Author's notes: flashbacks are italicised
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Chapter II
Chapter Two summary: Sakura's got a shocking revelation to make. Her husband conceals something from her, or is it just she?..
Sakura roamed the street thinking of things she had to buy. Her shift at the hospital had been over and she made her way to the mall to do some shopping. The thoughts of the recent encounter however distracted her from purchasing.
She had come across Ino at the grocer's. This energetic always-swearing Ino was loading bags on Chouji who stood in the corner with a martyred expression. All that grass that his slim wife preferred to eat wasn't to his taste.
- Hey, hold it. Oh Sakura! How's things Sakura? Shopping too? – Ino greeted waving her hand.
- Hi Ino, hello Chouji, - Sakura smiled. This twosome never ceased to amaze her. Back in those days all the acquaintances were struck to learn about their relationship, let alone the marriage. None the less the young Akimichis were a good example of a normal happy family with all its constituents: doing shopping, eating homemade food, socks-washing and everyday life quarreling.
But what was more important, they loved each other.
- How are you, your family life? – Ino winked.
Chouji merely sighed, looks like they are going to stay here for long.
Sakura's voice faltered. She suddenly felt like clinging on Ino's neck, bump her nose against her shoulder and confess. That she is lonely. Tell her about Sasuke. About how he works for days on end, about how frozen their family life is. But after looking at her friend's joyous face, meeting her eyes, so shimmering with curiosity and cunning, it dawned on her it was pointless to confess to Ino. Not to her.
The competition with the wicked friend will never be over. In Ino's point of view Sakura has won, she married Sasuke becoming a strongest Konoha kunoichi as well, whereas in Sakura's opinion things appeared to be way too different. Ino was happy and free, she kept on going on missions living the same wholesome life. And she wasn't lonely.
Sakura was no way going to confess her misfortunes to Ino, wasn't going down to the point of self-humiliation, no one would turn her into a crybaby shedding tears on Ino's breast. She won't give in, she had seen worse situations after all.
- It's splendid, - Sakura smiled. – I'm planning our dinner. Delicious things to cook. Sasuke's been getting way tired coming back from work. I want to make him happy.
- Way to go, husbands gotta be treated right, - Ino hemmed. – These species are so fragile and gentle.
- You've been keeping away from missions lately.
Sakura shuddered yet-visibly at Chouji's statement, his voice sounded unexpectedly serious.
- For real! – Ino was surprised. – What's wrong with it? Only a very few patients in the hospital and you are an excellent kunoichi.
Sakura forced herself to keep on smiling.
- Sasuke is against it, - she said surmising it foolish to lie. Suffice it to distort the truth. – He cares about me, says he doesn't know what to do if I die. I wish I'd break free but I'm ready to wait if Sasuke asks me to.
Sakura finished adding a tad of carefree humour to her tone.
- Wow, - Ino said in bewilderment. – Super. He loves you so much!
- Aha, - Sakura agreed dreaming about the end of the conversation. Whom is she lying to? Ino or herself?
Enough. She won't deceive herself anymore. What's left is only to cheat others.
Fortunately Ino made up her mind to leave. Giving Sakura a peck on the cheek she fluttered out of the store dragging her husband behind. Sakura heaved a sigh of relief moving the bag from one hand to the other. The desire to share her miseries with someone didn't leave her. Not with Ino, but with the one who would understand, sympathize, solace, somebody she could trust.
That wasn't the first time when Sakura regretted that Naruto wasn't there. She has got used to seeing him, being close by while they were teammates, she still couldn't put up with his absence. He was training with Jiraiya no, the boy was so turned on by the thought of becoming a Hokage that he kept working day and night. He was no more tied down by the aim to bring Sasuke back and thus Sakura had no notion when the blonde-haired shinobi would return.
She was missing him badly.
And she knew she could always trust him.
But Naruto was nowhere to be found in Konoha.
Of course Sakura had other mates but none of them inspired as much confidence as him. Naruto, Sasuke and she had been Team 7, three as one. They had much more in common with each other than with anybody else.
