This fan fiction is for Fanofthisfiction. Surprise! You have been such an amazing, helpful and supportive friend to me throughout these past few years, and In celebration and as a thank you I wanted to write something for you for this challenge. I hope you are having a wonderful and restful holiday season! :D

...

"Papa...? Ah, Papa, you're home!"

"Sarada. You're up late."

"I couldn't sleep..." The young Uchiha rubbed her sleep-laden eyes from where she stood in the kitchen before slipping on her glasses.

Sure enough, across from the kitchen in the living room, on the couch, her father remained. Her alarm erupted into pure elation. She clasped her hands together with a smile on her lips. "Papa… why are you camped out on the couch?"

The Uchiha was indeed lying on the couch; a thin blanket was draped over his lap and some of his ninja gear was splayed neatly out on the rug just beneath him. Sasuke sat up, nodding his head toward the clock on the wall. "It's nearly three a.m. I know how your mother values beauty rest. I'll be leaving again in three days."

Sarada grinned before briskly flinging the refrigerator door open and pulling out a pitcher of water to pour herself a glass. Thankfully at the last minute, she thought to get her dad a glass as well. So caught up in the pleasant surprise, she nearly forgot. Despite her efforts to suppress her giddiness, she practically skipped over to the living room table that was in front of the couch and sat down so she was sitting right across from her father. She handed him his glass and he silently accepted with a nod.

Sarada had woken with a burning throat and her head felt slightly overheated. She gulped down over half of her drink before stopping to breathe.

It was then she realized that Sasuke was simply staring into the cup he held for reasons she didn't understand. It was rare she had a moment alone with her father one on one like this. She took the opportunity to study his face. It had only been a little over six months since her very first memorable encounter with him. Since then, because of his missions, Sasuke had been in and out, making the times she'd seen him after that far and few in-between.

There was still a lot she was getting to know about him. Like the way his face almost always seemed to be a clean slate, save the times she saw him smile at her, her mama or Lord Seventh every once in a while. Or how his presence held an air of intensity that both made her feel safe and sometimes, tense at the same time.

She had begun to grow used to the fact that her father was simply a mystery. But what intrigued Sarada the most was his eye. Not the Rinnegan, but the other one. The one with the same midnight color her own orbs held, was always a far cry from decipherable. There was a certain haziness about it that was visible tonight. Was it due to curiosity? ...Uneasiness? She couldn't place her finger on what she saw in it, but…

She snapped out of her inner musings when she saw that Sasuke was once again looking right at her. She slipped her gaze to his forehead instead.

"What woke you?" He took a sip of his water.

Chills began to envelop her arms as Sarada recalled. "Oh. A dream."

The older Uchiha waited for her to continue. She didn't elaborate. "You had a nightmare?"

Sarada shook her head. "Mmm, no. Just a dream. A… strange dream, I guess." The young Uchiha wouldn't necessarily call it scary. But thinking about it now, with her father there, she suddenly felt on edge about it.

Sarada wondered. Should she…

Just by what she'd picked up on so far, she had a feeling her papa wasn't the type of person to pry in unnecessary circumstances, so if she didn't wish to continue, she doubted her father would truly care to press. This was confirmed when two minutes passed and silence continuously stretched between them.

Sarada took a deep breath. She would be open with him.

"Hey Papa... you have a brother, right?"

"I did. An older brother."

Sarada could feel it. Just like that something in the air had changed. She already knew her father had a brother. It was just that she was aware that Sasuke's brother was apparently a sensitive subject; Sakura had informed her once, although she never told her why. She never thought to think on the matter further since then.

That was until tonight.

The memories came rushing back in her mind. A canvas of colors and images like a film replayed itself in her mind's eye. Her heart sped as she struggled to say what she wanted. "I...think I saw him in my dream."

A noise emitted from Sasuke which to Sarada sounded like a hum of question.

Sarada cleared her throat. "Um, yeah, I think I saw him in my dream, we were walking a-and talking."

When she glanced up again to see Sasuke with an unfamiliar look on his face, her palms become sweaty. She hated the feeling. Then, so quietly that she wasn't sure he said anything, her father spoke.

