Only Time Can Tell

RETURN

FILLER 3

RETURN

SARADA UCHIHA

The wind stirred roughly around me, leaves rolled over each other, folding endlessly like pages of a worn book. The night was dark, the moon rising high in the sky. There wasn't sound. Only motion. The night was so dark.

    I watched as a man's silhouette became apparent in the light of the moon. He stepped closer, and the light began to illuminate him along with all that it touched. His dark hair flowed freely, drifting along with the wind, flying to a place it could never reach. The man's eyes glowed red with the Sharingan, his hands held in fists at his sides. I watched as they slowly uncurled and then tightened again.

I watched as he reached behind his person to take a sword from his scabbard, it's blade still bright red with blood. The light of the moon gave it a silver glow. The man touched the blade gently, cutting into his finger, his blood mixing with theirs. He looked up to the moon, his eyes cursing the world for its continuous spin.

His face was tortured. Broken, no tears fell. Blood stained his face, his red sharingan eyes solemn and in immeasurable pain. He cried tears of blood. He was mired with stress and agony. His soul was destroyed. His heart broken and scattered to the wind, it's only beat remaining with my father. My father whom he couldn't treat as his brother anymore. He had to force my father away, hurt him, make him hate him, he had to do everything he could to hurt the only person he had left.

Brother Sasuke. He looked up at me then, as if he could see me. His gaze didn't change to hide his pain. Rather he reached out to me. This time I didn't fight him, I didn't step away. I just watched. His hand reached out to me, tears of blood dripping from his face. Don't be so far away, Sarada. His fingers touched my forehead gently. And slowly he flaked away, pieces of him scattering in all directions, the feeling of his fingers never leaving me forehead. Maybe next time, Sarada.

I sat up in bed, my heart beating fast. I clutched at the sheets around me, and my hands drifted up to my forehead to where his phantom fingers remained. I felt my hands shaking, I brought them to my eyes and felt as hot liquid dripped from them. Not again.

    Stumbling to my feet I reached for the door as I made to the bathroom closing the door behind me. I turned on the light dimly and looked in the mirror. Both eyes this time. Why? I turned the sink on, praying that my mother wouldn't hear the water running and gently wiped the blood that had partially dried on my face. I looked up to the mirror again, my black hair plastering to my face. But I watched in horror as blood continued to flow from my eyes. I tried again and again to wash it away. I started rubbing viciously. These eyes.

    "Stop the bleeding." I muttered in frustration. I looked up at the mirror and this time I saw not myself. But Itachi. I wiped my eyes and he disappeared. This is happening more often now. I reached for my glasses that rested on the bathroom counter and felt a breath of relief when all signs of him disappeared. My eyes continued to drip blood so I took my glasses off and reached under the sink for some gauze. I took some of the ointment that the doctors that I talked to had prescribed and rubbed it into the gauze. I wouldn't tell my mom about this. I held the gauze to my eyes and sighed at the cool feeling that spread from my eyes. I felt around for the doorknob for a moment, fumbled for the light switch and stumbled back to my room, careful that my footsteps aren't loud enough to wake my mother.

    I wandered back to bed and collapsed down on it. I let one hand lay limply over the gauze on my eyes and I tried to sleep again. Please don't have that dream again.

    "Sarada..." Came a whisper. The dream again.

    "Just stop it already!" I complained.

    "Sarada?" It's voice turned questioning. That's new. I took the gauze off and opened my eyes. I blinked as I saw a literal dark figure in front of me. His cloak draping long over his body. His hand had stopped just outstretched to me. I blinked again.

    "Papa?"

    "Sarada?" He repeated. He fell to his knees and suddenly I was in his arms. "You woke up."

    "Yes."

    "I thought....that you were..."

    "I'm fine." I whispered to him. "I'm fine." He pulled away and looked at me closely his eyes widening in mixed emotions when he saw my eyes.

    "Your eyes...they're-"

    "Itachi's."

    His expression turned even more confused, his hand drifting up to my face, touching my cheek gently. His touch feels like Itachi's was. "How could you know that? You've never seen Itachi's eyes."

    "He told me."

    "What?"

    "Itachi told me that he was giving me his eyes." I said slowly leaning my head into his hand lovingly. "I can see now."

    "Itachi's eyes..." He murmured. Suddenly he looked away from me.

    "Papa?"

    "I'm fine."

    "Papa, do you know about mama?"

    "Sakura? What?"

    "Oh papa..." I smiled. "You're going to be a papa again." I touched his shoulder. He looked away from me again, his head bending into his chest. "Papa?" I asked at his lack of response.

    "Once again..." He murmured.

    "Huh?"

    "Once again..." He looked up at me. "I have been blessed with a beautiful child." His eyes were shining more than before, and his hands turned finnicky as he stood. "Is she sleeping?"

    "Yes. She'll want to see you. She's been worrying for so long."

    "That's what she's alarmingly good at." Papa smiled. He turned his cloak flowing behind him as he made his way down the hallway toward their room. I stood, my head feeling like it was empty for a moment. I stumbled my knees almost buckling. I grabbed the doorframe and clung to it for a moment. My ears stopped ringing and the world stopped spinning. I felt my eyes but they weren't bleeding anymore. Hopefully papa didn't notice. I followed slowly down the hallway keeping one hand on the wall for support as I forced my legs to work. I shook myself. I can walk. I can. I stepped away from the wall and walked confidently down the hallway following my papa.

    Then I heard her scream.

    "Sakura." I heard his voice.

    "Oh my God!" My mom screamed. There was a crashing and a banging sound and I took a hesitant step away from the door. "YOU TOOK YOUR GODDAMN TIME DIDN'T YOU?!"

    "Sakura."

    "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL- this time!" Her voice turned to tears as it broke down. "I've waited, I've waited everyday with your child. I-"

    "Sakura." Papa said again. "I'm so happy."

    "Sasuke!" I heard mama start crying. Taking a step towards their door I took a seat outside their doorway, and leaned against the wall. "I love you!" Her voice turned muffled.

    "I love you too, Sakura." Papa's voice said. I sighed. I may be dating but the whole confession of love thing is still a bit much for me. Blood rushed to my face with thoughts of Boruto. Would he say those words again?

"Sarada...I miss you. I miss you like crazy. I want you back here. I want you to tease me again. I want you to make me mad at you again. I want you to make me feel like an idiot again. I want you to teach me again. I want you to hold my hand again. I want you to bandage me up when I get hurt again. I want to watch you become the Hokage. I want to watch you surpass me in every way. I...I want to kiss you again. Sarada! I love you! I love you so much!"

    "So please...- Come back! Loving you...it hurts so much. I can't sleep. I can't even function. I can't breathe without you here. I need you. Please! Come back to me..."

I heard you Boruto. I heard every last word. And I came back. And I love you too.