heritage

Chapter Fourteen: Reparation

 Dear Naruto,

I trust you. Sasuke and Kakashi, too. It's just... difficult, sometimes. I haven't had anyone to trust in a long, long time. Huh. I have a feeling you what that's like.

I know it's easy to think I don't trust you. I do! I promise. I just don't trust myself. I'm sorry. I know that this will hurt you.

—Sakura

—

"Once something shatters, it will never be the same."

          "I love you, too." Hibiki returns with an affectionate squeeze. Sakura rests her head properly on her sister's shoulder, though she has to lift her heels to do so. It was easy to forget. That Hibiki is taller than her.

The tight grasp they have on each other almost feels too loose. Which doesn't make any sense, really. Sakura is rather certain that if they held on any tighter than they already are, neither of them will be able to breathe. She sighs, upping the constriction in her hug anyway. Hibiki does the same. A polite cough interrupts their moment.

"Now Sakura-chan, Hibiki-chan, we don't have forever, y'know." Shinju-oba calls out to them. Sakura's lips twist into a pout, her brows narrowing in discontent. It isn't a surprise that her family isn't here permanently. They have already been to the Pure Lands, and while their presence here is the best gift Sakura can possibly receive, she knows that once souls have properly passed from this realm, they cannot return. They can only visit.

Usually, such visits can only happen during sacred days, or special festivals like Sango Mtasuri's sister festival, *Akimatsuri. This is one of the reasons why Sakura is so pleasantly surprised to see her family. The next Akimatsuri is still a few months away, taking place in the middle of Autumn. And yet here they are. In broad daylight, no less.

Despite the anger that still sizzles and pops at even the mere thought of the kami, Sakura finds herself thanking them. She has had to wait over seven years for this moment. Ever since she had lost her family only days after the last Sango Matsuri.

Hibiki gives her one last squeeze. Then, she carefully disentangles herself from Sakura's grip, laughing at the pout previously obscured by the hug. It only makes Sakura pout harder, if only briefly. She turns back toward the rest of her family, stealing back Hibiki's right hand. Sakura grins at the sight of her parents and paternal grandparents. She is happy to have them.

Even just for this too short time.

"It was quite a pleasant surprise to learn we had two daughters," Haha-ue remarks, her eyebrow quirking up as her eyes sparkle with a bit of mischief. "How could you hide sweet Hibiki from us?"

"Haha-ue!" Sakura protests hotly, her cheeks no-doubt a burning red. She doesn't know what to say to that. Her father, however, easily takes the opportunity to join in.

"What?" Chichi-ue cheekily says in reply, "Your mother has a point."

"What point?" Sakura grumbles, the red in her cheeks spreading down her neck. She fans her face with her hand, the one holding Hibiki's becoming a bit clammy. She doesn't know how to truly defend herself without souring the atmosphere, so Sakura decides to just deal. She'd rather see her family joyful, after all.

"That's enough now," Asahi-ji stops the banter, saving Sakura from further flusters. "As wonderful as it is to see our family together again, we cannot spend all of our allotted time teasing Sakura-chan." Sakura breathes a sigh of relief before— "Even if she is even cuter when embarrassed."