Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Boruto nor its characters.

Note: Please read Author's note at the end; involves HIATUS of this fic. ;; (UPDATED FANFICTION'S CONTENT/STORY ON 23/12/2020)


As your sensei, I don't want to just teach you fighting techniques.— Kakashi stood by what he said. He wanted to impart meaningful messages and lessons to her; something that he felt that he had failed to do so with the other Uchiha he once had under his wing several years back. And one of the things he hoped to drill into her was an unwavering, resolute confidence that she seemed to have partially lost during the years when she watched her peers improve, while she believed that she had remained stagnant due to her under-developed Sharingan.

And above all, after spending some time with her, watching her closely, there was one thing especially that he hoped he would be able to teach her, to impart on her.


"How's Sakura doing anyway?" Kakashi droned, his lazy steel-coloured eyes taking a glimpse towards his student, who he noticed to have her back hunched, shoulders slacked with heavy eyelids that threatened to collapse. "Sarada?" He called out again, a little louder this time, when she didn't respond; her mind seemed to be drifting elsewhere, her focus wavering in reality. Kakashi couldn't fault her for that, though. The least he could do after the strenuous training session they just had was to cut her some slack.

"A-Ah!" She stuttered, snapping back to reality, "Y…You mean Mama? Oh… she's doing fine for now. I don't think she's working longer hours at the hospital today." She resisted a yawn from escaping, forcefully suppressing it before she started to stretch her arms; albeit it did little to nothing to help straighten her current weary posture that she didn't seem to be that aware of.

Kakashi found the irony of this a little humorous, considering before they had left the training grounds, Sarada had pleaded—with great determined persistence and energy at that time, might he add—to continue their training in regards to Chidori.

Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed. –That was how Sarada Uchiha felt. That was why she wanted to continue even if the exhaustion had already sunk itself in. Because even if her chakra levels were completely depleted, the sense of unfulfillment accumulating hideously within her became a substitute; driving her to want more.

Kakashi was aware that a part of the reason behind all these negative emotions and perceptions that manifested within her, which took a small toll on her confidence and self-esteem, was because she believed her progression as a Shinobi was slow—too excruciatingly slow as compared to the rest of her peers. But something told him that that just wasn't the root of the problem; that that wasn't the only thing blighting her.

And he had an inkling of what, or rather who, was the core reasoning of this insidious down-spiral Sarada found herself in.

Thinking back, Kakashi pondered, Sasuke was similar, back then.

Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed. –That was how Sasuke Uchiha felt when he watched his teammates and especially, his greatest rival, Naruto, improve tremendously. He had failed to see his own outstanding improvement. He was always comparing. He started to feel like it was never enough, and that was what left a bitter taste on his tongue; what made him spiral down.

However, that wasn't the root of his problems. At its core, it was something much darker.

Vengeance. His thirst for vengeance had acted as a catalyst, sparking an indignant evil within him that pushed him over the edge. It was an evil that eventually pushed him to flee and escape Konoha in pursuit of satisfying his resentment.

In that matter, Sarada was different. She was far from a vengeful person like how Sasuke was back then. But, was she still a competitive Uchiha when it came to the Uzumaki boy? Yes. However, her competitiveness wasn't corrupted by some malignant driving force, and as of now, Kakashi couldn't even imagine the rivalry she had with him to explode into something devastatingly ugly.

"Ahh, is that so?" Kakashi continued to hum. "I heard Tsunade wanted to steal her away to some Onsen for a one-week getaway."

"Ehhh?" Sarada offered a weak chuckle. It had been a while since she spoke to Tsunade on more… informal and casual terms. She did recall her mother once begrudgingly agreeing to let Tsunade babysit her when no one else was available; which was something she came to regret when she came over to pick Sarada up to see her and Tsunade 'gambling'. "I think Mama will enjoy it, though." She remarked as her reminisce of the past came to an end.

In Tsunade's defensive, they were just playing Shinobi Bout. And the winner would take all the candy, not money. So technically, it wasn't exactly gambling. Her mother begged to differ, though.

"Anyway," Kakashi continued, steering the topic back to the events that occurred earlier, in hopes to confirm the little inkling he had. "I know you accepted my offer to take you under my wing because you want to progress more as a Shinobi… but are there any other reasons?" He decided to be blunt about it, he didn't see a point in going about it in a roundabout matter.

"…Any other reasons?" Sarada repeated, and Kakashi nodded. "I guess… it's because I want to become the Hokage too and… well," Her eyes shifted towards Kakashi, and within them they held an admiration for the man—even if her reaction to his tardiness earlier in the day had said otherwise. "You're a great Hokage too. And it's not like I can pester the Seventh, you know…" She said, expecting Kakashi to understand what she meant by that.

Of course she couldn't ask the Seventh. He was already so busy with Hokage and family-related duties. And then there was Boruto, who she very well knew that he wanted his father around more. Because of this, she didn't have the heart to steal his time away any more than his Hokage-duties already did. She didn't have the heart to be that selfish. She could understand and empathize with Boruto, albeit only to a certain degree, about a father's absence.

Both of them knew that waiting feeling was.

