Reversing Time

by havanatitiana

The shinobi nations had been burnt down to the ground by the Ten Tails, but Sakura had been given a chance to change everything. To make everything right. However, and as years passed by, things would turn out to be so much more difficult than she'd ever imagined. Not your regular Time travel. Sasusaku. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH

26. Back from Suna

CHAPTER 26

The hot water streamed down her shoulders and back, easing away some of the tension that had been building up for the past few days. Deciding that she couldn't afford to lose more time, Sakura turned the shower off and stepped out of it. She quickly dried herself off and then briefly looked at herself in the mirror.

Sakura's nose had become a bit longer and her face less round. Her cheekbones were slightly more pronounced and her lips a bit fuller. Her eyes were still large, but smaller in relation to the size of her whole face. Her features had come to resemble those of her previous self so much, that it sometimes caught Sakura off guard and made her frown in discomfort. Some days, Sakura would feel as if this body belonged to the person she had once been; someone living in the middle of war against the Juubi, someone running away from madness and destruction. The uncanny resemblance to her past self had become quite bothersome, so Sakura had decided to allow her hair to grow. The front of her face now was framed by short bangs, while behind her forehead protector her hair reached mid-back and was currently tied up in a high bun. The change to her hair had definitely helped her feel different from her past self – and from all the memories that came with it – and put her mind a bit more at ease.

When she finally finished fixing her hair, she walked into the bedroom. She put on a red longs-sleeved shirt and black shorts and then sat down on the bed she'd been using for the past two years. Her eyes trailed along all the things that she'd been collecting and using for that period and unconsciously stopped at the small table that was on the opposite side of the room. A smile tugged at one side of her lips and she stood up and walked closer to it.

The table was small, but there were countless letters scattered on its surface. She had become increasingly more nervous about her return to Konoha and had had the irrational need to read Sasuke's letters again. Sakura had planned to read them last night, but she'd come back to her room late and tired and had fallen asleep not even remembering her original intentions. Her right hand trailed the edge of one letter and then picked it up.

Sakura,

It's good to know that the hospital has improved after all this time. It must be a good feeling to see all that hard work actually being useful. On my side, I've been feeling a bit stuck. The first year Danzo's training was harsh to the point that I felt like giving up at the end of most days. And it all helped me improve my battle abilities vastly. However, this past month Danzo's been adamant on teaching me about politics and spying. Even though I must say that it's interesting, I feel like I'm wasting so much time on it. I only seldom squeeze in an hour or two to train with other people anymore. I have decided to accept whatever he throws at me though; he said that it would only be for a couple of months and it's not like I have a say in the matter anyways.

Your parents have been insisting that I go and have dinner with them – is that your doing? – so I ended up agreeing on going over tomorrow. I hope it won't be too awkward; if neither Naruto or you are there I fear I'll be the subject of your father's teasing.

I hope things continue to go as they have with your mission.

Sasuke.

Her eyes looked down at the table as she laid the paper down and picked another one. It was one of the last letter's she'd received from him. Her eyes softened as she read through the words.

Sakura,

Yesterday I finally found some time for myself. I was wondering if Shikamaru was around for a game of shoji, but he turned out to be out on a mission. I didn't feel like looking for Ino or Choji, because as I've told you they test my patience whenever Shikamaru isn't around. I swear that the two of them act like an old married couple sometimes. Anyways, I ended up deciding to train on my own for a change and so that I would make some good use of my time. I somehow found myself at training ground 7, a place I hadn't been in since you left.

I didn't expect to remember so many things from when we were still a team. I remembered that time when Naruto and I had to prove our team-work to Kakashi and you. We were so awful at the time that now it seems even funny. Looking back on it, I think it was mostly my fault that things started off badly with Naruto. However, I don't regret any of it; it's the highlight of my day when I get to tick the dobe off.

