[Closed]

[uchihaprincess]

Who: Sarada and Sasuke Papa!
When: Late afternoon or evening.
Where: Sasuke's place.
What: She is going to go and try to make friends and check up on him.
Warning: Uchiha angst. That's a warning in itself, right?

The situation she had found herself in was still one she had not been able to adjust to. Sarada wasn't complaining about it, but it had been hard to adjust to a life where her mother was getting used to the idea of having a child and her father was around but somehow more absent than he had been at home. Since her mother was out for the time being and thoughts of her father were plaguing her, she had decided that it was best to go and visit him. It wasn't like their last meeting had been terrible and he had poked her forehead which made her realize that somewhere inside of him he was still the person that she loved.

Besides, Boruto had made noise about how his father had had a brush with her father and she wanted to make sure that he was okay. It wasn't that she expected less of the Hokage to win, but she didn't like to think of her father as weak. The man that he was here was so different than who was back home and despite how nervous she felt around him, she wanted to get to know him more. No matter what, he was still her father. While her mother had risen to the challenge of dealing with her, she didn't like the idea of being forgotten. So after much thought and planning she had come up with some idea to go visit him. She would drop off some soup and some medicine using the excuse that her mother had suggested it. After all, she didn't want him to think that she needed him as much as she really did.

When she stood outside the door to his home, she had started to waffle. There was still time to give up and run away. Her palms were sweaty from her nerves and she wasn't sure that he would even want to see her. After all, he had stayed away. Her determination won out in the end and before she could run off she brought her hand up and knock briskly on the door.

Now, she just had to wait, and hope that he was in at least somewhat of a good mood.

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[uchihaprincess]

There had been a lot of racing thoughts in her head as she had stood there waiting for a response. However, despite how much she had wanted to be invited in, she had not expected him to actually do so. Her eyes widened in surprise, and the hint of a smile curved one side of her mouth. She was quick to force her face serious again, almost trying to mimic her father and the way he could be so serious. "Thank you." When he stepped aside she made her way into the apartment, and looked around curiously. She had always wondered how her father was living during the time he was gone, though likely just traveling and not really having a home. Here he looked at least settled.

She had had no idea that her mother had made any sort of threats towards him, as she had never brought it up with her. Her mother was definitely having a hard time with it and she would have figured she'd be glad to have her bug her father for awhile. Not that she could blame anyone for being that weird about it. After all, she'd be pretty freaked out if someone showed and said they were her kid. She figured that if he had let her in, at least that was a step above their last meeting.

Turning around to look at him, Sarada offered a smile. "I made the soup myself." She admitted to that part, after all she wanted him to be proud of her. "It's tomato. I don't personally like tomato, but I know you love it. If it's terrible I'm sorry. I also have some cream for aches and bruises since you haven't been getting along much with Unc... uh...Naruto." If they were fighting, she doubted that he'd approve of the relationship that she had with his someday best friend. Still, Naruto had always been like a second father too her, even if he barely had time to be a father to his own children. She had seen him more often than her own.

"Thanks for letting me come in." It was the last of what she could think to say, and she wasn't sure quite what to do now, other than offer over the bag and hope that he liked what she had brought for him.

[vindicavi]

Sasuke can't help blinking at the girl in surprise when she starts talking about what she'd brought with her. He'd never told Sakura and Naruto what sort of things he liked -not that they couldn't have figured it out over time, but he hadn't outright said it- but then again, a lot could change in five or six years... "I--" He's actually kind of shocked, his voice dropping to a mumble. This is a first for him, and he doesn't really know how to handle it. "...Thank you."

But then she has to go and mention Naruto, and he finds himself wrinkling his nose almost without thinking about it. Then again, it might not hurt to correct that one little piece of misinformation as he accepts the offered bag. "It's not that we don't get along, because we do... sometimes. We just have our own way of seeing things."

On second thought, maybe a change of subject is a better option. Setting the bag on the counter, he keeps his back to her while he mulls over the words, trying to come up with the best way to say it. "You asked me before why I hated Konoha. I don't. Well, not anymore, anyway. I wouldn't have bothered helping them during the war if I did." No, what needed to go was the societal system that created a world filled with hatred and animosity, not the village itself. It had been created with good intentions -it wasn't Hashirama's fault that everyone after him decided to stomp all over it.

[uchihaprincess]

It wasn't that she was entirely dumb to the situation. She knew enough about the past to know that things had been tense with her father and her mother and uncle. Though that was about the extent to which she had been informed. Her father had struggled with Konoha at one point but that in the end he had come through when it was needed. "Maybe that's more why you are considered a hero. Anyone who loves something can protect it easily. If you were angry with the village and you still helped...than that makes you even more of a hero." Of course she felt completely tied to her village so it was impossible for to understand ever disliking it. Sure she had her moments of unrest, but she now genuinely cared for Konoha. Then again, she had never been told the truth of her family's history to know why it had become so tainted to her father.

