Retribution
Requested by - sasuuchiems
Mistakes are all mine. Unedited.
xxx
The memorial is cool today as the winter breeze rolls through, and it is almost to the point of being too cold. The sky is dreary but Sasuke pays no heed. He is visiting his Aniki, just like every other day.
Only when he arrives at the large stone, there is already another person bowing low before the etched names. His pink haired team mate murmurs good tidings, before she rises to sit up gracefully and bows her head once more with hands pressed together. Sasuke hasn't seen Sakura like this since his return, but that isn't saying much.
The nin didn't want to acknowledge his own home coming in the beginning, but slowly and surely Sasuke is coming into his own. The very last Uchiha is growing to accept that things have happened and there is nothing that can change them, but he can't let it affect the future. There has to be more to life than missions and hiding away, pretending that the last half of his life never existed.
It turns out that he was right, because on the day of Itachi's naming, Sasuke attended the ceremony to witness the etching, and he hasn't looked back since. Still, the man has some words left unsaid to this woman and even Naruto.
Instead of leaving like he originally planned, Sasuke walks forward slowly and respectfully. In one graceful movement he is beside a silently contemplating Sakura and she turns to him with surprised eyes.
"Oh! Sasuke-kun, I didn't feel you coming." The pinkette exclaims, smiling brightly. Sakura never acts like he is a traitor, and the nin truly thinks that she believes it.
"Hn." He responds softly, "Gomen." It has been a long time since Sasuke has been able to walk around with his chakra bared for the world to see. Old habits die hard.
"Are you here to see Itachi?" She smiles softer now, and the Uchiha nods.
"Mhm. I was just telling him how good you are doing." Sakura states like it is nothing at all, but it isn't nothing. Here he thought that he is the only one. It seems that his Nii-san is not as alone as Sasuke assumed.
"You come here often?" The raven haired man questions without looking to his team mate. Even though he doesn't take steps toward Sakura, it feels like she never stopped walking closer to him.
"When I can. I like to pay my respects, he was a hero Sasuke-kun. It may not be my place to say, but as a kunoichi of Konoha I am grateful for his sacrifice, he was a truly loyal person. I just want him to know that you're loved." Her emerald hues catch his own surprised gaze for just a moment before Sasuke can look away.
It is silent for a moment and Sakura continues to smile gently, like she knows that he is uncomfortable.
"Loved?" The man finally asks with a disbelieving tone.
Her smile turns into a grin and Sakura says, "Did you forget?" Somehow, she makes it sound like the most obvious thing ever and it creates a regretful feeling inside of him. No, he hasn't forgotten. He thinks about her more than he should, especially since they don't talk.
Turning to look at Sakura resolutely, Sasuke intones, "Arigato." He does not smile, but there is a ghost of an inflection at the sides of his mouth.
Sakura nods and a light blush dusts her cheeks. "Of course." The woman replies, and she looks content.
Turning back to the monument, Sasuke says, "Pray with me."
Silence fills the area as they do just that. Afterwards he will invite her to walk with him, and for the first time in a long time, they will remember together.
Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance.