don't touch my hand and call it love
you said it was over, and then cried and cried; you were gone before i said goodbye.

14.

Neji nearly falling out of a tree is what alerts them of the snake's presence.

It's clearly an animal summons, but not one that Shikamaru has ever seen before. The small snake's tongue darts in and out of its mouth; Kakashi holds his arm up, signaling for them to stop, and they all land silently onto the forest floor.

"You're the platoon the Hokage sent, right?" she says, her voice as slithery as she is. "Sasuke sent me."

Kakashi kneels down to speak with her properly. "Did something happen to Sasuke and Sakura?"

"They were ambushed last night." These words cause a stir within their group. Shikamaru frowns. "They're fine now, don't worry." She backs up when Naruto stomps towards her, demanding details and answers. "They sent me because they've relocated a few miles from here; they're no longer in the village."

Naruto picks her up and his hand. "What happened? How were they found out? Are they hurt?"

"Please don't touch me. Your breath reeks." (Shikamaru has to stifle a laugh. How typical of Sasuke's animal summons.) "I will lead you there."

Kakashi nods. "Please do."

"Wait." Shikamaru speaks up. "There's something I want to discuss with you guys first." He's been waiting for the right moment to say this, but there hasn't quite been one on their entire trip here. "It's about our other mission." He glances at the snake, who is waiting with her tail moving back and forth. "Can you give us a few minutes?" Without a word, she slithers away into a bush.

Shikamaru is still shaken up by it. He tries to find a way to word it so it won't hit the others as hard, but there really is no nice way to put it—that their village isn't as perfect as they grew up thinking it was.

"I talked to Hokage-sama about this just before we left," he starts out. "I was looking into the details of the Uchiha massacre—on record, it says that Uchiha Itachi went on a rampage to prove his own strength, and killed his entire clan." This, everyone knows, so they all nod. "I looked at the records of the past Uchiha clan members just a few months before the massacre—there was, of course, the death of Uchiha Shisui, who was supposedly Itachi's best friend. The clan was also planning a coup d'état, but records say that the Third had already dissuaded them from doing so. But…"

"What," Naruto says impatiently. "But what?"

Shikamaru sighs and looks up at the sky (blue, as blue as Ino's eyes), not wanting to see the looks on their faces. "If the Third really had dissuaded them from the coup d'état, then that would be the end of that, and there would be no more leads again. So I was just thinking hypothetically, that…what if the Uchiha clan's annihilation was planned? What if it was intentional?"

"Of course it was intentional," Neji says. "Itachi planned to do so from the start."

"That's not what I mean." Shikamaru shakes his head. "What if it was planned by Konoha?" Silence meets his ears. "Look, I've never known Itachi, but even if assuming that he was weird and an insanely good shinobi who had ulterior motives, why kill his best friend first? Why not just wipe everyone out in one go? And why leave Sasuke alive?"

"Because he was weak. Because he wasn't worth killing." Naruto's voice is shaking.

"Sounds like a pretty stupid reason to me. There were several people in the clan who weren't even shinobi. Even at age seven, Sasuke could protect himself better than them. So why spare his life?"

Naruto shakes his head. "No. That's stupid. There's no way Konoha would have wanted to destroy the clan. If they did, that would mean…" He trails off, afraid to say what everyone is already thinking.

"That Uchiha Itachi wasn't actually a psychopathic mass murderer," Kakashi finishes quietly, sounding very solemn.

"But Baa-chan would know if that were the case, wouldn't she?" Naruto exclaims. "If negotiations with the Third didn't work out, she would know! It'd be in the records!"

"Which is why," Shikamaru says, "we think Uchiha Itachi's orders came from somewhere else in Konoha. People who had different beliefs from the Third—Konoha's secret faction that we almost know nothing about."

"Root." Naruto swallows, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"Danzou." Kakashi sighs, and runs a hand through his hair. "He always looked down on the Third's way of running the village."