And then there was Naruto. "As for Naruto, well...you had to make amends at some time or other, so I guess there had to be a friendship there to begin with. Something to build on. I know you don't see it right now, but everything is okay. All I have ever known was peace among the villages. I mean sure...there are groups who aren't pleased, but really they are knocked down before they can cause problems. It was only recently I saw any violence at all, and that came from some other world where once again everyone joined together to protect the world." She felt badly that her father knew such unrest, but it gave her a bit more of an understanding for why he had been so distant. It helped her forgive him a little more.

"I know you aren't happy now, but...you will be." She pushed a smile on her face, a bit shocked about how she had just spilled out so much information, but she wanted her father to be happy. She wanted him to know that even if he wasn't happy right now, he was going to be.

[vindicavi]

Anyone who loves something can protect it easily. Oh, you poor child. Let him pop that bubble for you. "No, you can't. Loving something doesn't mean you can protect it, it just means it'll hurt even worse when it's gone." Though, he's actually rather glad to hear that she doesn't know the same suffering and hate that he'd grown up with.

Happiness isn't a concept he's known since he came home that night, so hearing her say that he'll eventually have that again is almost foreign to him. A part of him wants to believe it, but it's a small part that's easily drowned out by the rest. He'll have a question or two for her in a bit, when he actually figures out how to ask without sounding like an idiot. But first...

"Do you actually want to know?" He shouldn't even be considering telling her this, but Itachi had made a mistake by keeping things quiet, his parents had never uttered a word about things around him and pretended everything was fine, and he'd turned out a hot mess because of it. While the possibility of her ending up like that is probably incredibly slim, the possibility of someone else showing up who could get their claws into her, or at least knew the story and would run their mouth, is not. But the choice is hers. If she doesn't want to hear it, that's perfectly fine with him.

[uchihaprincess]

She glances down at the ground, she'd only meant that when you loved something it was easier to try and fight for it, but maybe she was wrong. He was after all, more experienced than her and he knew the world better than she did. A blush came to her cheeks because she felt the flush of embarrassment as she realized she must seem so incredibly naive to him.

When she heard him offer her to the truth, she looked right back up at him. Was he actually offering to tell her about the past? All those years of questions and vague answers and partial truths could be sorted out just by his words. She wanted that more than anything. At the same time a part of her was terrified of what the truth could hold. What if it was too much for her to bear. Would she somehow become cold and angry like he was now? No, she would remember who she was and where she came from and the older versions of her parents who made clear enough how much they loved her.

It took a moment for her to respond. "Yes. I want to know. I'm tired of secrets and confusion and not knowing where I come from. I know the past isn't pretty, but I deserve to know the truth." Then, to make it more clear how dedicate she was to hearing this, she sat right down without invitation, not planning to move until she had heard every last word of this.

[vindicavi]

It's probably a terrible idea for him to do this, and he might bring Sakura's wrath down upon himself, but he left it up to her and she said she wanted to hear it. There are certain things he'll leave out, but for the most part... "The First Hokage created Konoha alongside Uchiha Madara. The whole purpose of the villages was to stop the fighting and let the clans co-exist, but after he was named Hokage, Madara left and tried to take the clan with him. Not many wanted to go with him, so he left on his own and attacked the village using the Kyuubi. He ended up dead, or so everybody thought, and the village kept going." He pauses, sparing a glance at her. He hadn't known any of this until recently, so it's the only reason it's still rather fresh in his mind.

"The Second Hokage didn't trust them after that, though, and the Third didn't help much. They set up Konoha's police force and gave it to the Uchiha, to 'give them something to do'. Later, they were herded into one corner of the village which basically made that police force useless as a first responder, and were watched constantly. The village didn't trust them at all, and they didn't trust the village..." And now is where things get ugly, and he almost stops here, but her words had echoed his sentiments when it came to being told the truth about things. He'd wanted to hear it and decide what path to take for himself, so it's only fair to treat her the same way. "...so they started making plans to stage a revolt."

There are things he can't bring himself to tell her -namely everything about Itachi, because it's not his place- but as he pauses for a moment, leaning with his back against the countertop, watching the girl cautiously, he picks his way around things, choosing words carefully and deliberately. "The village tried to convince them to talk things out. They even tried getting assistance from some of the few Uchiha who weren't interested in the idea of a coup, but it didn't work. Nobody trusted one another and nobody believed that actually communicating like civilized people would have any effect. So instead of making a concentrated effort to get through to them, those in charge of Konoha picked one of those few who was still loyal to the village and asked them to take care of it... and they did. In the only way they could in order to avoid a civil war."

