AN: Okay guys I've got to admit that this chapter the interaction between Sakura and Sasuke is one of my favourite. I'm really happy at the direction I am going for Sakura, in a way I did not make her the antagonist! And also about the bracelet, no I did not forget! i was just waiting for the perfect time to return, or for Sasuke to ask to return! i'm not going to spoil further but hope you guys enjoy this way of writing!
Do let me know hehe!
.::.
Hinata stood outside of Orochimaru's hideout in Oto, feet tapping the ground impatiently as she waited for anyone to show up and showed her the way in. But she had been standing outside for almost half an hour now and not a single soul was seen.
Deciding not to wait any longer, she mentally prepared an apology speech in case anyone was to catch her sneaking in. She wasn't in fact even trying to be in a stealth mode. She walked in openly, trying to remember the brief tour Jugo had once gave her around this particular hideout when she was cooped up here for her fever.
The kitchen… Experimental rooms… Training rooms… Perhaps the medical room would be where Karin would be at. And if Karin was there, maybe Suigetsu would be present too.
She continued sprinting down the seemingly endless hallway that never failed to send chills down her spine. Orochimaru indeed really needed to revamp his hideout too. When she finally reached the room, with no hesitation she opened the door and stomped in, frown marring her face when she made eye contact with the inseparable duo.
"Hinata?" Suigetsu stood up, pushing the roller chair behind.
Hinata tried pulling an even angrier face, wishing they could catch the fact that she was serious and wasn't in the mood for jokes. She was extremely mad that being her friends, they did nothing to tell her about the fact that Sasuke was the one who took care of her.
When her eyes finally healed from Enju's magical herbs, the first thing she did was to promise Enju that she would return for a visit with Sasuke Uchiha along. Then she made her way towards Oto, trying her best not to activate her byakugan as advised by Enju.
She knew the letter she sent must had been tampered with the Uchiha's words.
"How could you?" Hinata scolded, fingers curled into a fist.
"Ah, crap." Suigetsu poked Karin, asking for help. "She's really mad."
The red head sighed and placed the tools that was in her hands down. "Hinata, we are sorry. We searched for you for so long, and when Sasuke-kun told us that – "
"No!" Hinata cut her off. The duo was surprised at the sight of a really mad Hyuga. "I'm not angry that you guys did not come looking for me. But why didn't you at least let me know that Sasuke-san was with me? You guys told me that you will help me to search for him!"
"Hinata." A stern voice coming from Karin silent her. "We did not want to disturb you through the time of your recuperation. And we simply just hope that during that time, it manages to provide you a clearer vision of what you wanted."
"Yea." Suigetsu agreed. "We did not want to let anything be forceful either. If Sasuke wants to see you, he will. And he did, he just didn't want you to know."
It did. Through the time she spent alone with Enu, she figured what she wanted. And now she wanted to tell it to him that she would be happy to clean the graves of their loved ones together. For all the letters she had sent, and one requesting the Hokage to aid, none of them were returned.
"But…" Her voice trailed off as she lowered her head.
The door behind her opened and she could sense the calmness of the chakra that belonged to Jugo. Her hand rested on her shoulder predictably. "I can hear your voice down the hallway. Hinata rarely gets loud."
Her cheeks grew slightly red. "I w-was mad."
"I don't blame you." His soothing voice somehow managed to disperse the anger within her. "It's just not in our rights to step in between you two."
"Gomen, Hinata." Karin apologized softly. "I really didn't want to make anything forceful."
"He still took care of you, that shows something." Jugo assured. "He still cares."
Hinata lifted her eyes to meet them and felt as if she was about to break into tears. Not because of the anger, or that she had missed out another chance to speak to the person she wanted to, but for knowing the fact that she had the members of Team Taka supporting her throughout.
"Do you think anyone caught me coming in?" Hinata asked.
"We did receive a signal stating there's an intruder."
.::.
"Tamaki."
