Sakura woke to the familiar sound of her alarm clock ringing. The overwhelming sensation of déjà vu hit her as she realized she had another free day to enjoy. Even better, tonight she would have a girl's night with Moeka. Sakura stretched like a lazy cat with her blankets strewn about. Rolling onto her stomach, she cradled her chin in the palm of her hand and pondered what to cook for dinner tonight. Perhaps some sort of don?

Sighing deeply, Sakura moved to ponder in the shower. She delighted in the feeling of the hot water streaming down her hair and back. Shizune had gifted her with a strawberry infused body wash after her last mission. The body wash was probably the best Sakura had ever used. Tsunade had claimed that this particular body wash company was famous for sustaining a pleasant smell all day. She proved it once when she had drunk enough sake that the alcohol seemed to seep out of her skin. True to her claim, her shishou was definitely hung over (or still drunk) but smelt like a bowl of mint tea, her favorite from the various scents.

After rinsing off and drying her hair, Sakura made the decision to start her day reading. The cool quiet morning would be the perfect environment. She went into the kitchen and threw an apple in her bag and thought to herself that she desperately needed to keep her bags in better condition. From the quick glance, she noticed a flattened ancient granola bar and medical ointments at the bottom among a few abandoned sticks of lip balm and notepads covered in doodles and observations. Skipping back to her room, she scooped up her usual red attire and tan pants.

Sakura felt her breath hitch as she turned to the next page. The main character had just discovered that his long lost love was not dead. She almost had to restrain herself from biting off her own lip in anticipation. A cool breeze swept through the air and tossed Sakura's pink locks over her eyes. She quickly swatted the intrusive locks away from her eyes. Her heart shuddered in pain as she read the description of the protagonist. In a single moment, all of his wildest dreams came to life while the worst of his fears were gone in an instant. Although his heart was going to burst, he also thought of what it meant to know his lover was alive. It would mean trying to make up for lost time. It meant loving her even more for coming back. It also meant the possibility that things wouldn't work or that she wouldn't want him.

Sakura slipped her bookmark over the page and slid her book shut. Her mind betrayed her need to relax and read. Instead, it lingered over the image of a dark haired man. She was beyond ecstatic to see him again both because she loved him as a member of their team 7 family but because he had always held her heart in his calloused hands. Falling back into the old dynamic they had as a team wouldn't be difficult, but Sasuke still had a question he needed to answer. His return would lead to his answer to whether he would give Sakura a romantic chance.

Sakura sat for a moment longer before she huffed loudly. She could feel her patience wearing thin. Years ago, she had said that she would wait for Sasuke forever. In reality, as time passed she understood that a man's heart either changed or it stayed firm. The longer it took for him to open up to her, the more her suspicions about the latter theory seemed to hold true. He was never emotionally open (unless of course it was showing rage or hatred) but she knew that there was love in him. He had love for his family, his brother, his team and his village. Wasn't that exactly why he came around and returned after looking for independent redemption? Sakura could feel a muscle in her head starting to ache as she knew a Sasuke-induced headache was about to come.

"You'll get wrinkles in no time if you keep frowning like that forehead."

Sakura watched as a blonde blur from the ground pounced up onto her branch. Ino delicately flipped her signature long ponytail over her shoulder. Sakura ignored her blonde bestie and huffed again.

"What's got you in such a funk? You'd be pointing out my crow's feet by now which by the way aren't that bad," Ino said as she rubbed the corners of her eyes. Ino watched as Sakura seemed to try and piece together her thoughts. The pink haired woman brought her knees up and rested her chin on them.

"Let me guess. It's Sasuke?" Ino asked hesitantly. Ino had seen Sakura's temper flare up on more than one occasion and rarely were they ever directed at herself, but she wasn't willing to experience it today. Sakura nodded. "Did…you guys talk?"

"By talk, if you mean have an annoyingly vague conversation full of allusions, then yes we did," Sakura groaned. She slapped her palm on her forehead.

"Well…you guys…talked. That's good even if the exchange sounds a step above terrible," Ino said nodding her head and trying to put on a positive expression. "I mean, we're talking about the man who NEVER talks, so even if you pried a few words out of him, that's enough right?"

"I mean it wasn't all terrible. I tried to ask why he never wrote but he didn't seem too keen on sharing the details, so I let it go," Sakura said sitting up again. Sucking in a deep breath, she started, "I asked him to try new things, but he said he couldn't promise but then again he went ahead and took a bite of my tart so I guess that means it's a pretty big change, right? I mean that's a pretty big step in itself really."

