Note: I want to thank everyone for the great reviews I have gotten! I am so glad that you enjoy the story and reading you always makes me happy! That being said, I want to address one thing. I've been receiving anonymous reviews recently and have to talk about them. I am open to constructive criticism because it helps me to get better as a writer. However, I received a few reviews that were straight up mean and that were far from constructive. I deleted them. Let me make one point clear. I post my story here because I like to write and want to share my work with you guys. Like I said before, if you do not like, don't read it. If you want to be mean, at least hold up to it and don't make it anonymous. I am not going to lie, I thought about stopping the story there and it took me a few days to decide to continue it. SO for the ones who appreciate it, I will keep posting! Either way, hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Sorry for the ranting.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 21

The next morning found them in the same position. She was nestled on his chest, him holding her lower back tightly to prevent her from falling. When Sakura woke up, she did not open her eyes yet. She just enjoyed the regular beating of his heart and his slow breathing. His scent surrounding them and his warmth made her want to go back to sleep. It was so peaceful.

As she was about to drift away, she felt his fingers twitch on her back and his large intake of air. Opening her eyes, she glanced up at him and met his crimson eyes that were barely open. His mouth stretched into a tired smile. Seeing him half-asleep and relaxed was another thing to add to her list. He was so handsome… For a moment she could not take her eyes of him. Her heart was beating madly against her rib cage and she hoped he could not hear it.

Tobirama had to admit that waking up to those emeralds on him was something he could get used to. She looked well rested and at peace this morning. The dark circles under her eyes were paler and he could feel her chakra level back to a somewhat normal amount. Her nightmare did not come back and she had been able to sleep for the rest of the night. She smiled a him and like it was the most normal thing in the world, he bent forward and kissed her lightly, his grip tightening on her waist.

Hearing her front door open, Sakura cursed under her breath. Suddenly her bedroom door flew open and Madara stood there, speechless. He raised his hand and looked at them, opening his mouth, but closed it right after, not sure about the right thing to say. If anything. Tobirama and Sakura, who had pulled away from the sweet exchange, shared a glance and focused their attention back to the Uchiha. Madara regained his composure and became serious. His voice sounded strained and he seemed to be containing his anger.

"I don't mean to interrupt anything, but it is passed noon and we have people from the Nara, Yamanaka and Akimichi clans waiting in the office. You and Tobirama need to be there since I cannot."

Passed noon?! Even Tobirama looked surprised when he heard the time of the day. Noon. They had slept fourteen hours? Catching on the last part of Madara's words, Sakura carefully sat up, with a small frown on her face.

"What do you mean, you "cannot"?" She did not understand where it was coming from. He was one of the founders. He had to be a part of those talks.

"They do not want to have anything to do with me. They only want to talk with Hashirama, so I won't be present." Sakura jumped out of bed and stood in front of them, determined. Placing a hand on her hip, she met his onyx eyes.

"As if that was going to happen. Madara, meet us in front of the office in thirty minutes." With that, she started to grab some clothes from her drawers.

"But-" Raising her hand, she gave him a serious look over her shoulder.

"You are coming. There will be no negotiations without you, and I'll make damn sure of that."

Madara looked at her, unsure, but agreed. He left the house and when she heard the door close behind him, Sakura turned over to peer at Tobirama, still sitting in bed. He was slowly stretching his arms above his head and her gaze fell on the rippling muscles uncovered by his undershirt. She had to will herself to tear her eyes from this tempting picture. She was getting used to see him in her house and she did not know how to feel about that. Seeing where her eyes have been and the way they darkened slightly, a smile tugged on Tobirama's lips.

"Locking the door isn't your forte is it?" Coming back to her senses, she grabbed a pillow from the ground and threw it at him. A deep laugh rumbled in his chest and the sound made her shiver, but she continued to gather her things. Getting out of bed, Tobirama grabbed his armor and shirt. Seeing him about to leave, she grabbed his arm. He paused, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Thank you for staying. I don't remember the last time I had such a great night of sleep…" His gaze softened imperceptibly and he brushed the side of her neck with his hand.

"Whenever you need." Her eyes widened for a second. Tobirama straightened up and tightened his grip on his armor. "I will meet you there." Before she could say anything, he bent over and kissed the diamond on her forehead and disappeared.