Sasuke found himself entering the new home of Nekobaa's. He thought he could stop by the place where he thought it was remotely close to 'home'. The place where Itachi used to bring him to play with the cats, or just capturing kittens for their paw prints. He missed the feeling of having someone, and when he was so close to feeling that, it was stripped from him.
The argument he had with Naruto was still troubling him, mainly being worried about how his friend would be handling with the newly found information. He just hoped the anger in the blonde would dissipate soon, and they could continue talking normally like as if nothing had happened before.
"Sasuke-kun?" Tamaki lifted her brows in surprise to see the Uchiha popping by. She frowned, hands resting on her hips. "How many times do we have to say knock?"
"You did not lock the door."
"You know obaa-chan hates to lock it." Tamaki sighed. "She complains that she can't fit the keys into the hole."
"Is she home?" Sasuke questioned as he studied their new home.
He hadn't really gotten a chance to visit ever since Tamaki mentioned that they had moved into Konoha despite Nekobaa preferring to stay at the outskirts but being closer to the market and essential stores made their life a lot easier. The new place was cozy and small, just enough for two humans to be living under.
"She's out buying cat food for the kittens. Looking for her?" The brunette picked up the cat that was on the couch and sat down, signaling Sasuke to join her. "How have you been? Busy?"
"Sorta." Sasuke responded as he rested himself against the backrest. "How's the new place for you guys?"
"Baa-chan still prefers our old place." She chuckled, stroking Hina the ninneko that was laying on her lap. "She says it's safer for them to run around outside."
"It's nice here." Hina purred. "I like it."
Sasuke chuckled, almost forgetting that Hina could speak like a normal person, just like her partner Denka. "Where's Denka?"
"He followed Baa-chan to the market. Did you get them treats?" Tamaki quizzed, only to receive a mild apologetic look on the Uchiha's face as he patted the female cat on her lap. She shrugged. "Ah, Sasuke Uchiha must had been really busy."
"I promise to get it the next time."
"Have you heard about Sakura?" Tamaki asked, stealing a glance over at Sasuke. He should know about the latest news that was surrounding village about how the top medic of Konoha had been cooped up at home for a period of time. "Have you got to talk to her?"
"Ah." Sasuke mentally groaned.
He knew Tamaki wasn't the type to mingle around with the villagers, and often simply just spend the day at home with the cats or just help out her grandmother to run errands. He was not surprised to know that Tamaki was clueless about the reason behind Sakura's sadness but was amazed by how did she even know that the medic had cooped herself up lately.
"Yea, I've talked to her." Sasuke admitted, not really wishing to hide anything. "That's the reason why she is sad."
"What do you mean?" Tamaki tilted her head.
"I told Sakura that I can't like her."
"Oh." Tamaki blinked, slightly confused. "I thought you two were doing great."
"That's what everyone thinks." Sasuke hated the pressure from everyone and he hated himself even more for giving into that pressure and forced himself to fall for Sakura. "I… gave in to that pressure and tried to like her. It didn't go the way I wished, and I don't blame anyone for hating me."
The silence between them was comfortable, perhaps because they had known each other for a long time even though they did not see each other often. She then chuckled softly. "What's there to hate?"
"Naruto was pretty pissed." He rested his elbow on the arm rest of the couch, remembering the incident just about an hour ago. "I did give Sakura the wrong impression."
"You don't hate people for trying, Sasuke-kun." Tamaki shook her head. "You did try your best anyways, it's just sad that things didn't turn out the way you want."
"Perhaps I could have tried harder."
"By how much?" Tamaki smiled, allowing Hina to make its way to Sasuke's lap. "I don't think there's a bar to how hard one can try to fall in love."
Sasuke scoffed. "What do you know about love?"
The brunette folded her arms confidently and stared straight into the Uchiha's eyes. "I am dating someone. So if we are going to talk about experience wise, I have more experience in love than you."
