Sasuke stares at the growing pink hair of his female companion. They had been traveling non-stop for five hours now when a blushing shinobi of Iwa appeared and greeted Sakura. They are now near the outskirts of Takigakure, Sasuke observes.
Following the aftermath of the war, many admirers express their romantic feelings for Sakura. A week before was when he asked Sakura if she would be willing to go and travel the world with him. With her eyes watering with so much emotions, she said yes certainly. And since then, many would take notice of her, most would be men of their age, giving her some letters and gifts of that sort.
It is expected, Sasuke thinks. Sakura touched many lives during the war- as a healer, as a comrade, and as a friend. But to say that did not bother the sharingan-wielder would be a lie. He will always be standing there awkwardly by the side, waiting until her admirers would finally back off.
Sakura had always apologized for those disruptions. And he would always brush it off, saying he did not mind. But he did. He does.
And as he observes how the Iwa shinobi stutters to give Sakura a love letter, he has not noticed that he approaches them silently. The said Iwa shinobi then uncomfortably shifts and retracts his letter. His onyx eyes give him a once-over. He is only a few centimeters shorter than Sasuke. He has blue eyes and brown hair. He is carrying a huge shuriken behind his back.
"I-I haven't noticed you have company, Sakura-san."
Sakura smiles and introduces Sasuke to the shinobi. "Oh right, Banri, I assume you know Uchiha Sasuke."
"Of course I do! He is one of the heroes of the war, alongside with you, of course, Sakura-san." Banri nods and extends his hand to offer to Sasuke. "It is an honor for me to meet you."
Sasuke looks at the shinobi's hand wrapped in bandages. And after a careful observation, he has obliged to give the man a firm handshake. He then turns to Sakura. "If we keep our pace, we'll be arriving at Takigakure by sunset."
Sakura nods at Sasuke then turns to face Banri. "Right. I hope you do not overexert yourself, Banri-san. Afterall, your hand is still recovering. I'll see you around then. Take care."
A slightly frowning Banri waves his hand and wishes for their safety during their travels. On his other hand is the letter he has always wishes to give to the kunoichi who has been on his mind ever since the war.
.
.
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Sasuke and Sakura arrive at their destination before the sunset. Ignoring some distrustful stares, they go to the market to buy some food. And after that, they settle to one of the caves near a waterfall.
And as their usual routine goes, they quietly eat their food.
"Do you get that a lot?" Sasuke begins.
Sakura pauses from eating her grilled fish, tilting her head in confusion. "What do you mean, Sasuke-kun?"
"Men approaching you." He says afterwards, avoiding her gaze in the process.
"I guess. During the two years you've been searching for yourself, trying to correct your past mistakes, I have been assigned missions from time to time too. And yes, more often than not, people recognize me as the pink-haired healer." She answers and then goes back to eating.
"That is not what I meant." His eyes glued on the fire, still trying to avoid any eye contact with her.
Sakura's brows furrow in confusion. She is about to ask him for a clarification, but then it occurs to him what he means. "Oh.." She puts her food on her side and faces him altogether. "Why are you asking me such thing, Sasuke-kun?"
A minute of silence settles in. The sound of the wood cracking from fire takes over. And although Sakura wants answers from her questions, she now knows Sasuke enough not to meddle into his thoughts. She is not going to force him to open up.
"Why? Why me?" He asks, raising his head this time.
Sakura is stupefied at first. This man that she has only ever loved since day one, questioning her. Indeed why is it him. There are plenty of guys out there willing to offer her everything. But this man, who has hurt her too many times, she still feels that she will only be happy with him.
"It was always you, Sasuke-kun. It will always be you." She finally says. "Whatever happens, I will still love you. There is no reason for that. I know there is a long way ahead of us, but I am willing to wait. No matter how long it takes." She smiles this time, a sincere and bright one, the smile that is only reserved for him.
"I know what you're going to say. And I'm repeating what I just said. No matter how long it takes, Sasuke-kun. I'll be by your side. Always."
Sasuke rubs the back of his neck, keeping his eyes on the ground. And when his eyes meet hers, he smirks. "You really are annoying."
Her smile brightens even more, already knowing the hidden meaning behind the insult. "Oh! Before we forget!" She reaches out for her bag, searching for something. She brings out a rectangle-shaped box wrapped in a color blue paper.
"Happy Birthday Sasuke-kun!" She extends her arm, giving her gift to him.
He blinks twice, thrice. He has not remembered that indeed it is his birthday today. He has not also noticed Sakura buying him a present. He takes the box from her hands, carefully opening it.
In it is the official picture of Team 7, framed in a wooden material.
"I figured that you lost yours years ago. And because of Pein's attack, your things cannot be recovered anymore." Sakura explains.
He shifts his eyes from the picture to his companion. "Thank you, Sakura." For everything.
A/N: Written this for SSMonth 2017 day 23 and for Sasuke's birthday as well. Decided to post it here in ff.