Had he just offered her to come and hold her during the night whenever she needed a good night of sleep? He totally did. She had learn how to read between the lines with him. Breathing out she leaned on her dresser, legs shaking. What was he doing to her?

Thirty minutes later, the three of them were standing in front of the office. The two men decided let her go inside first. When she entered, she was faced with the representatives of the three clans and froze when she saw the Yamanaka. He looked exactly like Inoichi did. Same long blond hair, blue eyes, high cheekbones... Tobirama brushed her fingers seeing how she froze and this small contact made her come back to the present. She continued her way in, thinking about the men of her time. Even the Nara and the Akimichi had the same features that Shikamaru and Choji had. Crazy to see that things did not change so much from generation to generation. Their curious gazes were darting between her and Madara. They probably wondered what they were both doing there. The Yamanaka crossed his arms on his chest.

"What is he doing here?" The words were spat with such venom that Sakura snapped out of the head space she had been in. Offended for her friend, she took a step forward and her eyes were hard and serious.

"HE is here because he is the other founder of this village and all negotiation will be done between your clans and the two of them." She said the last sentence pointing at Madara and Hashirama's direction. Madara sat next to Hashirama while Tobirama leaned his hip on the desk.

The three visitors looked at her, wondering why a woman was giving her opinion so bluntly. The Nara tried to somewhat smooth things over.

"What my friend here is saying is that, his clan caused great casualties to his, so Madara Uchiha is the last person he wants to do business with..." Not giving them time to add anything, Sakura tilted her head on the side in mock pensive manner.

"I heard that Senju and Uchiha were deadly enemies before, but they were able to negotiate and create a village, weren't they? Otherwise I wonder what we are all doing here." The Yamanaka eyed her with disgust and frowned.

"Ok, who's woman is this." He cocked his chin in her direction, sneering. "Someone needs to put her on a leash and teach her where her place is."

Hearing the words, Sakura's anger flared, and her eyes bored into his blue ones. Madara and Hashirama exchanged a glance and someone in the room whispered, "Oh dear, he did not." But Sakura was too focus on the Yamanaka to figure out who said it, or to care about it for that matter. The men who were aware of her temper knew that something bad was bound to happen. They were proven right when she slowly walked to the blond man, stopping when she was a foot away from him. Even if she was a good head and a half smaller, her chakra coated the whole room, making it hard to breathe. The Yamanaka was staring down at her, arrogant and a smirk found her lips. He obviously could not read the situation. The men who knew her were definitely happy not to be on the receiving end of her smirk. They knew way to well that it meant trouble.

"This woman has a name." Her voice could have cut through the best Susanoo of the Uchiha clan and Madara tensed on his chair. For Tobirama, to see her standing her ground in front of three men was quite arousing and he tried not to let his mind wander in this direction… But damn, she looked amazing right now. He leaned forward, interested to know what her next move would be. Hashirama was amused to see how intensely his younger brother looked at the pink haired medic. He had some questions for him later... A small grin appeared on his face and he brought his attention back to the situation at hand.

"All I am saying is that you can go back to your chores, woman. The men need to talk now, if you don't mind."

Tobirama froze and anger started to seep in the atmosphere. Madara and Hashirama were now frowning. The blond man's arrogance was starting to get old, but Sakura laughed innocently, grabbing the blond's arm lightly and the three visitors laughed with her, unaware of the storm brewing in her. They are clueless. When the Yamanaka put his guard down, Sakura brought two fingers an inch from his neck. He stopped laughing, eyebrow raised in mock defiance wondering what that was about and she gave him the sweetest smile she could. The Yamanaka became serious when his blue orbs met her hard emeralds.

"This woman, like you said, is no one's property. Her name is Sakura and-" Sending chakra to her index, she created a chakra scalpel long enough leave a cut on his neck. The sound her sharp chakra made everyone tense. Blood trickled and fell from the cut and smirking at the now tense and scared man, she used a voice full of authority. "I deserve some respect. Don't let the hair fool you, I could punch you through next week if I wanted to."

The Yamanaka gulped and slowly nodded. Sakura withdrew her fingers from his throat, chakra dissipating, and beamed at him, clasping her hands behind her back in mock innocence. Bringing a hand to his throat, he looked at his bloody fingers and back at Sakura.

