Redemption |complete| (SasuSaku)

A symbolic promise

Friday, 3rd of July. Sarada is 15 months old. Sasuke has been away for 27 weeks. (In my story I made Ino give birth 1 year after Sarada was born.)

"I absolutely can't believe that this nurse said that to you!"

"Yeah I know it's twisted but... you know... she was probably under a lot of stress."

"Still doesn't excuse the fact that she insulted you in front of everyone while you were telling her to do her job."

"I need holidays!" Sakura laughed but seriously considering taking some time off.

"Please tell me it's the first time that it happens."

"Well..."

"Oh my god Sakura! Since when did you let people insult you like that?"

"Since I had Sarada. I am way more patient than before."

"Speaking of that it reminds me! I wanted to ask you what were are the latest news on Sasuke?"

"He is spying the Abandoned city from a village called Ishi in the Land of Stone."

"I thought that the Abandoned city was in the Land of Wind?"

"It is but it is close to the border."

Ino nodded and put her hand on her belly. She was a good few months into her pregnancy and was going to give birth in early December. Sakura was doing her pregnancy check-ups herself to make sure that everything will be fine.

"Mama!" a little girl stumbled her way into the living room, stopped in front of Sakura and smiled. She rose her hands and Sakura understood that she wanted to sit on the sofa. The kunoichi tilted her head to the side and put a mom expression on her face.

"You can climb by yourself Sarada. Don't act like you can't because aunt Ino is here. Go say hi first."

The little girl turned around and faced Ino. "Hiiii!" she turned back to her mom and climbed on the sofa with difficulty. Sakura assisted her to make sure that she wasn't going to fall.

"Hi Sarada." responded Ino with a smile.

Once on it, she climbed on top of Sakura and passed her tiny arms around her neck. "Mama."

Sakura laughed and pulled her closer. Sarada buried herself in her mother's arms. Her little head stared at her and out of nowhere she leaned in and kissed Sakura's cheek.

"She is so cute. You know she is just as calm as Sasuke."

"We'll see about that later on. For now yes... she is just like her dad."

"Did you send him photos of her?"

"Yes... he finally said yes for me to send him a letter once a week. I always add photos of her in it and tell him what she is up to. Weirdly enough he never mentions anything about them when he sends me a letter."

"He is too hurt?"

"I don't know Ino... I feel so disconnected to him lately. The first letters he sent were long, multiple pages long, he was adding a lot of details and asking a lot of questions. Even if I couldn't answer any of them it still showed that he cared you know... Now I get less letters and they are shorter. No more questions, just a basic feedback on his mission and his location."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know... my realistic side thinks it's because nothing much is happening for him and that it hurts him to be away but then there is this other part of my brain that is telling me that he doesn't care as much anymore. I don't know how to explain it... It feels like it was so painful that he decided to put up his walls and just push us away and you know how Sasuke gets when he pushes people away... he stops caring about them."