AN: Happy New Years! Idk if I completely lost everyone with this story, but I never claimed to completely go by every aspect of the canon for this story (if I did then this obviously wouldn't deal with a NaruSaku kid lol). But regardless, if there is anyone still reading, I would love to hear from you/ hear what you think of this chapter. Hopefully there's someone out there that is at least still enjoying this. Constructive criticism is always welcomed and always considered! Enjoy! :)
.
Chapter 7
.
Naruto closed his eyes for what felt like two seconds.
It had actually been 30 minutes.
His mind was boggled down with obligations, luncheons to attend, and promotions to give - specifically, chuunin exam promotions.
His hand met his chin, fingers interlaced as the more pressing issue plagued most of his thoughts.
His head drooped for a moment before he became alert once more.
"Hey, focus." Naruto blinked, sitting up straight and getting back to the sound of Shikamaru's voice.
"Sorry," he apologized, shaking off the exhaustion. His muscles felt meek, languidly moving some files away from his desk.
"Look, I know it will be troublesome to ask, but as your adviser, I feel I have to ask what is troubling you. You've been distracted all day," Shikamaru asked, knowing there was more under the surface than what Naruto wanted to say. It was easy to tell for a guy like him, yet he wasn't one to pry in personal matters.
Still, when it starts to show in his duties, he must question.
"Sorry, Shikamaru. I was debating who deserves a chuunin promotion," he lied.
"I told you I could handle the promotions," Shikamaru reminded. Naruto sighed.
"But that's the fun part," he joked. He couldn't help but try to lighten the mood. Shikamaru's eyebrow rose, disbelief evident on his features.
"Right..." Judging by the tone and look in Shikamaru's eyes, Naruto could tell Shikamaru was not buying whatever Naruto was trying to sell.
"In any case, you're done here for today. I can take it from here."
"Are you sure? You don't want me to prep you for the lunch tomorrow? The Daimyo will surely ask about-"
"It's fine, it's fine. We'll go over it in the morning. I have other work," Naruto explained. Shikamaru looked out the window, before Shikamaru's eyes narrowed on Naruto.
"Other work?" Shikamaru questioned, his eyes immediately darting to Naruto's expression, reading his every move - still not buying it at all.
"Hey, it's nothing bad," Naruto laughed, hoping to ease the tension. Shikamaru shrugged.
"Personal issues, I'm assuming. Or is it about that one genin?"
"That has been stressing me out lately…"
"Does it have anything to do with Sakura?" Shikamaru inquired. Naruto stopped aimlessly looking through documents when his eyes narrowed on Shikamaru's, before Naruto began to laugh.
"No, not really." Naruto sighed. "By other work, I meant that I'll be meeting with Sasuke tonight."
"Aah." Everything seemed to be cleared, Naruto hoped. "Sure. I'll send you the preparations tomorrow morning then. Although, I do suggest you relax for a while. You're doing a lot of the task you really don't have to do right now." Shikamaru said, taking a moment to look at his leader and friend before walking out. Naruto frowned, knowing it was true he always just tried to keep busy, to keep focus on the things he could control. It made going through life much easier.
But his thoughts drifting to Sakura and Akane – something he feared wouldn't be so simple to handle.
.
Flashback.
The sun was high, children flailing their arms and making a ruckus, which signaled the end of school. Only one little girl brooded, her arms crossed and her face scowling as she stomped her way to her mother, her long pink hair blowing with the wind.
"Mama, no one wants to play with me," a little Akane whaled. Sakura bent down, making sure she was eye level to her daughter as green met blue. Sakura frowned, leaning closer to her little girl, the palm of her hand cupping Akane's rosy cheeks.
"What makes you say that?" Sakura asked, prodding her. Akane took a deep inhale, wiping her tears to before crossing her arms. She pouted.
"It's because they're all so dumb!" Akane groaned, her fist soon dropping to her side. They clenched and unclenched, as though she was deciding whether she should be sad or angry over the ordeal. Sakura's eyebrows curved together. She wondered why Akane was suddenly acting so accusing. This was so unlike her.
