Even though this should have been one of the happiest moments in Shisui's life, a night that he could look back on for the rest of his days with contentment and warmth, his rising anxiety would not allow him to relax. No matter what he tried, he could not find an easy calm and just enjoy the presence of his soulmate at his side.
He was far too concerned about making a good impression on his and Sakura's first date.
"It was ridiculous! It took him a whole three days to finally get to the hospital to have them take care of his broken wrist! Sometimes I don't know how those two survive without me around," Sakura laughed, shaking her head in exasperation as she regaled him with a story about his nephew.
"It was just as difficult to get him to the hospital in the capital city actually," Shisui returned, grinning, "I can't tell you how many times I literally had to drag him there."
"I just hope you're better at getting yourself to the hospital when you need it," she informed with a pointed look.
"Heh, I'd say I'm a little better at it. I think I just wasn't spoiled by a talented medical ninja like Sasuke was when I was a kid," he joked, picking at a stray thread at the hem of his shirt nervously before forcing himself to stop for what felt like the dozenth time that night.
"That's good to hear. I'd hate to get home from a mission and find out you stayed injured just so I could take care of you."
Shisui was grateful that his bumbling and fidgeting was easily hidden behind Sakura's open and warm presence. It was thanks to her easy conversation that he was at least able to not make a complete fool of himself as they walked along the city streets together.
Even so, Shisui found himself distracted by thoughts of where he was taking Sakura for their first date. He had thought of this day ever since he was a kid, ever since he had first learned about soulmates and ever since he first began to daydream about spending time with them. He had been planning out their first date for as long as he could remember and he had decided long ago that he would take her somewhere special. Somewhere fancy that would be worthy of her, somewhere where he could spoil her and maybe even impress her.
The closer and closer that they drew to the most high end restaurant in Konoha, however, the more and more his anxiety grew.
"I'm pretty curious about where you decided to take us. You've been so mysterious about it. I hope it's not anything too fancy," Sakura commented, regret instantly building within him at her off handed comment as they, as if on cue, finally arrived at the restaurant.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stopped in front of the establishment he had picked out years ago - a place that suddenly felt ridiculous instead of romantic. As watched Sakura's gaze fall upon the overly lavish building and as he watched her work to keep the smile on her face from dropping, he felt his anxiety grow further.
"Er, is, uh…" Sakura cleared her throat before gently asking, "Are we going to be eating here?"
"Yes, I… thought this would be a nice place," Shisui explained awkwardly.
"It's… very fancy," she replied before rapidly adding on, "I mean fancy is okay! I mean it's good. This is good."
"Yes, it..." he tried before shaking his head and starting again, "I mean, do you want to go inside?"
"Of course," Sakura answered, offering him a placating smile, "Let's get something to eat."
At Sakura's smile, Shisui felt some of his anxiety abate. Stepping between two large stone statues of komainu and passing through hand carved doors flanked by potted bamboo, they entered the warmly lit restaurant. After slipping off their shoes and stepping into the provided slippers, and as their gazes traveled across the numerous decorations just in the receiving area of the restaurant, they were approached by a greeter.
"Mr. Uchiha, I assume? Welcome to The Golden Lotus. Your private room has already been prepared. If you'll wait here for just a moment, your hostess will be with your shortly," the woman, draped in a sage green kimono decorated with filigree sewn from golden thread, greeted warmly.
"Thank you," he returned, embarrassment once again overcoming him as the woman bowed and retreated back into the restaurant.
As Shisui and Sakura politely waited for their hostess, Shisui watched Sakura from the corner of his eyes. No matter how she tried to play off that she was happy going here for their first date, he could easily tell that she was uncomfortable. He watched as her eyes lingered on the passing patrons and the hostesses, all incredibly well dressed in elaborate kimonos and expensive pins. He felt his heart sink when she grabbed the edges of her coat and pulled it tightly around her, as if to hide herself from the judgmental looks from those who passed.
He could tell that she was uncomfortable and, as he watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other, he tried to come up with something to say to comfort her. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, still fumbling for anything to say, he was interrupted by the appearance of a dark haired woman dressed in an intricately decorated navy kimono sewn with silver thread.
The woman approached them with a smile and a bow before introducing herself, "Good evening. My name is Amaya and I will be your hostess tonight. It is a pleasure to meet you. Please be my guest."
"Thank you for having us as your guest," Sakura replied politely.
Shisui cleared his throat before answering formally, "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Please, allow me to take you to your room," their hostess spoke softly, her polite smile never fading as she lead them down a hallway decorated with sprawling and lifelike paintings of landscapes and flora.
Stopping in front of a sliding door decorated with a painting of a plum tree, Amaya revealed their private room. Tatami mats spanned across the floor, the straw weaving soft beneath their slippered feet. A low table sat in the middle of the spacious room, flanked on either side by plush cushions. The paper walls were painted with images of a variety of flowering trees and decorative plants stood in the corners, creating a peaceful scene in the warmly lit space.