I also recalled the day that you told me about your suspicions about Kakashi and Anko and then realized that I hadn't told you about it. A couple weeks ago I was walking towards training early in the morning and I passed by Kakashi's house. Can you guess who was jumping out the window? I don't think I've ever seen Anko so flustered. I do understand why they're keeping their thing a secret with the way people talk, but I don't think that they should make it such a big deal. Honestly, I assume they've been together for two years? One would think that they'd go public about it after such a long time. Then again, there may be another reason for them keeping their relationship a secret.

Anyways, I thought it would be a fun fact to know that you've been right about them all this time. Are you looking forward to coming back home? Don't you think you'll miss Suna? I hope you're doing all right,

Sasuke.

Sakura once again smiled at the mental picture of Anko's shocked face after jumping out of Kakashi's window at dawn. If it'd been Sakura the one to see her, Anko would've probably told her that she'd had a great time in bed and even what position she'd enjoyed the most. She was bold and shameless like that – not that Sakura minded. Sakura's free hand picked another letter up and placed it on top of the previous one.

Sakura,

I'm glad you're fine. I'm fine too. Danzo's training is difficult, which is good. Ino's being a pain in the ass and I wonder if she picked up that crush once more now that you left. I have to find another training partner now, but I definitely wouldn't want it to be Ino so I'll have to keep looking. I hope you're not having trouble while settling down in Suna.

Sasuke.

Sakura's eyes widened at the now apparent differences between the last two letters. She'd never really had the chance to take notice of such a thing before, because she had always read one letter at the most due to how little time she spent in her room. She did know that Sasuke had opened up since he decided to speak to team 10 – mostly Shikamaru though – and that he'd even taken on a hobby or two apart from training. However, she'd never taken the time to notice how much the way he wrote to her had changed.

Her hands hastily picked up one letter after the other, her eyes quickly going through some one the paragraphs that she'd already read. Her realization was only confirmed. Sasuke had begun writing to her in a manner that was distant and practical, only speaking about training and what bothered him. However, he had slowly started speaking about feelings and thoughts and his letters had become lengthier. If such an apparent change had happened in the way he wrote correspondence, then what kind of changes should she expect to see when she met him in person? On one hand, it was surprising that Sasuke had actually started communicating more as time passed by, but on the other hand it wasn't. After all, if they weren't sharing actual time together, the only way to keep their friendship was through writing and it wouldn't make much sense for her to be the only one to actually say something.

Sakura slowly gathered all of Sasuke's replies and put them away in a folder. She then occupied herself with putting all of her important items into her travelling pack. Her mind once again drifted off to the subject of Sasuke. Sakura had been sure that there was something off about Danzo and the way he still hadn't done anything against Sasuke. Either Sasuke had been brainwashed into believing everything Danzo fed him, or he had become a great liar that not even Danzo doubted. Because, if Sasuke was still all right and training in Konoha, then it had to be because Danzo deemed him useful for whatever he was planning in the village. Then again, maybe things were awful and Sasuke didn't want to use the code word to alert her – because he certainly wouldn't tell her about any difficult situations because their letters were most likely being scanned by root ANBU. Even worse, maybe Sasuke was dead and he wasn't even the one she'd been writing to, but that was a stretch and she honestly didn't even want to consider that scenario.

On that subject, Sakura had long ago decided that she would need to clear her suspicions about Danzo sometime, because she was almost certain that he'd had something to do with Tsunade's death. The letter on her that read 'The council is on the move. Watch out for Hiruzen'. The fact that the medical page of Orochimaru's report had been torn by someone with access to restricted areas in the Hokage Tower. Her certainty that Hiruzen had been forced to appoint Danzo as Hokage. It all couldn't be a coincidence and Sakura actually believed that it'd all been part of a twisted plot of his. It was her duty – no, she felt the imperative need to find out the truth sometime. If Danzo was responsible for her shishou's death and had illegitimately become Hokage in her stead, she would make sure to make him pay dearly.

