AN: I know they may show when this moment happened in the manga, but I went ahead and imagined it. I'm obsessed with Sakura's character evermore so with the awesome Uchiha centered Epilogue. Enjoy!
I listened to Ellie Goulding, in particular 'Outside' with Calvin Harris on repeat for this.
Sakura looked out the window, eyes looking over the wet plants and critters that crawled about trying to find shelter from the rain. Her hand clutched the curtain wishing of all the damn days it wouldn't rain. She already felt sad and wished she could seek solace in the magical blue skies of Konoha. Of all her travels she always knew this was home, how the atmosphere of the hidden leaf village had a buzz of energy running through it. Today it seemed to weep with her.
She knew Sasuke had a hard life. She could only help shoulder some of it, to know the knowledge of his family and their curse of hatred. To know the merciless past spoiled with blood stains of his ancestors, all leading to his life. To know he meant too much that he needed to do the things he did hurt her on the inside. To know his leaving, to know his attempted killings to their own team, to know his cold exterior was needed to match the happy go-lucky Naruto whose faith never failed in his doomed friend. Why she had to go and fall in love with the cursed one she didn't know. Sometimes she watched him do the simple chores of life with curious eyes. Did her existence matter? She didn't have a backstory; she was her own author of a blank book of life. She didn't hate anybody, and as she had indeed lost friends over time as ninjas do, she didn't lose anybody close to her soul like the boys- men she corrected- men had. In this crazy world if she had never fallen in love with Sasuke would it have mattered? Only time seemed to need Naruto and Sasuke. Sure she made history with her supreme strength and knowledge being the apprentice of the legendary sannin Tsunade. Yet even there she also had Shizune.
Sakura wondered if it was maybe her curse to be named after spring and the most delicate flower and always be on the side of a dark madness with self-loathing. Never feeling that she's enough to be worthy of such gracious people in her life. She never knew where she stood with anybody. Even her own best friends Ino and Hinata had their own prestigious clans and ties with their teams. Sakura knew after the final battle between Sasuke and Naruto they were a team again, yet fear lingered on the edge of her mind of just other chapter of chaos around the corner. She worked so hard to be on their level yet always seemed to be smiling in their shadows.
Now at this point of her life, she wondered what more she could do. How much more she could help the world around her. How much more she could be useful to Sasuke. Did she really make a difference to him? Naruto seemed to be the one to pull him out of his vengeful ideas to being more normal of a human; to be more loyal of a ninja. Could she ever understand him the same? Could she ever be as close as those two?
Yet here she stood, thinking of her shirt. She had made it she reminded herself; she too was an Uchiha now. Sasuke must have seen something to finally match her affection. He only tried to kill the woman before he came to the conclusion so no big deal right? Sakura huffed, hugging her arms around herself while leaning her head on the window's frame. He didn't need another woman to be the machine that would rebuild the clan. She may be a fighting machine but lowering herself to such a simple task would be insulting. She would love anything they created. She just prayed anything they created was a pure form of love. She didn't come this far to settle less than what she wanted.
Sakura wanted Sasuke to truly value her. Most mornings he did and reminded her that he chose her with little actions; making her breakfast, always warming & fluffing her towel while she was showering, giving her the blankets on her restless nights of sleep. Why after their marriage she became ever more unsure of herself she wasn't certain. Why she had to doubt that everything was as it seemed she concluded was maybe her fate. Never full of sorrow as her husband or faith as their Hokage but hers was to always doubt. To doubt her strength as a kunoichi, as a woman, as a friend, as a wife – all that she did. Sakura sighed, listening to the back door open and close.
Sasuke put away his jacket, the water making a small puddle in the doorway of the mudroom. She closed her eyes as he slipped on his house slippers and walked towards her. Embracing her from behind Sasuke wordlessly put his head on her shoulder breathing into her ear. She melted into him, looking at his arms resting right at her hips. She lowered her arms to place her hands on his; she felt the barely there warmth in one and the bandages on the other. She emitted her own chakra, warmth spreading into Sasuke to reduce the coldness form the rain.
She gasped suddenly, falling down to her knees. Sasuke crawled in front her, holding her shoulders up questioning her on what the matter was. Sakura opened her eyes wide, slowly matching her gaze to his face. Sasuke started to shake her shoulders, demanding information on her shocked state. She took his hands on pulled them towards her.
"Sharingan."
Sakura barely mumbled the word out. Sasuke's brows flew up in puzzlement, yet his eyes slipped into their crimson state. He looked at her, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. She shook her head, squeezing his hands. He looked down; seeing her hands were fine… then he couldn't believe what he saw. Sakura bit her lip, hoping he saw what she felt. Hoping he would be excited and stay happy. That he wouldn't go into his shell she never fully broke him of. Sasuke looked back her, his eyes fading back into their onyx state. Slowly, she realized, he was starting to smile. Not a smirk, but a real smile was being shown to her. She made her hands emit their green glow again, starting to cry as the chakra felt another one.
Sasuke pulled Sakura into a tight hold, still shocked at what he saw. He mumbled he'd put off his trip for as long as he could. Sakura gulped in air, so relieved.
Maybe she did have a purpose. That all of her fights to make herself better didn't go undone with the way fate twisted and turned. That Sasuke's pure power and her unwavering will would indeed produce a magnificent child. That now with a growing Uchiha in her uterus, she could raise it to be the best, with the Curse of Hatred done with, that this little one growing in her stomach whose own tiny chakra had scared her when she felt it, was already surprising the new parents.
Sakura sat down between Sasuke's now outstretched legs and curled into his torso, both looking out the window. With his next departure put off she could stop seeing the rain so depressing but nature rinsing itself clean to continue to grow. To get ready for another tomorrow as the now three Uchihas could start their new chapter. Sakura smiled, knowing he was happy and that they would be okay. No matter what life threw at them she knew by this reaction of his alone that she indeed did have him fully. With a new commitment that they would take on he couldn't try anything again. That he was excited too, to finally be a father and as a creator instead for once being a destroyer. She had possibly healed him. She closed her eyes with a smile noting how perfect she felt with him next to her.
She did matter; in this she was finally certain. She had a purpose to prepare the world for a new challenge of a young Uchiha.
AN: I took liberty to kind of make the start of a soul the same time a ninja gains their chakra; an idea that with self-wallowing Sakura I ran with and created this drabble. It's amazing what music can do to inspire you. Years later and a song can get me stuck in a mood with an idea and the only thing I can do is try to type as fast as my brain go work!
I like reviews but favoriting this actually makes me feel better :)