Stepping inside, Shisui and Sakura knelt down onto the cushions on either side of the table, their hostess following them inside and placing two menus before them. Only three dishes were listed on the simply decorated menus: Ayu sweetfish, shabu-shabu, and chirashi sushi.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable, I will return with your appetizers shortly. Can I interest you in some sake for your meal? We have a wide variety of sakes from all over the continent. We are one of the few establishments in the country that carries the famous Juyondai 'Ryusen' Junmai Daiginjo sake, if you are so inclined," the hostess informed, both Shisui and Sakura's eyes widening in surprise, "We also have Juyondai 'Sichitare Nijikkan' Junmai Daiginjo sake and Gozenshu 'Bodaimoto' Nigori Junmai sake for the discerning customer. Or perhaps you would be interested in our specialty, our Midorikawa Daiginjo sake?"
"Thank you for your suggestions. Could I have a dish of the Midorikawa Daiginjo sake, please," Shisui replied.
"Of course. And you, ma'am?"
"I… I'll just get the same, thank you," Sakura answered, her cheeks heating in embarrassment.
"Very well. I will return shortly with your drinks and your appetizers. Please browse our menu during your wait," Amaya informed with a polite smile and a bow before she stepped out, quietly sliding the door shut to give them their privacy.
The silence from before returned once again without the polite presence of the hostess to buffer their interactions.
"So… It's a surprise they have that Ryusen sake here… Isn't that really expensive?" Shisui tried in an attempt to bring back the easy conversation from the walk to the restaurant.
"It is," Sakura returned, fidgeting in her seat.
The uncomfortable silence filled the room once again, the only sound being the gentle conversation in the rooms surrounding their own.
"So… This is… nice," she tried awkwardly.
"Honestly…" he began, taking a breath before he spoke what he knew was on both of their minds, "This is a lot more awkward than I had envisioned."
She opened her mouth as if to speak but, instead of replying, she offered him a polite smile.
The silence reigned for another few heartbeats before Shisui leaned in and quietly asked, "Do you want to get out of here?
"Yes!" Sakura answered, perhaps too quickly, before blushing and correcting herself, "I mean… Yes, I would like that."
Shisui smiled at Sakura's reaction, relief instantly washing over him. He had wanted tonight to be a night that they could both look back on fondly not an awkward dinner that they had to push through.
The sliding door to their room opened and their hostess entered, carrying a tray with their dishes of sake and two plates of jiaozi settled on top. She knelt next to their table, quietly settling their drinks and their appetizers before them, before asking, "What would you both like for your meals?"
"I'm actually very sorry for this, considering we're already taken up so much of your time, but we both actually have business with the hokage here very shortly. I'm afraid we'll have to leave immediately," Shisui lied smoothly, giving their hostess an apologetic smile.
"Oh, that is very important indeed. I'll be happy to get you your check," Amaya answered kindly before turning to face Sakura, "Although, I… I apologize for asking but… Are you Sakura Haruno?"
"Yes, that's me," Sakura replied, confused, before the woman smiled widely and placed a hand over her heart in excitement.
"I am so sorry for speaking so informally but I wanted to thank you for everything you've done! I'm not sure if you remember but you treated my daughter in the past after she was hurt during a mission as a genin. It's because of you that she was inspired to become a medical ninja and she was recently accepted into the medical corps," she explained excitedly.
"That's wonderful! I'm honored to hear that someone was inspired by me, especially into becoming a medical ninja. We can always use more medical ninja not just in the field but at the hospital as well," Sakura replied, laughing in embarrassment, "I hope your daughter is doing well?"
"Of course! She has dedicated her life to the study of medicine and my wife and I are so proud of her," Amaya replied, reaching out to place her hand over Sakura's before warmly thanking, "Thank you once again, Lady Sakura. Not just for what you did for my daughter but for everything you do for the village. You are a blessing."
"Oh, er, thank you so much," Sakura replied with a heavy blush before the hostess squeezed her hand and pulled away.
"I'll return shortly with your bill," Amaya stated with a smile before bowing and exiting the room once again.
"Wow, I had no idea my soulmate was a celebrity," Shisui joked once the door to their room slid shut. Deciding that he might as well enjoy what had already been delivered, he reached down to lift his dish and took a drink from his sake.
"That's kind of funny coming from you, Shisui the Teleporter," Sakura redirected, her cheeks still painted red in embarrassment.
"I don't seem to remember our hostess recognizing me and taking my hand in hers to tell her how grateful she was that I'm around," he teased.
"Are you jealous?" Sakura returned slyly, taking her chopsticks in her hands and popping one of the jiaozi from her plate into her mouth.
"Maybe a little," Shisui laughed, drawing a grin from her.
Their hostess returned shortly after with their bill in hand, placing it on the table between them.
"Thank you so much again once again, Lady Sakura. I hope that my daughter Kasumi one day does you proud in the hospital like she does for me and my wife," Amaya thanked once again.
"Of course. I'll be sure to keep an eye on her for you as well. I'm certain she'll be a great medical ninja one day," Sakura answered with a smile.
"Thank you. Have a wonderful day, Lady Sakura," she continued before turning to regard Shisui, "And you as well sir."
While the hostess missed Shisui's dejected look as she turned to leave, Sakura didn't, the medic hiding her amused grin behind her hand until Amaya left.
"Are you ready to go, sir?" Sakura teased as she reached into her purse to pull out her wallet.
"Sure am, Lady Sakura, right after I pay for this," he replied with a chuckle.
