Sakura set her foot in front of the tall gate with a huge symbol of a symetrical paper fan. She pushed the bell button.
"Sumimasen, is this Uchiha Itachi's residence?" She asked from the voice box.
"Yes, Sakura chan, please come inside," Answered Itachi himself.
The gate click-ed opened. Sakura ascended the seamless pavement of stair. She was enjoying herself walking through the large yard as she was enjoying the view along the way. She passed so many classical japan houses and towering trees along the way, which brought awhole different ambience she used to have in bustling Tokyo.
Eventhough it was covered by snow, Uchiha's frontyard tress were cheered up the white yard, with so many bonsai(s) propped here and there aesthetically; as Sakura walked on the peble stepping toward the front door.
A middle aged lady with bright black eyes and sweet smile welcomed Sakura by the dark-wooden door. She felt like coming home after a very long time. Mikoto's tight embrace made Sakura's day perfect.
/
hERe aFtEr
6.
/
Tokyo, 2020
One week before Chrismast
"Thank you, Sakura-chan, you're willing to come here and see me," said Mikoto, her eyes brimmed with tears, "Fugaku and I were very longing to meet you, but… here you are, finally."
Sakura was smiling from ear to ear, "I'm so happy to finally meet you, Mikoto-san. Thank you for inviting me."
Across from their seat Itachi was watching with a smile.
"And thank you so much for helping Itachi-kun."
"As I was supposed to, Mikoto-san."
"I don't know why am I feeling it, but I was so overjoy and proud to know that you're a cardiologist now. How's life going, Sakura-chan? And where do you live right now?"
There was a glimpse of fear mixed with compassion in her last question.
"Everything is great, Mikoto-san. lt's been a while since I went out of Tokyo, I really love Asakusa and thanks to you I finally have a place to visit beside the shrines.
Anyway I live two blocks away from the University of Tokyo Hospital, Mikoto-san. I've lived there since I moved from Hokkaido."
"The house-is that what they… "
Sakura quickly nodded. "Yes, it is. Located in very friendly neighborhood and only ten minutes away from the hospital. I was so lucky."
"Mother, how do you know about Sakura-san's house?" Itachi raised his eyebrows.
"There was a reason why your father and I wanted to meet her for a very long time, my dear."
Itachi got little bit more confused.
"Because she's always like a daughter to me, and also we owe her a great deal."
Sakura was melting for that words. "I think there's nothing but caring and longing for each other that we have are the reason why we're meeting right now, Mikoto-san. Nothing less or more, I hope."
Itachi got a big question mark inside his head, while watching her mother still held onto Sakura's hands tightly with a wide smile and bright eyes, just like she always did whenever she was with him or Sasuke.
"Let's talk about that matter some other time son, right now I bet Sakura-chan was starving."
"Well," Itachi glanced at the clock, it was five past one, "I think we don't need to wait for Sasuke."
"Oh, Sasuke-kun is not here?" Sakura murmured to herself. She was surprised by the fact that she did not even noticed Sasuke's absent.
Mikoto led Sakura to the dining room.
"He should be on his way, though, his arrival supposed to be at nine. But, I don't know why he didn't answer my call." Itachi flip-closed his antic phone.
"Neither he read my messages. Here take a seat, Sakura-chan," Mikoto asked Sakura to sit next to her.
As soon as Sakura lay her eyes on to the various kind of dish on the luxurious dining table, she could not care less about Sasuke's arrival nor the reason why. Because nothing could beat her craving for homemade dish which meticulously cooked and even more so by the hand of a loving mother.
/
Mikoto shared lot of stories during their lunch. And with happy mind and also a full tummy Sakura was amused; she responded to Mikoto with her own stories as well, which fifty percents of it was about her struggles to become a doctor.
It had been ages since she was in such content, seemed less bitter.
"It was so delicious, Mikoto-san." Said Sakura put down her chopsticks, she beamed.
"Thank you. Itachi helped me a lot, you know he's really good at cooking."
"To be honest it is because I'm a picky eater," Itachi opened up before Sakura give another, probably, compliments, "so from time to time I learned to cook my own food. And because I spend most of my time alone, I felt cooking is also a good way to relieve stress."
