notes: typos fixed! (5/23/19)
rating: K
disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
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17. family
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What does family mean to you?
Sarada stares rigidly at the question that sits on top of her assignment paper. She grips her pencil and diligently puts down the words that swarms her mind. Her heart felt achy from reading it the first time—talking about family wasn't something she liked to do, especially when her Papa was practically non-existent for the past decade of her whole life. Had it not been for Sakura and her tight loving hugs and everlasting kindness, Sarada would never know how to answer this question. It would've been a half-hearted attempt, but half-hearted was better than an empty paper. And Shino-sensei appreciated effort above none given.
"To me, family is something that consists of people who will care for me."
She exhales deeply, unable to stop her arm from marking her paper with words from the heart. Not because she wanted an excellent grade for it, but because of family—that one word Sarada seemed to treasure and value often.
The clock ticks nine o'clock, and Sarada never noticed it.
"Family is what my mother, my father, and I make up. Family is what treats me with love as I grow older. Family is also about loving each other until the day you die. A family is created when I'm born from the love shared by my mother and father. Having a family is what motivates me to sit through a day in school, because I know that my family will greet me with smiles when I step through the door."
When she hears footsteps gradually sounding louder, Sarada sets down her pencil as Sasuke pokes his head in her room.
"Sarada," he speaks up a quiet moment after she places a paper weight on her assignment. "It's time for dinner."
"Okay, Papa!" She looks happy; Sasuke wonders about the cause before the effect.
He steps aside for her to walk past, yet he doesn't follow her nor did she stop to turn and question him. By the time he hears her thumping feet in the living room, Sasuke raises the paper weight and he sees her neat writing. Curiosity kills the cat, so they say. Perhaps, he thinks, she had gotten another good mark on her work—it was no surprise to the household that she is a remarkable child, clever for her age and too reminiscent of Sasuke about his prodigy status.
The word 'family' was written at the top by Sarada's impeccable handwriting. Sasuke feels himself stop, a vain attempt to stop himself. The subject of family got to him like it does with Sarada—it gave him guilt and regret that his mission had to take so long. It's not too uncommon to know that Sasuke isn't a family man; no one thought he'd settle down—no one thought he'd ever have a family. It never was his thing, his younger self would admit.
He loves Sakura (he still has a hard time coming into terms with admitting it), but he just didn't know how to approach Sarada. Sakura had been there for a long time by his side, she had seen all things good and bad about him. They had time to bond and establish trust, no matter how shaky it had been. Then there's Sarada. He'd missed her whole childhood, hadn't visited home that often to see her once, and he had almost ended her life in accident when they actually met. How shameful. How stupid of him.
He could understand why Sarada would be skittish with him, and he didn't make anything of it. If she hated him, he'd allow it. Sasuke wanted to make it up to her for a while, even going far enough to trust Kakashi's advice (which failed miserably, and Sasuke felt killing intent rising in his chest) from a dumb book written by an even dumber man. If he'd learned anything from that experience, it would be that he now understood the extent of how much 'you're annoying' can hurt after hearing it. He needs to apologize to Sakura about that, still. He can't tell how he should react to it; it's too terribly ironic.
As Sasuke skimmed past Sarada's paper in a matter of seconds, he had to smile at the small doodle at the bottom corner of the page.
It was Sasuke, Sakura, and Sarada's heads inside a heart—small smiles, and no frowns.
Maybe it's still not too late to make it up to her after all.
