Notes: Chapter 619 equals SasuSaku attack. I still haven't named this. Ha. Haha. Hahaha.
Nightfall.
A sliver of moonlight is carved into the dark canvas of the heavens and painted over with a light hand in a layer of faint stardust. Not a single cloud obscures the twinkling sky. Underneath, resting bodies huddle close together beside the flickering flames of a campfire. Everyone rests easy because tonight there are no enemies.
There isn't anything to be afraid of.
Sakura leans heavily against the thick tree trunk and watches her slumbering allies with a protective eye. The firewood crackles and snaps under the blazing heat; the remaining embers sparkle brightly in the darkness.
It has been a while since they've enjoyed this kind of easy silence, Sakura thinks to herself. She prods the flames with a stick before throwing some more kindling to the fire. Naruto lets out a deafening snore across the camp and rolls over, incoherently mumbling.
Sakura believes he's calling for Hinata, but makes no move to verify it. Naruto wasn't that difficult to read when he wasn't in battle. The long mane of shiny, dark hair next to the Jinchuuriki's resting body further confirms the kunoichi's suspicions when it cuddles up closely to Naruto's side.
He sighs contentedly, and makes no other noise. Sakura finds herself feeling happy for her friend and his newfound soul mate; she is happy for the sense of comradery and fellowship lingering among the resting survivors, but most of all, she is happy for the return of Sasuke, who lies motionless on the cot closest to her.
It was a long, hard fought battle, but Sakura is surprised to find herself happy at the results. She leans back, her head meeting the hard surface of the tree trunk with a quiet thunk; tired green eyes flutter shut and Sakura rests with a soft smile adorning her delicate features.
She's almost asleep when she hears the rustling of leaves and feels warmth press against her side. The scent of the newcomer is enough to tell her who it is. Sakura doesn't know why she does it, but she leans over, resting her head against his arm.
"I'm glad you came back to us," she whispers before succumbing to the heavy darkness.
Sasuke sits still, watching the strange girl with strange pink hair and strange green eyes and the strange ability to love someone like him rest comfortably against his shoulder. She was annoying, yes, but Sasuke admitted that he wouldn't have her any other way. And for the first time in years, the lone Uchiha felt something overcome him, something that was long due and inevitable. His insides stirred and left him with such overwhelming warmth, he could barely register the stinging in his eyes.
His dark eyes softened and the faintest ghost of the tiniest, most genuine smile he was capable of producing spread across his lips. It was the first smile Uchiha Sasuke had given in years.
"Thank you, Sakura," he murmurs lowly into Sakura's ear before closing his eyes, thankful that Sakura was the last thing he saw before he fell asleep.
When the camp woke in the morning, nobody was really surprised to find Sakura warmly curled up against Sasuke, who protectively held her closely to his body. Kakashi beamed underneath his mask, observing Sasuke slumber. The boy's face had been erased of fatigue and anger, erased of nightmares, and replaced with the very thing Kakashi knew he had been deprived of since the loss of his family.
Kakashi, rather than identify this new sensation for his dense prodigy, decided to let Sasuke explore the possibilities alone. Judging from how tightly Sasuke held Sakura, Kakashi figured it wouldn't take very long for Sasuke to find his answer.
He had plenty of time to search for it though.
They all did.
Notes: This isn't exactly a oneshot. Lol. I don't know what it is, but I'm fine with it. Anyway, who has read 619? Shodaime is my new favorite; he's such a loser, haha. I'm feeling some redemption in the chapters to come, and I'm kind of excited for it since I believed Kishimoto had rendered Sasuke irreparable. Peace out, kids.