Homecoming
Chapter 8: Homecoming
When they finally arrived in Konoha, the familiar gates loomed ahead, but for Sasuke, they brought no comfort. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, thick and suffocating. The Susanoo continued its steady flight toward the hospital, but the knot in Sasuke's chest only tightened. His eyes never left Sarada, her fragile body cradled in his arm, and with every passing second, the anxiety gnawed at him more. Tsunade was waiting by the entrance, her face calm but unreadable. When Sasuke appeared in front of her, her sharp eyes scanned Sarada’s condition, the unspoken knowledge of how critical this was hanging in the air.
“We’ll treat her in one of the ER rooms. We need to stabilize her immediately,” Tsunade's voice was firm, carrying the weight of authority that left no room for hesitation.
Sasuke's heart lurched at the command, but he couldn’t speak. He simply nodded, unable to tear his gaze away from his daughter. Tsunade’s words barely registered in his mind as he moved swiftly with the others, the team of medic nin around him guiding him toward the sterile, cold room that would be her battleground.
“She’s strong,” Tsunade added, her voice cutting through Sasuke’s spiraling thoughts, the words meant to reassure him. “She’s been through worse.”
But Sasuke's throat tightened with the unbearable weight of guilt. "She shouldn’t have had to go through any of it."
Tsunade’s gaze softened for a brief moment, understanding flickering behind her eyes. But she didn’t respond; there was no time for comfort. There was only time for action.
As soon as they reached the ER, Sasuke didn’t hesitate. He moved Sarada from his arm to the examination table, the cold metal beneath her only highlighting the warmth of her feverish body. Around him, the medical staff moved with practiced urgency, each one working to save the girl who was Sasuke’s entire world.
Tsunade turned to Sasuke, her voice cutting through the room’s tense silence. “You’ll need to step back. We need room to work. You can stay, but you need to let the medical team do their job.”
Every instinct in Sasuke screamed to stay close to her, but he obeyed. His body moved, yet his mind stayed tethered to Sarada. His eyes traced every movement, every motion of the medical team as they worked swiftly to revive her. His hand, once steady in battle, now trembled at his side, powerless.
He barely registered the nurse’s gentle hands removing Sarada's clothing to replace it with a hospital gown, the sound of machines and equipment becoming an unrelenting buzz in the background after a nurse had attached some cables to Sarada’s chest and index finger. Another nurse also put an oxygen mask on Sarada when they saw that her oxygen levels were too low. On the other hand, Tsunade positioned herself at the head of the bed, her fingers expertly navigating the buttons of the monitors as she read the data, her face unreadable. The heart monitor’s steady beep filled the room, a reminder that Sarada was still clinging to life, but barely.
“Get the IV setup ready,” Tsunade commanded, her voice calm yet unmistakably sharp. “We need to stabilize her. Her blood pressure is dropping, and her pulse is too weak. From what Pakkun told the Hokage, she was trapped in a cage without food or water. She must be severely dehydrated.”
The words hit Sasuke harder than any blow. He watched as Tsunade’s hands moved with precision, her gaze sharp and unfaltering as she checked Sarada’s condition. Then he turned to Sarada and saw her very swollen right knee, the deep lacerations from the ninja wire, the bruise on her cheek—each injury felt like a personal betrayal. Sasuke clenched his jaw, the bitterness of helplessness settling in his chest.
Tsunade then turned her attention to Sarada’s head injury, her eyes narrowing in concern. She leaned forward, examining Sarada’s pupils. There was a slight sluggishness in their reaction to light. Tsunade’s frown deepened. The concussion seemed worse than she had originally thought.
“Her concussion is more severe than I anticipated,” Tsunade murmured, mostly to herself, but Sasuke heard. He felt a cold lump form in his throat.
Tsunade turned to one of the nurses. “Check her reflexes again. Make sure there’s no internal bleeding.” Her gaze shifted to Sasuke. “It’s a good thing we’re here now. She’s fighting, but this could go either way.”