It is a feeling where you fight the urge to take another glance at the clock after a series of stares because you don't want to appear suspicious; where you fight the urge to ask your mother about your father's return because you don't want to be too obvious; you don't want to worry anyone. And so, all you can do is wait—to sit and wait as that excited, anxious and horrid feeling begin to mix in your stomach, awaiting to see if disappointment or happiness was to be discharged once the clock strikes midnight. Then, you start to impatiently wonder if eight seconds from now, will that doorbell ring? Or will he choose to knock door this time?

But what made both of them different, what made Sarada unable to empathize with Boruto completely was that at least Naruto eventually came home. At least Boruto knew where he was, where he could find him. As for Sarada, back then, such a thing was non-existent. Not to mention, at some point in her younger days before Sasuke's return, she had started to forget what he looked like, and maybe she would have if it weren't for that particular picture her mother always made sure to carefully clean, or her mother's gracious descriptions of her father's appearance that she told her when she asked.

Unlike Boruto, Sarada didn't know where her Papa was, what he was doing. Even up till now, she wasn't fully sure what he was doing. All she knew it had to do something with protecting the village's welfare; protecting them, perhaps against those evil beings she encountered last time. And she respected that. She respected him. She loved him. She was understanding. Besides, he was around now anyway. And while they couldn't exactly change the past, Sasuke was undeniably trying to make things up now, in his little awkward ways that Sarada either found embarrassing or humorous due to his awkwardness. There was no in between.

That aside, Sarada just didn't have it in her to ask The Seventh to take on another full-time role, as her personal mentor. Especially not now when things seemed so busy for him.

"I'm a great Hokage, huh?" Kakashi laughed, and it was evident to Sarada that she had probably given him an ego boost. It didn't bother her that much; but perhaps that was because they only started training recently, and Sarada hadn't yet seen the true nature of Kakashi Hatake—at least, the silly and tardy side of him. She still had a pretty high image of him in her mind, he was a Hokage after all.

"But was that the first reasoning that came to mind?" He queried quickly after, and Sarada flinched.

No. No it wasn't.

How did he know?

It wasn't Kakashi or Naruto or the thought of becoming a Hokage that was the first thing or person that came to mind.

"No… It was… It was…" Much to her dismay, a yawn managed to sneak its way past her barricade, interrupting her sentence midway. Kakashi took that brief moment to scoff, his eyes wandering about and he found himself grimacing at the minor scratches on her skin, the microscopic particles of dirt and dust that remained glued either in her slightly dishevelled hair or crumpled clothes.

Dissatisfied. Discontented. Disappointed. –Even after all Sarada's evident hard work, she still felt that way.

"Do you want to stop by a coffee shop? Sakura told me you liked coffee." Kakashi mentioned, his hand reaching down to mess her hair a little more when she failed to complete her sentence even after her ungraceful series of yawns. And at this point, Kakashi couldn't tell if it was because of her fatigue that caused her to trail off mid-sentence, or if it was something else. "Might keep you awake during the rest of the walk home. A few shots of espresso might do the trick."

He watched as her brows knitted together, frowning. "But it's at night."

"And so?" Kakashi replied, unaware of the reasoning behind her hesitance.

"Mama doesn't really like it when I drink coffee at night… at least, not espresso… not after… yeah." Sarada didn't plan to tell him that one espresso story which led her mother to discourage and practically ban her from drinking too much coffee at night even if that was last drink in the household that could quench her thirst.

Fortunately for her, Kakashi didn't press on for the story. However, he did press on about accepting his offer, "She won't know."

She raised a brow. "What are you insinuating…?" Should a Hokage really act like this? Sarada pondered. He's acting more like an Uncle now… then again, technically, in a way he was until he became my sensei…but still…

Kakashi shrugged, feigning innocence, "Who knows? I'm not offering you beer or anything. A great Hokage wouldn't encourage underage drinking, Sara—"

"Sarada!" A different voice emerged; a voice Sarada instantly recognized. Turning around, her eyes immediately caught sight of Boruto and her father heading towards their direction.

Kakashi watched as her back suddenly straightened, and juxtaposing earlier, a faint glimmer was settling in her eyes. No longer were her shoulders slacked, her posture lazy. Her hands even instinctively patted her frazzled hair down, forcing any strands of hair that stuck out back down. She stood there firmly, like a soldier ready to salute. Like a filial child not wanting to let their father catch them in an untidy state.

What a contrast. Kakashi couldn't help but think.

"Papa!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, energy zapping right back into her upon seeing her father. Her pace quickened, with Kakashi following behind who watched her struggling to keep her elation under wraps when she swiftly made her way to her father. He had let out a scoff soon after when he noticed a frown forming on Sasuke's student face. Disappointment practically radiated from him when Sarada didn't seem to acknowledge his presence yet despite the fact that he was the one who called out for her first.

"…Sarada." Sasuke acknowledged as he watched his daughter approach him. And while he didn't sound as enthusiastic as her, Kakashi couldn't help but spot a small, loving smile creeping up to his lips when Sarada reached him, engaging in a conversation with him.

It had been around one or two years since Sasuke frequented the village more; his home more. He even managed to stay longer, missions weren't as long as before.

Yet.

