Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Story Rating: T

Summary: In order to restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory, Sasuke is given a special permission by the impatient elders. Part 5.

The Perfect Candidate

Part 5

Sakura sighed heavily as she took a moment of rest from the pile of paperwork spread before her on the desk, her eyes aimlessly sliding over the view of the night-time village from her office's window. For the past week, she had been stuck in a perpetual state of disquiet. And there was one glaring reason – Sasuke was not in Konoha.

That day when the village elder Koharu had visited her, the medic had gone to confront the Uchiha but couldn't find him anywhere in the village premises. Their teammates and mutual acquaintances also had no idea about his whereabouts. It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth, leaving no trace.

It had been distressing enough to Sakura, starkly reminding her of that time he had left Konoha behind in his pursuit of power and revenge and the desolation she had felt when she had awoken on the bench the next morning. She grimaced at the squeezing in her chest that accompanied the helplessness and uncertainty plaguing her. To her knowledge, there had been no pursuit force sent after Sasuke, so he couldn't have possibly defected again. On the other hand, the Hokage stayed suspiciously tight-lipped about his possible whereabouts or the reason for the abrupt departure. Sakura trusted her shishou, but she still worried about her teammate. He was alone, outside the village and despite the tremendous help he had been in ending the war, there were too many people who would happily kill him if they got a slightest chance, be it enemies or bounty hunters.

On top of the genuine worry and frustration with her lack of ability to do anything or just learn more about Sasuke's mysterious disappearance, Sakura heard some very disconcerting information pertaining to his supposed marriage. Her gaze hardened as she remembered the conversation that had revealed everything to her.

"Sakura! Sakura, wait!" Hearing the sudden cry, the medic swiveled around to see panting Ino. She looked like she had ran laps around the village with Rock Lee for an hour.

"What is it, Ino?" Sakura asked, not trying to hide the impatience from her voice. She just got off work and intended to hunt Sasuke down and demand some answers from him. At the moment she certainly didn't feel like sparing any time for something short of an absolute crisis, like foreign invasion or outbreak of a new deadly disease.

"You need to sit down for this," Ino replied, her strength quickly returning, as she grabbed Sakura's hand and forcefully led her to a nearby bench.

"Hey, what are you..."

"Shut up, this is important, Sakura," Ino barked and pushed her friend to sit down. Sakura looked at her in surprise, but noticing the somberness in the blonde's expression, stopped protesting.

Ino took a deep breath, thinking how to start.

"Well?" Sakura prompted her, now a little alarmed. Her friend was obviously concerned about something, something linked to her.

"A client came today to the shop," Ino began. "One of the women from Sasuke's list."

Sakura gasped, her level of interest in the news sky-rocketing. "And?Did she say anything to you?"

"Yeah..." Ino hesitated, then sighed. "It's... kind of bad."

"Just tell me," Sakura was too wound up to deal with her friend's reluctance. She needed to know, especially of these news were as bad as Ino made them out to be.

"Sakura... she said that Sasuke is going to marry five women."

The rest of Ino's speech, most probably some disbelieving, sharp remarks mixed with angry scoffs and a few consoling words here and there, went by Sakura without the slightest notice as she processed and assimilated the seemingly absurd revelation. It explained a lot in regards to the candidate's list and Koharu's warning. It looked like Sasuke finally decided to get around to that clan restoration he had mentioned as his second goal during their genin introductions.

Sakura raised a hand to quiet her rambling friend.

"Ino, are you sure that person wasn't lying? Is it all true?" she asked, having to make sure.

"Yes, I'd recognize if a civilian was lying to me, you know," Ino said. "And she even bragged how she wanted to become the first wife to have the best privileges in the house or some nonsense like that." The blonde wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Who the hell would want to be a part of a harem? I wouldn't do that even if they paid me millions."

Sakura nodded distractedly. "Thanks Ino, for telling me this, but I have to go now," she got up quickly and set off without goodbye.