Tsunade then moved quickly to Sarada’s leg. She inspected the splint that had been hastily applied by the Chuunin team that had found her, her gaze sharp. Her fingers brushed over the broken leg, and she winced slightly at the swelling and bruising.
“We need to reset this leg,” Tsunade said. “The splint is not enough. The swelling has made it more difficult. We’ll need to set it properly before we can do anything else.”
Sasuke’s heart dropped, but he said nothing. He had no choice but to trust Tsunade and the skilled medical nin around them. His attention, though, remained on Sarada. He couldn’t protect her—he had failed her. The guilt ate at him like a poison, but he shoved it aside. She needed him to be strong now.
“Tsunade-sama, I can’t find a good vein in her arms. I’m afraid that her veins have collapsed,” a nurse reported, her voice tinged with worry. “We can’t get an IV in her arms.”
“Then, we’ll use intraosseous access,” Tsunade ordered without hesitation. “We can’t afford to waste time. I’ll use her left leg—the right one is broken.”
Sasuke’s stomach churned as he watched the procedure, his fist clenched at his side. He had never heard about this before, but the sight of it being done to his five-year-old daughter made his blood run cold. The thick needle, the device that looked like a gun, slipped into Sarada’s leg, aiming to inject fluids directly into her bone marrow. The thought of the pain she might be enduring made his heart tighten painfully, but there was nothing he could do. He could only watch as Tsunade worked, his mind swirling with thoughts of what more he could have done.
As the fluids entered Sarada’s body, Sasuke could see the faintest sign of improvement. Her blood pressure seemed to stabilize, the numbers flickering on the screen, but it was barely enough. The fight wasn’t over.
“Get a Foley catheter in,” Tsunade barked. “We also need to monitor her kidney function closely. The heat stroke could have affected them.”
Her voice remained firm, detached even, as she guided the nurses through each step. Sasuke’s eyes, however, never left Sarada. The bruising, the burns, the cuts—each mark felt like a wound to his soul. The small girl he had once held in his arm, the one who had looked up at him with trust in her eyes, was now a broken shell, vulnerable and fighting for survival.
“Start cooling pads,” Tsunade ordered, her voice unwavering. “Give her antipyretics to lower the fever. Her body’s still too hot. Take blood samples—we need to check her electrolytes and check if there’s an infection. The last thing she needs right now is to fight off an infection on top of everything else.”
The room was packed with action, but to Sasuke, everything felt like a blur. Tsunade’s steady hands, the beeping of the machines, the come and go of the nurses—it all faded into the background. For him, there was only Sarada.
“Her fever is still dangerously high,” Tsunade said quietly, turning to Sasuke as she continued working. “We’ll do everything we can, but we need more than cooling pads. We need more fluids, and I’m not sure we have enough time to stabilize her fully.”
Sasuke’s heart pounded in his chest. The weight of her life hanging in the balance was almost too much to bear. “Please,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Please save her.”
The monitors continued to beep steadily, a fragile rhythm, but it wasn’t enough. Not yet. Not until Sarada could fight back.
---
Meanwhile, in the waiting room, the silence was suffocating. The familiar faces of those who loved Sarada were strained with worry, each of them caught in their own silent turmoil.
---
Back to the ER, Tsunade moved swiftly, her hands steady as she worked on stabilizing Sarada. Sarada was improving, but just barely. Her pulse was still weak, her breathing shallow, and the fever was an ever-present threat. The beeping of the heart rate monitor was a constant in the background, but it was becoming more irregular, the rhythm faint and shaky. Tsunade’s brow furrowed as she watched the screen, her gaze narrowing.
Stay with us, Sarada, Tsunade thought, her focus never wavering. She’d seen patients in worse conditions, but this... this was different. This was a child. Sakura and Sasuke's daughter. The stakes were higher.