"Good! Glad we understand each other." A chuckle left Tobirama. Leave it to Sakura to tell someone off, showing them their place and be smiling like nothing happened afterward. She did it a few times with him and he hated it but when it was done to another person, it was quite entertaining. A whistle left the Nara representative that was lazily slouching against the wall.

"I like her." Sakura turned towards the Nara and met his appreciative glance. Nodding dryly to acknowledge the man she focused on Tobirama. Seeing him frown she realized he was looking passed her in the Nara's direction. Was he being territorial? Probably not.

Tobirama was ashamed to admit that he did not like the way the Nara looked at her at all. He knew she was fascinating, but she would not be interested in the black-haired shadow user. Would she? Looking back at her, she gave him a smile and here soft eyes made him relax in his chair. Hashirama, who noticed everything of his stoic brother's behavior, elbowed him and his knowing smile was enough for the young Senju to tense again and get this frown of his. Had he been this obvious? Or was it something else? Hashirama waved in Sakura's direction and looked at the three men.

"This is Sakura, she is an extraordinary medic, the head of the hospital and quite the kunoichi. I expect you to treat her with utmost respect, since she is the one who stopped the war. Without her, the village would still be a mere dream."

Tobirama had to admit that pride swell in his chest when the three men bowed to her in respect. Her anger was forgotten, and she looked back at him, breath hitching in her throat. His crimson eyes were burning on her skin and she had to wonder what caused him to be so intense all of a sudden. Pushing the thought aside for now, they all took a seat and started the negotiations with the help of the Nara.

The process was going great and she was making sure that everyone got what they needed, like she did that time with Madara and Hashirama. If there was a point of contention, she was the one to give a neutral point of view that could advantage both parties. The heads of the three clans were really impressed with her knowledge of politics and attention to clans matters and customs. She was an interesting woman... and any clan would be lucky to count her in. Tobirama leaned back on his chair, admiring her working in a man's world. During the meeting, the both exchanged a few soft glances. Madara who was observing everything noted that something had changed between these two. They looked like two teenagers trying to be subtle about their attraction. Hashirama was probably oblivious of those exchange, but Madara could see it way to well. He did not mind, but it was annoying to say the least. He always thought that Tobirama Senju was a block of ice with no desires, but seeing the way he looked at her was disgusting in that, the Uchiha had to change his status from ice cube to man with hormones. And it was weird.

The door of the office opened suddenly and a nervous Ama entered without knocking. Seven pairs of eyes landed on her. She stood there, fidgeting under the intensity of everyone's look. Clearing her throat, Sakura brought Ama's attention to her, knowing that walking on so many important people gathered in the same room could be quite stressful.

"What is it Ama?"

"Sakura-sama, I am so sorry to disturb you, but someone mixed up the schedules and you have three surgeries to perform today." Sakura frowned and looked back at Ama.

"I will be there in a minute. In the meantime, find the person who made that mistake, we will need to have a chat." Ama left running and Sakura slowly stood. Making eye contact with everyone present, she bowed and smiled. "Duty calls. It was a pleasure to work with you, but please, continue without me!"
Sakura left the room and when the door closed, the Yamanaka sighed, placing his head in his open palm with dreamy eyes.

"Wow, this woman is really something else…" Admiration leaked out of his voice and he got himself a hard stare from Tobirama. All the men in the room felt the surge in the young Senju's chakra and the message was understood. She was off limits. Unfortunately.

The first surgery went well, the second one was a total walking disaster that she had to bring back to life twice and the last one had been normal. Washing her hands, Sakura's eyes followed the bloody water dripping from her hands until it became clear. This had been an interesting day, to say the least! Drying her hands, she made her way to her office and slumped on her chair. She was definitely ready to go home. Leaning her head back, she closed her eyes and stayed this way for a few minutes until her relaxing moment was cut short by Mito entering her office. The woman looked angry for some reason.

"Sakura, where were you today?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"I've been at the negotiation with Madara and Hashirama and got called in for surgeries… What's the matter?" Sitting comfortably in her chair, Sakura leaned forward, giving her attention to the red head.

