notes: typos fixed! (12/27/2018)

rating: K

disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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3. pain

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Sakura stops in her task of watering the small vase of golden daffodils by the window when she heard a faint yell coming from the living room. Instantly, she places the watering can down to run to the source. Apprehension, in an uncomfortable rush of adrenaline, piles in her stomach when she finds a pouting Sarada on the ground with a look that can tell anyone that she was not okay. Bravado mustered, she steps forward and bends directly next to her daughter, picking up the glasses which had fell from Sarada's flushed, vexed face. "...Sarada, what happened?"

Said girl merely huffs and crosses her arms. "Mom, boys are stupid," Sarada claims, indignantly, lightning behind her darkening eyes and furrowing brow. In Sarada's right hand, Sakura spots a flower—a white camellia, to be exact—and she smiles broadly because she knows the secret meaning behind the flower. Poor Inojin; perhaps he's undergoing his puberty stage and became a little delusional to pick the wrong girl for his love life. Sarada isn't exactly the type for romance, considering who is her father.

Sarada, however, stares at her mother bemusedly. As a person who never indulges herself in botany, she knows not why her mother smiles. She couldn't help but question, "Mama, why are you laughing?" Was it all a joke? She couldn't quite comprehend it as she reflects on Inojin's bashful face earlier this Sunday afternoon, when the sun's light bounced off his trying smile towards her. He'd known her for a while, so why would he do that? ChouChou had given her a look that moment—her best friend never said a word, but Sarada remembered ChouChou's quirked eyebrow when Inojin had been chattering away about today's lesson in school.

Gingerly, Sakura slips the glasses back on Sarada before she answers back with amusement, "Tell me Sarada, who gave you that flower?"

"It was Inojin; he kept just came over to my desk after school today and handed me this—" Sarada gestures to her right hand. "—to me. When I asked him why, he just said he felt like it." Her fingers absentmindedly twirled the camellia's stem as her eyes wanders over its ivory petals. "Mama, why are boys so weird?"

Well, considering the boys she had grown up with, Sakura all but gives a low hum and tucks a loose pink strand behind her ear. "Who knows? Boys will be boys." As a loving, motherly gesture, she ruffles Sarada's hair, ignoring the girl's whines about having to comb her hair later. "What did you do before he gave it to you?"

Sakura studies how her daughter's mouth droops suddenly, a look of aggravation fills into Sarada's eyes. "A classmate of mine insulted me and called me 'stupid four-eyes.'" Sarada scoffs as she continues, "Honestly Mama, I've got some of the best grades in the class, and she has the gall to call me that?" Were they simply raised to be kooks or were they just that rude?

The pink-haired woman smiles once again, now knowing why her best friend's son had presented such a flower to Sarada. What a kind boy he is. "Come on dear, I'll start dinner. You can help me set the table. Don't think so much that your hair will fall off."

"Ha ha, Mama. I'm going to find a vase for this first, though.".

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note: A reviewer (IamWhatIamBaby) asked me in the reviews what does a white camellia means, and I realized I forgot to put down it down for you guys who are probably too lazy to go google it lol. From what I searched, it means "You're adorable," and that was Inojin's special way of cheering Sarada up. Hope that cleared up some confusion!