Although Sarada was now getting some fluids into her dehydrated body, the change in her condition was slow. Too slow. Tsunade's eyes darted to the heart monitor, and her stomach churned as the beep grew slower, more erratic. A sharp alarm filled the room, sending a cold chill down everyone's spine. The flat line stretched across the screen, stark and unforgiving. Tsunade’s heart stopped for the briefest moment. No... She wasn’t going to let this child slip away, not without a fight.
“Her heart stopped!” Tsunade said, her voice steady but tinged with urgency.
Sasuke stood motionless, his eyes wide with fear, his breath catching in his throat. The hospital room seemed to shrink around him, the air thick with dread. His heart hammered in his chest, a primal panic rising within him as he looked at Sarada’s lifeless form. It was the worst thing he could imagine—his daughter’s life hanging in the balance. His body tensed, the weight of helplessness bearing down on him like a vice.
Tsunade didn’t hesitate, her hands already moving to start chest compressions. The rhythm was forceful but controlled, pressing into Sarada’s tiny chest, but just as quickly as she began, there was a faint sound—barely perceptible. A shallow breath, followed by another, weaker than before. The flat line vanished, replaced by the slow, irregular beat of Sarada’s heart. It was a fragile thread holding her life in place. Tsunade paused, her gaze locked on the monitor, then looked up at Sasuke, her voice still firm, though quieter now.
“Her heart and breathing are very irregular. The heat stroke, the dehydration... everything is working against her,” she said, turning back to her patient. "We need to stabilize her now! More fluids. Prepare the next round."
Sasuke, unable to move, couldn’t tear his gaze away from his daughter. The sight of her pale, still body, lying so helplessly on the bed, struck him harder than any enemy he had ever faced. The pain in his chest felt as though it were suffocating him. Her pulse was faint, barely there at all, but it was enough. For now. Sasuke stood as still as stone, his mind a whirlwind of emotions—anger, regret, guilt—but there was also a flicker of hope. A sliver of belief that she wasn’t gone. Not yet.
Tsunade glanced back at him as she worked, her hands moving swiftly but gently. “Her heart and breathing is very irregular due to her compromised state,” she said, her voice low. “She's still in critical condition, but we’re going to give her more fluids to tackle the dehydration and heat stroke. The next few hours are crucial.”
Sasuke nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. His voice barely came out, hoarse with emotion. “I understand. Just... don’t let her go.”
In the quiet that followed, the only sound was the soft beeping of Sarada’s heart rate. It was still weak, but it was there. Still hanging by a thread. Tsunade continued her work, but her eyes occasionally flicked to Sasuke. She saw the turmoil there—the struggle he was facing as a father. She had seen the effects of guilt countless times in her career, but this... this was something deeper. As the minutes passed, Sarada’s condition stabilized just enough to allow Tsunade to feel a small sense of relief. Her fever decreased slightly, but it was still very high. Tsunade then glanced over at the nurses, signaling for them to continue monitoring her vitals. Sasuke moved and now was by his daughter’s side, his hand gently resting against her arm, the one he had left untouched for so long. His heart was in pieces, but he wasn’t going to lose her. Not again.
---
Tsunade turned her attention now to examine Sarada's body for any other signs of distress. She started with her leg, frowning as she took in the swelling around Sarada’s knee. Tsunade gently got rid of the splint and then applied chakra to the injury, feeling for any fractures.
“The tibia’s cracked,” Tsunade muttered, pressing carefully around the break. “Just below the knee. The patella’s also fractured. The swelling is worsening with every passing minute. If we don’t stabilize it, it could cause more damage. Please, bring me the bandages. I’m going to use a soft cast since the swelling is too severe for a traditional one.”
Sasuke, still standing beside her, didn't flinch. His eyes fixed on his daughter’s leg as Tsunade carefully worked to immobilize it. The cast went from Sarada’s foot up to her upper thigh, ensuring the tibia and patella were stabilized. Tsunade worked swiftly but gently, the soft material molding to Sarada’s injured leg.