Kakashi watched them chitter and chatter; taking his time in his stroll towards them. Perhaps it was because after all that time Sasuke had stayed in the village that the air of awkwardness stagnated between father and daughter lessened. There was a look of admiration as Sarada talked, an admiration that was much more intense and different than the one she gave Kakashi. And there was a look of pride radiating in Sasuke's eyes even though their conversation wasn't about Sarada's training.

While they undoubtedly became closer, Kakashi noted the little gaps here and there, the small distance between them. The awkwardness lessened, but bits and pieces of it was there. There was an element of tentativeness that sat between them stilly.

He watched as Sarada hid her hands behind her back, fidgeting with them slightly, trying so desperately to hide her 'failure' from her father's sharp and watchful eyes. The tentativeness of letting him know. He watched as Sasuke listened attentively, understandingly but quietly as he was unsure of what to say or where to start. The bits and pieces of awkwardness of the Shadow Hokage who Kakashi still believed needed to have his social skills polished—if only he accepted Icha Icha tactics' advice!

And then there was Boruto, who tried to butt in every now and then; who eventually with his bright and natural jovial energy dominated the conversation as he started to relay the things he and Sasuke did during their own training.

He witnessed the envy silently cloud in Sarada's eyes, how her hands started to fidget more behind her back before loosening in utter defeat when she saw the blonde's beaming and excited smile as he told her what he accomplished that day. It dissipated her envy, albeit temporarily. And then she smiled.

A part of Sarada felt it was wrong to even feel the slightest bit of envy when she did tell her father it was fine for him to train Boruto when Sasuke first told her about it. Sasuke did make time for her, he did still teach her things. Maybe not as much as Boruto, but he definitely made effort to make up for his absence as a father in her life—and she greatly appreciated that effort. So, what was there to be jealous about?

That he wasn't her personal mentor? That she wasn't his personal disciple? Or was her envy directed elsewhere? At Boruto's undeniable progress? His growing strengths and diminishing weaknesses?

By no means did she hate Boruto, what she felt for him was far from that. If anything, she was happy that he was improving.

So why do I feel so—

"We all had a tiring day." Kakashi decided to cut in, waving at the group. "Sasuke, do you have anywhere to be?"

Sasuke glanced at Sarada who shooed those uneasy thoughts away, giving him a hopeful look, hoping that he would say no, but to no avail. His frown said it all. "I was supposed to meet Naruto to discuss—"

"Well," Kakashi cut in, "I'll go in your stead."

Both of the Uchiha's eyes widened. "What? You ca—"

"I'm the Sixth Hokage." He laughed, mentioning his title as if it gave him all the power in the world to dictate Sasuke's meetings. "Besides, Sarada's quite drained from all her training today… you know with Chidori and all—"

"Chidori?" Sasuke raised a brow, shocked at the fast pace of Sarada's training. Perhaps too fast, and that was what started to concern him deeply. "Already?" He asked, turning to Sarada, wanting to clarify what he had just heard.

"…Yeah." Sarada nodded in confirmation, albeit she was evidently flummoxed by how worked up her father was upon finding out about her progress. Frankly, she couldn't exactly tell if it was a good or bad thing.

I wonder why Papa looks like that… She pondered as a hand of hers carelessly left the safety of her back, to nervously scratch the back of her head.

And then, Sasuke noticed the bruises, the scratches, the little blisters all over her hands and arms. At first, he didn't pay too much mind nor think too much when he noticed his daughter's slightly unkempt appearance when she went forward to greet him (despite Sarada's last minute efforts to tidy herself up) considering that was usually the result of a day in training.

But, now with the knowledge that it was a result of attempting to do Chidori, he knew her body ached more than what it appeared to be. And it wasn't just because of the fact that he had once been in her shoes, thus understanding the pain that Chidori could inflict on the user; it was more of the fact that it was all too early for his daughter to even approach the concept of Chidori.

Just what was Kakashi thinking?

If it weren't for a fatherly urge that began to wash over him; to accept Kakashi's offer and walk Sarada home instead upon seeing her so fatigued, he would have questioned that man's intentions of teaching Sarada something that wasn't technically within her capabilities just yet. Not when she only had one tomoe in each of her eyes.

"Woahh! Chidori?! Sarada, that's amazing! You should've said it just now, it's nothing compared to what I accomplished today!" Boruto complimented, flustering Sarada just a bit.

"I only just started…"

"Still… gahhh! I want to learn a new jutsu… I can't lose to you!" Boruto huffed, and Kakashi took note of the momentary shock and confusion that crossed Sarada's eyes before she managed to regain her composure to retaliate back. "Hmm… if you say so." Sarcasm was clearly laced in her tone, which then acted as the catalyst in their current playful bicker.

Must be nice to be young and youthful. Kakashi thought with a sigh as he watched them bicker, before giving a nudge to Sasuke, then turning towards him. "I'll handle the discussion… besides, I doubt it's anything about… that." He whispered the last part, and then continued the rest in a low tone, "If it was, Naruto would've sent a shadow clone or something to summon you instantly, since it would be an urgent matter… don't worry about it."