Ino scrunched her nose. "Alright forehead, you need to slow down. You're talking at the speed of light. What's this about change and tart? Why are you so moved by his sudden interest in sweets?"

"I asked him to stay for dinner the night he came back, and I also offered him some tart. He said no obviously because he hates sweets. He seemed really lost being at my place alone with me, so he started doing the dishes," Sakura scoffed. At this point in the conversation, Ino's mouth hung open in shock.

"He did your dishes? What the hell is going on?" Ino laughed.

"I know! Well anyway, before he left I asked him to try new things, to open himself to other things. He said he couldn't promise me those changes and then left. But when I went to eat my tart, he…well he had taken a bite of it before he left. I didn't even see him do it," Sakura said feeling bubbly thinking about the incident again.

"Oh…OH! Kami, Sakura that's big! At the same time, what the hell does that mean?" Ino said tapping her cheek. "Does that mean he will try new things like sweets or is he saying you have a chance?"

"Baka, that's why I'm sitting here in this 'funk' remember?" Sakura yelled rolling her eyes.

"All I can conclude from this update is that you need to be approachable," Ino said casually.

"What the hell does that mean? How much more approachable can I be? I've confessed my love to him more than a dozen times. Shall I have "Uchiha Lover" tattooed on my forehead? Or perhaps start a cult religion that worships him?" Sakura asked with an edge of hysteria. "Kami, I feel like I'm more lost about what to do than I was a year ago."

"First off, that's not what I meant. What I meant is that maybe you need to be patient just a little longer and let him know you're waiting on an answer but that you're openly waiting for the right answer." Ino lovingly patted Sakura's hand.

"That's the thing. Sasuke took years to open his mind and heart up to team 7. Then, he took years hating on his brother and running all over the damn world to avenge his family. When I finally thought the wait was over, he goes and decides he messed up big time and needed MORE time to go away and collect his thoughts. I mean, I don't blame him for needing time after knowing the truth about his brother and his family. I'm just starting to think that he'll need more time…like there might not be enough time. What if I fell in love with the man that will never be ready?" Sakura said with her voice barely above a whisper.

"Well…I guess you have a tough decision to make. You either bank on him being a man worth waiting for, or you move on," Ino said shrugging. "I want you to have the fairytale ending you deserve, but if a man can't love a woman who has been there for him through thick and thin AND is willing to forgive all of his transgressions, I don't think he deserves you."

"Ugh, I can't anymore. I just need to enjoy this gem of a day off. I can't wait to hang out with Moeka and just guzzle…er sip wine," Sakura sighed leaning back against the tree. "You should come. We're going to bake too."

"Oh darling, you know I don't do domestic, but I'd happily come to drink and sample the goods," Ino smirked with a wink.

"Fine with me. Come around 5. I'll be prepping the food, and Moeka will be there around 5:30. Don't come empty handed," Sakura laughed smacking Ino playfully.

"You say that every time! For the record, I did NOT come empty handed that time," Ino snorted.

"You brought a shinobi from Sand on one arm and another from the neighboring village. That's coming empty handed. They were neither edible items nor alcoholic beverages, so there you go," Sakura said poking Ino in the forehead.

"Who says they weren't yummy?" Ino purred.

"Oh…you are such a…"

"Beautiful blonde? I know" she said flipping her blonde hair.

"I'm telling Sai."

"You wouldn't! That happened before we started dating!"

"Maybe you still keep 'yummies' at home? Who's to say?" Sakura said seriously.

"Bitch."

"Yeah, yeah. See you later ok? I think I'm going to go shopping now." Without a pause, Sakura stood up darted off to the village market.

Sakura just finished picking up her groceries and headed down the street back to her apartment when she saw a familiar figure in the distance. The old woman who tried to set her up a few weeks ago with her unfortunate looking son was walking along a food stall. To her horror, the mentioned son was also in tow. Sakura made a sharp right and took a detour.

Slowing down her pace, she thought about what Ino had mentioned earlier. It was true. A man who couldn't see the value in a woman who patiently waits for him is no good. Sakura was willing to wait for Sasuke, but that would only be possible if he gave more than an 'I'll try' as his response. Deep down, she knew eventually her heart wouldn't be able to bear the strain.

The sound of her sandal crushing a small shard of glass on the street snapped her back to reality. Before she had even realized where she was heading, she had made her way towards the abandoned Uchiha sector. She recognized the cream colored walls and deep indigo gate. Surprisingly, the gate wasn't shut and it seemed that the old Uchiha courtyard was in fact full of life.

