The Konoha eleven returned exhausted but successful and they had been paid handsomely.
"hey teme! You want dinner! We are all going out...will you come?"
Sasuke looked at Naruto and then at the rest of the group. He couldn't always be anti-social…and if he wanted things to go smoothly...he had to try.
"yeah...just let me go change and ill meet you all there."
The Konoha eleven looked at sasuke in shock. He actually said yes.
Once they got over their shock, the group went home to change and then headed to the restaurant.
"oi! This meat is delicious!" choji said as he drooled over his food. Everyone was gathered.
"choji! Stop eating so sloppily!" ino yelled.
Sasuke rolled his eyes. They were all so loud.
"hey you guys!"
Sasuke stomach dropped as he saw who entered the room. Karin, Kakashi, Kureni, asuma, guy and even the fifth hokage herself.
Sasuke had to take a deep calming breath. He was feeling smothered. All these people. All these eyes.
It was one thing when he was in the village hidden in the mountains. He was surrounded by people who gave him space. But right now, he wasn't.
"so...sasuke...how's it going?" Kakashi asked as he sat next to him and to his dismay Karin sat across from him, glaring at sakura.
"its going fine..." he replied as he eyed Naruto who was too busy stuffing his face to notice the palpable tension.
"..i heard your mission was successful.."
"hn." Sasuke replied
"sasuke kuuun! I'm so glad you decided to come home!" Karin interrupted.
Sasuke only nodded and continued his meal he knew the place was surrounded by anbu and lady fifth was there to watch him. They all were. They didn't trust him.
"...so what happened to that women you were with…she was very….protective of you? I thought it strange though…she-"
Karin didn't get to finished because in a puff of smoke. Garuda in his smaller form appeared right on sasuke shoulder. A simple letter attached to his leg.
Kakashi watched the emotions play out on his students face. He couldn't see the letter but whatever it was, had sasuke…excited? happy? restless...he couldn't tell.
"excuse me…" sasuke said as he stood.
"huh? Your leaving early teme? Why? It's not like you have something better to do?" Naruto whined
"sorry dobe ..i have things to take care of...but ill meet you at the training grounds tomorrow. I don't care when…"
Naruto smiled "alright!"
Sakura looked at Karin and as soon as sasuke left she dived for information.
"Karin? Did you say ...there was a woman …she was traveling with sasuke?"
"sakura…that's classified and Karin you know better. Don't bring it up again." Tsuande said coldly. Her plan to get info out of sasuke Uchiha had failed. she signaled an anbu.
"follow him."
The party was over but sakura stayed. Everyone else had left and yet here she was. She tried giving sasuke space but that wasn't working. She should just come right out... just tell him. tell him that she wanted to go out on a date…or at least just have some time with him alone…. get reacquainted.
That was it…she had to get reacquainted with sasuke first. No wonder he wasn't taking an interest.
She had to get on a friendly basis with him first. And she knew exactly where to start.
Three months later:
Three months. It had been three months and sakura couldn't believe the progress she had made with sasuke. He trained with them and when she said them, she meant team 7. Kakashi, Sai, Naruto and herself. They even had team dinners and every once and a while she and sasuke would have lunch. Of course, …someone was always with him but still, lunch was lunch. He still wasn't one for conversations, but he would still be polite. He had shown his worth that tsunade even called off the anbu but that was only because Naruto pushed for it. he told lady fifth that sasuke was always with them and there was no point.
Recently however, the whole village was preparing not only for the chunin exams but also the five kage summit meeting. And to her shock sasuke had been called to be …interrogated by the five kages. They wanted to be sure…sasuke was on their side. Another thing was that Naruto and Kakashi were going to be there to observe and meet with the kages. With Naruto in training to take over after Kakashi, they wanted him to see the inner workings. Shikamaru had also been assigned to shadow his father who was also one of tsuande closest advisors.
In truth sakura felt a little left out…but she didn't feel too bad because the kages would be touring the hospital and that made her feel good since she was in charge.
Just one more week. Just one more and before she knew it. she would finally have her date with sasuke.
…
"They want to what!" hinata shouted at onoki and she never shouted.
Suno however, couldn't help but laugh. He loved a pissed off hinata. Even though he told her he wouldn't give her a commitment until he saw her mother's grave…he couldn't help it but at least stay in the land of stone.
"...im sorry lady tora. This is a part of the agreement between nations. Now I know I asked you to come with me but with your condition- "
"don't! .." hinata warned.
"...ok…ok…but you need to take it easy… we leave next week. We have to interrogate sasuke if theirs to be trust amid the nations. But since lady daimyo and I are both vouching for him. I'm sure everything will work out…so please calm yourself for your own health. You have a lot going on and I know your excited to see your husband, but you have to take it easy..."
Suno watched hinata's shoulders sag. He had to agree with his father. She had been doing a lot. Running missions for the snow and the stone and taking care of her village. She honestly needed a vacation and he was going to punch that husband of hers.
Just one more week. One more week.