"You were supposed to help me with my wedding planning today! Didn't Tobirama mention it to you?"

Scrunching her eyebrow, Sakura thought about the night before. It was vaguely familiar. When did he talk about it? When he came to see her before to take her home! She had been so tired that it had totally slipped her mind...

"I am so sorry Mito! I did not remember and there was this mix up in the schedules..." Seeing the genuine expression on the medic's face, Mito relaxed and sat on the chair in front of her. Sighing, she gave Sakura a small smile. Everything in the pink haired medic's attitude showed that she was tired and worked really hard today.

"It's ok, I can see you had quite the day! But please, if you could help me tomorrow, I would greatly appreciate it."

Sakura observed the Uzumaki for a moment. She did not want to do this but it was important for the red haired woman, so she would help. Her and Hashirama were her friends after all… Friends. Since when did she consider them all as friends? Sighing, a low chuckle escaped her.

"Ok, ok... Just come and pick me up tomorrow morning." A triumphant grin plastered on her face, Mito walked around the desk and gave a warm embrace to Sakura before to hold her shoulders.

"Thank you!" Sakura waived her hand and the Uzumaki left the room. Sakura sat back down and sighed. This whole thing was a bit of a mess. What did they think when deciding to have their wedding in the middle of all that?

Leaning back on her chair, she closed her eyes. Behind her eyelids she could see crimson eyes focused on her, like he wanted to devour her in that office when she was surrounded by men. Had he been jealous when the Nara showed appreciation towards her? No. That would be stupid, Tobirama was a lot of things, but jealous? No. He enjoyed her company, had some physical attraction for her but that was probably it. Who was she kidding? Powerful men like him were not interested in clan-less women like her. Sasuke had made it quite clear.

She could not help but feel happy when thinking about their interactions as of late though. They had been quite... intimate. Something in his behavior changed. And the way he held her last night, it had been so comforting and familiar. Like she belonged somewhere. But as soon as this thought would cross her mind, she would then feel puzzled. She did not belong here and the fact that she was the only one to know that fact was weighing on her more than she ever thought it would. Gone was the girl who did not want to form any relationships. Now she had friends. And him... There was still so much he did not know about her. She was trying to be honest with him about most things, but there was so much she could reveal without giving herself away... Opening her eyes, Sakura sighed. She would tell him. She would be honest with him. She did not know when, but she would. With her new found determination, Sakura started on the day's paperwork.

The negotiations came to an end when the sun had set, and all parties had what they wanted from it. The three visitors bid their farewell and said that they would be back with their clansmen a week before the wedding. This done, the three men in the office slumped back in their chairs. Once the office door closed, Madara turned towards Tobirama and crossed his arms on his chest.

"So, are we going to talk about whatever is going on between you and Sakura-chan?" Putting his pen down, Tobirama raised his head and met Madara's calm onyx.

"What about it?" Tobirama knew that he might have overreacted a bit when the Yamanaka complimented Sakura after her departure, but how could he not. The blond man had been a prick with her and right after, he was acting all nice and funny. Talk about an hypocritical jerk. It was not right and he corrected it. Or so he liked to think. He certainly did not act because he was jealous.

"Well for starter, you had dinner with her. Then someone told me that you played in the water together and looked quite cozy afterwards…" Tobirama rolled his eyes. So Izuna had talked to his brother. A devilish smile appeared on Madara's lips and Tobirama knew that he had no way out. Oh how he wished to be able to punch the man in the face right at this moment. "Let's not talk about the position I found the both of you in this morning."

Hashirama who had been working on a document, stopped writing and looked up at the two men, eyes wide.

"What position? Madara, what were they doing!" Excited, Hashirama was almost jumped out of his chair at the words of his best friend. Tobirama rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Hashirama, get your head out of the gutter." Facing Madara, the young Senju pinched the bridge of his nose. "For god's sake, we did not play in the water, we sparred, and I used water jutsus against her." And then other things happened, but that's none of your businesses.

"And what about this morning? I want to know!" Hashirama's sentence came out as a whine and his lips turned down into a childish pout. He really wanted to know. Tobirama sighed deeply and rubbed his eyes, not answering. Madara exchanged a look with his friend. Like he was telling him a secret, Madara lowered his voice and whispered to the Senju leader.

