Friday, 6th of May. Sarada is four years old.
"Sarada, time to wake up."
Sakura set the table after calling her daughter for the third time. Today was a big day for Sarada as she was going to train with Naruto and her friend Boruto. Sakura had wanted her daughter to have some sort of practice before starting the academy in a year and even though she was only four years old, Sakura remembered that at this age Sasuke was able to do a few things already. She was an Uchiha and she needed to follow her father's footsteps.
"Come on Sara-"
"I'm here." she spun around and faced her small daughter who was pressing her hand on her forehead. "Mama, I don't feel very good."
"Ah, no you're not doing this to me now. I know that you don't want to train with Boruto but that's how it is. Eat your breakfast."
"It's not Boruto. I don't feel good."
"Well, if you still don't feel well tonight, I'll give you something. Eat your breakfast, young lady."
She saw her daughter's pout. To this day, Sakura could not understand how her daughter went from sociable and friendly to everyone to what she was now. Sarada has turned into someone who would rather spend some time with her books instead of seeing her friends. Even though Sakura was missing Sasuke, she realized that a part of him, a big part, was in this child and that every time she was talking to her or looking at her, she was feeling his presence. A year... it had been nearly a year since he had left them and even Sarada was starting to forget him. She could still remember his name but that was about it. She remembered him as a father figure, but she couldn't remember things that they had done together.
At first she ignored him on purpose. She was mad at him for waiting a day to tell her that he was leaving. She could still remember the moment when he walked through the entrance door to leave the house.
"She watched her husband's back as he was all ready to go. It was early in the morning and for the first time since they got married, he slept on the sofa without her.
"So you're really leaving."
"I told you yesterday that I was..."
"A part of me hoped that you'd wait a little longer to fix things with me."
"Sakura, you know I care about our family and it's the reason why I need to go. It seems that Kaguya had never been the biggest threat."
"What do you mean?"
"Something bigger is happening and this is why I need to prioritize this mission. I hope that you will forgive me for leaving like this but if you don't, take care of our daughter."
The anger filled her body. She could not believe that he didn't care about fixing things with her and that he brushed it off and told her to take care of Sarada.
"Don't send any letters." she started to shout. "Don't send anything to us. You've made your choice, you've decided not to be a part of her life so go but don't come back."
"Is that what you really want or are you just angry?"
"For now, it is what I want. If I change my mind, I will let you know."
"I understand. Goodbye, Sakura."
"Goodbye, Sasuke.""
Sometimes she could imagine the door open on his beautiful face but a few seconds later, she always realized that he will not be coming back unless she sent him a letter to start a dialogue.
She waved good bye to Sarada when Naruto came to pick her up and she locked herself in the kitchen. The piece of paper was still sitting on the kitchen counter, even though it had been days since she had tried to finish what she was doing on it. She picked it up and sat at the table with a pen and read the two words written on it.
"Dear Sasuke,"
Her tip of her pen was dancing in the air while she was trying to think of the right words to say. Nothing came to her mind, it was empty. It was not because she had nothing to say, on the contrary, she had too much to say to him, but first of all she needed to apologise and that was the issue. She knew exactly what she had done wrong, but putting it down on paper meant that this past year of blaming him was for nothing. Over the course of these last months, every time her heart ached because of the way he had to leave, she had put the blame on him, but truth was... she was the one to blame. She was the one who had told him to sleep on the sofa, she was the one who had shouted at him and she was the one who had told him not to come back. His only mistake was that he waited a day before telling her about this mission and even then, it wasn't a big mistake. After speaking to Kakashi, she learned that as soon as Sasuke learned about the fact that he had to leave, he had been extremely busy talking to different people to come up with a plan and that sadly he did not find the time to tell her.
Deep down she knew that he always had tried his best to please her, that he had always been doing everything to make her happy and now that he had made a mistake, she turned her back on him. She had been unfair with him and she didn't know how to make up for that. Sasuke made the decision to sacrifice what he always wanted to have in order to protect the village and his family.
The tip of the pen landed on the page and she wrote the first thing that came to her mind.
"Dear Sasuke,
I hope that you are alright.
Sakura."
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A year ago, the day after Sasuke left Konoha.
