Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sasuke could get used to this.

Here in this tiny cottage in the outskirts of some nameless village on the base of a far-away mountain, where the day grinds to a halt just because rain started pouring from overcast skies. He thrusts his hand just beyond the roof overhang and gathers rainwater in his palm. Its refreshing coolness washes away the humidity earlier in the day, as it does the rest of his gloomy thoughts.

It reminds him of the rainy seasons in Konoha. He remembers sitting on the engawa of his family home, next to his brother and even both his parents. There’s just something about a downpour like this that makes everyone pause from their busy day, sit down, and just relax— a very rare thing in the Uchiha household.

The only thing missing is the tea.

“There you are Sasuke-kun,” his gentle companion calls out. She carries a tray with a set of cups and a steaming kettle on it. “I found some mugicha in the market this morning, can you believe it?”

Sakura prepares the tea, lacking the finesse that girls growing up in big clans are taught to have. Something he’s always found needless. Tea will still taste like tea, no matter how it’s made right?

“Here,” she hands him a cup rather brusquely. It tastes good, toasty and smooth, without the usual bitterness associated with tea. If he has to be honest, he’d think everything was good so long as Sakura made it for him.

They settle into their respective silences. Him with his thoughts of what home used to mean and her, with whatever has her legs fidgeting from under her.

“Sakura. What is it?”

“Oh. I… I was just thinking,” she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “What if we stayed here for a while longer, Sasuke-kun?”

Before he could reply or even think it over, a wail pierces through the paper walls. “It’s about that time, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ll get her.”

Sakura gets up, her back to him. The red and white fan between her shoulders is so vibrant against the shadow of the weather that it’s burned in his vision even after she’s left the room. She comes back swiftly, making cooing sounds at the swaddled form in her arms.

“I think the rain woke her up.” She sits between his legs, her back to his chest. it’s a move she would have been too shy to attempt a year ago. “Do you want to see the rain, Sarada sweetie?”

She lifts their three-month old baby closer to the open window and helps her stretch her hands out to catch the cold water. Sarada’s eyes grow wide at the sensation and practically kicks against her mother’s chest to get at more of the rain.

“It’s fun, huh, sweetheart?” Sakura kisses one of her daughter’s ruddy cheeks. “When you’re older, we can play in the rain too!”

Sasuke feels his chest swell. This is his. He can scarcely believe it after all the pain and distance and growing, but they’re finally together now. And they made this tiny, beautiful, giggling baby together.

His family now.

Sasuke gives his wife a chaste kiss on her temple.

“Aa. Let’s stay here for now.”

Chapter Text

To the world, Uchiha Sasuke is a feared shinobi, both for his prowess in the field and for the things he was rumored to have done before switching sides in the war. His name alone could make grown men and hardened nin quaking.

If only they could see her husband now, in their sunny little kitchen as he tried to feed their six-month old Sarada. Their baby has started to eat solids and she’s surprisingly a picky eater.

She blames it on Sasuke. Based on her mother’s stories, she’d been a well-mannered child, even seeking to please at times. Her husband on the other hand? He’d recounted long-forgotten stories of his mother complaining about how fussy he had been as a baby, and she can definitely see it. If he looked even half as cute as Sarada, he’d have been incredibly spoiled!

Sakura surveys the mess they have made on the kitchen table. Clumps and splats of cereal littered the wooden surface. Even their clothing wasn’t safe from the carnage.

Sarada had liked the mashed bananas and applesauce at first, but grew tired of the sweet meals. The worst was when they had tried tomato purées. The look Sasuke had when Sarada threw the bowl into his face was nothing less than tragic!

And she’s not sorry to say, a little bit cute.

Their daughter seems to have settled for this day’s bland offering at least. Sakura doesn’t think either of them has noticed her in the doorway yet, engrossed as they are with the task at hand. Now she knows why Sasuke insists on doing this himself. She used to think it was because he wanted her to rest.

But apparently, it’s because he’s having way too much fun.

“Say aaaah, Sarada.” Her husband acts it out by opening his mouth wide. And when he successfully gets her to eat some of the food, he mimics how to chew and swallow it too. It’s a classic trick, baby monkey sees, baby monkey does after all.