Sakura finished sweeping the floor and then looked around to see the place completely devoid of anything that remotely notified that someone had been using the room. Her travel pack was already closed and the remaining stuff she wouldn't be taking was in a big disposable bag at one corner of the room. Now that she'd taken everything, the room was naked and its rustic style was much clearer. On the roof there were timber logs to support and earthen ceiling and the floor under her feet was also made from dry clay. Even the plaster was made of earth, which was something that Sakura had arrived hating but learned to cherish. It was definitely not her home, but it was definitely a homey environment.

Sakura picked up her pack, walked out the door and closed the door behind her one final time. She walked towards the hospital, which was only two blocks away from where she'd been living. She instinctively moved out of the way for pedestrians and greeted those that she knew. She soon entered the hospital and expertly entered the hallway, greeting everyone that worked there. It sometimes was tiring to know so many people, but Sakura valued how grateful they were and wouldn't dream of being rude towards them. However, seeing as she was about to leave, every greeting was met with a smile and honest happiness building inside of her. She finally arrived at the basement – a place she'd spent countless hours studying in – and knocked on an office door.

"Come in."

Sakura opened the door in a rush and walked into the office with a toothy beam on her face. Her eyes glinted as she met eyes with the old woman that had been teaching her ever since she arrived. "Chiyo-chan."

"Ahhh, Sakura!" she smiled widely back and stood up from her sitting position. "So, the day has finally come, huh?"

"Yeah, I'm a bit sad though." Sakura admitted.

"Ah, don't say that. You'll get to see your friends and your family again." She said and then raised her eyebrows suggestively. "And also, that boy you've been writing to ever since you got here – Sasuke. You can't tell me you're not excited about seeing him."

"Well, yeah." Sakura blushed a bit and sheepishly smiled. "Though I'm still a bit nervous… I haven't seen him in so long. I have the feeling that he might've changed. I honestly don't know what to expect now."

"If you don't want to feel disappointed, then don't –"

"Don't expect anything, I know." Sakura said simultaneously. After a couple seconds of silence Sakura sighed. "I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too." Chiyo nodded in agreement and when their eyes met again Chiyo's had softened. "I must say that the experience I had with you was something I never expected to have. I had always thought that one was either a teacher or a student… however this dynamic that we established of co-learning and co-teaching has been eye opening for me. Even at my age. You've been one of the best teachers I've had and you've definitely been the best student I've had. I was honored with our time."

Sakura felt tears build in her eyes and in the blink of an eye she was tightly hugging the older woman. She took a deep breath in, her elderly scent filling her with a sense of quiet and wisdom as always. "I feel the same, I truly do."

"I would wish you good luck." Chiyo said as she pulled back. "But knowing that you're a smart, incredibly talented, hardworking and good-natured person, I'm certain that you won't need any luck. Though I should demand that you find some happiness for yourself, because I also know that you are always your last priority."

Sakura laughed kindly and then held her friends forearm softly. "Thanks. I hope that you stay like you are, Chiyo-chan. You don't need to fix all those flaws like I do. I'll come and visit sometime, I swear. It'll be great to see how much the hospital will have improved with your help."

"All right, all right. Get going now. You don't want to end up leaving at noon."

"I'll see you around!" Sakura waved at Chiyo and then walked back towards the street level.

Sakura had added a truly important asset to her skills with Chiyo; she'd become a poison specialist and had refined her own knowledge on antidotes and medical drugs. Apart from that, Chiyo had brought up the subject of summons and Sakura had realized that she'd never even thought about it. After reading a bit on summoning, she found that blood contracts were not supposed to be affected by time or space. So, in theory, her summoning contract with the slugs would still be intact. Sakura had been thrilled to find out that they indeed were. It didn't only mean that she had a useful summoning technique, but also that she had something from Tsunade in this life as well.

Sakura had quickly left the hospital before anyone else tried to start a conversation with her and walked towards the Kazekage tower for a final stop. Her feet moved quickly so that she wouldn't risk having to spend the night out in the desert and arrived at the fifth floor in no time.

