The Hawk Flew Back to The Cherry Blossom Tree
One and a half years. It took him one and a half years to think things through and to be able to step into Konoha- his village, his home guilt-free. Sasuke fought alongside Naruto in the Fourth Shinobi World War and they had defeated Madara and Obito Uchiha. He remembered that victorious day so vividly.
Rain poured that day, as if a sign of the Heavens washing away the sins of shinobis. Sasuke thought of her. She was meters away from him healing a wounded comrade, her damped fringe pasted on her face but she was so concentrated on her duty that it did not bother her at all. The determination that burnt in her eyes made her irises all the more mesmerizing to gaze into. He remembered how much he yearned to gaze into them but was so ashamed to do so.
Naruto and the village welcomed him home with open arms yet he asked of Tsunade for a leave. He told them that he needed time; to get over himself. Naruto pestered him to stay, Kakashi advised, Tsunade told him he was forgiven, Sakura... Sakura...
The kunoichi only nodded.
"Naruto! Stop making a fuss!" Sakura gave him a good punch, causing his cheery blond friend to have a black eye.
"Shishou, please grant his request." She bowed as a respect to Tsunade.
"Sakura..." Kakashi couldn't find any more words to say.
"Kakashi-sensei." She only needed to look at him with pleading eyes.
"Sasuke-kun, go then." That was when she nodded.
He was shocked, disappointed really. The only girl who loved him as much as his mother had asked him to leave- she let him go. Wasn't she suppose to be the one making the most fuss? He expected her to scream, to shout, to cry, and to beg him to stay. He expected her to grip his shirt tightly and mutter out words calling him to stay. He was so prepared for her to make it harder for him to leave yet she helped him made it easier.
Stay! Stay Sasuke-kun, I love you with all my heart!
She never said those words. Before he stepped out the gates of Konoha, they met again.
"Sasuke-kun, be well now." She handed him a sack.
"Hn. What is this? Sakura."
"Some antidotes I concocted. You'll never know when you need them. It's safer to be prepared." She grabbed his hand and placed the sack on it.
"Thank you."
"Safe travels." He swore he saw her smile for a moment there but something was wrong about that smile. It wasn't the smile he remembered when she handed him daffodils in the hospital, it was not warm nor happy.
"Sakura." He unconsciously grabbed her shoulders and turned her around.
He bored into her emerald eyes, it was soft now, he saw hues of brown reflected in them by the setting sun and it was rather glossy. She was shocked at first but she quickly composed herself and removed his hands off her shyly.
"Sorry." He awkwardly shook his hands loosely before placing one of them in his pocket.
"Heh, it's alright. Get going, before it gets dark."
"Why?" His lips were now a hard line.
"Huh?" Confusion was written all over her face.
"Stay, please stay. Sasuke-kun. I want you to stay." He was looking at the ground now, mildly shaking his head.
"What?"
"You didn't say those words." He looked up at her and saw her flinched.
"Sasuke-kun wouldn't have anyway!" She retorted, her eyes were hard on his.
"No-"
"And because I understand. I understand the pain, I understand the embarrassment and the guilt you're feeling. I understand you need time. I-"
"Sakura..."
"I'm merely giving you the time to get over it, Sasuke-kun. If you stay just like that, I'm sure you'd leave again. So leave now, get over it and bring your ass back home!"
Strong arms embraced the kunoichi. She could feel his warmth emanating from every part of him to her and her him.
"Thank you. I'll be back. I promise. Wait for me."
In a flash, he was gone and she was left standing next to the rock bench.
"Teme! I'm ecstatic that you're back!" Naruto hung an arm around his shoulders and walked him into Konoha.
"Hn. Dobe."
"Staying for good I hope."
"Aa. Of course."
"You better! Or else I'm gonna whip your ass!" Naruto joked.
"Oi, Sasuke, welcome home." The silver-haired copy-nin appeared in a swirl of smoke in front of his two former students.
