Hello everyone!
Isn't it great to see Sasuke training Sarada in recent episodes of anime? I just love it and after watching episode no. 168, I came across this idea.
Hope you enjoy it and leave your thoughts in review.
Once again, thanks to my friend, CherryBerry12 for her suggestions.
Oct 16, 2020: I'm so sorry if someone gets the wrong idea. I didn't mean to emphasise strongly on the 'gene' part. Thanks anon for pointing the thing out. Hopefully, I made the necessary edits to rectify my mistake.
The digital clock on the bedside table read 02:00. Green eyes reflected the faint neon light radiating from the clock. Tired from running errands for the entire day, Sakura was supposed to be out like a light when her body hit the soft bed, but she couldn't sleep.
Her day had been as long as it usually was, considering both her responsibilities at the hospital on top of her household chores. Today she had an extra thing to look on too. Sakura was worried about her daughter's health during her shift, and she debated checking into her training. She knew training for Sarada was essential and having Sasuke in the village was a big opportunity for her daughter to polish her skills.
Her worries had distracted her, and she'd ended up staying at the hospital late. An empty and dim-lighted hallway had greeted her when she got home. After checking on her sleeping daughter, she had slipped in bed beside Sasuke to get some rest herself.
But it was useless. Sakura tossed and turned within sheets restlessly, unable to sleep. Every time she shut her eyelids, she could see her daughter getting hit, falling to the ground, panting heavily, clothes ruined with grime, her eyes bleeding . Her daughter barely had any time to recover and the thought of her extreme training made a mother's heart quiver.
"Are you okay?"
Sasuke didn't know when Sakura joined him in bed, but being a light sleeper, Sakura's restlessness stirred him out of his slumber.
Sakura had her back facing Sasuke. She rolled over to face him when she heard his voice.
"I can't sleep," she said, staring back at Sasuke blankly.
He knew exactly what was bothering her.
"You came to see Sarada's training?"
Although a question, Sakura knew Sasuke had noticed her presence back then.
"Yes," she sighed. "I'm worried about her eyes bleeding when she overuses her Sharingan. I feel like she's overexerting herself."
Sasuke nodded, acknowledging her concern. He was disheartened too, seeing his daughter going through a rough time, but he hadn't been the person to show them.
"Don't worry. You also underwent harsh training. Don't get biased when it comes to Sarada."
Sakura knew he was right, and she was overthinking about certain other things too. Before she could respond, Sasuke pulled her closer and looked intimately in her eyes with the expression that always left her cheeks flushed.
There wasn't enough light in the room to see Sakura's face, but there was enough for him to figure out that her gleaming green eyes were dull.
"Relax," Sasuke whispered, caressing her pink strands while his lips brushed over hers. The kiss started languidly but picked up momentum when their tongues clashed. Sakura moaned in his mouth with her senses numbed by pleasure. For a moment, she wanted to ditch her thoughts and indulge in it, but the chattering in her head was distracting her and she pulled away.
"I don't think I can do this tonight," she apologized, panting.
Sasuke understood her reluctance. After all, Sakura had shared a much larger portion of their daughter's life compared to him. He also knew Sakura had been quite shaken after the incident.
Sasuke said nothing, but he rested his hand on the back of her head, his fingers threading through her hair.
The space between them was once again filled with silence - comforting for Sasuke but tormenting for Sakura. Inside her mind, it was unbearable - chaotic and loud. The urge to voice her thoughts increased with each passing minute. She breathed sharply and said accusingly, "What good have I done being a medic?"
Sasuke, whose eyes were still closed - content from her presence, frowned, clueless as to what she was talking about.
Sakura continued, "I couldn't even treat my own daughter's eyes. It's my fault." she paused, trying not to break down, "Besides if- if you had…"
Sasuke opened his eyes and was met with green eyes glistening with tears.
"If what, Sakura?"
Sakura faltered, "If you had- married someone- from an elite clan, maybe- Sarada would have been stronger."
All those years of waiting for Sasuke seemed futile to her because she was disillusioned due to her daughter's suffering - to see all the happiness they had shared together.
"Just what the hell are you talking about?" Sasuke was infuriated now.
"This never happened to you until you activated the Mangekyou, right?" A single tear rolled from her eye as she struggled to speak her next words, "Sasuke-kun, it's because- because of my genes."
Anger evident in his eyes, he looked towards Sakura. Unable to form sentences, he pulled her in a kiss to shut up her nonsense. He poured every bit of his frustration and wanted her to know that she was wrong. After getting a kick to say things, he released her. Sakura gasped for air, flabbergasted with his unusual action.
Sasuke snapped, "Cut it out, Sakura. If I had been present in Sarada's life when she was younger, her eyesight wouldn't have been damaged. It's my fault. Stop taking blame for everything on yourself."
Sakura closed her eyes, trying best not to show her tears. Deep down, she wanted to punch herself, just what was she doing - hurting Sasuke more? The encounter with Shin and his clones had proven that parental love and care was superior to the genetic combinations that impart identity to a child. She gripped the sheet tightly, trembling from inner pain - all her strong beliefs wrecked by emotional turbulence.
Maybe she turned the issue more serious than it was necessary.
Sasuke sighed and pressed his forehead against Sakura's. With a soft tone, Sasuke spoke again, "Marrying you was one of the few right decisions I have made in my life."
Sakura opened her misty eyes slowly and gazed into his mismatched ones. His comforting look was enough to calm her down.
"Sarada is our perfect combination. And like you, she has a knack of hard work."
Sakura stared into his eyes in amazement. Sasuke was never good with emotions nor with words, yet when she was drowning in self-doubts, her husband made her realize that the very existence of Sarada in both of their lives - the result of their love, proved her gibberish wrong.
"Do you understand?" Sasuke asked as he ruffled her hair.
Sakura nodded, wiping her tears dry, and smiled, "Thank you, Anata."
"Annoying woman," Sasuke snickered and Sakura snuggled closer to him, giggling. Embracing his warmth, she reminded herself again - with three of them together, there was nothing that could break them.
Hopefully, I can finally conclude this fic now, but seeing SasuSaku in Boruto, my brain just keeps giving me ideas to write xD.. I was in the middle of my exams when this plot popped up in my mind.
Thank you for reading :)