Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters other than the OC's.
Please enjoy and tell me how you like it.
A life forgotten
Sakura didn't know whether it was fair that she had to work in the hospital after only a one day break after her nearly month long mission. But whether it was fair or not, that's what she had to do and if she had any problems with it, she had to discuss it with Tsunade. Though if past experiences were any indication, she would be too busy to remember to ask Tsunade about it and the next time she would even remember it would be when, not if, when, it happened again.
But even if she did have a longer break, she would not know what to do with her free time. She would think she should be relaxing, only to wake up at the exact same time she always woke up at, give or take a couple hours, but she would still have another fifteen to sixteen hours in the day where she would sit around the house wishing she could be at the hospital or doing something at least.
She never seems to hang out with any of her friend anymore. She wanted to, its not like she's isolated herself or anything. It seems they have isolated her though. At the age of twenty three, she was pretty much the only one of rookie nine who is still single. Her friends found it hard to make time to hang out with her what with missions and family obligations. Even when they found time to hang out, she never knew what to talk about with them. She found it hard to hangout with her married friends who talked of their husbands and having children when she had no idea what she could possibly say to be involved in the conversation. Most of the time she listened while everyone else talked, smiling and nodding along as if she knew what it was like to have a partner who was too lazy to help her pick out a crib or liked ramen too much that even when he proposed, the ring was in a bowl of ramen and she had almost swallowed it.
That's how she stopped hanging out with her friends. She wasn't bitter, but why waste time that she should be using to help treat people, pretending that she was living life like any other girl her age.
Naruto had gotten married two years ago to Hinata. Sakura had been only too happy to receive the invitation to that wedding because she had been waiting like it was her own wedding. But the wedding hadn't ended as well as it had started for Sakura. That was the last time she had had an actual conversation with Sasuke Uchiha. Of course it had been "Hn"s and "Aa"s in his part, but he had not walked away from her or called her annoying, not even once. So she had taken that as an improvement in their almost non existent friendship.
Sakura walked into the hospital, though her muscles refused to make it easier for her to do so. She signed in at the front desk and picked up the folder with her name of top, completely missing the odd looks she was getting from everyone in the hospital. She took the elevator up to the third floor to get started on her day.
Upon the opening of the metal door of the elevator with the 'ting' noise that it always made to let the passengers know that they have arrived, she wanted to run back into the elevator and run home. She would've done it too if the elevator hadn't totally abandoned her and closed the door behind her.
There in the big white waiting room sat Sasuke Uchiha with his head bowed down, his elbows resting on his knees. He was the only one there in the now too big room occupying one of many plastic chairs. She rarely ran into Sasuke anymore. She knew that both of them worked very hard to stay out of each others way. The only time either ever shared an awkward greeting is when neither were paying attention and pretty much bumped into each other. But even that rarely happened anymore because she was very very careful now so she could avoid the awkwardness.
Sakura opened the folder in her hand and started walking, because for her to get to her destination, it required her to pass by him. She hoped to god that he would, just as any other time, pretend that he hadn't seen her just as she was pretending. But to her greatest surprise, he did not do that. Instead, he called out to her.
"Sakura." his deep voice said as she passed by him and she nearly dropped her folder out of shock. But she composed herself quickly and turned to face him.
"Sasuke!?" she questioned hoping her facade of not noticing him before he called out would be bought by him. She doubted it, she was an awful actress. "What bring you here? Are you alright?" she questioned again, afraid that if a silence were to occur between them, it would be too unbearable for her to bear.
She didn't miss the dark circles under his eyes or the way he seems to be squeezing his hands together as if he were nervous. But she had never known Sasuke to be nervous. So that hypothesis was thrown aside by her as complete bogus.
"No. I'm fine... Its Ami." he said quietly and for the first time in her life, she heard Sasuke say something without being totally monotonous. She didn't know whether she successfully hid the pain of the squeeze she felt in her heart.
Sasuke had gotten married a little over a year ago. A weeding she had not attended because she had not been invited. Even if she were invited, she would not have attended. She was actually grateful to him that he hadn't invited her because if he had, she would have to attend just to keep appearances. Instead she had begged to have a mission during that time so that she could be as far away from the village as possible. So that she would be forced to do anything but think about Sasuke marrying someone else. A subject that had gotten her almost killed during that mission despite her attempts to not think about it.
It didn't help that she had to have heard it from Ino. It had taken her by surprise because she hadn't known that he was dating someone. She knew she would've heard it somehow if Sasuke Uchiha started dating someone. She still didn't know how or when it happened and she and everyone else around her avoided the subject like the plague. Another thing she was grateful for.
She remembered the pain the news had brought her because she felt it now. The painful squeeze of her fragile heart, the tumble on her stomach, the numbing of her entire body, the goosebumps appearing at the back of her neck and the tightness in her throat. These were not unfamiliar territory for her already broken heart.
She had only been glad that his wedding had happened after Naruto's because if she had to sit there while he and whoever this Ami is sat beside each other she didn't think she would be able to handle it. She knew it would break her heart into such fine pieces that she would not be able to hold it together.
"Whats wrong with her? Is she alright?" Sakura asked trying hard to swallow the lump in her throat. Her voice sounded strained to her own ears. He stood up then to face her, standing so close to her after so many years. So close yet so far, huh! How fitting.
