Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: After war. Sasuke is still suspected and Sakura is his ticket to regaining Konoha's trust.

Rating: T

The Difference Between Moving In and Moving On

XXIX

Rustle, rustle. Sigh.

…

Rustle.

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

Sigh.

"What is your problem?" Sasuke had enough of Sakura turning around in her sheets and sighing every five seconds. This was seriously getting on his nerves.

She gave him a sideways glance.

"I'm bored."

"Then read something."

"I already did."

"Go to sleep."

"Too early." A moment of thinking passed. "I want to train."

"No," he cut her off decisively. She was not rested enough, though she was getting better. "Don't you have anything else to do?"

Sakura frowned. "I wrote my mission report and you don't let me do any hospital paperwork. So no," she said with a small glare, which didn't affect him at all.

Sasuke turned to face her fully. He knew there would be no better occasion than now, when she was weakened and incapacitated. She couldn't fight back, she couldn't run from him.

"We should talk," he stated. It wasn't a suggestion.

Sakura regarded him with an unconcealed surprise. "Talk? What about?" She acted casual, but he noticed the way her fingers pinched down on the bed sheet.

"Why did you join the ANBU?"

"Who... who told you about this?" Sakura stalled, paralyzed under his gaze drilling into her head.

"No one. I saw the tattoo on your arm," he explained and she flashed back to that time she had collapsed. "Answer the question," Sasuke demanded coolly.

Sakura shrugged. "Well, Tenten was joining and she talked me into it. I thought it would be good for me to get some more field experience. Hospital was getting boring."

If she thought she would misdirect him with this, that he would believe for one second that she was motivated by a simple ennui, then he was very disappointed with her.

"Does Naruto know that you're now in ANBU? You didn't tell him, did you?" And of course, Sasuke struck at the heart of the matter.

She scoffed. "Of course not. The point of being in ANBU is to keep it a secret, not brag about it to everyone."

This wasn't the first time she thought on this issue, but her conclusion never changed – telling Naruto was only going to bring hurt to both of them. She was more than aware that one of his most important dreams was for Team Seven to get back together. Her joining the black ops was the same as leaving their old team behind. Naruto being admitted into ANBU was also very unlikely – he was the future Hokage, the village and world hero, in other words – too recognizable, too loud and too flashy for the work in the shadows. Sasuke had better chances, but he still struggled to gain acceptance and trust – and ANBU wouldn't help him at all in restoring the Uchiha name, mainly because of its secrecy. Besides, she believed that this kind of work didn't suit him now. After the years he had spent in the darkness, Sasuke deserved to stay out in the sunlight.

"Naruto wants to reform Team Seven. Are you going to quit ANBU and join us?" Sasuke must have shared a similar train of thought with her and so gave her another option to consider.

"No." At his surprised look, she felt that she should elaborate. "I'm a medic, Sasuke. I'm more of a use in a team that would actually need me to put them back together. Both you and Naruto have enormous regenerative powers. Naruto even healed Gai-sensei and restored Kakashi-sensei's eye! The only times you guys get hurt is when you fight each other and I doubt you'd be fighting any other Kage-level shinobi on missions," Sakura explained, shrugging.

She had come to terms with this realization about her place in Team Seven. It wasn't that she was incapable of catching up to them and helping – they were just capable so much that they didn't need her help. But there were others who would kill for a medical assistance on their team, doubly so if the medic was also an able combatant. The logical result of this equation was obvious to her.

Sakura wasn't going to cling to the past like a scared little girl holding onto her favourite blanket. It was time for her to stop chasing the backs of her teammates. Instead, she would carve her own path and move forward.

Sasuke would have seemed unconcerned with her revelation, if not for the slight furrow on his brow, which she learned signified that he wasn't exactly happy with what he'd heard. His intense stare was starting to unsettle her.

Sasuke got up and walked over to kneel by her side. "What is the real reason? Is it because of me?" he asked bluntly, looking her dead in the eye. "Because of what I've done to you?"

Her lips parted as she tried to formulate the right answer. "No..." She swallowed and began anew. "It's not like that, Sasuke..."

"Then what's it like?" he pressed her on.

