notes: revised! (8/12/19)
rating: K
disclaimer: i don't own naruto.
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33. giggles
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"Thank you for volunteering to help with Sarada's costume, anata," says a hoarse-sounding Sakura, hair disheveled with a warm blanket around her shoulders. Her hands weakly clutch at the blankets closer to her, a feeble attempt to keep herself warm from the chilly early evening air. Despite it being closed, the cold breeze seems persistent to seep through even the smallest of cracks. He nods at her as reassurance that it wasn't a bother to him.
Sakura blows into a tissue, back wearily flat on their couch.
Halloween is today, yet today is also the day that Sakura just had to catch a fever from one of her patients yesterday—it was utterly ridiculous! Sakura, Konohagakure's best medical doctor, sick and bedridden! On Halloween day too, not to mention! Shizune and Ino had piped in about how she was also overworking too this month, and it turns out to be true. Sakura had been trying her hardest this month to finish everything on the agenda lately and while it isn't wise for a doctor to rush into things, she just really wanted to make it home on time to celebrate Halloween—with her family and friends without work in the way. Sasuke also managed to find the time to come back in time for it, for he knew just how much she loved the festivities.
He sacrificed time for her, and she wanted to reciprocate that. Being sick wasn't on the agenda and it never was planned either. She couldn't even heal herself since most of her chakra went into her patients instead. The best she had were medicinal pills and those work painstakingly slow. A doctor at her own peril and carelessness. How shameful. But maybe this is fine—Tsunade remarked how Sakura being ill reminds her that Sakura's still a human, not a non-stop working machine. Tsunade also demanded her on bed rest, and Sakura wanted to argue that she could heal herself in a couple of hours after her chakra comes back. The woman had lifted her alcoholic bottle and nearly screamed at her to get rest like a normal human being.
To add more salt to the wound, contrary to the fun and exciting atmosphere that Halloween is known for, there also its cons. Sometimes Sakura has to, reluctantly, look forward to treating more patients around this time of year. Enemies apparently love to ambush Konoha civilians when people are busy trying to spice up the village for the festivities with materials obtained from neighboring villages. She could've laughed at the situation—why is there a reason to attack Konoha when the war was over? Trade routes were being frequented more to deliver goods for the festivities being hosted. It establishes good connections and camaraderie, so why would there be a need to disrupt that? She didn't get it.
Maybe some shinobi are just truly unsatisfied with the world, opting to find the littlest of things to fuss about. If it's Naruto's guidance as Hokage they're unsatisfied about, they would have to take it up with her, tired or not.
This year on this particular Halloween, three year-old Sarada is merrily clapping her hands in a show of excitement the moment she sees Sasuke readying to place a witch's hat on her head.
The original plan was to have her as a zombie, makeup and everything, when Sakura had found her daughter all surrounded with her own makeup when she'd came back from work one day. However her husband apparently didn't agree to letting his daughter coat her face in silly paint in risk of her face so Sakura, in a fit of tired defeat from her sickness, sighed her way into agreeing on a simple witch costume instead. Not too terribly affected by her sickness, Sakura had let Sarada borrow one of her treasures for her costume: the red ribbon Ino had given her when they were children. It accentuated the frills and colors of the dress, especially her glasses, with its bright red.
Sarada particularly seems to love the broom the costume came with. Sasuke could see the discomfort on his wife's face when their child won't stop poking her arm with the accessory in question, sympathy clear in his silent gaze. "Sarada… Honey, take it easy on Mama's tired limbs, okay?" Sakura weakly laughs, unable to find strength to do anything else. "Don't want Mama's arms falling off, huh?"
He makes a slight movement, an arm lifted to gently stop the vivid movement, but he's forced to take a pause. Sakura, rather uncomfortable with lying on the couch and having her arm assaulted, smiles at him. The crease of her brow speaks against the action, but he soon steps back in quiet surrender and lets Sarada's gurgled laughter flood the room. Let her have her fun, her eyes tell him.
Understandably, the change of plans of switched costumes was unknown to Sarada. She couldn't comprehend adult speech yet, and therefore, had no clue that she would not be caking her face in purple makeup or dressing up in an undead-looking outfit. Sasuke admittedly hadn't an idea of how excited she had been for this holiday, but he is quite aware that Sarada wanted nothing more than a fun Halloween, which is another reason why he went with witches. He thought she would have fun casting make-believe spells on her friends. That's what children like to do, right? Prank people? He's not too terribly familiar with trends, if there were even any.
If poking Sakura on the arm with a plastic broom was the first step to making it a fun Halloween, then Sasuke is willing to let his wife make the decision of either withstanding it or stopping it and respecting her on it.
He knows which option she took, so he merely watches at the endearing scene, Sarada's ecstatic laughter echoing against their quiet walls.
"Now it's Papa's turn to be poked!"
Ah.