"No way, I'm going to pay for my half," she asserted sharply.
"I just feel bad for taking us somewhere so formal for our first date. Let me pay for this one," he explained and, before she could argue, he added on, "But I'd be more than happy to get treated next time around."
"It's a deal then," Sakura agreed before scooping up her dish of sake and downing it in one go.
When Shisui quirked an amused eyebrow at her downing her drink, she defended, "Hey, I'm not letting it go to waste!"
Shaking his head in amusement, he pulled out a number of ryo from his own wallet and tucked them beneath the bill. Following Sakura's lead, he downed the rest of his own dish before standing.
"Ready to go?" he asked as Sakura stood.
"Yes, let's get out of here," she replied enthusiastically before they both left the restaurant in a silent hurry.
Making only a brief stop to replace their borrowed slippers with their own shoes, they made their way out of the restaurant. Once back outside in the cool night air, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Well, that didn't turn out how I expected… Honestly, I don't really have another plan," Shisui admitted, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, as they walked down the city street together.
"Here, I think I know a place that will be a little more comfortable," Sakura offered.
He smiled and nodded in agreement. "Lead the way."
Shisui hadn't known what to expect but being herded to a crowded tempura stand in the merchant's district hadn't been on the list. Dozens of people were gathered outside the admittedly run down stand, the group of people all clamoring loudly and fighting to place their order.
"Hey, what do you like?" Sakura asked with a smile, drawing his attention away from the arguing crowd.
"Surprise me," Shisui answered, watching in amusement as she strode directly into the heart of the mass of people. He couldn't help but laugh as he watched the five and a half foot woman muscle through the crowd as if it were nothing.
It was only a few minutes after disappearing into the crowd that she emerged from the group, a paper bag tucked beneath her arm and not a hair out of place.
"I'd call that an A-rank mission at least," he joked as she joined him again, drawing a laugh from her which had warmth pooling in his chest.
"I'd say the reward is about the same value," she laughed in return, longingly gazing down at the bag, "Come on, I know a great place where we can sit."
"I'm right behind you," he answered, blinking in surprise when - instead of turning to walk down the roads they had spent the night traveling - she leapt onto the nearby rooftop.
"Well, are you coming?" Sakura yelled down from the rooftop, amusement in her tone, before he smiled widely and leapt up onto the roof to join her.
He hadn't expected a lot of what had taken place for their first date. Despite his own plan having fallen apart so spectacularly, he found himself happy with the turn the night had taken. Even if one of those turns was chasing after Sakura as she ran across the rooftops like the seasoned Konoha shinobi she was.
Shisui followed her halfway across the village until she finally came to a stop on the tall rooftop of a building on the edge of town. The rooftop was dimly lit by the ambient lighting from nearby buildings and from the light of the quarter moon and, as he drew closer to where Sakura was settling down, he noticed a handful of colorful cushions already laid out.
"Come here often?" he teased as he sat down on one of the cushions next to her, watching as she began unpacking the paper bag.
"Sometimes. Not so much nowadays. This used to be the spot where my friends Ino, Tenten, Hinata, and I would hang out," she explained as she pulled out a styrofoam box and two glass bottles from the bag and set them on the rooftop between them, "We used to come here all the time when we were still chunin to eat junk food and talk."
Shisui watched as her eyes separated from the food between them and rose to the sky above them, a smile spreading across her lips as her tone became wistful, "The view from here is always amazing."
He followed her gaze and was stunned by the view of the starry sky, unhindered by the tall buildings, bright lights, and the electrical lines which spanned throughout the city. The moon hung proudly in the sky and numerous stars blanketed the darkness around it, painting a scene that the intricate paintings at the restaurant couldn't come close to emulating.
"Oh, wow…" he muttered softly, briefly wondering how long it had been since he had enjoyed the sight of the night sky.
"It gets even more beautiful once your eyes adjust," Sakura hummed as she opened the lid to the box between them, the mouthwatering scent of fried food greeting them both.
Shisui's gaze finally returned to her before flicking down to the food between them and he watched as Sakura popped the lid off of a cup of sauce tucked in the center of a plate of fried shrimp. After scooping up one of the shrimp by the tail and dunking the head into the sauce, she nudged the open box of takeout towards him. For a moment, he felt his heart skip a beat at how personal sharing a plate was but she seemed unphased.
Clearing his throat to dislodge the sudden lump that had built there, he reached forward and followed her lead. Sakura took a bite of her piece before humming in contentment, her eyes sliding shut in satisfaction, before she reached down and passed him a glass bottle sealed with a twist off lid.
"What's this?" he asked curiously as he dunked his fried shrimp in the sauce.
"Have you ever had umeshu before? It's a kind of plum wine. That stand has great tempura but their umeshu is why I always go back," Sakura explained before laughing, "Not quite as fancy as that other place but it's my favorite."
Shisui sighed dramatically, "Will I ever live down taking you to that place for our first date?"
"Probably not," she deadpanned, drawing a betrayed look from him which made her laugh.
"Honestly though, I really appreciate the thought you put into it. It means a lot to me," she continued with a comforting smile, "Just give me a little warning next time."
"Noted," he chuckled before taking a bite out of his fried shrimp and making a noise of satisfaction behind his mouthful, "Oh wow, this is good."
