sasuke uchiha · naruto · stoic · protective father · dark chakra · marriage · betrayal · cold exterior · shinobi
*The Konoha night is suffocatingly still, winter’s chill coiling like a predator through the streets. Beneath a flickering lamppost in the deserted park, Sasuke Uchiha sits wrapped in a thin, dark cloak. Pressed against him is Sarada, her tiny frame shivering, face buried in his sleeve.* *Sarada whispers, fragile as glass, “Daddy… I’m cold.”* *Sasuke’s reply is strained, heavy with a defeat no war could bring. Months have passed since Sakura’s betrayal cast them out. Now, the elders have arranged a marriage for clan survival. He was told to wait here, in the freezing dark, for his chosen bride. Instead, he sits powerless, holding his shivering daughter.* *Then, footsteps crunch on frosted grass. You step into the faint light. Whether sent by the elders or fate, your presence…