"There is no solid proof on this yet. But this may be a likely reason behind the massacre."

"So how does that relate to Sasuke's memory loss?" Naruto asks.

"I don't know yet." Shikamaru has a few inklings, but they're not worth discussing right now—not before he gives it some more thought and digs a little deeper. He regrets ever accepting this mission; what he's discovering is information so dangerous that it could have him killed if the wrong people found out. If it really was Root's doing—Danzou's doing—then anyone within Konoha could be an enemy. Nothing is safe anymore. "I'm just telling you guys this now before we meet up with Sasuke and Sakura, so you know what the situation is. I also think it's best not to tell Sakura about this." He casts Naruto a wary glance. "I know she can be trusted, but she did opt out of this mission because she doesn't want anything to do with it. She'll find out about it once everything unravels."

"I don't like it," Naruto says quietly. "All of these secrets. We were supposed to be together for this—me, Sakura-chan, and Kakashi. We're the original Team 7, you know? How can we leave her out—"

"Things have changed since then," Neji interrupts brusquely. "Grow up, Naruto."

"Stay out of this," Naruto growls. "This isn't your business."

"I believe it is. This is my mission too."

Kakashi claps his hands, dispelling the tension between Naruto and Neji. "Okay, guys, break it up. Is that all you wanted to tell us, Shikamaru?" Shikamaru nods. "Okay. Let's go meet up with Sakura and Sasuke—you can argue about this once we're safe and sound back in the village."

Not that the village is safe anymore, Shikamaru thinks. But hey, at least the others will still be able to sleep easy at night.

—

"Sasuke? Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke's eyes flutter open, and the first thing he sees is the brown of Sakura's dyed hair. "The others are here, Sasuke-kun. Wake up."

Sakura, he registers. And then he feels warm. Sakura.

It couldn't have been more than two hours. The sun is still up—but already, Sasuke feels more refreshed. It's the first time in a long time that he's woken up, not feeling angry.

That's new. He's not angry.

Sasuke sits up, still groggy from his nap. He looks around, and is surprised to see familiar faces—Kakashi, Hyuuga, Nara, and Naruto. "Naruto's in ANBU?"

"Hey!" Naruto shouts indignantly. "No. Being in ANBU is stupid."

"Yuki said the platoon won't disappoint. Why are you here?" (It takes both Kakashi and Nara to hold Naruto back from punching him in the face.)

Meanwhile, Hyuuga steps closer to Sakura to speak to her in a quiet voice. "The snake said you two were ambushed. Are you alright?"

"Somehow," she says with a smile. "It's thanks to Sasuke-kun that we even escaped." Before Hyuuga can respond, Naruto has already scooped her into a large bear hug—and once he lets go, Kakashi pats her on the head and ruffles her hair. She laughs, tilting her head into his touch.

Sasuke stands up and brushes the grass off his pants, trying to look busy. Everyone loves Sakura so much. She's adored by the entire village.

The village that Sasuke no longer trusts. He originally never felt any attachment to it in the first place, but now, he even feels hostile towards it. What secrets are hidden there? What about it does he not know? Why did he used to hate it?

Why does he always meet so much misfortune in the place Sakura loves so much?

"Let's recuperate for one more night," Kakashi says. "We've had a long day of traveling, and you two need to get your strength back, too. There's a river two miles west of here—we'll set up camp there." So they gather their things and set off. The entire while, Sakura chatters and fills them in on the information they've gathered. Sometimes, Naruto cracks a joke and she laughs—in a way that she's never laughed around Sasuke. It irritates him, so he forces himself to look away.

It's silly, he thinks. It's stupid. That even though he should have other things to worry about—better things to worry about—this is what sets him on edge, this is what upsets him—the fact that Haruno Sakura seems happier with some bumbling idiot than with him.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Kakashi asks, aligning himself beside Sasuke to speak to him. "Sakura said your arm got quite the hit."