"What happened?" Sakura asked, brushing away Akane's hair from her eyes.
"I heard them again. They were whispering and said something mean about me."
"Did you hear what they said?" Sakura asked. Akane, sheepish now, shook her head embarrassingly. "So you don't know if it was good or bad, right?"
"But the look on their face said it all!" Akane reassured, knowing she was not angry for no reason. "They don't like me!"
"Akane-chan, maybe you should actually talk to them. Don't make that judgement so quickly. You should try being nicer to them too, get to know them," Sakura suggested, her hand on Akane's head. Sakura laughed to herself, learning not to be over the top again. The last time Akane told her a boy was picking on her, Sakura's fuse lit, and she had stomped all the way to the academy. One look and the poor little boy nearly peed himself. What Akane didn't realize, was the little boy was picking on her because he liked her and he wanted to talk to her. Still, suffice it to say, that little boy never picked on her again.
And he still visibly panics whenever Sakura comes to pick Akane up.
Regardless, she hoped her words would reach her. She had a pretty good feeling that they didn't, because Akane's face scrunched up as though she tasted something sour.
"Why should I? They don't want to talk to me. I'm way cooler than them anyways! I'm much better than them with jutsu anyways, they're beneath me." Sakura sighed, frowning.
"Where did you get such ideas like that?" Akane shrunk a bit, knowing her mother was disappointed in her.
"I'm just saying the truth," Akane muttered, averting her gaze away from her mother's stare.
"You should never think that way – you should never think someone is inferior to you just because they may not be as good with their jutsu. That's just arrogant, Akane-chan. That's the last thing you want to be. You know, your Papa and I didn't have it easy. I was considered a kunoichi with no talent, and your Papa was the class clown, the one who couldn't make a single clone. Those same kids that you think are beneath you, can certainly pass you by if you keep that arrogance, little lady."
Sakura's eyes bore so much intensity, Akane listened to her every word. Akane held her breath, seeing the passion in her mother's words. Akane gulped, before vigorously nodding.
"I'll try talking to them… I guess," Akane answered, albeit with a pout. Sakura smiled a happy, satisfied smile.
"Good."
"One thing I don't get is how you and Papa became one of the strongest if you were really called those things. You and Papa are so strong now. I can't even imagine you and Papa weak."
"Like I said, we weren't always this strong," Sakura began, making Akane evade her anger to hear her mother out. "We had to work so hard. I had to train under Tsunade-sama every day. It was so tough, you have no idea. You won't believe all the intense training I had to do, all the studying to become the medic I am today, or to fight like I do today. How much I had to learn in such a short time." Sakura smiled, punching her fist into the palm of her hand with conviction. She changed her position, now squatting.
"And Papa... Your Papa had the roughest start of them all. Not even during the war, but when he was a child. It was truly painful for him. He was laughed at, had no friends, and they used to call him dead last," Sakura explained, thinking back to the younger Naruto who would look at the villagers with confusion and disdain. She remembered clutching onto her mother's skirt, innocently watching the spectacle of his boisterous shouts as a child. "He worked so hard to get where he is today. I saw all of it, when we became teammates; how he grew from the bratty little boy who was called dead last, to becoming hokage. I've never seen anyone accomplish the things your Papa has." Sakura stopped her reminiscing, her eyes darted to the ground as she thought of the memories. Akane smiled, noticing the light pink blush over her mother's cheeks and the warm smile her mother held. "Akane, both of us worked hard. We practically came from nothing to get to where we're at. And you are too. You're blessed with more than your father could even dream of, but you will have to put in the work too. Don't think because of your family, you are automatically in line to become Hokage, or even a shinobi. You should know to treat your fellow villagers with respect." Akane shrunk a little at her mother's stare, averting her eyes.
"B-but..." Sakura sighed, remembering why she told Naruto to hold off on teaching her jutsu.
"Remember, arrogance won't get you anywhere, Akane-chan. You still need to work hard and be kind," she said, her hand on Akane's shoulders, her other hand cupping her cheek again before brushing back her bangs. She smiled at her daughter, and Akane instantly felt better.
