CHAPTER 3: Picture Frame

Sasuke made his way towards his parent's house hoping against hope that it was not too damaged or anything from the lack of care. It would be really inconvenient on his part if he had to make major repairs. Although he could always hire others to do the job.

His little trip towards his destination was tolerable than he expected. It was getting late in the evening so he didn't bump into any old acquaintances. He wasn't feeling too at home just yet to be chitchatting with anyone. Naruto and Sakura had been enough for the day.

He then found himself standing outside his house. It felt nostalgic just merely standing there and looking at it. He remembered the time some of the Uchiha clan members came by their house, when he was young, and they were looking for Itachi. They seemed suspicious about his elder brother concerning the death of his closest friend, Shisui. He cleared his mind from it and after he took in the sight, he removed the key which was kept in a little crevice in the wall. He wasn't entirely surprised that it was still there. The gap where the key was kept was hardly noticeable.

The door creaked as he opened it and he stepped inside, removing his shoes despite the dusty floor. He'll be going for a bath later on anyway.

His room was on the second floor and he made his way up. When he tried to switch the lights, he was surprised that it actually turned on. He had the feeling the Hokage may have done something about it while he was in prison. He made a mental note to ask her whenever he'd get the chance.

He walked over to his bed, glad that before he left three years ago, he covered the entire bed with its sheets. Though it's there, dirt and dust wasn't that much of a problem especially since all the doors and windows were closed. He removed the sheet from the bed carefully and folded it neatly placing it in the table near his windows. He'll have to have it washed as goes to some other things.

From the corner of his eyes he noticed a square, wooden, object. He looked at it and realized it was the picture frame he placed face down when he decided to just leave the village in pursuit of power. He picked it up gingerly with his right hand.

Two faces smiled back at him from the picture frame. There are actually four people in it but only Sakura and Kakashi, though sheepishly, were smiling. The jounin's right hand resting on Sasuke's head while his left rested on the blonde's. He was frowning in the portrait for some reason, while Naruto, on the other hand, was making an angry face at him.

He been a long time, hasn't it?

He wiped the thin layer of dust that covered the photo with his free left hand. His eyes lingered momentarily on the pink-haired kunoichi and then he settled it upright on his desk where it had always been.

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Sakura lay on her bed thinking about what happened earlier.

She and Naruto arrived at the village late afternoon, and the sky was already a mixture of blue and orange. They both were tired and hungry and decided to to find something to eat. Naruto being Naruto, of course, suggested they head to Ichiraku's. She didn't mind though. She's not very picky when she's hungry. But when Kakashi showed up and told them about the sudden news, almost in an instant she and Naruto even forgot that they were famished and exhausted.

She turned to her side to watch the starry night's sky visible from her window. Inwardly she thanked whomever and whatever force that made this day possible.

It had been three painful years without Sasuke. And with Naruto gone for his own training with Jiraiya it was even more lonesome. But she knew she should never slack off, knew she had to work as hard as her team to become stronger. So that even she too can protect people that mattered to her.

Training with Tsunade was a tough job but it was also one of the best decisions she made. Her hard work will soon pay off. After all, she did this not only for herself but for the person she loved. She tried to be strong for him and this time, she promised herself she will do anything to protect him. From the pain, loneliness and from the hatred that has been eating away his soul.

Though Sasuke has learned perfectly how to mask his emotions, she can still see him as a fragile being. He tries to look tough and independent, not letting anybody in. But even she knows that hardened hearts are easier to break. And that even someone as strong as Sasuke needs someone to be there for them.

Before she would have been doing anything to attract him to her, make her his girlfriend if possible. But now, she realized that although she loved him down to the very core, it's far from reality that he would even feel the same. She's ready to accept that and she won't push it. As long as he's here with her, it will suffice. As long as he won't leave her again, she'll live.

Tomorrow will be something she will definitely look forward to. Because unlike before, she would wake up knowing Sasuke is somewhere far beyond her reach, uncertain of what had become of him. Everyday she was worrying and hoping at the same time. But at long last, that 'tomorrow' will be different.

It was some luck that she and Naruto arrived at exactly the same day he was to be released from custody. The moment Kakashi told them that news, she felt that it was one of the best news she's got in three years that even until now, where she's alone in her dimly lit room, she was smiling.

Finally...finally you're home.

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Sasuke stepped out from his bathroom a towel hanging from his neck. It was already lunch time the moment he finished cleaning up the first floor in his house. He had finished cleaning his own room last night and he was glad he did because it would have probably taken him a whole day finishing both his room and the lower part of the house.

