a bitch!"
"I technically don't have a mother, that's a weird insult to throw at me" he smirked.
"Yeah well I mean Orochimaru! Obviously!" she said in the heat of the moment "I'm sorry..." she said after a while, remembering he had died after the whole incident with his twin brother. Mitsuki still had a heart and had feeling that could be hurt, even if it didn't seem like it at times. Sarada swore she could see sadness in Mitsuki's face.
"Don't worry about it..." he spoke up "I don't blame you if you have ill feelings for my parent, he is very much responsible for the descent of your father into darkness... I just hope you don't see him when you look at me"
"I don't" Sarada instantly answered "you're my teammate, my friend. And you will always be. Regardless of what your... parent did. My father made his own decisions, so no, I don't blame him, and I should understand you perfectly, being the child of someone with a morally questionable past"
"I'm very glad you see it that way" Mitsuki smiled.
"How about you anyway? You want me to open up to you yet you hardly ever open up about his death" she brought up.
"Like I told you before... I'm aware of what he did. And it is very possible his past caught up with him. Or maybe he's still out there... I don't really know. My relationship with him kept deteriorating over time, it was practically non existent by the time he left. We were never close, humanly speaking. He only passed down knowledge to me, which I guess I'm thankful for. But my home is the Hidden Leaf and my place is wherever Boruto and you, and my family, are, that's the way things are, and the way they will always be. And I'm happy with it" he explained. Sarada smiled. "Anyway since you know about the Hidden Leaf's... darker past, I would like to talk about these things with you from time to time. It's something that has always fascinated me and I'm happy I finally have someone to have philosophical discussions with"
"That's a weird way to put it..." Sarada observed "but of course. I'm more than happy to talk about these things with you"
"Looking forward to it" Mitsuki smiled before disappearing. Sarada sighed. A weird guy. But someone very interesting that she cared about and something to look forward to. She very much enjoyed the weird discussions she had with Mitsuki, and having those about the Hidden Leaf with him, was something that would be very interesting.
Hidden Leaf Police HQ
Sarada walked around the Police Headquarters, heading to the captain's office, and no one stopped her to ask where she was going or anything. It would never cease to surprise her that everyone in the police force treated her as if she was one of their own, when she wasn't and never planned to be. Unlike her brother, who spent far too many times there in actual custody, when he would be joining them soon. It was very ironic and she always thought so when she visited her dad. She just got a wave from Kotaro and a nod from Jugo, who told her to go ahead. She didn't even bother to knock and let herself into her father's office, she instantly saw his back, he was talking through the phone.
"Look I don't care if he can post bail, that perverted bastard is not terrorizing any more women in the Hidden Leaf's streets until we can put his ass in jail, which is way overdue by the way" he angrily said "the feudal lord is far too busy being a rich bastard to say anything about this" he continued "and we have our own lawyers to find a reason to keep him behind bars. We are not releasing him, end of story" he concluded as he hung up. He stared at the phone. He was surprised at his own lack of cool. But it couldn't be helped he thought. Today was very stressful day.
"Dad?" he heard his daughter's voice. He turned around and surely enough, she was there. He felt a knot in his throat. The moment he had been anxiously waiting for all day was already here.
"Sarada" he said "Please. Sit." he gestured as he sat down in his desk.
"What was that about? A rapist?" she asked as she sat down in front of him.
"No. Just some freak with a history of indecent exposures" he answered. Sarada nodded with a surprised face. "So..." he started "how are you feeling?"
"Still a bit weird I guess, but then again, I've been knocked out 3 days so..." she answered.
"That's not exactly what I meant..." Sasuke interrupted.
"I know..." Sarada nodded. Awkward silence. Sasuke and Sarada's serious conversations tended to begin in a weird uncomfortable way, and of course this one, would not be an exception.