"I just told you why. My talents are needed elsewhere. This doesn't have anything to do with you," Sakura responded, reiterating her earlier point.

Sasuke shook his head, refuting her claim.

"It's pointless to hide this. I know you have nightmares about the war... and that genjutsu."

Sakura looked up at him, with half a mind to vehemently deny everything, even if it was all true. She didn't want to admit her weakness, not in front of him. However, one glance at Sasuke stilled her tongue. There was anger in his face, but it wasn't directed at her – rather, it was turned inwards. Briefly, he closed his eyes and she could see that he was struggling with something, some inner conflict, before he looked at her again, serious and resolute.

"I... should have done this sooner," Sasuke said. "Sakura, I owe you an apology."

Her breathing stopped in a nervous anticipation. Sasuke continued.

"I thought if everyone hated me – if you hated me – I could become the one who keeps peace. I was obviously wrong, but at that moment I still didn't know that. I needed to make you hate me, so I used the genjutsu," Sasuke explained himself and things finally started to make a little more sense to the kunoichi as she quietly absorbed his words. But he wasn't finished. "I can imagine how much I hurt you. You didn't deserve this and I'll understand if you still hate me, after all of this. I just want you to know that I deeply regret my past actions towards you, during the war and earlier. I am sorry, Sakura."

She didn't move, not quite believing what she was hearing. But she could see the honesty written in his face, hear it in the cadence of his speech. Uchiha Sasuke apologized to her. It was real. She felt strangely disconnected as she watched his head dip down in a formal bow. Her vision blurred.

"S-Sasuke..." she whispered and he glanced up. Her hand lifted on its own and cupped his cheek. "I could never... hate you." She gave him a small smile, barely holding in the tears. "Never."

Sasuke drew up, clearly taken aback by her easy acceptance of his apology. He honestly didn't expect Sakura to forgive him so quickly.

"Thank you for saying this. It really means a lot to me," she said and he started thinking that they could finally go back to how it had been before. "But," Sakura added and his insides twisted in uncomfortable knots, "I'm not going to change my decision. I won't rejoin Team Seven. Well, at least not permanently," she amended, noticing his scowl. "I will still hang out with you guys, go out for ramen, maybe sometimes join you for a mission. We're going to stay comrades, no matter what," she assured him.

It didn't work. Instead of being reassured, Sasuke felt like he was just stabbed with a sharp blade made of disappointment, which exact cause he couldn't quite determine yet. He put his hand on hers, but didn't remove it from his cheek. It was like he wanted to keep her warmth for a little bit longer.

"... It's not enough, is it?" he asked. "Even when I apologized, it's not enough to forget the hurt..."

Sakura's heart was squeezed painfully when she saw that sad, self-deprecating smile he wore.

"It'll take some time, but... I will get there," she answered, forcing confidence she didn't really have into her words. They shared a look filled with hesitation, still unsure of their standing with each other.

The door was opened with a boom and the two jumped up, startled. Sasuke pulled down their hands and quickly snatched his own away, while Sakura reached under the pillow for a kunai with her left. Both of them considerably relaxed when they saw who was the cause of the interruption.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke! I've brought you ramen!" Naruto grinned at them joyfully, showing off the takeout bags from Ichiraku. "Uh, were you guys doing something weird?" he asked, tipped off by the unusual proximity between them.

"Naruto! Learn to knock! And we weren't doing anything, just talking," Sakura told him and Sasuke nodded, shooting him a glare. Seeing Naruto properly chastised, Sakura's expression softened. "It's actually good that you came. I'm hungry."

Naruto laughed. "One ramen, coming right away!" he handed her a bag with flourish.

XXX

"Sasuke, come with me for a moment."

He followed Naruto out and wasn't surprised when the blond spun around, grabbed him by the collar and pushed him into the wall.

"What did you do to Sakura-chan? Her eyes are red. Did you make her cry?" Naruto growled.

"Let go, stupid," Sasuke forcibly removed his friend's hand before it would choke him. "You should be happy, I talked to her just like you wanted."

"Really? You explained everything to her?" Naruto was still suspicious, but the heat left him.

