It was 9 AM
Sasuke turned over and saw Sakura at his side, sleeping awkwardly, sitting with her head on the couch.
Then he felt something in his hand...her hand.
He took benefit of her sleeping and gripped her hand tighter and brushed his thumb over her silky and thin fingers—such delicate hands.
As soon as he felt her stirring in sleep, he shut his eyes closed again and heard a tiny, barely audible mix of squeak and gasp. Then her hand left his.
It was his secret. The last time he'll hold her hand.
The door slammed open, and that woke him up; well, that's what he showed. He got off the couch.
"Okay, before you kill me, it's not my fault. Boruto and Sarada fought at their nursery with this kid and got sent home." Naruto walked in with both kids on his sides, holding his hands.
Sakura yawned as the sleep left her body and crouched to look at both kids. "First, tell me, are you both okay?"
They nodded with red eyes, which meant they had been crying, "Yes, Aunty Sakura." "Yes, Mama."
And then she brought them to the couch so they could sit. "Now tell me what happened?"
Sarada stayed quiet, and Sakura had no idea what this was about. "Can I tell Aunty Sakura?" Unlike her, Boruto was good with his words.
"Yes, tell me." Sakura encouraged him to go on.
He hid his sad face by looking at the floor and started, "Me and Sarada were playing ninja in class. And a big, very bad Tai pulled Sarada's hair and teared her drawing. Then she started crying, and I hited Tai with my bag, and then we goed to the principal's office."
Sasuke was making a mental note that his daughter pronounced names wrong and liked to call herself Sarada a lot. And Boruto didn't know how to use past tenses. Cool kids.
Both kids started crying, recalling what happened a few minutes ago and jumped into Sakura's arms. She comforted them, and they quieted down after a minute.
Naruto leaned by the wall and scratched his pretend beard. "I'll talk to the principal. What kind of school is this where kids get bullied and get sent home when it's not even their fault."
Sasuke, who had no right to interfere, went to the kids and squatted; he put on his best smile. "Boruto, let's not hit someone, but it's fine only because you did it for a nice reason. But it's better to tell a teacher or your Mama and Papa."
Baruto gave a toothy grin. "Okay."
And then Sasuke glanced at his daughter. "If someone messes with you, you tell the teacher right away and tell them to call your Mama or Kashi or Uncle Ruto. And no matter what anyone says, never take it at heart. It's just a bad kid who doesn't know anything."
"Okay, Suke." She gave a thumbs up.
Now came the tickle monster. "Stop!" "No!" The kids laughed, and the room temperature went back to normal.
Sarada pointed at Sasuke, introducing him. "He is Suke."
Baruto waved at this stranger in front of him. "Hi, Suke." Sasuke wanted to correct them, but it was okay. They're just kids, and he has to agree 'Suke' sounds better than 'Sasuke.'
"He likes Tomatoes too, like Sarada and Boruto," Sarada told her best friend.
Eyebrows raised. "Boruto, you like Tomatoes too? I thought you'd like Ramen like your Papa."
Baruto shook his head and puffed his cheeks. "Sarada gived me Tomato soup, and now I like it. No, I don't like Ramen; only Papa does."
Naruto whined from afar. "Hey!"
The whole room was filled with laughter, but suddenly Sasuke coughed, feeling uncomfortable. "I will be leaving now."
Out of nowhere, Sarada and Boruto hugged his legs. "Eat pancakes with us!" "Please, Suke, stay!" Since when were these kids so comfortable with him? They don't even know him.
"Sorry, I have to go."
They looked at him with their adorable big eyes. "Where?"
Sasuke was stuck now because he couldn't come up with one single lie; luckily, Sakura saved him. "He has to go back home."
Without any thought, Naruto agreed with her. "Yes, he has to leave."
Jumping up and down on the couch as an idea formed in Sarada's head, she asked, "We don't have school. Eat pancakes with Sarada and Boruto, then go to Toy shop with us."
"I am sorry, I have to go home." Hearing these words, Sarada started crying, and Boruto cried because of her.
Sasuke looked at Sakura helplessly, and she had to control her laugh. "Ok, Suke will stay today. He'll eat pancakes and then go to the Toy shop with you. Now stop crying." He was shocked by her words, and so was Naruto. Didn't she hate him, and didn't they decide he would leave today?
"Pinky promise?" Sarada held out her pinky to Sasuke.
Why was she so adorable? "Your Mama said yes. I Pinky promise." And then both kids jumped on Sasuke.
Naruto walked up to Sakura and whispered in her ear, "You can take a day off, and is it okay if Boruto stays with you? Also, I really don't think those kids can be separated today, especially after what happened."
