Sakura sat outside on her porch that night, staring up at the full moon and stars with a faraway expression. She wore a plain yukata with a red outer robe with white cherry blossom designs resting on her shoulders. Her Hair was worn loose and flowing down her back until it gathered on the wooden floor.
Her house was japanese style, a little outside the village, and was surrounded by nature to give her some privacy. This isolated piece of land that she called her own gave her peace of mind and tranquility, it allowed her to be alone with her thoughts.
Sakura sighed, as she saw the cherry blossoms blowing in the breeze, catching her hair in the wind for a moment. 'It's already been two years since the war. Ten years since I came to this village...to this world.' she thought to herself, knowing that she was approaching the anniversary that marks the day she arrived in the Leaf Village.
Sakura closed her eyes, "I know you're there, Sasuke." she said, not looking in his direction before he stepped out of the shadows.
Sasuke wasn't surprised, "Glad to know that you're still the sensor type I remember." he said with a small smirk.
Sakura smiled lightly as Sasuke came to sit beside her on the floor and he asked, "Everything alright?"
Sakura turned her head to look at him, "I'm fine, just couldn't sleep is all?" she said, before asking, "Why are you here?"
Sasuke lifted up his sleeve to reveal an injury marring his shoulder, although it was bandaged, the blood was seeping through. Sakura sighed with a slight smile, "Of course." before placing a hand on his shoulder and started healing the wound. "Why didn't you go to the hospital?" she asked as she stitched him up.
"You remember the last time I went to get patched up when you weren't there." Sasuke said, making Sakura chuckle with a nod, "Oh yeah, two nurses tried to molest you during your check up." she said, laughing at the memory when she walked in on that situation. Sasuke smirked lightly as Sakura started to bandage up his arm.
Sasuke couldn't help but stare at his former teammate, the way her skin seemed to glow under the moonlight, how her hair shimmered with its shine and how her green eyes sparkled as she remained focused on her task.
Sakura looked up to meet his onyx eyes, "Something the matter?" she asked, having felt her Sasuke's gaze on her for quite a while.
Sasuke went red a little in embarrassment at being caught staring before turning his face away, "Not really." Sakura giggled lightly at his answer, not buying it, but not pushing it as she finished up her work, "All done." she said as her hands left his injury.
Sasuke inspected his newly bandaged wound, not at all surprised when he didn't feel any pain. "Thanks." he said, looking back at Sakura who smiled in response, "No problem." she said before going back to looking up at the night sky.
Sasuke noticed the subtle change in her expression, as though she was lost in a sad memory, with only the sky to console her.
"Sakura, tell me what's wrong?" he asked, making Sakura turn to him in confusion, only to be taken aback by that strange look in his eyes. This caused her to look down in order to hide her blush, "W-What are you talking about?" she stuttered, berating herself for how she must've sounded.
Sasuke moved closer until his shoulder tapped hers, "I'm not stupid. I've known you for a long time to know that this time of year bothers you. But the question is; why." he said, looking directly at her, willing her to meet his gaze, or at least answer.
Sakura could feel the heat that radiated off Sasuke's body as she listened to him. She hoped that no one would notice her behavior whenever her anniversary came around, but it looks like she slipped somewhat.
She sighed as she looked at the sky, knowing that Sasuke was watching, "Ten years." was all she said as Sasuke stared at her in confusion before she went on, "It will now be ten years since I came to this village." Sadness filled her heart as she thought of what this anniversary also marked, "It will also be ten years since I was separated from my family."
Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction at this information. Of course he and his teammates knew that Sakura didn't have any relatives in the village...or anywhere for that matter.
Sakura let out a humorless laugh, "A whole decade of waiting. How time sure flies when you're fighting and then just realizing how much you've been missing your family throughout the years." she said, looking down, unable to meet Sasuke's eyes.
"Is that why you shut yourself in each year?" Sasuke asked, noting how she would disappear for a whole week once a year.
Sakura nodded, "Yeah, a personal request I made to the Hokage and allow me to mourn the family that has yet to find me." she paused as the cherry blossom petals flew by, "I always wonder how they're doing now that I've officially lived a lifetime without them." she faced Sasuke, "I'm grateful to the village for taking me in. It has become my home just as much, and the people within have become my family as well." she looked back down with a pause, "It's just..."
"You can't help missing them." Sasuke finished, remembering that feeling when he left the village years ago to go with that snake. "I understand."
Sakura lowered her head, "The difference, however, is that you knew how to come back home. But for me, I don't even have a map." she said, clenching her fists on her knees to keep her emotions inside and not show them to her former teammate.
"Sorry." Sasuke said, not knowing what else to say that could help her.
"Don't be. I use this week to remember where I came from and to celebrate what I've accomplished this year in the village. The good out of the bad, you know?" Sakura said, raising her head with a small smile as she looked up at Sasuke who smirked in return.
"Good. Then we should celebrate, just you and me." Sasuke suggested, surprising Sakura, "Huh?"
Sasuke explained, "You said that this also marks the day you came to the village, we can go somewhere quiet and have your celebration there." he said, smirking when he caught the blush that dusted her cheeks.
"Are you crazy, I don't want anyone else to know about this." Sakura protested, not exactly comfortable with the idea of spending her private anniversary with someone from her team.
"It'll be just you and me. I promise." Sasuke said assuredly and hopefully, "This is important to you, and you should not go through this alone." he grasped the hand that was on her knee and squeezed, her blush increasing, "I know we do a lot of things as a team, but this week, can we spend time together as two normal people?" he asked, this being the closest to asking someone out for the first time.
Sakura stared into Sasuke's eyes and saw sincerity and...something else that she's unable to recognize from her teammate. With a resigned sigh, "What did you have in mind?" she said, looking down with a blush, her hand still in his.
Sasuke smirked, "I'll let you know in the morning." was all he said before kissing her on the cheek suddenly. Sakura looked up, really surprised at his action as he gave her one final smirk before standing up and vanishing, leaving Sakura in a daze on her porch.
Touching her cheek, she could feel the tingling sensation Sasuke left behind when he kissed her. "Sasuke." the name rolled off her tongue as butterflies filled her stomach at the thought of her teammate.
"What did I get myself into?" she said, blushing when she realized that she and Sasuke will be spending time together...alone.
Fingers traced the edges of the picture frame with care as the man holding it stared at the image of child with pink hair and sparkling green eyes as she smiled brightly at the camera.
Grey eyes shone with tears, having memorized the picture many times. His snow white hair falling around his shoulder as he took in raspy breaths to fill his agonizing lungs. Yet the painful breathing was nothing compared to the heartache he felt as he stared at the child smiling back at him in the photo.
He wants to see her again, to hold her, to know that she was alive and to let her know that he has missed her more than anything. Yet he couldn't, he's still unable to find her, even after all the commitment he put into searching for her.
Shaky fingers reached up to trace the picture, "Sakura...my Sakura...I miss you." his voice cracked as he spoke to the child that was not there.
Sorry for the long wait, my mind has been switching channels constantly. Hard to keep my attention on one thing. I hope you liked this, gives you ideas on what happened.