"Kakashi." Sasuke greeted.
"Let's report to the Hokage." Kakashi put it so that it sounded more like an order.
"Let's! Dattebayo!" Naruto swung a fist up in the air.
Sasuke and Naruto were now in the Uchiha mansion. It was clean and everything was just as it is, which made him curious. After all, wasn't an abandoned mansion supposed to be covered in dust?
"Ahaha, teme. It's all squeaky clean and we even bought groceries." Naruto held an arm out towards the living room and then pointed at the kitchen cabinets.
"Sakura, Kakashi-sensei and I cleaned it up. Everything is in its original position. It's our little welcome home gesture to you."
Sakura. Yes, where was his team mate? He hadn't seen even the faintest flash of pink while walking through the village just now.
"Where is she?"
"Ah, Sakura-chan is always busy you know! She has so much to do in the hospital. She's becoming a workaholic I tell you!"
"Hn." Sasuke can only smirk.
"You know, Kiba is dating now!"
"So?"
"Heh, aren't you even curious as to who is it?" Naruto nudged the dark haired lad.
"Not really. You?" He rolled his eyes.
"Not funny! Teme! She works at the hospital."
Sasuke tensed a little and Naruto felt it.
"Chill teme. She's a nurse. Her name's Ena. Pretty cute. You thought it was Sakura huh?"
"Hn. Nope. Why should I?"
"Right... Choji is falling for Ino. At least that's what all of us are speculating." Naruto scratched the back of his neck.
"Really? And you?"
"Erm... Hinata and I are getting to know each other better, Lee is still all over Sakura-chan!"
"Surprise, surprise, dobe." Sasuke remarked sarcastically.
"No! Teme, you know what's more surprising?! Shikamaru is actually dating! Dating! That lazy ass! Earlier than all of us... well, except Kiba."
"Care to tell me more?" He quirked a brow.
"Temari from Suna! Gaara's sister! That's who he's dating!"
"Alright, that's pretty shocking news. Plenty has changed huh?"
"Sasuke, the shinobi world is better now. We're at least in peace."
"Yes, we are." Sasuke reaffirmed.
"We did it, Sasuke."
Both friends looked out the window at the clear blue sky as a silent celebration of their effort for a better world.
"You know... I think we will have a rather good and strong relationship with Suna."
"Yeah, if Shikamaru and Temari gets married." Sasuke nodded and then proceeded to the kitchen to make them some tea.
"Not only them! You know, I think Gaara is getting quite close to our Sakura-chan."
This time, Sasuke stopped in his steps entirely and for quite some time too.
"Dobe, are you joking again?"
"No, really. Whenever he comes over for meetings, he'll definitely make time to have a drink with Sakura-chan. Without me even! And he says I'm one of his treasured friend. What crap!" Naruto continued.
"Does Sakura likes him?" His voice strained.
"I don't know, teme. Kakashi-sensei and I never questioned her about this even during our sparring sessions."
"Hn."
"Sasuke."
"What?"
"Has she ever had a place in your heart?" Naruto asked, his face stern.
"She who?"
"Don't act dumb! Sakura-chan of course!"
Sasuke handed a cup of tea to Naruto and took a sip from his own. He didn't answer Naruto's question. Instead, he took a watering pot nearby and watered some bonsai plants.
"I thought you went and cleared you bloody head?! What is this? Still couldn't come clean to yourself?" Naruto crossed his arms.
"Dobe, they call you dobe for a reason you know. Do you even have to ask? What do you think?"
"Yes. Sakura-chan is pretty precious to you. She affects you. Doesn't she?"
More silence from the raven haired shinobi.
"Sasuke, I'm not entirely brainless. The feelings she's harbored for you... too long. Gaara may just change that heart of hers but I highly doubt he could. I mean, even I couldn't! Who am I kidding! Yet, I truly don't know. You could be too late, she may be too tired of this. Argh, just go see her. She should be off duty by now. You know you should. Stop hiding you feelings anymore."