"Sakura-chan!" a woman's voce stopped her and she turned around to see Temari walking towards her. "You're leaving already?"

"Yeah. The day has finally arrived, huh?"

"Well, you've been complaining about it all this time, so you better not change your mind now." Temari patted Sakura's back enthusiastically and she almost stumbled forward. "I may come visit Konoha sometime. You tell Shikamaru that he better expect to get his ass kicked now that I'm chunin too. The last time I saw him he found a way to evade our encounter until I had to leave!"

"I will." Sakura chuckled. "You know, I still think that a more classic approach would be better to get under his skin."

"And why the hell would I take a classic approach when I'm not a classic girl? It would be like a false advertising about myself, because I wouldn't want to hide this amazing personality for too long." Temari finished and laughed loudly.

"I guess you're right. It's better to always be yourself, right?" Sakura agreed.

"Good luck to you too. You know who I'm talking about."

"What's gotten into everyone's mind today that they're all talking about Sasuke?!"

"Who said anything about Sasuke?" Temari raised an eyebrow and Sakura almost choked on her spit. "Just kidding! I've known ever since you three escorted us back home after the invasion. It was written all over your face for fuck's sake!"

"Whatever." Sakura mumbled with a soft blush on her cheeks. She honestly wasn't too comfortable with being open about Sasuke, because she still felt like a twenty-two year old woman fancying a sixteen year old boy. And that was certainly a bit unsettling, even if her body was that of a teenager too.

"Write to me sometime, will ya?" Temari gave Sakura a quick hug and then stepped back again.

"Ok. See you around!" Sakura waved and then resumed her way towards the Kazekage office.

She was soon in front of his door and knocking. When she was finally allowed to enter, she bit her lower lip. This was definitely going to be the most difficult person to say good-bye to. Her eyes met Gaara's sky blue eyes and she felt a small smile tug at her lips.

"Hey." She said softly.

"Hey." He replied and motioned at the chair for her to take a seat. Sakura did as he said and then the silence stretched for a bit until Gaara chuckled. "I would be able to perceive your conflicted feelings even with my eyes closed."

"Oh, shut up." Sakura smiled. "You would've been able to know how conflicted I was without even meeting me."

"True."

"On the other hand, you don't seem conflicted at all." Sakura pointed out.

"I'm mourning." Gaara smirked a bit and reclined back on his seat. His smile soon faded and he frowned a bit. "I will in fact miss you."

"I know."

"Not just our training sessions – it will be hard to find someone that can keep up – but also our conversations. People in here are either afraid of me or respect me too much to disagree about anything. I honestly think it'll soon get on my nerves after you leave."

"Well, not everyone can get a piece of me." Sakura shrugged. "Besides, you have to learn to live without me too, you know? It's not healthy if you depend on me as if –"

"You're on your cloud once again." Gaara's soft voice spoke as he rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched in a half contained smile.

"Anyways, you'll have to find someone – which you will – because it'll probably be a long time before I come back here. You know how much I miss Konoha."

"Aa. I have to thank you though; you did wonders with our health system. You barely asked for more funding and everything works so much better."

"I told you, it was all a matter of efficiency, organization and qualification. Not about infrastructure or the quantity of the health professionals."

"I can still be surprised, can't I?"

"I guess." Sakura smiled. She looked at the clock and frowned. "I really need to get going."

Gaara nodded. "It's almost 9 am. You'll have to hurry to get out of the desert before sunset."

"I'll take my leave now." Sakura stood up, which was mirrored by Gaara. Sakura hugged him tightly for a couple seconds and then turned around to leave. However, she stopped at the door of his office and frowned. She turned around to look at him for another second. "Gaara. You know what they're saying, right? That the Akatsuki is after the tailed beasts. Just… be careful. Don't let your guard down, not even inside of the village. You have an ability to oversee everything… use it."

