Hi guys!

I am back!

Thank you everyone for your very kind reviews! They always make my day better.

I rewrote this chapter three times, as I was not satisfied with how it turned out. I like this version better, and I hope you do too! There isn't much (direct) Sasuhina interaction in this one, but this chapter was needed to lay down the foundation for the next one. I promise that the next chapter will have a good Sasuhina moment :3

Please note that English is not my first language, and I apologise in advance for any grammar/vocabulary mistake(s)!

Thank you again for your ongoing support, and I hope that you will enjoy this chapter.

Stay safe!

Gaara no Sabaku was known to be a calm shinobi. He was a man of few words, thoughtful and rational in the face of any kind of situations. Despite his cruel past, he had grown to be a compassionate man who was respected by his people for his integrity and his kindness. The Kazekage considered himself to not be easily swayed by "irrational" emotions. Until he met a young lady that made him react irrationally.

He knew her since the Chunin exams although he did not pay much attention to her at the time as his focus was elsewhere. He then met her after he became Kazekage. They would greet each other, and exchange a few words every time they would meet, out of politeness. It began as being polite for him, but it grew into something more as time passed. She may have never noticed, but she made him feel strange emotions. The way she smiled at him made his heart beat a bit faster. Every time her pale eyes would meet his, he felt like he could not breathe anymore. At first, he thought that maybe, it was a one-off, and that if he distanced himself from her, these strange reactions would disappear. However, when he met her again at Naruto's wedding, after a full year of not seeing her, his body still reacted the same way.

That was when he realised that maybe, these strange emotions he was feeling were what he craved as a young child, and what he had tattooed on the left side of his forehead. Love.

He knew that his attraction to Hinata was not simply physical. Indeed, she was a very beautiful woman, and everyone was aware of this fact. But his attraction was deeper than that. It was how her moon-like eyes were filled with soothing kindness. It was how her gentle smile seemed to light up whatever dark corner he had in his heart. It was also how she always seemed to put other people's happiness before her own.

Gaara was well aware of her feelings for Naruto. This was why he had never approached her, or made his feelings known to her, as he knew that he did not stand a chance. When he had heard that his friend was engaged to his first love, the first person to cross his mind was Hinata, and how she would react to this. Naruto was out of the way, and he had no competition. Or at least, that's what he thought.

The purpose of his visit to Konoha was only to discuss a few private matters with Kakashi. He had never expected to run into her on his first day, at the Yamanaka's flower shop. He did notice that her eyes looked darker than usual, and he could tell from her body language that something was bothering her. This was why when his eyes caught the beautiful bouquet of lavender roses, he could not help but offer it to her. It reminded him of Hinata. Gentle and soft, yet strong in her own way. It was only to cheer her up. However, the surprised eyes of the Konoha ninjas made him think that he made a mistake.

"Thank you, Gaara-san. But I could not possibly-"

The heiress looked embarrassed and was shaking her head. Gaara could not help but chuckle. He knew what purple roses meant. However, he did not want to scare her.

"I apologise if this may seem inappropriate. I am no expert in the language of flowers." He lied, as he took the bouquet in his hands. "These roses remind me of you. I just wanted to give them to you as a token of my friendship." He approached the heiress and offered it to her, his emerald eyes scanning her face.

Ino arched an eyebrow, not convinced. She thought that Gaara was definitely smooth when it came to talking himself out of a dire situation.

Hinata however, seemed to calm down and believe Gaara's words. She slightly bowed her head. "Thank you for this beautiful bouquet, Gaara-san." She took it from his hands, her fingers accidentally brushing his. Gaara shivered at the contact, yet he managed to somehow maintain his composure.

"The Hokage is waiting for us." Intervened the Uchiha, rolling his eyes. Like Ino, he seemed quite sceptical. However, he had other urgent matters to attend to, and he could not waste any more time on observing Gaara's poor attempt to court the Hyuga.

The Kazekage stepped back. He had to get a hold of himself. "Indeed." He agreed, as he slightly bowed to Ino and Hinata. "It was a pleasure to meet you both." He then smiled at them, and turned around, following the Uchiha.

Sasuke exited the shop first, and the Kazekage followed him. Kakashi was going to give him an earful for being late. Gaara left the shop with a satisfied smile on his face.