Their little girl cheers after every bite and if Sasuke was the type, he’d be joining her as well. As it is, he just gives her one of his rare— no, exclusive smiles. Because these days, a smiling Sasuke isn’t a once in a blue moon occurrence. Just an in-the-privacy-of-loved-ones kind of thing.

It makes Sakura incredibly thankful to see her husband finally so happy. To see her baby so adored. She can’t help it, she lets out a little squeal due to the cuteness overload.

“Mama!” Sarada immediately forgets about her meal and lifts her arms towards Sakura.

“Hello sweetheart! Are you enjoying your breakfast with papa?” She blows a raspberry into her cheeks instead of a kiss and the little girl lets out another fit of giggles. “Or is papa enjoying breakfast with you?”

Sasuke’s ears redden. “You saw that?”

“Oh I did, anata,” she gives his cheek a squeeze. “I didn’t know you have that habit.”

Sasuke grumbles about how it’s the only thing that works on their daughter.

It might be true, but she’s going to enjoy teasing her cute husband about it anyway.

Chapter Text

Some days are good.

Some days are bad.

Some days… are full of ghosts.

It’s past noon, Sasuke thinks. Perhaps aware of his mood, Sakura hasn’t forced him to get up and has kept the curtains closed. She always knows these things about him without being told.

The distance and the years don’t make his loss dissipate. Neither does the truth. His revenge managed to dull it into a throb instead of an ache. The bliss of his new family manages to dampen it even more. But it never truly leaves, does it? There are times when it just comes back in full force, and he’s bowled over because it’s a pain he’s forgotten how to endure.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

It’s all he can do, to keep the ghosts at bay.

And then, there was laughter.

And gurgling.

And shuffling across the wooden floor towards him.

Sasuke looks down from his side of the bed to the tiny human looking up at him with big, curious eyes, as if she couldn’t understand why her papa is still abed. He might not be the first one up every morning but he’s always there to play with her around this time of day.

Sarada lifts her arms towards him without the expectation of being rebuffed, and far be it from him to teach her daughter what rejection is like.

He carries her to the bed and she settles on his chest, her legs outstretched in front of him. Ten months old. She’s getting so heavy now. Today, Sakura has her dressed in a red little onesie with ladybug patterns on it. Sarada, all sunny and bright, looks solely like Sakura’s daughter instead of theirs, disregarding their similar coloring.

His mother would have loved the both of them.

He knows his father would have approved.

And Itachi would have doted on his niece, without question.

“Does mama know where you are?”

Sarada shakes her head and launches into a whole rant, he imagines, on what her mama is doing. He wonders what’s going on inside her head. How beautiful, how unlimited must the world be from her point of view?

Sarada? Sasuke-kun, have you seen her?

His wife’s voice is soft but it’s one he’ll be able to pick up no matter how far or faint.

“Oh, you found her.” Sakura appears in the doorway but seems to be debating whether she should come forward. Well, that’s not right. The days when his wife would have any reservations about approaching him should be long, long past.

He offers his hand to her. “It’s more like she found me.”

Sakura goes around to sit on her side of the bed. The mattress dips and Sarada almost topples sideways without his hand to stabilize her pudgy body.

“Whoops. Sorry about that sweet girl.” Sakura tickles Sarada and makes her laugh so effortlessly that he’s a little jealous of her ability to do so. But that’s something Sakura has always been good at and he’s mostly grateful that their daughter will have at least one parent to make her happy.

“Hey, anata, can I tell you something?”

He nods, always receptive to what his wife has to say.

She kisses his temple. “Remember that Sarada and I will be here. Everyday. No matter what.”

Sasuke takes a deep shuddering breath. Suddenly his chest is a little less tight, a little less heavy. The ghosts are still there, hovering. But it’s no longer to them that he looks to.

“Can I tell you something too?”

Sakura slides down next to the bed, mindful of jostling Sarada. “Of course, anata.”

“You and Sarada are my world. I’ll choose you every day.”

His wife looks up to him, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “I’ll take it as a promise then.”

Chapter Text

“We’re here!”

Sakura and Sarada let out similar squeals of joy once the sparkling blue sea comes into view. It’s a special day indeed and they’re here to celebrate in full. It’s not every day that your one and only daughter turns one.

