To Learn about Loss is to Learn About Life

She awoke with a start, letting out a surprising shout as a pair of strong arms clad in soft black lifted her up. "Papa!?" she exclaimed confused, realizing she was still behind the tree and that Sasuke was now holding her up. She had fallen asleep? Was everything she just saw a dream? She looked down at her hand still clutching the small bundle of flowers.

"Sarada," Sasuke began, sounding surprised. "What on earth are you doing all the way out here all by yourself? Why were you sleeping behind that tree?"

Sarada stared up worriedly at her Papa, afraid that she may have angered him, but he did not appear to have been mad at her, not by the expression on his face, but more surprised and a little worried about her being out here all by herself. "Papa, I had to come! Mama... Mama told me that today is the day that Uncle Itachi died. It's the anniversary is what she called it."

"She did, did she?" Sasuke questioned, his voice stiffening slightly. "Tell me, Sarada. What do you know about your Uncle Itachi?"

Sarada's face brightened. "Papa! I just met Uncle Itachi! For the very first time! He's amazing! I know why you love him so much!"

Sasuke stumbled back slightly, his one visible, onyx eye widenining in shock. "How... how did you meet him?"

"Well it's weird...," Sarada began thoughtfully. "You see while I was asleep, Uncle Itachi and Grandma Mikoto and Grandpa Fugaku all came to visit me while I was sleeping. They said that they were real super proud of me and that Mama is beautiful and that I look just like you and Mama, but I look more like you than Mama. They also said I'm just as smart as you, and Uncle Itachi poked my forehead."

Sasuke didn't take his eyes off his little girl, and he couldn't help but wonder exactly what had happened in this dream of hers and how she saw Itachi and his parents. Sighing in defeat, Sasuke rose to his feet and took Sarada's hand in his. "Come with me, Sarada and bring your flowers."

The little girl did as she was told, holding the flowers in one hand while squeezing her father's fingers tightly with her other one and the father and his daughter began making their way toward the three gravestones where Sasuke had been sitting prior to Sarada's little nap. The stones came into view and each one was marked very visibly with names. 'Itachi Uchiha Beloved Brother and Son' 'Mikoto Uchiha Loving Mother and Wife' 'Fugaku Uchiha Devoted Father and Husband.'

"Papa," Sarada began, sounding a bit apprehensive and Sasuke looked down at his little girl, who's face was staring straight forward at the graves of her Uncle and her Grandparents.

"Hmm?" Sasuke hummed in his throat, knowing his daughter and knowing exactly what she was going to ask him, and so he prepared himself.

"Will you please tell me how Uncle Itachi, Grandma and Grandpa died? I really want to know," she said, her voice soft and eyes still pointed straight ahead.

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his locks of hair. "It's alright, Sasuke," came a voice from behind them both, and they turned around to see Sakura standing there, a serious expression on her face. "I think it's time for her to know the truth." She approached her husband and daughter, placing a hand gently on Sasuke's shoulder. "I would rather her hear that truth from you, than hear rumors about it at school from people who don't know all the facts."

"I suppose you're right," Sasuke let out another sigh and he knelt down in front of the graves so he could be at eye level with Sarada. Sakura stayed right behind his shoulder, keeping her hand firmly on top of it, and he appreciated his wife was there for moral support. What he was about to tell his daughter was going to be the hardest thing in his entire life, and depending on how Sarada took it, it might change her perspective on many things. "The first thing you need to know, was that your Uncle Itachi was a true hero of the Hidden Leaf. No matter what you might hear about him in the future, always remember this, Sarada." The little Uchiha girl nodded her raven head, staying quiet as her father began speaking.

He explained what happened between the Uchiha Clan and the Hidden Leaf Village. He told Sarada all about the coup de tat that the Uchiha Clan had been plotting, explaining that there were some people in the world who just weren't very nice and craved power over other things, but that if the coup happened, this could start a great war, and war was something that nobody ever wanted to experience. He explained how is brother, her uncle, Itachi was a double agent for both the Hidden Leaf and the Uchiha Police force. He worked as member of the ANBU black ops for the Hidden Leaf and underneath his father, her grandpa. He told her about how because of this, Itachi was given orders to massacare the entire Uchiha Clan. He told her about Shisui Uchiha. About how he and Itachi were best friends, and how he wanted to save the clan by placing them under a genjutsu, but that one of the evil elders of the Leaf, who was long since dead now, stole that opportunity to save the clan away from annhilation by stealing his right eye which ultimately lead to his death.