If she reached her hand, she could touch his pale skin. If she took one more step she was sure she would be able to feel his body heat radiating off of him. All these things made it so much harder for her to be near him like this. Because even though she could do all these things, touch him, feel him and comfort him from whatever it is that was bothering him like she did ages ago, she really couldn't, could she? So she automatically took a step back as he stoop up and he seems to notice it because he scowled at her action looking offended. She hadn't meant for it to be that obvious, but her body had reacted on its own at the command of her rational brain. Because she was done listening to the irrational part of her. The part that never let her forget about the love she feels for Sasuke. The part that wants to be by his side, even if she had to bear with the fact that he was no longer her's. The part that would not stop loving this man standing in front of her.
"...She's in labour." this time Sakura was sure she didn't do a very good job of hiding the surprise or the hurt she felt. This is what happens when you don't hang out with your friends and spent as much time away from the village as she could. She didn't receive any of the news about her friends' lives.
"Con- congratulations!" even she didn't know if she meant it or not. It came out as more of a reflex than a genuine statement. But it was what people usually did, so she did it. She wanted to leave his presence. Because it was getting harder and harder to hold his obsidian gaze any longer.
The pain, it was so unbearable. How could she hurt so much? How was she not used to this pain when she is so familiar with it? She unconsciously gripped the folder in her hand and dug her toes into her shoes. What had she done in her life to receive such immense pain? Sure she was a ninja and killed a countless number of people, but she has saved many more by doing so. She was a medic, she had saved so many lives and relieved the pain of many people, so why? Why can't she relieve her own pain?
"For the first time in my life, I'm worried. I don't know what to do and they are not letting me in." he said gesturing towards the hallway that lead to the labour rooms. This Sasuke was so different from the twelve year old boy she was on a team with, he was so different from the sixteen year old boy who had fought along side her in the fourth great shinobi war. This person standing in front of her is the man that she had always known him to be. She had known that inside his cold glares and emotionless expression, there lay a man who had feelings, a man who was afraid of feelings but still a man who was more than capable of feeling those feelings.
"Don't worry Sasuke. Millions of babies are born every day. She will be perfectly fine." she offered as her innate instinct to comfort Sasuke kicked in. She had to get out of here. She had to move, she had to finish this conversation and ask for another mission from Tsunade. But all of that was nothing compared to the need she felt to make sure he was comforted. That's why she stayed, looking at him as he looked completely helpless, rather than run as fast as her legs would carry her.
"This is the first time it's happening to me." he grumbled sounding annoyed. He had a point. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips at the way he said it. He sounded like a child who didn't get what he wanted for his birthday. She watched as his eyes moved up to land on her green ones. The smirk she was so familiar with when it came to him appeared on his face and her giggles died down at the sight. Even at twenty three years of age, he still resembled the young boy from her childhood. When he smirked like that, she could still see Sasuke, the boy she was so infatuated with. She wished it had stopped at infatuation because, she believed then this wouldn't hurt as much as it does. She let out a sigh and her eyes softened and her form relaxed from her previous tense one.
"She'll be fine. How many centimetres has she dilated?" she found herself asking because she didn't want to run as much as she had wanted to a minute ago.
"Seven." he answered her.
"You have a long time before she's ready. You have at least three hours before she can give birth" she assured him and his black eyes softened like she had never seen before. And she realized why he had called out to her in the first place rather than ignore her like he had done in the past. That's the moment she realized it was possible to feel happiness and sadness at the same time. She smiled. A pained smile but a smile none the less. "I'll be there and deliver the baby myself if that makes you feel any better." she found herself saying quietly and she saw the relief in his face at her words and all the pain from earlier disappeared in her heart to be replaced by a flutter that made her want to smile.
The thought that she had made him feel so at ease and relieve his worry made her so happy. And knowing that he trusted her so much made the butterflies in her stomach race. Despite the circumstances, she felt a sudden wave of happiness. How could all of her pain be forgotten because she had helped him relax? Because she had helped him at all?
"Thank you!"he said sounding truly grateful and for a moment, she was sent back in time and twelve and she blinked tightening her jaw to prevent the onslaught of memories she knew would come. She nodded her head because she didn't trust her voice at the moment. She gave him a small and hopefully a reassuring smile before turning to leave. But again to her surprise he called her name.
"Sakura?" he sounded hesitant. To the sound of her name rolling off his tongue just as when they were younger made her forget the context of their situation. So she found herself being hopeful, though she had no idea for what. She stopped walking and turned her head slightly to let him know she was listening. "What do I do?" he said quietly in a voice that sounded helpless and a voice she was so unfamiliar with when associated with Sasuke. So she turned her head further to look at him but he wasn't looking at her. He was looking at his feet. She raised her eyebrows to her forehead because Sasuke was not known for looking at the ground like that. He talked to people face to face because...because he was Sasuke and looking at the ground like that meant that he was not in charge and Sasuke was always in charge.
"About what?" she asked when he didn't clarify farther.
"After...the baby is born. What do I say?" he asked still very hesitant with his words. She could tell he was having a hard time asking for help. His hands were in the pockets of his black pants with his head bowed down. What was she supposed to say to that? She let out a heavy sigh and turned her head back to head on her way.
"I don't know Sasuke." she murmured, realizing that coming to work today was a big mistake. She moved her foot intending to go on with her day. So she could put this whole thing behind her and never think about it again. So she could try and go back to living her life like there was no one in her life.