"Later, dobe. Show yourself out."
In a flash, Sasuke Uchiha vanished from the Uchiha compound.
"Ah, Kimiko, don't cry. This little cut will heal. Here, have some candy."
"Thank you Dr. Haruno."
"Little girl, don't have too much candy, your teeth may rot." A stranger was patting her head.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura was taken by surprise and her little patient was starting to sob again.
"No, no, Kimiko. Don't cry, he's not a doctor, he wouldn't know! Sweets sometimes make you feel better and happier. Aww, come." Sakura knelt down and gave the little girl a hug before she called out for a nurse to bring the little girl to her parents.
After that little scene was over with, Sakura turned to look at a smirking Sasuke.
"Sasuke-kun! You're really bad with kids. But, never mind that! You're back. You're back! Weren't you coming back next week?"
"I decided to come back early."
"You didn't tell me."
"I told Naruto."
"Ah, how could he not-"
He cut her off.
"How are you?"
"I-I'm doing well."
"So I heard, you're close with Gaara now." He smugged.
"Oh yes, once you get to know him, he isn't as rigid and cold as he looks!" Sakura was giggling.
Sasuke couldn't believe it. He was witnessing his cherry blossom giggling at the thought of another man. Sasuke was afraid now, he genuinely was. Had she moved on? The girl who held plenty affection for him finally gave it all to someone else. If this was reality, he is finding it very, very, very hard to accept.
"I'm sorry." He blurted out.
"Oh, because of Kimiko? Don't be! It was pretty cute to see you try though. I'll teach you how to deal with kids some time." She was laughing. This was the laughter he missed so much when he was away from Konoha. It was the one sound that he looked forward to hear once he came back but it didn't sound right to his ears now. He still felt like he lost something of utmost importance to him.
"Not that."
"Then what?" She questioned.
"For being selfish, for making you wait, for not understanding you. I'm sorry. Please don't... I hope... I thought you waited..." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. A way to calm his incoherent thoughts.
"Did... Did my actions made it easy for you to walk in and out of my life?"
"Sasuke-kun..." Gentle eyes laid upon the Uchiha.
"I mean, I really appreciated your feelings for me. They were important to me. To lose them now, I-"
"Hey, you came home." She ran up to him and hugged him.
"Gaara... aren't you loving him now?"
"That's absurd! Sasuke-kun!"
"But, that's what Naruto guessed..."
"Ah, Naruto that idiot! Gaara meets me to get medical scrolls for his medic team. And we chat about that most of the time. He knows that very well!"
"So..."
"He tricked you?"
"That dobe is going to pay."
"Thousand years of pain?" She teased.
"Hn."
She laughed again. Yes, this was the laugh he wanted to hear.
"Sakura, I-I'm still new to these open feelings. But I'm telling you this, I don't ever want to lose you. I couldn't let you in last time but I want to now." He softened his gaze upon her eyes and they slowly traced down to her semi-parted lips.
"Never leave me again." She said.
"Hn. Never. And, thank you for understanding, for not walking out on me."
"Thank you for coming back... and staying."
Their lips met one another.
A/N: I just read a quote "Did I make it that easy for you to walk in and out of my life?" and this churned out. How was it? Reviews to help me improve and make my day!
And the title! Sasuke(Hawk) went off again and 'flew back' to the constantly there, immobile, staying Sakura (Cherry Blossom Tree).
Oh yes, below would be the extra ending scene...for comical purposes:
Little did they know, two shinobis were outside the hospital window prying on them.
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, it actually worked!"
"Hn. I never doubted it. I just wanted them to hurry and open up to each other."
"Oh. Why the rush?"
"So I can spy on them and see them have lots of steamy make out sessions to get inspiration and write my own novels!" Kakashi lifted up his forehead protector and showed his Sharingan.
"Heh?!" That was all a stupefied Naruto could managed.
Love it please! :D