Sarada listened very intently and quietly, not taking her eyes off of her father as Sasuke relayed the entire story to her. "The Leaf ordered Itachi to kill the entire clan so it would put a stop to their plans. They threatened Itachi and told him that if he did not do it, they'd take the life of every Uchiha themselves as well as kill me."

Sarada gasped. "Oh no, Papa!"

"Yes... so your Uncle Itachi had no choice. He had to kill his entire clan, and that includes your Grandma and your Grandpa, so that the world would stay at peace and not break into another war, and so that the village would be protected," Sasuke continued to explain, not breaking stride now.

Sakura cleared her throat, indicating she wanted to interrupt. "However, Itachi did what he did because of your Papa. He wanted to save your Papa's life as well. More than anything, all of the things Itachi did was for your Papa and to protect him and his life. If he hadn't done that, then everyone in the Uchiha Clan would have died, including your Papa and you would have never been born, Sarada." Sarada's eyes widened, but she continued to keep quiet as she looked back and forth between her Papa and her Mama.

"I never knew the truth about your Uncle Itachi until it was too late," Sasuke told his daughter. "For so long, I fostered a hatred toward him that would continue to grow and get worse over the years because I never knew the truth of why he slaughtered our entire Clan all in one night. I wanted revenge for the Clan, but I now know that revenge was the wrong path to take."

"Why, Papa?" Sarada asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"That's a story for when you are older," Sakura spoke up for Sasuke, knowing that her husband wouldn't be entirely sure how to answer that question, and he brought his hand over his shoulder to squeeze his wife's hand, still placed there, thankful for her response.

"Your Uncle Itachi was devastated over what he had to do. He once showed me all of his memories and it broke his heart. Over all our years together growing up I'd never once seen Itachi shed a tear, and that night he cried like I had never seen before, right before he killed our Mom and Dad, and right after I tried to attack him with a kunai. It was something I had completely forgotten. Everything I was told about Itachi was the truth, and this truth hurt him for years and years, though he'd never openly admit it. He even worked for the Akatsuki as spy just so he could keep an eye on me and make sure nothing happened to me."

Sasuke sighed. "Then the day came where your Uncle and I ended up in battle with each other. I also didn't know this, but at the time, your Uncle Itachi was very very sick with a mysterious and fatal illness. He engaged me in battle, knowing full and well that he was dying, but I had no idea at the time that he was so ill. His body was beyond repair, and towards the end of our fight when both of us were exhausted, he succumed to his illness."

Itachi walked on slow, unsteady feet toward Sasuke, one hand reaching out for his face, ready to take his eyes. Closer and closer he got, only stopping as he coughed and choked up blood into his hand. Sasuke was frozen with fear, out of chakra, not knowing where to go or where to turn. He was backed up against a broken wall of all that remained of the Uchiha hideout, the clan's crest, the paint faded in color, on the cracked stone behind him. There was no time to breathe, no time think, no time to panic. Itachi was going to steal his eyes. And then... out of nowhere, two fingertips poked him right in the middle of his forehead.

"Forgive me, Sasuke, but... this is it," Itachi's tired, weakened voice spoke out as he smiled one last time at his younger brother. Blood dripping down the sides of his mouth, his ravaged face grinning just for him. His fingers slipped down Sasuke's face, leaving a trail of blood on him, before Itachi fell, face first into the stone wall and then his body fell next to his brother's feet, his life extinguished. He was gone. This was really it.

The masked man, who called himself Madara Uchiha, had just finished relaying the entire truth to Sasuke, as the young man had been treated for his wounds and was in the process of recovering. At one point, he had tied him up when Sasuke furiously refused to believe anything that Madara was telling him about Itachi was the truth. He couldn't believe it to be the truth. Why? How? As the masked man undid the ropes, Sasuke's hand slumped to the ground, limp and he stared downward, unable to face this Madara person as he continued with his story.