"He was lying in bed with our pretty Sakura-chan this morning… Or more like, she was laying on him this morning." Hashirama brought his hands to his mouth and gasped loudly. He then clapped Madara in the back.

"I told you he was not that dense!" Dense?! Hashirama and Madara were really starting to get under his skin, and Tobirama could feel his temper getting slightly out of hands. Hashirama shoved the Uchiha's shoulder. "Finally! He made a move!" Rubbing his eyes, Tobirama sighed impatiently.

"Would you two stop this? I did no such things. She had nightmares and it prevented her from getting a proper night of rest. I stayed with her yesterday since she was in a state of chakra depletion. The last time I stayed at her-"

Tobirama stopped his sentence there. He was a man who carefully picked his words, normally, but having them probing in his personal affairs made him uneasy. Why did I say that... Now both men looked at him knowingly and the white haired Senju crossed his arms on his broad chest, looking away.

"So this was not the first time you stayed over… Interesting." Walking to his brother, Hashirama grabbed his shoulder and shook it playfully. "Look at you, taking control of the situation, spending time with her, and exploring your emotions. Because yes, you do have emotions. Don't tell me otherwise." Hashirama smiled sweetly and added: "Did she manage to break down your walls yet?"

Tobirama swatted his brother's hands away and glared at him.

"She did not. We are just hanging out. Now let me go I have things to do." Hashirama had an innocent smile on his face, watching his younger brother's back while he walked to the door.

"I imagine that the kiss on her birthday was your way to hang out with her too?" Tobirama stopped dead in his track. How was his brother aware of that? He never saw them on that tree because he was drunk for god's sake! Was he just saying that to get the best of him? Seeing that Tobirama had no intention to answer, Hashirama pushed his luck.

"Sakura and Tobirama sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-" In an instant, Tobirama was in front of his brother, a hand on his mouth. So he really knew. The white haired Senju glared at his brother and when he talked he used a hushed tone.

"Ok, yes, that happened, but she is the one who started it." Tobirama could feel the wide grin of his brother under his palm and his frown deepened. Madara approached both men.

"Of course she would make the first move considering how socially awkward you can be." Tobirama glared at the man. He was NOT socially awkward. Madara continued. "So you guys…" Madara let his sentence unfinished, knowing that the Senju would understand the question.

"Nothing like that. We are getting to know each other… I think." Madara rolled his eyes, his point proven.

"Did you two talk about it? About whatever is going on? About how you feel?" Leaning closer to the young Senju, Madara had a threatening voice. "And what does this "getting to know each other" involves? You are treating her properly I hope?" Madara's brotherly instincts kicked in.

"Yes I do treat her with care and for the rest, it does not involve you, so I don't see why I would have to share anything." Eyeing Madara cautiously, Tobirama could not believe he was about to say that to him of all people. "And no, we did not really talked about it... This is quite new for me and I am still trying to figure out what I... feel." Madara understood. After being at war since childhood, it was hard to let anyone else in and Sakura was dealing with things of her own as well... which could definitely make things complicated. Hashirama being oblivious, as always, pushed his brother's hand from his mouth.

"How about you ask her to accompany you to the wedding? That would be a start!" Rolling his eyes, Tobirama just wanted to leave. He already had said too much and did not feel like going through a whole investigation.

"Sure, sure. Now can I go?" Hashirama nodded and the young Senju turned around to leave the office. When he closed the door, Madara turned towards Hashirama.

"You said earlier that he wasn't dense, but he truly is. Is he going to realize soon that he had been in love with her since she saved his ass from Izuna's katana?" Hashirama shrugged.

"He is a smart man, but I agree, he can be quite stupid emotionally, so who knows?" Watching the door for a few minutes, the two leaders shrugged and went back to work. Only time will tell...

Finishing the last of her paperwork, Sakura hung her white coat on the back of her chair and left her office. Walking by the nurse station, she stopped and checked in with Ama. The young Senju woman was making great progress in her training and she would probably be able to perform advanced techniques in a month or so. Sakura already started to show her some of her signature medical ninjutsu. She also decided to take another apprentice under her wing. Kaiya Uchiha. The woman had been recommended by Madara himself so she did not ask any question and just agreed to it, knowing he would not send her just anyone to train. Signing a few more document on her way out, Sakura waived at the night staff and left.