Sasuke furrowed his brows. He had many questions to ask the white-haired man, although given the time of day, his daughter's exhaustion as well as the public and open space they were in, he wasn't sure if it was the right moment to ask. Especially when he had to be in an important meeting soon. And despite Kakashi's offer to replace his presence… well, even if it wasn't about that, it didn't feel right to Sasuke to miss a meeting. "But—"

"Naruto will understand." Kakashi persisted, before then gesturing to Sarada who, while still actively engaged in the bicker, was starting to regress into her previous weary state. Her posture was fluctuating between being firm and slackened, she was starting to rub her eyes every now and then as a weak attempt to keep herself awake. And if anything, the bicker was draining both of their remaining energy. "If Naruto does mind your absence, and does require your presence, I'll alert you instantly." He added on, and finally Sasuke—upon seeing how fatigued Sarada was—eventually relented, "Fine."

"Sarada." Sasuke continued before Kakashi could say anything else. "Let's go… we wouldn't want to keep Sakura waiting."

Just that single sentence is enough to wake Sarada up a bit, ignore the competition of bickering she was in with the Uzumaki, and she turned towards Kakashi who gave her a thumbs up. "O-Okay!" She nodded and walked over to Sasuke's side, waving a goodbye to Boruto as they both silently agreed to postpone their bicker battle.

As the two Uchihas walked off side by side, Kakashi let out a sigh. "I guess my inkling was correct…" He muttered under his breath.

"Inkling? What inkling?" Boruto asked, having heard his mutters as he gave one last wave to Sarada.

"Oh, nothing." He replied, waving his hand dismissively.


With Sarada's bruised hands still hidden behind her back, she walked closely alongside her father in a silence that was in the middle of the scale of awkwardness and comfort, strange enough. She took a brief glance at their surroundings, Boruto and Kakashi were no longer in sight, the food shops and cafes next to them were lit up brightly for late-shift workers to indulge in midnight snacks. The sweet-scented aroma of caffeine flavoured waffles dared trespass the Uchihas, dared attempt to lure Sarada away.

"So… you practiced Chidori today?" Sasuke started, stealing Sarada's attention away from the tempting foods.

Her hands behind her back began to fidget more, fingers curling around one another uneasily, caressing the wounds she carelessly inflicted onto herself when she tried to imitate Kakashi's infamous Chidori.

She didn't know when or how this habit started; of her hiding her failure in front of him. Or if she was even aware of it that it persisted up to this point. But it did. Albeit, unfortunately for her, barely anything escapes Sasuke's eye.

"Yeah." She nodded, a rueful smile spreading across her lips before her eyes found themselves despondently staring on the uneven ground. "But I haven't made much progress…" She sighed, recalling the taijutsu practices she had beforehand, before Kakashi took her under his wing. It was an attempt to upgrade herself, and maybe her pair of gifted eyes too. Although, to no avail, both her second tomoes stubbornly refused to form even after those tiresome trainings.

"I mean, that's expected." Sasuke replied nonchalantly in a matter-of-factly manner, and before an arrow could pierce right through Sarada's heart, self-esteem and confidence due to her father's blunt and what she thought was meant to be harsh words, he added on, his usual stern tone softening into something gentler, "It's… right now, it's beyond your reach." He stated vaguely, deciding not to mention to his daughter how one would need two tomoes to be able to fully utilise Chidori; not until he got some form of explanation from her personal mentor. He didn't want to fill his daughter's head with too many bombarding and bothersome questions when she was this worn out.

"But… if you are anything like I was, I'm sure you'll do fine." He said instead, because while now wasn't the time, he believed that when Sarada did reach that next stage of her Sharingan, she would undoubtedly be able to master Chidori. Needless to say, there was confidence was present in his words; the confidence had always had for her. A confidence Sarada failed to truly acknowledge.

She turned her head, meeting her father's soft gaze, watching him wear a similar smile like that day; two years back on Parent and Child day when she had at first thought it was a failure of a bonding session between them. She was quick to take back her thoughts when her father found her training by herself after she had run off, and then later on showed off his skills before playing it humble.

"You're amazing!" She remembered exclaiming.

"But it was your shuriken that had hit the target." He responded, and looking back now, it baffled her when he sounded so proud while saying that, praising her when really it was him who was amazing. It was his support that turned the odds into her favour; that made her not miss. "That's my…" He continued as his hand patted her head affectionately, but soon trailed off. "I'll save it for next time."

She couldn't tell if her father was being cheeky; and when she had asked her mother, she only laughed, finding it humorous at the slightest thought of Sasuke Uchiha being openly cheeky.

Regardless, she was still left hanging up to this point. 'That's my…' what? Hopefully, she really hoped, that that 'next time' he mentioned would soon arrive.

"Was I?" The next thing she knew, those two words left her lips without hesitance, without much thought when Sasuke was finished with his remark. Hope leaked ever so shamelessly right into her query; hope that he would give her an answer that would be able to satisfy at least a fraction of this infinite dissatisfaction residing in her heart.

" 'Was I' what?" Sasuke asked, with his head tilting slightly in confusion.

"Was I anything like you back then?" The hopefulness in her speech only intensified; but deep down, she knew hearing that answer she wanted was just wishful thinking.

