notes: super belated birthday fic for sakura and sarada; also, i've stopped keeping up with the boruto anime a while back, so i apologize if anything dips into canon divergent territory from now on.
rating: K
disclaimer: i don't own naruto.
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46. memory
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He knew it was a bad idea to stop by first, but it had to be done and it was quite inevitable from the start when he hatched this plan. Openly grimacing, Sasuke grouses, "Close your mouth."
Naruto closes his mouth.
Sasuke soothingly counts to three, then five on the inside. Alas, this really is inevitable and he hates it. "Have I received consent yet or not, usuratonkachi?"
Dumbly, his self-proclaimed best friend ruins the image of all respectful Kages across the world by stroking his chin with an overly-dramatic contemplative face that Sasuke knows is fake. "Weeeell," hums Naruto, deliberately trailing. "It's not everyday that Uchiha Sasuke asks for a day off. I might as well think I'm having a fever dream, 'ttebayo."
Sasuke reminds himself that Shikamaru's absence in this office is fitting for a well-timed attempt to suckerpunch the Nanadaime's face like the old days, but he has actual plans today and punching Naruto is not worth risking those. So, he tries again, "Do not ignore the question."
Shrewdly smiling, Naruto lazily laughs. "Alright, you have my permission!" A pause, then he asks, "Do you also want the next two days off? I can—"
"Today is enough," Sasuke curtly says, unmoving and stable and certain. "They celebrate together."
"Ah." Understandingly, Naruto nods. "Well, if you're sure that's enough time—"
"It is."
"Y'know what?" Eyes mirthful, the blond stifles a laugh. "If nothing urgent comes up by tonight, consider this a break week for you. You earned it, teme. Shikamaru knows some people who can substitute for you. I mean, they're not as good as you, but—"
"Hn." Already turning around, Sasuke nods his gratitude and starts walking out.
"Sakura-chan will be ecstatic!" the idiot chirps annoyingly from his desk as Sasuke closes the door and doesn't answer back.
Annoying, he thinks as he ushers himself down the hallways. In fact, Sasuke never even mentioned Sakura or Sarada or their birthdays at all. He rectifies his train of thought: Annoying, but he's always there.
Having a best friend like that is like a constant migraine, but he supposes some things are unexpected like that and it's okay to accept them.
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Déjà vu consumes him as Sakura and Sarada stare at him, mouths open. He concludes that Naruto's version is the lesser of the two evils, because Sasuke could insult him all he wants.
Sarada is the first to recover: "P-Papa… You accepted a day off for today?"
He nods, solemn.
Sakura raises an eyebrow, then smiles. "I almost thought it was a genjutsu, but it's really you, Sasuke-kun."
Strange how she can say something like that, but still sound genuine. She has many sides to her, and each one makes up Sakura. "Ah," he begins, looking between both of them, but lingers on Sakura a bit longer. He told them that Naruto gave him the day off rather than Sasuke himself requesting for one, but it's small enough to be overlooked. It does not affect his plans today, and he values efficiency. "I was told I could have a week off if no trouble arises by tonight."
Rocking on her heels, Sarada looks hopeful. "Does that mean… you'll be around for a while, Papa?"
Unfettered, he answers, "Yes."
And just like that, his daughter beams so brightly that it's reminiscent of Naruto. "You know, this is perfect timing! Mama and I were going to a hanami today! It's going to be near the training fields since I heard they were closed off early for an upcoming event."
Ah, hanami.
Sasuke can remember the previous hanamis he'd attended: one with his mother, father, and Nii-san, another with Team 7, and another one he randomly walked by with Team Taka. Sakura's face often pops up, and he thinks she couldn't have a better-fitting name when he thinks of hanami.
Casting away the image of people he's forever lost, Sasuke softens his eyes at his two important people he still currently has. "I'd like to come."
Clasping her hands, with a small basket of food hanging at the crook of her elbow, Sakura smiles warmly because only she knows that this is a big decision from him. "Wonderful, let's all go now! Ino and Hinata-chan are coming, and so are Inojin, Boruto, and Himawari-chan! I think the others are coming later too."
Sarada interjects with a grin, folding a blanket atop her arms, "I even know a good spot!"
Sakura and Sarada start to eagerly discuss desserts, and Sasuke merely smiles as he watches.
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"You have petals in your hair," Sakura simpers at him, lifting her fingers to his hair. Her touch is loving. "At this rate, you'll have pink hair like me!"
Since Sarada left them to their privacy by joining in with everyone else, Sasuke allows himself to smile; it's a small smile, but Sakura likes his smiles and tells him to show them off more. He never told her, but those smiles were usually for her because she wanted to see them the most. Marriage has taught him that little sentiments like these could have the weight of the world sometimes.