“How long will she need this?” Sasuke asked quietly, his voice raw.
Tsunade paused, her gaze meeting his. “A couple of weeks. We need to reduce the swelling first, then we’ll reassess. If necessary, we’ll opt for surgery, but let’s hope that won’t be needed.”
Sasuke nodded again, his hand trembling, his heart aching with the weight of it all. “She’ll make it,” he murmured, more to himself than to Tsunade. "Right?"
“She’s strong, Sasuke,” Tsunade replied, her tone steady. “She’ll pull through. But we have to be patient.”
Tsunade carefully continued wrapping the soft cast around Sarada’s injured leg. When she finished, she took a step back and made sure the cast was securely in place. Sasuke watched in silence, his eyes never leaving his daughter’s form. The room was filled with the sound of the heart rate monitor, still faint but consistent now. It was a small victory, but enough to keep hope alive for the moment. After a beat, Tsunade turned her attention back to Sarada’s torso, where she had seen some bruises before. She placed a hand gently over Sarada's side, feeling the ribs carefully through the fabric of her clothes. As she moved, she focused on using her chakra to feel for fractures, her fingers tracing along the ribs. When her palm landed on the area just below Sarada’s right ribcage, she paused, her eyes narrowing in concentration. The soft tissue there had some bruising, the skin tender to the touch. Tsunade moved a little further down and then up again, frowning when she didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
"No fractures," she murmured, her fingers gently probing the area again. "Just a bruised ribcage."
Sasuke exhaled a shaky breath, his shoulders relaxing ever so slightly at the news. A bruise, although painful, was far less dangerous than a broken rib. Still, Tsunade wasn’t done. She continued feeling around, her chakra flowing into Sarada’s body to ensure there were no hidden injuries.
"Her ribs are bruised, probably from a big impact," Tsunade explained, lifting her hand from Sarada’s side. "It’ll be sore, but it’s not life-threatening. We’ll just keep an eye on it. We won’t also let her move too much as any excessive movement could aggravate the bruising."
Sasuke nodded again, his eyes briefly closing in relief. Sarada had already been through so much, but at least there was no major damage to her ribs. A bruised ribcage was something they could manage. Tsunade moved to finish her examination, but her mind was already turning to the next steps. She needed to monitor Sarada’s vitals and ensure her condition continued to stabilize. The worst was not over, but they were making progress, however small.
“We’ll keep her monitored closely,” Tsunade said, her voice steady as she looked up at Sasuke. “The bruising on her ribs will need to heal on its own, but she’ll be in pain. We'll keep her comfortable as much as possible. We will continue giving her oxygen until her vitals stabilize. However, if you see that there are any issues with her breathing or if the pain becomes unbearable, you need to let us know immediately.”
Sasuke nodded once more, his jaw clenched as he processed everything, but he was grateful for Tsunade’s steady presence and expertise.
---
After an hour, the heart monitor beeped steadily now, though still faint. Sarada was holding on, and for the first time in hours, Sasuke allowed himself a small breath of relief. Tsunade, noticing the moment of quiet between father and daughter, gave Sasuke a small, knowing look. He was still processing everything, and his guilt was far from gone, but now was not the time for it. There was still work to be done. And Sarada was still fighting.
“Try to put the IV in her arm now that she is more stable,” Tsunade ordered the nurses, her voice firm but tinged with a quiet urgency. “And get rid of the intraosseous IV.”
The nurses nodded, understanding her request. A nurse approached Sarada’s bed, carefully preparing to remove the intraosseous line from her left leg. The soft clicks of the medical instruments filled the silence, the beeping of the heart monitor steady in the background.
With one last check of Sarada’s vitals, Tsunade turned to the nurses. "When you finish, prepare her for transport to the PICU," she ordered. "She’ll need constant monitoring. Keep a close eye on her kidney function as well. Her urine output is still too low, and we need to be certain there are no complications."