"I see. So, tell me what happened."

Sarada was slightly caught off guard by this, not being sure what to expect.

"O-okay, well let's see… we were on our way back from a mission. It was a very simple one; I think we were just eliminating a spy lurking around the outskirts of the village and… Umm, what happened next..," Sarada placed a hand on her chin, frustrated with the fragments she was left with. After a few moments, her eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! We came back and reported to Lord Seventh. After that..."

...

"Great job on the mission, Uncle! We got that done in no time!" Sarada turned on her heel, looking back at the man, getting ready to head home. "I'll see you later!"

"In such a hurry?" He squinted through the sunlight, brushing a sweep of dark hair out of his face. "I thought maybe you'd like to get something to eat. To celebrate the mission's completion. But if you're eager to get home..."

Sarada stopped in her tracks, excitement flooding her. Knowing how busy her Uncle often was, it was an honor that he would offer out of the blue. "Sure, let's go then!"

After catching up, she looked up at him and was surprised to realize that she could actually see his face. The shape of his head, the thickness of his eyebrows, his dark eyes and the unique tear troughs that marked his face were all things she could consciously take in with no fuzziness. He looked a lot like her dad. Remembering faces didn't normally happen in dreams, so at this, she was delighted.

"Where to?"

"Hm…" he looked to the sky in thought. "How does Mushiatsui cafe sound?"

...

Sarada paused to catch her breath. She'd been speaking rather quickly in describing the beginning of the dream. She glanced at her father. Sasuke was staring down at his cup of water once again, but this time with his brow furrowed as if he were trying to find something in it. A few seconds later he looked up, regarding her with a blank expression. "Why did you stop?"

Sarada rose her eyebrows. "Oh, no reason! Anyway….after arriving at the cafe, we ordered the food and ate. By the time we finished, I was so full from the dinner and the tea since it was so amazing, I could have burst! But even so, before we left, for some reason Uncle really wanted to order some dango."

….

"But, aren't you full? I don't think I can even touch any more food. I think I may have overdone it," the kunoichi groaned.

"I'm almost there, but I thought ahead to save some room for the dango. This cafe has the best in the village. However, I may have to take the rest home," the raven-haired man said as he began scanning the menu's dessert section.

Sarada watched him. She didn't know why, but everything about him seemed so steady and smooth. She'd taken note of that on the mission: how precise and efficient he was when fighting the man, getting the information he needed and taking care of the rest. And even now, such a peace-loving nature emitted from his being. He made ordering a simple treat look cool.

After the dango he ordered was served, Sarada spoke. "I don't get it. I never really cared much for sweets."

There were five sticks of dango, each one with different colored syrups, each stick containing dango with different shapes. Sarada had never seen any like them before.

"Have you tried dango?" her uncle inquired.

"Well, no, but…"

"You shouldn't judge things until you've tried them." Before she could blink, the star-shaped stick of dango with vibrant purple sauce was held out in front of her. Sarada beheld it suspiciously and her uncle urged her with a hum. She took it. After a moment's hesitation, she slowly bit into the first star. It tasted like…

"Woah, it's black tea flavored! My favorite." She took another bite and closed her eyes. "The sauce is delicious! I mean, I wasn't expecting to like it- heck, I was ready to go into hibernation just a second ago, I was so full, but I could eat a few more of these! Thanks, Uncle.…. Uncle?"

Sarada's voice faded as she looked to the elder Uchiha who hadn't responded. He held an already bare skewer in hand and his mouth was stuffed with the dango. He paused, realizing she'd been talking to him.

"Hn?"

…..

"Sounds spot on." Sarada looked up and to her surprise, there was a hint of a smile on her father's face. "Itachi loved dango. On the days we'd train, we'd eat lunch together. He would always make sure dango was part of every meal we ate. Whether we went out to eat it, or he made it from scratch in the kitchen. He got me to try so many different kinds that I once got sick and developed an aversion to dango from then on. I can't stand anything sweet to this day," Sasuke murmured, tapping a finger to his glass. "More often than not, though, Itachi wouldn't have time to eat lunch. Especially when the load of his missions increased." He trailed off suddenly, seemingly lost in thought.