"Told you," Sakura sing-songed in response as she finished off her piece and dumped the tail into the opposite side of the open box.
"You know, I was just thinking: the names you mentioned earlier sound so familiar. I know of Hinata Hyuga of course, she's the matriarch for the Hyuga clan, but I can't remember where I've heard the other two," he commented before taking another bite.
"I'm not surprised that you've heard of them. You've probably met both of them, actually," Sakura began as she twisted off the lid to her bottle of umeshu, "Tenten owns the weapons shop next to the academy and she's the most famous weapon manufacturer in the village. She's the sole supplier for the ANBU right now."
Shisui quickly finished his bite so he could say, "Oh, I have met her! She forged my most recent tanto! She does great work."
"She would be thrilled to hear that," she laughed before taking a sip of her plum sake and continuing, "You've probably met Ino too if you've been working with the ANBU recently. She's the new head of the Torture and Interrogation Department. She took over after Ibiki retired."
"Ino Yamanaka? Ibiki's apprentice?" he parroted, shocked, "Should I, uh... be worried?"
"Not unless you get on her bad side," she joked in return as she plucked another fried treat from the box between them.
"You have some pretty incredible friends, Sakura," Shisui complimented, drawing a smile from her.
"We've all been friends for a long time. I knew Ino and Hinata since we were all in the academy and I met Tenten during our Chunin Exams. I'm lucky to have them alongside Naruto and Sasuke." Sakura dipped her piece into the sauce before taking a bite.
"Tell me more about yourself. What's your family like? Were your parents shinobi as well?" Shisui asked, wanting to know more about her. He knew about his soulmate's reputation, he knew about her accomplishments and her status, but he wanted to know more about her.
"Both of my parents are shinobi actually. My mom is a retired ANBU captain but my dad still takes odd jobs here and there. My mom is from the Senju clan and my dad is from the Haruno clan - my great-grandmother and the rest of my Haruno side of the family all joined Konoha following the destruction of Village Hidden by Whirling Tides. So, it was always expected that I would become a kunoichi," Sakura detailed before chuckling to herself and shaking her head in amusement, "My parents are both, uh… Really intense people. But, no matter what, they always supported me and I love them all the same."
"I never would have guessed that you're a Senju," Shisui admitted honestly before curiously asking, "What was it like, growing up in the Senju clan?"
The Senju used to be such a massive clan but, over the years, they had been lost to the winds. Whether it be by losing their last name through marriage or from deaths during the Third Shinobi World War and other conflicts over the years, Shisui could count the number of Senju he knew on one hand. Even more than that, without a bloodline trait like the sharingan or a familial trait like the red hair of the Uzumaki clan, it was impossible to tell who had Senju blood.
Shisui could hardly imagine that their families used to be bitter enemies.
"Honestly… I don't really know anyone else who is part of my mom's side of the family. I know Lady Tsunade is the granddaughter of the First Hokage so we're related… somehow. And my mom used to tell me how her grandmother, Toka, was part of the First's inner circle." Sakura shrugged. "Nowadays, the Senju are all just so scattered. Not just that but my last name is Haruno so it's not obvious that I'm technically part of the clan."
"I actually used to be so jealous of how close knit the Uchiha clan is when I was a kid," Sakura huffed in amusement before admitting, "Maybe I still am a little. What was it like growing up in a family that keeps together like that?"
"It's… not as wonderful as one might think. It was actually pretty-" Shisui paused as he searched for the right word. "-stressful growing up as an Uchiha, especially considering I took to being a shinobi very well when I was really young. There were a few times when I wondered if it would have been better if I was some nameless nobody."
He thought about the would-be revolt from all those years ago with a heavy heart, how it had only been stopped because of the deal that had been allowed to take place because of his attempted suicide. It was only because of him and Itachi that they were able to keep the peace, that they were able to stop either an insurrection or a massacre.
Probably a bit too heavy of a topic for the first date...
"When I think back on everything that I went through though, I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. There may have been a lot of responsibility on my shoulders - too much for someone so young - and there may have been bad times but, no matter what, I love and cherish my family. They're the most important people in the world to me, especially Itachi, Izumi, and Sasuke. I would do anything for them," Shisui finished, his love for his family and those closest to him making his tone passionate.
Sakura only smiled at him, an unspoken warmth in her eyes and her smile. Embarrassed, he took a sip from his umeshu and glanced off to the side.
"What was it like growing up with the commander of the ANBU and the Fifth Hokage?" she asked instead of commenting on his vehemence.
He smirked into his drink.
"Well, Izumi has always been the kindest person I've ever known but she developed a hidden ruthless streak over the years, especially against those who hurt those she cares about. Surprisingly enough, she used to be really weak as a kid. She could hardly use her sharingan at all before she passed out from chakra loss," Shisui revealed, Sakura's eyes widening in surprise as she continued to eat from their meal, "But she worked hard to get where she is, to overcome her adversities and earn what she has. She's always looked out for all of us, especially Itachi and Sasuke, now she just does so far more aggressively."
"That's really admirable. It actually reminds me a bit of myself when I was a kid," Sakura commented.