"What would you want...if you were in her position?" all her movements halted as the words left his mouth and her heart skipped a beat. Was he doing this on purpose? Was he deliberately trying to hurt her? What had she ever done to him for him to seek revenge on her? Did he even know...that the words he so innocently spoke is breaking her and hurting her and slowly killing her?
They stayed like that for what felt like forever. She finally closed her eyes and held the folder in her hands in front of her, crushing it between her fingers. She swallowed hard before taking a deep breath. She closed her and then...she imagined. What would she want if she were in Ami's position? And she saw it.
Behind her closed eye lids she put herself in Ami's position. She saw herself sitting on a white bed with her back resting on the headboard, holding a little bundle. She saw herself smile like she had never done before at the bundle of joy with dark thick hair and he squinted his face running his tiny hands over his face even though it was in a fist. She then looked up from the baby to the man standing at the door way. His handsome face smiling at her with so much happiness that it made her own heart fill with happiness.
"I..." she began slowly even as the scene played behind her closed eyelids. She swallowed again, trying to even her breathing. "...I would want you to...come in...to the room- and smile at me. And...I would want you to...sit beside me on the bed...and take our son in your hands" she said as the scene continued to play in her mind. She didn't realize it when she had said their son because in her fantasies back in the day...she imagined the two of them having a son first with hair as black as his father's and eyes as green as his mother's. "...then I would want...you to take my hand...and...then you would lean in...and kiss me...softly...and gently, like you were afraid you would hurt me."she finished with a small chuckle because the Sakura in her mind wanted him to kiss her harder but the Sasuke in her mind was so hesitant. By now she was vaguely aware of the tears that were running down her cheeks but she wasn't sure if he was. "...then you would tell me...tell me that..." she choked then. She couldn't continue because it hurt. The image in her head, it was hurting her. Was she so weak as to have a picture in her head that wasn't even real hurt her this much? Or did she love him so much that it hurt to know that this picture in her mind was just that...a picture?
"...I love you?" he finished for her and her eye snapped open at the sound of his voice. More tears escaped her eyes as she opened them. She could feel how wet her face is and feel the continuation of the flowing of her tears down her burning cheeks. She could still feel the squeezing of her heart and the numbing of her limbs. But she continued anyway.
"Yes...then you would tell me...her, that...you love her." she confirmed without turning to face him. She wasn't sure if she will ever be able to face him again. But she was extremely good at controlling her voice, so she was almost certain that he was oblivious to the tears flowing down her cheeks.
They didn't say anything for a long time after that. She stayed still, her back facing him and she was sure he as well stayed still because no sound came from behind her. She didn't bother wiping away her tears, she knew that more would come out anyway. She also didn't want him to know that she was crying, so she refrained from wiping her tears as they dropped down her chin. She took a deep breath after a while collecting herself. Then she smiled, a forced smile so that when she spoke he would hear a smile in her voice and not the pain that she felt in her heart.
"Goodbye Sasuke!" she finally managed and she was proud of herself because she could have fooled herself with her voice. She sounded even, she didn't sound as miserable as she felt on the inside. She didn't wait for a reply from him. She began walking to her destination without looking back. Because nobody had looked back at her.
Sakura had delivered many babies in her career. Ami was by far the quietest. Not that she was quiet altogether. In the last couple of minutes, she had almost made everyone go deaf. But altogether, Ami was the best patient Sakura had had.
She looked terrified when Sakura walked into the room, but that didn't stop her from smiling at Sakura like she wasn't even pushing something the size of a watermelon through a hole smaller than a lemon. Ami completely calmed down when she heard that she was in the hands of the best medic in Konoha after Tsunade. So delivering her baby was a piece of cake. But going outside to tell the father that he could now come in was something she was ready to trade for delivering a hundred more babies. So she got a nurse to go tell Sasuke that now he could see his wife and son while she congratulated Ami and sneaked out the room before Sasuke entered.
She passed by Ami's room again an hour later, she knew she shouldn't because it would only end up hurting her. But she did it anyway, because she didn't know when she would be able to see Sasuke again and despite the immense pain she felt, she wanted to see him because that one moment would be the highlight of her life until she saw him again, as pathetic as that sounds.
She looked inside the room through the rectangle of glass and saw what is most likely the most painful sight she had ever seen in her whole being.
She was greeted with Ami sitting on the bed with her back resting in the headboard while Sasuke sat beside her holding their new son, wrapped on a blue clothe as he stared down at the baby with a completely relaxed expression. He was smiling down at the bundle in his arms, a small smile barely visible but she could see it and she could see that Ami could also see it. Ami was looking g at Sasuke with her tired blue eyes with a huge smile adorning her beautiful face.
Without even bring aware of it, Sakura's own lips broke into a smile. Sasuke was happy, he had a family. Something he had been deprived of since he was eight years old. Even if that family didn't include her, she couldn't bring herself to feel bitter about that. Because Sasuke's happiness played such a huge role in her life.
Sakura bit her lip as she looked at the new family one last time and then moved her gaze and walked away from the room and the hospital. Everyone stared at her as she walked out of the hospital without even signing out and headed straight for the hokage tower. She needed a break and it was finally about time for it too.
Tsunade wasn't angry. In fact she was glad. But that wont stop her from lecturing the three men standing in front of her desk and make them feel as guilty as she possibly could.