Ino waited until the two shinobis were out of sight and hearing distance to nearly scream. "Oh my god. Hinata. He likes you."

"Of course not!" denied the heiress, surprised by the Yamanaka's assumption. "Gaara-san said that it was not his intention." They barely knew each other, and only had a handful of conversations over the past years.

"My instincts never lie." Ino shaked her head and put her hand on her hip. "So many girls are after him both in Suna and Konoha. He may be a good match for you." She winked.

Hinata blushed and started stuttering. "N-no way! He is a friend!"

Ino rolled her light eyes. Hinata was completely oblivious to Gaara's feelings.

The sun was slowly setting down in the sky when Hinata was walking back to the Hyuga compound from the cemetery. Holding Gaara's bouquet in one hand, the young heiress observed the path that took her home. The Hyugas owned a great amount of land in Konoha, partly because branch members would reside in another compound. They would only come to the main branch's compound during the day. The clan had planted Sakura trees along the path going to the main residence to give the walk to the Hyuga mansion an air of importance. The view was always magnificent during this season.

The Hyuga clan proudly held each year a Sakura viewing festival, where the main clans of Konoha would be invited to visit the Hyuga gardens. She remembered attending the festivals since she was born, running around with her sister, Neji, and inviting Team 8 to eat some dangos. She missed those carefree days. Now, it had become a "heiress duty", where she had to wear a ridiculously expensive kimono and greet the clan heads. She understood as she grew older that it was not really a festival, but rather a networking event. Few clan heads attended the festival to genuinely admire the Hyuga gardens. She sighed internally, remembering that the festival was due to take place in three days this year, and she had yet to choose her kimono.

"Hinata-sama!"

The Hyuga heiress flinched and stopped walking. She recognised this gravelly voice. Supressing a sigh, she turned around, facing Akio Hyuga. He apparently also was returning home. What a strange coincidence. "Akio-san." She greeted, before continuing to walk.

"How have you been?" Akio had finally caught up to the heiress and was now walking next to her.

"Fine." She dryly replied. "Yourself?"

"Very good." He stayed silent for a few seconds, before asking a question. "How are the Sakura festival preparations going?"

The young general felt like it had been a long time since he had spoken with the heiress alone. It was always so difficult to approach her in the compound, or even outside. She was always surrounded by people, or she would look like her mind was elsewhere. He never had a good relationship with her. Like Hisato would often say, he found her to be too kind and forgiving. Despite her achievements in the war, and her current strength, Akio still believed that she was not fit to be the Hyuga clan leader. A clan leader had to be strict, and ruthless. In his opinion, Hinata was none of that.

"The invitations have been sent out, and Ko has ensured that the required foods and drinks are prepared." Hinata was unsure as to why Akio was trying to make small talk. She felt like he was beating around the bush.

"Mm. I see." Whispered the general, his mind thinking about something else. He did not know how to properly ask his real question without unsettling Hinata. "I guess we will see the same guests as last year."

"Gaara-san and Temari-san have been invited this year, as they are staying in Konoha at the moment."

Akio raised an eyebrow when the heiress called the Kazekage by his first name. He did not remember them to be close enough to call each other on a first name basis. "Have you seen the Kazekage since his arrival?" He asked suspiciously.

"Oh, I just saw him at Ino-san's flower shop." She showed Akio the bouquet she was holding in her hand. "He was kind enough to give me this wonderful bouquet."

The Hyuga general glanced sceptically at the fresh purple roses. "Mm… That is very… kind of him." Akio was no stranger to the language of flowers. He did not have a good feeling about this. He had to inform Hisato Hyuga of this matter.

Sensing that it was probably the best time to ask his real question, Akio looked at the heiress walking next to him. "How did the custody go?" He used a soft tone, in order to not upset the kunoichi.

Hinata had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Of course. This was the real purpose of this conversation. He was still upset about Sasuke. "It went very well. Sasuke-san did not keep me for long."

Akio did not like the Uchiha survivor. He was not the only one, however, he felt something off about him. He could not quite put his finger on it, but something was bothering him about seeing Hinata and Sasuke "together".

"You must be wary of him, Hinata-sama." Warned the general, his tone turning cold. "Uchihas only bring blood and chaos." Apart from Itachi – who still murdered his entire clan in one night, Madara and Obito caused the Great Ninja War. So many lives were lost due to their greed, including Neji's. He could never forgive them for taking Neji away.