"Hey! Where are you going?" the blonde called after her.

"To see Sasuke," she muttered grimly.

She hadn't found him and now she regretted that she hadn't confronted him about the candidate's list when she had still had the chance. Maybe then he would have told her the truth.

Sakura wanted to cling to the hope that it was all just one big misunderstanding, she truly did, however the digging she and Ino had conducted confirmed Sasuke's unconventional marriage plans. He had even gotten the permission from the register office to marry more than one woman at once! If that didn't spell out to her just how serious he was about the clan restoration, then she had to be blind, deaf and stupid and Sakura was none of these things.

What made her sad and confused was just how casually he had flirted with her while at the same time carrying out his scheme behind her back. She was glad they had been interrupted when he had tried to steal that kiss, otherwise her heart would have been now broken.

Sakura had been ready to fight for Sasuke's heart but it had been all under false assumptions. Ino was right, she would not degrade herself to take part in this sick harem idea where love had no place, only what every side can get out of a deal. She would not sacrifice her perfectly good kunoichi life she had so painstakingly earned throughout the years of hard work and constant self-improvement for the sake of another of Sasuke's ambitions. She had more pride than that.

The medic broke out of her reverie and checked the time. It was getting pretty late, so she decided to put the rest of her work on hold for tomorrow as she could not muster any energy to finish it.

She stood up, shrugged off her white coat and closed the office. She trudged down the stairs and out of the building, stopping only to wish goodnight to the few hospital workers that she encountered in the main lobby. Her way home was short as she had purposely picked the apartment nearby so she wouldn't have to walk far after long, draining hours of work.

Sakura slipped off her comfortable sandals at the entrance and went to the kitchen for some leftovers from the previous day. With a plateful of chicken and rice and a bottle of mineral water in each hand, she went to the living room, intending to eat and indulge in mindlessly watching re-runs of old romance movies.

Sakura flicked on the light switch and shrieked, dropping everything on the floor in shock. There was a man lying on her couch, covered in blood and dirt. Only the glimpse of a familiar face, though disturbingly pale and gaunt, and a weak chakra she sensed from him stopped the kunoichi from reacting with hostility. Sakura rushed to the man's side, giving no regard to the mess of broken ceramic and spilled food, and knelt next to him, hands glowing green as she searched for his wounds.

"Sakura... you're here..." the man said groggily, woken by her initial scream.

"Sasuke-kun, quick, tell me where you're hurt," she ordered, scrambling to find the place where all that gore came from.

"I'm okay... not my blood..." he replied.

Sakura found herself doubtful. He'd obviously gotten into a fight at some point when he'd been away, so there was a huge possibility of injury he might not have even remembered due to the adrenaline rush. As a medic, it was her duty to make sure he was not hurt. Sakura gently used her chakra to scan his system and breathed out in relief, finding only a few small cuts which she quickly disinfected and closed with the medical technique. Her panic subsided as the situation was finally under control.

"You're going to be alright, it's just exhaustion," she said, more to calm herself than him.

His hand lightly brushed her cheek. "Thanks," Sasuke rasped and closed his eyes.

Sakura smiled, savouring the warmth his touch left before it dissipated. She wanted to ask him so many things, but she guessed she would wait until morning. He needed his sleep to recover. Briefly she pondered if she should move him somewhere more comfortable, but she didn't have a spare bed and he had already dirtied the couch, so she figured he could stay the night where he was.

What was the most important was that he returned safely. She would worry about the rest later.

Sakura woke up in a snap, instantly alert and ready to jump out of bed. Judging by the mostly dark sky, it was still a very early morning. For a while, she laid unmoving, just contemplating about what caused her to awake from her slumber. The birds were trilling outside the window, but as she strained her ears she could hear some rustling and movement in the living room.

Sasuke-kun!

Sakura threw off her covers and got up in a hurry, forgetting all about her modesty. She was only clad in the old, thin blue nightgown reaching past her mid-thigh, but it was so warm in her apartment that she didn't feel a need to cover up more. Anyway, she had more important things to worry about, like stopping Sasuke from sneaking out.

