Sasuke's POV

Throughout summer, everyday was mostly the same. Go to work, go home with Sakura and Sarada, eat and do something together. Recently though, Sakura has been sleeping over. She even leaves a change of clothes, a toothbrush, and other necessities here. Ever since the first night she slept over, it has been harder to contain myself. Every time I am around her, my feelings of wanting to touch and be touched burn more and more. We have gone farther this month, but never all the way. I wonder if she feels the same way I do.

"Your mother called me today." I turn my head a little to see Sakura prompt up with her elbow on the mattress and her hand on her head as she lays on her side.

"What did she say?" Sakura's other hand lays lazily on my chest and draws circles on it as I lay on my back.

"Nothing much. She just wants us to have dinner with them and your brother." Itachi is the only family member, well beside Mother, that I have talked to ever since the cookout, and I later on learned that before I got there, Itachi asked Father to not talk to me during the cookout, and to leave us alone. Makes sense because he never got near me or even looked in the direction I was in. It wasn't too hard for him because there were a lot of people there, but if it was just us, it would be harder.

"Not happening. Remember how long it took to get me out of the car at the cookout?"

"That's what I thought. I told her that we are busy because Sarada is starting school and someone quit at work. What grade is Sarada going into?"

Before answering I close my eyes to give myself some rest. "Fourth grade." Once I say that, Sakura chuckles. "What's so funny?"

"Oh well..." I let my head rest a little more into my pillow. "It's just, that was the year I developed my first crush." As soon as I hear that my eyes flash open and my head jolts up. "I guess she is getting to that age huh?"

Sarada gaining a crush? No I won't allow it! I can't! "No no no NO!" I say that last word more sternly. "There will be no crushes and boys. She is too young!"

"Sasuke, you can't control that."

"Sure I can! I could send her to an all girls school. There, she won't be near any boys." I end my small suggestion very demanding like, and all Sakura does is giggle, and roll to the other side of my bed.

Once she makes it to the edge, I hear a click sound and the room darkens, as the only light in this room was coming from that lamp and mine. "Let's just get some sleep. We have to work tomorrow too." Sakura turns back to me, making the shirt she is wearing, which is mine, twist a little. When she reaches me, her hand relaxes on my chest again as half of her body lays onto mine. "Goodnight."

I move my arm up to the lamp on my side and click it off so it becomes pitch black, with even the moon not shining in because of the drawn shades. Using the arm that Sakura lays on, I hug her into me, and lean my head towards her. "Goodnight."

When morning comes, light forces through not only the shades drawn on the windows in my room, but in the whole apartment. I sit lazily on a stool, while Sakura fills two mugs with coffee. "I should check on Sarada soon. She can't be late to her first day of school," I say as I rub my face.

Steaming hot, dark coffee pours into the mugs, and one is handed to me. "It's still early. You should let her sleep a little more," Sakura mutters and sips from her mug. "Is she excited to go back to school?"

I respond to Sakura while staring into my mug. "She hasn't said much about it. When we went shopping for new supplies, she just wanted to leave. It's kinda surprising. Isn't she a little too young to be hating school yet?"

"Does she struggle?" Sakura drinks a little more coffee.

"No. She does pretty well, and she gets along with her teachers. Maybe she just isn't looking forward to homework."

As I drink down my hot beverage, I hear Sakura clap her hands together. "To brighten her day, I will make her some pancakes. I'm sure that will make her feel better." When Sakura ends her comment, she takes both of our mugs and places them into the sink, and pulls out one of my pans.

"Thank you Sakura. I'm going to get ready," I say and stand from the stool. Once she starts to hum, I can tell she is in her own world now and won't escape until she finishes the pancakes, which cues me to get ready.

After showering, brushing my teeth, and changing, etc, my day officially starts. Instead of going to Sarada's room to make sure she is awake, I walk into the kitchen to check on Sakura and the breakfast she is making first. "How are the pancakes going?" I ask as I walk next to her and peek, seeing batter turning into a light brown color.

"Almost done, you should probably wake up Sarada now." Just as Sakura says that, a small figure walks around the corner of the hallway, still in her pjs and her hair in tiny and messy braids.

"Papa, I don't feel so good," Sarada mumbles. Both me and Sakura walk out of the kitchen and to her, but only Sakura bends down to Sarada's height. "You don't seem to have a fever," she says when she places her hand on Sarada's forehead. "Is it your throat? Stomach?"

"Stomach," she responds with.

I then go to her and feel her forehead. Not really hot. However, her face looks a little pale. "Perhaps you're nervous. You don't seem to be too sick. Sakura made some pancakes for you. Get something to eat, and if your stomach gets worse at school, go to the nurse, and I or Sakura will get you."

Sarada lowers her head down to the floor. "Okay." And goes to the table.

"I'll give Sarada her breakfast. You should get ready," I say to Sakura.

"Alright. If you need me, I will be in the bathroom."

Once Sakura leaves, I hand Sarada a plate of cut up pancakes, with syrup and a little bit of butter. "Are you looking forward to the new school year?" I ask her.

Sarada eats one of the bigger pieces before answering. "I guess."

"Are you happy to see your friends again? Come to think about it, you never hung out with any of them once during the break, so you must be really glad that you will see them." Sarada answers with only a grunt and keeps eating. This isn't like her. Normally she is ecstatic for the new school year. "Did you get enough sleep last night?" I ask with concern.

This time, Sarada looks up at me, swallows the piece of food, and smiles at me, but a little forcefully. "Of course Papa. I guess I'm not expecting a lot of things to change. Besides my new teachers and classmates. Plus, my stomach."

While it is true that having a stomach ache or a throat ache will change someone's mood, I've seen Sarada with both, and she doesn't act like this. She will be uncomfortable, or in a little pain, but she responds more than this. Maybe it's just my imagination.