He falls silent, pushing away from the countertop and sliding his back down the wall to sit on the floor, his attention shifting from Sarada to a spot on the other side of the room, his voice hushed and distant when he speaks again. "I was younger than you are, not even ten yet. I'd spent the whole afternoon training, and by the time I got back, the sun was down." It's almost cathartic to say the words -he's never told anybody about that night before, because it hurt too badly- but now that he knows the truth, it's a little easier. "There aren't any others, because they all died that night. Friends, cousins, my parents... I walked in to the aftermath of a massacre, and didn't know why it happened until recently. Nobody told me anything and they left me to live on my own until the night I walked out and didn't look back."

There's a lot of little details he left out, things he doesn't know how to explain, things he doesn't want to explain. She wanted to know, so he gave her enough to know the basics without going into detail, the stuff that at his point in time, is common knowledge without naming names. If she wants to know that part of it, she'll have to wait a while. A loooooooong while.

[uchihaprincess]

There was one thing that Sarada had never really been without, and that was safety. Even though she was a ninja and training was hard, the world was mainly at peace. A rogue panda bear and some bandits were hardly enough to make someone fear for their everyday lives. Even when things had gone so wrong recently in Konoha and they had been attacked by the very same enemy that had taken her father away from her for many years, she had known that someone she was still protected. She knew that her father had had a rough time of it, but as she listened to his story about their family she was coming to understand that safety and protection were things that he had not really had. Or worse, they were things that he had known but they had been ripped away from him at far too young an age.

She wasn't quite sure what she had been expecting about her family. Sure, over the years, she had been curious and wondered about it. A part of her had maybe always assumed that the Uchiha line just died out over time. It wasn't really something that was spoken about and was a taboo topic in her household. She had never known those grandparents, cousins, or uncle to have been left with a gaping hole in her life about them. In fact that only Uchiha hole that she had ever really suffered from was the fact that her father was so far away and she had desperately wanted a father in her life like everyone else. A person couldn't fully grieve the loss of family that they never knew, or at the very least she hadn't much. Maybe a time or two, she had felt the emptiness of so few family members. To learn in that moment that her father had grieved the loss of his entire family left a painful ache in her heart and a knot she kept trying to swallow in her throat.

As she listened to his story, her eyes were on him and it was evident from how her focus never wavered that she was hanging on to his every word. "Massacre." The word was harsh and cold and shocking to her system. It was so far from the assumption that they had slowly died out over time that she was having a hard time grasping that idea that her entire family could have been dead in only one night. She struggled to make sense of the idea that someone had killed her entire clan. Suddenly there was the brief image of what she had never known she had lost. Family dinners, family holidays, family support. The list went on. And somehow her father had survived this and had been burned by this tragedy to such an extent that it had made him the cold person that he had been. That, at the very least, was something she could now understand. And it was the old Konoha's fault. No wonder Naruto had been so important to bringing peace. They had all these new situations set in place, and the Kages all worked together. Apparently it had been so desperately needed.

By the time he had finished talking, she felt numb as she processed it all. Her eyes watered and she once again cursed her emotions for being so difficult and making her feel so outwardly vulnerable. She blamed her mother.

"Oh Papa, I am so sorry..." Her voice caught on her words and she swallowed roughly in order to keep it together, but she carried on with her questions. "Our whole family....murdered? Just because they didn't agree? How....how did you survive?"

[vindicavi]

He's really kind of numb to the majority of it, the only part that still hits him in any sense being that which concerns Itachi, so it's a little easier to talk about it. Also because he hasn't known anything else yet. There is no peace between the villages for him to know what it feels like to not be looking over his shoulder all the time -not that his choices in life have helped that much. Death is commonplace, so saying it to someone else is easier, like saying that the sky is blue.

Her questions give him pause, forcing him to try and come up with a way around an explanation he doesn't feel is for him to give... but he doesn't want her to think ill of the person who was made to carry that out. "Because they wouldn't agree. Or maybe it's because the Third's efforts were constantly sabotaged so an agreement could never be reached. The one who did it took it on as a mission from Konoha's higher-ups: take them out before they force the village into war and cause more lives to be lost, then leave and be branded a criminal. Those people... they weren't stupid about it. They sent an Uchiha to wipe out the Uchiha." They put it all on Itachi, and he carried it out because he was able to see that the path the clan was on wasn't going to end well.

Mismatched eyes focus on Sarada's face, watching her curiously. It's weird telling this to somebody who knows nothing about it, as if it's just some sort of fairy tale or bedtime story. But how does he answer that question? She wants to know how he survived, but what does he tell her? 'He let me live' sounds out of place, and 'it was part of the deal he made' sounds even worse though true, and saying either would open up a whole new can of worms.

"I only survived because I wasn't there when it happened." Much better answer, and technically true! He hadn't seen any actual killing occur that night, only the aftermath, and sure his survival had been part of the agreement made with both Danzo, the Third, and Madara/Obito, but if he'd walked in during it all, they'd have probably had to kill him anyway to silence him. He'd have run screaming for help and gotten more people involved than should've been. Being late for something had never been such a blessing as it had that night.