"I just want to say..." he spoke up "I hope you can at least now understand why I hesitated to tell you the truth. It's a very dark story. One that I am of course part of. I am not proud of the decisions I made. I made a lot of mistakes. And I hope you can see that I'm doing my best to make up for them. I am sorry for keeping the truth from you for so long. But believe me when I say I just wanted to protect you. I've always wanted you to have a happy life, the life that I could not have. You have been burdened with a heritage of a very tragic and complicated clan, but please, don't let that change you, like it did to me. You have grown into a strong, admirable shinobi. And I want you to stay the way you were, which was perfect. Anyway I have no right telling you what to do or not do. You had to know the truth, it was your right. I just hope that someday, you can understand and forgive me. And no matter what, I will love you always"
"That's last quote was what uncle Itachi told you the last time you saw him wasn't it?" Sarada asked with a small smile.
"Yeah... it was" Sasuke answered as he realized he did quote his brother without intending it.
"Dad... just like you understood your brother..." she said as she got up and hugged her father "I completely understand you"
"You understand me..." he said, completely taken aback with her reaction, he expected her to be at least a bit more confrontational, or angry.
"Yeah..." she nodded as she broke the embrace "I would have done things very differently, but I get it dad. I do"
"I'm sorry, I just expected you to be a bit more..." he answered.
"Mad? I guess I can see that, I might have been a bit too moody when you refused to tell me the truth in the past... I apologize for that..." she started "but I can see why. That was... heavy. Thank you for telling me. I understand so many things now... there are things I have to think about. But I love you too dad, that hasn't changed, and it never will. I feel terrible for you, to have to go through that, and I'm very thankful to mom and others for saving you. I know you're a good man dad, and I will always admire you for that. I'm just thankful things worked out and we're here now. I'll tell you what mom has told you thousands of times, you paid your dues, stop beating yourself up for my sake. There is nothing I have to forgive you for, you have given me so much and I'm very thankful for it"
"Sarada..." Sasuke started, still taken aback "you're a very good woman and I cannot overstate how proud you make me feel" he smirked as he put his hand on her shoulder. "I don't know why I'm surprised by this reaction... you're so absurdly mature for your age... and good. I don't know where you get this from... your uncle maybe"
"I knew you would say that" Sarada smirked "I'm nothing like uncle Itachi dad, you are"
"How so?"
"Come on dad. You're both always speaking in riddles, far too mysterious, taking things on your own when you shouldn't, not telling your family you love them when you should... oops, I just said the bad things"
"Your point?"
"Dad I get why you admire uncle Itachi so much. But you need to stop deifying him. If you, uncle Itachi, grandpa Fugaku, pretty much all the Uchiha for that matter, if all of you had acted more like Shisui or Obito, well the good young Obito, things would have ended up very differently... maybe you would have been different. I guess that what I'm trying to say is that the Uchiha have let bad stuff define and change them for far too long.. and that needs to change" she explained "I understand everything that happened, it was not fair and I don't exactly blame you... I also feel that pain dad. But I won't let that define me. The Senju have had a better impression than the Uchiha because they had this different attitude. I understand and respect your need for justice, but I'm different. I will accept and learn from my heritage, and this has only added more fuel to my will of fire. I will become Hokage and make everything right dad. For you, for our family, for our clan" she proudly announced. She stared nervously at her father who didn't say anything for a while, but got closer to her. He poked her forehead.
"Go for it" he smiled.
"Thank you dad..." she said as tears fell down from her face. She didn't exactly know why this made her emotional, but having her father's blessing made her feel joy, she knew that much.
"No Sarada... thank you" Sasuke kept smiling "I was worried this would change you... but seeing it has only reaffirmed your dream... you have no idea how happy this makes me" he declared "you're right... you're different. And that's exactly why I know you'll make it"
"Thank you so much for your support dad... Like I said I still have to process some things... but I wanted to come tell you that now, that I'm thankful to you for trusting me with the truth, and that learning all this has only reaffirmed my convictions" Sarada answered.
"That's great news for me..." he nodded "Sarada... I also wanted you to know... I might have been a bit too absent in your life lately. But that's only because your brothers require more attention. The fact that you're not getting as much attention just means that you're far better off and in a better path. But I'm still here for you. Anything you need. Questions about our clan, Sharingan pointers, new techniques... I'll always help you, gladly"
"I do need some new contact lenses" Sarada said.