"Baka, I told you that we're throwing that out," Sasuke growled at Naruto.

"It's a perfectly good drawer! I'm sure that if I brought it to the house, Hinata would agree that it's a waste," Naruto shot back as he rubbed the dust off the top.

"It's got mold on the back," Kakashi commented from his position in a tree. His eyes never let the little orange book in his hands.

"You guys are so wasteful!" Naruto yelled.

"I don't think Hinata would appreciate a rotten dresser, Naruto. Although, I'm sure she would appreciate your consideration of her," Sakura cut in as she turned to make her way into the courtyard.

As she entered into the full view of the courtyard, she nearly fell over from a heart attack. Amongst a few piles of broken shoji doors, broken window frames and furniture left to be thrown out stood a shirtless Naruto and Sasuke. Just as her eyes lightly roved over the broad planes of Sasuke's chest and to the graceful and strong dip of his collar bone, a lone bead of sweat rolled down his neck. She swallowed hard and almost immediately felt her throat dry up.

Sasuke was the definition of godly. His muscles were strong and defined but not overly bulky. He was lean and his muscles screamed agility. Sakura had to bite her tongue when he moved forward to throw another piece of broken plywood to a pile and saw his thick veins bulging from his forearms.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked giving her a light hug.

"Oh, jeez, Naruto…you're all sweaty," Sakura said rubbing the excess moisture on the top of her forehead. "I was just heading home and came down this way because of a few…road blocks."

Sasuke looked briefly at Sakura before ripping out a damaged tree from the courtyard garden. Sakura felt herself turn hot in the face from the brief moment of attention.

"So…what are you boys up to?" Sakura said this time regarding their former sensei currently perched in the tree.

"Well, we have to help a comrade both in the battlefield and in his daily life," Kakashi said saluting Sasuke.

"I want to fix up the manor and return it to its…former state," Sasuke cut in looking Sakura straight in the eyes.

"Ah, well it definitely needs a little bit of re-decorating. All of the original wooden floors seem to have survived time pretty well," the pink haired medic responded as she surveyed a few doorless rooms.

"It's a beautiful manor. I'm sure it'll be a perfect home once it's fixed," Naruto said wiping more sweat off of his brow.

"Well, I won't hold you two back from finishing up. You two seem like you're on a roll," Sakura said shyly as she made her own cue for an exit.

"Three," Kakashi chimed in from the shade.

"Right," she said disapprovingly. Sasuke rolled his eyes as Naruto gave her a thumbs up.

"We'll see you later Sakura!" Naruto yelled to her back as she retreated. She just waved without a glance back. If only she knew.

Placing the last of the sliced mushrooms onto a tray, Sakura took a long look at her handiwork. She had already washed and prepped the vegetables for the shabu shabu. The night air was starting to settle and prickle her skin but the last warm beams of sun were streaking into her living room. It'd be a perfect mild early fall evening for hot soup.

Even before the knock came, she heard footsteps approaching in the corridor outside of her door. Wiping her hands on a kitchen towel quickly, she headed for the door just in time to hear a few soft knocks. She didn't bother to look and opened the door.

"Moeka! Welcome! Come in, come in," Sakura said excitedly as she pulled the petite girl into her apartment. "It's getting a little chilly, isn't it?" Sakura questioned after seeing on Moeka's flushed cheeks. Moeka smiled nervously.

"Well, that's what sake is for right?" she responded and pulled out a massive bottle of sake from her bag. "I figure we might need some wine too." Another large bottle of white wine materialized. Sakura had to look at Moeka again just to check that she was indeed carrying a bag and not a wine factory conveyor belt.

"Perfect. Ino should be here any minute. Let's go put the food on the table and then I can show you what we'll be baking tonight," Sakura said over her shoulder as she led the brunette into the kitchen.

"Ooh! Are we doing shabu?" Moeka asked as she saw studied the various green vegetables and tofu sitting on Sakura's counter.

"Bingo. Could you give me a hand?" Sakura said turning to hand Moeka a plate with sliced mushrooms and thinly sliced beef. The girls laid the spread out on Sakura's living room coffee table.

"So what's tonight dessert lesson?" Moeka asked excited.

"Cream puffs" Sakura said wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

Moeka sighed in pleasure. "I. Love. Cream. Puffs. If I get this recipe down, I might get big," she laughed as she pulled on the waistband of her skirt. Sakura laughed when Moeka started rubbing her belly absent mindedly.