"Yours will always be more pink," he remarks, ignoring Inuzuka Kiba's drunk karaoke session a couple meters away.
She gives him a look. "What does that mean?"
That your hair is what spring looks like.
Her hair is a true pink: it's a perfect match with the same petals she's plucking out of his hair, and it's the same hue of pink that's haunted him ever since he first left Konoha. Despite being on the other end of his color preference spectrum, this pink is special to him.
Sasuke says, instead, "Don't you still need to finish your mochi?" His sole arm gestures to her half-eaten dessert on a small plate.
"Someday, I'll get a coherent answer out of you," she vows with feigned seriousness, shaking her head as she settles next to him and resumes eating her mochi.
Sakura watches as Yamanaka Ino snatches the microphone out of Inuzuka's hands. Sasuke can't really fathom drunk singing unless it's being used as a torture mechanism, so he commends Yamanaka for doing something helpful for once.
"You can join them," he says aloud to Sakura, because only she and him are here.
Casually, she does not consider it. "I like it here." It baffles him, and she broadly smiles. "If I go, then who'll stay with you?"
He's quiet. "I'm fine alone."
Undeterred, Sakura pokes him after dusting her hands of mochi powder. "Hey," she begins, wagging her finger. "Marriage is a two-person…" She looks at Yamanaka singing, notably better than Inuzuka. "Two-person duet. One is fine, but two is better."
Somewhat amused, he responds, "We aren't singing."
Her smile curls up. "I know! I'm just looking for a comparison, Sasuke-kun!"
One is fine, but two is better, he recites in his head. It makes him think of Naruto and those old days where Kakashi wanted them to act like they were each other's third leg. Maybe that's where Sakura got it from. Regardless, he understands her point.
"It was a weak example this time," comments Sasuke, hand checking his pocket with much discretion.
She doesn't look offended at all, immersed in sipping at her tea. "I'll do better next time," she easily replies, not taking her eyes off Yamanaka arguing with Rock Lee over disputable song choices.
"Ah."
"Ah," she mimics him, eyes gleaming.
"Your headband," he notes, probably belatedly. "It's not present."
Blinking, she reaches up and pats her hair with a little laugh. "Oh, I gave it to a little girl. She's a patient of mine. She said that her hair was getting longer—but since she can't get a haircut because of her broken leg, I gave her my headband to keep her hair from poking her face." After a slight pause, she self-consciously asks, "Do I look weird?"
Sasuke says a simple, "Never had."
"O-Oh…" Her face pinkens, sipping more tea to occupy herself.
He decides there is no better time than this, and takes out a petite box nesting in his pocket. Perhaps he was smiled on today, because this gift seemed to fit in like a puzzle piece once lost. "Here."
Startled, Sakura does a double-take. "E-Eh?"
"Happy Birthday," he murmurs, unable to look at her eyes. Only she can make him feel like this.
Slowly, she puts down her tea to accept his gift, both of them quiet as she unravels the ribbon he got from an insistent shopkeeper. His ears pick up a sharp inhale as she pries the lid off, the afternoon light reflecting off his gift. When he looks back at her, it's there in her hands, box left on her lap. His gift glimmers.
"I'm starting to think it was planned for me to lose my headband now," she weakly laughs, pink in the face. She inspects the golden blossom flower embedded on the right side of the new headband he gifted her.
He thought of her when he found it during his travels at Amegakure; the golden blossom was said to be a folk tale, popular among its villagers—it's a symbol of prosperity once led out of the rain and into the sun. Nii-san used to tell him that gifts are meant to be significant and represent how he feels about the gift receiver. Sakura, she is the sun. Sasuke saw no better fit.
Sasuke wonders how long it's been since he's smiled like this. "It wasn't planned."
His wife slips on his gift, and the blossom looks at home on her. "Ah..." Sakura mimics him again, bashful. Sometimes, she's worse than him at talking on occasions. She clears her throat bravely, "I love it."
He knows what she means. "I'm—" He thinks of words to use. "—glad."
Sakura observes everyone in the distance, who are still heavily immersed in karaoke. Sasuke isn't sure what she is trying to determine, but he knows that it must involve him because she quickly kisses him on the cheek. "Best birthday ever," she coos, warm like the sun that she is. "When will you give Sarada her gift?"
Sasuke answers, "Evening. Maybe during dinner."
Satisfied, she nods and smiles and decides to eat another mochi. The blossom still shimmers.
His eyes soften at her, and thinks Naruto's meddling is actually good for something. Sasuke rarely has memories this happy before. This memory will be a special one, because it reminds him that Sakura is the sun.