"What? I am very proud of you but those are still cosmetic choices and I won't encourage those. Those have to come from your shinobi salary like we agreed on back in the day"
"Come on dad! You just told me I'm near perfect and you have to reward me for it, and I need them to see! It's not a cosmetic choice" she folded her arms.
"You have your glasses"
"They make me uglier"
"Good. Less horny brats to keep at bay"
"Just buy them for me dad" Sarada sighed as she came up with an idea "We both know I'm your favorite and I'm all you talk about with mom when you're alone"
"You're using my mother's quotes now? That's extremely manipulative and cheap"
"Please?"
"I'll think about it"
"Great!" Sarada grinned.
"Sure. Anyway, I have to get back to work and you might want to hang out with your friends or something. Loser Jr. spent the night here. He should be being released right about now"
"What did he do?" Sarada asked, confused.
"Let him tell you about it" Sasuke answered.
"Okay... well I guess I'm off, I'll see you later dad" she said as she hugged him again. Sasuke hugged her back.
"Hn" he grunted before she left.
Sarada came out of her father's office in a very happy mood. She was very happy. What she learned and saw was extremely sad, for the most part. But it all worked out and she had some very beautiful conversations with her parents. She just wanted to experience the joys in life right now. Go to Thunder Burger. And just hang out with Boruto, she couldn't even be bothered with her romantic feelings now, she just wanted to spend time with him right now, do what they always did, listen to his stupid jokes... the same old dumb, but fun, package.
She instantly recognized that blonde hair as she made her way out, surprisingly, he was already out and she wouldn't have to go to the jail cells. She was surprised to see that he was not alone. She would also recognize that purple hair anywhere. Sumire, the former class rep, she had no idea she was back in the Hidden Leaf. As she got closer to say hi and join whatever they were doing, she got a closer look. Sumire was close to Boruto... far too close for someone who was just a friend. Her heart stopped as she saw Sumire rest her face on Boruto's shoulder, while he put his arm around her. She heard them say some words, 'present' and 'date'. That was all the confirmation she needed. She wouldn't be lying if she said she felt how her heart broke in half. She felt sick, devastated, like she was about to die. She was petrified while the couple walked out of the police headquarters, and as soon as they were long gone, it could have been minutes, easily, she rushed outside the building holding her tears back. She wandered aimlessly around the Hidden Leaf, and as soon as she reached the training grounds, since it was dark and empty, she just collapsed on the ground and emptied all the water that had been accumulating in her eyes. She was destroyed. She couldn't believe how she went from so happy to so depressed in a matter of seconds. And she just couldn't stop crying. She spent what felt like an hour crying in there. Thinking about how Boruto was with Sumire, and how stupid she felt she did not see it earlier. It all made so much sense now. Boruto had a relationship with Sumire, it explained everything, how he never dated other girls, and she was one of them, she understood that now. It was probably a long distance relationship, and that explained how no one else knew.
"Big sister?" he heard a voice in front of her.
"Shisui? Namigetsu? What on earth are you two doing here?" she asked between sobs.
"Daddy took us out for ice cream! And we wanted to play here!" Namigetsu grinned.
"Does Suigetsu know you two are here?" she demanded.
"Nope!" Both shook their heads with a grin.
"Well go back to him right now! You keep disappearing on all of us and he's most likely scared to death right now!"
"Are you sad?" Shisui asked as he walked closer to his sister and actually saw her.
"No Shisui" she wiped her tears "I'm fine"
"You were crying" he said as he touched her wet face.
"That's sweat because I was training" she explained.
"Big sister... I don't want to see you sad..." Shisui said as he hugged his older sister and became a bit teary eyed himself.
"I'm fine Shisui... go back to Suigetsu okay?"
"But you need me!" he protested.
"I'm fine! Look, do you two want to get in trouble?" she asked. Both gulped and shook their heads "then get back to Suigetsu. Now" she ordered.