Pride. She was Sasuke's pride. And yet as years progressed, with her feeling so stagnated, it became difficult to actually register that he was genuinely proud of her. It was easy to hear it and nod in 'acceptance'; but to acknowledge it… to comprehend it… it became difficult. And no amount of Sharingan development can change that; what she saw and discern. Kakashi wanted to change that.

You are enough.— He wanted her to realize that.

When Sarada saw how his eyes briefly widened, how his body momentarily stiffened, she inevitably took it the wrong way and instantly regretted even dare asking something she thought was so doltish and dumb when the answer was so obvious. "Ah… I… didn't think so, after all Papa, you must have been an outstanding… a much more outstanding Shinobi back the—"

"No." Sasuke interrupted, a heavy sigh leaving his lips, and Sarada could've sworn it was shaky; although she quickly shrugged off that thought, she didn't see a reason as to why he would sound so… anxious about this topic. Perhaps exhaustion is finally getting to me… she thought, used that as a reason of her hearing weakening.

"You…" He continued tentatively, thinking back to the past. It was all ugly memories, however he knew that regardless of how unpleasant his past was, he could not and he would never dare forget. It was a past he had to accept and move on no matter how painful and hard it was; because nothing good would come out of it should he choose to continue grieving and cry about his past. But at the same time, it was a past that he could never and would never and should never forget. Never again, will he embark on that dark path corrupted with nothing more than resentment.

Then there was Sarada. While Sakura claimed she resembled more of Sasuke, he disagreed. Because Sakura's spirit was burning bright in her soul, emitting itself so strongly that it was practically palpable. It made it impossible for Sasuke to ever imagine she would ever be like him back then. Even if she were to find out…

Even if she were to find out.

Then what are you so afraid of? A voice rang in his head. That she will hate you? That the distance between the both of you will become bigger again? Or that she will start to despise Konoha?

That she will embark on that treacherous path you once did?

"Papa? A—"

"You're already better than I ever was," He breathed, and then forced himself into cool composure before Sarada could even notice. "…back then." He made sure his voice was level, rid of any hint of being distressed and troubled. It was strange; how while his past actions did bother him from time to time, it perturbed him even more so and more often whenever he was with Sarada; whenever she asked.

He was afraid. Sasuke Uchiha was afraid. Not even the villains he had encountered when he was away from the village had managed to force so much fear out of him. It was because that he loved Sarada very much, that he was afraid.

He watched as his daughter's eyes widened in pure surprise before a flummoxed expression began to sink in, although what had really caught his attention was how her legs started to shake slightly, or rather it looked as if she was trying to remain uproot, straining every muscle and bone to just still. While there weren't as many wounds inflicted on her legs and knees as compared to her arms and hands, it was evident to Sasuke that Chidori had took out a lot from her, and exhaustion was practically a gradual earthquake waiting for her to fall.

"H-Huh?" Sarada managed to stutter out after a few prolonged seconds, but even so her brain was still trying to process what her father had just said to her. She didn't understand. She recalled hearing from someone that by the time he had reached her age, he already had more than one tomoe in each of his eyes. What was he referring to? She didn't get it. Was it her determination? Or something else? She just didn't get it. Or maybe it was just a trivial comment, which was just meant to encourage her. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Dissatisfaction started to sink in, any trace of that happy surprised look began to morph itself into a rueful smile. "What do y—E-Eh?!" Fortunately, Sasuke's next unexpected move was quick to save her from another moment of writhing in her self-despair.

"Get on." Was what her father replied with after bending down low enough for her to hop on his back. She found it both flustering and absurd. They were walking in the middle of the street, with shops and cafes to their right which were still open, with customers indulging in a late-night drink or snack; they were exposed. It was embarrassing and out of place. Like last time, she didn't know where this idea even came from. She would've assumed he understood from last time, and wouldn't offer her a ride when she could clearly perfectly walk fine. Right?

"W-Wha—"

"Your legs are shaking, and while your bruises on your arms and knees are minor, it's clear to me that you're exhausted." Sasuke pointed out as Sarada flinched. So he noticed. Sarada thought, her legs starting to waver a little more when she realized there wasn't a point in keeping up with her 'I'm not that tired' act after he caught her. Maybe I can't walk perfectly fine, but I still can walk… we're not that far from home…

She didn't say this out loud; and it perplexed her why she didn't immediately reject his offer like last time.

While Sarada might not believe it, Sasuke did learn from last time.

That was, when he told Sakura about it.

Sakura had laughed and laughed back then upon hearing such a comical incident, "And then she called you… annoying?"

At that time, he regretted not listening to his gut to have left that information out. He struggled to craft a response good enough to defend himself from the embarrassment he was feeling thanks to Sakura's laughter. Although, his disgruntled expression accompanied by the narrowing of his eyes alongside a frown did little to extinguish the burning humour Sakura felt.

"Okay, okay…" Sakura said once she had finally calmed down. "I understand you wished you could do those things a father and a child can do… but you know, she's older and would naturally find it embarrassing."

Sasuke frowned, unable to understand. "You had no qualms when I carried you on my back."

