Chapter 5:
"S-seventh Hokage… what kind of person was my dad?" Sarada asked while running in a ninja sprint beside him.
"Well, come to think of it… Sasuke's been away on his journey and hasn't returned since…"
"Sasuke, huh? Back in the day, all the girls at the Academy liked him—just like me."
"He was also very good-looking—just like me."
"And his ninjutsu grades were always top of the class—just like me."
"But Sasuke's always been cold, arrogant, and sharp-tongued. That's the one thing that's the complete opposite of me. Still, even so, he was my best friend… my lifelong rival. That's something that's never changed."
"Sarada, when I look at you, I can't help but think of Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke doesn't wear glasses, but your eyes look a lot like his. And your personality's a lot like Sakura's—especially how scary you get when you're angry."
"Don't worry. No matter how far apart you are or how many years go by, you and Sasuke will always be father and daughter. That's something that will never change."
As Naruto ran beside her, he spoke while recalling all his memories of being with Sasuke. The one that stood out the most was probably the time they accidentally kissed.
After half a day of travel, the place where they were supposed to meet Sasuke finally came into view.
A tower.
"This is it, Sarada. Want to take a quick break?"
"No need, Seventh Hokage."
"…Alright then."
Naruto pushed the tower door open just a crack when Sarada immediately squeezed through impatiently.
"Hey, Naruto, aren't you going in?" drawled Kurama lazily from within Naruto.
"No need. I'm sure Sasuke and Sarada have a lot to talk about. I shouldn't get in the way of a father and daughter reconnecting."
Naruto slowly pushed the door open and leisurely followed behind Sarada.
Sarada's nerves were on edge as she was about to finally meet her father. Her surging emotions triggered the activation of her one-tomoe Sharingan without her realizing it.
At the far end of the tower, Sarada bent over, panting from the intense run. That's when she heard a creaking sound—wooden boards being stepped on—in a dark corner nearby.
Instinctively, she turned her head. A figure emerged from the darkness, slowly taking shape and overlapping with the vague image she held in her memories.
"Dad…"
"You managed to track me here… Are you one of that man's accomplices?" Sasuke cut her off, pulling out his sword and approaching her with caution.
Faced with her father's killing intent, tears welled up in Sarada's eyes.
Tears of fear.
Tears of heartbreak.
Maybe both.
Naturally, Sasuke wasn't someone to hesitate just because of tears. He plunged his blade into the column beside Sarada's neck, ready to slice through her at any moment, and reached out with his right hand to capture her.
"Papa!"
Sasuke, who would never hesitate against an enemy's tears, did hesitate at that one word—"Papa."
"…You're… Sarada?"
Only after seeing her nod did he withdraw his hand and pull the sword out from the column.
"I see. What are you doing here, Sarada?"
Sasuke's voice was indifferent, showing no joy at reuniting with the daughter he hadn't seen in years.
"I recognized you as my dad right away."
Sarada spoke with emotion in her voice. Sasuke remained silent.
"You're here, Sasuke. Must be happy to see your daughter after so long, huh?" Naruto said, breaking the heavy silence as he walked in.
"Sasuke, what's going on? Why is Sarada here?" he asked, clearly displeased.
"I came to see my dad. I overheard the Seventh Hokage was coming to see you, so I secretly followed. I just… have some things I want to ask you," Sarada said in Naruto's place, seeing that he didn't know how to respond.
"You want to ask me something? What?"
"Dad, you're never home. Why don't you live with Mom? You couldn't even recognize your own daughter… Do you really not care at all?!" Sarada demanded angrily. "What exactly are you doing out here? Why won't you come home?"
"…These things have nothing to do with you."
At his reply, Sarada clenched her fists in frustration.
"Hey, Sasuke, at least tell Sarada the real reason why you won't come back to the village—even if it's just to her," Naruto suggested, seeing the father and daughter clash.
"No need," Sasuke replied flatly.
Even if Sarada found out, there'd be nothing she could do—only worry.
"But—"
Before Naruto could finish, Sasuke suddenly looked up at the ceiling of the tower.
"Naruto!"
Years of teamwork allowed Naruto to instantly understand what Sasuke meant.
No time to talk—time to activate Nine-Tails Chakra Mode.
A massive cloak of chakra took the shape of a golden fox and enveloped Naruto, Sasuke, and Sarada.
At that moment, the tower collapsed from an attack outside.
"Uzumaki Naruto. The one standing next to you… must be Uchiha Sasuke."
A man in an Akatsuki cloak, completely white, balding and middle-aged, with Sharingan all over his body—including a pair of Mangekyō in his eyes—spoke coldly. Beside him stood a similarly white-clad child with a strange tuft of white hair atop his head.
Sasuke, protected by Naruto's chakra, asked, "Who are you?"
"I am… Shin Uchiha."
Hearing that name, Sarada murmured to herself in shock, "Shin Uchiha… the same name as that child…"
"Anything else can wait until you're captured. For now, shut your mouth."
The moment Shin finished speaking, Sasuke appeared before him and drove his sword toward Shin's chest.
"I'll leave it to you, Sasuke."
Naruto didn't follow Sasuke into battle. Instead, he stayed close to Sarada to protect her. He hadn't forgotten—there was still another mysterious figure in an Akatsuki cloak, one with a Mangekyō Sharingan of his own.
Adult Shin didn't dodge or counter. Instead, he caught Sasuke's blade with his bare hand.
Though his arms were covered in Sharingan, they were still just flesh. Contact with a sharp blade made them bleed.
While adult Shin held Sasuke's sword in place, the child Shin pulled out a ninja tool and struck at Sasuke.
Hearing Sarada cry out in worry—"Papa!"—Sasuke activated the Rinnegan hidden beneath his bangs.
In an instant, he swapped places with the child Shin, then quickly unleashed a Fireball Jutsu aimed directly at adult Shin.
The fireball was never meant to hit—but in a moment of panic, adult Shin used his Mangekyō Sharingan to teleport child Shin beside him.
Right into the path of Sasuke's blazing fireball.
The enormous flames engulfed child Shin and crashed into adult Shin behind him.