Tonkotsu..
Miso..
Maybe some Teppanyaki?
Going through the time-space didn't mean that she could disregard the clear rumbling of her stomach. Maybe she should have stayed for breakfast at Miho Obaa-chan's house after all. Besides, it sure seemed like the time-space was taking its sweet time to bring her back where she belonged.
Along with her undeniable hunger, she felt a queasy feeling in her stomach whenever she thought about the fact that she was getting closer and closer to having a much needed conversation with her father. Though she had complete faith in him, she couldn't help but be afraid of receiving something else other than what she had been told.
Even so, she wasn't returning with the same mindset that she had when she first embarked on her journey. It was a lot to take in, and it was going to take time to absorb the fact that after several years, she finally knew the truth about everything that's happened to her family.
In the next second, she felt a tingling sensation plague her limbs, and she kept her eyes tightly shut once the time-space began to distort more rapidly than before. A large force soon overtook the tingling feeling, and she let out a loud whimper as gravity seemed to have finally taken effect.
Her body fell, deeper and faster with every waking moment. Oh holy rules of space, please be good to he-
SMACK.
Sarada grunted as she rolled her eyes in their sockets, her head spinning from the fall. After awhile, she slowly opens one of them to take in the clear blue sky from above.
She layed there for a few seconds, observing the tiny dandelions that danced in and out of her sight. Finally, she hoisted herself up from the hard ground, rubbing her bottom in pain. Nevermind about thinking that the time-space was starting to go soft on her, it was completely unmerciful. She'd have to go find those ninja-weapons people and give them a very colorful review on their little "upgrade".
Before she could go on and devise a well-thought out scheme to do so, her eyes rested on the scene around her. All of her previous thoughts were suddenly abandoned, replaced by a delightful excitement in her chest when she saw that she was standing in the middle of a familiar area.
She didn't have to check it twice to make sure that she hadn't suddenly dropped into another time-point. She knew by every scent in the air and the distinguished marks on the old wooden swing that she was at the playground she and Boruto would always meet at whenever they had burning news to share.
"I'm finally home." Sarada celebrated with joy, the corner of her lips creating a large silly grin on her face.
"Sarada, is that you!?"
The Uchiha heiress froze at the sound of her name being called by a voice that she undeniably recognized. As if on cue, she swung her body around to see a blonde boy with widened blue eyes and an opened mouth gaping at the sight of his friend. In a split second, he darted his way closer to the Uchiha, refusing to spare her the chance of forming words as he swung his arms in the air and harshly crashed his palms down onto her shoulders.
"Boruto!-"
"YOU'RE SO UNFAIR! YOU WENT ON SOME KIND OF CRAZY ADVENTURE WITHOUT ME, DIDN'T YOU!?"
Sarada blinked, widening her eyes at her best friend's loud outburst only a few inches away from her face. Boruto continued to stare at her with a strong gaze, until finally, the Uchiha heiress became evidently annoyed.
Suddenly, a large fist made its way towards the cheek of the Hokage's son, earning a loud grunt and sending him flying to the side and hitting a tree before sinking down onto the grass. Sarada displayed a pissed-off expression, still clutching her fingers. "Don't interrupt me while I'm greeting you, Bakaruto!"
"Hey!" The blonde jolted himself back up to his feet, holding his cheek that had become puffed up from the strength of her not-so-friendly greeting. "It's your fault for not letting me in on such a thing!"
"Heh.." Sarada smirked confidently. "It's too bad that you probably couldn't have gone with me anyways."
Her eyebrows furrowed upon hearing a few curse words being muttered under Boruto's breath. However, it quickly dissipated along with her annoyance. There was nothing she missed more than being home, even if it means coming back to an idiot of a best friend like him.
"But, Sarada," He started again, in a surprisingly serious manner this time. He had her full attention. "I overheard my dad talking about what happened.. Really though, is everything okay?"
Sarada took a few moments to take in the depth of his question. A small tinge of a blush appeared on the Uchiha's cheeks at the possibility that Boruto could have been worried for her. However, her moment of sentiment quickly disappeared.
No, it was not okay.
She almost died,
Her father was living a life of emotional turmoil,
Her mother felt pain every single night she tried to sleep,
Her entire clan was massacred by a single person that ended up being her uncle,
And now she's no longer able to see him ever again.
He waited for her reply in silence, taking the next few minutes to search her gaze for some kind of hint, though he ended up with nothing. Finally, Sarada began to walk over to her friend.
She didn't respond, but instead paused within a few feet from him and returned his searching gaze. Suddenly, she lifted a finger in the air, harshly pointing it at the now confused blonde with insistence.
Boruto raised an eyebrow. "What're you-"
"Just remember you're the one who promised it, okay!"
