𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 | sasuke uchiha

85

"Sarada, could you go get Sayuri some water, please?"

"Don't worry. I've got it."

Sakura smiled at Sasuke as he stood up, holding Sayuri's bowl of pureed food in his hand as he nodded at Sarada to follow him.

"Sarada, do you want to help me?" he asked softly, beckoning for her to follow him to the kitchen. Sarada beamed and nodded enthusiastically, shooting towards the back of their home without a second thought.

"Thank you," said Sakura softly as she held Sayuri, keeping her seated in her lap as she waited for the pair to return. At nine months old, Sayuri was a beautiful little girl. As the days passed, Madara's features in the young child became more and more evident, and even though it was still too early to see, Sakura and Sasuke were hoping that she at least inherited her mother's personality and kindness.

Rather uncharacteristically, Sayuri's father had remained relatively quiet over the past few months, and although Sasuke had suspicions about what exactly the Uchiha clan leader could have been planning, Tobirama assured him that he had everything under control.

"Tou-chan, Sayuri is my little sister, right?" exclaimed Sarada as Sasuke set down the bowl in his hands so that he could fetch a cup for Sayuri's water. At his eldest daughter's words, the raven froze on the spot.

"Tou-chan?"

Sarada waved her hands in front of her father as he straightened up, an austere look on his face.

"Let's take her food and water back," was his soft response, grabbing a cup and passing it to his daughter. "Here, hold this so I can pour the water for her."

"Okay!"

Sarada held her breath as she attempted to remain as still as possible, causing her father to laugh at the look of sheer concentration on her face.

"All done. Can you hold that, or should I?"

"No! I've got it!"

Without hesitation, Sarada clasped both hands around the cup and whizzed back to the room where her mother and Sayuri were, making Sasuke chuckle at the sight. While he had no problem with adopting Sayuri as his own child, as long as Madara was around, there was always the fear that he would just as easily snatch her away from him, just as he had done with [Name].

However, ever since Sakura had brought Sayuri home that one fateful day, Sasuke had felt an overwhelming urge to love and protect Sayuri. She may not have been his child by blood, but since she was [Name]'s, that was close enough. She had specifically entrusted her daughter's life in his and Sakura's hands, and he wasn't about to let her down.

"You have Sakura and Sarada now. Can you do something for me?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"Please look after them. And if you can, please look after Sayuri as well."

Regardless of what Madara tried to do in the future, Sasuke knew that he wasn't going to let him get his hands on Sayuri. She was just as much his daughter as Sarada was, and he was going to raise her as his own.

"... huh. Yes."

In a delayed reaction, Sasuke answered Sarada's question even though she had long disappeared. As he realised it, the raven grinned as he headed back to the room, hearing Sakura calling out for him to bring Sayuri's food back.

"Tou-chan! Sayuri is hungry, give her the food!"

"Yes, yes," sighed Sasuke as he sat in front of Sakura and Sayuri, smiling at the little girl. "Hello again, Sayuri."