A soon as she set foot out of the hospital, she started to have this weird feeling in her stomach. Trying to figure out where it was coming from, she came to a stop abruptly. She was being watched. Trying to scan her surrounding, she could not see where the threat was coming from. Never been the sensor of the team to begin with. She could feel the hate, the anger… It was surrounding her. It was not coming from any particular direction… it was overwhelming.

Grabbing a kunai silently, she continued her walk, the presence still there, hidden, lurking in the shadows. Feeling a gust of wind close to her, she turned around, kunai ready to strike. Another kunai met hers halfway and she found herself face to face with Tobirama. The only thing that told him he was surprise was the slight raised in his eyebrow.

"Tobirama!?" He gave her a weird look but moved his kunai back to his pouch and she did the same.

"Well, hello there." His teasing voice helped her relax. Letting out sigh, Sakura bent forward, hands on her knees, taking a deep breath, trying to let go of the tension in her shoulder. He was next to her in a second, hand resting on the middle of her back reassuringly.

"Sorry, you scared me." Standing straight, she started walking towards her house, trying to avoid any questions. "How did it go?" He matched his pace to hers and looked down.

"It went well after you sat them down. You made yourself quite a few admirers today." The nonchalance of his voice hurt her a bit for some reason. Was he that indifferent?

"I don't need men to tell me what to do. They had to learn. Unfortunately, by the way they treated me, they are not on my list of prospects." Crossing her hands in her back, she looked up at the night sky. Tobirama was now listening intently to her words. A list of prospects? He did not like the idea one bit. Eyes narrowing, he glanced back down at her.

"Who is then... on your- your list of prospect?" The eagerness of his tone did not escape her, and she huffed a laugh. Keeping silent for a few second, they finally reached her front porch. She faced him, smiling enigmatically.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" A small laugh shook his shoulders and he leaned on the door frame next to her. Fair.

"I was thinking." He took a pause and scratched the back of his head. "Would you like to accompany me to Hashirama and Mito's wedding?" She looked at his face and saw the slight blush on his cheeks. He really wanted to bring her as a date? Her? Mouth agape, she could only stare at him. Seeing the way he shifted his weight from one side to the other, she realized she never answered too absorbed by the meaning of his words.

"Uh.. Yes. Yes! Of course!" At her answer, his smile lit up his face and he opened the door for her. Getting inside of her house she faced him shyly.

"Want to come in for tea?" Maybe if he came in, she could get the courage to tell him everything? Getting close to her, he touched her cheek.

"I would like that, but we still have to work on some village matters tonight… How about dinner tomorrow night?"

"That sounds perfect. Good night Tobirama." His warm eyes met hers and he cupped the side of her face.

"Good night Sakura." He was about to leave, but paused. Bending down, he gave her a kiss that made her toes curl before he disappeared. Sakura stood there and brought a hand to her lips. A smile found her face and she closed the door, happy.

If there was one thing that Sakura did not like at all, it was shopping. Especially for a wedding. Mito had really particular taste and was so picky. They had gone into different small new shops for different things and the pink haired medic wished she could have stayed in bed that morning. But like a good friend, she followed her around, helping her with some choices and picking up fabrics. In the fabric shop, a beautiful roll of deep blue silk caught Sakura's attention and she touched it dreamily. Seeing her, Mito smiled and continued talking with the shop owner.

That being done, it was time for some food, so the afternoon found them both sitting in a small tea shop eating dangos. Sakura was listening to Mito's babbling about the ceremony and the reception, but was easily distracted. A some point, she zoned out and looked at the somewhat busy streets of the village. A smile found her lips when she thought about her role in the creation of the village. Her thoughts drifted to a certain white haired man and then to the fact that she had to tell him her secret and a frown replaced her smile. Mito, seeing that the young medic was not listening to her anymore, observed her over her tea cup.

"You seem happy Sakura." Green eyes widened in surprise and the medic faced her. "Would that have anything to do with a young and handsome Senju?" Sakura choke on her tea and a blush spread on her face. Her hand shot up to the necklace she was wearing and she started fidgeting with the stone.