"I highly doubt a few cream puffs will make you fill out that much," Sakura replied putting her hands on her hips. "You're tiny. You can eat as many as you want."

"If I didn't do any of the exercises my father taught me as a little girl and go running every morning, I might be a little meatball," Moeka laughed while stretching her cheeks to look like a hamster. Sakura laughed at her impression of the meaty treat and went back to the counter for a bottle opener.

Moeka made her way to Sakura's balcony doors and pulled back the curtain just a bit to look outside. The sun was far across the horizon and the street lights were beginning to blink into existence. On the far corner of the street, stood a man in anbu gear and a mask under a light that seemed to flicker in and out of life. Moeka swallowed hard once before the figure vanished. The figure had moved so quickly, she couldn't tell which direction it headed. Her mind spun with worry that the figure had been staring straight at her. Pulling the heavy glass door open, she peeked out onto the street only to find the villagers making their way home or out.

"Moeka? What are you doing? Ino is at the front door," Sakura said over her shoulder as she walked over to her apartment door. Sakura raised an eyebrow at Moeka's confused and embarrassed expression. Sakura pulled her door open and waved to her blonde best friend. "The only people that use my balcony door to get in are Naruto and…"

"Yo."

Moeka's focus broke as she heard a deep voice right in front of her. She turned her neck so quickly she was sure she would have a cramp in the morning. Kakashi stood so close, she was looking at his chest as he leaned on the open doorframe. With eyes as wide as saucers, Moeka froze as she leaned back and away from the shinobi who apparently seemed to have no concept of personal space. Time seemed to tick forever before Moeka realized she wasn't just leaning back but falling. Her expression of surprise turned into one of fear.

Before she could blink, Kakashi's hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist and gave a gentle tug and twist. In one swift move, he set her upright back on her feet with her back to his chest. Propelling her forward, Moeka's legs seemed to move on their own.

"Sakura! We're here!" Naruto announced from behind Kakashi.

"Wh..what in the world are you two doing here?" Sakura said incredulously as Ino sat on the couch and crossed her legs.

"Actually, that would be three," Kakashi said pointing behind him at first seemingly at Naruto until Sasuke's dark figure popped through the door.

"Eh? You can't just crash a girl's night!" Sakura yelled jabbing Kakashi in the shoulder with an angry finger.

"But I thought we were invited. Kakashi-sensei said we were invited." Naruto's face scrunched in confusion as he finished his sentence. Sakura growled loudly as she glared daggers at Kakashi. He scratched his head and mumbled something about needing to see an ear doctor.

"Well, if you're here, might as well just enjoy the night together, ne?" Ino chirped. Sakura didn't quite appreciate her blonde bestie giving permission to people to stay in HER home for a meal and dessert she would be slaving over. But, the idea of kicking out her boys seemed even more ridiculous.

"Besides, looks like the party just started," Ino said pointing into the kitchen. Five sets of eyes turned their attention to the kitchen where a petite brunette leaned on the counter. The huge bottle of wine that she had brought was cracked open in a hurry. When their gaze landed on the wine glass in her hands, she guzzled the last of the merlot.

"Uh…." Sakura was floored by Moeka's odd behavior. Before rushing into the kitchen, Sakura shooed her boys away from the door and had them sit around the coffee table. Scurrying quickly to kitchen and grabbing Ino on the way there, Sakura beelined for her friend.

"Moeka are you alright? You should slow down," Sakura insisted as she pulled Moeka's glass away before she could pour herself another glass.

"I'm fine…I'm just excited to unwind for the night," Moeka lied through her teeth.

Not wanting to pry into her personal business any longer, Sakura let the subject go. "Alright, well let's take this into the living room. We should have some hot shabu with these goodies," Ino said grabbing the bottle of sake. Moeka braved a smile and nodded.

The boys already started heating the dashi broth inside the pot. To the ladies' surprise, they had also put out the plates and chopsticks. Sakura silently handed the extra chopsticks and spoons to Sasuke as he put a plate down. Sasuke nodded and accepted the chopsticks and handed another pair to Naruto.

"It's a good night for this," Sasuke said as he watched the broth begin to bubble. He looked up to see Naruto's eye twitching, Ino's mouth open, Sakura looking like she had seen a ghost and Kakashi's eyebrow just gently twitch.

"Buddy, are you making small talk?" Naruto asked with slight fear. Sasuke frowned at his expression and ignored him.