As the nurses began their preparations, Tsunade turned back to Sasuke, her expression softening for a moment. “She’s tough, Sasuke. She’s going to get through this. You just need to stay strong for her."
Sasuke swallowed hard, but he nodded. His voice was tight, filled with a raw, quiet emotion. “I’ll stay with her.”
Tsunade nodded. “I’ll go speak with the others. They’ll probably want an update.” Tsunade said before stepping out of the room, her heels clicking softly against the sterile floor.
Sasuke stood still, watching as the nurses prepared to move Sarada to the PICU. His heart was heavy, the guilt still clawing at him, but there was one thing he knew for certain: he wasn’t going to lose her. Not this time.
---
The waiting room was heavy with anxiety. Naruto paced restlessly, hands jammed deep into his pockets, his forehead furrowed in concentration as his gaze flicked from one corner of the room to the other. Every few moments, his eyes would dart to the door as if willing Tsunade to walk through it. Hinata stood nearby, her expression a mirror of his—worry etched deep into her features. Kakashi leaned quietly against the wall, his arms crossed, eyes betraying a hint of concern despite his usual calm. Shikamaru and Konohamaru stood in hushed conversation, their words a blur of strategy and speculation, but neither could mask the tension gnawing at their insides.
When Tsunade finally stepped into the room, it was as though the air itself shifted. Naruto straightened instinctively, his eyes widening as he stepped toward her. His voice was tight with urgency. “Tsunade! How’s Sarada-chan? Is she going to be okay?”
Tsunade took a moment, her sharp gaze sweeping the room before locking onto Naruto. She knew the weight of the moment—the uncertainty, the fear. Her voice was measured but heavy with the gravity of what she had to say. “She’s still critical,” Tsunade began, her tone steady but not without weight. “Her heat stroke caused her body to shut down, and the leg—” She let the words hang for a brief moment as Naruto’s face shifted, pain flickering across his features. “We’ve stabilized it. The fractures are treated, but we’ll need to monitor it closely.”
Naruto’s eyes softened, but his resolve didn’t falter. He nodded quickly, steeling himself.
Tsunade continued, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. “Her ribcage is bruised, thankfully no fractures. But the head injury... that’s the most concerning.” She paused, letting the weight of the words sink in. “The concussion is making everything more complicated. We need her awake to drink fluids to help her kidneys, but her body is fighting to recover, and the concussion is making it difficult for her to regain consciousness.”
Naruto’s hands clenched at his sides, fingers curling into fists. “So... she’s not out of the woods yet?”
Tsunade met his gaze and nodded. “Exactly. Her condition is critical, but it’s not fatal. As a result, I’ve decided to monitor her in the PICU.”
“I’m going to the PICU with you,” Naruto said, his voice firm despite the edge of concern. “Sasuke shouldn’t be alone.”
Tsunade regarded him for a moment before nodding. “That’s fine. He’ll need the support. But don’t overwhelm him. He’s carrying a heavy weight right now.”
Shikamaru, his face drawn with worry, exhaled sharply, processing the situation. He glanced at Konohamaru before looking back at Tsunade. “We’ll begin the investigation immediately. We need to know who did this to her and why.”
Konohamaru nodded firmly, his exhaustion apparent. “We’ll get to the bottom of this, don’t worry.”
Hinata took a tentative step forward, her hands clasped together in front of her. “I'll bring you something in the morning. Something to help give all of you strength. I’m sure Sasuke hasn’t eaten, and... and he’s...” Her voice trailed off, the worry palpable in her words. "Naruto-kun, please take care of Sarada-chan," Hinata whipered to Naruto.
Naruto’s expression softened for a moment. “Thank you, Hinata, but make sure you rest as well.”
Naruto nodded to Kakashi, who gave a quiet acknowledgment, his eye flicking between the group and the doorway before he spoke. “Let’s go,” he murmured.