He reaches over to massage where his arm was snapped in two, still feeling phantom pain. Or is that real pain? He isn't sure. "It was a nasty break," he says simply. "I'll be fine."

"Of course you will." Kakashi's eye crinkles in a smile. "You're always fine."

Of Kakashi, Sasuke remembers some, but nothing that stands out. He remembers being trained by him and he remembers some missions, but that's about it. Kakashi was the annoying teacher who was always late for one reason or another. And yet, Kakashi talks to him and looks at him the way everyone else looks at him—like he knows more than Sasuke does, like he's seen the secrets that Sasuke can't even remember letting him see. He still hasn't quite learned how to deal with that yet.

"We never did get a chance to talk since you returned, did we?" Kakashi says conversationally as they leap through the trees.

"You've never made much of an effort to," Sasuke points out.

"Yes, well, there were things to do, books to read…" Kakashi glances over at him when he doesn't respond. "What I've been wondering about all this time, actually, is why Naruto? Why not me or Sakura? What's so special about Naruto that you have to forget about him?"

"I can remember him sometimes," Sasuke says. "So he's not completely gone."

"I see." Kakashi thinks for a moment. "Maybe, sometimes the big things aren't so big after all."

"What do you mean?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing."

They arrive at the river not long later, not giving Sasuke a chance to word his question properly. Everyone drops their packs and stretches their tense muscles. Sakura is the first to announce hopping into the river a little ways downstream to clean up, and Shikamaru and Neji go to collect wood for their campfire. For a moment, Sasuke doesn't know what to do—but then he remembers the promise he made with Sakura. He glances over at Naruto, and heaves a heavy sigh.

When Naruto notices Sasuke approaching, he doesn't even wait for Sasuke to utter a word. "Dude," he says with a familiarity Sasuke isn't comfortable with, "what happened during that ambush? Sakura-chan's a little jumpy."

Sasuke remembers the hours of torture they put her through. "It's just been a long day," he says.

"Are you sure?"

"I was there, idiot."

Naruto glares at him, but not with hostility. "Fine."

It takes a moment for Sasuke to pluck up the courage—to set aside his pride for a moment to speak to this person who claims to be his best friend. "I just wanted to"—Naruto listens intently, and it almost scares Sasuke off—"apologize. For anything that I may have done to you in the past that I don't remember."

Naruto stares at him—one heartbeat, and then two, and Sasuke wonders if he said this speech to the completely wrong person—but then: "Forget Sakura-chan. What happened to you during the ambush?"

Sasuke scowls. "Nothing. Forget I even said anything."

He turns around and stalks away too quickly to catch the Naruto's blinding grin, big enough to split his face in two.

—

The last of her hair dye finally washes away down the river as Sakura gives it a final scrub. It never stays for long; it seems like she'll be stuck with pink for the rest of her life—distinguishable, but never quite as bold as she's always wanted it to be.

She's still shaking, but not from the icy water.

She's never been tortured before—never been injured without the intention of killing, never had every single scream pulled from her like it was an art. Sakura doesn't think she'll forget it for as long as she lives.

First they drew patterns into her skin with a senbon: the words Konoha is sick, over and over again—all over her arms, her legs, written a million times and then some. That wasn't too bad—they're only flesh wounds, after all. Superficial. Shallow.

But that was before they tugged at her hair, held her still and punched her in the face, until her nose was broken and a few of her teeth were loose. That was before they decided it'd be funny to tip over her chair until she fell to the ground and kick her until she was sure she was suffering from internal bleeding. That was before they took her pinkies and broke them without any hint of mercy.

Sakura has healed her body, but she doesn't know how to heal her mind. She was able to sleep earlier because of pure exhaustion, but she isn't sure if she'll ever be able to sleep easy ever again.

She returns to the others and immediately huddles close to the campfire that they already have going. She may be clean, but now she's cold as ice.