The two of them stood in silence again, a still-confused look inhabiting the blonde's face. Eventually, she gave in and sighed, resting her arm down. "You said that you'd be my right-hand man when I become Hokage. That was real, right?"
At this, Boruto blinked. Once, then twice. He opened his mouth to speak, to say something completely unintelligible and arrogant, but was interrupted when his eyes rested on the fist his friend had been making at her side. He noted the way it trembled. In fear, in anger, in regret, in determination.. Whatever it was, he didn't know for sure.
So instead, he let his expression become soft as he said his next words. "Yeah, it was real."
An evident smile began to tug at the corners of the Uchiha's mouth. Soon, she found herself unable to control the tears that began to well up in her eyes.
Immediately, Boruto jumped at the sudden shift of mood. "H-Hey! Don't you dare go crying on me, or I'll run away!"
At this, the tears on the Uchiha quickly disappeared as she blinked and furrowed her brows in anger. "Is this how you treat a girl!? So lame, Boruto!"
"Eh..." The blonde shoved his hands in his pockets as-a-matter-of-factly. "But, it's good that you made it back in one piece." His expression slowly turned mischievous. Sarada leaned back a little as he took a few steps closer to her, leaning into her face with a playful grin. "Still, you're gonna have to tell me all about it later.. I bet my old man was a complete dud back then, right!?"
Sarada reminisced on the carefree nature of her Uncle Naruto when she had encountered him in her very first time-point. She recalled their explicitly horrible excuse for a "plan" when they tried to ambush Kakashi to reveal what was under his iconic mask.
The Uchiha heiress let out a tiny chuckle. "He seemed to be a total loser, that's for sure."
"I knew it, it's confirmed then." Boruto placed his hands on his sides in triumph. "I'll have to ask him about it myself when I get home. My old man may be the Hokage but he's still the number one loser to me! After all, in this day and age, there's nobody as cool as me."
"You really are more similar to him than you'd like to think." Sarada muttered under her breath, earning a loud outburst from the blonde as he seemed to have heard her loud and clear. The two of them exchanged insults for the next few minutes, something along the lines of whether or not Boruto could actually be considered a hotshot in their generation.
"Whatever, Sarada." Boruto exclaimed, shutting down the last of their squabble. Sarada watched as he raised a hand up in surrender and turned around in the opposite direction. "I'll argue with you later when Mitsuki is somewhere to be found, and at that time, you better spill whatever's gone on with you."
"Wait, you're leaving right now?" Sarada felt the pace of her heart beginning to quicken.
"Yup. You better go home too, your parents have been worried."
.. Which is exactly the reason why she didn't want to return to her house just yet. Sakura was bound to make a fuss over it, and she needed some time to mentally prepare herself for her father.
She watched as her friend started to walk away, casually pushing his hands back into his pockets. Suddenly, Sarada remembered the unwavering words of her Uncle.
"My kid is going to live in a world much better than this. And I'm going to make it for not just him, but all of Konoha's people."
"Boruto," She started, raising her voice a little to ensure she was audible despite the growing distance. "We all know Uncle Naruto is a complete klutz.. But he's really cool, too! I.. I actually think if anybody knows the true meaning of being a Shinobi, it would be him, you know?"
At this, the blonde's walk began to slow down, until he came to a complete stop. She watched as he shifted his head to the side, sending her a huge grin from the corner of his eyes. "Of course I know that."
Sarada smiled at her friends comment. As Boruto waved her off once last time before he disappeared into the distance, she couldn't help but feel how much he has changed compared to before, part of it including coming to terms with his dad.
She spent the next few seconds continuing to stand in the same spot, letting the subtle spring air blow against her.
It was probably her turn, too.
--
The pink-haired girl worked her hands monotonously, though she made sure every single piece of vegetable she cut was neat and precise in consistent size. Sasuke would be home in time for dinner today, though it was awfully lonely in the house with her daughter gone as well.
She wondered how Sarada had been coping, and whether or not everything was beginning to take a toll on her head. Her heart sank at the thought of being unable to help her daughter find solace in her feelings. Instead, she had spent years hiding the truth from her whenever she asked.
"Sarada, if only you were here now, I'd-"
Suddenly, she froze her moving hands and widened her eyes, feeling the chakra of a familiar figure approach the doorway. Instinctively, she dropped the knife from her hands onto the cutting board underneath.
Sarada? She thought, feeling her heart beat faster in anticipation. For some reason, it was lingering back and forth, fluctuating between weak and strong. It then came to her realization.. Is she trying to mask her chakra?
The expression on the pink-haired girl's face immediately went from alert to almost annoyed. "Oh Sarada, you are so done if you think you can get away with hiding like that." She whispered to herself in an irritated tone. After a few more seconds of constant lingering, the Uchiha matriarch gave herself a graceful smile with underlying anger before picking the knife back up into her hands.
