The Uzumaki household was unusually quiet for the afternoon. Boruto was out training with Mitsuki, while Kikidori, still fuming from his earlier spat with Sarada, lounged in his room. Himawari, ever cheerful and full of energy, was playing upstairs, humming to herself as she skipped around.
Hinata was in the kitchen preparing dinner when a loud *thud* echoed through the house. It was followed by a sharp cry of pain. Hinata dropped what she was doing and rushed toward the staircase.
"Himawari!" she called, her voice tinged with panic.
Kikidori's ears perked up at the commotion, and he dashed out of his room. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Himawari sitting halfway down the steps, holding her ankle, her face twisted in pain.
"Ow… I fell," Himawari whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Kikidori was by her side in an instant. "What were you doing? You're supposed to be careful on the stairs!" he said, his tone a mixture of worry and exasperation.
"I was trying to get my stuffed panda from the top shelf," she sniffled. "I slipped."
Hinata knelt beside her daughter, gently inspecting her ankle. "It's swollen," she murmured. "I think it's sprained. We need to treat this right away."
Kikidori stood, his mind racing. "Mom, I'll get help. Sakura's a medical ninja. She can fix this, right?"
Hinata nodded, her calm demeanor masking her worry. "Yes, that's a good idea. Hurry, Kikidori."
Without another word, Kikidori grabbed his jacket and bolted out the door, his heart pounding. The earlier argument with Sarada seemed trivial now. All that mattered was getting help for Himawari.
---
The walk to the Uchiha household wasn't far, but it felt like an eternity. Kikidori's mind buzzed with thoughts. He hadn't exactly left things on good terms with Sarada earlier. In fact, he'd been outright rude. He grimaced at the memory of calling her "four eyes" and the realization that her father, the legendary Sasuke Uchiha, had been standing right behind him.
"Great," Kikidori muttered to himself. "This is going to be awkward."
When he reached the Uchiha residence, he hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. The sound echoed in the stillness, and after a moment, the door creaked open.
Sakura Uchiha stood there, her warm smile quickly turning to concern as she noticed Kikidori's anxious expression. "Kikidori? What's wrong?"
"It's Himawari," Kikidori blurted out, his words tumbling over each other. "She fell down the stairs and hurt her ankle. Mom thinks it's sprained, and we need help."
Sakura's eyes widened. "Of course! Let me grab my medical kit." She disappeared inside for a moment before returning, her bag slung over her shoulder.
As she stepped out, Sarada appeared behind her, folding her arms. "What's going on?" she asked, her gaze narrowing slightly when she saw Kikidori.
Kikidori avoided her eyes. "Himawari's hurt. I… I came to get your mom."
Sarada tilted her head, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. "Well, look who's being responsible for once."
"Not now, Sarada," Kikidori snapped, though his tone lacked its usual bite.
"Alright, you two," Sakura interjected, her voice firm but kind. "This isn't the time for bickering. Let's go."
The three of them set off toward the Uzumaki household, the tension between Kikidori and Sarada simmering just below the surface.
---
When they arrived, Hinata was waiting by the door, holding a now-calmer Himawari. Sakura immediately knelt beside the little girl, her hands glowing with green chakra as she examined the injury.
"You're very brave, Himawari," Sakura said gently as she worked. "This won't take long."
Himawari nodded, her big eyes filled with trust. "Thank you, Auntie Sakura."
Kikidori watched from the corner of the room, his arms crossed. He felt a mixture of relief and guilt. Relief that Himawari was being taken care of, and guilt for how he'd acted earlier.
As Sakura finished healing the sprain, she looked up at Kikidori. "There, she'll be fine. Just try to keep her off the ankle for a day or two."
Hinata smiled warmly. "Thank you so much, Sakura. I don't know what we'd do without you."
Sakura stood, brushing her hands off. "It's no trouble. I'm happy to help."
Sarada, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "So, Kikidori, about earlier…"
Kikidori groaned inwardly. He knew this was coming. "Look, I shouldn't have called you 'four eyes,' okay? It was rude, and I'm sorry."
Sarada raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the half-hearted apology. "And?"
"And I shouldn't have argued with you about becoming Hokage," Kikidori added, though his tone suggested this admission was physically painful for him.
Sarada smirked, crossing her arms. "Good. Now that we've cleared that up, maybe we can focus on what really matters—training."
Kikidori rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress a small grin. "Yeah, yeah. You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Nope," Sarada replied cheerfully.
As the tension eased, Sasuke stepped into the room, his presence commanding attention. He glanced at Kikidori, a faint smirk on his face. "You're lucky my daughter has thick skin."
Kikidori swallowed hard. "Uh, yeah. Thanks, Mr. Uchiha."
Sasuke's smirk widened ever so slightly before he turned to Hinata. "If you need anything else, let us know."
Hinata nodded, her gratitude evident. "Thank you, Sasuke. And thank you, Sakura. I don't know how to repay you."
Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "It's what friends are for."
As the Uchiha family prepared to leave, Sarada paused at the door, glancing back at Kikidori. "Next time, try to be a little nicer, okay? It's not a good look for someone who wants to be Hokage."
Kikidori sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. See you later, Sarada."
As the door closed behind them, Kikidori sat down beside Himawari, who was now smiling again. "You okay, kiddo?"
She nodded, leaning against him. "I'm okay. Thanks for getting help, Kiki."
Kikidori ruffled her hair, a rare moment of tenderness breaking through his usual bravado. "Anytime, squirt. That's what big brothers are for."
The evening ended with the family gathered around the table, sharing a quiet meal. Though the day had been chaotic, it reminded Kikidori of what truly mattered: family, friends, and the strength to admit when you're wrong.
The End of Chapter 4