"The Hyuga clan is no better than the Uchiha clan." She stopped walking. "What happened to Hizashi-san is a good example. The only difference is that no one apart from our clan and the Hokage knows."

Akio's pale eyes darkened as she mentioned her uncle's name. He also stopped walking and stared at the heiress cryptically. "You should steer away from these kinds of thoughts. We lost Hizashi-sama to avoid a war. The Uchihas started a war. No matter what happens, our priority is the Hyuga clan." He then turned around. "Konoha will always come second."

The heiress watched him walk away, with the grace and poise befitting a Hyuga. His light grey haori proudly adorned the clan symbol at the back. He was repeating the words her grandfather taught her. She wondered whether this was the motivation behind the dissident faction. Was he a member of the dissident faction? Or was she being paranoid? She did not know who to trust anymore.

Kakashi yawned loudly through his mask, as he struggled to stamp the last report of the day. He had barely slept, reading and signing paperwork all night. He had planned to go home and catch up on his sleep so that he could come back in the afternoon. Shikamaru was more than capable of handling the office for a few hours without him. However, an emergency message from the Hyuga clan had disrupted his plans. He reluctantly looked up at the shinobi he had summoned, who did not even bother knocking on the door before entering the office.

Sasuke Uchiha was staring at his teacher expectantly. He had the nerve to summon him, when he had just come back from a nocturn reconnaissance mission at the southern border. His dark circles were begging him to sleep. Wearing his ANBU attire, the Uchiha took his eagle mask off, revealing his tired (and handsome) face.

"You look as tired as me." Noticed the Hokage with a smirk under his face.

"You better have a good reason to summon me, Kakashi." Coldly replied the survivor, with an underlying threatening tone.

"Well… Hisato Hyuga, Hiashi's father, has specifically requested that you and your ANBU team guard the compound during the Sakura festival."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow, unsure as to why he was specifically requested for such a petty mission.

The Hokage yawned again, his eyes tearing up. "I have a feeling that he is trying to get back to you for being nosy. He can be quite vindictive."

The elder was trying to put him back in his place. Sasuke's onyx eyes narrowed at the thought. He knew that the Hyugas were quite proud, but he did not expect them to go to such length. They did not even require protection during the festival. Their own clan members were perfectly capable of taking care of security.

"Assign someone else to this mission." Sasuke refused to play the elder's game.

"That's what I thought first." Kakashi played with the pen in his hand. "Then, I remembered that the Hyuga clan, or part of it, is becoming a threat to Konoha. This is where your real mission starts. You will infiltrate the compound."

The Uchiha stared at Kakashi in silence, waiting for him to continue.

"The Hyuga clan will hold the Sakura viewing festival in three days." The Hokage placed the invitation card on the table for Sasuke to see. "All the Hyuga clan members will be in the gardens, showing around the cherry blossoms to the guests. This will be the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the compound."

Sasuke carefully read the invitation. The infiltration mission almost sounded like a joke. How could one try to sneak into the Hyuga compound, where all the members could see through any wall? He was fast, he could conceal his chakra, but he was not invisible.

"I know what you are thinking Sasuke." Stated the Hokage with a smirk. "This is where Hinata and Hiashi will cover for you."

"Cover for me?"

"Hiashi has specifically instructed that no one apart from some maids should stay in the compound during the festival. And Hinata will ensure that everyone respects this, by engaging with the guests and the clan members."

Having the clan head and his heiress cover for him was an excellent idea, although Sasuke was not sure to what extent they could cover for him.

"There is also another thing." Continued the Hokage, his smirk growing wider. "Naruto and Sakura have been invited."

Sasuke's eyes slightly widened. He did not expect his friends to be invited as well.

"They are the guests of honour this time, as Naruto is the next Hokage, and Sakura the future head of Konoha's hospital." Explained the white-haired shinobi, carefully observing his student. "Which means that you will have additional cover. They will try their best to attract the Hyugas' attention. This should be easy, given Naruto's exuberance. The Hyugas are not used to that."

A small smirk appeared on the Uchiha's face when the Hokage mentioned his friend's exuberance.

"I will speak to Naruto and Sakura. Your ANBU team has also been informed of this. They will cover your tracks. I give you three days off until the Sakura festival. Catch up on your beauty sleep."