"You have to treat everyone with respect, especially in the village. As your Papa would say, everyone is your family."
"Papa's always saying that," Akane reminded. She nodded.
"Because it's true!" she answered, smiling at her daughter. Akane sighed.
"I guess I can be nicer to them too," she relented, pouting. Sakura smiled, brushing the other side of her bangs out of her face.
"Good! I'm sure you'll be able to make lots of friends like that." Akane still pouted, her arms crossed.
"But Mama! I don't need any more friends! I have Sarada-chan at least!"
"Sarada-chan just made genin. That means she, along with your brother, will be going on missions from now on. You're not going to see them as often. Don't you want other friends?" Sakura asked. Akane frowned, before looking up to her mom and shook her head no. Sakura gave her another stern look. Akane said nothing, just scrunched her face in the way Naruto would do as a child.
"Fine," Akane finally agreed, and Sakura ruffled her hair.
"How about we go to the hospital for now, and you can finish your homework there?" Sakura offered, and Akane nodded. She was used to this arrangement. Sakura would pick her up from school during her break, before walking back with Akane, who for now, would stay with her. She used to walk home on her own, with Shina and Sarada, but now that they became genin and were off on missions, either Sakura or Naruto would pick her up whenever she got in trouble. This was one of those days where Naruto was remarkably busy, so it was Sakura's turn.
These were the memories now that Akane cherished more than anything. Ones she would dream about and think back to on lonely nights when training was exceptionally hard.
.
Current Time, Regular World
Akane stared herself down in the mirror, her eyes on her hair. She couldn't help but smile, feeling like her old self again. Living her life in Iwa changed her. She remembered, as a child living in Konoha, she was a little girl who was more pompous than caring, more bratty than mature and ready to become a ninja (she was young and didn't know any better). She cared about her appearance, about looking her best to reflect her great parents, worried about staying under their, and her brother's, shadow. She worried what everyone thought quietly, what their whispers revealed.
She was afraid of everyone's judgement if she didn't live up to the rest of her family.
Shina wanted to be a medical ninja after all, following in his mother's footsteps. He also had other ambitions, that he didn't share with his parents.
She huffed, exhaling and feeling like her old self again with her new hair style, being around people that looked familiar, but knowing that her situation has changed tremendously, she has changed significantly.
The tired woman in the other room looked exactly like her mother and even acted like her mother. But Akane had to remind herself that she was not her mother. She wondered if she would ever be able to see them again – her true parents. It was hard, because they actually weren't all that different with her, but there were underlining feelings, reactions, circumstances that made her realize how different they were.
She understood both her parents were different, in that they weren't tied down by guilt and obligation. Her real parents felt warmer, happier than they were in this world.
She opened the bathroom drawer and grabbed clean bandages, ready to wrap her arms and legs again. She knew Sakura noticed the scars on her hands and arms from rigorous training. They were easy to point out. It was from her training in Iwa. Before she was only angry, sad about the whispers Konoha kids gave her. But in Iwa, it was much different, rougher than the leaf village. She was the different one in Iwa, so they would openly insult her hair, her eyes, her looks. Her bright pink hair made her stand out like a sore thumb. She didn't look tough at all, something essential for those who deal with the earth, who are grounded by the earth that can take so much damage, who's strong and sturdy. Akane's looks showed a child, symbolized innocence, which was the last thing an Iwa ninja took pride in. No, she had to fight for her right to become a ninja, she had to earn their respect.
She earned it through these scars on her body and the dirt on her hands, just like every other Iwa ninja. These scars showed her strength, her determination to keep training. She was lucky she had an earth affinity, otherwise it would have been incredibly difficult to even make a stone clone. It felt like starting over in Iwa, but she now understood what her mother meant when she said how hard they had to work to earn their stripes. Her scars, albeit were embarrassing to her now that she was in Konoha with the different atmosphere. She was now in the shadows than in tune with the earth. Now more illusions than the ground that was sturdy and menacing.