The earlier clean-up definitely prompted a good bath. He was sweaty from all the sweeping, wiping and even washing the sheets that are now drying in the railings of his terrace. He hadn't been doing household chores in three years after all and it was a tiring job. Much like training, though he'd prefer the latter.

He wiped his damp hair one last time and left the towel to hang in a nearby chair where his white t-shirt was. Taking the shirt, he put it on to pair his dark gray pants. Now all he had to do is go out and get lunch and a few groceries.

As he began to descend down the staircase he heard a knock on his front door. No, not a knock. It was more like banging. He frowned from all the noise he's visitor was making as he could already tell who it was.

"Yo!" Naruto's face was grinning at him the moment he opened the door.

Kakashi and Sakura was with him too. He wasn't expecting any of them, especially not now when he has some work of his own to do.

"What do you want?"

"We thought we'd come and help you clean up", Kakashi answered through his mask. His left eye creasing indicated he was smiling as he spoke.

"I already finished"

"Eh? Really?" Naruto asked impressed.

Sakura spoke not minding their blonde companion. "In that case, maybe we could eat together. Kakashi-sensei made us lunch!", she paused and smiled sheepishly, "but that is, of course, if you wouldn't mind"

"Of course he wouldn't!" Naruto interjected cheerfully.

Sasuke gave a little sigh, and closed his eyes momentarily as if deciding what he should do. He was starting to get hungry from all the cleaning. He even skipped breakfast just to get things done on time. What harm could it give having them over for lunch? And since he's in the village, there's no avoiding his former team. It's better to get used to seeing them from now on anyway.

He stepped aside to let them through, "Come in"

The three went in cheerfully, removing their shoes and settling them off to the side neatly.

He led them to the kitchen where a lowered table could be found.

"You have a nice place Sasuke-kun" Sakura, who was behind him, said while scanning his house. It's the first time she's actually been here. Well, maybe also for Kakashi and Naruto.

The Uchiha gave a "Hn" as his reply. Not really saying thank you or anything, just making her know he heard her.

"So where should I put these?" Naruto asked holding out two white plastic bags.

Sasuke turned to him. Now that he mentioned it, he noticed all of them were bringing white plastic bags of their own. Naruto and Kakashi had two and Sakura had one though much bigger in size.

"What is all that?", he asked.

"We bought you some groceries", Sakura said smiling. "It's not much but at least it will help you get started"

When his parents died and Itachi left, almost all of the Uchiha inheritance was given to him. Money was never a problem then. Plus, he has his own savings from the missions he got before he left Konoha. But he was still surprised by what she said.

"You shouldn't have gone through all the trouble. I would've managed."

"The least you can do is say 'thank you' teme!" Naruto said frowning, "Now tell me where I should put these already". He was holding the bags even higher as if Sasuke couldn't see them.

He turned towards the cupboard, "Just put it anywhere you like. I'll find a place to put them later".

"Shall I set the table then?" Kakashi who had been silent since they stepped inside spoke.

Sasuke gave a nod and the jounin started removing the lunch boxes he prepared out from the two plastic bags he was holding. Sakura assisted while Naruto was also busy taking care of the other grocery bags they bought placing them in the corner.

He reached for four cups inside the cupboard and filled it each with water from the tap. He then placed it on the table where the bento boxes have already been arranged.

The others were already sitting down waiting for him and so he sat himself beside Kakashi's left and just across Naruto. The pink-haired kunoichi sitting beside the blonde' and across the jounin.

"Whoa! This looks delicious Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed looking at his lunch, "I didn't know you could cook!"

"I had years of practice" the gray-haired ninja humbly replied, "Now everybody dig in"

Naruto and Sakura chimed, "Itadakimasu!"

The food that Kakashi prepared for them really did look delicious. Every one had the same thing, some vegetables and a dipping sauce for their chicken, and of course rice. He even had soup placed in disposable cups.

He took a bite from the food in his bento box using his chopsticks, and not only did it look good, it tasted good too. After all his cleaning, he was inwardly glad they came and brought him lunch.

"So" Naruto's voice, slightly muffled from the food he's chewing, snapped him out of his thoughts, "what made you decide to finally come home?"

Sakura tensed at the bluntness of Naruto's question. They've only spent, technically, a day with Sasuke and he was already prying on things. Well, Naruto may not really call it prying but it's still close to that anyway. Maybe he will tell them when he's ready. But on second thought, she still thinks of them as a team so it's only natural they get concerned about his whereabouts.

