Sarada is uncomfortable. She is trying hard not to show it but thinks the third's wife, Sarutobi Biwako, has noticed. The petite brunette keeps fussing at her; asking if Sarada's feeling well since she's not really eating her dinner but picking at it. She doesn't know what to say or do. Sarada could just stuff food down her throat to appease Biwako but that's only going to end with her being sick.

"She's just tired, ma'am," Naruto says, saving her from her floundering. "We traveled the last stretch home pretty much nonstop."

The kunoichi frowns at the blond. "Hmph," she grumbles. "I understand being eager for a mission to end but look what you've done to your apprentice!" She waves at Sarada who has to fight down an embarrassed blush. "This isn't healthy," the third's wife complains. "Saraka is a growing girl."

Naruto's shoulders hunch under the scolding he does not deserve. "It was a mistake," he says. "I won't be making it again."

"I should hope not!"

"Mom," cuts in the third's oldest son, Sarutobi Hiroaki. "Give them a break."

Sarada hasn't been able to stop herself from stealing glances at the teenager all throughout dinner. This is Konohamaru-Sensei's dad. He's around the same age as Naruto's dad. Young as he is, he's not so close to childhood that it obscures his resemblance to his future son.

Hiroaki and Konohamaru-Sensei share the same deep blue eyes. Their boldness is quite alike as well. Grabbable ears too, it seems, when the sandaime's wife reaches over to tug on the one nearest to her. The teenager drops the chopsticks he'd been using as he goes to try and pry his mother's fingers from his ear.

"I am your mother," she chides. "I expect to be spoken to with respect."

Hiroaki gets his mom off him and complains, "Hey! You don't have to pinch so hard!"

Across the table, Sarutobi Asuma, the sandaime's youngest sniggers. He and Sarada are nearly the same age. He's eleven while she's twelve. Hiroaki shoots his brother a glare. Before he can snap something mean, though, Naruto joins in with a laugh of his own.

"Ah, I remember when I used to get grabbed by the ear," he reminisces. "It sucked!"

The tension at the table fades and Sarada exhales. She has always admired the way he can easily siphon stress out of a room. Someday, she hopes she can find a way to do something similar.

Hiroaki quirks a brow at Naruto. "Did your mother think you have a bad attitude too?" he asks.

Naruto rubs a hand through his short blond locks. "Ah, no," he says. "It was my teachers who liked to drag me around by the ear. I had a bad habit of playing pranks as a kid…"

"Oh yeah?" says Asuma, leaning in eagerly, dark eyes bright. "Like what?"

Naruto smiles indulgently at the boy. While Sarada's been busy studying Hiroaki as she avoids the stare of the third's wife and her dinner, Naruto's been sneaking peaks at him. Once, Naruto knew him. He was the jonin teacher of some of his friends when he was young. Sarada can't be sure but she thinks he's finding this all very difficult.

People he has known and who have died are alive, well, and young here. The tragedies that will steal them from Naruto are years away. It's a wonder he only broke the one time so far when he hugged the sandaime.

"I don't know, Asuma," Naruto teases, "your mom might not like me giving you ideas."

The boy pouts. "Just one story!" he begs. He looks over at his mom with big eyes. "Menma can share one, right?"

The kunoichi makes an exasperated sound but the upward twitch of her lips betrays her. "Just one," she agrees. She wags a finger in Naruto's direction. "Nothing too wild," she warns.

"Of course not, ma'am," Naruto promises with a solemn hand in the air and mischievous eyes.

-O-

Sarada gives up on her attempt to fall asleep when she hears Naruto kick off his covers next to her. Rolling over, she finds that he is sitting up on his futon, one hand on his belly, the other bracing him from behind. She frowns and lifts her head from her borrowed pillow.

"Naruto?" she prompts.

His expression is grim as he looks up from his middle and at her. "Something's not right," he tells her.

Adrenaline spikes through Sarada. Hastily, she gets out from beneath the covers of her own futon to kneel next to Naruto. "What's the matter?" she asks, hands hovering over him. Sarada has never wanted to become a medic-nin like her mom but it doesn't mean she knows nothing about the healing arts.

"I can't—" Naruto starts only to shake his head. Gently, he knocks away her hands and rises to his feet. "I need to go see the old man."

"Why?" questions Sarada, stumbling to her feet to follow Naruto as he goes to put on the jacket he shed before bed.