"You're pink again!" Naruto exclaims when he sees her.

She smiles. "Sorry to disappoint."

"No way, man. Pink is my favorite color on you." He hugs her again, and she relishes his warmth.

"You're being really touchy today. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'm having withdrawals."

"Withdrawals from what?"

It takes Naruto a moment to answer, which Sakura finds a little odd in itself—but when he does, his grin is so stupid and goofy that it has Sakura wondering what the matter is. "Hinata."

Realization dawns on her. "You don't mean…?" Naruto nods. "Oh my God! Congratulations!" It's her turn to pull him into a hug, as hard and as fierce as she can. Tortured or not, she's glad for Naruto—he's finally found a little piece of his own happiness. "How long?"

"It's been a while now, but we haven't really said anything about it. It's been busy, you know?"

"Still, though." Sakura grins so hard her face hurts. "I'm so happy for you."

"Really? Damn, I thought you would've finally realized your love for me or something." Sakura laughs and punches him affectionately.

"You wouldn't want me now anyway."

"Hey, you never know!"

"Do you want me to tell Hinata that?" Naruto shuts up right away, and it has Sakura feeling giddy, feeling warm—feeling like everything is finally falling into place. Things have finally started being right.

He shakes his head. "Anyway. You should get some rest. You can rest easy now that we're here—we'll protect you!"

"I don't need protecting, Naruto."

"I know." He smiles. "But I want to anyway."

And somehow, that means more to her than anything.

He pats her shoulder. "Get some rest. We'll keep watch." Sakura nods, and crawls into the one tent they have set up.

"Sasuke-kun!" she exclaims in surprise when she already finds him in there. He's crouched on his knees, his back facing her—in the process of pulling off his shirt. "Sorry, I didn't know you were in here—"

"It's fine." He throws his shirt—tattered and ripped—to the side, and pulls on a new one. (Despite herself, Sakura does her best to engrain the image into her mind; sharp shoulder blades, defined muscles, numerous scars decorating his skin.) "Kakashi lent me his spare change of clothes."

"Oh." Something occurs to Sakura. "We don't have any weapons either. We lost everything."

"I'm sure the others have extra."

She sighs. When she returns to Konoha, that's where her next paycheck will be going.

"About before," Sasuke says, sounding unsure. Sakura turns to him and waits—always listening, always waiting. "What…did you mean, exactly?"

"It means…" And suddenly, it feels that much harder to breathe. "Yes. It means yes. That question you asked me all those weeks ago—I'm saying yes now. That is, if you're still okay with it." The tent they're in feels tiny, it feels almost too close for comfort—but then Sasuke reaches out and his fingers brush against her hair, his palm pressing against her cheek—she leans into his touch and feels a lifetime of longing and desire and unrequited love lift from her shoulders. It's the best feeling in the world.

His thumb touches her bottom lip and she winces slightly; there's a cut there that she didn't bother to heal because it'll do it just fine on its own.

"I should have come to you sooner," he says quietly.

She shakes her head. "You did what you could. And it wasn't that bad anyway." That's a lie, but—she doesn't want him to worry about her. She's never wanted to look weak in front of Sasuke, and now she is finally capable of that. She won't let it go. "Don't worry about it."

Sasuke leans forward, uncertain—but Sakura is sure, so sure—she's been sure all her life and she closes the distance and their mouths press together, a cut lip be damned, she doesn't care, she wants Sasuke, she loves Sasuke and this is it, this is finally where she's always wanted to be and it's more than she could have ever imagined, because a million wonderings and a million daydreams could have never prepared her for the real thing: Sasuke's warmth, Sasuke's lips, almost frozen with the fear of doing something wrong and she thinks he is the most beautiful person in the entire world.

Their first kiss can't compare to this. Their first kiss when he was still too broken and she was still too fanciful could never compare to this.

