My Snippets: Part 2

Parent Day

Five-year-old Sarada finds it difficult to ask her Papa even a simple question, but with a little encouragement from her Mama, she doesn't remember why she was so nervous in the first place.

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Little Sarada methodically waddled her way into the living room where her Papa had just returned home from a weeks-long business trip. She could see that his hair was tousled from the wind (from an impending storm) and he had already shrugged his cloak from his shoulders; her mother taking it into her arms to carry it over to be hung on a hook next to the front door.

The young child worried her bottom lip between her teeth briefly, but when she glanced up, she saw a knowing look on her mother's face; the pink-haired Uchiha giving her an encouraging nod and a warm smile. Sarada let out a slow, evenly displaced breath, her cheeks heating slightly due to the nervous energy racing through her tiny little body and her dark eyes averted to the wooden floorboards as she cleared her throat.

She didn't see her Papa look up at her as he removed his leather work shoes to place them next to her hazardously thrown ones. The corner of his chapped lips twitched, but he refrained from allowing the smirk to slip and rose to his full height as his gaze shifted briefly over to his wife... who gave him a wink... before they landed on his offspring.

With not even so much as a warm pleasantry exchanged between them, the youngest Uchiha practically whispered her request to him; so quietly that if the dark-haired hadn't been fully focused on his young child... he more than likely wouldn't have even realized that Sarada had spoken in the first place. Nevertheless, Sasuke calmly asked for the girl to repeat herself, and watched while his daughter's cheeks blossomed into a deeper shade of pink.

Sarada began to fidget on her feet and wrung her tiny little hands behind her back while her palms sweated profusely as she tried to force herself not to cry. 'Why am I getting so upset over this!?! It's only Papa!!! Just ask him. Mama said he wouldn't turn me down...and Mama is always right. He looks so tired though— but I just have to do it. Shannarō!!! I-I just h-have to—'

"Sarada...," her mother's soothing voice reached her over the rushing of blood in her ears and she looked up... eyes brimming with tears as the pinkette bent down and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She noticed out of the corners of her eyes that her Papa had not moved away from them, as he was patiently waiting for her; like always.

Uchiha Sasuke may appear to be a hard man to most, but he was never a hard man with his family. 'Never ever.'

"There is no need to get so worked up," her Mama said, a kind smile forming on her lips as she gave her daughter's shoulders a brief, encouraging squeeze. "Papa... he's just a little bit tired, honey, but I know for a fact that he will say yes. Don't worry." As Sarada looked into her Mama's eyes, she felt the anxious feeling in her gut seemingly disappear in an instant and her body began to relax while the heat in her cheeks slowly dissipated; as did the sweat on both of her palms.

'Mama is right... what am I so worried about!'

Her gaze then shifted over to the forever stoic figure of her Papa as she cleared her throat and her Mama moved slowly back over to stand next to her Papa again. "Papa... tomorrow is Parent Day at school. W-will you go with me?"

Sasuke's lips formed a small smile and he walked over to his daughter with fingers poised as he tapped them gently to the center of her forehead. "Sure," was his only answer, but the warm, exuberant smile that radiated from his child was enough of an indication for them to display her joy at his response.

Uchiha Sasuke was a man of few words, but when he did speak... his words held so much meaning.

"Yay! Thank you, Papa! See Mama...," the little girl giggled as she grasped the pinkette firmly by the hand, pulling her towards the kitchen. "I told you that Papa would say yes!!! You didn't need to worry!" Sakura could only laugh as she turned her head to give her husband a warm smile.

He reciprocated it as he moved to follow them.

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The next day—

"My old man is better than yours!"

"No way! My Papa is the best!"

Bright-blonde clashed with jet-black as the two youngsters continued their bickering while their fathers only looked on helplessly and hopelessly as the teacher tried to regain his student's focus. His best friend leaned over...his voice low as he whispered, "I'm surprised to see you here, Sasuke. I thought that you went on a month-long business trip with your brother and cousin."

The Uchiha scowled at the mention of it and sighed before he leaned slightly to whisper, "Sakura called me four days ago and told me about it. She said that Sarada wanted me to go since she was going to be busy at the hospital." The blonde's lips twitched and he snickered.

"Always the family man, huh."

"Shut up, idiot. Hinata talked to Sakura about how she had to "encourage" you to take some 'much-needed' time away from the office to come. At least I wanted to be here."

"H-hey, teme," his best friend hissed as his cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. "I wanted to come! It's just—"

"Boruto always embarrasses you?"

As if on cue—

"... well, my old man talks in his sleep and farts ALL of the time! He's so lazy after work that when he comes home, he and Mom don't get to—"

"H-HEY! Boruto, knock it off!"

Sasuke could only smirk at his best friend's discomfort and exchanged a knowing look with his daughter. This Parent Day may not be as bad as he initially thought.