"But you don't really have to answer that right now if you don't want to Sasuke-kun", Sakura smiled sheepishly. She heard Naruto choke on his food when she nudged him on the ribs.

That question kind of caught him off guard. He knew they would ask but he wasn't expecting it to be this soon. He suppose he could tell them. There really isn't any reason not to. And besides, he didn't want them to think he returned because he missed them or the village.

When he finished chewing on some of his vegetables, he decided he'd just give them an answer.

"I wanted to make sure if what my brother made me see were true"

"What do you mean?", Kakashi asked.

When he spoke, he wondered how the jounin ate with his mask on. He thought he should take a look later when he takes a bite from his food. But he frowned when he noticed that his teacher's lunch box was already empty.

What? I didn't even see him lift his chopsticks.

"Before he died, he showed me that he was given an order to annihilate my clan. He didn't want to it seems." Sasuke replied, "But he had to"

"Perhaps it was genjustu?", Sakura suggested unsurely.

He looked at her momentarily, "That was what I thought". He took a sip from his cup and continued, "But even if it was a genjustu, it would've been an opportunity for him to attack but he didn't. I had a feeling he only used the technique to convey the message in form of his memory"

"Did he show you anything else?" the jounin inquired.

If what Itachi showed him were true Kakashi had no knowledge of it. Itachi was a former Anbu member which meant he was under the Elders as well. How could the Higher Ups come up with such thing? Even if they were thinking of the village's welfare, to make Itachi annihilate his clan was a bit overwhelming.

"No"

"You have a feeling that what Itachi showed you were true, right? So why not just follow what your gut instincts tell you then? What answers do you still want?" the blonde said one brow slightly raised.

"Because dobe" Sasuke frowned at him, "I still want to know who gave those orders"

Sakura gave a look of shock which Sasuke ignored by eating a few pieces of his chicken cuts. Does he want to seek revenge again?

Suddenly she didn't have an appetite anymore. The thought that maybe he would leave again made her worry. Somehow, she must help him solve this mystery before he does anything reckless.

Kakashi left them early saying he has to go somewhere he needs to be. They thanked him for the lunch he made but didn't ask him where he might be going. The three of them were thinking the same thing anyway, that he'll probably go to some quite place alone reading his favorite book.

After a while when the jounin left, both Naruto and Sakura went on their way as well. The blonde saying he had to meet up with Rock Lee for their training and Sakura has business with the hospital. She told him she was working there. The kind of work she does, he has no idea yet. He said his thanks and then they left, thanking him as well for letting them stay a bit.

I guess I'd be spending the whole day at home then.

It's been three years since he'd been away and he didn't mind staying at home at all. At least not yet.

By the time all his visitors left, it was almost four in the evening. He had finished cleaning up after their little lunch with the help of both Naruto and Sakura. But he hadn't put away the grocery they bought him.

He went to pick up the first bag he could reach and scanned what was inside and took them out one by one. The bag contained mostly non-perishable goods and vegetables. There were six cans all in all. He turned it over to read the label and see what it was. The first three were tuna and the second three were meatloaf. He took the cans and placed it inside one of the empty cupboards just above the sink.

Next he pulled out a small loaf of bread followed by some vegetables. He placed the carrots, lettuce, tomatoes and some other vegetables in the vegetable bin inside the refrigerator. There were quite an amount of it. After everything was arranged neatly inside he closed the fridge and went to check again on the first bag he opened to see if he hadn't missed anything out.

When he peered inside the bag, he saw a white folder paper inside and picked it up. Probably the receipt.

But when he unfolded it, he realized it was a note. He observed the script scribbled neatly on the little paper and began to read.

We haven't talked in a while so I thought I'd just write it down for a start. So, how have you been? I guess 'ok', huh? It must've been a surprise when we decided to come by without telling you. I hope we weren't being of any inconvenience. Also, I wasn't sure what you would've liked so I picked a variety of things. I know you could have bought these yourself but I thought I'd give them to you anyway. So, if there's anything else you might need, please don't hesitate to tell us.

PS: I'm not sure if you like vegetables but I purposely included them after seeing what Naruto brought for you

Sakura

He smirked after reading the note and tucked it in his pants. And curious enough, he took the two remaining bags and pried them open only to see that they both contained nothing but instant cup noodles.

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" review please? ^_^" -silverwing04