Journey Back In Time

Entering Time

A/N 02/2023: Hi everyone and welcome! Thanks for checking out this fic that I wrote several years ago. Please keep in mind that some events and pieces of information might come across as outdated/inaccurate given what we know now. Regardless, please continue to support and enjoy this story! Thank you!

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"Welcome home, dad!"

Sarada jumped to her feet at the sight of her father's presence through the front door. The raven-haired man recoiled back a little after his daughter gave him a strong hug at the waist.

Sasuke displayed a small grin at the corner of his lips, acknowledging his daughter.

"Sarada."

A pink blob poked through the corner of an open doorway down the hall at the sound of the commotion. "Welcome back, Anata!"

Sakura gave her husband a benevolent smile before disappearing back into the kitchen. A wave of a strong smell broke through the house, and as he placed his bag down onto the couch, he knew he had made it back just in time for dinner.

It wasn't long before almost the entire table was covered with dishes from left to right. Sakura made sure to make all of Sasuke's favourite foods. After all, it's not everyday Sarada's father would be home to have a nice family dinner.

The three of them pulled their respective chairs out and gathered in their seats. Sarada lagged behind, but eventually pulled up her spot beside Sasuke, giving him a mischievous smile as she plopped onto the hard wooden seat.

His daughter had grown.

Her hair was a much longer length than before, reaching midway of her chest. Her bangs became longer too, but she kept it away from her face by tucking it into her ear. She had only grown a little bit in height, though.

Watching her from the corner of his eyes, Sarada leaned into her father's ear and cupped the side of her mouth in a whisper.

"Don't worry, no strange men came into our house lately looking for mom."

"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow in confusion as she reached over the table and placed sideplates beside the two of them.

"Nothing!" Sarada displayed a wide grin, quickly grabbing her chopsticks to begin her meal. Sakura eyed Sasuke suspiciously as he shifted in his seat and nervously cleared his throat with a cough.

The family ate in silence for a few moments, but it was a good type of silence. A warm atmosphere surrounded them knowing that once again, everybody was under the same roof. Though Sasuke would leave for long periods of time, he was definitely home more frequently after the whole incident with Sarada accusing him of being absent. It was expected, and it did change a lot for their family.

"How did your mission go, Anata?" Sakura inquired.

"Fine." Sasuke had spent the last few fears on intermittent journeys investigating Kaguya and the creation of the White Zetsu Army. He was determined to uncover her history. "The scroll I found in the icy world has yet to be deciphered."

Sarada began following her parent's conversation, her eyes darting from her mother to her father and vice versa as they continued to speak.

".. Do you think the Akatsuki knew about it?" Sakura whispered, her eyes narrowing.

"Maybe." Sasuke started, pausing from his last bite. "There's theories. They may or have may not known. Itachi never said anything."

"Who's Itachi?"

Shit. The couple froze in the middle of chewing, forgetting that they had been discussing important matters in front of their daughter. They weren't ready to have this kind of conversation with Sarada yet. How could they have let themselves slip like that?