Heart to Heart
The sun was getting brighter in the blue sky above Konohagakure. Summer was as good as usual. People walked around the street. Children played on the sidewalk. Bird twittered on the roof. Those were perfectly peaceful. There was nothing else on Earth could replace this beautiful HiddenLeafVillage with.
Haruno Sakura was on her way to hospital for morning shift as usual. She'd been the head doctor in the hospital for the past couple of months in age 22, too young to carry such heavy work. But this was the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage we're talking about. Nothing's happier for her than to save lives and to be useful for others.
Her slender feet kept on its pace. It was just 10 minutes by walking from her apartment. Some civilian greeted her and smiled to the pink-haired kunoichi. Well, seemed like this was a good beginning for start the day.
Speaking of the day, what date was today?
Sakura frown, trying to remember the calendar on her nightstand, her eyes went wide as she remembered it. The green jade of her eyes trembled and the pupils narrowed, then hot tears were collected in her eyes.
"Today…"
Yes, today was the day when the youngest Uchiha left the village, the day when he decided to seek power from the Sannin, Orochimaru, the day when he took a further step to revenge his clan, the day when he knocked her out and left her on the bench, the day when she swore to close her heart and wait patiently for him to come back.
But it felt like that day was never come along for him to return. She had waited for him for 4 years. She'd tried to drag his ass back to Konoha with the Kyubi container plus the great Copy Ninja, but it didn't work. His eyes were too blind to realize that revenge wouldn't bring his clan back from death and in the other side, he would lose his only family left; his older brother, Uchiha Itachi.
Even his brother was already dead, he didn't come back. There was no sign of his appearance around Konoha. Then what else she could do now? She'd tried every way but it didn't work. Maybe he would come back when he felt he would do.
When she just took a step into the lobby, a nurse rushed to her direction with panic in her face.
"Haruno-san, you're demanded in Emergency Unit 4. An ANBU team has just got back. They're badly injured!"
"What team?" Sakura asked.
"Eagle Team."
Sakura's eyes went wide as she heard the name of the team. Eagle. It was Kakashi's team in ANBU. God, since when did that pervert drag his ass back to ANBU? Why didn't he tell her? Did he already declare to resign from ANBU? She didn't even know that he was on a mission.
"You better not do something stupid, Kakashi."
She rushed directly to the bed where the Copy Ninja lying. The porcelain mask was stained by blood. His ANBU uniform was torn. His mask was almost showing his full face. His face was dirt by blood and some bruises.
"You stupid pervert! What have you done this time?!" Sakura groaned as she ripped the uniform and started working on his chest. She was deadly panic. Her hands began to glow in green. She tried to remove the blood in his lungs so he could breathe easier.
Kakashi coughed and vomited the blood. The mismatched eyes were still unfocused but he could see the beautiful medic next to him.
"We made it, Sakura-chan…"
"Stop talking, you idiot! You know you just gave a heart attack when I heard you're back. You don't even tell me you take a mission. An ANBU mission. Who do you think you try to deal with, huh?!"
Sakura kept working on his body. The worst part was in his abdomen. There was a deep cut and it wouldn't stop easily. It seemed like he was sliced by a sharp katana.
"We got him back…"
Kakashi gave his the-most-favorite-pink-haired medic an eye crinkle he usually did. Sakura stopped a moment then look at the Copy Ninja. There was something he told her in his eyes, something she'd wanted the most of her life, someone she'd missed so much in the past. The green jade of her eyes grew wide as she realized what Kakashi meant. He finally succeeded to bring her teammate back home.
The last Uchiha was home.
"Be grateful that we have a great medic like Sakura, Hatake. I don't know what will happen if she didn't heal your wounds immediately correctly, and remember, once again I know you throw yourself to fight such–"
"Yes, Hokage-sama," he cut the chase and nodded respectfully to the Hokage.
"Good. Now take a rest and be a good boy. Sakura, come with me," the blonde Hokage walked away to the door with her pupil following behind, leaving the Copy Ninja.
"Is there something wrong, Shishou?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked.
The Godaime Hokage sighed and turned around, facing her apprentice.
"You know how stubborn Kakashi is, especially about his anti-hospital attitude. I want you to keep an eye on him and take care of him during his hospitalizing and remind him to not doing such stupid things like those again. I'm done healing him every time he's back from mission and hearing the same reason. If only he's not one of my strongest shinobi, I would have let him dying first time he's back. Damn Hatakes!"
"Calm down, Shisou. Kakashi was only doing the best he can in order to accomplish his mission and protect his teammate. However, he's the captain and it's his responsibility to bring his team back safely. So, I think you don't need to be angry to him, Shishou. I will take care of him 'till he's health enough to be home. I promise," Sakura said.
The blonde Hokage sighed and nodded. She was a hundred percent sure that Sakura was the most capable medic who could take care of the stubborn Copy Ninja.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Sakura. I'm going back to my office," she turned away to her office direction and waved to the pink-haired medic nin.