Kakashi-sensei was not a happy choice since Sakura simply couldn't imagine herself complaining about her private life to him. Seems like this time she will have to fight on her own.
Sakura took another deep breath shaking her head as though driving away all odd thoughts. She glanced at the bag in her hand. Quit running around the village doing shopping!
Being so devoured in meditations she totally lost any sense of reality. Where was she heading for? She had to look around only to find herself in front of the Ichiraku ramen bar. An unconscious smile beautified her lips, the image of Naruto sitting here at the bar tickled her memory. Taking a look at the watch Sakura deemed it too early to return home. She felt quite hungry. She would rather have a cup of hot ramen.
- Ah, Sakura-san! – the Ichiraku host Teuchi gave her a warm welcome. – Haven't seen you for ages.
- Same here, - Sakura smiled. – So weird in here… without Naruto.
The man burst out laughing.
- Right you are, it looks empty when he's not around. How's he, by the way? Any news from him?
- None, - she answered making herself comfortable on the stool. – Still training somewhere with Jiraiya-sama. He's our next Hokage, don't you remember that?
- Oh yes, Rokudaime-sama. He's a good fellow after all. So, what would you like to eat, Sakura-san?
The dinner in the so-familiar and almost-native Ichiraku spiced up with reminiscences of Naruto and the inseparable Team 7 helped to distract the girl from sorrowful brooding. She was too close to the feeling of happiness while the twilight behind her was descending on Konoha, the sunset rays painted the road golden-scarlet stretching those rare crawling shadows of occasional passers-by. Sakura was done with her portion and the host wondered all of a sudden,
- Sakura-san, isn't it your husband over there?
She jumped up on her chair forgetting about the food and carefully turning around.
That was him. Sasuke walked along the half-empty street. He couldn't see his wife though as her pink hair was well-hidden behind the curtain. The working day had been over but he was still dressed in the uniform. Sasuke may have just left the office.
- He's a regular here, - Teuchi remarked watching the striding Uchiha. – Must be calling on his brother.
- Brother? – Sakura questioned in astonishment turning back to the man.
- Uh huh. To this… what's his name… Itachi. A killer. You must know, Sakura-san, since you'd been fighting with him.
- I had… been fighting, - the girl murmured absent-mindedly.
… The young raven-haired man in a tight-fastened black cloak with red clouds on it. Eyes – two crimson Sharingans, cold and impenetrable.
… The beaten bloodstained body. Long hair rumpled and stuck with blood, half-closed unseeing eyes. He is trying to raise a hand but can barely move his fingers.
- I implore you, Tsunade-sama. I beg you for God's sake.
Tsunade is preoccupied. She doesn't know what she should do, how she should reply to the wounded hardly breathing boy scarcely standing on his feet and yet imploring her to save his brother's life, the life he himself desired to destroy so eagerly.
- But Sasuke. How can I…
- I'm pleading with you, Tsunade-sama, I'm praying to you for it
He is crying. He is sobbing like a child and begging, imploring her with his eyes full of despair.
- Please…
He's got a house nearby. Itachi, I mean. No one actually goes there except for Sasuke-san. They are scared. To be perfectly frank, who would want to approach a murderer, a criminal? I still don't get it, don't understand your husband, Sakura-san. To let such a dangerous man live, right there in Konoha, to be responsible for him… They say he's gone blind after the battle with Sasuke-san but gossip is gossip.
In the rising heat of the talk the old man faltered as Sakura looked up at him with her widened eyes,
- He's a regular here, isn't he?
- Sort of, - he said doubtfully now. – Carries food and stuff like that.
- Kept late at work?
- Mm
- Sakura-san? You ok?
- Eh? – she collected herself looking up at the worried host. – I'm fine. I am sorry. Here's the money, thank you for the dinner.
She rose, took her bag and quickly went away leaving the man to gaze at her as she hurriedly escaped.
Sasuke returned late, as usual.