Gaara's eyes widened a bit. Sakura had never openly shown any concern for him – not that he thought he needed it – and it slightly took him by surprise. Her words about the Akatsuki seemed thoughtless at first, but there was a glint in her eye that made him reconsider it to be a warning. Gaara finally nodded and Sakura waved one last time before closing the door behind her.

Sakura bit her lip as her feet carried her towards the gates of Suna. She had hoped that the Akatsuki would come after Gaara while she was there, but they hadn't. If her guess was right, they would abduct him in a couple months maybe. At the last moment before she left Suna, she'd wanted to tell him everything she knew about his abduction, but she couldn't.

Sakura had long ago decided that she couldn't tell Gaara anything. She trusted him as much as she trusted Naruto, but she also knew that he had an incorruptible commitment to his village. If she told him about the Akatuski and all the knowledge she had, if she told him about her time travel… he would know that Danzo had no idea about any of it – he would not have sent someone like her on a mission to improve a foreign hospital otherwise. What kind of explanation would she have for telling him about it but not her own Kage? If he were to know that Danzo was unreliable and corrupt, negotiations between Suna and Konoha would be damned for sure. The second option was for Gaara to conclude that Danzo was working with the Akatsuki, which was far worse. The Kazekage was a good person, but he was smart and careful and he would definitely not take a risk in trusting someone – well, untrustworthy.

It had been a difficult decision and it had plagued Sakura for weeks when she arrived. But she couldn't risk raising any suspicions on Gaara's side, because he would definitely throw the peace treaty out the window. So, first of all, Sakura had decided to help at the hospital and do no research whatsoever regarding her real mission. Sakura had been Tsunade's apprentice and had known Gaara in her past life, so she knew quite a lot about Suna's inner and outer politics. She was certain that she had enough knowledge to write an extensive and believable report about how Suna was not suspicious at all.

Besides, she didn't want to risk the relation between Suna and Konoha. Knowing how paranoid Danzo could get – the Uchiha massacre was a clear indication of that – he might make a stupid decision and fuck the future Alliance even further. Of course, Sakura intended for that Alliance not to be ever needed in the first place, and that was her other concern.

That had been the other decision and the toughest one. While being in Suna, Sakura had decided that she only had three options. The first was to go out to find the Akatsuki and ditch her mission, with all the consequences that it implied. The second option was to try to do something from within Suna, which carried a high risk of being exposed and little chance of actually getting anything done. And the third one was… simply stay in Suna and wait.

The third option made her bones chill in fear; she didn't want to wait any longer. However, she knew that it was only impatience which was pushing her to act right away. Sakura was certain that with Kakashi's help she would be able to do much more after going back to Konoha. She might even be able to find someone else to help out. Doing everything on her own from Suna of all places – an environment she wasn't too used to – carried a much higher risk.

Also, Sakura had made some mental calculations and had decided that the war would roughly start in a year and a half, so she still had that amount of time do to something about it. It was plenty of time, it would have to be enough for her to do everything in secret from Konoha. If things went badly and she found herself stuck… then she would have to risk everything and tell everyone – including Danzo – the truth about herself.

-x-

If there was one thing Sakura had missed since she arrived in Suna – apart from her close people – it was the green. Damn. Suna barely had some succulent plants and some cacti, but it was definitely not the lush green of Konoha's trees. Ever since the scenery had changed, Sakura couldn't help but take in deep breath and enjoy the air humidity along with the clear scent of wet soil. It was something she had always liked, but had never guessed she would miss so much. It smelled like home.

As the gates of Konoha appeared in front of her, Sakura felt her heart beat faster. She was ecstasic and scared at the same time. The imminent meeting of the ones she held dear and the looming finding of what had become of Konoha were making her anxious. As she got to the main gates, she felt the unmistakable presence of Shikamaru at the guarding post. She smiled and looked up, waving cheerily.

"Sakura, huh?" his lazy voice spoke from the inside. "I can't believe two years passed already."