---
The atmosphere in the PICU was quiet, filled only with the soft beeping of machines and the steady rhythm of Sarada’s heart monitor. Nurses constantly entered the room to give Sarada more fluids and medicines, check her vitals and make sure everything was functioning smoothly. Sasuke sat at her bedside, his hand absentmindedly brushing through her dark hair. His face was pale, gaunt with fatigue, and his expression was unreadable, though his eyes told a different story—a father’s grief, a quiet pain that no one could help him carry.
Tsunade glanced at him, her gaze softening for a moment as she stepped into the room with the others. Sasuke didn’t speak as they entered, his focus entirely on Sarada. Tsunade gestured for the others to gather at the foot of the bed as she began to speak, her voice even but laced with concern.
“Sarada is stable,” she began, “but, as I told you, she’s still in critical condition. We’ve done everything we can for now, but there are still risks.”
Naruto’s brow furrowed, confusion and worry knitting together in his features. “What kind of risks?”
Tsunade’s gaze hardened slightly. “Her kidneys are still a major concern. Her urine output is too low and discolored. We need to keep a close watch on that. The problem is she can’t drink anything yet because of the concussion. The concussion is preventing her from regaining consciousness, and without fluids, we can’t properly rehydrate her.” She paused for a moment, her gaze softening as she looked at Sarada’s still form. “So, right now, our priority is to keep her comfortable and continue monitoring her closely.”
Sasuke’s gaze softened, his heart aching as he looked at his daughter. His hand moved toward Sarada’s and tightened slightly around hers, as though willing her to wake. Naruto stepped forward, placing a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, his voice steady but thick with emotion. “We’ll stay with you, Sasuke. We’re not going anywhere.”
---
The silence in the room was oppressive, punctuated only by the faint sound of Sarada’s heart monitor. Sasuke sat at her side, his fingers tracing the strands of her dark hair. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, the oxygen mask gently inflating and deflating with each cycle. But despite the steady rhythm of her heart, there was no other sign of movement. Naruto stood by the window, arms crossed, his face a mask of concern, while Kakashi leaned against the wall, his expression similarly unreadable. The three of them stood together in quiet companionship, each lost in their own thoughts, until Sasuke’s voice broke through the stillness.
“Do you know who did this?” His voice was low, strained, as if it had taken all his strength to speak at all. His eyes flickered between Naruto and Kakashi, a silent plea in them, a desperation that only a father in his position could understand.
Naruto’s jaw tightened, but his eyes softened. “We’re working on it, Sasuke. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll find who did this. We won’t stop until we do. You have my word.”
Kakashi nodded quietly. “Shikamaru and Ino are already investigating. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Sasuke was silent for a long moment, his jaw clenched as he stared at his daughter. His hand curled into a fist before releasing, his fingers gently stroking Sarada’s small hand. “And Sakura?” His voice cracked slightly as he spoke her name. "Have you told her?”
Naruto and Kakashi exchanged a brief look before Naruto answered, his voice apologetic. “We haven’t told her yet. We didn’t want to cause her more worry until we knew what we were dealing with.”
Sasuke’s eyes narrowed slightly, his face tightening with barely controlled frustration. “She needs to know. She deserves to know what’s happening.”
At that moment, Tsunade, who had been quietly observing from the doorway, stepped forward. “Go ahead and call her,” she said, her voice firm yet gentle. “She has the right to know.”
Naruto nodded gratefully. “Ok, I’ll do it."
Naruto moved to the laptop that Kakashi had brought to the hospital and set it up in the corner of Sarada’s room. The screen flickered to life, and he quickly navigated through the systems to make the call to Gaara’s office. It wasn’t long before Gaara’s face appeared on the screen, the calmness of his expression contrasting with the urgency in Naruto’s eyes.
"Gaara,” Naruto said, his voice steady but filled with underlying concern. “Is Sakura there?”
Gaara’s gaze flicked away for a moment before he nodded. “Yes, she’s here. She’s been waiting for any news about Sarada.”