From her brief examination in the evening, she had concluded that the past few days had put a big strain on his body, as if he had been pushed to the very limits of his physical abilities. He sure had luck to get back safely before he had run out of chakra and collapsed somewhere on a road, becoming an easy prey for anyone who might have come upon him.

As a medic-nin and a concerned teammate, she wanted to keep him in one place, so he could rest properly and replenish his strength. Chakra exhaustion, though a common ailment for active ninjas, was no laughing matter. She knew that from both her own experience and the medical practice. Besides, Sasuke wasn't a Jinchuuriki like Naruto, who had a second, almost infinite source of energy sealed inside.

"Where do you think you're going, Sasuke-kun?" she asked edgily, leaning on a doorframe to the living room.

Sasuke's form stilled and with a small sigh, he turned around, understanding there was no way to avoid the confrontation now. "Home," he grunted in reply.

Sakura pushed off her spot against the entrance and approached him in a few quick strides, raising her hand to his forehead to get his temperature. It was, thankfully, normal. She noticed right away that he looked much better after a full night of rest, his face less pallid and dark eyes no longer dulled with weariness.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired softly, at the same time taking his wrist and counting the pulse by just pressing a finger against the vein there.

"... Fine." Another short response. It seemed he wasn't in a talkative mood today. Sakura supposed it was a high time to stop beating around the bush.

"Mind telling me where were you all this time? I was worried," she asked, taking her hand away, but Sasuke stayed mute. She sighed, looking tired. "I see," she murmured, her voice laced with disappointment.

Even now, after all they had been through, he wasn't going to open up to her. Did he not trust her still? Or was she that insignificant to him?

Sasuke unerringly picked up on the shift in her mood and so felt obligated to at least explain himself a little. "It has nothing to do with you. I was away for a clan matter, that's all. You shouldn't have worried."

"A clan matter?" she repeated, the wording spiking her ire. "Why is it always about the clan with you?" she posed a biting question.

Sasuke felt his hackles rise. The clan was a sensitive topic for him and she knew that damn well. "What's your problem?" he asked, more sharply than he intended and she flinched.

"I... I should be asking you that! Why do you never say anything to me?!" she exclaimed accusingly.

"Don't be annoying, I talk to you about a lot of things," he said in aggravation.

The blatant lie, told so off-handedly, was what set her off. She whirled around to rummage in her bag, laying innocently on the armchair next to the couch, and pulled out a folder. "And what about this?" she waved it before his eyes. "Did you think I wouldn't know about your little clan restoration project? Do you think I'm blind and stupid?"

Sasuke inwardly cursed, recognizing the infernal list of potential wives the elders had sent him. He snatched it from Sakura's grasp. "Where did you get this?" he asked cautiously, not revealing his inner turmoil. He hadn't planned on her knowing about this blasted multiple marriage idea. Ever.

"At your place, when I visited you after your last mission. I suppose congratulations are in order," she said flippantly. "But I guess it's not my business, too," she commented bitterly.

Sasuke observed her intensely, saying nothing. He saw the uncaring, angry mask and how it was slowly chipping. She held on to it with single-minded stubbornness, but the slight quiver of her lips and rapid blinking gave him a good idea how she was really feeling at the moment.

"Look, whatever you heard, it's probably all wrong. These women are meaningless. I don't care about them," he informed her.

"Just like you don't care about me..." she whispered, her eyes brimming with hurt.

"That's not what I said," he denied. "You're my teammate."

But his reasoning only made it worse. In the past she would have felt overjoyed hearing him say this, so openly admitting to their bond, but in these circumstances, after the flirtations he had subjected her to, she expected something else. Being relegated to the old, comfortable and impersonal role of a teammate was like a splash of icy cold water on her. Finally, she could let go of wishful imaginings and illusions and see everything clearly in focus. Sakura realized that he had been leading her on, at the same time covertly carrying out his Uchiha plans to marry women he felt nothing for.