For someone who stayed in and not having much friends around to be dating, Sasuke was without a doubt, curious who it was. Tamaki had been a great person in his life, so much to a point he saw her as part of his un-blooded family, like a younger sister. "Really?" He questioned, full of doubt.
"Yes." She responded. "But I am not the topic to focus on. What made you finally talk to Sakura about your feelings?"
Everyone seemed to have gotten themselves attached. "About time." He replied, deciding not to bring up the full reason.
"After almost two years of trying… you decided that it's about time?" Tamaki did not seem convinced. "Did something stop you from trying? You once told Obaa-chan that you wanted to rebuild your clan."
"I can't rebuild my clan with someone I don't see my life with. Sakura is great, I trust her, but she just isn't the one."
She knew something was hiding up Sasuke's sleeve. Tamaki knew how he had been focusing on travelling and finding the purpose in his life to a point where settling down with someone was not the top priority. It was either he had finally found what he wanted to do with his life and decided to direct his focus onto that, or there got to be something that pushed him to consider about the relationship he was going to have with Sakura.
"Did you find something you want to do?" Tamaki asked.
"Not yet." Sasuke exhaled, fulling vexed. That was another problem to think about. He should perhaps focus on that soon.
"I suppose it must be someone you met while you're on the road?"
Was he really that obvious? Sasuke almost had it if another person was to figure out what he was thinking. First it was Jugo, then Shikamaru – couldn't blame, he was a genius, and then even Sakura could tell that he was having some interest in a particular someone. "Yes, I've met someone. But that isn't the full reason to why I decided to finally tell Sakura how I feel."
Tamaki lit up with doubt. "Really?" That person had definitely pushed him to question about his feelings for Sakura. "Who's she?" She wriggled her brows cheekily. "Do I know her?"
"You don't go around and mingle with people. I doubt you know anyone. I am surprise you're even seeing someone."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "That's because I am still friendly even when people approach me. Unlike you."
Sasuke could not deny her.
"Where's she from?" Tamaki continued.
"What does it benefit you from knowing?"
She shrugged. "Nothing. Is she from Konoha? Since you mentioned about me not going out and about, so if I were to do that, I will be able to see her around?"
"Yes, she's from Konoha." Sasuke sighed in defeat. "But she's nothing much. I just needed to make things clear to Sakura. Since when you became so nosy?"
"It's in a woman's blood to be nosy, Sasuke-kun." A chuckle escaped her lips. "Doesn't seem nothing much to me. She must be something for you to question about Sakura. Not to fuel your guilt, but everyone thought you two were going to make it."
Indeed, she was something. Something so annoying and stubborn. Sasuke still had not gotten over the fact that the obstinate Hyuga had actually strained her eyes pretty badly in the midst of looking for him. She should stop trying so hard.
"That's why Sakura is so deeply hurt." Sasuke felt his shoulders slumped. "I owe it to her."
"Sasuke-kun, you don't owe it to anyone for not being able to love them. Maybe you owe it to her for not telling her the truth earlier. That's all."
"I didn't really realize anything until I met Hinata." Sasuke explained.
That was the difference between Naruto and him. Naruto wanted the best of everything. For himself, took a little more time than usual, and only with the appearance of the shy blue head allowed him to figure that Sakura wasn't the one.
He understood how hard it was to break the truth to the person who had been waiting for so long but what needed to be done, had to be done. And Naruto should have done it long ago when he knew Konoha would be his final choice.
"Hinata?" Tamaki questioned; brows lightly furrowed.
Had he accidentally spilled her name?
"As in… Naruto's former girlfriend?"
"Yea, it's a little messy." Sasuke responded.
"Like… Kiba-kun's friend, Hinata?"
Sasuke turned the face the brunette, slightly lost by the way she had described Hinata. She knew Kiba too? Sure, Hinata had the common title of Naruto's girlfriend since everyone loved keeping up with the hero's personal life but the Inuzuka wasn't the biggest shot – sorry Kiba.