"T-That's different!" Sakura exclaimed, before she threw a pillow right at his face—and of course, he managed to dodge. But it bought Sakura enough time to regain her composure and sweep her bashfulness under the rug before Sasuke could turn the tables. "It's just a sort of thing teenagers go through… but you know, I'm pretty sure Sarada would want to do those things with you too, I mean she always gets excited whenever the two of you have a chance to spend time." Sakura pointed out, a smile settling on her lips. "Perhaps if there wasn't anyone around to fuel her embarrassment, then maybe she would've accepted it."

"…And," Sasuke added on calmly, "There isn't anyone really around."

He was right. There wasn't really anyone around. And all the customers and shopkeepers in their respective stalls were too busy and engrossed in their own things to notice them, especially when they were protected by the shadows the street lamps offered, shining their light elsewhere. However, she was a Ninja. A Shinobi. And a Shinobi should tolerate pain and fatigue through thick and thin. Most of all, she already realized her father noticed she was weak, so she didn't want to show him that she was succumbing to said weakness.

No. Then say no, it's fine, thanks for the offer papa and smile. She told herself, and yet at the same time, something inside her willed her to accept. She missed the chance to have a piggyback ride with her own father in her childhood since he was away; hell, even Tsunade gave her a piggyback ride in exchange of keeping their 'gambling' a secret (which, well, didn't last long. But at least Sarada got the sweets in the end, anyway). So maybe that's why she was hesitant to decline the offer. And the current circumstances they were in made it all the more tempting. No one she knew was really around, and the few people lingering around were minding their own business. It wasn't like before where there was a higher risk of getting either made fun by her peers or just being embarrassed by anyone, in general.

"But aren't you… tired?" She muttered.

"Not as much as you." Sasuke replied. "Come on, we shouldn't keep Sakura waiting…" There was an insistence in his tone that didn't go by so unnoticed by Sarada. "But… if you don't want to…" And then he started to trail off, as if coming to the conclusion that maybe this was a bad idea since Sarada was being hesitant, which left him to believe she was unwilling. Of course, she's a teenager now after all, was what he thought as he was about to withdraw from his plan.

"Okay… I am a little… tired after all." But then, she agreed.

With one last scan of her surroundings to confirm that no one was exactly around to poke fun at her, she hopped on, resting her body weight on him as her arms wrapped around his neck for support. That was when her weariness truly seeped and sunk in, a certain tranquillity started to surround her, relaxing her. For a fleeting moment, she had forgotten all the negative things weighing in her mind.

Was this what tiredness does to someone? It made them forget? Or was it because she was enjoying this closeness she was now having with her father, that she didn't get to experience in her childhood? Or at least, to her memory.

"Are you comfortable?" Sasuke queried, his head turning back towards her.

"Yeah…" Sarada nodded, finding herself resting her head on his shoulder instinctively. "Are you?" She asked back, a yawn that she carelessly let slip following after. He only had one hand after all.

"Yeah." He assured, before he began to walk. "It's a short walk, anyway."

As he walked, silence filled the air but it didn't make Sarada any less comfortable. While secretly happy that she could experience and enjoy this missing moment from her childhood, a part of her wished this happened earlier, when she was a toddler. Because then, she could be more shameless in her requests. And because he was taller than her mother, maybe she could've enjoyed the breeze more at a greater height if he had been there. Maybe she would've been able to pop more bubbles that Inojin blew that day when Ino had invited Sakura and herself over for a picnic. After all, since sitting on her father's shoulder as opposed to her mother's would grant her more leverage to reach out and burst those bubbles before they could've escaped.

So many memories could've been made. So many chances of making memories were lost.

But it wasn't quite too late. While there were a few memories Sasuke could never make with the current, older Sarada, it wasn't too late to make other sorts of memories. Like now.

"…it's the first time you carried me on your back… at least to my memory…" In the moment of vulnerability she found herself in, words like that slipped off her tongue, "It feels… nice." She remarked in a mellow way. Embarrassment was the last thing she felt, but perhaps that was because no one was looking. It was just a peaceful moment between the two. She couldn't find any other word other than 'complete' to describe this situation. And maybe it was because she missed out a lot of this in her childhood, and that was why this felt like one of the missing pieces to her puzzle.

"…Hn." Hidden from Sarada's view, Sasuke let a small smile make its way to his lips. He did feel bad that he missed out on particular things—no, almost her entire childhood. He didn't say it out loud, but it did sadden him that there were just some things he can't do with her anymore.

However, given the chance to change his decision to embark on that mission which created distance between father and daughter, which caused him to be missing for so much of her childhood, he still wouldn't change it. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He had no choice. It was for the better world; for a more peaceful world that he wanted for his family and everyone else. It was cruel, but he didn't exactly have a choice. And after all he had done, he felt like he deserved it. What he didn't deserve—not after all what he had so wickedly done—was a loyal and caring best friend who remained so stubbornly by his side, a beautiful wife both inside and out who loved him dearly and a daughter who was so understanding and forgiving despite his absence, who respected and loved him, and according to Sakura, looked up to him with much regard.

It was unfair, he felt. Because Sarada didn't know…

Because Sarada didn't know.

Shaking those thoughts off momentarily, his eyes once again caught side of her hands that were covered in scratches here and there. "…If you want, we can practice together so the next time you're with Kakashi… you would be more ready." He started to offer.