She had called the three male members of team seven to her room two week after Sakura had begged for a mission from her. Two week ago she had sent her apprentice and who 'should' be a friend of the three men before her on a mission and the only once who knew about it were her, Sakura and Shizune. During those two weeks, not one of them had come here asking where their ' friend' had disappeared off to. You know what, now that she thought about it, she was angry. Teamwork my foot!
"Do any of you know where Sakura Haruno, your teammate is?" Tsunade asked, her voice giving out nothing as she sat in her chair with her fingers intertwined under her chin with her elbows resting on her clattered desk.
She saw the slight panic in their eyes as she asked the question and inwardly smirked.
"Is Sakura-chan missing?" Naruto was the first to ask.
"If she was, she'd be long dead and her body would have been completely decomposed by the time the three of you realize it" Tsunade said sternly making sure she was making them feel as guilty as she possibly could.
"Is she or is she not?" Sasuke asked impatiently and sounding a little annoyed. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha. Arrogant bastard!
"She is not." she said and her a anger went down the tiniest amount at the relief she saw in their eyes. "But whenever you saw her last, is most likely the last time you will see her." she finished carefully, as she watched all their expression like a hawk. Their heads snapped at her with wide eyes and she would have smirked if she had not lost one of her best medics so recently.
"Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, can you tell us where Sakura is?" Kakashi finally raised his voice and Tsunade could tell he was irritated that he seemed to not know anything for once.
"To be honest, I had hoped that one of you might come here asking about Sakura's whereabouts two weeks ago...when I first gave her the mission. But as it seems, even though she had dedicated her life to the three of you, you have not given her even an ounce of that back to her." she said letting out a heavy sigh as she leaned back on her chair.
"Sakura's been on a mission for two weeks?" again it was Kakashi who asked the question even though all three of them had been wondering the same thing.
"How is that different from when anyone else goes on a mission?" Sasuke asked boredly and Tsunade swore she would find a reason to punch him some day.
"The difference is that she will not be returning." she finished with a tight voice. She could see the surprise in their faces and she felt oddly satisfied.
"Baa-Chan, tell it to us straight. Why wont Sakura-chan be returning?" Naruto asked loudly getting tired of Tsunade's beating around the bush.
"...I have transferred Sakura overseas"
"What!? Why? When will she be back? Why didn't she tell us?" Naruto began with the onslaught of his questions, loudly smacking is hands on her desk.
"Why, because she asked me to. And she will not be back like I have already told you and she didn't tell you because when was the last time any of you checked whether she was even alive or not?"Tsunade said as her voice raised in anger at their outburst. They had no right anymore to pretend to care about Sakura when they all abandoned her long before Tsunade even became the hokage.
All three of them looked down at their feet because they knew what she was saying was true.
"Kakashi, you abandoned Sakura when she was a genin. You focused all your attention on the boys of the team while Sakura was completely thrown aside as if you thought she didn't have the potential." she looked directly at the man who stood in front of her with his hands in his pockets. "yet, she didn't hold it against you. She looked up to you. All this time she had made sure to send a medic to your house to give you an annual check-up because you despise hospitals so much. Then she would check the charts herself to make sure you were alright then she would have me check it as well. She would say that even though you don't look it, you were still getting old and that she wanted to make sure that you were at your best. But the last time you saw her...was at Naruto's wedding two years ago." she finished as he continued to look down at his feet.
Tsunade then turned her attention to the blond beside Kakashi.
"You are always talking about how much friends mean to you but you didn't hesitate to abandon one of your first friends when others came along." Tsunade began again as Naruto's blue eyes wavered under her gaze. "When you and Sasuke had one of your outburst, she would make sure that the two of you were healed by the best and that they didn't even leave a scar on your bodies. She made sure to always buy a present for your birthday Naruto, because she knew that growing up you didn't get many." she finished looking at the now teary eyes blonde. She was getting to them and she was more than happy about it. They deserved it.
"And Sasuke..." she began turning her gaze towards the Uchiha. He didn't flinch or move his eyes from her. He looked straight at her, as if to say she had nothing on him "Do you know why the only punishment you received for your heinous crimes was house arrest for six months?" she asked and she saw the slightest bit of shock on his smug face for a millisecond. "Because she put her life in the line for you." she finished evenly as his eyes narrowed at her.
"What are you talking about?" he asked angrily.
"She went to the elders and begged for them to not execute you. When they finally gave in to her, their condition was that if you were to disobey any given rules, she would be executed on the spot as your partner in crime." she finished and she saw the eyes of all three men widen like never before at the new information. None of them had known about it because Sasuke's execution was supposed to be done secretly. Sakura had known because she works so close to Tsunade.
"And you allowed it?" Sasuke asked slamming his fist on her table almost cracking it.
"Only because she wouldn't let me interfere. For a year I was afraid that you would do something stupid and Sakura would have to die for it. The sad part is, you three would not have even known even if she did." she finished standing up from her chair and slamming both her hands on her table to show that he could not turn this around to blame her for their mistakes. The two glared at each other for a long time before Sasuke turned around to leave which made Tsunade even angrier. "Where do you think you are going Uchiha?" she demanded at his retreating back.
"I'm going to go bring her back." he said reaching for the door knob.
"Wait up teme! I'm coming too." Tsunade heard Naruto say before she could say anything.