Sakura watched her current sensei headed to her office. Tsunade was definitely not the one who could you deal with easily and it seemed like Tsunade had already transferred that attitude to her pupil. Sakura sighed. It would be a long day. She still had some patients waiting for her outside the room. The medical scroll she hadn't finished reading was waiting for her too. Then again her former sensei needed her badly to recover. Plus, the stoic hardass Uchiha was home.
"Hell, I'm in over my head…"
Sakura rubbed her temple, trying to relaxing and keep calm, but unfortunately she failed. She couldn't clear her mind, especially for the fact that Sasuka was back, he was in Konoha, just few meters away from her. What should she do now? What should she say when she met him? Would he be the same Sasuke as before? Oh God, I'm the one who fucked up now!
"Sakura…"
Sakura blinked and saw her former sensei was awakening. "What's it, Kakashi? Something's wrong?"
"No, I'm fine. Thanks to you," Sakura could see beneath the fabric mask, Kakashi was smiling sweetly to her.
"That's my job after all."
They both smiled and fell into a silence when Kakashi broke it eventually, "Sakura… I was wondering if you could do me a favor…"
"…and what's this?" Sakura frown and looked at Kakashi curiously.
"Don't look me like that, Sakura-chan. It isn't something bad," Kakashi laugh painfully, tearing his gaze from the lovely kunoichi. "Can you go to my house and take some stuff of mine to me? And please water Mr. Ukki. I haven't watered him in a week."
"Just it? Okay, I'll do it. What stuff of yours I should take? Don't tell me you want me to take your dirty, little, pervert, orange books," Sakura looked at him with disgust and folded her hands on her chest.
"You know me so well, Sakura-chan," Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle. The funny thing wasn't Sakura's right, but that expression on her face was so… cute and innocent. That was his cherry blossom after all.
Sakura rolled her eyes and asked again, "You're unbelievable, Kakashi. And what else? Some fresh clothes and masks?"
"I think that's enough. And if you don't mind, can you buy me some dango? I just feel like eating it right now," Kakashi said.
"Some dango and Icha Icha, yeah yeah I got it, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura nodded and smiled.
"You're the best, Sakura-chan! Thank you," Kakashi smiled and held the kunoichi's hand.
"I definitely am, Kakashi. Well, I better get going now. I'll be right back," Sakura smiled wholeheartedly and gave him a cheek peck then rushed to the door.
When Kakashi was sure Sakura was already not in the room, he let out a long sigh. He closed the mismatched eyes momentarily then opened them up; showing the red blood Sharingan spinning lazily.
"How long you've been planned to hide there, Sasuke?"
It was easy for Sakura to find the dirty little books in Kakash's apartment. Just rushed to his room, walked to the bookshelf next to his bed, and tada! You would find the whole Icha Icha novels. Sakura only rolled her eyes when she grabbed the book. There were two things Kakashi would use his money, it would be on the pervert book Icha Icha and food sustainability.
Sakura walked to the wardrobe and took three black long-sleeve shirts.
"For the God's sake, this pervert ANBU captain only has black, black, and black shirts?!" Sakura said in disbelief.
She took three pair of pants and closed the wardrobe. She'd been in Kakashi's apartment for several times and she already knew where he put his stuff so it wasn't hard for her to find something she's looking for. She walked to the windowsill in his bedroom and found a small green plant.
"Hello, Mr. Ukki. How's life? You must be hungry and thirsty, right? Well, for your information, your lovely Hatake Kakashi won't be home for three or four days. He's in hospital now and I'm quite surprised he doesn't struggle to get loose from the hospital. I think he started thinking about his health due to his age. He isn't young anymore, right?"
Sakura poured some water to the pot where Mr. Ukki was planted. She sang a tune quietly with smile on her face. Being in Kakashi's bedroom made her so relax. The smell of his scent blew her mind. It smelled fresh, clean, masculine… It smelled just like Kakashi.
"You like him, don't you?"
A man's voice successfully made Sakura jumped in shock. She turned around, already threw a kunai to the man. But what she did when she saw the man, her body trembled.
"S-S-Sasuke…"
"Long time no see, Sakura."
Sakura felt the kunai in her hand loosened and in no time fell down to the floor. Her bright green eyes went wide. Her mouth made an 'o' with no sound. Her body trembled uncontrollably. She couldn't believe what she saw. The man she'd been in crush on was standing right in front of her eyes.
The shock and tremble turned to anger and disappointment. She clenched her fingers 'till them turned to white. She concentrated her chakra the fist, ready to give the last Uchiha a knuckle sandwich.
"What are you doing here?" she said in anger, greeted her teeth.
"You don't answer my question, Sakura," Sasuke said calmly.
"For over eight years you're gone, you ask something silly like that in our first meeting?"