Naruto's expression is taut with worry. "Kurama…" he murmurs, a hand going to clutch at his middle once more." He's not here."

Sarada rears back. "What!" she exclaims. How is that possible? How could he just be gone?

"Shh!" Naruto hushes, clapping a hand over her mouth. His eyes dart to the door of their room. "We don't need to wake Biwako and the boys."

Sarada shoves Naruto's hand away. "But—"

Naruto grabs her wrist and brings her hand to rest over his heart. He holds it there as he says, "I'm okay, alright?" Sarada furrows her brows and concentrates on the fast thump of Naruto's heart. "He's just not with me," Naruto murmurs.

Sarada lifts her head. "Where could he be?" she asks.

The blond shrugs. "I have an idea," he admits when she frowns at him. Letting her wrist go, he exhales and runs a hand through his already disheveled hair. "Now, will you be okay?"

Sarada swallows. Naruto's going to leave her. She bites her tongue to stop herself from begging to be allowed to tag along like a little kid. She's a kunoichi now. Sarada needs to be brave. Especially since it's her Hokage asking her to remain behind.

"I-I think so," she stutters. Internally, she cusses herself out for the lack of confidence in her tone. Naruto, though, seems entirely unbothered.

Instead, his hand settles on the top of her head and, gently, he turns her back around toward her futon. "Good girl," he praises. "Lay back down and finally get some sleep, yeah? Tomorrow's going to be busy as Hell."

Reluctantly, she lowers herself to sit on her futon. "I'll try," she promises.

Naruto smiles. "Sweet dreams," he whispers before he slips from the room, leaving her alone in the sandaime's residence. Sarada lays back down and pulls her covers over her. For what could be an hour but is probably closer to fifteen minutes, she holds herself still; she closes her eyes and tries to will herself to sleep.

It doesn't work. She snorts. What a surprise that is. Sitting up, she contemplates what to do. She doesn't think Naruto will be back for a while yet. Sarada doesn't want to disobey him but feels she must.

This place feels too foreign. She doesn't feel safe enough to go to sleep. Kicking off her covers for the second time that night, Sarada rises to her feet. Since Sarada can't sleep, she might as well get a drink; her throat is parched after the earlier panic she experienced.

Padding out of her and Naruto's borrowed room and into the kitchen, she can't help but gasp when she sees it's not empty.

"Aw, shit," swears Asuma from where he's sitting on the floor in front of the open refrigerator; tan face illuminated by its white light.

"I'm sorry," apologizes Sarada as she takes a step back. "I just wanted a glass of water."

Asuma waves her forward with the chopsticks in his hands. "It's okay," he reassures her. "I just thought you were my dad for a second."

"Oh," mumbles Sarada, a bit confused as she walks toward the sink. There, from the drying rack beside it, she picks up a glass and turns on the tap.

The boy gets up from the floor, box in one hand and chopsticks in the other. He gestures at the half-eaten meal. "This is his dinner I'm eating."

"Oh," says Sarada as she turns off the faucet; her glass half full of water. She tilts her head and knits her brows. "Why are you eating it?" she asks. "Won't he be looking for it when he does come home?"

Asuma sniffs. "If he wanted it, he should have been here to eat with the rest of us."

She takes a sip of her water and studies the boy before her. He looks sullen. While he's eating the third's dinner at a steady pace he doesn't seem to be actually enjoying it. Sarada thinks he's trying to punish his dad for his absence from today's meal. She crosses her arms and attempts to soothe Asuma. "I'm sure he would have been there if he could be," she says.

Asuma puffs out his cheeks. "You sound like my mom and Hiro," he grumbles.

"You don't think he wants to eat with you all?" she inquires after a moment.

Asuma rolls his eyes. "Look, I'm not stupid," he snaps. "I know as the Hokage he's the leader of our village and super busy. Sometimes stuff comes up. You and your teacher-dad for one," he says while jabbing his chopsticks in her direction."I just think if he really cared to spend time with us he could carve out, like, an hour a day to be with us."

Sarada takes a moment to breathe in and out. This feels familiar. Boruto complains about Naruto and how busy he is too. She's always disapproved of his whining. Sometimes that's just how it is. Not all parents can make their lives center around their kids. For some dads and moms, they have duties that must come before their precious people — even if all they want in the world is to be by the sides of their loved ones at all times.