Akane was thankful Sakura didn't mention how she got a particular scar on her hands. They were the deepest ones. She wasn't sure how she got these scars, but she knew it must have had something to do with how she got to this world. There was no other explanation. Her dreams, one recurring dream of her parents leaving her, gave her a feeling of dread. Made her feel like it had to do with something from that.
Akane frowned, the bits and pieces of fragmented memories coming back to her.
"We'll come back for you, I promise."
She down to her hands, feeling helpless. "Sasuke-ojiisan… he promised to come back for me, my brother too… but… why haven't they already? It's been years… They either forgot about me, or something bad happened," she whispered to herself.
She frowned, realizing more bits and pieces were coming back to her a little at a time. Spending time with this Sakura and Naruto helped her retrieve more of her memories, helped her dream more good stuff – but also bad.
The blood, the red, those last words she can remember. She knew something bad had happened, it was just hard for her to remember what exactly.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to recall.
.
Akane came back, completely dressed now, smiling at the woman that looked exactly like her mother. Sakura smiled back.
"Hungry? I know instant ramen isn't your favorite, but that's all I have right now," Akane offered.
"That's fine." Sakura smiled. "Can you tell me more about your world?" Sakura asked, her eyes warm but curious and hiding regret. Akane sat across from Sakura once more before she pondered over her world.
"I remember a lot about my world. The only thing that is kind of fuzzy for me, is what made this happen. I remember seeing Sasuke-Ojiisan there. He brought me here, saving me, but I don't remember why. He said he would come back for me, but I don't know what happened after that. He never did, so I'm not sure if I can even go back." Akane explained.
"But how was it living in your world?" Sakura asked.
"My world was great. I remember being so happy with my family. Let's see, Papa was still Hokage, and Mama was the head medic in the hospital. Shina was a genin, but he was going to take the chunin exams with Sarada-chan."
"Shina?" Akane nodded.
"Yeah, that was my older brother, your son." Sakura looked baffled. She couldn't imagine having a son. "He looked like Papa but he had your eyes and he was working towards being a medic ninja like you," Akane explained. Despite herself, Sakura couldn't help but smile at the idea of someone finally taking after her. Akane smiled. "Yeah, his chakra control was always better than mine. But… well, I mean I don't really remember much, but I know I was always loved and cared for. I… miss it," Akane admitted. Sakura frowned.
"Sarada-chan… was my first friend. She was still sad that her Papa was never there for her. That hasn't changed I suppose, but… we were there for her. Like Papa and you still are today. More than anything, she needed all of us because Sasuke-ojiisan couldn't be there. I felt so bad for her, but I get it. Nothing can ever really change him. I don't know if the family life was his thing. But, he did train Shina in order to master certain jutsu."
Sakura absorbed everything.
"Can you tell me… why it's so different here? Why things ended up the way it did? I'm so used to Mama and Papa being together and loving each other, it just feels so weird to me," Akane questioned. Sakura frowned, knowing where she was getting at, and wondering if she should spill everything to this twelve-year-old girl. If she was old enough to understand.
Sakura frowned.
"The difference here… Well, I'm not sure about how Naruto felt, besides what Sai said that one time – even then I don't think it's accurate. But… well…" Sakura frowned, realizing how hard it was to explain these unfortunate feelings.
"I just… thought it was for the best. That we'd both be happier this way," Sakura settled with saying. Sakura smiled at her daughter. "I didn't want…" Sakura sighed, not sure how to put it.
"If you're worried about me understanding, you don't have to. Mama and Papa already told me the story. Plus, Aunt Ino told me all about the ups and downs that happened before – everything my parents left out. She told me it was a lot of work to get you together. A lot," Akane laughed. Sakura sighed. Figures.
"Did you ever hear about the confession in the Land of Snow?" Sakura started off, wondering how far things had changed, if that had even happened in their world. Akane took a moment before she nodded.
"Yeah. Mama got mad the last time Papa and Ino tried telling me about that. She would say, "the point is, I was an emotional teenager. I thought I loved Sasuke, but then I started developing feelings for your Papa. It was a really confusing time," that's all she would tell me. Auntie Ino gave more details though, about how you said an earlier confession, without really… well, Auntie Ino had some… choice words that I shouldn't say out loud." Sakura laughed.