Sasuke looked deeply to the green jade eyes she'd been missing over the years. He'd expected this, her anger, her disappointment when he met her. The Haruno Sakura he knew eight years ago was gone. The crybaby pink-haired girl who had the crush on him was no where to be found. The one standing in front of him was a strong, powerful, stubborn, yet beautiful and lovely pink-haired kunoichi. He didn't see any sign of the love struck she had in those eyes. Haruno Sakura had changed.
"If it's something silly, you just answer it right away. No need to put some chakra in your fist."
"I put some chakra not because the question, you bastard. I'm ready to give you some lesson to how greet a person you'd left behind for the past eight years!"
Sasuke sighed and remained still. He knew this was what he would get. He deserved it anyway.
"I know I'd left you behind. I'd tossed the love you offered me. I know I've been hurting you too much. I don't expect you to understand me more. I come to you, begging for your love, not only for helping me restoring my clan, but also to agree to spend the rest of your life with me. I'll do anything to heal the pain in your heart, Sakura. Just name it and I'll do it," Sasuke said, trying to keep his tone low.
Sasuke took one step forward, trying to get closer to the kunoichi. Unconsciously, Sakura took one step backward, trying to keep their distance. Sasuke was a bit shock when he saw it, but then he admitted it.
When Sakura heard it, she only gave him an ironic smirk, "I doubt I can name it because I truly forget about how to break the wall down to let you in for the second time, Sasuke. I've done my best to bring you back home, at least to save you from the blindness of revenge, but what did I get in return? Broken ribs, ankle displacement, blood loss, chakra depleted. But those didn't matter. All the matter for me is your future. You might have never loved me, but I can't stand my precious people facing a dark future."
She felt tears started blurring her sight. No, she couldn't cry, she wouldn't cry for the same Uchiha. How could he come and say those things? Saying he begged for her love for the first time? Did he think it would ease the pain in her heart? Was all the Uchihas a kind of heartless, emotionless bastard like him?
"My goal is to kill a certain man, to kill my brother, and you know that. The whole time I've been trying to keep thinking that you and Naruto can understand me because you two are the people who understand me best. And I'm sorry for letting you down, for being such a revenge-thirsty stoic bastard Uchiha. Now I'm coming back to pay the debt I owe you both," Sasuke said while he took another step forward, but this time, Sakura stood in her place.
"There's so much way to pay the debt but unfortunately, you owe both of us too much that you can't pay with everything you have even in the afterlife," she lowered her head, she couldn't face Sasuke in this situation. Her fist tightened, trying to hold back the tears and thanks to her bangs for covering her eyes. She felt like she's back to a weak fourteen-year-old girl she used to be.
"I know," he sighed and went on. "After all that I've through, now I realized that it's the time to fix up everything from zero, to be a better man and to be more loyal to serve my village. Once again, I'll need both you and Naruto to lend me a hand, especially from you, Sakura. I will need you not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. You're the one and only woman who understands me best and most. I know my words can't assure you a hundred percent, but all I need is a chance. Give me the chance and we both can escape from this hurricane, Sakura."
Sasuke stepped toward her, closing the distance between them. He could see clearer of her figure. Her pink hair was softer than it seemed but she kept it short. Well, he liked it that way. She was just a head shorter than him, but her shape was perfectly perfect, slim but well-defined for a kunoichi.
When he hadn't stopped his admiration yet, Sakura spoke again.
"People said that there must be a rainbow after hurricane. But the fact is, the one left after hurricane is mess. Just like you, Sasuke. You left the horrible scar on my heart and I guess the rainbow that people talk about is never come," she couldn't hold it back anymore. A single teardrop fell to her check. She felt bad, weak, hopeless, and powerless.
She'd kept telling herself not to cry over him again but now she failed. She did it. She did cry for him again. She knew Sasuke was right in front of her, she could see his feet. Her eyes grew wide when she felt a soft skin, his hand, touched her chin and pull it up to meet his face.
"Those eyes…"
Her green eyes met the deep midnight blue of his. The loneliness and emptiness it used to be there was gone now. It was deep, soft, kind. He got taller, she realized it. The handsomeness of his face hadn't changed a bit.
His lips twitched upward, showing a real smile of an Uchiha Sasuke. For the first time in her life, Sakura saw the softness in that smile. The smile containing love, passion, peace, and live. The smile he'd been hiding from the world for almost his entire life.
"Then all I have to do is waiting for a miracle to bring the rainbow to your heart. No matter how long it takes. Just like what you did when you patiently in patient waiting for me to love you back. I'll do the same this time."
Uchiha Sasuke, 22, the last Uchiha alive on Earth, the last Sharingan successor, sealing his very first promise to the beautiful cherry blossom with a soft, chaste kiss.
A/N: I know I know some of you might ask when will I post the neswest chapter for Sweet Nothings. My deep apology it's still in its progress. This one-shot suddenly pop up in my brain and I can't just stay calm while this idea keep storming in my head. So, here it is! :)
Should I make a sequel for this story? Just tell me what you think, guys! I will be greatly happy for your feedback. Authors get their spirit from their reader :)