Meanwhile, at the door, the Uchiha heiress attempted her most light-tipped, most stealthiest walk as she approached the doorway of the house that she had missed so much over the past few days.
Mom's definitely home, she thought to herself, narrowing her eyes at the wooden frame that acted as a barrier between her and the person she was trying to avoid. She's probably making food or something.. Dammit, but she's not going to give me even a second to breathe after she sees me.
Sarada closed her eyes, furrowing her eyebrows while she erased all thoughts from her head. She took the next few seconds to concentrate solely on her chakra presence, which unintentionally began to waver as soon as she became flustered over her anxiety. After giving one last sigh and mental pep-talk, she reached for the doorknob.
Slowly and cautiously, The Uchiha heiress made a small crack between the door and the inside, peering through with her large obsidian orbs and scanning her living room that was visible from the entrance. Her gaze moved over to the sliding doorway towards the kitchen, which was only half-way closed. Through it, she saw the familiar back of her mother, confident and strong just like how she knew it.
After taking a large gulp to get rid of the lump in her throat, Sarada began to move once more. This time, she slowly moved the door more open, careful not to make any noise. She watched her mother's back carefully, ready to jump if she noticed her presence in the slightest.
Her feet continued to tiptoe carefully, and she kept her eyes on the hallway next to the kitchen that lead to her bedroom. She shifted further and further into the house, glancing back every once in awhile at her busy mother. Just a few more steps and-
"Welcome home, Sarada."
Shit! Immediately, the Uchiha heiress froze in her tracks, allowing a single sweat to drop from the side of her forehead. Letting the unexpected greeting from her mother disappear into the air, she held herself still for a good five seconds.
That is, before she sprinted and charged herself back towards the door. Her feet sent her flying as she mustered up all her strength to escape, desperate to save herself from Sakura's unknown terror.
However, just as she had approached the door, she felt an overwhelming amount of chakra rush up from behind her, moving too fast for her to even process the fact that her mother had grabbed her by the shoulders and twisted her around, stopping her in her tracks.
"Mom!" Sarada yelped, forcing her eyelids shut at the sudden strength. However, just as she had been preparing herself for a loud outburst, she felt the hands on her shoulders leave as a pair of arms wrapped around her in an overwhelming hug.
"Sarada, you're okay." Sakura whispered, burying her face into the dark strands of her hair. "I'm sorry! I'm so relieved you're back safely. Your father and I didn't mean to hurt you this way, please-
"Mom!," The Uchiha heiress interrupted, pushing herself away from her mother's grasp so she could clearly see her face. After taking a few seconds to search her gaze, she grinned tearfully. "I'm home, and it's fine."
At this, the look on Sakura's face slowly relaxed, the inner corners of her mouth returning her daughters smile.
"Dad.. He isn't back yet, is he?" Sarada questioned, though it was more of a statement.
The pink-haired girl gave a light shake of her head. "He should be back soon. He'll be really glad to know you're back."
"I see.." Sarada faded out. Her mother watched her with a concerned expression.
"But, Sarada.."
"-I have a few things to ask him." The Uchiha heiress interrupted, adopting a firm tone in her voice. "Can we talk about the complicated things when he's here? I'm just really hungry right now."
Sakura continued to search her daughter's gaze, though after awhile, she gave a tiny grin and sighed in defeat. "Okay, honey."
The Uchiha heiress returned her smile, then took a moment to look at her surroundings. The familiar scent of her home and the same old annoying ticking of the rusty clock on the living room wall served as a confirmation of the fact that she was back at last. Her thoughts floated towards her last time-point, and she wondered if the past Sasuke had already made it back home as well.
In amidst of thought, her black orbs suddenly found themselves on the attention of the kitchen counter from afar, though she could easily make out the contents resting on top. "You're making onigiri!?"
Sakura let a sweat drop roll down the side of her forehead at the sudden shine in her daughter's eyes. "Thought it'd make a nice snack for when your father comes home.. Would you like to help me?"
Sarada responded with a large grin. "Of course I do!"
--
"It was his plan, I'll have you know!"
Sakura rolled her eyes in dismay as she continued. "I told that stupid idiot that it wouldn't work. Naruto never likes to think properly before taking action! We've tried so many times before, and Kakashi didn't even blink an eye! How ridiculous is that?"
Sarada chuckled at her mother's fiery attitude towards her old teammate, her annoyance clearly showing in the way she harshly cut the vegetables in her hand.
"But you guys seemed really happy, mom." The Uchiha heiress grinned as she kneaded the rice into a nice triangle, looking up at her mother for a response.
