Sorry guys, I have been procrastinating * sighs * I guess this pandemic is driving me crazy now.
But thank you all for your supports that's what helps me write!
"Tadaima. Oh, Papa came!" an excited voice drifted as she threw her sandals beside her father's.
Neither Sasuke nor Sakura bothered to move from their position after picking up their daughter's voice. They saw an overly joyous and happy figure pacing towards them.
Sarada was a little startled to see her father's head resting on her mother's lap. It was something new to her and she was getting accustomed to although she understands now the connection their parent share is stronger than she can imagine. She shot a look at her mother raising an eyebrow grinning.
Sakura flushed red seeing her daughter's curiosity averting her eyes away and shuddered to explain, so she doesn't get any wrong impression "we-we were waiting for you… so-so we were… just reminiscing some moments..."
Well, the explanation justified their daughter's wrong impression. Sarada knows how much her mother gets giddy around her father.
Finally, to smoke out awkwardness she blurted "You're late, Sarada!"
Sasuke chuckled on such a naive and unnecessary explanation as their daughter darted an amusing look. "I guess I should give you guys some space."
Sasuke's face turned white as a ghost after hearing those words coming from her daughter.
Straight forward remarks like him! After all, she is her daughter.
Sasuke drew out from his position reclining on the couch again. Sakura smirked on satisfaction. "Serves you right!"
"Ne papa how long are you staying this time?" Sarada spoke as her eyes gleamed looking forward to spending some time with her father.
"A week" Sasuke responded nonchalantly.
"Really?" Sarada said brimming with joy. "You'll help me train then?"
Sarada knows her father won't deny her request still it was something precious for her to get an assertive nod from her father.
"Aah." Sasuke nodded smilingly. "Boruto even" Sasuke sighed as he remembered his loud-mouthed student nagging for training when he left previous time. His dobe friend has successfully passed his idiotic set of genes.
"Baka Boruto!" Sarada remarked irritated.
"Did something happen again, Sarada ?" It always entertains Sakura to think about how her daughter was in the same terms with Boruto as she was with Naruto in their younger days.
Sasuke questioned a look. For the little days, he has spent training her team, it didn't seem that unusual but he remained silent to listen to her daughter since has spent too little time with them.
"He is the reason we are late." She snarled. " He fussed about hamburgers all through the way while we were returning and fell into a trap that we set when we started our mission." last few words losing the heat of her voice.
She wanted to be the Hokage! Damn it! How could be she be in the same team with that fool!
Sasuke and Sakura exchanged a look. Sarada noticed both of their lips curling and finally, Sakura guffawed as Sasuke closed his eyes and gave an amused smirk.
Sarada thought they were both mocking over her team's stupidity and was about to protest when Sakura said while laughing "Remember Sasuke Kun?, Naruto once slipped and fell flat on the ground complaining about how Ichiraku is serving coarse noodle in the ramen!"
"Hn. That loser" Sasuke nodded.
"Huh? Nanadaime?" Sarada said with a shocked expression as she couldn't match up the current Hokage's image with her parent's version.
"Didn't I say you before, Sarada that for us he is just Baka Naruto who has been always obsessed with ramen." Sakura giggled as she got from her place and patted her daughter's head.
"Hn but Boruto is so stupid" Sarada pouted crossing her arms around her chest.
That way of remarking! After all, she was her daughter.
"Sarada, go and take a shower. I will be setting your dinner." Sakura said as she motioned toward the kitchen.
"Mama, I am full."
Sakura shot her a look. She definitely knew her baby was always hungry after missions and it was totally not like her.
"Well, you see Boruto fell on the trap that I had set," she said as she gazed down to the floor a little embarrassed. "So I had to treat him hamburger as compensation after returning to the village. So I ate there too. Sorry" Sarada said almost in a crying face and her voicing shaking. She knew family dinners were special for them as they didn't get them much.
"Sarada, don't worry. We ate together. We were waiting for you to return." Sakura smiled as she reached to comfort by hugging her.
Sarada lifted her spectacles and quickly wiped the tear from the corner of her eyes before they could fall as Sakura pecked a kiss on her cheeks.
"Mama, No. I am grown up!" Sarada frowned being ashamed as her father was also there. Sarada always wanted to show her father how much she has grown up and how much she is grasping hold of Jutsus that her father teaches her and her mama here is definitely ruining her image.