“Oi.” Sasuke puts his hand on top of her head. “Don’t get carried away.”

“Mou, I’m not! It’s just… I haven’t seen the sea in so long!”

Aside from that one time early on in their journey together, they haven’t been to the coast in ages. And with their decision to stay put until Sarada gets a little bit older, they haven’t been anywhere at all. Sakura looks at their baby girl— oh no, she’s a toddler now, isn’t she? But it doesn’t have the same ring to it.

Besides, she’ll always be her baby girl.

As they get closer to the shore, Sarada’s dark eyes grow larger and larger, much like a kitten’s would. She points towards the water and Sakura imagines she’s asking them, in her usual childish pidgin, if they could play in this giant bathtub.

“Oh yes, you can! You’re going to learn how to swim today!”

Today, Sarada is wearing a blue, high-waist bottom and a red and white striped top. It’s not something Sakura would have ever found in their little hamlet, so she took advantage of the little shop they passed through on the way down to the beach. And of course, she could resist buying a similar outfit so she can match with her baby girl.

It’s her birthday celebration too, after all.

Sarada’s fine black hair is finally long enough to be tied into short pigtails above her head. To complete the look, a translucent yellow lifesaver hangs around her waist.

Sakura can’t help but coo. “Anata, isn’t my daughter adorable!”

“Oh, so she’s just your daughter now?”

“Yes!” She kisses him on the same cheek she squeezes in glee. “Now go be a good househusband and set up while my daughter and I have fun.”

“Why am I doing the heavy lifting again? I have one arm and you have monstrous strength.”

“It’s called teamwork, Sasuke-kun.” Then she gives her husband a salacious grin. “Besides, it’s not like a handicap has ever stopped you before.”

“Hey! Put on sunscreen—!”

Sakura wades into the salty water, enjoying its coolness in conjunction with the warmth of the sun and the refreshing ocean breeze. She holds Sarada on the crook of her hips while the little girl squeals every time the wave rises enough to touch her tiny feet.

When it’s finally time to submerge, she notices Sarada’s arms wrapping tighter around her neck. “Are you scared, sweetie?”

“Mama…” Sarada whimpers in response and eyes the water with more suspicion now.

“It’s okay. See, I’m going in with you.” She takes another step until the water is chest-deep. She pries Sarada from her and holds her gently so she can bob up and down in the waves. “Not so bad right?”

She takes to it with aplomb and soon, the three of them— after her beleaguered husband is finished with his task, are swimming and splashing each other in the waters.

“Mama!” Sarada reaches for her and Sakura almost runs to her daughter. There’s nothing in the world that would ever stop her from coming when her daughter calls. The little girl gabs enthusiastically about everything around them, expecting her mama to understand implicitly.

And Sakura does understand. Just as she understands the underlying thankfulness Sarada is trying to impart. This little girl, she truly makes everything worth it. “You don’t have to thank me, sweetheart. I’ll be here to protect you.”

Always.

Chapter Text

Sasuke can’t believe what he’s seeing right now.

He hasn’t felt betrayal of this magnitude since Kakashi showed them that what lay behind his mask was another stupid fucking mask.

And this coming from his own flesh and blood too.

With a grin reminiscent of his cursed previous persona, his two-year-old looks at him as she hands Sakura the bright red spider lilies she had most definitely taken from his garden. “Thank you Sara-chan! Did you pick these out yourself?”

The toddler nods excitedly while Sasuke surveys the sorry state his garden is left in. He can see exactly where she had taken them from thanks to the suspiciously bare and upturned soil at the edge of their cottage. It seems his tomatoes didn’t survive unharmed either, based on the two or three squashed fruits on the ground.

How did it come to this? How did he let this happen?

Sasuke doesn’t need to look at Sakura to know what kind of expression she had on. He could practically hear the words ‘you never listen to me’ inside his head, so in-tuned as they are with each other.

He groans. To think it all started with a simple declaration of love.

At two, Sarada has begun to string together her limited and often mispronounced vocabulary into sentences.

More dango, please.

No vegibles!