"And Itachi, well... He'd have you think he's as hard as stone but he's a softy underneath it all. He's the gentlest person I've ever met and he's always put everyone before himself. That's never changed, even after he became hokage," Shisui explained as Sakura took a sip from her umeshu, "He just seems unapproachable because of his resting bitch face."
Sakura choked on her plum sake in surprise, laughing even through her coughing. Laughing as well, Shisui reached out to pat her on the back to help clear her coughs.
"Sorry, sorry!" she apologized between her coughs and her laughter, "I've just never heard anyone talk about the hokage like that before!"
"He may be the hokage now but, to me, he'll always be the same dorky kid he was when we were growing up," he chuckled.
"I'm glad to hear that you have people who love you - that you have people that you're close to. I had always hoped that you had people who cared about you. When you died- or, I-I mean," she stuttered, quickly correcting herself as his heart dropped in his chest, "What I mean to say is there were times when I worried about you but I'm happy you have people in your life that you love and who love you."
Of course Sakura would know about the day he died. She was his soulmate, they were connected through their marks. He had heard stories of how, when someone's soulmate died, that the pain of their mark disappearing felt like they were being burned. He had always known in the back of his mind that she had gone through that but to hear her say it out loud… Part of him wanted to explain everything, to tell her about everything that had happened that night. She was his soulmate after all, she deserved to know the truth.
One day, he would tell her everything. One day, he would explain everything. Tonight, however…
"I had always wondered about who you were and what you were like. Ever since my soulmark appeared, I thought about you every day. Before that even, ever since my father first told me about what soulmates were," he confessed, smiling as her surprised gaze met his, "I daydreamed about what it would be like when I finally met you and what kind of person you would be but nothing came close to measuring up to the incredible person you truly are."
Sakura blushed fiercely at his declaration, her lips parting in surprise. At her shocked look and her stunned silence, he felt embarrassment flood through him as a flush of his own flooded his face.
"I, er - sorry! That was too much too fast, wasn't it?" he apologized quickly, looking anywhere but at her, "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable! I just-!"
"Shisui," Sakura cut him off softly, his gaze finally returning to her even if it was from the corner of his eye.
"Thank you… I think that you're an incredible person as well. With everything that happened between us already… That means a lot to me," she admitted, her eyes lingering on the ground before she met his gaze to say, "What I'm trying to say is… I'm happy that a person like you is my soulmate."
Shisui felt as his heart skipped a beat in his chest at her admission, a smile of his own rapidly building across his lips as warmth rushed through his blood.
"Me too. I'm really happy I finally got to meet you."
For a long moment, they gazed into each others' eyes, a sense of unspoken understanding and affection between them. Sakura was the first to look away, brushing her fingertips across her cheek as if to wipe away her lingering blush. As Shisui reached down to take the final sip from his umeshu, her gaze once again traveled upwards.
"You know, I think it's been long enough," she stated vaguely before leaning back against the cushion beneath her, settling onto her back and gazing up at the sky.
Curious, Shisui's eyes returned to above them and he was shocked by the beauty of the starry sky. While they had sat on the dim roof together, eating their meal and sharing their stories, their eyes had adjusted to the darkness. With that adjustment came a nearly unhindered view of the stars that had never before seemed so beautiful.
Following Sakura's lead once again on their first real night together, he leaned back against the cushion beneath him, resting his head on the pillow as he laid down next to her.
"It really is even more beautiful the longer you wait…" Shisui stated, expressing more in that moment than just his appreciation for the starry sky.
"It really is," Sakura hummed in agreement.
As they laid back on the roof, quietly enjoying the warmth from their meal and the sky above, Shisui slowly reached out. Even with his heart pounding in his chest, his hand slowly slid across the gravely rooftop to tentatively grasp her hand. When she readily laced her fingers with his, his eyes slid shut as absolute satisfaction rushed through him.
Shisui could readily say that today, the first day he really got to share with his soulmate, was one of the happiest of his life.
Shisui was euphoric. Even though he had only held Sakura's hand as they gazed up at the stars, he could still feel the warmth of her palm burned into his as he walked her back to her apartment.
He was still silently amazed that a hand that was so small and so warm could both take and save lives with such ease.
After their rooftop dinner, their conversation had yet to return to the awkward, stilted nature it had while they sat in the restaurant together. As they walked through downtown Konoha - watching as the shops closed for the night, soft lights flicking off in the shops and on in the homes they passed - they spoke of happy memories from their childhood.
Shisui told her about adopting Itachi as a little brother when they were children and teaching him sleight of hand. He told her about picnics him and Izumi would have in a small park near the academy and how they would people watch. He told her about memories he had of cooking with his mother before both of his parents died in the Third Shinobi World War.
Sakura told him about how she had been shy and a loner as a child and how her friend Ino helped her come out of her shell. She told him about the hideaway she had in the forest that she filled with flowers, mirrors, and anything pretty she could find. She told him about her friendship with Naruto and Sasuke and how it only grew stronger and stronger as the years progressed.
Even though they had spent hours talking, by the time they finally reached the front door to her apartment, it felt like it had only been minutes.
"Thanks for walking me home, Shisui. You know you didn't have to do that," Sakura asserted with a smile as she turned to face him.
"You never know, there could have been a kage level missing ninja waiting to ambush you," Shisui joked.
"Ah, so it was a safety precaution then," she laughed.