"If either of you step out of this village without my permission, you will be considered rogue ninja. Uchiha you will not be forgiven so easily this time and Naruto you can say good bye to your dream of becoming hokage." she warned the two yelling across the room leaving no room for misunderstanding, before Sasuke could open the door.
He halted, hearing the threat and Naruto faced her with a hard expression clearly mad at her for it. Tsunade saw Sasuke's shoulders heaving as he breathed in and out.
"You two will leave her alone from now on. Sasuke, you have your own family now. You better start thinking before you decide to do everything on impulse." she began again because if she knew anything about team seven, it was that they tend to ignore her most of the time. "Sakura's not part of your family anymore and as far as I know she hadn't been for a while. You left her behind to reach your own destinations. You didn't even look back to see if she was even following. You only looked back when I forced you to but when you did, it was too late. You only looked back when you have done everything you had to. Now she has to find her own way back, to her own destination. All she wanted to do was help the two of you reach your destination but you didn't care. You didn't give a damn so you two will let her choose her own destination and she will get there on her own. If you decide to interfere, so help me god, I will rip you from limb to limb... do you understand me?" she finished sternly as she crossed her hands over her large chest. He voice echoing inside the small room.
The three remained still, wordlessly waiting as she told them what they didn't seem to realize on their own because Sakura has never let them know that she has her own goals and dreams. Tsunade knew how much Sakura cares about the three men standing in front of her. She loves them so much that she wants them to be happy and make sure that all their dream come true. In the process, all four of the original members of team seven have forgotten that Sakura needs to be happy too. Even Sakura herself has forgotten that her life is separate from Naruto's and Sasuke's. She had only realized it when she has seen that, even though she had worked her absolute best to make sure that everyone else was happy, no one has put a thought into if she was happy.
Tsunade had known that staying in Konoha was not a good idea for Sakura because she will be reminded of her past and how every one seems to have abandoned her. She needed to start new. She had also known that by seeing Sasuke often, she would never be able to move on from him and start a new life. That's why she was more than happy to let her leave the village for forever, even if it meant that she lost one of the few people she thought of as family.
"Tsunade-sama, I request that we get a mission to bring back Sakura. I think I am speaking for all three of us when I say that, having to live without seeing Sakura for the rest of our lives is...rather painful." Tsunade truly felt bad for Kakashi. After what seemed like forever, the sharingan user has finally found people that he cares so much about to an extent that he would openly admit that being away from them is painful. But she cannot be swayed from her decision to let Sakura go. If it would be so painful to the three of them, they should have thought of that before they decided to ignore her existence.
"I will not allow that. She will come back when she decides it is time. If she never comes back...then that's her decision. Let her be happy for once in her life time." she said as she eyed every pair of eyes that bore into her's with hatred and anger. She landed her eyes on the back of Sasuke Uchiha's head, but he did not look back at her.
After staying quiet for what seemed like the longest pause of their lives, Sasuke opened the door and left the room quietly and Naruto followed behind, narrowing his sky blue eyes at her and huffing while Kakashi sighed, scratching the back of his head and closing his eyes in exhaustion.
"I will also take my leave then." he said after a while forming hand signs to turn into a puff of smoke to leave for the memorial atone, Tsunade was certain.
"I am sorry Kakashi. She was my student as well and I didn't want to lose her either. But she needed to get her life together and I didn't think she would be able to in the presence of Sasuke Uchiha." she said to the man as her hard eyes finally turned soft. He didn't say anything but stared at her for the next thirty seconds before nodding his head once and puffing out of the room.
"What was Sarutobi-sensei thinking, putting such a troubled group of people in one group?" Tsunade sighed as she plopped down on her chair reaching for the bottom drawer. She is definitely going to need some alcohol if she is going to get through today.
When Sakura arrived at Getsugakure, the first thing she did was go to her quarters. It was located ten minutes away from the hospital in which she would be working at. The small apartment was cozy looking, she thought as she stepped in through the wooden door. It had two room, one of which she has already decided is her office and the apartment came with all the necessities. A small leather sofa and a loveseat of the same material were situated in front of a reasonably sized TV. Behind the sofa was a door that lead to the kitchen that also had an attached dinning room. Farther down the hallway to the right of the sofa were the two room and beautiful marble bathroom.
She had asked to have her things sent from Konoha and they should arrive a couple of weeks from now. All she needed were her clothes and things seeing as all the furniture and things have already been provided for her by the village leader.
The second thing she did after a long awaited shower is go to the hospital. This mission was something Sakura picked out herself from the pile Tsunade handed her. It was the longest one and it clarifies that if the worker is good, they could get a permanent job there. Tsunade had been wondering who to send since she couldn't ask someone to leave the village for this long. Sakura had been more than happy to take a mission that takes as long it this does and as far from Konoha as distance allowed her.
Upon arriving at the white tall building, she realized it was way bigger than the Konoha hospital. Entering through the doors, she walked up to the front desk and cleared her throat to get he attention of the men and women talking at the counter. They all turned to her at once and all their eyes widened as they landed on her. Sakura took a step back, alarmed, seeing their expressions.
"You are Sakura Haruno!" the woman with brown hair in a neat bun said staring up at her.
"Ye-yes I am." Sakura said reluctantly. They all broke into wide smiles and stood up to walk around the counter to her.
"Its such a pleasure Haruno-san. We are all very excited to be working with you. We have heard such great things about you." they all started praising her as they scrambled towards her. She took a few more steps back with a nervous smile looking from one face to another.