"What are you talking about?"

"Sakura, I know about your kiss on your birthday, the dinner he made for you, Izuna told me how he saw you in each other's arm on your porch and Madara was quite traumatized to see you together in the same bed… So tell me, what is going on between the two of you?" At her wide eyes, Mito had a happy laugh, but calmed down when Sakura's expression turned more serious.

"Why do everyone seems to know everything in this village... I deserve some privacy!" Her pout made Mito laugh. That had been a good try from the medic to avoid answering the question.

"Don't change the subject, Sakura." The pink haired kunoichi glanced at Mito and met her eyes. A sigh escaped her lips and she shook her head.

"I honestly do not know." Her eyes glazed over. "We have amazing… moments… and I love his company, but we did not put a name on whatever is going on between us. Hell, I don't even know what we are... He is caring and all. I think he does like me, but there are still so many things I have to tell him about..." Sakura stopped talking, realizing what she had been about to say and took a sip of tea. Mito did not push for her to finish her sentence.

"Did you two talk about a relationship?"

"How can I think about relationships, I don't even know if it is the right thing to do." Mito frowned at her choice of words. The right thing? Right thing for what? Sakura's brow furrowed and a fleeting sad expression crossed her face before she looked back at Mito. "The only thing I can tell you is that I do like him. A lot." Knowing that she would not get any more information from the pink haired medic, Mito grabbed her hand.

"Thank you for sharing this with me. You know, if you need to talk, I will always be available." Both women stared at each other and giggled. Sakura sighed. She would enjoy her day today and think about all of that later.

Sakura met Tobirama at the office and he already had a bag of food with him. Before she could utter a word, he touched her, transporting them to the top of the future Hokage monument. Looking down to the village she gasped. She had not been here since the day they were planning its construction. Seeing how big the village had gotten made her emotional. Her Konoha.

Tobirama looked at her with soft eyes. Her reaction was exactly the reason why he thought about bringing her there for dinner. Always working for the well-being of the village was great and all, but having an outside view of what you created was another thing. He thought she would appreciate and was not disappointed when she stared at what she helped create in awe. Tobirama sat on the edge and motioned for her to sit next to him, which she did, legs dangling from the cliff. She reached in the bags and found two bento boxes and some dangos carefully packed. She liked how in tune with her he could be… It was a first for her to feel like she was on the same page with him. With anyone for that matter...

They started to eat in silence and when she was done with her meal, she asked him questions about his life, his goals, and aspirations. She learned that he wanted to teach to children the way of life of shinobis, that his village was the most important thing for him and that he would go to any length to defend and protect it. He talked about the progress in the new jutsus he was creating, and she added to the conversation with things she knew, nudging him in the right direction so he could accomplish his goal. Every time she brought a new component to a jutsu he had been working on for a while but could not figure out how to continue, he was surprised. He never knew she had so much knowledge. He was rambling about a way to improve his hirashin when he realized that she had been looking at him with soft emeralds, head in the palm of her hand. He stopped talking, raising an eyebrow and she answered to his silent question with a genuine smile.

"You are an interesting person, Tobirama Senju." He could have sworn that his heart tried to get out of his chest at the way his name rolled on her tongue. The way her eyes were on him, her smile, the sweet voice… He did not expect that.

"The same thing can be said about you, Sakura." A small blush crept on her face and she looked back at the village. She had tried to find a moment where she could spill everything to him, but things were just so easy and comfortable at that moment that she lost part of her determination. She did not want to ruin this. They continued talking and when the night surprised them, he brought her back home, taking the long way. They walked hand in hand and she leaned her head on his arm. When the arrived to her home, he came in for some tea. Sitting at her kitchen table, they were laughing and she paused and looked at him, sitting in front of her. She tilted her head.

"I never expected you to be like this when we first met." She giggled and took a sip of her tea. Now he was curious.

"What do you mean?" Cocking his head to the side he looked in her eyes.

"May I remind you the fact that you hated me." Pausing, he put down his cup and crossed his arms on his chest.

"I never hated you, I was worried about my clan, that's all."

"Well, it took me almost collapsing because I save a clansman for you to feel safer having me around."