"If small-talk coming from an Uchiha can confuse and shock you, you're crazy. This man has sacrificed a lot for a village that has treated him like dirt at times. That's what's really shocking," Moeka barked. Moeka placed a few pieces of thin raw meat into the boiling broth. In almost an instant, the meat turned brown and when it did, she placed the slices on Sasuke's plate.

"He just got back. I think you should be supportive of his efforts instead of teasing him," Moeka finished as she dunked a piece of nappa cabbage into the broth. Naruto coughed uncomfortably before chewing on a raw piece of cabbage. Sakura felt her face glow red with embarrassment and shame.

"Well that certainly shut us up," Ino said as she glared at the unaware brunette. "You seem to grow quite bold when you're fueled up on wine," she continued with a strained smile.

In that moment, it seemed that Moeka seemed aware of her uncharacteristic and very brutally honest outburst. Chewing on her lip in awkward silence, she decided they needed more drinks.

"I'll go get the water," Moeka whispered as she shakily stood up to get more glasses and the water pitcher.

"I'll help," Sasuke chimed in. He took his chopsticks and said a quick itadakimasu before putting the meat Moeka put on his plate into his mouth. He rose and followed Moeka into the kitchen.

"She's right. I can't act so shocked about Sasuke's behavior. He's not exactly the same as he was when we were children. I shouldn't be so juvenile about his actions now," Sakura sighed pulling her knees up.

"It doesn't make it any more familiar," Naruto mumbled in resignation.

Kakashi gave a grunt of agreeance to Naruto's statement as the chewed thoughtfully.

"How the hell do you still do that? I swear I've been watching this entire time, I didn't see the mask come down at all!" Ino cried in frustration. Sakura and Naruto looked to Kakashi whose plate was covered in small droplets of broth. The only evidence of Kakashi eating, aside from his chopsticks lingering near his face, was his slow chewing.

Back in the kitchen, Moeka pulled the water pitcher from Sakura's counter.

"You seem very at home," Sasuke said as he observed the way Moeka pulled a tray from a cabinet next to the sink to place the pitcher on.

"Over the past two years, Sakura-san and I have grown close. She helped me so much through my first year of residency at the hospital. Although I'm not a shinobi and can't use chakra to heal people faster, Sakura-san has never made me feel like that was a handicap. If anything she taught me that being able to heal and preserve a life without special abilities is more admirable," Moeka said feeling nostalgic of her first day. She remembers clearly how Sakura gave a commencement speech to the emergency wing nurses. Moeka was worried about being an inferior nurse because she didn't have chakra to aid her duties, but Sakura had instilled confidence in her.

"Uchiha-san, this is our first time meeting but I've heard many things about you. I know what it feels like to start over. If I could share a little piece of advice, I'd like to say that if you truly want a life different from the previous one, don't let yourself make regrets. We're very lucky to have a second chance to start over, but we may never have that chance again," Moeka said quietly. She smiled widely at him.

Sasuke nodded politely. He wasn't sure how he felt about this stranger giving him advice but a small voice in his head told him that if Sakura trusted her, he could too. Moeka opened a cabinet and reached for a few drinking glasses.

"I'll take them," Sasuke cut in as he pulled the rest of the cups from the shelf. He stacked them neatly on the tray and carried it out. Moeka trailed behind him. The gang shuffled again to make sure everyone had space at the table.

As the night wore on, it seemed as if everyone had spent the last few years together and never apart. The large bottle of wine and sake that Moeka bought as the girl's night offering quickly dwindled to a few drops. The food was demolished, and Kakashi rubbed his belly in satisfaction.

Sasuke noticed that the laughter, warm scent of the food and general feeling of content seemed to give the apartment a soft glow. Perhaps it was the sake, but he seemed to feel at ease. He took a quick glance over in Sakura's direction. She had drawn her knees up to rest her chin on them while trying to sip up the last few spoonfuls of broth in the pot. Her cheeks were a healthy tint of rose from the two glasses of wine she had.

Sakura could feel his eyes boring into her profile. She cleared her throat and stuffed another morsel of meat from her plate into her mouth. "So, shall we move onto dessert? I have the ingredients ready…" Sakura offered. Not to her surprise, none of the men seemed too keen on making any sort of dessert. She averted her attention to the two women. Ino simply raised her eyebrow in defiance. Hoping to find Moeka in the right spirits, she placed a hand on Moeka's knee. "How about it?"