"You didn't have to say it. You showed it to me just as well. But why... why did you give me hope that you might..." she choked up on her words and looked away. For a short while, Sakura wrestled with her emotions until she had them under control once again. "Anyway, this is the end of it. I'm done," she spoke in earnest, a tone of finality ringing true in her words as she stared him dead in the eye.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke didn't like the sound of it. Not one bit.

"I've had it with you, Sasuke," she purposefully omitted the affectionate suffix. "Just leave me alone until our next mission, which I doubt will be anytime soon." Not if I have anything to say about this, she added in her mind.

Sasuke growled, frustrated with her stubborn clinging to the false conclusions she had drawn. "You've got it all wrong, Sakura. I don't know who filled your head with these lies, but you need to listen to me," he attempted to reason despite his failing patience.

"I don't have to do anything," she rebutted coldly. "You are alright, so get out. Or do I need to show you the door?"

As she walked past him to do just that, Sasuke at last snapped and tugging harshly on her arm, pulled her close to his chest. Before she could tear him a new one, his head dipped and he captured her lips aggressively, pouring all of his anger and passion into the kiss. Sakura struggled, trying to push him back, but he held on, never stopping on pressing his mouth to hers. Surprisingly, she didn't use her chakra strength to free herself. Instead, she gripped his shoulders, hanging onto him as her mind completely blanked out.

The hot kiss became less angry and more urgent as Sasuke felt short of breath and finally had to reluctantly pull away, still holding her in his arms like the most precious thing in the world. Both of them opened their eyes slowly, appraising each other as they tried to assimilate what had just happened.

Sakura licked her parted lips, which were still tingling pleasantly, as she attempted to organize her thoughts that had fallen into disarray. However, all she could think about was how good it felt to be held by Sasuke like this.

Well, if he has his way, many others will enjoy it, too, a more cynical part of her commented. This shook her awake from her dreamy trance and she loosened her fingers which had been clutched on his shoulders in the heat of a moment.

"Let me go," she demanded, wriggling to escape his grasp.

"Not until you hear what I have to say," Sasuke replied heatedly and captured her lips again in a shorter, but not less fierce kiss. She absently wondered if he wanted her to lose her mind, because he was succeeding.

"Will you listen to me now?" Sasuke asked seriously after breaking the kiss and she nodded complacently, all the fight already out of her.

Sasuke exhaled softly and buried his nose in her pink hair, thinking where to start. "The list you found... it was sent to me by the elders."

"The elders? Why would they..." she trailed off in sudden comprehension.

"They want me to marry and restore the clan as fast as possible. They have been pressuring me for some time about this," he confirmed what she had already figured out.

"But, I thought it's your goal anyway..." she alluded to what his twelve-year-old self had said years ago.

"It is," he agreed unexpectedly and she gasped, her outrage resurfacing.

"So I wasn't wrong? Because if you think I would ever agree to this... this harem thing... then I'm going to make you regret it," she promised in a dangerous tone.

Sasuke snorted and shook his head.

"Sakura... you're annoying," he said plainly. "But..." he didn't finish his thought as he leaned down to her. There was a small smirk tugging on his lips which gave his words a different, fond meaning. She gazed at him with bated breath and he pressed a small, chaste kiss in the corner of her mouth, his fingers combing through the soft hair in the back of her head, feeling the silky texture and loving it.

"I need only one annoying woman in my life."

This time, it was Sakura who pulled him down into a savage, needy kiss, her heart bursting with overwhelming happiness of a requited love.

To be continued...

AN: This chapter was a pain to write but I hoped you liked it, because I had to rewrite it two times, before I was satisfied, not to mention countless times I changed their argument. It's so hard to make Sasuke and Sakura argue and make it look convincing! Did I succeed? I'm really in no place to judge.

Anyway, next chapter is going to be the epilogue. Some loose ends need to be taken care of.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter ;)