"In my defense, with the way you destroyed those trees, I had to be cautious." A laugh escaped her lips. She had forgotten about that. "But later on, I saw you care for our people and I realized that your healing abilities and your knowledge were fascinating." The compliment brought a slight blush to her cheeks. "You are fascinating." Feeling the intensity of his crimson eyes, she avoided his look and blushed even more.

"You have to be careful, Tobirama, I could get used to all the attention and compliments you are giving me…" Suddenly serious, his warm gaze found hers and this time, she could not look away. Leaning forward his voice was deep and smooth.

"You say this like it is a bad thing." If only he knew...

"You are spoiling me. Bringing me lunch, sparring with me, kissing me. I could think that you genuinely care for me." He stood up and walked around the table, stopping in front of her. Crouching in front of her, Tobirama gently took her face between his hands, tilting her head back gently.

"Would it be so hard to believe if I did?" His warm breath ghosted over her lips and her breath caught in her throat. Shaking her head, she smiled at him and he kissed her. She could only focus on how soft he felt against her mouth and how addictively his peculiar scent invaded all her senses.

But how could she tell him all that she planned to say when he was so close to her now. How would he react? Her thoughts were disturbed by warm lips on her neck and she gripped his hair tightly and brought him back to her mouth. The way his lips moved on hers made her breathless. He was kissing her like she always wanted to be kissed. Like she was the most beautiful and important thing in his world. It was fiery and demanding and she stopped fighting with herself, letting him take her breath away. Slowly, he pushed her back on the ground, a hand on her waist. He grazed the pads of his fingers across her stomach and she gasped. He took this opportunity to slide his tongue against hers and taste the sweetness of her mouth. A needy moan escaped her and the grip she had on the small hair at the nape of his neck tightened. She pulled him closer, his chest now pressed against hers and her other hand grabbing his bicep.

Tobirama was lost in the tumult of his emotions. This was new to him. This desire, this warmth... This need to get closer, even closer. The urge to touch her body... He slid his hand on her side to her body, and grabbing the back of her thigh, he raised her leg up. Instinctively, she wrapped both legs around his waist. The friction between their bodies was electric. When she pushed her hips forward, a primal groan vibrated in his throat and he felt her shiver, shuddering breath leaving her. She felt it too... Tobirama stopped moving, placing his forehead on hers. Green eye opened and they looked at each other for a moment, surprised. It had started by dinner and here they were, on the floor, exchanging burning kissed and touches. There was something new. Something different between them at that moment. Something beautiful. Sakura gently cupped his cheeks and pulled him in for a soft kiss, which he savored. A flare of chakra caught his attention and he exhaled loudly, dropping his head on her clavicle.

"As much as I would like to continue, I can feel Mito coming our way... We should..." Understanding what he meant, she nodded. Sitting back on his heels, Tobirama grabbed her hand and helped her up. Her hair was a mess, her cheeks flushed and lips swollen... The knock on the door cut his admiration short. They both looked at the door.

"What is it Mito?" Sakura did not open the door, knowing that Mito would probably understand. She knew the importance of knocking and not barging in someone's house better than her future husband.

"Tobirama is needed at the office." Mito's voice was heard through the door. Tobirama cleared his throat.

"Let my brother know that I'll be there in a few minutes." Mito did not answer and he could feel her chakra getting farther away from the house. Turning back to Sakura, he made his way closer to her, serious expression on his face.

He grabbed her face gently and kissed her again. She anchored herself by grabbing his sides and a fleeting feeling of sadness filled her. Chasing it away, she kissed him back and pulled away with a small sigh.

"You have places to be, Tobirama. You know Hashirama, if you don't appear fast enough, he'll personally go and look for you..." The man nodded and she took in his appearance. He definitely looked less pristine than he normally did... She laughed and attempted to place his hair a bit and straighten his clothes. She chuckle. "If you go in looking like this, you'll get some questions." Though he agreed, he did not care.

"I will take my leave." He paused and looked intensely in her eyes. "We need to finish our... conversation at another time." The meaning of his words and the warmth in his gaze made her shiver. It was a promise. Nodding she smiled and he kissed her quickly again before to do the familiar hand sign and leave her house.

This is when the words she said to Mito came back in her mind, but with the feeling in her chest, she corrected them. I love him.