"You know Kiba?"
Her mouth opened, allowing a shock voice to escaped as she let out a quick laugh. "The person I'm seeing is Kiba-kun."
.::.
What Sasuke initially had intended was to drop by Nekobaa's place, perhaps along with a cup of tea and a quick conversation in hope to ease out the burning anger that was within him from the confrontation he had with Naruto. After that, he was ready to continue his travel and probably intending not to return for some time till there was a reason for him to.
After the long conversation with Tamaki alone while waiting for her grandmother to return, some surprising discovery were made but Sasuke wasn't really that interested to the point where he would be waiting outside of Konoha Police Corp along with the brunette. He should be leaving. He did not want to bump into Naruto again, and having to have another round of face-off.
But neither was he keen in meeting Kiba. He sure wasn't going to interrogate him on how he had been treating Tamaki as his girlfriend so what exactly was the reason he was here, waiting on him then?
"Kiba-kun is very close to Hinata. He will help you to talk it out to her."
That was it. Sasuke was very much against the idea, but Tamaki had somehow managed to convince him by stating that Kiba was someone Hinata really listened to and would take his advices seriously. So, he thought perhaps he could ask Kiba to relay the message to Hinata to stop seeking for him.
"I still don't feel right about this. He probably had heard from Naruto about my feelings to Hinata." Sasuke said, intending to leave but was stopped when Tamaki grabbed onto his poncho.
"You're not leaving. Kiba-kun spent the entire day in the station and only gets out after he's done with work." She said, a little annoyed by her boyfriend's workaholic nature. "He won't have the time to meet Naruto."
"Will he even be out then?"
"He will." She replied confidently. "His dog instinct always allows him to know that I am outside the station."
And Tamaki was right. The moment she finished her sentence, a tattooed face male stepped out of the station, looking almost annoyed. She smiled, giving Sasuke a cocky look before stepping ahead and made her way towards the Inuzuka. He decided to just wait till she gave a cue to join.
His presence was instantly noticed by Kiba, but he chose to address his girlfriend first. He quickly gave him a wave as a greeting out of politeness, to which Sasuke wondered would he still treat him with this amount of respect after finding out his request.
"Ah, Sasuke-kun's with me today because he needed some help." Tamaki dragged Kiba towards him and squinted her eyes at the Uchiha. "Right?"
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Have you seen Hinata?"
Kiba cocked his brows before shaking his head. "She hasn't return yet. Are you looking for her?"
"Sorta." Sasuke finished, only to receive a light punch from Tamaki. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Uh… I need you to pass some message to her when she's back."
"Why not Sakura?" Kiba was suspicious. He knew Tamaki was friend with Sasuke but it was still a surprising sight to see his girlfriend with the traveler Uchiha waiting for him outside his station. Sasuke should be comforting the poor Sakura who was still stuck at her home for reasons he still did not know.
"She's a…"
And Sasuke rarely was at loss of words. It was a new sight for sure. Kiba frowned. "Sasuke, is there something? Sakura's been really upset over something. You should talk to her."
"Give Sakura some time to heal." He managed. "About Hinata, I need you to relay a message to her."
"Message?" Something must had happened. "Did something happen to Hinata?"
"Kiba-kun." Tamaki gently tugged onto her boyfriend's sleeve. "Let Sasuke-kun finish."
Sasuke gave the brunette a quick nod and continued. "Hinata's recuperating her eyes at a safe place near Mizu. She's alright and – "
"Recuperating? What happened to her?" Kiba questioned eagerly upon hearing about an injured Hinata.
Sasuke had to fight back the urge to not reprimand the male for constantly cutting off. "She's fine. She will return soon. And uh… Something happened between us and will you please tell her to stop looking for me. I will see her when the time's right."