"No… it's fine. I mean… Kakashi's my personal mentor now… he's supposed to be the one making me ready… you know?" And I don't want to trouble you. She does not say this out loud.

"…Hn." Are you sure? It wouldn't be troubling. He does not say this out loud too, merely accepted her refusal because he wasn't her personal tutor; a boundary he can't cross because he wasn't her sensei.

"Do you think Mama's still awake?" She asked, finding it increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. Her eyelids felt like boulders, and despite the fact she was wearing her glasses, the world around her started to blur every now and then. "I'd… like her to heal some of my wounds… before I go to sleep."

"If she isn't… I'll do it for you." Sasuke offered again.

"You know medical ninjutsu?" Amusement faded in and out of her tone, and the only one she could pin the blame was her sleepiness. "Even the… Seventh said he doesn't…"

"Not as well as your mother."

Sarada smiled, because while she was practically dozing off, she was awake enough to hear an impressed tone that radiated in his words when he briefly spoke of Sakura's abilities. "Mm…" She said, finally losing the battle to the weight of her eyelids which finally closed shut. Her mind wandered off, suddenly recalling that earlier moment which still left her in shock and disbelief. "About… what you said just now…" Yawns cut between her words, but she persisted in this losing battle and continued, wishing for an answer before exhaustion consumed her whole, "How was I… better than you? I… don't get it…" Her hands that wrapped around him so tightly gradually began to relax and loosen.

Sasuke bit his lip, maintaining his pace as he continued to walk towards his home that wasn't so far off anymore.

Was now the right moment? The right time?

He could start off little by little; baby steps. He should say something, right? It was only fair. It didn't have to be everything, not now at least, it would be too much painful, anguishing information to take in all in one night. But just, something. Because he knew that it was unfair that Boruto vaguely knew about his corrupted past, even if it was by accident he had found out. The fact remained, though. That she didn't know. Not one bit of it. Because he was afraid of…

He was afraid. However, hiding in cowardice could only do so much. And Sasuke Uchiha knew his daughter deserved much more than the cowardice and avoidance he had been showing ever since her curiosity sprouted and multiplied.

Little by little; baby steps. That was the least he could offer right now.

"…You see, Sarada…" He started carefully, stringing words into sentences in his mind, trying to find the best way to phrase what he wanted to reveal. "I—"

Alas, what interrupted him was the sound of faint snores. Taking a glimpse at his back, Sarada had surrendered to her fatigue and fell asleep.

He had thought for too long. Hesitated too much. And well, had a bad sense of timing.

He parted his lips, albeit no words came out. And he found himself unable to have the heart to wake his daughter from her peaceful slumber to just tell her something possibly… horrid. Not after what seemed like such a tiring training she had underwent not too long ago

Next time. He decided.


"Kakashi?" Naruto spoke when Kakashi had let himself in, his sudden and unexpected presence coming to him as a surprise. "Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Give him a break." He said patronizingly, sauntering his way towards Naruto's desk, taking note of the reports that was somewhat scattered all over Naruto's desk. "Father daughter bonding." Kakashi explained simply before herding the documents together, picking them up as his eyes scanned through them. "Is this an urgent issue?"

Sighing, Naruto shook his head. "Not exactly…" He assured, a smile forming on his face; he couldn't help it. It was nice to know his friend was bonding with his daughter. It was nice to see and know that they were no longer so far, so estranged. Albeit, that smile soon settled and boiled down into a foreboding frown when he remembered why he had originally, specifically requested Sasuke's presence.

He hated doing it, he always hated asking him to do it.

"I just wanted to ask him if he wanted to accept this… mission." He nodded towards the documents held, voice strained.

At the end of the day, he was the Hokage. And Sasuke, the Shadow Hokage. They were both honourable ninjas who would do anything to keep the peace in Konoha.

"Another?" Kakashi arched a brow before placing the documents back down. "Long term?" He added upon noticing the distress in Naruto's tone.

"Not exactly." He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "It's a C-rank mission… supposedly, it's not meant to be long… but you know how C-rank missions can become an S-rank quickly in a twist and turn of events… and upon further investigation, we found out there's a possibly that it involves…" His expression darkened, the mood grew grim between the two men as Naruto finished his sentence, "…them."

It was frightening how fast Kakashi knew who the 'them' Naruto was referring to, despite the ambiguity and vagueness in his words. It left him unsettled.

"I discussed with a few others and he's the most competent and available ninja to get this done quickly, if it doesn't involve them." Naruto explained. "if it does then…"

"I know, I know." Kakashi interrupted, "It's been a while since Sasuke last accepted a long-term mission… and just when I thought he'd finally have the time to develop social skills." He humoured, a successful attempt in lightening the mood as Naruto offered a weak laugh.

"Perhaps that should be his next mission." Naruto responded back, jokingly. "It might be the first mission that he comes back losing. And it's one I will win!" A cheeky and victorious grin rose to his lips, because he knew fully well how absolutely outstanding his social skills were; if you compare it with Sasuke.

