Unexpected || MadaSaku ||

Linked

|| Sakura ||

It was her, there was no doubt about it that she was staring up at me and saying my name. There was no doubt in my mind that she was real, wrapping her arms around me crying into my chest. "Sarada, Sarada," I hummed to her, using my hand to brush back her hair and put a stop to her tears.

"M-Mama, are you really here?" She cried hugging me even tighter. My emerald eyes softened at the sight of her. 

"I'm not sure where here is, but yes, I am. I'm not sure how, but I'm here, Sarada," I said trying to hold myself together. Although my daughter was here, the place we stood was dream-like, I couldn't help but wonder where we were. It was as if were standing on a clear platform, surrounded by nothing but a starry night sky. I wasn't sure where we were or how much longer we had together, but I knew she was with me and I took in every minute of it. I don't think I could have squeezed her tighter or kissed her forehead more than I had now. Her eyes, her hair, I missed it all. I missed my daughter, she was my home, the one I desperately wanted to return to.

The last thing I remembered as I closed my eyes to stop the overflow of tears from escaping was her dark onyx eyes looking up at me.

"Sarada!" I screamed as I jolted awake. "No, n-no, no, no. No, please. She was there."

Madara must have heard my distress because the sliding door slammed open, breaking off its hinges. The noise and door falling to the floor startled me. But even that couldn't shake me from the state I was in. I could have sworn to myself that she was there and I was with her. It was unlike any dream I'd experienced, yet here I sat awake in the middle of the night with Madara tearing the door down before me.

"S-Sakura...Are you, um-Are you okay?" He asked hesitantly. Why did he even care in the first place? I hadn't answered and didn't dare look at him with my face drenched in tears. I was vulnerable, and that was the last state I wanted him to see me in. After moments passed, he slowly walked over to me, making the floorboards beneath him creak. Madara stood a foot away and slowly got on his knees, taking my tiny hands into his. The warmth from his hands transferred to mine as he held them like a delicate flower. "Tell me...please."

But I couldn't tell him about Sarada, or my real family, or my actual life. I wasn't from here, I had a home from another time. The more my thoughts rushed through me like open floodgates, I would feel more salty tears fall down my cheeks. Instead of insisting I tell him, he pulled me towards him with the hands he held and began to hold me.

I admit it was out of character and I was surprised, but there was something about his embrace that made me stay in his arms. My eyes continued to stain his robe with tears of heart ache and longing until all I could think of was his body close to mine. "We should get you to sleep..." he said sleepily with low and raspy voice.

Before he could leave, I tugged at his sleeve causing him to pause, "Stay with me tonight, please?" my voice cracked. Madara nodded and laid down next to me, letting me lie on his chest until my breaths were deep and even. 

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||Sarada||

I held my chest, feeling my heart race faster than it ever has. That was mom, that was her, she was really there. I-I know it was. It was all too real... I needed answers, and I needed them tonight. I thought of everyone my mom was close to, but only one person really came to mind.

In the midst of my confused excitement, I threw the blanket off my bed, careful not to make too much noise and wake up papa. Dad was sound asleep in their room, probably exhausted from traveling in and out of the village constantly, but he insisted on coming to see me even though we barely spoke. But I knew he really wanted to visit mom every chance he could get. Visiting her grave was the only thing that kept him sane these days...

I made my way down stairs and closed the door behind me, hoping they'd be able to help me figure out what the hell was going on.

I banged on the wooden frame until I heard a groan come from inside the house. She had to know, she knew my mom more than anyone. 

She opened the door, peaking her blonde head out of the crack, "Huh, Sarada? What are you doing here so late?" Tsunade yawned, taking a step outside and closing the door behind her.

"I needed to talk to you, about mom," I said taking a hold of her hand.

"So, this is about Sakura. Sarada, I know you miss-," She started, but I shook my head side to side knowing she thought this was some sort of grief talk.

"I saw her, I-I touched her. Everything, even the smell of her hair..." I stuttered attempting to get the words out. I sat down at the edge of the house until my shoes touched the dirt, patting the space beside me, waiting for her to sit next to me. She sat down and waited for me to speak, "Tsunade, I know this sounds completely insane, but I'm pretty sure I saw my mom."

Her eyebrows narrowed at me in both confusion and thought. I wanted her to believe me, I needed her too. "When?"

"Right as I fell asleep. But listen, I know it wasn't a dream, something about this was different. Even before now, I'd seen silhouettes or small visions of her, but it wasn't like this time. We were some place else. I didn't think anything of it until now," I tried my best to explain, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Sarada, I don't think you're crazy," She paused for a moment. "Honestly before you said any of this to me, I saw those blurred visions of your moher too," Tsunade exhaled putting her hand on my shoulder.

 "I thought up until now it was just because I was so upset about her passing away. But those didn't seem like dreams either thinking back to it." She told me. I couldn't believe this. I wasn't the only one. It couldn't be a coincidence. Could it?

"So, you believe me? You think we saw her?" I began to smile in hope.

"I want to think we both are, but I'm not sure why we'd be seeing her in the first place. There's always a common denominator when it comes to circumstances like this, so we should find out what it is and then figure out the rest. I'm not sure if this means anything, so don't get your hopes up. But believe me when I say this Sarada, we will find out what's happening." Tsunade nodded at me. She might have told me not to raise my hopes, but I couldn't keep them down. If there was even a sliver of a chance that I could see her again, I wanted to bask in those thoughts. I wanted to ride them into the damn sunset. Because, for the first time in what feels like forever, I was genuinely smiling. "Meet me at the Hokage tower first thing tomorrow, we can start there."