Agreeing with his idea, she sighed. "I'll call the hospital and let them know. Yeah, you're right; it's better if Boruto stays here."
He gave her his iconic smile. "The Hokage will do; you just have fun!"
"You really like using the title, don't you?"
"Hey, I earned it! I'm the president of our village."
"Right, right, alright, Boruto can sleep over, pick him up tomorrow and take the kids to their school. Okay?" She raised her eyebrow, making sure he was in on the plan.
Naruto gave a thumbs up and asked his son, "Okay, Mister Ninja, now do you want to sleepover here? I can pick you both in the morni-"
As expected, both kids jumped on him, and he fell backwards like a stick. "Yes!" "Yes!"
Sakura called her workplace to take an off day because she knew Naruto would forget and began making the pancake material for the kids.
Naruto pulled Sasuke out of the house and gave him a piece of his mind. "Well, first, I'll punch you for leaving." Who tells before punching? "And now I don't want to hear shit about leaving again. Beg for forgiveness if you have to, or wait years to be forgiven if it takes that long. But don't you fucking dare leave your wife and daughter again?"
"I am leaving. I came back to explain my reasons to her." Sasuke rubbed his jaw where he got punched.
The Hokage grabbed him by his collar. "Bullshit. I know you enough to see that you want to be with your family. I don't care whatever the reason was you left. It's between you and Sakura, but I swear if you plan to leave again, you won't be taking a step out of the village with your body alive."
"That's a threat?"
"It's a promise!" He returned back to his usual self. "Anyways, good to see you again."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Likewise, stupid."
Naruto walked to his car and waved before driving away. "Bye"
With a tiny smirk, Sasuke waved back, "Bye, stupid."
Tiny footsteps ran towards him and crashed him from behind. "Pancakes are ready!"
Sasuke crouched down and stopped the urge to hold her in his arms. "Are they now? Then let's eat; we don't want pancakes going cold, do we?"
"No, we don't!" Sarada giggled and bit her bottom lip.
She was so similar to someone special he once had in his life. "You look like your Mama, Sarada."
Sarada gasped. "Really? Everyone says Sarada looks like father." This meant a lot to her. All her life, she had wanted to look like her mother.
"Nope, you look like your Mama."
"Thank you, Suke!" She threw her arms around his legs tightly.
Sasuke was confused at her reaction. "You're welcome, Sarada. Not let's eat pancakes."
Sarada ran back into her house while Sasuke followed her slowly, confused about these feelings and instincts that were rising in him.
He stood there like a stick; there were only two chairs, and Boruto and Sarada sat on them.
"You don't have more chairs?"
"No," Sakura stiffened and almost dropped Sarada's plate.
Ok, he should not talk further. "Why not?"
Boruto spoke with a mouth full, "It's only Sarada and Aunty Sakura. So two."
Well, this broke his heart the already broken heart was destroyed "Hn."
Sakura clenched her jaw; she didn't want to talk to him. "Sit on the couch. I'll bring you pancakes there."
Quickly he sat on the floor by the leg of the small dining table. "You hate messes. I'll eat on the floor." He remembered.
"Right." She muttered under her breath and gave him one of her strawberry-flavoured pancakes.
The scent of her breakfast hit his nose, and tears appeared in his eyes, so he looked at the floor or the pancakes on the floor "Hn" Thank you, he meant.
He missed her cooking. It was made with such love.
Sarada took the first bite of her pancake and was squealing from the taste. "Mama, your pancakes is the best!"
As always, Boruto agreed with her, "Aunt Sakura, you're the best!"
"Thank you, kids!"
It felt like Sasuke had to say something now "They are nice." Just as I remember, his heart ached.
Were Itchai and Naruto, right? Should he just stay with his family and leave that absurd belief behind him?
She didn't thank him for the compliment. "Ok, now eat quickly and get ready to go to the Toy shop. Baruto, we have some of your clothes too!"
These kids always had sleepovers, so they had clothes, shoes and toothbrushes at each other's houses, which will again come in handy today.
Finishing his food Boruto jumped off his chair and, knowing he wanted a kiss on the cheek, Sakura kneeled down. "Thank you, Aunty Sakura."
"Love you, my babies." After kissing him on both cheeks, she almost crushed him with her tight motherly hugs.
Sarada finished her breakfast and took tiny steps back and forth nervously. "Mama, can we please go to Amusement Park."
This is what sucks about being a single parent; you can't afford anything. "We went to the park last month, my love." She never told her about their money issues; why would she even?
"Pretty please, can we not go, Mama?"
