There is a cliché route he could have taken; roses, chocolates, a giant teddy bear. But instead, Sasuke does not choose to buy Sakura a birthday gift from such a range. Instead, he buys her gloves.
"Where did you get these?" Sakura smiles with warmth, whilst turning over her new gift between her hands.
"A rural village up north," Sasuke replies, "the townsfolk regularly travel far for their food and resources. Because of this, their gear and equipment is known to be of high quality".
Her cheeks soften with a very miss-able reddish hue. She smiles sincerely, her joy is evident so vividly within her gaze. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she whispers softly.
The gift is practical, especially for a shinobi in the line of duty. Sasuke knows well of her preference towards taijutsu style combat. And thought her talents are not as utilised in the battlefields as they could be. He still knows that should the situation arise, her new present will suffice to the task.
It is a good gift – he rationalises the thought in his head.
After all, Sakura herself smiles before him with a sincere glow.
.
.
"Are you an idiot?" Naruto slurs.
Sasuke looks on with disgust, and elbows away the blond that hovers too close for comfort.
Naruto shrugs, and turns back to his meal, "why would you get Sakura-chan, gloves?"
Sasuke's brows furrow, "why? What's wrong?"
"Its a stupid gift".
He disagrees, "you're in no position to tell me that".
Naruto snorts, "oh yea?" he drags on, "you wanna know what I got Sakura-chan?"
He doesn't, and states said fact clear enough. Naruto chooses to ignore the remark, "you probably don't wanna know cause its a better gift than yours".
Sasuke listlessly swirls his chopsticks around his broth.
"I got her ten bouquets of flowers!" Naruto exclaims with passion, "pink, and yellow, and red–"
"What exactly is Sakura meant to do with a horde of flowers?" Sasuke remarks flatly.
Naruto pauses, and squints his eyes, "yea well...what exactly is she supposed to do with a pair of gloves?"
Sasuke sees no further point in arguing with the inebriated. He shrugs, which signals to Naruto a conceding of defeat. The blonde cheers far too loudly, several of the patrons in the bar turn to regard the commotion.
Sasuke ignores the scene-maker beside him, and finishes his meal instead.
.
.
He sees no need to feint any further respect for a man who chooses to unnecessarily put down his effort. Sasuke scratches his chin, and slouches down in his chair.
Kakashi nods, "very mature".
"I don't need your advice, I came here for–"
"I know, and I'll consider it," Kakashi interjects, "I was merely hoping to...catch up with you a little, Sasuke".
"And you thought the best way to do that was insult me?"
"I did not insult you," Kakashi softly replies, "I merely pointed out that I may have to agree a little with what Naruto has told me–"
"Tch, stupid".
"–and note that maybe your birthday gift for Sakura was not in...the best of tastes".
Sasuke exhales, "is this what you do all day Kakashi? Gossip with your fellow shinobi".
"You forget, I am Hokage".
"That's my point".
The older of the two pauses, then lets out a soft chuckle. He remarks in a throwaway comment how sometimes very little can change over the years.
Though Sasuke understands the sentiment behind the comment, he responds with nothing more than silence. The immature response, some may say.
Kakashi holds no mind to it, "Sasuke, I didn't intend for this conversation to be taken so seriously. I mean...at the very least...you got her a gift".
Day by day, Sasuke had come to understand that the little things were the ones that would never change. Perceptions are harder to break than expected. Still to this day, the team jokes about his cavalier attitude towards a certain team mate – an attitude he'd stand by never actually possessing.
But it is his word again theirs.
However, at the very least, Sakura as well agrees with him.
She is the one that has to.
And so, with that innocent enough remark from the man who were once his teacher, Sasuke is presented with several ways to reply. He chooses to end the conversation, it isn't of great matter anyway.
.
.
Throughout the day, Sakura receives several gifts from her close friends. Sasuke were unaware of how popular the kunochi was, but she had more well wishers than he had previously assumed.
A rumour as well begins to float around that afternoon. In regards to Sakura's birthday; one of Sakura's friends is intending to host a surprise party for her the following night.
Tomorrow night, Sakura will be attending a party – she just doesn't know it yet.
Tomorrow night, Sasuke will not be there – after all, no one had thought to invite him.
"You're a fan of fried fish as well," comes a voice beside him that he'd always, deep down, welcome.
Sasuke turns to find Sakura take a seat on the barstool beside him. "Has your shift finished?"