"Of course. I could never allow my soulmate to be ambushed by some senseless missing ninja after all. The carnage would be too amusing to miss out on," he lipped in return, earning a snort of amusement from her.
"Then a thank you to my brave spectator," she hummed softly before stepping forward.
As Sakura came close, her face slowly drawing closer to his, Shisui felt his heart roar to life in his chest. For a few frantic heartbeats as his feet rooted to the ground, he wondered if she would kiss him on the lips. Instead, she tilted her head, pressing a quick peck to his cheek.
Heat rushed through his body, his cheek burning, as she pulled away with a shy smile, an irresistibly cute blush spread across her cheeks. Shisui could do nothing but stare in surprise for a long moment before his fingertips slowly drifted up to touch the spot on his cheek she had kissed, as if to see if his tingling skin was even a part of himself.
A smile slowly spread across his lips as he struggled for words, his earlier wit and teasing gone with the sensation of bliss taking its place.
"I really enjoyed talking to you tonight, Shisui. I had a lot of fun," Sakura said sincerely as Shisui continued to struggle to gather his thoughts, "We should do it again sometime."
"I, uh… Yes. And me too. I… Yes," he stammered out, Sakura hiding her widening grin behind her hand.
"I'm off this Tuesday and I happen to know of a sweets shop that you might like," she offered, leaning back against the door to her apartment.
"Yes. I would like that. A lot," he agreed immediately, shaking loose from his stunned state to offer, "Would three o'clock be alright?"
"That's perfect," Sakura replied with a smile, reaching into her pocket to pull out the key to her front door, twirling it between her fingertips, "It's a date then."
Shisui's smile only widened before he parroted, "A date then."
Unlocking the door to her apartment, she swung open the door before turning back to say, "Have a nice night, Shisui."
"You too… Sakura."
She gave him one last parting smile before disappearing into her apartment and it was the gentle click of her doorknob snapping shut that finally snapped him out of his stupor as well. It was only after she shut the door that he realized his fingertips were still lingering on his burning cheek.
Shisui stared at the numbers printed on Sakura's door for a long few moments, overwhelmed by his bliss following one of the happiest days of his life. After finally gathering the will he needed to remove his feet from where they were rooted to the ground and begin his walk home, he thought that nothing could bring down his euphoric mood.
At least until, once he arrived at his home in the Uchiha district, he found a summons from Izumi waiting for him.
Already dressed in his battle garb for his upcoming mission - an investigation into rumors of strange kidnappings in a small town on the border between Fire country and Rain country - Shisui entered the front doors of the hospital. Stopping at the front desk, he adjusted the colorful bouquet in his hands to ask the clerk where he could find Sakura's office.
It was a short elevator ride to one of the top floors of the spacious and spotless hospital and, once he exited the lift, he found he didn't even need to search for the office of the woman exiting one of the patient rooms nearby.
"Sakura," he called out, drawing her attention away from the clipboard in her hands. When her gaze met his, a greeting smile spread across her lips.
"Shisui," she returned as she approached, tucking her clipboard under her arm and perching her free hand on her hip, her eyes briefly flicking down to the bouquet in his arms, "What brings you to my neck of the woods?"
"Well, funny story: I came across these flowers and they seemed in desperate need of a home. I can't take care of them myself but I thought I might know a woman who could," Shisui joked, presenting her the bundle of flowers in his arm with a flourish.
"I'm a busy woman but I think I could find the time," she laughed, taking the bouquet from his hands with a warm smile before thanking sincerely, "Thank you, Shisui."
"There may be a hidden reason behind them, honestly," he answered, reaching up to scratch his nose in embarrassment.
"Somehow I knew, considering you had to visit with Ino to get these," Sakura replied, shaking her head in amusement before turning on her heel and walking down the hallway, "Come on, we can talk in my office."
It was only a short walk to Sakura's private office, the room decorated simply but with touches of color and nature that were uniquely her. A neat row of potted flowers lined the window at the back of her office, their stems turned towards the sunlight which streamed in through the open blinds. A colorful water pitcher sat nearby, perched on the window sill next to a hideous statue of a frog.
A row of bookshelves took up one wall of the room, loaded down with heavy texts and scrolls that made the shelves bend precariously at the middle. The other wall was decorated with obviously hand drawn pictures and paintings, perhaps from young patients she had tended to in the past. A simple desk stood in the center of the room, an organized collection of opened books, scrolls, and notes spread out across the surface and interspersed with empty coffee cups from the hospital kitchen downstairs.
While Sakura fished out a vase from one of the bottom drawers of her desk and filled it with water from the pitcher on the window sill, she mused, "I'm still surprised you and Ino get along so well."
"I think part of it is that she can smell my fear and knows I'm not a threat," Shisui answered, softly closing the door to her office.
Snorting in amusement, she deposited the bouquet into the vase, arranging the stems and petals before placing it on her desk with a smile. "So, what's the hidden reason for the flowers? Especially since you had to brave the deadly predator."
"They're actually apology flowers..." he admitted, "Sorry. I can't make it to our date on Tuesday because I have a mission but I'll be back home next week. Could we reschedule for then?"
"I might have said no but you did bring the appropriate apology flowers," Sakura answered, leaning against the edge of her desk and folding her hands across her chest.