"Do you understand what that means?" The masked form questioned the young Uchiha. "To him your life was even more precious to him than the village. Until the moment of his death. No, even after he died. It was all for you. To confer on you new powers. By allowing you to defeat him, he had avenged the Uchiha Clan. He made you the hero of the Hidden Leaf Village. Ravaged by illness, painfully aware of his impending death, he forcefully prolonged his life with medication. All for the sake of his beloved little brother. Because he had to fight you and die in your presence. For the peace of the Hidden Leaf Village and most of all for you, Sasuke Uchiha. He wanted to die being known as a criminal and a traitor. He accepted disgrace in the place of honor, and hatred in the place of love, and yet... Itachi still died with a smile on his face. He bequeathed to you the Uchiha name, still fooling you to the very end."

Sasuke stood on the rocks near the ocean's shore, allowing the ocean spray and waves to splash on him, staring out into the red and orange sunset filling the sky. His memories fell back to times of his childhood, when Itachi would come home from school and they would spend their afternoons playing together. He remembered the hide and seek game, where Itachi tricked him using a clone jutsu, and being so excited about the idea of Itachi teaching it to him. He thought about the days they spent training and learning together. He remembered falling down and twisting his ankle and his older brother picking him up and carrying him home piggyback.

He remembered wondering why Itachi began treating him like a pest, and his big brother telling him he'd always be there for him, even if it was just an obstacle for him to overcome, even Sasuke did hate him, because that's what big brothers were for. All of the memories had flashed before his eyes, one right after the other, as the heavily realization of everything that Itachi sacrificed for him and for the village, settled over him, and he could no longer hold back the years worth tears. He cried for his brother, standing on that rock, not caring if Taka were surrounding him or not. Nothing could ease his suffering. Nothing would fill the void, the loss of his brother that Itachi had left. His grief at losing him was deeper beyond anyone's capability of understanding, inconsolably so.

Sasuke had stopped talking now, turning his head away from Sarada and Sakura, unable to continue speaking anymore. His chest was clenching painfully, his throat tightening as attempted to swallow back the emotions and the lump in his throat.

"So, Uncle Itachi killed our entire clan," Sarada repeatedly gravely, gazing at her Uncle's headstone in front of her.

"Sometimes, ninja are charged with orders that require to them to do things such as that. They have to make terrible choices through no fault of their own and it was the same for your Uncle Itachi," Sakura began to explain, and Sarada nodded her head, interrupting.

"I know, Mama. I know why Uncle Itachi did what he did, and that was to save Papa's life. I understand that. I don't hate Uncle Itachi. I love Uncle Itachi," Sarada gazed upward at her parents, her onyx eyes sparkling and a sweet smile on her face. "And I'm glad he saved Papa. Because if Papa weren't here, I wouldn't be here either. Uncle Itachi is a true hero, and I hope the whole world knows the truth about him and what he did for us."

Sasuke couldn't bear to look at his daughter as the relief overtook him, some of the weight lifting off of his shoulders, and he slumped onto his knees. Sarada stood up on her feet and began walking toward her father. Sakura could feel Sasuke's shoulders begin to tremble underneath her hands, which were now both placed on him. He was so frightened by the idea that Sarada could end up despising the entire Uchiha Clan as well as Itachi and maybe even himself, but she didn't. She had accepted what happened, her love greater than any hatred could allow and he could easily see that. She was a true Uchiha, unbound by curses, and filled with an overwhelming love that he wanted to scoop his daughter up into his arms and hold onto her, and he would have, if his vision weren't becoming increasingly distorted by the burning wetness sneaking up into his eyes. He discreetly tried to hide this from his daughter, but Sarada was a sharp one indeed. She stood in front of her father and put both of her small hands on the sides of his face.

"Papa? It's okay if you need to cry. I don't mind. It's not a bad thing. Uncle Itachi told me that. He said it was okay. Especially if we miss someone who's already gone. I promise I won't tell anyone. If Uncle Itachi said it's okay, then it's okay." She let go of Sasuke's face who's mismatched eyes were staring straight into his daughter's honest and sincere ones, and just those few words nearly sent him straight over the edge. He could hear the soft sobs now from his wife coming from behind him, and he knew Sakura was crying for the same reason he was about to. Sarada moved back toward Mikoto's grave and sat next to it, staring down at the dirt ground below them, still holding the flowers in her hand.

And so Sasuke allowed himself this moment of vulnerability, something he hadn't done in years, not since his little girl had been born and he cried, hard, kneeling in front of Itachi's grave, his hands digging in the dirt, body shaking with silent sobbing and Sarada watched as each tear fell from her father's eyes and landed on the dirt ground, dissolving into damp patches underneath him. Sarada took this moment to lay one flower next to each gravestone for her deceased family.