Sarada's eyes were wide, in awe at the sudden information. "Wait, you said Itachi. Your older brother's name was Itachi?" she asked.

Sasuke nodded.

Sarada mulled over this happily. His name was Itachi. Her uncle and her father used to train together, and- he had a cool name. It was great to finally have a name to the person in her dream.

"But hold on," her father said. "How did you know that?"

"Huh? How did I know what?"

"About the dango," Sasuke frowned. It was no secret for him that Itachi loved dango more than anyone he'd ever known. But it was clear, Sarada hadn't even know Itachi's name before. This was the first time they'd talked about his brother in such depth. Never had Sasuke mentioned to anyone just how much Itachi favored the food. There was no way for Sarada to know by random chance.

"Oh, I… I don't know." Sarada became concerned, sensing something was off.

"Keep going," Sasuke urged.

Sarada nodded. "After I tried the dango, we continued to talk…."

…

"Hey, Uncle Itachi?"

Itachi placed his skewer down. "Hm?"

"So I was kind of wondering… I've been meaning to ask you." A mischievous smile crept onto her face. "Papa never tells me anything about his childhood. Could you tell me? What was he like growing up?"

Itachi cleared his throat after taking a sip of his tea. He looked up to the cafe tent's ceiling with a small smile on his lips. "You want to know more about Sasuke? Well, there are so many things. I'm not sure I can quite recall anything in particular…"

"Oh come on Uncle Itachi, there has to be something!" Sarada pressed.

Itachi chuckled as he flipped one of the skewers in between his fingers. "Well, there may be a few things. I'm not so certain your father would appreciate me spilling the tea, however. So let's keep this between you and me," he smiled.

"Okay," Sarada giggled, leaning forward.

…

"...And then?"

"What?" Sarada asked.

"What did he tell you?" Sasuke questioned after a pause.

Sarada laughed. "I don't know, I said I would keep that a secret!"

"If the secret involves me, I don't think the promise has to stand," Sasuke contended.

In any other situation, the Uchiha may not have pried. However, considering that so many other details concerning Sarada's dream had been so unbelievably realistic, he knew something strange was going on. The physical features Sarada had described. The way he talked. It was unknown how so many things thus far were so accurate. What mattered now was taking in every detail possible to gauge more of what was happening.

Sarada had a feeling Sasuke wouldn't rest until she continued. It was apparent to her that he was on to something. She sighed but held back her amused smile.

….

"Your father was always an enthusiastic child growing up. Every time I saw him there wasn't a single time he didn't want to train, wanting to become stronger. I know he admired me as a shinobi. But he never knew that I admired his kind heart and resilient spirit."

"Really? Why was that?"

Itachi smiled fondly. "Sasuke was one of the most optimistic people I knew. However, often times that optimism was truly stubbornness in disguise." The Uchiha shook his head faintly. "My father wasn't too fond of it, but my mother knew that I took up an interest in food-making and bought me a dango kit for my birthday. One day I decided to make a dozen dango of different kinds, all with varying flavors, and Sasuke wanted to join me. It was only my second time making dango from scratch and the batch didn't turn out very well, but they still tasted good enough for me to eat. Nonetheless, Sasuke tries one and I know right away that he hates them," Itachi relays with a growing smile on his face.

"Ooh no," said Sarada.

"You may not believe it now, but back then Sasuke's face was an open book. But because I was still eating them, he pretended to like them as well, and even tried to eat more than me to prove it, and I didn't stop him. He ate seven and a half before running for the bathroom."

Despite her efforts not to, Sarada burst out laughing at the thought of her father doing such a thing. Itachi chuckled along with her. "That really happened?" She wiped her eyes. It was crazy how drastically one could differ from their childhood self.

"Truthfully I felt terrible about it for the longest time. How could a big brother allow his younger brother to hurt himself like that?" Itachi once again had a sobered expression on his face. "Over time I forgave myself and learned to laugh about that instance. But to that day, I promised myself that I would no longer make a game of my little brother's well being on any level. From then on, I vowed to protect him with my life."

