3 - That's a whole ass brother...
Now Sakura might not have had the best relationship with her parents. Especially when they found out she was not going to retire at chūnin to get married and continue on the Haruno nomadic merchant nature.
But, she likes to think she knew them well enough as their daughter, to know that she never had an older brother who disappeared off the face of the earth before she could remember him. She certainly hadn’t remembered photos of him around her home or in her parents' belongings when they passed after the war. Nor had she met another relative as a child who was this much older than her.
So, Sakura would be inclined to believe that this young boy (probably around 8 or 9), is adopted. She would if not for the pink hair, the same color as hers and the navy blue eyes of her dad.
Her mint green eyes take in the boy with a face eerily similar to her own when she was that age as she sucks her pacifier harder.
That wide forehead, those long sea coral locks, his peach skin tone… Haruno Sakura is stumped and staring wide-eyed. It’s like they copied and pasted me and gave him blue eyes…
The little boy is leaning over her, a bright smile on her would be masculine face and backpack rustling on his shoulders.
“Kae-chan,” Her mother greets softly, “Welcome back. How was the academy outdoor excursion?”
Sakura feels herself being rocked back to sleep and she begins to suck the pacifier more mildly. She never realized she had been groaning and tearing up.
“It was too lo~ng!” The boy exclaims, eyes still bright, “I can’t believe you gave birth before I got back!”
Her mother snorts but chuckles mildly as she teases, “I’m sorry I didn’t hold her in.”
The boy, Kaede- her mind supplies, pouts before grinning, “I’ll forgive you because she’s cute!”
Sakura hears the loud laughter that belongs to her dad.
“What’s her name?” He asks. Sakura can see he is looking away from her and probably at her dad.
“Sakura.” Her dad responds, his tone affectionate.
Sakura, as sleepy as she is, can spot the glee in the boy’s sapphire eyes as he looks back at her. Her hands have been clenching and unclenching since he came in and he clearly decided to give her something to grab onto.
Kaede smiles at her softly, affection in his eyes, and gives her his index finger. Her body immediately clutches the larger appendage instinctively.
“Hi, Sacchan,” He greets quietly, “I’m your big brother, Kaede. I’ll always protect and love you. No matter what! I can’t wait to teach you our history.”
She blinks slowly, her mouth subconsciously sucking the pacifier docilely, and gurgles at the older boy.
His face lights up even further as Sakura lets sleep finally take her.