"Saradaaaaa." Sakura cooed as she waved her daughters favourite toy from the other side of the room– a stuffed dinosaur given to her by her father. Sarada gave a squeal of laughter as she pushed herself unsteadily up with her chubby hands and took a few struggling moments to keep herself upright. She eyed the dinosaur and with concentrated determination, put one foot in front of her, then another, then waddled quickly and clumsily towards her mother with her hands outstretched.

Sakura laughed with delight as Sarada managed to cross the room and fall onto the stuffed toy, successfully squashing it under her weight.

"Aren't you a darling." Sakura said softly and reached out to hug the baby and nuzzled her face, breathing in the familiar baby scent.

"I'll be back in a few days." A voice sounded from behind her and Sakura turned around to see her husband standing at the door, watching them with calm eyes.

"But you just got back yesterday!" Sakura exclaimed in protest, standing up to place her hands on her hips.

Sasuke blinked at her. "It's a mission."

Sakura's eyes twitched and she sighed in defeat. "Okay okay...I'll walk you out. Did you pack food?"

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura's eyes twitched again. Had her husband always been mute? She turned and reached out to pick up her daughter in her arms.

"Sarada, Papa's going out for a mission again." She made sure to cast her husband a look as she stressed the word, "Say itte irashai."

Sarada blinked and cocked her head to the side as her mother brought her in front of the man. This was supposedly her father, she recognised, Sarada had seen him a few times, but he always disappeared for ages and ages.

"It-sai?" Sarada managed

Sakura suppressed a giggle as Sasuke stared back at the miniature version of himself. His whole body twitched, as if he was conflicted in whether he should squeal from cuteness or drop onto the floor in exasperation. After a few moments of silence, he ended up sighing and lifting his hand slowly, reaching towards the baby's forehead and poking it softly with his two outstretched fingers.

"Itte kimasu, Sarada." He said softly, his face breaking into a soft smile.

Trying to avoid the look of utter adoration on his wife's beaming face, he turned to walk briskly towards the door.

"Oh geez, wait up Sasuke!"

Sakura put Sarada gently back down onto the floor. "You wait here ok Sarada-chan? Mama's just seeing Papa out the door; god knows when he'll be back this time." And with a smile, she patted Sarada on the head and left, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Except in her haste she had forgotten to close it entirely shut, leaving a curious Sarada to stare at the beam of sunlight peeking in through the cracks, casting a long shadow across the floor.

Sarada gazed at the source of the shadow, mesmerised by the simple beauty and warmth of the sunlight. She carefully picked up her stuffed dinosaur and stuffed its tail in her mouth. Then slowly, she reached towards the shoji and pulled it sideways. It slid open easily.

Feeling rather triumphant at her little deed, Sarada hugged the dinosaur to her chest and waddled out onto the corridor. She took in the view of the garden right outside the room; the swaying green leaves on the many Maple trees and the roses gathered at their roots. There was a trickling sound and she followed its source to gaze upon the large pond scattered with lily pads and the miniature water wheel turning lazily against the water. Sarada's eyes were wide with fascination.

She could faintly hear her mother's voice from the end of the corridor before it faded away completely. She remembered her mother's stern face lecturing about how she should never wander around by herself, but this was home, and the ripples forming on the water were practically calling for her.

Clutching her toy excitedly, she stumbled a bit as her chubby legs took her across the wooden floorboards, down the step, onto the soft grass and finally to the edge of the pond. She gawked in wonder at the water surface and gasped as she saw the fascinating creatures inside – long, colourful, light reflecting things moving slowly in the water, bubbles emitting from – was that their mouths?

Sarada frowned at the strange creatures and wondered what they were. She reached out her short hands to touch them –

And the next thing she knew her feet was off the ground and she tumbled head first into the pond. Sarada had never felt this sensation before – the feeling of her heart lurching towards her chest as she fell, the impact of the water against her face forcing her to close her eyes and the coldness, the darkness, the inability to breathe as she opened her mouth to shriek but only to have water seep down her throat and into her lungs.

And then it ended as quickly as it began. The next thing she knew she was sitting on the green grass again, blinking her eyes furiously to get water out of them, spluttering and coughing, choking as she felt air, cool, fresh air entering her lungs again as she sat drenched and shivering with shock.

"Sarada!"

Sakura cried out in horror as she came running, her heart pounding in her ears as she saw her daughter dripping wet next to the pond. But before she could reach her Sasuke was already there, knelt down next to the toddler with small wisps of dust clouds at his feet formed from his speed and his long hair falling slowly back down against his shoulders. His face was unreadable as he brushed the girl's wet locks away from her eyes and checked to see if she was injured.

That was the first time Sarada fully concentrated on her father's face as she felt him touch her cheek, at how his eyes, for a split second a crimson red, faded slowly back to their deep, dark onyx. It was also the first time she felt her father pull her towards him in a tight embrace, his large hand at the back of her head and pressing her against his broad, warm chest. As she felt the quick thumping of his heart and the slight trembling of his body, Sarada turned her head a little and saw, sitting against the maple tree, a figure that had the same dark orbs as her father's smiling softly at her, his long hair swaying in the wind.