Sasuke woke up in the forest feeling drowsy. He hated feeling this way. From where he was, he could see the village that was much lower than it used to be. Apparently this was due to Pain's attack and he was impressed how much the place had developed since it had happened. From where he was, he could spot the roof of his house. He knew that Sakura was probably waking up alone in her bed getting ready to drop Sarada at Hinata's so that she could go to work.
Divorcing was illegal in Konoha but he knew that it was what Sakura meant when she told him not to come back. Maybe legally they will be married, but they wouldn't be seeing each other ever again. After he left the previous morning, he still went to Kakashi's office and asked to give the money that he was making to Sakura.
He shook his head and stood up to activate his Rinnegan. After a second, a portal opened in front of him and after looking at Konoha one last time he walked in it.
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Present time.
A week had passed since she had sent the letter and nothing came back. She was taking a break in the garden of the hospital, when a hawk appeared and landed next to her. She frowned her eyebrows and wondered if this could be an answer form Sasuke. Suddenly a feeling of apprehension took over her body and she grabbed the letter with her shaky hands. A year, it had been a whole year since the last time they spoke and she wondered if what she wrote was enough but she instantly knew that it wasn't when she opened the letter. It was her letter that got sent back. She didn't know if he got the message or decided to ignore her. She will never know.
"Hey Sakura."
The kunoichi jumped a little and turned her head to see Ino.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"I thought that you might need a break partner. What's that in your hand?"
"A letter." she said as her friend sat next to her.
"From Sasuke?"
"No, one that I sent to him."
"He didn't receive it?"
"Or he avoids me.... which would be understandable."
"Well, he would be right to but that's not like him. Could he be in one of Kaguya's dimension?"
"Probably not. I asked Kakashi and he was supposed to start his mission in one and then move to the abandoned city. It's been a year, he is definitely out of it."
"Well then it's too risky for him to answer. Don't worry too much, he will be back eventually."
Sakura nodded her head and took a deep breath before leaning her back against the bench. "No, you don't get it, I told him not to come back."
"Yeah and I also know that you still received his money, that you have access to the Uchiha's heritage and everything. That to me sounds like in his mind he is still married to you."
"Or he feels responsible for Sarada."
"Sakura don't get offended but it has to come out." she glanced at Ino ready to feel stabbed by her words."I'm getting sick of this mess. Since you two got together, you always tried to create a problem, always. You always start the fights with him and even if he does make a mistake, you make him pay for it like he murdered someone. You want my opinion? You didn't fully forgive him for what he did to you and Naruto in the past or you can't fully believe how much he has changed and you try to press his buttons to see if he will snap but you know what, you deserve it if he does. If Sai was doing half of the things you do, I would've snapped at him. I know he left you once, he told you that it was your fault for the whole Kotaka thing but come on. Not once did he not respect what you asked him to do. He always does it even if it hurts him. He leaves you alone until you feel like allowing him back int your life. Get your act together and now deal with the consequences of your actions. He will write you back when he can or when he will be ready. And stop whining every day about that."
"You're tough." she said with a small voice. Deep down Ino's speech was moving her.
"Yeah well I've tried to be nice for an entire year and it's not working. Maybe tough love will. I'll let you think about everything."
She watched her stand up and once again she was left alone. That was her daily routine at this point, she always ended up alone. Maybe she was driving people away by being too depressive. Ino was harsh and straightforward but at least she was right. Her speech was an exaggerated version of reality but she was right.
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Present time.
The icy cold of the dimension hit his skin. He noticed it turning red and he realised that he will need to go back to his shelter soon to warm himself up. He rushed back to the cave and took out his rice to cook it on the fire.
Their was no day or night in this dimension and he had no idea how long he had been stuck in here. His daily routine was the same and his body had started to adapt to the fact that there was no day and night. The bag of food that he had brought with him was getting empty and soon enough he will need to go back to his world to buy more. Now the question was: was he going back to Konoha or was he heading straight to his other mission? That depended on her.
His mind thought of Sakura and he meditated on what had happened. A part of him was annoyed that he had no way of knowing if she had contacted him or if she wanted to contact him but either way he will wait for her to do it. He will give her her space and wait for her because she was the one who was mad and she was the one who had asked him not to send any letters. He will wait, even if that meant waiting two years on her. He didn't know if Sarada was still three years old but he assumed that not a lot of time had passed. She was probably doing well. He trusted that Sakura was taking good care of her.