"Alright. Lets not scare her away before she even starts." Sakura heard a voice say from behind her and she turned around to see a man about twenty five years old, standing a few feet behind her in a white lab coat.
Everyone moved away from her with apologetic smiles and she smiled back at them gratefully as her cheeks turned slightly red from all the compliments she received in a span of less than one minute.
"Hello Haruno-san, I am Tetsuya Harima. I built the hospital, but have no idea anything about medicine. But I have been running it for the past month, until I received news that you were coming." he explained goodheartedly as he bowed his head in greeting. Sakura also bowed before smiling up at the man.
"Hello! I'm excited to be working here. It was always my dream to run a hospital on my own. " Sakura said as he walked toward her.
"When I sent out for a medic, never did I think I would get the best." he said again with a wide grin.
He was very handsome with short brown hair that seems to defy the laws of gravity and beautiful brown eyes that seems to be sparkling at her. He was at least a head taller than her and it added more to his looks that he seems to have such a hypnotizing smile.
"I am glad to be of service to you." she said with her own smile in place gladly accepting all the compliments she seems to be getting. She liked this village already.
As the two talked about the hospital as well as other things, she came to understand the Tetsuya is the son of the head of the village. They own businesses and it was Tetsuya's idea to build a hospital. He seems to be the world's kindest man as well as a hard worker.
During the day, she had completely forgotten the troubles that she left behind in Konoha. The two had dinner together at a restaurant near the hospital and he walked her home as he explained the things about the village.
"I will be at work the day after tomorrow when I get everything settled, Tetsuya-san. Thank you for giving me this opportunity." she said as she reached the door to her the quarters the hospital has given her.
"It was my pleasure. Now I can leave the hospital in your hands and look after my abandoned businesses." he said with a deep laugh that seems to be contagious and made him look like a model.
"Goodnight then." she said offering him a soft smile.
"Good night." he said, though Sakura noticed that he seems to be hesitating. She cocked her head to one side waiting for him to continue. "This might be too forward in my part...but would you like to have some lunch with me tomorrow?" he asked quietly, though he sounded completely confident still.
Sakura was surprised because they just met today. And she also found herself thinking about a certain black haired boy with onyx eyes as Tetsuya asked the question. For a brief moment the man in front of her was replaced by the emotionless face of the Uchiha she spent most of her life loving.
"I am sorry Tetsuya-san. But...I will be busy unpacking and getting settled." she said with apologetic eyes. His face seems to loose its colour for a fraction of a second before being replaced by a wide grin.
"Of course, maybe another time then, good night Sakura-san."he said before leaving her at the door. She stared at his retreating back.
She came here to move on from her past and start new. If she does not let herself move on, she never will. She knows this, she knows that if she continues to say no to every man that asks her out because of Sasuke, she will never let herself move on. She has to accept that Sasuke is not a part of her decision making anymore. She doesn't have to think about whether her decision will have an impact on Sasuke. She never acknowledged the fact that her decisions never seems to have an impact on him.
But now she was her own person. She wants to be happy too. She wants to hold hands with someone and have walks like Naruto and Hinata. She wants to have beautiful babies like Sasuke. She wants to be with someone who makes her happy, who makes her smile, who appreciates her and thinks of her as someone important. She will not be able to find that happiness if she doesn't let herself forget Sasuke, if she keeps on being stuck in the same painful memory just because it gives her the tiniest amount of happiness for a very brief moment.
"Tetsuya-san..." she called out to him raising her voice so that he would hear her even though he wasn't even that far from her. He turned towards her and raised his brows, silently asking her for her reason for stopping him. "...I will be done by dinner time. May be we could have dinner instead." she suggested as her cheeks turned pink from having to say such a thing for the first time in her life. She had never asked anyone out before. Only refused because of Sasuke.
His face broke into a satisfied grin and he nodded at her.
"I will pick you up here at seven then?" he asked her raising is own voice to reach her.
She also nodded with a smile. He then smiled again and raised his hand in goodbye before turning around to leave. Sakura walked inside the apartment and closed the door behind her. She leaned her back on the door and smiled at herself because finally she was doing something for herself and it felt great. She didn't mind that she had left her own dreams for last. Knowing that everyone else was already happy made her happy. So leaving herself for last had been more of a decision than anything else.
But now she's ready. Now, she can live.
24 years later
Sakura walked down the streets of a village she both knew and didn't know. Things like the new and improved roads and the buildings were completely unfamiliar to her, but things like the ramen shop and the unique smell of the village told her that she was in the right place. She looked up ahead of her as her eyes landed on the hokage monument and couldn't help but smile as another new face stared down at her with a goofy grin. Naruto's face has been added to the monument.
She continued to walk down the streets when she heard her name being called. She was surprised that anyone would recognize her after so many years. But she was happy that someone didn't forget her. She turned her head towards the voice calling out to her and was surprised to be met with an older yet never the less as handsome as ever Sasuke running towards her seeping through the crowds of the streets.
Sasuke had grown older. But even at the age of forty seven he looked as handsome, if not more, as he had been when they were younger. His back remained straight like the aristocrat he is and he stood tall, with the pride of his name. When he reached her, she gave him a soft smile. It was odd that the last person she had seen before leaving the village was the same person who greeted her first when she returned.