She puts up a finger. "One, N— Menma isn't my dad. He's just my teacher," she tells the boy. They need to get that straight first. She's sure first thing tomorrow when Asuma goes to train with his team he'll tell them all about her and Naruto. They do not need him spreading around the idea that Naruto's her dad (even if Sarada has kind of wished he was in the past).

She raises a second finger and chides, "Two, maybe he could do that but it doesn't seem like a Hokage's schedule is routine enough for it. Not to mention he'd also have to take into account all of your own as well." Sarada lifts a third and final finger and suggests, "Three, You should try opening your heart and pay close attention to your dad. You'll probably see he shows he cares for you and your family in a way you haven't noticed before."

Asuma's expression flexes between mulish and chastised. "What do you know?" he spits. "Your teacher took you with him on his super long, super-secret mission."

Sarada scowls. "That doesn't mean I was always his priority!" she argues. "There were times I'd go ages without seeing him because he had stuff to do for the mission," she fibs while drawing on the pain she knows all too keenly from her dad's years-long absence. To Sarada's satisfaction, using her real hurt sells her sobs story and Asuma drops his gaze to his toes out of guilt.

"Oh," he mumbles.

She huffs. "Yeah, oh."

Asuma shuffles in place. Delicately, he puts down his chopsticks and puts away his dad's half-eaten dinner. Asuma then closes the refrigerator and asks, tentative, "You really believe he cares about us?"

Sarada pushes her lips into the shape of a tiny smile. "Of course," she replies. "If you look, if you listen, you'll find I'm right."

The boy chortles. "Wow," he says, "you're kind of a know-it-all, aren't you?"

Sarada's smile slips. "Shut up," she grumbles.

Asuma laughs again, louder. "And sensitive!"

"I said, shut up," she repeats through her teeth, fingers itching to ball into fists.

He smirks at her. "I'll see you in the morning, Saraka."

"I hope the bedbugs bite!" she snipes at him.

Asuma, doubles over, palms pressed over his lips as he guffaws. Silently, Sarada seethes. She has decided she does not like Asuma. He is very rude.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" asks a familiar voice that has both Sarada and Asuma jolting to attention. They look in the direction of the voice to see the sandaime and Naruto, standing side-by-side in the open doorway of the kitchen.

"Dad!" yelps Asuma while Sarada pulls her shoulders up around her ears and drops her gaze to her glass of water.

The hokage drifts into the room and sniffs at his son. "Having a late-night snack, Asuma?" he asks knowingly.

The boy shrugs.

The third, instead of sighing or clicking his tongue in disapproval, pats the boy's shoulder. "You're going through quite the growth spurt," he remarks. "I believe you will end up taller than even Hiroaki by the time you're an adult."

Asuma can't help but perk up at the Hokage's prediction. "You think?" he says.

"Yes," agrees the sandaime with a smile.

Cautiously, Asuma returns it with a little grin of his own.

Sarada finally dares to look over at Naruto. He isn't frowning at her. If anything, he looks more exhausted than when he left. She dithers a moment but ends up asking, "Everything all right?"

Naruto nods. "Yeah," he answers. "We figured it out." He opens up an arm to her. "C'mon, Saraka, let's get to bed."

Quickly, she empties her glass and places it in the sink. "Yes, sir," she murmurs.

The blond makes a face as she comes within range for him to drape his arm over her shoulder. "Let's just stick with sensei, yeah?" he asks.

She blushes, feeling a little embarrassed. "Sure, N— Menma-Sensei," she agrees.

"Good night, Lord Third, Asuma," Naruto calls over his shoulder as he guides them back to their room.

"Night!" echoes Asuma on his and his dad's behalf.

Once in their room, Sarada looks up expectantly at Naruto. He grimaces and turns his face away. "Can we talk about it in the morning?" he pleads. "I've got the worst headache…"

She'd rather not. Sarada isn't going to argue, though. Naruto's pale beneath his perpetual tan. Some rest, hopefully, will fix that. Plus, a glance at the room's clock tells her morning isn't really that far away.

She can wait a few hours for some answers. The situation can't be life or death. Otherwise, Naruto wouldn't be asking to put it off. She nods. "Sure."

Relief spreads across Naruto's face. "Thanks," he replies. "I swear we'll talk first thing."

Sarada muffles a yawn. "Okay," she says. "Night, Naruto."

"Night," he echoes as she crawls beneath the covers of her futon; her eyes already sliding shut. She knows no more when her head meets her pillow.

Thoughts on first Sarada pov? Thank you very much for reading and let me know what you think!