Sakura had now crouched down next to him, both of her arms around him and holding him close, his head tucked under her chin. She knew how hard this had been for him, how hard it was to tell his daughter the truth, but the relief that Sarada accepted everything that had happened, with no change in her heart, was what had put this strong, taciturn Uchiha into the emotional state he was currently in.

It was her overwhelming understanding and love, just like her mother had for him, which was what moved Sasuke to tears. It was that overwhelming understanding and love for a brother that Naruto had for him as well that had once did the same thing to him, and even though at times he felt he didn't deserve anyone's forgiveness or love, he was beyond grateful he had what he did with Sakura, Sarada, as well as his bond of friendship and brotherhood with Naruto. After a bit, Sasuke felt his tears slowing and his breathing calming. He regained his composure for the sake of his daughter and his wife, as well as his own dignity, but it was just something that couldn't be helped.

He raised his head as Sakura pulled back from him and looked over at his little girl who'd sat in silence, watching her parents through their moment mixed with grief and relief, eyes dry and very patient. "Sarada, did you know that sometimes you remind me of your Uncle Itachi? You're just as gentle as he is, and you're very wise for such a young age. You're understanding like him as well. If your Uncle Itachi were here right now, he would be so proud of you," Sasuke reached out and poked her gently on the forehead.

"Papa? Uncle Itachi did that to me when I was sleeping, and he said he used to do it to you too? Why do you guys do that?" Sarada asked him, rubbing her forehead where Sasuke had poked her. Sasuke reached his hands out and pulled his little Uchiha girl close to him.

"It was something Itachi always used to do to me when we were growing up. It was how your uncle expressed his affection toward me as my older brother. To Itachi, that was ultimate expression of love. That was his way of showing me that he loved me. There are only two people in this whole world that I ever poked in the forehead like Itachi did for me, and that's you and your Mama," Sasuke explained, with Sarada now sitting on his knee.

"Tch, well I know that, Papa," the little girl began indignantly and she reached up to her father's forehead with her own, two fingers and poked him right back. "That's because we are the only two people that you truly love with all your heart, just like Uncle Itachi truly loved you." she stated smartly, folding her arms, and nodding her head, with that crooked grin on her face, exactly like her father's crooked, half smile.

Sasuke just smiled at his little girl and scooped her up into his arms. "That's right. Now, I think it's time to head back. The sun is starting to set. We've been out here all day, and I'm sure you're ready for some dinner."

"Yes! I'm starving! Let's go home!"

Sakura took Sasuke's hand in hers and the three of them walked out of the cemetery, Sarada held in one of Sasuke's arms. Sakura on the other side of Sasuke, as the twosome walked hand in hand.

"Oh, Mama. Before I forget. I heard Papa telling Uncle Itachi that we scare him sometimes!" Sarada piped up on their walk back.

"Wha- Sarada!" Sasuke stammered, staring at his grinning little girl.

"Hmmm, is that so?" Sakura teased, bumping shoulders with her husband. "We'll have to remember that for the future."

Sasuke groaned loudly as his two Uchiha girls, wife and daughter, laughed together, almost plottingly and sinisterly. If only he'd known Sarada had been back there, he never would have said anything. He would never live this down.

"Oh and Papa? One more thing," Sarada began. Sasuke started to groan. "No don't worry! It's not bad! I have a message for you from Grandpa Fugaku. He said to tell you 'well done, my son. I'm very proud of you' and that's it."

Sasuke froze for a moment, holding his breath at those words. Maybe they really had been to see Sarada in her dreams. Maybe it was true they had really been there, and if so, he was grateful that his daughter got to have at least a small semblance of time with them. He turned his gaze up to the setting sun in the sky. "Thank you." Was all he said.

The Uchiha family made their way down the streets of Konoha with Sakura and Sarada teasing and prodding the beloved husband and father, toward home with a brilliantly pink and orange sunset washing over them.

Author's Note:

This turned out to be such a long story, that instead of making it a oneshot, I made it a two-part. This is me touching on Sarada learning the entire truth about her Uncle Itachi and why she never got to meet her family. I hope I did okay on this and I hope that you all enjoy reading it.