"You should do the same. You look like a corpse." Replied the Uchiha, before disappearing, leaving nothing but a gush of wind behind.

The Hokage chuckled. Sasuke was right. He desperately needed to sleep.

He was running through the dark alleys of Konoha, only lit by the pale light of the full moon. He wanted to stop and change his direction, because he knew where his feet would take him. He realised that he had no control over his young body.

He finally stopped in front of the austere Uchiha manor. Its entrance door was stained with fresh blood. His dark eyes found countless Uchiha bodies lying on the floor. Again, his body moved on its own as he ran towards the Uchiha manor's main residence and opened the door shakily. He felt his blood freeze when he saw the dead bodies of his parents lying on the floor, their blood still dripping from their fresh cuts.

The scene in front of him disappeared, only to be replaced by a dense forest. In front of him stood his older brother, wearing a long burgundy cape. His dark sightless eyes bored into his, as he approached Sasuke close enough to touch his forehead with his own.

"No matter what, I will love you always."

The Uchiha finally woke up, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light coming through his bedroom window. He covered his eyes with his arm, letting his tears flow freely.

He did not know how long he stayed lying in bed, his big brother's image never leaving his mind. He wondered how things would have been if the massacre had never taken place. He imagined coming home to his mother's delicious food and his aging father scolding him about something stupid. He also could see himself training with Itachi and his cousins to join the ANBU.

Sasuke took a deep breath. It was pointless to dream about something that would never happen. The young shinobi wiped his tears away and headed to the bathroom. He tried to think about something else as he washed his face with cold water. He could not change the past, no matter how desperate he was.

As he went down the stairs to grab something to eat, the survivor felt two familiar presences approaching. Unconsciously, a smile appeared on his lips. He always knew when he needed him.

"Teme!" Called a loud voice, banging on the door.

Sasuke opened the door and saw his two best friends standing at the doorway. "Why are you so noisy this early in the morning?" Asked the dark-haired shinobi, as he let them enter.

"Morning? It's literally 6:00 pm!" Replied the blonde, as he nearly jumped on his friend's couch.

The Uchiha glanced at the clock in the living room and realised that the idiot was right. He noticed Sakura closing the door behind her, holding five boxes in her hand. Her green eyes met his, and she offered him a warm smile.

"Sasuke-kun, you need to eat properly." The medic-nin said, as she walked toward the Uchiha's kitchen. "This should be enough for a week." Sakura opened the empty fridge, and carefully put the food boxes she prepared inside.

"You should not have bothered, Sakura." The Uchiha said, feeling guilty. He did not want to burden his friends.

"Oh, shut up teme." Replied Naruto, scratching his head. "We all know that you don't even eat properly nowadays. I heard that you have been taking on mission after mission for the past three months."

Sakura finally closed the fridge, and as she turned around to join her husband and her friend in the living room, an Uchiha bento box caught her eye. Sasuke had left it next to the sink to dry. She did not remember seeing it before. However, she did not ask anything about it, and entered the living room.

"You would never bother us, Sasuke-kun." Said the kunoichi as she sat next to Naruto. "We are worried about you."

Sasuke would always hold a special place in Sakura's heart. He was, after all, her first love and one of her closest friends. A small part of herself would always love him, despite everything. She remembered how her decision to marry Naruto came as a shock to her friends. They all knew how much she loved Sasuke and how much she longed for him all these years. However, she was a grown woman, and she knew that despite her selfless love for him, he would never be able to return it.

Sakura knew that Sasuke loved her. But it was only as a friend or as a sister. It would never be romantic, and it never was to begin with. She could not spend her entire life with someone who would not see her as a woman. That was why when Naruto confessed to her after the war, she had decided to bury her feelings for the survivor and dated the blonde. She had no intention to marry anyone at the time, however, as they spent more time together, she began to feel something more towards Naruto – though it would never compare to what she felt for Sasuke. But it was enough.

She did feel guilty towards Hinata at the beginning. She knew how much she loved Naruto, and Sakura would go as far as comparing her feelings towards Sasuke to Hinata's feelings towards Naruto. However, the medic-nin only agreed to date Naruto on one condition. She asked him to be honest with Hinata. That was why after their mission to retrieve Hanabi from Toneri Otsutsuki, Naruto rejected the Hyuga heiress. Sakura did not see her friend for approximately a month after that. And when she finally did, the atmosphere was tense and awkward. Unfortunately, it still was.

