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Sarada frowns as she follows her father, jumping from tree to tree.
She wasn't quite sure where they were going since he hasn't told her even when she asked. The only thing he said was that it would be easier to explain once they were wherever they're going.
She wonders where or what it could be. Her mom just suddenly announced a week before her 13th birthday that they would be going on a vacation to celebrate her birthday. And then she and her dad had shared a knowing look.
She was sure this had been a long time plan because even when her father had talked to the Lord Seventh about taking a leave for this trip—she had been coincidentally there because she and her team had just returned from a mission, the Hokage simply said,
"Oh, is it time already? Of course you and Sakura-chan can take a leave. And Sarada." He adds, smiling at her.
So it was something her parents and the Lord Seventh knows. Was it something to do with their team?
But then again, it was just her and her parents. Although her mom had to stay for a few more hours since there was an emergency at the hospital that she couldn't leave, she promised she'd catch up with us in a day at maximum.
Still, she didn't know why exactly they had to leave Konoha in the first place. She didn't even ask for an out of town vacation, although of course, she does like that her family can go out together and just relax. That's what she hopes for at least.
They have travelled for a few hours now. They first got on the train from Konoha to the border of Fire Country going to Rain Country. Once they entered, they started travelling by foot, once in a while stopping to rest and eat in the villages they pass through.
Sarada was a little surprise to observe her father being very familiar with all of the villages they had went through. He knew where to get food, and even was recognized by some people--though that wasn't very surprising seeing as her father is a war hero. Of course her father had been away for years for his mission, so she assumed that was why. He was probably familiar with a lot of places outside Fire Country.
But that makes her go back to her question. Where were they going? And her mom knows where is it that she can follow them later?
Now they were by the border of Bird Country, and it doesn't seem like they'll be stopping anytime.
But she was wrong about that. Once they entered Bird Country, she noticed that her father had immediately significantly relaxed. And unlike their fast paced, chakra-assisted travel through Rain Country, this time they were simply walking.
She thought that might have something to do with Rain Country having a ninja village. Because although the villages are allied now, they were still, of course, a potential threat. On the contrary however, Bird Country doesn't have a ninja village. So even if they are wary of ninjas in general, they are neutral to any political plays.
Sarada couldn't even recall much of what she knows from the country. In the academy, they mainly discussed about countries with hidden villages—about the treaties, the geography and climate, and whatnot; details ninja should know. Her information on Bird Country was simply that it does not have a ninja village, and it has a similar climate, though with more frequent rains, with Fire country. And that it was home to some of the rarest species of birds.
As they walked, Sarada was a little in awe of how her father is especially familiar to this country, even more than the villages they've passed through in Rain. In fact, he was showing a completely different demeanor. When they were in Rain, she noticed her father's familiarity with the place with how he knew where to go to get food and whatnot without asking. But still he kept a low profile and didn't talk much. This time, in Bird, he would actually occasionally tell Sarada about a particular landmark, or where a certain road would lead. And while she saw recognition in the people's faces in the villages they've past through, in the areas they've went through here in Bird, some people actually greeted her father, and even asked about her mother.
It was a little disconcerting seeing as her father wasn't even like this in Konoha.
Her father lead her to another forest, and before she could ask, her father had smiled at her and told her, "We're almost there."
"Where exactly are we going, Papa?" She asked, for what seems like a hundred times now.
"You'll see in a bit." Her father says with a smile. "Follow me."
And then they were off, once more in full speed. Sarada follows her father closely and in just a few minutes they reached a river. From there, they followed it downstream until they reached a canopy of trees. As her father stops, so did Sarada. He started walking towards some sort of stone then, and once Sarada was right behind her, to see what it was, he turns to her.
"The hand seals are..." He says as he demonstrates. "Got it?"
Sarada, realizing at once that there was a barrier ninjutsu, nodded. And together, they made the hand seals.
Almost at once, there was a difference in their surroundings. It was a very similar sensation for when you cancel a genjutsu. Instead of the thick trees she initially saw, there was now a path, and just a few distance away, she can see a house, surrounded by a garden.
"Papa..?" She turns to him, now even more confused.
As they entered the area, Sarada looks back to see the barrier back, with the illusion of thick trees covering the river from her sight.
"This is... well, this is our house here." Her father says this time.
Very surprised, and not really knowing what to say, Sarada just stared at the house in question.
Sasuke continues to lead her to the house, and once they were in front of him, he turns to her.
Still, Sarada doesn't know what to say.
Sasuke sighed and says, "Let's get inside first. Then you can ask anything."
They did just that, and Sarada noted just how at home his father seemed to be here, with him making the same routine he does when he comes home in their house in Konoha.
But Sarada was still very confused. Why did they have a house here, so far away from Konoha? She knew for a fact that both her parents' families are from Konoha.
Sasuke lead him to the living room—and she noted that the house was truly fully furnished. It felt very homey, like a family had been living here.
And then she stopped dead when she saw the pictures displayed in the wall.
There were baby pictures of her, photos of her mom and dad when they were younger, and even photos of who she could guess is her Uncle Itachi, and more people who looks like her father—photos she had never seen before.
"Papa, when you said our house... you mean, ours? As in our family's? Not like an old house owned by Uchiha??"
"That's right." Sasuke says. "And this isn't an old house. Your mother and I built this house after you were born. So, this house is the same age as you."