"Hey. I have a message from Temari."

"Ugh. That woman." Shikamaru groaned, but Sakura saw the way he curiously glanced at her. He obviously wanted to know about the blond kunoichi.

"Oh, if you don't want to hear it it's all right." Sakura shrugged.

"Nah, just tell me. She'll give me an earful if I don't listen to her message."

Sakura smirked and felt like teasing him a bit more. "Maybe some other time, I'm pretty tired right now."

As she walked into the village she heard Shikamaru's faint complaints about 'why even bring it up if she won't say a thing'. However, Sakura's mind immediately started assessing her surroundings. It was past sunset and most people were home by now, but there was a faint difference in the way that people behaved. It was only slight, but Sakura saw the way they sometimes looked over their shoulder or how their body was generally tenser than what would've been expected. It was not much, but Sakura was certain by that alone that something had changed. And it had not only affected shinobi, but civilians as well. Apart from that, her war-sharpened sensing abilities allowed her to locate several ANBU level shinobi in town, which were hidden and watching everything intently.

Things certainly didn't seem like they were before she left. But Sakura had to admit that she'd expected worse from Danzo. She had honestly believed that she would come back in the middle of a curfew and to find out that there were countless political prisoners. Then again, Sakura had just gotten there and there still might be a lot she didn't know.

Sakura wanted to go see her parents so badly, but she knew that shinobi were always expected to immediately report to the Hokage after a mission. Sakura walked down the streets and soon was in front of the Hokage Tower. She frowned upon seeing a regular chunin guarding the entrance instead of an ANBU, who turned to look at her as she stopped in front of the main doors.

"State your business."

"I need to report to Danzo-sama."

"But why are you here?" he squinted his eyes.

"I-eh… Is he not here?" Sakura's frown deepened. "I was on a two year mission and just came back."

"Oh." His eyes slightly widened and he nodded in understanding. "Danzo-sama's office is no longer located here. You can find him in the old bunker next to the Hokage Mountain from now on."

"All right, thank you." Sakura smiled politely and then turned around to leave.

So, Danzo had actually moved back to root's quarters. It was most definitely not unexpected, but it still irked her a bit. She did feel like it was a bit disrespectful towards the previous Hokages, given that the tower had been a monumental and iconic building since the founding of the village. Five minutes later, she was only a couple meters away from the entrance – where two ANBU stood in guard – when someone walked out of the door and stopped in front of her. Raven hair, obsidian eyes, pale skin; it was Sasuke.

Sakura's heartbeat became almost erratic as her eyes took in his appearance. His jaw was now broader, his face was slightly thinner and he now was taller than she was. He was wearing plain black ninja pants and a thick dark blue jacket. His hair was the same that she'd last seen it, but somehow shorter and less spiky. His dark eyes shone now with something that seemed serene, almost wise – the barely contained rage from her past life not visible anymore – and his body posture was relaxed. He looked damned beautiful. It was not just that he was handsome – because he somehow managed to look better each time she looked at him – but it was also due to the fact that it was him along with all the feelings that he provoked in her. Especially since she was painfully aware of how his whole attention was directed towards her. His eyes scanned her face and form with interest and he finally looked back into her eyes with a small smirk.

"Sakura." His voice was much deeper than she remembered, and it admittedly reminded her of the Sasuke in her previous life. However, it held an edge to it that, while still intense, seemed kinder at the same time. It honestly made shivers go down her spine.

"Sasuke." Sakura smiled at him. She wanted to hug him right there and then, but thought it would be weird considering that it was Sasuke and that there were two ANBU standing right beside them and observing their every move.

"You're here to see Danzo-sama?" he asked and Sakura nodded. "Come, I'll lead the way."

Sakura followed suit and forced her eyes to stay away from his broad shoulders. She scanned the different people inside, the closed doors and the various hallways. It was probably futile to try and make a mental blueprint of the place or try to figure how the security worked, but she needed to at least try to make something of what she saw. She could never be too careful when it came to that man.

