Brighter Than Sunshine
Summary: She wasn't the Sakura he knew because she had grown so much. She was still kind and cheerful, but she changed the way she acted around him. Gone were the blushes and nervous rants, what did she think of him now? He wasn't sure as well as feared the feelings she professed to him years ago might not be there anymore. Did he want to find out? Or was it better to leave things as they were and not be hurt? Now that he returned to Konoha, what did he expect of her? Of them? Was a there a them? Would there ever be?
Disclaimer: Naruto and his characters are not of my creation, they belong to Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 1 – The Comeback Kid
It was a warm and peaceful night. The sounds of the day were slowly fading, giving place to the one of the crickets. The light in the Hokage's office was on, meaning that the leader of Konoha was still there.
He stopped in front of the tower and looked in the direction of said office. Was he excited to see his old sensei? A little but no one could know, and he was definitely not going to show it, but still his heart felt warm. He smiled a small smile with that thought and started walking inside the building.
Kakashi Hatake was rereading the important document he held in his hands. Yes, he could read it at home but he was too lazy to go and his favorite part was approaching, besides something told him he'd better stayed, was he finally feeling guilty for slacking off and maybe his body would start working through the piles of paperwork if he stayed? Nah, definitely not. Still, the real answer to his musings came in the form of a knock on his door. Who would come to the tower at this hour? Well, at least the visitor would think that he was working late rather than reading his beloved book. He put it away on the table and commanded the visitor to come inside. The person who entered was a surprise to say the least and his hunch of staying made sense.
Sasuke Uchiha closed the door behind him and stepped forward until he was in front of the Hokage's desk, his face stoic as always.
"Ma, ma, what do we have here? If it isn't the return of the prodigal son" Kakashi put his head in one of his hands which was leaning on the desk, his eyes reflected mirth, he didn't try to hide it, it had been too long. "I was starting to fear you were never coming back"
"You are getting old and sentimental" came the expressionless voice of Sasuke, who on the inside was smiling at being received with the kind of warmth someone like Kakashi could convey. A warmth he found himself missing lately.
"Yep, I am an old man at 33 years old" said the gray-haired man with feigned offense. He stood up, rounded the table, and leaned in front of it.
"So, is this a brief visit or are you finally here to stay?"
"At least for now, I think I am ready to take a break"
"Great! I am glad to hear that. After all the recent events must have tired you somewhat. To fight all those shinobi just to free them, gee, you need a well-deserved rest. Thank you for your help with that by the way, Chino and her partners are being of service for the Mizukage"
"Their target was me all along, so it was my duty to close that matter" Sasuke said while closing his eyes. Kakashi smiled under the mask.
"Yeah, anyway, it is getting late and you probably want to call it a day. Of course I am tired too, this Hokage life doesn't give me a minute's rest" said Kakashi
"Sure, your reading must be exhausting" Sasuke said looking at the book that was left abandoned on the desk. Kakashi turned around and took it.
"Ah yes, it is exhausting to always be interrupted in the best part" he replied sourly. Sasuke fought the smirk that threatened to appear on his face, his old sensei would never change. It brought some comfort to him.
"But first things first. The apartment you used to live in no longer exists. The attack of Pain destroyed great part of the village, so I am afraid you are homeless for now. But do not fret, you can either stay at one of the village's inns, expenses run by the Hokage's office, or you can come to my humble abode, but I kinda know what you will choose, so just tell the receptionist to put the expenses to the Hokage's bill" Kakashi said leaving him with no time to reply. It was true though, that he preferred a space for himself, but he confirmed that after all this time, Kakashi also appreciated being alone.
"Pain's attack… so most of the village was destroyed, but now it seemed like nothing happened" Sasuke meditated out loud about that incident that happened when he wasn't around. He couldn't help the slight pang of guilt rising through his chest.
"Yes, it was chaotic and yes, Konoha is on it's feet again thanks to the great people who live here that were inspired by the ninja who gave his all to protect them. As there were repairs and even new houses were built for every villager who was affected so a retribution for you is due. I'll ask Shizune tomorrow to give you a list of departments to choose from to replace your old one."
"Thanks. I also brought this with me" Sasuke took a scroll from his travel bag and gave it to Kakashi. "I made a translation of sorts with my Sharingan of another scroll I found. For what I could tell it talks about Kaguya but still I couldn't decipher it"
"Ok, I will give it to Shikamaru first thing in the morning" Kakashi said taking the scroll.
"Hn" with that Sasuke turned to leave.
"Sasuke" Kakashi called. Sasuke stopped and looked above his shoulder.
"Good to have you back" Kakashi said with closed eyes that reflected a smile.
A/N: Ok so for the people who follow me as an author you must probably wonder what is up with my other story From Kunoichi to Taijija, but as Kakashi said do not fret! I do not intent to leave it, I am trying to work on two stories at the same time because my head is full of ideas, so whenever I get inspired I feel like I need to not hesitate and write them. This and that other story are the long ones I will be writing at the same time; I don't want to commit to more because I'll probably let you and myself down. For all readers, hope you like this and could leave a review. This first chapter is short, but hopefully I will deliver longer ones in the future. Also know English is not my first language so I apologize for grammar and spelling mistake, but I'll do my best to not have them, so you have a better reading experience.
Thanks for reading.