"There is nothing to worry about." Replied the Uchiha as he sat in front of the couple. "I have nothing else to do anyway."

Naruto could be oblivious and dense. But he was not an idiot. His blue eyes scanned his best friend's face, and he noticed how red his eyes looked, and how big his dark circles were since the last time he saw him.

"Are you having nightmares again?" Asked the blonde shinobi, staring at his best friend.

Sasuke averted his eyes. He did not know how this idiot always seemed to know what was going on in his life. "Mm… I think I will have to get more tablets."

"I don't think tablets will help you anymore." Softly whispered Sakura. "I cannot prescribe anymore tablets. It will affect your health."

Sasuke knew that. Tablets just numbed his brain. It would never effectively stop nightmares. The problem was not physical. It was deeper than that.

"I think that you should find yourself a girl."

"What are you even talking about?" Asked Sakura in disbelief.

Sasuke just stared blankly at his best friend. He did not even know how to respond to such a stupid comment.

"I mean… all these years, you have been blabbing about how you want to rebuild your clan." Replied Naruto, holding his index up. "For that, you would need to find a nice girl."

"I know that, dobe." Sasuke rolled his eyes. He did not need Naruto to explain to him how babies were made.

"What are you waiting for then? You could literally have anyone in the village."

"He cannot just start a clan with anyone, idiot!" Replied Sakura, annoyed by Naruto's stupidity.

Sasuke internally thanked Sakura for speaking some sense into the blonde.

"Yes, I know. I am just joking." Naruto chuckled. "I heard from Kakashi-sensei that you would infiltrate the Hyuga compound during the Sakura festival."

The survivor nodded. "Mm… I'm not looking forward to that."

"Don't worry Sasuke-kun, we will do our best to cover for you. Hinata and her father will also cover for you."

"Speaking of Hinata… Kiba and Shino are really worried about her." Naruto said, glancing at his wife. "According to them, her mind is elsewhere even when they are training. I mean, it is understandable when some crazy clansmen want to murder you to revive a sealed goddess. She must be worried about her safety."

"She fears for her sister's safety." Corrected the Uchiha, crossing his hands. "She's just an idiot, putting others' safety before her own."

He remembered how she reacted to her sister's maid being killed. She was more worried about her little sister than herself. He knew without a doubt that she would not even hesitate to put herself in danger if it was to protect her sister.

Sakura and Naruto glanced at each other, surprised by Sasuke's reply. Although his tone was neutral, they both knew Sasuke well enough to notice the flash of warmth in his eyes as he spoke about the Hyuga heiress.

Feeling his friends' inquisitive glances, Sasuke decided to change the subject. "Sakura, could you prescribe more tablets for me? Just temporarily."

The medic nin stared at her first love for a few seconds, before sighing in defeat. "Fine. But only for a month, and not even a day more."

"Thank you, Sakura."

Naruto stood up and approached his friend with a serious face. "Teme, … if anything is bothering you, you know where to find me." He put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, lightly squeezing it.

Although Naruto did not say anything more, Sasuke knew what the gesture meant. I have your back no matter what.

"I have nothing to do until the festival." The Uchiha closed his eyes, smirking, before standing up and locking eyes with his best friend. "Let's spar."

Naruto blinked, surprised that Sasuke asked him for a spar. It was usually the other way around. The future Hokage then smirked. "Fine, if you are not scared of losing, teme." He put a hand around his friend's shoulder, as they started walking towards the door.

"Take your hands off, dobe."

"Stop hurting my feelings, Sasuke."

"You're just an idiot."

"What did you say?!"

Sakura watched the two shinobis as they walked away with a smile. Although they both referred to each other as best friends, the medic-nin believed they were more than that. They were brothers.

She followed them and turned around one last time as her eyes lingered on the Uchiha bento box for a few seconds.

"You teme, I am so going to beat your-"

Sakura heard an explosion. Sighing, she finally closed the door, and followed the sound of Naruto and Sasuke's attacks.

"You idiots." She muttered, as she watched her husband and Sasuke fight each other on their way to the training grounds.

Although Sasuke appeared annoyed, those close to him would notice the small smile on his lips as he bickered with Naruto.