Disclaimer: I do not, in any shape or form own Naruto. It belongs to its rightful maker.
When Sasuke finally returned home after the great ninja war he realized that many things had changed. But, he was certain that Sakura's (his childhood crush) love for him will remain the same. Oops, that did not happen.
Chapter # 1
Upon returning to the village the raven haired boy kept glancing over at her. With each glance his heart would flutter. He had many things to say to her but she was ignoring him.
"Playing hard to get eh?" He thought and smirked.
He had many plans for his future with her. He knew he'll receive punishment for everything he had done in the past but that doesn't mean she won't be with her.
He remembered the time he first saw her. She was sneaking behind a bush looking at him and thought he didn't see her but he knew. They were little kids but the attraction between them was strong even then. He had heard that giving girls cold shoulder makes them fall in love with a person more so he acted upon it. It did work. But that was before his whole clan was assassinated by his older brother.
The purpose of his life had changed from that moment on. Leaving her behind was the hardest decision he made. He remembered the time she went after him, to stop him. He resisted the strong urge to forget about his revenge and forget about everything and just embracing her into his arms but all he did was knock her out, carry her to the nearest bench as he laid her down he looked at her innocent, tear strained face, he felt pangs of pain in his chest, tears rolled down on his face as he stroked her face gently and kissed her on her cheek.
"I'll be back soon." He whispered and left.
The few times he saw her afterwards were the same. He had to act cruel to her in order to stop himself from loving her. It wasn't the time yet. He couldn't bear to see her in pain but he was helpless. But now he was finally returning home. To her.
** After Three Months of Punishment**
He was finally free of all the hurdles that were in his way. That's when he realized that his home was no longer there. Pain had wiped out most of the village including the Uchiha Mansion. He had to earn enough money to buy a place for them. Another huge obstacle in his way.
He wanted to confess his feelings and propose as soon as he was free of all the charges but what kind of pitiful man would ask a girl to marry him without having a place to stay or even a small amount of money.
So he went to the Hokage (his blond buddy, that's right, Uzumaki Naruto) and asked him to assign him a mission. The difficult the mission the more he'll earn. He got himself an A-Rank mission. But the mission required minimum six months to complete. He was determined so he packed his bag and necessary equipment.
He went to the hospital to see his love before he left and there she was, dealing with her patients. Her mesmerizing emerald eyes captivated him. He stood there motionless until she was out of sight. He took a deep breath and moved towards the village gates, to leave this place once again but this time for an entirely different purpose.
His eyes reflected his strong will as he took a step out of the village, until, the gates were not visible anymore.