What Sasuke has yet to know, and what Sasuke probably will never know, is that she would never leave him, even if he did something wrong, even if he hurt her. She's tried to leave him once—she's distanced herself emotionally and she's forgotten about him, but it always comes rushing back. She can't escape him. She could either walk away and spend the rest of her life hurting over it, or she could do her best and work through it with him. And she would much rather choose the latter option.

When they pull away from each other, Sakura's face is flushed. If she looks carefully, she can see that the tips of Sasuke's ears are red. "You're blushing," she points out, breathlessly.

"So are you," he replies haughtily. This kind of response makes her laugh—because this is so ridiculous—that amidst everything that's been happening, they can still find a little salvation in something so simple as a kiss. Sakura wants to slowly fall in love with Sasuke, to giggle over stupid things and to feel butterflies when they hold hands. She wants to be normal with him.

I love you, she thinks, but maybe it's too soon.

(But she loves him anyway. She'll love him forever and ever and ever.)

"I'm going to just," she points behind her, in the direction of the tent opening, "going to go back out now. Because. Yeah." She's doing her best to hide the goofy smile on her lips, but it's proving futile. Sasuke clears his throat and looks away, not even answering her.

Sakura nearly trips on her way out, but she doesn't care.

Kakashi spots her first. "I thought you were resting?" He's sitting against a tree, a worn and well-loved copy of Icha Icha in his hand.

"It's kind of stuffy in there. I'd rather rest out here." She takes a seat beside him, breathing in the crisp autumn air. They sit in silence for a long while, but Sakura takes note that Kakashi never once turns a page. He likes to do that; pretend to read literary porn so people will leave him alone when he's actually thinking about something.

"What's on your mind?" she asks Kakashi. He turns his head to look at her, movements sluggish and lazy.

"Nothing," he lies.

"What are you thinking about?" she asks again.

They stare at each other for a long moment, competing to see who will give in first. Of course it's Kakashi; neither him nor Naruto go against her if they can help it, because they know how scary she can be. "I don't know if you know, but I'm on the team investigating Sasuke's memory loss. Just thinking about that."

This piques Sakura's curiosity. "Have you guys found out anything?"

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with it?" he asks wryly. "After all, you were the one who refused the offer to be on the mission as well."

And thinking about it, it was a good decision on her part, too. That mission may have caused a conflict of interest; whatever she found out would have to be kept a secret from Sasuke, and that's not something she ever wants to do. She waves it off. "Forget about it. I'm interested, but I guess it's not worth it."

"Not worth what?" Kakashi grins a little. "What's happened?"

"Nothing! I'm just saying. It's not worth anything." She smiles. "It's nice to not have everything revolve around Sasuke-kun, you know? I have my life, and he has his."

He stretches his arms above his head. "Well, regardless of whether you accepted the mission or not, I'm glad you're happy now. You kind of worried me when Sasuke first returned; you were a wreck in every way."

"You could have dropped by, you know. Just to check up on me."

Kakashi clicks his tongue. "I don't exactly think I'm an expert at dealing with emotional problems, if you know what I mean."

"That doesn't mean you couldn't have checked up on me anyway. I've missed you! Where have you been?"

"At the epitaph. Being old. Hiding out."

"Have you been spending more time there lately?"

"It's almost that time of year again."

She looks at him with earnest eyes. "Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?" There was one night two years ago that she found him standing in front of the epitaph in the pouring rain, so spaced out that he didn't hear her the first three times she called him. Kakashi isn't always late to appointments because he's lazy—he's late to appointments because he spends every possible moment with Obito and Rin.

"Nope," he says cordially. He's never talked to her about it, but she always asks anyway—in case that one day, when he really does need it, she's long since given up on him. (Sakura never gives up on the people she loves—not after seeing what happened when Sasuke gave up on them.)

"How's Naruto been doing?" she asks him, changing the subject. "I don't think he wants to talk to me much about Sasuke-kun."