Sakura let out a sigh before resuming. "That's how it was with us. I guess it was a constant struggle yet blessing at the same time."
"Yeah mom," Sarada suddenly let a sly grin take her face. ".. You even told me that it was your dream to marry Sasuke Uchiha one day!"
"I said that to you, Sarada!?" The pink-haired girl nearly dropped her knife as her face turned explicitly red. Sarada smirked in amusement. "W-What else did I mention?"
"Um.. It was really obvious that you were protective of dad." Sarada continued, "You basically declared war with me when you thought I was there to steal him away. So embarrassing."
At this, Sakura silently cursed at herself for showing her daughter a side of her that she wished she could've redone. Sarada bursted into laughter, followed by more remarks from her mother.
Her laughter eventually faded out as she remembered more of what she had seen. The night where she had seen her mother cry herself to sleep, the part where her father had an unwavering intent to get rid of her once and for all. She couldn't imagine the pain she must have felt.
"But, you've seen it, right?"
The Uchiha heiress paused her thoughts, surprised when it seemed like her mother had been reading them. From the look in her eyes, she knew it was the same as what she had looked like back when they embarked on the Kazekage rescue mission.
"How did you ever live through it, mom?" Sarada whispered in question, searching her mother's blank face.
"I tried to stop him, you know?" The pink-haired girl started. "I attempted to do exactly what he tried to do to me, thinking that it would put an end to all this pain once and for all. Of course, that was just naive thinking."
She continued. ".. I'm not going to pass off your father's actions as a "mistake", because I know he had every intention to do to me what he wanted to do to anybody that got in his way. A lot of things were going on at that time, Sarada, but there was no way I was going to give up on him because of that. Not while Naruto was still fighting, and not when Konoha was in for ruin."
Sarada listened intently.
"He had his reasons for doing everything. And whether he liked it or not, he needed people who still believed the good in him. Though his darkness wasn't something that I could understand on a deeper level than Naruto could, but I wanted to be there no matter what in case one he day he ever decided to go back to the person we all used to know. He may have hurt us a lot, but in the end, he was still Sasuke-kun." The pink-haired girl grinned at her daughter, who stared at her in awe.
"And besides, a girl never really gets over her first love, right?"
The Uchiha heiress returned her mother's grin. She felt butterflies in her stomach at her mother's words. For the first time since the last, she felt the unconditional bond between her parents that nobody else could understand. "Dad's lucky to have someone like you by his side, mom. I'm sure he's realized it too after reading that letter of yours."
"Letter? What le-" Sakura froze. She widened her eyes at the immediate realization of what she was talking about. "Oh my god, Sarada! You read that letter I sent your dad!?"
Sarada smirked. "Well, no. But even an idiot could guess what you've said in there!"
"SARADA!" The pink-haired girl bursted, earning another loud bout of chuckles from her daughter. Sakura, embarrassed once again, began to rant once more as her daughter failed to cease her laughter.
"If you're talking about that letter.. I still have it somewhere."
Sarada slowly widened her eyes at the sudden interruption of a voice that she knew all too well, her mouth hanging open mid-laughter.
"Anata!" Sakura turned around first to greet her husband, with Sarada still unable to move an inch. "Welcome ba- wait, you do!?"
Finally, the Uchiha heiress shifted herself around and peered at her father, who had just come in through the door. Sakura made her way towards him with an embarrassed look on her face, and the two of them exchanged words as he spoke something along lines of the bold words she had written in the letter.
It wasn't long before he flicked his eyes up towards her, catching her own gaze in surprise. He came back a lot earlier than anticipated, how was she supposed to react?
Suddenly, he started towards her, brushing the pink-haired girl off in the middle of their talk. She gulped as he stopped right in front of her, his expression serious but not explicitly angry.
"Where have you been?"
"Dad!" Sarada broke free of her tension, chastising her father for his sarcasm, though Sasuke's expression did not waver one bit.
"Did you have any trouble coming back?" He started again, this time in a more demanding tone.
The Uchiha heiress shook her head slowly, still at a loss for proper words. She continued to look up at her father's serious expression, and the two of them exchanged a mini staring contest.
Finally, Sasuke closed his eyes, making an expression as if he had been relieved of all pressure. "That's good."
Suddenly, he peered his eyes back open and slowly raised two fingers in the air. Sarada watched as he gently pokes her in the forehead with the gesture she had recently come to cherish its meaning to. Without blinking from the contact, she simply smiled from the warmth that had begun to accumulate in her chest, allowing her to abandon all the anxiety she had felt earlier. From afar, Sakura also grinned and nodded in approval.
In the next second, the Uchiha heiress swore she saw a ghost of a smile rise on the corners of her father's mouth. She didn't have to question it, because she knew.
"Let's take care of that long overdue conversation, then."