I love you seems like an innocuous thing to say, until ‘more’ is tacked on at the end of it. Unlike him, his daughter seems to have caught on to the sentiment’s power earlier than he has— a credit to Sakura’s open and caring nature, no doubt— and wields it with more freedom than he ever has.

And before he knew it, the discovery that they both love mama has turned into a war of who loves mama ‘more.’

It’s childish but his daughter is also… cute. Feet propped apart and her hands on her hips, she rails at him in a way reminiscent of a young Sakura scolding their blockhead teammate. “No Papa, I love Mama more!”

And he can’t resist egging her on.

“Are you sure?” He wraps his arm around Sakura’s waist. “Because I hug her every day.”

“Me too!” Sarada pads toward her mother and crashes into her tummy.

He gives Sakura a peck on the cheek. “Well, I kiss mama every day.”

“Me too!” The dear girl draws her mama’s face towards her to give her a sloppy kiss.

And on and on it went. The mama in question warns him not to take it too far, but there’s nothing she can do when Sarada seems over-eager to prove her case.

Who spends more time with Mama? Sarada. Who can make Mama blush more? Papa. Who makes Mama laugh more? That ended in a stalemate. Sasuke thinks that he finally has her stumped when he argues that because he and Mama sleep in the same bed, then he must love her more.

And then this. Sasuke sighs, he should have seen this coming though. Their daughter is every bit as competitive as her parents.

“Wait. I’ll get more,” Sarada crows. He looks on as Sarada carefully pushes herself off the engawa down to the backyard, waiting on the side to make sure she’ll be okay even as she aims to plunder his garden once again.

His wife cuddles to his side. “You okay there, anata?”

“Aa. I’ll live. She’s definitely your daughter.”

“Why?”

“Because she loves like you. Without boundaries.”

“Yes. But…” she tucks one of the lily stems behind his ear. “That means she’s just like you too, Sasuke-kun.”

Chapter Text

Just because they’re parents now doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten how to have fun.

Sure, their definition of fun nowadays has reconfigured to mean tea parties and story time before bed, but that doesn’t mean she and Sasuke-kun can’t rekindle their wilder days. Except it’s been so long, she’s forgotten what a lightweight her husband is.

And now her poor, adorable husband is still snoring into his pillow.

Sasuke, once inebriated, is surprisingly open— well, as open as Uchiha Sasuke the melodramatic, emperor of the lonely islands, and lord of darkness can be. He was actually giggling. And blushing! But any plans she had for some sexy time were shot to hell but that didn’t mean she couldn’t still have some fun.

“Hey, Sasuke-kun, can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“When did you fall in love with me?”

Her husband recoils, seemingly sobering up in less than a second. “Sorry. I already have someone I love.”

What?

“And I want to marry her soon.”

“Excuse me???”

“Sorry. Sakura is the only one I’ve ever wanted to spend my life with.”

“Oh.”

Well, okay then.

As far as revelations go, it was a grand one. With Sasuke, it’s always the little things— the seemingly unimportant things that you have to pay attention to. And for him to imply with one qualifier (ever) that she had always been it for him?

She was floored.

Her love for him has never been a secret, even from when they were in the academy. And she’d always thought that his feelings for her were a recent creation, borne from their journey together.

Apparently not.

She would have asked more but he chose that time to succumb to drunken unconsciousness. It’s okay. Sakura doesn’t expect it to have run as long as her love has, but knowing that he’s only ever seen her as she’s always only seen him is enough.

Sasuke groans and tries to get up. He fails.

“Oh, you poor baby.” Sakura comes over to slowly turn him over. Based on his sour expression, he’s got a hangover. “Can you drink some water?”

Her husband shakes his head slightly. He only taps the space beside him on the bed. “Come closer.”

Did he want her to lie down with her? Her husband is silly sometimes, but alone time comes but rarely for them. She’s not about to waste it.

Sakura asks him if she’s going to vomit on her when his face scrunches up. Instead of answering, he lifts himself up… and plops his face in the softness of her breasts. She hopes Sasuke won’t be too bothered by the rumblings in her chest because she can’t help but giggle at his silly behavior. They’ve been together for so long but it always feels like the first time she learned her husband is a cuddler.

He squeezes one breast gently. “Shhhh. Less talking, more sleeping.”