"Sounds like her. But yeah. That much is right. I… I couldn't break his heart then, I thought I was doing the right thing by telling him what he wanted to hear. I thought I could save him… I thought I could save them both, in a way, on my own. I wanted him to be happy, but that backfired on me."
"I told him I loved him, but he knew I still loved Sasuke-kun. He knew something was going on at the time. A part of me knew I could love Naruto. But… it wouldn't be fair to him, when I still had feelings for Sasuke-kun too. Plus, when I saw the lengths Hinata would go for Naruto. I knew I had to let go of any lingering feelings I had for him. It was for both of our own goods. I pushed her towards him, because I knew she would be good to him."
Akane smiled.
"I… I really want to know how things changed between the two worlds. So if it's possible, can you tell me how you and Ojisan got together? I know in my world, Mama accepted Ojisan for who he was, but I think there was also a lot of other differences, right? Because even in my world, Mama had loved both Papa and uncle. Although, she had said that her feelings for uncle had changed, especially after the war. But I'm not really sure how," Akane kept rambling, not really sure how to organize all her disheveled thoughts to figure out what differences occurred to have such different outcomes.
Sakura sighed.
"Truthfully, Sasuke-kun and I didn't get together until much later." Akane's eyes widened, very interested. "A part of me loved Naruto… but at the same time… I was insecure too. I didn't think we would be good for each other."
"Oh, oh, oh! Did Papa confess to you too? Was that the difference? Did you reject him here? If so then I wonder what changed to make you say no," Akane thought for an answer. Sakura quirked her eyebrows together, not understanding what she was talking about.
"What? No, no, Naruto never confessed to me," Sakura confessed, her face contorted as she tried to understand and process what Akane was saying. "Which makes sense, after my confession to him, I didn't think he would ever even look at me the same way again."
"I remember my Mama hated talking about that fake confession, but Aunt Ino would tell me the story when Mama wasn't around. That still happened. That's strange that Papa didn't confess to you here." Sakura thought for a moment, her eyebrows together.
"Yeah, that is…" Sakura bit her bottom lip. She shook her head. Sakura wondered what could have happened if he did. If she would have agreed in this world, if she would have said yes if he really hd. She was curious how he confessed to her, what led up to it. She wondered what changed to make him not confess in this reality… but she stopped herself from pondering on what ifs, remembering her oath of feeling no more regret. "But it doesn't really matter now. We both chose our paths, and that's that." Akane frowned.
"Yeah, I understand that. But I'm trying to figure out what's different from this world. That way I could see if it's possible for me to get back to mine." Akane beamed, hoping Sakura would buy that. Sakura, in turn, raised an eyebrow.
"And how would knowing how I got with Sasuke-kun solve this?" Akane sheepishly giggled, scrambling for an answer.
"Well… you see, the thing is, it was Uncle who brought me here for some reason… I think. He was the one who was learning about different dimensions I think. So if I know the differences here with him and you, I can see if Uncle would be able to take me back to my dimension, or at least understand it," she explained. Sakura thought for a moment.
"I still don't see how that will help, but I think it would be a good idea for Sasuke-kun to know about your situation. Naruto and I have to inform him," Sakura thought aloud. Akane smiled.
"See? It is all for research purposes!" Sakura sighed.
"Well, I don't know about research purposes, but if you want to hear about how we got together, then I guess I don't mind sharing." Akane immediately sat up, leaning into the small coffee table, her ears ready to listen.
"Well… Where to begin..." Sakura brushed her fingers through strands of her short pink hair as she tried to recall old memories that kept their broken marriage together. "Sasuke-kun once said to Sarada-chan that she was what connected us, that we were connected through her. It was because of Sarada-chan that we both fell in love. Because of her, I was able to see a side of Sasuke-kun I had never seen before, and he let me love him, and learned to love again too."
"At one point. I… I kind of stopped thinking of Sasuke-kun too much. I thought that I might be able to move on after he was gone for so long. But then, at some point, he sent me a hawk with a note that said he needed me, with his location. In the message, he said it was an emergency, and to not tell anyone. So of course, I went, no questions asked."