…

Sasuke didn't move a muscle.

So that's your side of the story, big brother?

There was no denying it. Whether or not every detail was true didn't eliminate the fact that Sasuke did, in fact, eat seven and a half of the dango. He remembered because he was also keeping count that day and he could never forget the repulsive tastes. That detail was impossible to miss.

"Papa? Did… that actually happen then?"

"What else did he tell you?" Sasuke avoided the question.

"Well, we talked more after that, but it was basically more memories he shared of his childhood with you. Other than that, he asked me more about my own life. How my days at the academy were, how I was doing now as a genin…" Sarada looked to the floor. "As the sun began to set, we shared several more laughs and he gave me some words of wisdom. He was so, so wise, Papa. It seemed like hours passed. But before I knew it, it was dark outside, and Uncle Itachi suddenly told me he had to go."

….

Something about this moment made her chest ache and she wasn't sure why. She loved her Uncle's smile, and she loved talking to him. He was the uncle she never got the chance to meet in reality, an uncle that she'd barely even known about. This was merely a version of him that her imagination made up and she knew it was only a dream. Yet something about this dream felt more authentic than any she could recall in the past. Already she missed him and the dream had yet to end.

"It's been an honor getting to see you, Sarada," Itachi said. His onyx eyes were sparkling as he regarded her with a smile.

She bit her lip as she watched him push in his chair. It was only a dream, but she couldn't stop herself from asking. "Will I ever see you again?"

Time slowed as he turned to face her, his hair blowing in the wind that passed through the tent. A small smile adorned his face as he extended his arm and urged her to come closer.

…

"Strange. He poked me in the forehead. You know, like the way you and Mama did to me. So much warmth radiated through me then. And even though I was sad... I felt so at peace," Sarada whispered, brushing her fingers across her forehead. "He did that and told me that he loved me. That's the last thing he said. Next thing I knew, Uncle Itachi was fading away, and everything went black. That's when I woke up."

Sasuke's mind was reeling. It was all too close for mere coincidence. How was this possible? The only time he recalled anything of his brothers being passed down after his death was when he was confronted with Obito posing as Madara for the first time. The time when Itachi's Amaterasu activated through Sasuke and nearly killed the masked man the moment he showed him his Sharingan. Part of Itachi's chakra had been transferred then. It made sense, but… Had Itachi done something similar in this case?

If so, when? During their final battle against each other, thought Sasuke. Or had he done it during their last encounter after they'd defeated Kabuto? Somehow, Itachi was involved, and it was apparent that whatever remaining chakra he passed onto Sasuke was no doubt transferred to his daughter.

Perhaps he would never know the exact details.

Sasuke could find no words. He simply stared at his daughter: the one Itachi had done all of this for in such a mysterious way. Never had they talked about their future children together. Yet, Sasuke realized it must have been something Itachi thought of in his last moments on earth. All to see…

"Papa? Papa, are you all right? You look a little pale." Sarada's wide eyes shone with concern. The Uchiha blood was coursing through her veins. When he looked at her he saw a bit of everyone he loved. Yes, Itachi was gone. But he would continue to live on in her. and nothing could change that. Itachi was full of surprises.

"Hmph. Don't worry," Sasuke smirked. "I'm fine."

Note:

Shout out to Poodie for holding this challenge! She is incredibly kind!

So, I saw that Sasuke never told Sarada about Itachi in the manga/anime (at least he hasn't so far) and although she knows that the majority of the Uchiha clan was wiped out, she still doesn't know who was behind it(!) I chose not to mention it in this story because that could be an entirely different story of its own. I honestly believe Itachi would have wanted to show his niece who he really was instead of who he was forced to be for the majority of his life. I can see Sasuke eventually explaining to Sarada what happened to Itachi later on, especially if she were to ask why he never told her about him since he seemed like such an amazing person in her dream. Hower, I think this is something like how Itachi would have wanted to spend his time with Sarada for the first and final time :) … :'(

What do you think? Thanks for reading and reviewing! Merry Christmas and Happy holidays to everyone 3