"Aa."

"Freaking finally," the blond sighed out loud. "I thought you would never man up," he ribbed.

"Idiot," Sasuke intoned. It passed through his mind that Naruto should hear about Sakura's future plans, but decided against saying anything yet. She would tell their teammate when she's ready. And there was no guarantee that she wouldn't change her mind. Until then, Sasuke was going to keep this to himself.

In a more amicable atmosphere, the two went back inside.

XXXI

"Ino. Do you know what is Sakura's problem?"

"Which one?" she asked boredly. "Sakura's got tons of problems, some she's not even aware of."

"The one that makes her ruin her health?" he specified. He had no time for the blonde's snark.

"Ah, that one," Ino tapped a finger on the counter, thinking it over. "Well, it's not my right to say. But you should know the most about it anyway."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh!" Ino clapped her hands, swiftly changing the topic. "I know! You have to buy these daffodils, Sakura will love them!"

The fresh flowers in the vase reminded Sasuke of the conversation with the Yamanaka. Ever since he'd cleared the air between himself and Sakura, there was an observable positive change in their life under one roof – they barely even argued and when Sakura returned to duty, she didn't overwork herself anymore. However, despite the improvement in both of their attitudes, she started to pull away from the excess contact.

It took him a while to notice, mainly because he was busy with the preparations for rebuilding the Uchiha district. He saw Sakura more, bustling in their tiny apartment, cooking, cleaning, reading scrolls, sleeping, but instead of feeling closer to him, she seemed to only slip further away. She may have graced him with a smile or a comment from time to time, but it looked like she really talked with him less than before his apology. Sasuke could tell himself that it was because they were both occupied with other things, but he knew it wasn't really that.

He thought this had all to do with her unknown issue that she was still working through. And he had an idea what it could be about.

XXXII

"I saw your mother."

Sasuke deemed this as good as any other conversation starter. Sakura glanced at him.

"You did? When?"

"Not long ago," he answered vaguely. "She said your father is ill."

"Well, that's nothing new. It's a flu season, he probably forgot to get vaccinated." Sakura didn't seem all that concerned, rather she was just annoyed. "Nothing to worry about."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sasuke said. "Your mother sounded worried. She didn't want to bother you, but I think you should know."

"Did she say what were the symptoms?" Now Sakura was engaging in her medic mode, finally taking the news seriously.

"She mentioned he was coughing up blood and had back pains..."

Sakura cursed and rushed out. He followed, keeping a safe distance.

Sasuke watched Sakura barge into her parents' house. He watched her practically interrogate them and, with the explanations given, somewhat calm down as her father's "illness" was shown to be non-existent. Then he watched her take him to the hospital anyway, with her mother in tow, just to make sure nothing was wrong with him. She would rather not risk it and use the specialized medical equipment available there to assuage her worries.

Sasuke stayed out of her sight, knowing there would be hell to pay, but not regretting what he'd done. And when the blood test's results arrived and the final diagnosis was reached, he watched the relief and happiness of the Haruno family as Sakura gave her father a clean bill of health.

It was then he saw something peculiar... the look in Sakura's green eyes when her parents shared a joyous peck on the lips. At first, he couldn't quite place that emotion that fleeted across her face before she buried it down.

Then she looked right at him, a flash of pain visible only for a split second before it disappeared underneath her mask, and he was hit by the sudden realization.

It was longing... and sadness, because what she wanted was something that her parents had. Something unobtainable for her, something she had given up on, but still coveted so much that the physical reminders of it made her soul hurt.

The moment passed and the distance between them was swallowed by a few long strides she took.

The slap was hard, heavy-handed, but avoidable if he only bothered to stop it. His head bounced to the side from its force and the clap resonated in the long hallway.

"Don't you dare mess with my life like this ever again," Sakura issued an icy warning.

Sasuke cradled his rapidly swelling cheek and left without a word.

XXXIII

Kakashi found his student sitting on the tree which overlooked the empty Uchiha grounds. The rubble after the Pain's attack had been cleared in preparation for the reconstruction works that were to begin in a few days. However, there was no satisfaction held in Sasuke's stoic gaze, only the disconcerting blankness. Kakashi could tell that something happened to his old student.