Sasuke led her two stories below ground and they soon arrived at a room with double iron hinged doors. He knocked on the door and they were immediately allowed inside.

"I thought you'd already left, Sasuke." Danzo spoke from behind a desk on the far end of the room. At least, that's what Sakura assumed, because she honestly didn't see a thing with the dim lighting. The place truly looked like one of Orochimaru's lairs – like a place straight out of a horror novel – and she wondered if there was a reason why Sasuke always ended up training with a creepy character.

"I found Haruno Sakura at the entrance and led the way for her." Sasuke spoke slowly and his voice radiated confidence and boldness, something Sakura never thought anyone would have in the presence of that man. She dared turn her head to look at Sasuke and was surprised to see that he seemed not at all anxious or scared of Danzo. He truly seemed like any student in the presence of their mentor.

"Oh?" Danzo's voice echoed in the room and Sakura saw his figure rise from his seat. "Haruno, approach."

Sakura gulped and walked closer to him, her footsteps making far too much noise for her liking. She finally stopped a meter away from his desk and slightly bowed. "Danzo-sama."

"Briefly inform me if you found anything in Suna."

"There's nothing suspicious about them, Hokage-sama." Sakura spoke, her eyes trained on the ground under her feet while her head was slightly bowed in a polite manner.

"I'm assuming that you did a thorough investigation if you came to that conclusion with such certainty." Danzo stated. "I expect an exhaustive report on what happened during the past two years. Everything you learned, heard or saw that might be of interest to our village must be written down. It is to be handed personally to me."

"Hai."

"Also, as is custom for shinobi who just returned from long term missions, you will have two weeks off. You are expected to replenish your energies, so you're not allowed to do any kind of work. Not as a shinobi, not as a medic."

"Thank you, Danzo-sama."

"You're dismissed." He waved her off and sat back down.

Sakura walked back to the doors of the office and saw Sasuke nodding once in farewell too. He opened the doors for the both of them and walked with her out of the office. Sakura didn't feel the knot on her throat dissipate until they were out on the streets once again. When she felt the cool night air on her skin again, she exhaled deeply and looked up at Sasuke to see that he was still walking. He seemed to notice her reluctance and looked at her from behind his shoulder.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, honest curiosity shining in his eyes.

"I- uh." Sakura caught up to him and they resumed their way. "Where are we going?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but Sakura remained quiet and he sighed. "I'm walking you home."

"Oh." Sakura said quickly and cursed the warm feeling that built on her cheeks.

As she started walking next to him, she felt her thoughts drift back to the moment she'd seen him interact with Danzo. Sasuke had always been smart and that he was certainly capable of masking his thoughts and emotions. It did appear like he was truly satisfied with being Danzo's student, and it also seemed like Danzo believed it to be true. Danzo and Sasuke had managed to put up a truly believable act. However… was it really an act?

Sakura felt slightly uneasy at the thought that she'd just entertained. If Sasuke truly was a good pretender… then what if he was pretending with her too? Had Danzo washed his brain and he was now pretending with her? Or even worse, what if Sasuke had consciously decided to change his mind about Danzo and taken his side? Would Sasuke be watching over her and inform Danzo of any moves she made against him? Had he been truly keeping in touch with her because she'd asked him and he wanted to? Had Sasuke been writing to her because she didn't trust Danzo? Should she trust Sasuke at this point?

Sakura looked up and noticed that Sasuke was eyeing her curiously. She pushed her thoughts away and spoke up without thinking about the words. "What?"

"You're quiet."

"I-" Sakura swallowed nervously and looked at the ground in front of her. "I was just thinking."

"Did you run into any trouble on your way back?" Sasuke looked at her from the edge of his eye, his face still facing to the front.

"Not at all." Sakura smiled reassuringly, but she still felt uneasy around him. However, she obviously didn't want him to know that she doubted him, so she tried her best to keep a straight face. "It was hot, and cold. And windy. But thankfully I'm home now. I've really come to be grateful for the climate we have in Konoha."