Sakura teasingly said "I knew it…" her laughter jingling through the room. "Like father, like daughter!"
Sasuke glared towards her direction.
Yeah. So much like her Sasuke Kun.
Sarada leaped towards Sasuke as pairs of shining black eyes pleaded "Ne papa, can we sleep together? Three of us. Tonight."
Sasuke was first unsure about the idea then he assertively nodded. Sakura didn't fail to notice a faint smile forming on his thin lips.
"Mama we can sleep here right?" Sarada merrily exhorted.
"Yeah. Let me get futons." Sakura showed the same enthusiasm as her daughter as she went inside a room to get those.
"Papa, that would be fun right?"
Sasuke looked at his daughter gently smiling. "Hn."
"I will be back" Sarada announced cheerily as she ran towards her room.
Just like her mother. Impatient and awfully excited.
Being left alone by both of the females of his house, he reflected the years he has spent with them. The silence that swept due to both of their momentary absence tricked him to vision the family that he lost long ago, the loss that tainted his innocent heart. Memories swayed across his mind of the desperate and unforgiven actions he committed fueled by the loss of the loved ones. And after he had left darkness and hatred, sometimes being surrounded by so much happiness baffles him. It started with Sakura accompanying him on his journey to Sarada, whose very existence amplifies his belief that he has his own family now.
To solidify his thoughts, he walked towards the place where the physical proof of their togetherness was kept, the picture of three of them.
He sighed, one devoid of regret or disappointment but it almost like a child's request. I wish Okaasan, Otousan, and Niisan could have lived to see this. The melancholy of his eyes reflected on the glass of the picture frame.
He wished to tell his mother that he married a woman who has a gentle heart like her, who loves him so much that he's even amazed. He wished he could be like his father who was capable of honing skills of his sons, which he fails to do, protecting the village from shadows. Finally, he wants to speak to Itachi, how her daughter bears a strong will just like him, which makes him so proud.
He realizes that it's just his appearance and the members of his family that have changed but the comfort and love are preserved, that he longed when he walked on the path of revenge.
"Sasuke Kun, please help me to shift the table." His attention shifted towards his wife who was wearing a red tunic now hugging all futons and pillows and dumping them on the couch at once.
So impatient and awfully excited. He mentally remarked.
"Doesn't it feel great to see how little things like these make her happy?" Her genuine smile expressing her happiness also.
Sasuke remained silent. It's hard for him to believe how much his daughter has grown in his absence. Although through these years Sakura updated him with those so he doesn't miss them. Every detail of Sarada's likes and dislikes, about what makes her happy at the end of a bad day, the first day of her academy, and the proud smile on her face when she got a perfect score at a test. But to his dismay, he forgets them sometime!
He closed his eyes as a deep pain arises from the abyss as he regrets never asking Sakura how badly his daughter had missed him when he was not around her for so long. His travels endowed him with pride that he is sacrificing his comforts for sake of village, but all through these years, he bottled up his pain of missing his family deep down. But seldom he thinks is this worth it as his contribution to being a father is nil.
The former avenger who claimed in the past that he is all alone, himself craves for the company of people who love him. At least he has some memories with Sakura but with his daughter, so limited that he guesses Sarada can count them with fingers. He was totally taken back in his own world until Sakura snapped him out of it.
"Something bothering you, Anata?"
"Aah." He too cannot escape his wife's concern.
"About Sarada?"
"I've missed most of the things from her life." Regret voicing out from his statement.
"Anata," Sakura spoke carefully measuring her words as not to add to his burden. "It was hard for her when she was a child… to not feel your presence." Tears clouding her vision being reminded of her daughter's continuous question about Sasuke's whereabouts.
"But don't you see how happy she gets now when you are home and spends time with her!", she grinned abandoning her tears.
Sasuke looked carefully towards her with the same saddened eyes. Although he knows Sakura doesn't like thanking her much for taking care of things in his absence, he can't help but be always grateful to her.
"Don't worry. Sarada perfectly understands your need for the Shinobi World." It was a thought that always has plagued both of them as parents. After his wife reassuring him, he understands all he has to do is to create some more memories for his daughter.
Sasuke finally smirked as her wife was losing patience for not helping her for shifting the table.
Annoying. She could have done that alone. He thought as he moved towards her.
Sakura triumphantly smiled as both of them shifted the table and Sakura advised him to get a change of clothes.
Thank you all for reading. I will be updating soon. :)