"When I went to him, what I found… I couldn't believe it. And he was so calm about it too, but that's how he's always been." At this point Sakura looked upset just thinking about that time, the audacity.
Sakura continued, "That was one of the first times, I was truly upset with him. I was seething, I would have punched him. I settled for slapping him, though. I think it stung more, anyways, since I don't think he ever expected me to feel this much anger towards him. I kept asking him why he would do this to me and why would he tell me to wait when he let something like this happen. It had been so many years, and it just… it just made me so mad."
Akane watched Sakura, her eyes, blazed with a forgotten sadness, but a content smile.
"We weren't together yet, of course. But he said he would come back, and I guess I thought that meant he acknowledged my love. In a way, I guess he did. I asked him why he called for me, and for him to be honest and open with me, otherwise I would leave. For the first time, he finally told me everything – he told me the truth about what happened. As you know, Sarada is Karin's. And just like typical Sasuke, he just says he's sorry, but this time I didn't let him go so easily. I asked him why he called me and if he loved Karin. Without any hesitation, he told me he didn't love her, and that it was all a mistake. I asked him how, and he told me he felt sorry for her, and that it meant nothing, and he didn't intend for that to happen at all. By that time, she was too weak to take care of Sarada. Even then, Sasuke-kun took her away, knowing that she was going to be wanted if enemies found out about her – he knew they couldn't protect her or take care of her the way she needed. He wanted her raised in Konoha, and he wanted her to be safe."
"That… that doesn't sound like a love story at all, though… I don't understand how you two…" Akane trailed off, now realizing it must have been a lot of gorilla glue needed to stick them together, when their puzzle pieces just did not match at all, it seemed. She couldn't fathom how they would ever work, and she didn't think she would ever understand this.
To her disbelief, Sakura gave her a warm smile.
"A lot of people questioned it, especially since Sasuke-kun is anything but romantic or care for things like that. But I saw a different side of him then. You know, he was the one who kissed me first? I was surprised, but he went out of his way to prove to me that he wanted to be a family."
"We were young, and it was only after Sarada was born that I truly believed him, and where he was finally comfortable with me to finally be vulnerable. When I first found out what happened, I couldn't bear to look at him. It was one of the first times, where I was actually angry with him. It was this rage that was boiling up inside. It was the first time he saw me blow up like that." She giggled. "It was only then, that he finally opened up to me… that he finally explained what happened - how he really felt."
"I loved her so much, she was like my own. Sasuke knew Karin didn't belong in Konoha, she would stay with Orochimaru. Plus, she had to stay behind afterwards since she was sick after giving birth. I had to treat her, but even then, I don't think she would have been able to take care of Sarada even if she wanted to. And Sarada wasn't safe there, anywhere outside of Konoha. So she stayed with me. Karin was still in love with him, so she would do anything for him. She accepted that he wanted to keep her but didn't want to be with her."
"When got married outside the village. We came back with Sarada, and I moved in to his clan's compound with him. For a while, I thought I could be happy, that we could be happy. And we were for a little bit. Those first few years of Sarada's life were incredible. I never expected him to be a good father like that. And he became a good husband. He always tried his best. And I thought things would be different, that he could stay in the village. Until he had his mission, of course. It was only then that things changed. I accepted it, and I knew it had to be done." Sakura looked depressed afterwards, knowing the mission was where everything turned downhill.
He left for so long, that she had no idea who he was anymore.
It felt like the good parts in their relationship were too and far in between.
"Sakura-san?" Akane questioned, her hand on her shoulder now. Sakura finally snapped out of it at her gentle tap, realizing that she was under nostalgia again. She clung to the small good memories that they did share, but she wasn't sure how long she could do that, especially after how it's been so hard for her all these years.
Akane's eyes widened, listening intently.
Sakura's heart reflected her face now, which looked bitter, her eyes down casted and her lips pursed, her eyes looking somber and sullen.