"Naruto visited you a couple months ago." Sasuke stated after a few moments silence and she nodded in confirmation. "How is he doing? That idiot must be having a hard time writing anything more than his name, because I've barely heard from him."

"He was good. He's become strong… and he's grown so much. He now is almost as tall as you are." Sakura smiled and turned to look at Sasuke knowingly. It was obvious that Sasuke had expected Naruto to write to him and felt a slightly frustrated the he hadn't. "He hasn't written to you because he's like every man; too embarrassed to show that he cares about another man. But I know that he cares because he asked about you a lot."

"It's not like I was upset about it or anything." Sasuke mumbled and averted his eyes for a second.

"Ohh, you were just curious."

"Yeah. Just curious."

Sakura laughed at his denial – which was clear as day for the both of them – and turned her face to fully look at him. To her surprise, there was a small smile in his lips and she swore he let out a barely audible chuckle. The way his features light up when he smiled – even when it was small – and how his eyes softened made her feel warm inside. She didn't know if Sasuke was on her side or not… but the fact the he was able to look genuinely animated made her happy.

"What about you? I can imagine that you've become stronger too." Sakura said, trying to keep her feelings at bay. "Danzo doesn't seem like someone to take training easy."

Sasuke snorted. "That's an understatement. At least it's been truly worth the effort."

"Good."

"What about you?"

"Huh?"

"You don't have a teacher, do you?"

"Not really. But I trained with Gaara every day and studied with an older woman that's the top expert in poisons."

"Studied with?"

"Yeah. I taught her medical ninjutsu and she taught me about poisons."

"So you're teaching now?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow and smirked teasingly. "Didn't see that coming."

"Yeah. I'm just that good." Sakura grinned. "I'm stronger too."

"Hmm." Sasuke hummed, clearly disbelieving her statement. Sakura thankfully didn't take things personally anymore.

"Maybe we should spar someday."

"You'll to get your ass kicked." Sasuke smirked smugly.

"I'll wipe that smug smirk off your face." Sakura retorted, but there was a soft smile on her lips.

Sasuke looked ahead once again and Sakura mirrored his actions. She realized they'd already gotten to her place and frowned at the prospect of Sasuke leaving already.

"You don't want to come in?"

"No." Sasuke simply said, but after a moment and seeing Sakura biting on her lower lip he added. "It would not be polite to ruin the moment."

"But you've come like a dozen times for dinner - don't think my father didn't write to me about it – and I know they wouldn't mind at all."

"They've insisted to a point that's left me no other choice. Just like Ino."

"Whatever you say, Sasuke." Sakura giggled and heard Sasuke grunt as she moved closer to her front door. "So, sparring tomorrow?"

"8 pm." Sasuke said and Sakura nodded in agreement, knowing that Sasuke probably had the rest of the day full.

Sakura knocked on her door and heard Sasuke's footsteps move away from her house.

Sakura was still indecisive about trusting Sasuke. It made her feel a bit guilty about it, but she didn't want to risk anything that might put either of them in danger. Either way, that fact didn't prevent Sakura from enjoying Sasuke's presence and wanting to spend time with him. In fact, in order to make up her mind she would have to spend some time with him. And she was most definitely looking forward to that.

A/N: Here it is. This is a transition chapter and nothing too important happened. However, I'd like to know what you guys think of what you found out about Sakura's time in Suna.

What about Konoha? Do you think there's more going on or it's just Sakura being paranoid?

Do you think Danzo trusts Sasuke? Or is he suspicious of Sasuke? Of Sakura?

What do you think about Sakura having doubts when it comes to trusting Sasuke the way she used to? Do you think this will have consequences?

I'd like to give a special thanks to my beta MonochromeAce for checking out the chapter in like a couple hours!

I also want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing! It's always so encouraging to hear out what your thoughts are.