In a pair of seconds, Sakura appeared on the screen. “Naruto? Is everything alright? Have you found Sarada?”
Sasuke’s heart skipped a beat, his whole body going rigid at the sound of her voice. He fought to keep his emotions in check, not wanting to break down in front of his friends. He couldn’t. Not now.
“Is she okay?” Sakura’s voice was filled with immediate concern, her tone sharp.
“We found her,” Naruto continued, his voice steady despite the worry that clung to it. “But she’s... in bad shape. She’s hurt. We don’t know exactly what happened, but she’s in the hospital now.”
Sakura’s voice cracked. “What’s wrong with her? Is she—”
“She’s stable,” Tsunade said, appearing on the screen next to Naruto. “But her condition is critical. She has heat stroke, a broken leg, and a concussion. We need to monitor her kidneys closely, and we’re still working on getting her fully stabilized.”
Sasuke’s heart wrenched. He could hear the desperation in Sakura’s voice, could almost feel her presence on the other side, her yearning to be with their daughter. It hurt more than he could put into words. He hadn’t been there for her, hadn’t been there for either of them, and now, his daughter was fighting for her life.
“I’ll come back,” Sakura’s voice broke through his thoughts. “I’ll come back to Konoha. I need to be with her.”
Tsunade was already making arrangements, her voice steady but knowing. “Gaara, I’m thinking of sending Shizune and another medic team so that Sakura can leave immediately and come back to Konoha. Is that Ok with you?”
“Of course, now the most important thing is to heal Sarada, and she’ll be better if she has her mother next to her,” Gaara said.
Sakura’s breath caught. “Thank you, Gaara,” she said, relieved.
Sasuke, who had remained silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke, his voice tight with emotion. “Sakura... I’m sorry. I should’ve been here. I—”
“Sasuke-kun,” Sakura’s voice softened, a trace of sadness lingering beneath the resolve. “We’ll talk about that later. What matters now is Sarada. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I swear it.”
He nodded. “I’ll be waiting for you,” he murmured, his voice rough with the rawness of his emotions.
Sakura’s voice softened, the connection strained with the distance between them. “I love you, Sasuke-kun. I’ll be there soon. Please, take care of our daughter.”
“Hn,” Sasuke whispered, his hand tightening gently around Sarada’s hand. His heart ached for her and for Sakura, but for now, all he could do was wait.
As soon as the call ended, Tsunade turned to Sasuke with a solemn nod. “We’ve informed her. She’ll be back as soon as she can.” As Tsunade prepared to leave, she turned to Naruto and the others. “Sakura will be able to join us soon. In the meantime, I suggest you all get some rest. It’s going to be a long night.”
Naruto gave Sasuke one last look before he nodded toward Tsunade. “We’ll make sure Sarada-chan is safe.”
With the weight of the world on his shoulders, Sasuke remained by his daughter’s side, his thoughts swirling with everything he had left unsaid, everything he wished he could change. But for now, all he could do was wait for Sakura’s return, pray for Sarada’s recovery, and try to stay strong for them both.
---
Sakura stood outside Gaara’s office. The sound of the desert wind was deafening, and her heart pounded in her chest as she spoke with Gaara.
"Thank you so much for letting me come back home so that I can be with Sarada," Sakura’s voice was steady, yet she sounded relieved.
Gaara’s voice was calm, but there was no mistaking the depth of understanding in his tone. “You don’t need to thank me, Sakura. You are a mother first. I’ll have Sai, Shino, and Kiba escort you back to Konoha immediately.”
Sakura’s breath caught in her throat. "Thank you, Gaara. Thank you so much."
“Take care of her,” Gaara’s voice softened. “We will manage here. Get back to your family.”
Sakura nodded, her throat tight with emotion. "I will. I promise."
With a final glance toward the horizon, Sakura prepared to leave Suna behind, her thoughts already racing toward Konoha and her daughter’s recovery. She wouldn’t rest until she held Sarada in her arms once more.