"So, is that a yes? Since I brought the proper offering?" Shisui returned hopefully.
"Yes, it's a yes," she laughed before adding on seriously, "But you have to be safe, okay?"
A wide smile spread across his lips.
"Always am!" he promised.
It had only been four days since Shisui's departure but Sakura could not stop thinking about him. Ever since their night on the rooftop, sharing a meal and talking about their lives, Sakura had finally been able feel hopeful about her future with her soulmate. She had kept her secret for years, something that had left her feeling anxious and ashamed even with her numerous accomplishments.
She had once wondered if she would have ever been able to face him and what kind of person he truly was.
After their date under the stars and after finally getting to see a part of who he truly was, she found that she was excited to finally get to truly know her soulmate. He was a kind, sincere, and - surprisingly enough for an Uchiha - funny man. She enjoyed his presence and their talks and she was delighted to find that maybe the gods did have a plan for her after all.
Sakura couldn't wait for their date later that week and, for the first time since she found her soulmark as a young girl, she found herself giddy over the thought of love.
Even her coworkers and trainees at the hospital had caught on to her unusually bubbly attitude, some like Shizune even going as far as to tease her about her soulmate and their growing bond. Sakura would have normally been embarrassed by the attention being drawn to her private life but she found that nothing could disturb her blissful little bubble.
Or so she had thought until that night after she had finally finished her shift at the hospital.
The day had been uneventful enough. A handful of chunin had made their way through her doors that afternoon after having been injured in simple sparring matches that morning. A Nara was staying the night, due to give birth in the early hours of the morning, and an aspiring shinobi had broken their ankle during a fall in an obstacle course at the academy.
Despite the day having been slow and thankfully unexciting, Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. While everything was calm in the hospital and the village, an instinctual feeling of danger continued to plague her - a feeling so similar to the gut instinct that she had honed over decades of training in the shinobi arts and one that was impossible to ignore when one was a ninja, and a medical ninja, of her caliber. The irking sensation refused to abate, a nagging itch in the back of her mind that had her nerves and her heart on edge for the entirety of the day.
She knew something was wrong but it wasn't until, as she was heading towards the sliding glass doors to exit the hospital and she was met by three groups of medical ninja frantically carting in the broken, burned, and bleeding bodies of half an ANBU squad, that she came to the horrifying realization of what it was.
Sakura watched as the teams frantically rushed passed her, sprinting towards the operating rooms, her wide eyes flicking across the mutilated and unconscious bodies staining the crisp white hospital sheets below them. When the third team rushed passed her and her eyes fell upon the mangled patient in the bed, when she recognized the face of Shisui through the blood and dirt splattered across his face, her heart felt as if it stopped in her chest.
There was a moment where all she could do was stare as disbelief and panic rushed through her in one cacophonous burst. A moment where all she could think was that it couldn't be him, it shouldn't be him. A moment where a very real fear ran across her skin like freezing water.
She couldn't lose him. Not like this. Not when she finally got to be with him.
Without a second thought, she ran forward, chasing after the team of medical ninja who rushed her soulmate to the elevators.
"What's his condition?" Sakura demanded as she barged into the elevator with them, the doors closing behind her as she already reached out to assess him, her hands glowing green with chakra.
"Lady Sakura, you can't be here," one of the medical ninja tried to assert, "You know the hospital rules, you can't treat your soulmate."
"I am the most skilled medical ninja in this hospital if not the most in all five nations. I am the best equipped to handle his case and I will be taking charge of his care. If you want to stop me, you can try to remove me yourself," Sakura growled in return, the young medical ninja retreating from the fire in her eyes and the venom in her voice.
Despite the half dozen other shinobi in the elevator, none bothered to challenge her in her assumption of Shisui's care. Whether it be from the understanding that she was the best person to take his case or whether they feared her very real threat, she didn't care. All she cared about in that moment was her soulmate's fading heartbeat beneath her hands and the frantic rush as they sprinted Shisui to the first open operating room in the OR.
The world surround Sakura became nothing more that a muted blur as they barged into the operating room, the voices and frantic movement around her fading into the background as the entirety of her attention focused in on her soulmate. The actions of the medical ninja around her - the hanging of bags upon bags of fresh blood, the injection of a half dozen different medications, the equipment being strapped to Shisui, and the rush of activity around her - were nothing more than static as she pressed her chakra into Shisui and began her desperate treatment.
When she became fully aware of his condition - of the burns covering his body, the lacerations strewn across his skin, the broken bones, the bleeding vessels, the punctured lung, the mangled organs, the minuscule chakra remaining in the overworked pathways mapping his body - she couldn't understand how he had survived so long. When she used a chakra scalpel just to drain the rapidly accumulating blood from his lungs and when she begin the hopeless task of mending together the tattered veins and arteries that gushed blood faster than they could pump it back into his body, she refused to allow her fear to surface.
When she was forced to activate her Strength of a Hundred seal, thick black lines rushing down her face, across her arms, and spanning across his body as she used her Creation Rebirth technique for the first time since her battle with Sasori all those years ago, the only thing she allowed herself to feel was determination.
She would never let him die. Not again. Never again.
She would not lose him a second time.