"Ah, Sasuke. How are you today?" he asked nonchalantly, closing his book and hiding it in a pocket.

Sasuke glanced at him, but didn't speak.

Without asking, the Sixth Hokage seated himself next to the mute Uchiha.

"It's amazing, how much things could change in so little time," Kakashi remarked. "You back in the village, me becoming the Sixth... If someone told me half a year ago that this would happen, I wouldn't have believed it."

"Get to the point."

Kakashi gave him a sideways glance, gauging whether he should go on.

"Well... With all the new beginnings and impossible things becoming possible... I'm curious if you thought of settling down and starting a family."

This got Sasuke's attention. He stared Kakashi down, before answering shortly. "No, I didn't think about it."

"There's no rush, of course. But you're already on a good way there. You're going to rebuild the Uchiha district and I hear you're getting along with Sakura..."

Kakashi knew he hit a jackpot when Sasuke jolted at the name, but the response was nothing like what he expected.

"What does she have to do with anything?" The irritation bled through the thick walls of indifference the Uchiha surrounded himself with. "Or was matchmaking your real purpose when you set us up?"

"Hmm... Not really," Kakashi denied, which was met by a disbelieving glower. "But I did expect something might happen between you two."

"Then you were wrong. My path is different than hers." Sasuke stood up. "The month is almost up. It's pointless to continue this charade. Call off the mission, Hokage."

From Sasuke's use of the title, Kakashi understood the request was non-negotiable. He slowly nodded.

"Alright, if that is what you really want. As soon as Sakura gives me her report, the mission is officially over."

XXXIV

When Sakura got the message from the Hokage's office, she had a hunch this wasn't just a coincidence. After delivering the finished report about Sasuke's mental state, she hurried back to the apartment. At the same time she pushed the door, they were opened from the inside and she stumbled forward, bumping into the hard chest of her roommate. Hastily, she stepped back, massaging her nose.

Any words she might have had were sucked right in as she spotted the duffel bag slung over his right shoulder.

"Sasuke... you're leaving?" she asked, wanting confirmation of what she already knew to be true. The mission was officially completed and he had no reason to stay, but she still didn't expect for him to move out so soon.

"Yes," he gave a clipped answer.

"I see..." She was stalling, grasping for something more to say. "Where will you be living? Do you have a new place?"

"Yes. Let me pass, Sakura."

"Ah! I'm sorry." She moved aside, but when he took a step forward, her hand shot out to stop him. "Wait!" she blurted out, surprising both of them.

Sakura breathed in, gathering her thoughts as she fended off the building nervousness. She hadn't talked to Sasuke since he had manipulated her to see her parents. While at first she'd been outraged by his methods, later, after cooling off, she'd had to admit his intentions weren't malicious and in the end he helped her get over her irrational doubts. She was glad that she saw her family again as only now she realized that she'd been missing them all this time. Sasuke was right all along.

"If it's nothing important, I'll just go," he said impatiently, when she failed to speak for a few moments.

"No, I just... Why are you leaving so suddenly? The month still didn't pass. You could stay for the remainder of it," Sakura offered, then realizing how abrupt her proposition was, she jumped to justify her reasoning. "I guess I got used to living together and... I'm not angry at you. So if you'd like, you could stay a little longer, Sasuke-ku... Sasuke," she corrected herself after almost falling back into her old habit of addressing him.

Sasuke's silence felt foreboding as he sized her up and she fidgeted, inwardly panicking if she was too bold with her suggestion. But she believed there was nothing wrong with wanting her teammate to stay with her.

His answer was blunt and to the point.

"No, thanks," he brushed her off coolly. "I was getting tired of playing house with you. I'd rather live on my own."

If Sakura had ever had any delusions that he'd enjoyed their stay together, they were all torn down by Sasuke's callousness. Her hand fell down limp, finally letting him pass.

"See you, Sakura," he threw offhandedly over his shoulder as he walked away from her. He didn't look back even once.

To be continued...

AN: Next chapter will be the last for this series.

Thanks for reading!