The smile from Sakura's face faded when she realized that Moeka was as red as lobster and her eyes hooded. The long lashes lining her eyes seemed moist with tears. Sensing something might be wrong Sakura decided it was best to pull her friend away to the kitchen and see what was going on.

Swiftly jumping to her feet, Sakura pulled Moeka up by her hands. She then looked at Ino while lightly nodding into the direction of the kitchen. Ino dismissively waved her hand at Sakura while she poured herself a glass of water. Mumbling about someone being good for nothing, Sakura led her usually happy and bright friend into the kitchen.

Sitting her down in a kitchen chair, she peeked into the living to see if anyone might be eavesdropping. Naruto was currently making a bet with Kakashi and Sasuke that he could build the most elaborate stack of playing cards in the shortest amount of time. From seemingly nowhere, he pulled out a few decks of cards and handed them out. Rolling her eyes after realizing they didn't seem to have any interest in their direction at all, she turned back to Moeka.

"What's going on Moeka? You seemed so out of it all day, and you've been drinking so heavily when you're a lightweight!" Sakura said sternly smoothing out the soft chocolate locks that slipped out of her ponytail.

"It's Daiki…" Moeka said with her lip quivering.

"Your ex-boyfriend? The one in anbu? Did that asshole do something to you again?" Sakura felt the heat rising to her face. If her kitchen table hadn't been a lovely gift from Hinata as a house warming present, she would have smashed it through her wall by now.

"No…he hasn't done anything per say, but he's been following me around and telling me to come back…" Moeka said sniffling. "It's like he's taunting me."

"Ugh, I could just stab a kunai through his face. I swear…if he lays another finger…" Sakura's blood started boiling when Kakashi and Sasuke stepped into the kitchen.

"Uh, I think we're going to call it a night," Sasuke said quietly. "We can help you clean up before we go," he offered.

Moeka seemed to shrink when the men approached. She avoided their gaze and instead rubbed her neck. Suddenly, she remembered. "Oh no! But we haven't even made the cream puffs yet…" Moeka slurred.

"I don't think it's cream puffs you need right now," Kakashi interjected.

Moeka huffed before making her way back to the living. She stumbled trying to move around Kakashi and Sasuke. Ino looked at the stumbling woman like she was a maniac and decided to address her odd behavior.

"What's the matter with you?" she said in annoyance.

Moeka regarded Ino for all of three seconds before rolling her eyes. "Men these days…they have absolutely no regard for my feelings…"she rambled on.

"Um…I think we should all call it a night," Ino said putting her glass down.

"That seems like a good idea," Naruto cut in.

"Maybe that's for the best. Thank you girls for coming! Sakura hugged Ino and Moeka. Gentlemen…er…thanks for crashing? Come on Moeka. I'll walk you home. I think you've had too much tonight," Sakura said giving Moeka a look. The glance of concern was totally lost on the swaying girl.

"I'm really fine. I swear." Moeka tried her best to sound convincing. She saluted Sakura and turned. "Goodnight ladies," she slurred at Kakashi, Sasuke and Naruto. "Take care gentlemen!" Moeka smiled at Ino and Sakura. Moeka slipped her shoes on and made her way out the door.

"Moeka, wait! I'll –" Sakura was cut off.

"I'll make sure she gets home alright. Where does she live?" Sasuke offered. Sakura smiled gently at his gesture.

"She lives just across the pet shop and supply store a little north of the hospital," feeling grateful for his concern.

"I can walk her. She's in my direction anyway," Kakashi cut in. He waved a short goodbye before slipping on his sandals and silently slipping through the door.

"Well forehead, this was quite the glamorous ladies night. Next time, I'll handle a girl's night out. I'll make sure there are…better fish in the pond," Ino suggested raking her eyes over Sasuke and Naruto.

"Hey, I'm a married man. I'm a taken fish," Naruto disputed.

"If Hinata didn't take you, I don't know who would have," Ino joked as she patted Naruto on the back.

"Alright, everybody out!" Sakura said shooing them towards the door. Sakura couldn't help but laugh and nudge Naruto when he seemed down from Ino's comment.

"Naruto, you're wonderful and anyone would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks Sakura. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"You bet!"

"Goodnight. Thank you for the meal," Sasuke said hesitantly. He stood awkwardly behind Naruto. When Sakura took a step forward, he tensed. She lightly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and gave a gentle squeeze.

"You're welcome any time," Sakura responded.

Sasuke cleared his throat as he felt the warm calm enveloping his body again. It felt the same way as it did before when they were drinking but this time he was sure it wasn't the alcohol.