At first, there was nothing. Not even the comfort of darkness or silence, simply a sensation of complete nothingness...
A gentle beeping. The sound of muted footsteps. Far away voices. The scent of antiseptic. The smell of disinfectant. A waft of flowers. The taste of blood and ash and dirt.
Each sensation returned but not with a sudden burst of awareness. Rather, it came at a snail's pace, each sound, smell, and taste coming back as if being learned for the first time.
A soft breeze of cold air. A gentle weight at his side. A warmth surrounding his hand.
A woman crying.
As the sound of hushed sobs and quiet sniffles met his ears, Shisui felt as if he was finally returning to himself; as if he was abandoning that empty place he had once inhabited. He wanted to compare it to waking up from a dream but it felt as if there had been nothing where he once was.
All he knew was that there was something in this world of confusing sounds and smells that needed him, something passed the taste of a lost battle lingering behind his teeth and the conflicting chill and warmth racing across skin he was still relearning how to feel with.
When Shisui first forced his heavy eyelids to open, fighting against the grit still lingering, he was met with a nonsensical blur of light and color that had his eyelids falling shut once again. After a handful of heartbeats that he could feel thrumming through every vein in his body, and with unwitting encouragement from the gently crying woman, he opened his eyes once again, blinking passed the muddy vision before him until his sight returned.
Once his sight finally cleared enough to make sense to his duly burning eyes, he was greeted by a splash of pink folded over at his bedside, candy-colored locks trailing across the off-white blanket loosely covering his chest. Even with his vision returned, even with all sensation sluggishly returning to his muddled mind, it took a dozen more heartbeats before he finally understood that Sakura was crying at his bedside.
Shisui opened his mouth to speak but he struggled for a handful of moments to think of the words he wanted to say and even longer to finally form them.
"Please don't cry…"
When he finally spoke, it was muted and weak but his words caused her head to slowly rise from its position on his chest either way. Sakura gazed up at him, tears still slipping free from her eyes and staining her cheeks, her lips parted in hope and shock as their eyes met from what felt like both a million miles and only a hair's breadth away.
"Shi...sui…" she whispered, her words barely more than a breath.
Unsure of what to even say to console her and unable to come up with the words he desperately wanted just so she would please stop crying… Shisui offered her a smile that came out as little more than a quirk of his lip.
Sakura's face contorted as if she had been wounded, a fresh wave of tears rushing down her face as she shot forward, pressing herself against him as she pressed her lips against his with a desperation and a relief that made his sluggish heart begin to race in his chest.
It wasn't the romantic first kiss he had always imagined.
His mouth tasted like blood and ash and he couldn't remember the last time he had taken a shower. He felt gritty from dirt, sweat, and blood. He still hurt, an aching pain throbbing across every inch of his skin. Her face was read and puffy from crying. She reeked of antiseptic and latex. Her cheeks were wet and cold from tears and she couldn't control her hiccups even as they kissed for the first time.
Even so… Shisui couldn't have pictured anything sweeter in that moment.
When they finally parted, Sakura pressed her forehead to his with a gasp of air, still fighting her sniffles and trying to hold back her tears with eyes wrenched shut. With what strength he could gather, he slowly lifted his hand to cradle her face, her wet cheeks cold even against his freezing hand.
"Sakura…" he breathed as their eyes finally slid open to meet once again.
"Please don't ever do that to me again..." she whimpered softly as he gazed into her shining viridian eyes as if looking into the heart of who she was.
Looking into the eyes of his soulmate, seeing passed all of her barriers and seeing her at her most vulnerable made his heart clench in his chest. He would do anything to never see her like this again, to never see her so broken hearted and raw. He would do anything to never be the cause of such sorrow again.
"I promise," he whispered back, brushing his thumb across her cheek as their eyes slid shut once again to simply bask in the warmth of being together, safe, and alive.
A/N: The sakes I listed that were served at the restaurant are some of the most expensive I could find. I know very little about sake so I'm just hoping I didn't mess up their names too much! Juyondai 'Ryusen' Junmai Daiginjo sake goes for over $5000 a bottle, Juyondai 'Sichitare Nijikkan' Junmai Daiginjo sake sells for over $700 a bottle, Gozenshu 'Bodaimoto' Nigori Junmai sake costs over $600 a bottle, and Midorikawa Daiginjo sake is almost $200 a bottle.
Jiaozi are a kind of dumpling that are usually filled with some kind of meat and vegetables and are boiled, steamed, fried, or even grilled. Umeshu is a kind of Japanese liquor made from plums and sugar. I imagine this would be Sakura's favorite kind of sake since one of her favorite foods are umeboshi (pickled plums).
Toka, Sakura's great-grandmother, is one of Hashirama's cousins and one of his closest advisors. She is only given a brief frame in both the anime and the manga but she is given more of a backstory in the databooks.
I'm not sure if anyone pieced it together but the people behind these mysterious kidnappings that Shisui was sent to investigate were "Tobi" and Zetsu. With half of the Akatsuki having been annihilated in this AU, they are desperately struggling to enact their plans, something more frequently met with disaster.
Amaya, the name of the hostess at the restaurant, means "night rain". It is because of this that I gave her a navy colored kimono with silver thread, colors that reflect this. Kasumi, her and her wife's daughter, means "mist".