Home Movies

A/N: Yet another plot bunny.

Home Movie 4: Picture

Character: Sasuke and Sakura

Pairing: heh, yeah. Obvious.

Summary: When she looks at that picture, she sees everything she wants in life. Because sometimes life end up exactly the way you had pictured it.

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She hears the laughing that rings through the house, the music of life calling out to her. The rhythmic thumping of feet against the wooden floor draws her attention to the upstairs hall, and she smiles fondly up at her progeny.

They were such a handful.

Ever since Saiya had turned three, all she had heard was giggling and running, constant sounds of merriment and joy. It was so like what her life had been in childhood that she sometimes wished she was the little girl. And her brother, just now turning two, followed her every pursuit.

They were inseparable.

They shared toys, a room, food, and many nights even a bed. They were so in love with each other that they constantly needed to be close. She had never had a sibling, so she didn’t understand. Naruto, who she thought of as a brother, was never like that to her.

She continued shaping the onigiri into small triangles and filling them with bean paste; her children’s favorite treats were going to be ready by four if she had to put off looking at that last medical file for a little while. Her afternoons with her family were more important than work.

She glanced over at the small table on the other side of the room that was flanked by windows, sunshine pouring over the cherry wood and the accompanying tables housing her favorite china and pictures. The china had been a gift from her mentor, Tsunade, on the occasion of her marriage. It was truly exquisite, and Sakura had never felt comfortable eating on it. Kakashi had often asked her what the point was—why did she own dishes she never used.

She didn’t try to explain sentimentality to him.

She knew he understood.

The pictures, though, were different. They stood on little stand and were covered in oil left over from fingerprints, mainly from her own handling of them. She never seemed to be able to pass the table without picking one up and reliving a memory.

The middle photograph, by far the largest, was the once that caught her attention more often than not. She looked so happy in there, wearing her wedding kimono and surrounded by friends. It had been one of the happiest days of her life.

It had turned into a nightmare.

The wedding, which was supposed to be perfect, ended in disaster. She and Naruto fought, ruining the wedding dinner. It had rained, which caused the party to be moved inside instead of outside in the beautiful scenic gardens she loved so much. Sai had made an inappropriate comment, causing a verbal war to start over who had given the best gift. And Ino, well, Ino had spilled sake all over her beautiful dress.

Late that night, when they had been alone, they laughed in the darkness. They cherished every moment of their day; the quirks only made the presence of their friends that much more memorable.

If she looked closely, she could even she the small bump in her abdomen that marked the coming arrival of her daughter.

“Hahahue! Look!”

She turned to look at her little daughter, all sweetness evident for everyone in the world to see.

“Hmm?”

Saiya held up a picture, her latest creation no doubt. Sakura could pick out herself and her husband, her children, a cat and some random dog, a tree, various ninja (including one that looked suspiciously like Kakashi), and…was that Naruto in a bowl of noodles?

She laughed.

“What have you drawn?!”

She bent down near her daughter, giggling.

“It’s our family, hahahue. All of us.” There were stick figures of everyone her daughter knew and even a few village pets.

“Well, I think it is lovely, Saiya.”

Sakura turned sharply, looking back at her husband. When had he come in?

“It is good to see you made it in time.” He nodded as he approached, taking the picture out of his daughter’s hands and placing it over on the low table with a dozen others.

“Aa. Is dinner almost ready?” She smiled and nodded, and he placed the children at the table before sitting down himself. He stared at the mismatched conglomeration of pictures a little longer, shaking his head.

“Chichihue? Do you like it?”

He looked at his daughter, who had such hope shining in her eyes, and he nodded.

She jumped a little, wriggling with her happiness.

Sakura sat the two plates of food on the table, lightly smacking Joshiro’s hand when he went to reach for the plate of onigiri. She took her seat opposite the small table full of pictures, staring at the newest addition.

“I think it is the best one yet. What do you think, Sasuke?”

“Aa.” She smiled and picked up her son’s plate, placing some onigiri and tempura on it.

It truly was the best picture yet.