Kakashi shrugs. "He's holding up. As expected of him."

"Sasuke-kun remembers a little bit of him, though," she says with hope. "Maybe more of it will come back with time."

"Yeah, he did tell me that." Kakashi's voice remains blank; she isn't quite sure what he thinks about the matter. "Do you not find that strange? That some things on certain subjects come back to him, but nothing about Itachi, which is so important to him, ever returns."

"I did find it weird, yeah, but I never thought too deeply about it." Sakura doesn't want to take everything and analyze it anymore—she's done enough of that in the past. She's just glad that Sasuke remembers Naruto. "I mean, it's just that…I know I shouldn't be ignorant towards this. Clearly, someone messed with Sasuke-kun's memory for a reason. But at the same time…" What? At the same time, what? "I just really want him to be happy. I want Naruto to be happy—all of us have been waiting for Sasuke-kun to come back. I'm…still trying to deal with how this affects me. I can't deal with his problems too—that's for him to fix."

Kakashi listens quietly, as he always does, taking everything in before giving her a response. "Well," he says, "I'm very glad that you don't revolve your entire life around him anymore. You've really grown up." He smiles and ruffles her hair. "As expected of my smartest student."

"It took me a little longer than expected. Sorry."

"You know what? You're doing a hell of a lot better than I am."

"Nah, I could learn a thing or two from you."

Kakashi closes his book and places it on the grass beside him. "What happens if the reason behind Sasuke's memory loss destroys everything you've fixed?"

"Then…" Sakura smiles sadly. "Then I'll pick up the broken pieces and put them together again."

He leans back, staring up through the golden leaves of the tree and at the blue sky. "It's always been him, hasn't it? There's never been anyone else."

"I don't think there ever can be."

"Do you still love him? The same way you did back then."

Sakura takes a moment to think about this. "Not in the same way, no. But I still love him." And maybe she loves him even more than she did when she was twelve—she didn't think it was possible, but maybe it is. Because the Sakura of several years ago didn't know how to love the way she does now. The Sakura of several years ago didn't realize how complicated love could be.

"Are you going to tell him?" Kakashi's speaks lazily, but she can detect the tone of curiosity in his voice.

She bumps her foot against his in a playful reprimanding kick. "You're so nosy," she laughs. "Maybe he already knows. Hasn't he always known that I love him? He's never forgotten me, after all."

"Maybe that means something," Kakashi says, encouraging.

"Maybe it does," she agrees.

And even if it doesn't—even if it was a stroke of luck, just a chance happening—she's sure that she and Sasuke can make it into something meaningful. That, she knows.

—

It is windy outside, but Sakura barely feels it.

"Take the tent!" Naruto had insisted. "Seriously, take the tent or I will physically tie you up and put you in there."

"Naruto," she had deadpanned, "if I couldn't handle a little cold weather, I would not have chosen this profession. Trust me."

"Still! If there's a tent, you should use it. Please?"

Which is how she finds herself in the tent while the others—the men who are more capable, according to Naruto (that comment earned him a well deserved punch)—are outside, huddled around the campfire. The wind makes it difficult to keep burning, though.

Sakura doesn't like being alone—not yet. She still can't shake off the anxiety that the ambush brought her—can't make herself forget what she's gone through. But she doesn't want to talk to Naruto or Kakashi about it, who are her main sources of comfort. They're worried enough about her already—and if they knew, they would only do more stupid things like stuffing her in a tent. So she'd rather not.

So she does the next best thing.

"Sasuke-kun." She pokes her head out of the tent. "Can you come in here for a sec? There's something I want to talk to you about."

The others give Sasuke a look before glancing at each other, but Sasuke pays no heed, wordlessly standing up and getting in the tent.

"What is it?"

She shakes her head. "It's nothing," she says, keeping her voice quiet so the others don't hear her. "Can you just stay with me? I don't want to be alone."