He stared at her disbelieving for a moment as if he thought he were dreaming so she took it upon herself to say hello first.
"Sasuke, how are you?" she asked looking at his unfathomable onyx eyes. She was for a moment reminded of the times she spent with him. The 'Hn's the 'annoying's and the occasional smile that would light up her whole world at the sight. Those memories have never left her even after all these years.
"You are here." was the first thing that escaped his lips still in disbelief as he continued to stare at her. Then he seems to compose himself in the next minute because he seems to relax his shoulders. "I'm well. How are you?" he asked his face going back to the emotionless expression he always held.
"I'm good. How's Naruto and Ami?" she asked wondering how her blond haired friend must be doing now that he is the hokage and cannot go on action filled mission like he used to. She would never forget the tantrums he used to put in their genin days, demanding that he receive harder mission because his skills are wasted on the D ranked missions.
"He's still a dobe. More irritating that he used to be." he answered with a familiar smirk appearing his lips. "Ami is well... where have you been?" he asked her surprising her because it sounded like he actually cared for a moment.
"Getsugakure. I run the hospital there." she told him. Now having no reason to hide her whereabouts from the people she had run away from all those years ago in fear that they might come after her.
"...Why didn't you tell us before leaving?" he asked in a voice Sakura wasn't completely sure belonged to him.
She smiled at him, a sad smile because she couldn't help it. But she didn't know what the answer to his question is. Actually she did know, she did know why she left, but she didn't want to say it. She didn't want him know that knowing that having a future with him was only a lost dream to her had made it so unbearable for her to be near him. So she remained quiet even as he stared at her with curious and...may be even hurt eyes.
"This place is so cool mom, why did you ever leave it?" Sakura heard from behind her and she turned her head to face her nineteen year old daughter who would have been the exact replica of herself if she had inherited pink air instead of her father's brown locks. "Oh! Sorry to interrupt." she said again obviously noticing that her mother had been in a conversation already.
Sakura looked at Sasuke and would have burst out laughing if she didn't have so much control seeing his face. His looked as if he had seen a ghost, though she couldn't figure out why. Did he really expect her to be by herself for the rest of her life?
"Sasuke this is Kitomi. My eldest." Sakura explained as kitomi gave him a smile that Sakura liked to believe she had gotten from her.
"She looks just like you." Sasuke said as his eyes turned from kitomi to Sakura.
"Finally someone who thinks I look like my mom. Everyone thinks I look like my dad because of my hair but I think I look like mom." Kitomi blabbed. Another trait she has unfortunately inherited from her mother.
"That's because he used to know me when I was your age honey." Sakura told Kitomi and watched as her daughter's eyes widened with obvious excitement.
"Really!? You knew my mom when she was young and pretty?" Kitomi asked with twinkling green eyes staring at Sasuke in wonderment. Sakura frowned at her daughter's question.
"Hey I like to think I am still at least kind of pretty." she grumbled to her daughter who seems to always forget time and place. Sakura turned to Sasuke to find him smirking at Sakura and she let out sigh and smiled at him. It was obvious to any one who knew Sakura that her daughter was enough like her in personality that no one would mistake that Kitomi was her daughter just because she didn't look exactly like her.
"So so, what was she like..."
"Dad, I have a mission tomorrow. I can't train with you." they all turned and looked at the deep and rough voice coming from beside them. They all stared at each other before Kitomi's voice came, quite unhappily too.
"Hey! I was talking." her daughter said to the man irritatingly, narrowing her ever green eyes at the man.
"Hn." came the reply of the young man. Sakura gaped at the handsome man who is undoubtedly Sasuke's son not only from the looks but also from the uninterested scowl he seems have on his face.
"Let me guess...your son." Sakura stated with a raised eyebrow and Sasuke nodded.
"I." Sasuke said with a smile, gesturing towards his son and Sakura's face softened looking at him sympathetically hearing that he named his son after his beloved brother.
"Nice to meet you Itachi." she greeted the boy. "I'm Sakura and this is my eldest daughter Kitomi." she introduced with a smile. Itachi stared at them for a moment before his eyes seem to recognize something.
"We have a picture of you in our house. Uncle Naruto and dad seem to spend forever staring at it when they get together." Itachi said. Sakura's eyes turned to Sasuke but he seems to be avoiding her eyes at all costs. She felt happy that they had missed her at least. She didn't think they would. She thought they would go back to their routine daily lives after she left and not even remember who Sakura was after a couple of years. But knowing that she had not been completely forgotten by her boys made her happy and made her realize may be they hadn't totally abandoned her after all.
"Itachi, why don't you show Kitomi around." Sasuke asked the question in his usual demanding manner. A question that wasn't really a question. So like Sasuke.
"Come on. " Itachi said as he already began to walk away from the group towards the inside of the village.
"What an ass." Sakura heard Kitomi mutter and Sakura again turned to Sasuke.
"Like father like son" she told him and he frowned at her to which she giggled. It took them almost twenty five years to get to a point in their relationship where neither of then were attempting to avoid the other. It had taken them that long to move on from the events of the past and talk like friends usually did. But even though it had taken to long, they were finally here, talking as if old friends catching up and Sakura couldn't be happier.
"That..." he began but was interrupted yet again by another voice.