And a low-key pervert too.

Chapter Text

“Sarada? Where are you?”

She crawls further into the darkness under the engawa.  Sarada’s not afraid, she has Kasha with her. The orange little kitten nudges her arm and leads the way until all she can see is the feline’s glowing yellow eyes.

Today is not a good day.

It’s one Sarada has been dreading for days.

For today, she and mama and papa are going home to Konoha, wherever that is.

She hears them looking for her above her, their every step making the old wooden floor creak.

“I thought you said you had her?”

“No, I asked you if you had her.”

Papa snorts. “Are you sure you didn’t accidentally put her inside one of your one hundred bags?”

“Oh please!” Mama retorts. “Maybe you accidentally sealed her into one of your scrolls.”

They seem to pause for a while. “…No.”

“Then where—”

Two pairs of legs drop to the ground. They don’t move and it seems like they’re just sitting there, waiting. It’s Papa who calls to her. “Sarada, it’s time to come out. Bring Kasha with you.”

Sarada sighs. Of course, Papa would find them. She looks at Kasha and gathers her into her chest. She crawls back into the light and stands in front of her parents. She’s already decided, she’s not going. And she can’t leave her little kitten behind.

She’s special after all. But Mama and Papa don’t know that.

“Sarada! What were you doing down there?”

“No, not going,” she tells Mama. “You can’t make me!”

“But we have to sweetheart,” Mama tries to convince her. “Don’t you want to meet Grandpa and Grandma and Uncle Naruto?”

“No. I stay here. This is our home.”

Mama looks at Papa with a shrug and that’s when she knows she’s in trouble. There’s nothing that can stop Mama and Papa when they’re together. Papa asks why she doesn’t want to leave.

Sarada hugs Kasha tighter. “I… grew up here. We have the garden and the kitties that come by. Can’t we just stay here?”

She gives Papa her best scolded kitten pout, like the one Mama gives him when she wants Papa to do something he doesn’t want to. But maybe it only works if Mama does it because Papa shoots her down immediately.

Mama laughs. “You can grow up some more in Konoha sweetie, we can plant another garden. And don’t worry about the kitties, they follow Papa anywhere.”

“They do?” She inches closer to her parents. “Even Kasha?”

“Yep. It’s because he’s so cute,” she squeezes Papa’s cheek, “That they can’t help but follow him everywhere.”

“Sakura…”

Despite herself, Sarada giggles. She climbs on the engawa carefully so she can sit on the wooden deck with them. Papa puts a hand on top of her head. “Now why don’t you tell us why you really don’t want to go?”

Oh. Papa’s such a good shinobi, of course, he knows she was lying. The truth is, she’s scared. She’s a big three-year-old now but she still gets scared. “What if new home isn’t good? What if Mama, Papa and Sarada and Kasha aren’t happy in new home?”

Here in this house, it’s always just the three of them. What if they don’t have time for her anymore when they go to this Konoha place? There’ll be a bajillion people there after all.

“That’s never going to happen Sara-chan.” Mama gathers her up in her arms and moves closer to Papa, who in turn wraps his arm around Mama. Kasha growls but Sarada doesn’t let go, she’s part of the family now. “Do you want to know why?”

She nods vigorously. “Why?”

“Because home isn’t the house,” she gestures to the walls. “Home is you and me and Papa. And as long as we’re together, we’ll always be happy. Understand?”

“A little,” Sarada pouts. She’s still not sold on the idea, and Papa must sense that because he takes pains to add on to what Mama said. He lifts his fingers and she knows what’s to come next. Papa taps her forehead.

“From now on, you’ll know— wherever we are, as long as our hearts are connected, we’ll always be home.”

Sarada thinks about it. And then she thinks about it some more. In between her parents’ embrace, Sarada feels the last of her fears melt away. She still has some questions, but as long as they’re with her, then what does she really have to be afraid of?

Mama can punch everything better.

Papa can glare at people until everything’s alright.

Sarada watches her parents pack up the last of their things. Kasha bats at her nose with a paw. “You should get them to live in Sora-ku with Nekobaa and the others instead of Konoha-nya!”

Now there’s a thought! After all, anywhere can be home if they’re together right?