notes: revised! (8/9/19)

rating: K

disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

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29. cat

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Poking the ends of a cat's nose, Sarada stares.

Her face exhibits wonder, her right cheek lying atop her arm lazily curling on the tabletop. Her opposite arm props upward, the gentle but incessant pokes to the feline's nose induces a few adorable noises from the critter and she could not help but marvel at the majestic coat of black fur it has as it casually meows at her.

The cat is currently lost, nameless. She would not want to grace a name onto a pet that had been previously a part of someone else's life, a part of someone's family. Giving it a name would be rude to the original name it holds. So, Sarada merely addresses it as kitty. Sasuke doesn't even bother with a name—he never regards it with anything of the like but gentle pats. Sakura, who was more than compassionate enough to allow her daughter to care for such a darling animal, calls it Grumpy Jr.

("It resembles your Papa," Sakura laughs heartily, her hands stashing away the plates she had just finished wiping. "He used to look like that: mysterious and grumpy." )

Naruto had confessed that Himawari would've loved to care for the darling animal, but it would cause a hassle for Hinata to handle and supervise. He ended up suggesting for Sakura and her family to take care of it, commenting how someone as sour as Sasuke could use a new buddy in his life. Sakura had chortled and thought about the odd look she received from her husband when he heard of her nickname for the cat. It had been dinnertime, and Sarada could've sworn he had smiled a little behind the rim of the bowl he ate rice from. She doesn't comment it, though.

Sarada's eyes languidly trace over the dark critter, her palm settling tentatively on its head.

Sasuke had agreed to take in the feline, but he was a bit speechless when Sarada volunteered to do most of the work. He sometimes fed it at the appropriate times of the day—should he be held up with something, he'd compose a simple bullet list with sticky note on the fridge. Whenever she brought it up to Sakura about how Papa could ever thoroughly know what a cat likes, her Mama would shake her head and like to tell her Papa really likes cats!

During his off days, Sasuke occupies the living room, Sarada remembers, and there'd be a scroll propped at his hand as the cat falls into slumber on his lap and Sakura would sometimes busy herself in the kitchen with an extra plate of food for it. She always thought it was a little strange to see him like that, so contemplative and normal and peaceful. Were cats really that amazing to him? Sarada can't be sure.

She'd only seen another cat aside from this one and it was decided between her and Boruto that Mitsuki would be the one to take it in, and it's so terribly ironic because Sarada had told them that the apartment she and Sakura found had a restriction about pets but here she was, taking care of a cat. Boruto and Mitsuki went off to be boys elsewhere and she was left with not much choices left to hand the cat over to. Sumire and her team were away for the weekend, ChouChou wasn't that great with animals, and Sarada wasn't too close to the other boys enough to ask a favor from them.

So when she took the critter home with her with reluctance weighing her shoulders, Sakura warmed up the idea and Sasuke quietly abides her decision. Sarada expected disagreeing—Sakura initially did disagree, but then she relented not too long after, unable to have the heart to leave the poor thing by itself on the streets. Her Papa didn't say much, but he seemed to like it. If he wasn't letting it rest on his lap for a nap, then Sasuke was petting it or feeding it.

("He doesn't admit it much—" Sakura starts gently, fingers firmly grasping onto the end of a comb to properly brush her daughter's hair, "—but your Papa has a really soft spot for cats. Said they weren't 'noisy' or 'troublesome' to have around." She hadn't told Sarada, but Sasuke's fondness also came from his redemption travels. Sometimes, when he's by himself underneath trees, stray cats came by and gave him some semblance of peace. He'd told her in his letters that they welcomed him.)

"Sarada."

She looks at the threshold of the door. He's home. "Papa? Welcome back."

His shoes scuff against the floor as he removes them and his cloak, and he nods. "How is it doing?"

Clarification was not needed. "It's being extra lazy today—" Her finger pokes it on the nose again and the cat merely tries to lick it as she takes her finger away. "—since you were gone, I think." She pets its head. "It didn't want to play with me." She'd tried yarn, balls, treats—all of it futile and it's probably because the cat wasn't a dog and she has no idea how to take care of a cat despite her previous optimism. Maybe she should've asked Mitsuki first before this.

"Come—I'll help you." The cat leaps off the table, approaching Sasuke. "I'll show you what it likes. Sakura won't be back until dinnertime, so we have some time."

Sarada beams.