Sarada couldn't help but look at the photos one by one. They had so little photos at their home in Konoha, that she was a little astounded that they had so many here.
And then as she looked around, she also noticed some other things. An old pacifier—obviously hers, some old toys, including plastic kunais and shurikens, and some hair ribbons that Sarada was quite sure belonged to her mother. She could remember her mother having long hair when she was much younger.
It really was their home.
"When I first came back, after years of not being able to be with you and your mom," Her father started saying and Sarada turns to him, "you had many questions. About me and your mother, and about our clan."
Sarada nodded. She did had a lot of questions at that time. She even doubted that her mother was her real mother, which looking back now was very stupid of her. But since her father came back, and she had seen how he and her mother interact, she had no such doubts anymore about their relationship. But she did still have a lot of questions about how their relationship came to be, and about their clan.
"Your mother and I had always agreed that we would talk to you about all of that when you're older. And now that you're turning thirteen, and you've achieved your third tomoe, we feel that it was about time." Her father said.
"But... what, why do we have a house here?" Sarada asks now.
Sasuke smiles and gestures to the chair. Sarada understood that it would be a long story.
As they sat in the comfy sofa, that was obviously well used from how it looked, Sarada felt a little anxious. She truly had a lot of questions, and she didn't expect she'd be getting answers now.
"So this house..." Sasuke started, gesturing at the house. "was built because of you. And when I was in my long term mission, this served as a home to me, whenever I was feeling especially homesick and couldn't go to you and your mother for fear of bringing danger to you."
Her father looked around with a soft smile as she absorbed what he said.
'So that's why all these photos were left here?'
"You know your mother and I were teammates. And we fought together in the war. But that obviously isn't the full story. You see..."
And her father started talking about how he and her mother had been travelling before they got married and had her. And Sarada remembers how her Aunt Karin had told her that she had been born in one of Orochimaru's hideout and her aunt was the one who assisted her mother. She had assumed then that her mother and father might have been in a mission then—she had only realized now that if her mother was heavily pregnant, she probably wouldn't have been sent on a mission.
Traveling made more sense.
But she didn't know why her parents travelled; especially from what his father was saying, it seemed that they were gone from Konoha for years, even building this house. It was almost like they didn't have plans to ever go back.
But her father continued telling his story, now mentioning about how before he brought her mother with him, he had also been traveling, after the war ended.
Likely seeing her confused look, Sasuke answered his daughter's unasked question.
"I was traveling the world, as a journey of redemption." He suddenly says. "You see, I used to be a missing-nin. And I used to be Konoha's enemy—your mother's enemy."
And from then her father explained to her what has happened starting from his childhood with her Uncle Itachi, to what happened to the clan and the reason why that had to happen, to meeting the former Team 7, to him leaving Konoha, even mentioning how her mother—as a twelve year old tried to stop him; to his path to his own destruction, until he had finally found out the truth, and then his reunion to his team during the war, and what had happened after it—his battle with Lord Seventh.
Her father told her about everything, even details she knew he was not comfortable sharing with her. And he answered all her questions, she can tell, as best as he could. There were moments that Sarada cried, and there were moments she could see that her father was also trying to control his emotions. There were angry outbursts from Sarada for the injustice that her clan, her Uncle, her father and mother had to endure, and there was even resentment to the old Konoha. The Konoha before Lord Sixth became Hokage.
And as more pieces of the puzzle in her head appear, the more she could understand her mother and father's relationship, and her own clan. They even got to talk about the sharingan, and its bloody history. It was something—Sarada noticed—that her father wanted to emphasized with her.
They talked and talked until the sun has set and her father invited her to eat. But Sarada didn't have any appetite. She was still trying to absorb all the information she had received. Her father seems to understand her, and instead lead her to her old room.
She didn't even know she have her own room here. It was small, and obviously a room for a toddler. She barely fit in the small bed, but somehow it and the room as a whole, gave her some comfort. Even if she doesn't remember, it seems some of her senses do.
She ended up crying some more once she was alone in her room. And she fell asleep that way.
The following day, she woke up to her mother's hug. And for the love of her clan, she started crying once more.
She held no resentment to her father or her mother, she understood that they wanted her to be old enough to understand everything when they tell her, but she grieves for all the tragedy her clan and her family went through. And her resentment to the old Konoha still hasn't abated.
She was surprised to see her mother there so early, when her father had presumed she would arrive late that day. But she was relieved to see her, anyway. Her mother was probably worried about her, too.
That morning, they had breakfast together in this home of theirs away from home.
And Sakura had started telling her stories about their days here instead, which cheered Sarada up significantly.
They stayed in this house for a whole week, with her father showing her around the area and her mother telling her tales not only of days in this house, but their travels together.
And little by little, Sarada's resentment to Konoha—that made her even consider of staying in this house of theirs, transformed into determination.
She still feel like her clan hadn't had their justice. And that her father and uncle had sacrificed too much for their village, And even though she loves their village, and still holds loyalty to it, for the first time, her eyes were opened to its flaws. Konoha is a good place, and has become better after Lord Sixth leading it, and with Lord Seventh protecting it now, but it still needs changes.
And if it doesn't change with Lord Seventh, then she just needed to become Hokage so she can change it herself.
END