"Why not?" When she doesn't answer, he sighs. "You're a very bad liar, Sakura. Everyone knows something happened to you during the ambush." She hugs her knees to her chest.

"Nothing happened during the ambush. I just don't want to be alone."

Sasuke reaches out to touch her hand—his fingertips make contact with her pinky first, and she flinches as though she's been burned, feeling the phantom pain of her bones being snapped. He draws his hand back.

"The first time is always hard," he says, looking away. "It gets easier after that."

Sakura wonders what he's been through—how many times he's been tortured for him to even be able to say that. Sasuke, who has been fragile from the start, being broken and over again. Her precious Sasuke-kun.

"Just don't go anywhere," she says softly. "Please." He nods, and reaches for her sleeping bag. He unzips it so it acts as a large blanket, and—with much caution—moves closer to her until they're pressing arm to arm. He wraps the blanket around both of them, and she rests her head on his shoulder—feeling a little bit of the darkness surrounding her subsiding.

(It's funny, she thinks. That Sasuke, who has always been shrouded by darkness, is the one who takes hers away.)

"Do you ever regret it?" she asks. "Choosing the path you did."

"No."

She hesitates before asking her next question. "Do you hate this memory loss because it's brought you back to the place that you left behind?"

"I didn't leave Konoha because I hated it, Sakura. I left it because it wasn't moving fast enough for me." A heartbeat. "But I do hate this memory loss, yes."

"Do you hate what it's given you?"

"What is this, an interrogation?"

She keeps her head low, afraid to look at him. "Sorry." She feels ashamed because she's thankful for what he hates. This memory loss is what brought him back to her. It's what brought him home.

"I will be frank, Sakura," Sasuke says, not gently. "Being with you like this is a mistake. I know that." She stiffens up beside him, and she knows he feels it. "I've always known that being with you would be wrong, which is why I've never done it even when I wanted to, before I left Konoha. I've…" He trails off, but Sakura finishes his sentence in her mind. I've always wanted to be with you. "But I remember you. And that…is earth-shattering."

"It could just be chance."

"How I feel is not chance. I've felt this way for a very, very long time."

"Even when we were twelve?"

"Yes."

It's only then that Sakura relaxes, just a little.

"I don't regret the things I do. I don't regret leaving the village. And I don't regret coming back and being with you like this, even though I know it's a mistake. So don't ask me stupid questions like that."

"Why is being with me a mistake?" she asks, fearful of what he might say.

He chooses his words carefully, reminiscent of the night he first asked her to be with him. "Because there are things I still need to do, and I don't have time for such hindrances."

"But you've killed Itachi," she points out. "There's nothing after that, right? This memory loss probably isn't even anything as big as killing your brother."

"You never know." He shrugs.

"But you're okay with us being like this?"

"For now, yes."

Sakura doesn't like that to Sasuke, he only sees this as temporary—but that's one aspect that has never changed about him, she supposes. It seems like Sasuke prioritizes everything backwards—the things that hurt the most being the most important, the things that make him happy being the least important. Sasuke has never quite allowed himself the simple joy of being loved.

"I don't regret this," she tells him honestly. "Even if it might only be temporary. I hope it's not, but if it is, I wouldn't regret it anyway."

"I don't regret this either," he tells her, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Behind her hair that's hiding her face, she smiles a little. "Okay."

Sasuke reaches up around her shoulders to pat down her hair, slightly frizzy because she washed it with nothing but river water. "Go to sleep. You need to reclaim your victory tomorrow."

"Okay," she says again, and closes her eyes.

She's always wondered what it'd be like to fall asleep beside Sasuke, but as expected, the real thing is much better than her whimsical fantasies.

Sakura sleeps easy, away from the memories of being tortured, because Sasuke is there to keep her fears at bay.

(So this is what it feels like, to know that the one you love isn't going to walk away.)

A/N: Somewhat of a transition chapter! And some fluff for you all. :D