Sakura nods, and picks up a menu, "yea, and I wasn't really keen to go home and cook". The waiter comes by, and stands before Sakura, nodding as he jots down the order she wants. He leaves with a nod. "So," Sakura continues, "are you coming to my birthday party tomorrow?"
Sasuke puts down his chopsticks, "what?"
"My birthday party. Ino is throwing me a surprise party tomorrow at–"
"Wait, aren't you not supposed to know?"
She chuckles, "I'm not...but Naruto has always had a little bit of an issue when it comes to keeping secrets".
Sasuke smirks, rolls his eyes, and takes a bite from his meal.
"Anyway," Sakura puts down her menu, lest she continue fiddling with it, "I had a feeling that, while planning it, Ino may have forgotten to invite you...had she forgotten?"
Sasuke shrugs, "I suppose".
Sakura shakes her head with a soft chuckle, "as I thought, but that's alright. Now I get to ask you myself".
And this, under normal circumstances would have been easy to give an answer to. But this is Sakura. And he is he. Sasuke exhales, and looks away, "tomorrow, I'll be leaving Konoha again".
Sakura's demeanour softens, "oh...I..."
"My journey isn't over yet, Sakura".
"Of course, I understand–"
"I intended to tell you earlier...but..." he isn't sure how to finish. She had always been an exception to his usually clear-cut stance.
His visit back to Konoha had only consisted of three days.
Sakura smiles, and notes with sincerity that she is glad that his short trip had luckily coincided with her birthday. Sasuke makes no remark to this – he knows they are both aware that his choice of return had not merely been of coincidence. His silence, and her light blush, say it all.
.
.
He walks her home, despite her assurance that he need not do such a thing.
"Sasuke-kun," she says, wrapping her jacket closer to her body as a cool breeze passes by.
He acknowledges her with a low hum.
"Will you," she pauses, "will you be back in Konoha for your birthday?"
He will not, and he tells her bluntly. Though Sasuke understands her want for him to be around for such an occasion, but constant detours are not a luxury he will afford himself.
"Oh, I see," Sakura mumbles quietly to herself. Then, with minimal delay, Sakura's demeanour brightens, "I guess I'll just have to mail you your gift then".
Sasuke smiles softly, "Sakura, you don't have to do that?"
"What, mail you your gift?"
"No, you don't have to get me a gift".
The kunochi giggles, and shakes her head, "but you got me one".
"Because I wanted to," he replies.
"The same will apply to me," she responds with cheek.
Sasuke exhales, but concedes nonetheless – he'd walked into that one.
.
.
He should have left by now; early morning, quiet atmosphere, little to no citizens strolling the village streets. He should have passed the gates of Konoha. He should be on the road once more.
Instead, Sasuke finds himself upon Sakura's doorstep. He raises his hand to knock, but she opens the door before he gets the chance.
She is already dressed and ready to head off to work. She blinks in surprise to his presence, "S-Sasuke-kun?"
He nods, "you're busy".
"No, no," Sakura quickly remarks. She steps forward, and closes the front door behind her. "I'm just heading off to work, I thought you would be–"
"Yea, I should be," Sasuke quietly interjects.
Sakura's lips curl up to a gentle smile, "I'm glad you came though, now I can give you a proper goodbye".
He'd planned out what it is that he'd wanted to tell her. It had been clear when running the dialogue in his head back in his bedroom. And yet now, he struggles to recall even the first sentence he'd wanted to begin with.
She waits for him to speak. She is patient and observant enough to know that he wants to.
Sasuke tries not to smirk at her sharp nature. "Sakura," he says, "In a weeks time, I believe I'll be at the northern border of this country". He cannot recall how it is that he had wanted to begin, so instead, he decides to start at the middle.
Sakura listens, she knows not to interrupt.
"After that," continues Sasuke, "next month, I believe I will be in waterfall. Following that, perhaps the coast".
Her green eyes encapsulates that she takes in every word. Her eyes that are bright, and warm, and forgiving. "Sakura," he says, "by the time it is my birthday, I believe I will be in rain country".
He would rather ask her point blank, but ninja's have always worked looking for what is underneath the underneath. He will not uproot her life, and home, and take her away from those that hold her dear. He has no right to.
But he will give her a choice. A choice to which the answer he knows of already.
Sakura has never been shy, or closed off, or insincere with her feelings for him. And now, neither will he.
"Thank you for telling me," she softly whispers.
He nods, and turns to leave, "I'll see you soon, Sakura".
He knows that he will.