Sakura took a big sad breath and got her purse to see for any change, which, unfortunately, she didn't have any and her credit cards had reached the limit.
She squeezed her eyes shut and avoided looking at her daughter's trembling chin. "Sarada, not today. Next month I'll take you, okay?"
As stubborn as that child was, she stomped her foot on the ground, not understanding the reason. "Mama, you always say that. Sarada is sad."
That jabbed her gut; she could never see her sad "Okay, you know what? Give Mama a second." Sakura took the jar from above the fridge and pulled out the money. It was her savings jar.
"Thank you, Mama. You're the bestest!" Sarada took that as a yes and ran to her room to tell Baruto.
Looking at the now empty jar in her hand, she put it back and swabbed her tears. Life was cruel.
Sasuke, who had seen it all unfold before him, couldn't take it. "It's on me; you don't have to."
It's like a storm and blizzard came out of her mouth. "I don't need your pity Sasuke! Just because you think you're back with all your money and saviour personality doesn't give you any damn right to do this. I only agreed because I couldn't see tears in my daughter's eyes. You are leaving after we come back. I don't want to hear anything!"
He backed up even though he was far enough already. "I was just trying to help."
"And I don't need your help! I am fine; I am fine by myself!" An emotional rollercoaster struck her, and she started bawling her eyes out. "I am fucking fine and great now I'm crying. The last thing I need is for you to see me cry."
"I'm sorry."
She wanted to take it all out on him today and tell him how her life has been. "Can you please...Just stop...Stop with all your apologies! You don't know what I've been through, Sasuke, and it's unimaginable. When you left, I heard the talk of the Village; they made fun of me and bullied me. I went through a hard pregnancy on my own, and I couldn't afford the meds, so I just took the required ones, and the labour was so complicated, and God did it hurt. I almost died."
Died? "Hn." He couldn't apologize again.
She slowly collapsed on the floor. "I went through it all alone, feeling abandoned and betrayed and so many things. Do you know that I don't even talk to my parents anymore? Because they stopped supporting me, they were against our marriage and said you'd leave me, which is true. They were my last hope of support, and they didn't. So I worked my ass off while pregnant to pay for my tuition to finish school and get this job. And the pay still isn't enough. You'd think I, the best Doctor in the village, would have the highest salary. Yes, I do, but I'm a single mother, and by the end of the month, I have no savings left. The only reason I'm alive is because of Sarada, and for her, I'll live, only her. So before I start thinking of you as if you're my husband again, please leave. Go back to where you left me for."
Hesitant, he stepped towards her; he didn't know what to do. "Sakura, I-"
She took a breath as her chest felt light. "Nevermind...I...It's fine...I am fine." Taking a tissue from the dining table, she wiped her tears and put on a regular cheery face for Sarada.
Sasuke, this time hurried up in her direction and pulled her in a hug. One of those hugs she used to get. The hugs she'd get when she needed to be in peace and feel safe. The hugs she'd get from the love of her life.
She began to shrug and twist her arms to get out of his tight hold, but she couldn't, or a part of her didn't want to. "I was a coward, and yes, I left you, which was my way of protecting you...but I felt that from the start, and I should've never married you. I came back here to explain my reasonings, and that was all. But listening to your struggles and now that I've learnt of Sarada, our, your daughter. I'm not leaving. Give me another chance, please, Sakura. Let me be there for you, even if it's only financial or emotional support. Don't tell Sarada about me, and don't even give me another chance. But give me a chance to support you like I should have and do now."
She stared into his eyes, and they were face to face, so close yet so far. "The fact that you understand is more than enough. But you can go, and this time I don't need you. I've learned how to live without you, Sasuke and I've buried my love for you. I'm sorry I can't give you another chance. And I'm sorry I can't tell Sarada about you; maybe when she's an adult, I will, but not now. She's too innocent and full of love. I can't break her heart because I can't trust you, Sasuke. I don't know if you'll leave again or not. I'm sorry, Sasuke, I can't go through this again. Not when it includes Sarada."
He inhaled sharply, and after holding onto her for a few more seconds, he let her free from him. "Then I suppose I should leave right away. I don't want her to get attached to me. If she's anything like you which she is a lot, I know she can get attached quickly. I know you don't want my apology, but I'm very sorry" He bowed to her with the utmost respect and showed a sincere apology. "I'm sorry."
Sasuke put on his shoes and left the house, genuinely wishing with a heavy heart that he never returns.
"Bye," Sakura whispered, and a big tear rolled down her chin.
She loved him, but she hated him.
He loved her, and he always will, but he left her.
Both of their emotions were a mess.
They only have one thing in common, and it is their love for Sarada.