Kiba's eyes widened. Hinata was looking for the Uchiha? What time was right? He blinked; face filled with confusion as he glanced over towards his girlfriend who seemed to have already understood the whole situation. Had he been so cooped up with his work that he had completely missed out something?
Hinata indeed had ended her relationship with Naruto. Was Sakura's sadness cause by Sasuke? Working at the Konoha Military Police Force had sure heightened his investigating skills. Hinata would not have fallen out of her relationship with Naruto for Sasuke, and for that he could only deduce that Sasuke must had taken a liking for the byakugan princess because Hinata could not possibly get over Naruto that quick. Or was it?
"She rejected you huh?" Kiba quizzed calmly.
Sasuke smirked, acknowledging the dog tamer's detective skills. "Tell her to save her apology. I should be the one apologizing and it will only reach her some time later."
"So what, is she still in love with Naruto?"
His eyes softened as he felt a weight on his chest. "Hasn't she always been?"
.::.
Sasuke took one last glance at the lively night of Konoha before exiting the gates, deciding that it would be best for him to not return anytime soon. The road in front of him felt a sense of familiarity even though he had walked out of it so many times throughout the days of his travelling.
The wind blew softly against his skin, the streetlights dimmer than usual and when he walked passed the one particular bench, he stopped in his tracks, allowing the memories to flow slowly into his head. Sakura.
The night felt like seven years ago, where he had decided to leave Konoha. Time had definitely flown. And just like seven years ago, the voice that stopped him previously, was heard again.
"The feeling about you leaving for long is strong."
He smirked, spinning around to face the female. Her eyes were still slightly swollen by the amount of crying he assumed she had been doing. "It's good to see you out."
"I had a feeling you're leaving. And I was right."
"I've no reason to stay." Sasuke said softly.
"I wish I was the reason." She replied, a sorrowful smile flashed across her face. "Sorry I haven't been nice to you earlier on."
"Sakura…" Sasuke frowned, taking a step closer to her. "I'm really sorry. I tried."
"I know you did. And that's enough for me to know." Lifting her eyes to meet his, she remembered how much she was wishing to see him all the time during the years he was away. "Are you going to look for Hinata?"
He wished he could. "I am not ready yet. If she returns, tell her to stop looking for me."
"Avoidance isn't good, Sasuke-kun." Sakura questioned as she made her way towards the bench, signaling Sasuke to follow along.
"We all know how much she loves Naruto, Sakura." He scoffed. "I may need some time to even my emotions out. I won't be back any time soon."
Sakura nodded, leaned closer to him and rested her head onto his shoulders. She took in his scent, missing every single detail of it and wishing to embrace it for the final time. "Must have been hard for you to spill it out to me."
"It's harder for you. You've been following me for such a long time." Sasuke deadpanned, feeling the weight on his shoulder. "Sorry, Sakura."
"Not everything ends up the way we wanted anyways." She laughed softly. "I accept your apology this time round. At least you allowed me to talk to you."
"Was the hit on your neck painful?" He asked, remembering the night, seven years ago where he had to knock her out.
"A little." She admitted as she fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. It was his. "Was this a gift from Hinata? You don't seem like the type to purchase accessory." She untied the knot and placed it on her palm to admire the beauty and the simplicity of the accessory. "It suits you a lot."
"Yea. As a token for saving her father." He explained. "Did the store owner threatens to sell it away?"
"Sorta." She giggled and took his hand. "I should return it to you."
Sasuke watched as she placed the bracelet on his palm. "Thank you, Sakura."
"Hm." She nodded and snuggled a little closer to him. "I miss you, Sasuke-kun."
Her swollen eyes were rather heavy, and the wind was particularly cozy. Perhaps it was the warmth the Uchiha was emitting, and she felt an absolute comfort to fall asleep. She tried her best to fight her mind from drifting off into a slumber, knowing well enough she would once again, wake up by the bench alone.
But she still did, and she knew she had once again failed to stop him from leaving because seven years ago and tonight, she was never the reason for him to stay.