"You want to know the truth? The truth is, after the war, a part of me was waiting for Naruto, too. Even if I tried to deny it, those feelings still existed, they couldn't just go away – the feeling I was making a mistake. But I never let it show, of course. There was always a little voice in my head, wondering what if… but I never gave it much thought, especially after… Well, it really doesn't matter anymore." Sakura shook out of those thoughts, wondering where that had come from, why she would admit that now.
"Awww," Akane frowned, wishing she could hear more. Sakura had to wipe stray tears that fell when she got too emotional. She had said so much, too much.
She couldn't have possible kept it going, kept this façade up for long, especially not in front of the girl that is the living embodiment of her what if scenarios.
.
Once the door slammed shut, Naruto smirked, relaxing into his chair.
"You're just like Kakashi-sensei. You never like using the door," he observed. "You must love to eavesdrop too." He gave out a hearty chuckle, not feeling as lethargic as earlier. "You're even here before nightfall. What do I owe this visit?"
"I found some information that I have to follow up on," he merely explained.
"Care to elaborate?"
"About my long-term mission. On the other Sharingan users," he clarified. Naruto's interest peeked, his fingers interlocking as he examined the man before him. He eyed him carefully, attempting to read his thoughts, which was near impossible. His expression was inscrutable.
Sasuke let out a guttural noise.
"I need to leave." Sasuke wasn't asking, for it was a declarative statement. Naruto always knew him to get straight to the point.
Naruto's fingers laced together again, his elbows pressed against the desk and his chin resting atop as he contemplated said proposal.
Sasuke's mission. His mission took priority. His mission now needed more attention. Akane had more time, he was sure. This one was pertinent that only Sasuke can finish.
He was planning to talk to Sasuke about Akane, finally explaining the circumstances, knowing he might be able to help with the Rinnegan. However, he couldn't bring himself to say it, not right now.
"Alright, I'll grant your request. But please try to finish earlier." Sasuke merely nodded, before he walked out. "You have a family. Would it kill you to stay in the village for a while longer?"
"They'll understand," he simply said, not giving it a second thought.
Naruto knew that Sasuke's current mission took priority anyways. He didn't want to hold any information about Akane any longer, but Sasuke needed to focus on other things.
But no, it was more than just a measure of importance and priority of missions. He knew this immediately.
A part of him didn't want Akane to go. He didn't want to let her go, or let what she represents, go.
A part of him wanted her to stay with them. Because she may not have belonged to them, but he loved her. He truly did. He saw her as his daughter.
And a part of him still felt terrible for it.
"Can you tell Sakura I'm sorry?" Naruto frowned, before shaking his head, glaring at the man.
"Sasuke, you can tell Sakura you're leaving. I'm not your messenger," Naruto declared.
"Tch…" Sasuke looked back with sharp eyes, before turning away and leaving.
The sun set over the village now, the darkness consuming the office. Naruto yawned, questioning himself, wondering about Sakura. As the night approached, he didn't find himself as exhausted.
"That guy," he said under his breath, but still, he smiled after a second. He didn't understand this. He really hoped he would tell her, because he didn't want to be the one to break the news again.
.
AN: Sorry, I'm a little rusty when it comes to writing now (I promise promise promise I will edit this chapter because I know there are probably blatant errors that I made so I will do my best to fix them). However, I wanted to update this now because it might be another long while before I update again (I have to see since I'll be away for a long time). Sorry if it seems like I'm making Sakura vague, but I think she would have trouble talking to Akane about her and Sasuke. Heck, she doesn't want to talk about it with anyone really. To clear things up: No, Sakura was not the virgin marry (Sasuke came back with them and stayed for a while, Sarada just doesn't remember since she was a baby), and she was happy for the most part. I want to pose a question: Should I have a separate story where I post the story of what happened in Akane's world, or should I leave it how I'm doing now? I'll definitely be talking about the world they're in now and how they got here (as you can see is different from the manga), but yeah, what do you think? Separate story or no? Because that is a full story on it's own lol. Please tell me what you think. If there are any editing/grammar errors or continuity errors, please tell me! I haven't been sleeping a lot, so it's easier for me to miss blatant errors recently.