"Saku-chaaaaaan" she heard from behind her. "All my children seem to have abandoned me." he continued and Sakura turned to her husband with a smile on her face. He stopped walking in front of her looking at her as if the whole world had fallen apart. "Hitoki seems to find the weird kid with blond hair much more fun to hang out with and Hiroki doesn't want to be seem around with his dad because he says I'm embarrassing." he continued almost in tears, telling her the events of his day like he usually did. When her kids were younger, her husband spent every free moment with her and their children together either at home or at a park. He loved them to death. She couldn't believe her children would do that to their father. She smiled at the man and turned to Sasuke who had on a expression she could not quiet put her finger on.
"Sasuke this is Tetsuya, my husband." she introduced with a smile and her husband's brown eyes turned towards Sasuke.
"You are Sasuke!?" he asked reaching his hand towards Sasuke which he shook. Sasuke nodded his head, "I have to say, I was very jealous of you when we were younger." her husband said with his never faltering smile. Sakura shook her head at her husband with tired sigh and a smile. But it had been great fun for her. At one point, she talked about Sasuke just be see the jealousy in her husbands eyes. She enjoyed it greatly.
It is true though. When she first told him about Sasuke, he had pretty much hated Sasuke. But he listened to her talk about him anyway without complaining even once. But gradually she seems to talk less and less about Sasuke and it occurred to her that she liked to be with this man. She liked the warm feeling she got when she was with him, she liked the smiles she received from him. After a while she didn't even know that she had already fallen in love with him.
"You are a lucky guy. Sakura is an amazing person. In comparison...everyone else pales." Sasuke said, to her utter surprise and she stared at him in shock for having received a complement from him. Something else that had taken him close to twenty five years.
"You are telling me. That's why I love her after all. She is one in a million." Tetsuya said happily. She turned her head from Sasuke to her husband to give him a soft smile.
This man has being with her when everyone else left her. This man who helped her understand that she was first and not second. This man who helped her live. Each day she fell more and more in love with him. She didn't think she would ever love again yet after this man had come to her life, she was able to understand that she was important. He made her feel important. He made her feel like she was someone that mattered. She took his hand and intertwined her fingers with his large ones.
"We better go sweet heart. We need to see the hokage." she told her husband and he smiled at her sweetly.
"How long are you here for?"came Sasuke's voice again before they could make a move to leave.
"I plan on starting a business here. So most likely for a while. "Tetsuya explained. "We'll be sure to get together with all of Saku-chan's friends before we leave. I really what to meet all of them." he said grinning. Her husband has wanted that since their marriage started. Finally she could have him off her back after this.
"See you later Sasuke-kun." she said out of habit and walked off as Tetsuya waved to him.
Sakura knew that there would always be a part of her that will love Sasuke. She spent so much of her life loving him that she didn't know how to get rid of that small part that still ached for him. The part that always made her wish for the best for him. And she was certain that Tetsuya was also aware of it. It is something she cannot change because she loved him so much. But she loved her husband so much as well. Because on is list of priorities, she was first. Something she had never been on anyone's list. He made her feel so loved all the time and she wanted to return that love to him.
"Its you and me again Saku-chan. Our children are too old for us now." her husband said as he wrapped his hand around her shoulder looking up at the sky dramatically. He gets like this when their children do something that made him feel old.
"I'll never leave you honey." she told him as she moved closer to him and grabbed the finger of his hand that was over her shoulder. "I love you." she told him and he stopped walking to turn towards her. He smiled the smile that he seems to have reserved only for her as his eyes bore into hers.
"I love you too beautiful."he said softly as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
Sasuke watched as his pink haired team mate, as beautiful as she had been when she was just over the age of twenty, walked away from him in the arms of her husband. If even for a moment he had thought that he deserved her kind heart and soft smiles, he would not have let her walk away from him. But he had never felt like he could give her the happiness that she so obviously deserved.
But he knew that the reason he had never been able to feel what he should towards his wife is because Sakura seems to have a special part in his heart. Even though Sakura had told him to say that he loved Ami the day his son was born, he never could do it and he'd always known why.
24 years ago
"...I love you" he said as she choked on her words. He knew she was crying. He could hear the soft sniffles coming from her and he would have laughed at her attempt to hide her tears from him if the situation had been different. He could always tell when she is sad. It was one of the many talents he had, knowing when Sakura needed cheering up.
"Yes...then you would tell me...her, that...you love her." he heard her say and realized that she took his statement as a question. He realized that she thought he was only finishing what she had started. He wanted to correct her. Tell her that he meant that he loved her. But stopped himself when he realized that not only would it be inappropriate to say he loved another woman when his wife was giving birth to his child, but it was also unfair that he would bestow such a pain on Sakura when he knew it would hurt her. So he stayed quiet even as she said her goodbye and walked away from him.
Present
If he had known then that her good bye meant he would not be seen her for almost twenty five years, he would have grabbed her and told her to stay. But he was way too late by the time he found out.
Sasuke turned the other way from the happy couple walking away from him and stuffed his hands on his pockets and started walking. Maybe in another life...he could have what Tetsuya had. And when he did, he would never let go...not ever.
Please don't hate me Sasusaku fans for writing this :(
I actually dislike myself for coming up with this story because Sasuke and Sakura WILL end up together. They are so canon. But I had this idea such a long time ago and I avoided writing it for so long. But I just had to at one point when I couldn't stop thinking about it.
Anyway, here you go. My longest one shot. I hope you enjoyed it, have a good night you guys! Sweet dreams.