"Your rivalry is still lively, huh?" Kakashi hummed, and Naruto scoffed in response. "Anyway," He continued before Naruto could offer a retort, and while he hadn't said anything yet, the Seventh had his brow arched, having recognized that firm and decided tone of the Sixth; as if he had made up his mind on something.

What he said next was unexpected.

"I'll accept it. The mission."

Naruto's eyes widened.

What?

"What?" Naruto voiced out his surprise. "Kakashi-sensei… it's not that I have no—"

"I'm not asking this because I want Sasuke to stay in the village longer before he has to leave for something long again. I'm just saying that based on the reports I glanced through, there is a larger possibility of this being a ruse for something else bigger and worse, as compared to it escalating to an S-rank mission." He reasoned calmly, "And while the likelihood exists, the probability of this mission being directly connected to them is extremely low… and just in case if they do end up coming here, it's best to have Sasuke stay in case."

Naruto went silent for a bit, and alas he couldn't think of any statements to refute Kakashi's claims; the old man made sense. A ruse anytime soon wouldn't be an absolute shock to him.

"Fine." He relented, "I have no issue with you doing it, since you don't exactly need a rinnegan or a sharingan to complete this… and I mean, you're still my sensei and the Sixth Hokage…" He spoke. "I just didn't think you would since you retired… you becoming Sarada's personal mentor was unexpected."

"You heard?"

Naruto nodded. "Sakura came by to hand me some reports, and it just happened to pop up in our conversation." He said, "So what's it like being out of retirement and a sensei again?"

A smirk dared trespass underneath his mask. "She's less than a brat than all three of you were." He didn't bother to pause to consider his next statement, "Especially you." He taunted.

"Oi—"

"Anyway, I do have one condition, though. I'd like to bring a partner." Kakashi interrupted, paying no mind to Naruto's exaggerated offended look of hurt and disbelief.

"Oi, oi, oi, don't change the—"

"The faster we finish, the faster you can go home." Kakashi reminded. "Your family's waiting."

Naruto grunted. Kakashi-sensei, I swear…

"Fine, fine…" He yielded in defeat; he did want to head home as soon as possible after all. He had promised Hinata not to overwork, and Boruto and Himawari that he won't work overnight. "I think Sai and Shikamaru are free… There's Sakura too, I don't think the hospital's been busy, and if you need someone proficient in medical jutsu, there's her… but if you think this mission requires someone who is more—"

"I already have someone in mind." Kakashi stopped him, and Naruto motioned for him to continue, his curiosity having been piqued in regards to who exactly was handpicked by Kakashi as his partner. "Sarada."

"Sa…rada?" Naruto repeated after a momentarily silence, unsure if he heard that right. While he acknowledged that Sarada was an outstanding Ninja with fine abilities, the last person he expected for Kakashi to choose as a partner was her considering she was still young; was yet to truly have a taste of the pure cruelness of the Shinobi world.

Kakashi nodded in confirmation, unfaltering as he repeated, "Sarada Uchiha."


Author's Note:

NEXT UPDATE: unknown; will be on HIATUS. (explained why below.)

Firstly, I want to apologise for the long wait; I'm sorry! And thank you for your patience to those who are still reading haha.

Secondly, I will be putting this and my other fanfictions on hiatus. Life's been getting a little more tough and stuff for me, leading to a drain for my interest in writing fanfictions I guess. Like, I still like writing in general, and I really do want to continue this and not put it on hiatus, but with the increasing dissatisfaction and decreasing passion (?) I have for my writing in general as well as some stuff in my personal life, I decided to go on a break. I try to update once a month, but I don't know if I can for the next month or the month after. Hopefully, my fanfictions will resume some time in November/December this year. I don't really want to leave them incomplete. I also don't want to put out lower quality writing and half-assed stuff so yeah.

Hopefully, if anyone's still reading this (lol), I hope you understand!

If you want to keep updated, I have two tumblr accounts: 'rosaline-kei' (more for fanfictions and doodles; maybe future Naruto/Boruto related stuff will be posted there.) and a new one called 'snkwritings' (where I post fake social media stuff between SnK characters!)*

*I know what you might thinking: It's hypocritical. However, unlike fanfictions where I have to write a lot of words as well as make sure that the plot does not have so many holes in it and makes sense and make sure characters aren't way OOC, creating fake tweets and such that won't have so much of a plotline as well as the fact I can exaggerate characters slightly is easier and not that tiresome? In a way I guess; I don't know.

I hope you all understand, and I hope this chapter wasn't too long. I hope I conveyed both Sarada and Sasuke well here. I wanted to show some cracks of insecurities of the Sarada here, but at the same time she can put a confident front in front of people like Boruto since he is her rival, more or less. I didn't want to change Sarada completely even if I am diverging away from canon a bit ((regarding the amount of tomoes she has)), considering I know she is pretty much a confident character canonically. Like, she knows she is skilful; which is why she is still relatively confident here despite her "slow progress" But, she is not skilful enough (in her eyes), which is where her insecurity starts, if that makes sense haha. As for Sasuke… man, we were this close to having him open up… bUT Sarada fell asleep welp haha. Upcoming chapters will most likely start to really develop the platonic relationship between Sarada and Kakashi as mentor and student.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please leave a review! Constructive Criticism is welcomed.