"Okay... but you're not sad?" Shisui asked.
"No" Sarada said as she faked a smile "I'm fine, see?"
"Yeah..." Shisui answered.
"Daddy! We have to go Shisui!" Namigetsu urged as he saw he was in potential danger. Shisui nodded and both ran back to where they came from before they would get in trouble.
Sarada stood up and wiped her tears once more. The distraction helped her to stop crying, but she still felt awful. What did people do when they dealt with a broken heart?
Hidden Leaf Bar
A drink. Sarada decided she needed a drink. She found herself in the bar. This was the first time she ever stepped foot in the place all by herself. Suddenly, this didn't seem like a good idea anymore. She was about to turn around.
"Sarada!" she heard a female voice call her name from the counter. It was Tsunade Senju, the 5th Hokage "come here! Sit down with me!" she yelled. She looked a bit inebriated.
"Lady 5th" she nodded as she sat down next to her.
"Not this again, just call me Tsunade will you? Your little brother calls me grandma Tsuna now you know?" she chuckled "what brings you over here? It's getting pretty late"
"I don't know..." she answered.
"Has anyone ever told you you inherited your mother's face?" she said as she went back to sober state all of a sudden "I'm telling you because I can tell you're upset. You have the very same face your mom had when she was all depressed about your father" she observed. Sarada simply remained silent "I knew it. Boy drama" she sighed "hey" she called the bartender "more sake, make it two" she said as she raised two fingers "best cure I know of. I couldn't get your mom to drink right, but I'll make it right with you" she smiled as they were served "bottoms up" she said before they toasted and drank. Sarada drank it pretty well "hah, I already like you even better" she congratulated "so... what did that Boruto brat do to you" she spoke up after a brief.
"Who told you it's Boruto?" Sarada asked.
"Because I just know" Tsunade shrugged.
"Mom told you, didn't she?" Sarada sighed.
"She didn't have to, I can see it" she explained "so, tell me, what did he do?"
"I though we had something but it turns out he's going out with our former class rep" Sarada embarrassingly confessed.
"Oof" Tsunade winced "that's rough..."
"Tell me about it" Sarada said as she took a sip from her sake.
"An Uchiha and an Uzumaki... been there done that, the Romeo and Juliet stories never end well" Tsunade said after her sip "I had a silly crush on an Uchiha once too, you know"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Kagami. A student of my granduncle. I was just a foolish girl back then though. That was never going anywhere"
"So what did you do?"
"Nothing, drank to forget until I found true love, you're at the right place" Tsunade smirked
"If you say so..." Sarada sighed.
"Come on girl, cheer up. It will all work out in the end. Maybe you'll find someone else. Maybe you'll end up with him after a series of dramatic events. Who knows. You're a beautiful girl and you'll find love soon enough, I assure you" Tsunade winked.
"Thanks..." Sarada smiled as she appreciated Tsuande's efforts to cheer her up.
"You know... it must be destiny. I've been thinking about this these days... and here you are. I have nothing to do these days. Your mom has told me everything about you. How there is still room to improve your chakra control. Still lots to leanr in medical ninjutsu... I will complete your training myself" she announced.
"Are you serious?" Sarada asked, honored.
"Dead serious. Your mom is far too soft on you. You'll need me. I hereby declare you my apprentice"
"Wow... thank you, Lady Tsunade, really, I'm truly honored to be your apprentice..." she said, not quite believing it yet.
"Great. First lesson, drop the honorifics. I'll maybe allow sensei, but that's it. No more Lady or 5th"
"Done, Tsunade-sensei" Sarada nodded.
"Meh. That will do I guess. Second lesson, getting wasted on sake and sobering up using medical ninjutsu on yourself" she commanded.
"O-okay..."
"Bottoms up" she said once more as they toasted and downed their drink in one gulp, ordering another round right after that.
To be continued...
We're throwing some drama in here, not all romances can be perfect can they?
Stay tuned for the next chapter, it will come pretty fast and it will be longer than usual too!