The death of Uchiha Fugaku was not the most shocking piece of story Sakura ever heard; because Naruto had informed her about it and there was his orbituary in a local newspaper. But it was about Itachi. Sakura just found out today that Itachi was married, and the most shocking part was he had divorced already.
Sakura supposed it could have been the trigger to his sickness. As soon as she admitted, Sakura cursed silently to her innerself to have prejudice on her patient.
"Indeed, Itachi-san, cooking is a good way to relieve stress and I personally believe it is too a healthy way to maintain my saving."
Sakura gained a smile from both of Mikoto and Itachi. "Since I was living on my own, I had lost count on how much I've spent to just buy a meal for myself. I just love food, I had to buy like 2-3 menus everytime I'm taking a delivery."
Mikoto raised one of her eyebrow, "Really? That's sounds unhealthy, Sakura-chan."
"The second year of my living in Tokyo, I've gained so much weight. Until, Thanks Kami, my work kept me away from deliveries from time to time," Sakura nodded her head reminding how her work not only save other's life but also hers. "I'm glad my seniors was strict on me."
Mikoto made a small laugh. "Kami's plan was always the best plan," she added.
Sakura smiled and excused herself to the bathroom while the other two just finished their lunch. Her stomach was never been this full since her second year.
"Oh, the bathroom is at the corner," Itachi told her the way.
Sakura looked at herself in the fancy ocean blue mirror. She was smiling and for the umpteenth time she was glad she made the right decision to come here.
Sakura combed her hair with her fingers. She just need some time to checked on herself after eating so much food. She checked both of her sleeves once more, make sure they would not rolled up while she was moving. Then she took the door's knob.
As soon as she managed to close the door quietly, she heard a rough noise which is obviously came from the front door being abruptly opened.
After that came along a male voice, "Are you really gonna do this to me?"
"Sasuke-kun!" Obviously it was Mikoto who was shouting.
Sakura hold her breath and thank god she closed her own mouth shutted, before her gasp was being heard.
Is that Sasuke? What happened? Why's he like barge into his own house?
"You have plenty of people under your feet who's ready to take the lead, but why!? Why me!" Another voice from Sasuke.
"Please, calm yourself first and sit. I will explain it to you," Sakura heard Itachi's voice as calm as always, "Besides, right now we have a guest."
"As if I care! You're being selfish as always!"
"Sasuke-kun, your brother is sick. Please, listen to him first."
"Mom, all this time you knew about this, right?" Sasuke finally lowered his voice, "you obviously aware if I run the hotel, right now, my bussiness that I had been keep up so hard would finally collapse."
"No. We will figure it out together." Itachi's strained 'no' was convincing.
But, then Sakura could not hear any answer. Their voices had been quite all of a sudden. After two or three minutes, "Sasuke-kun!" Mikoto and Itachi called Sasuke for the last time.
Sakura heaved a deep sigh. Does he left?
"Sakura-chan," Sakura jumped at the voice. She did not realized that Itachi was looking at her from the dining room, "Sorry you have to hear that."
Sakura simply shaked her head, as if she did not mind what had happened.
"That was Sasuke, he didn't know that the guest is you of course... so... "
"It is fine, Itachi-kun, I understand," Sakura put a smile.
Itachi just stared down to the floor. Then he turn around and started to pick up the dishes.
Sakura decided to go home sooner than she had planned with a heavy step. Because she felt wrong to just sit and chat after what had happened to Itachi and Mikoto. Sakura hated to keep thinking 'why the heck Sasuke came across from America to just do that and left'.
"Promise me, Sakura-chan, we'll have to see each other again before I go back to New York," asked Mikoto.
"l promise."
/
The disrupt expectation of how Sakura would have her first reunion with Sasuke's family, made it even hard for her. She kept thinking about Sasuke and what happened that day. That was acumulated into another expectation.
On the last Sunday of December, when Sakura had her-supposed to be-peaceful day off, her phone was ringing non stop. Sakura from the kitchen running to her phone. Looking at the phone's screen, her eyebrow quirked.
"Hello, Itachi-kun?" Sakura rushed back to resumed her tomato omelette. The changing of the suffix sounded almost natural by now.
"I think my sleeping pils are lacking their effects on me, Sakura-chan, because I can't sleep all night. Or is it just me?"
Sakura held her spatula midair, "That's-how do you feel right now?"
"The heart thumping kinda uncomfortable of course. What should I do? Should I just go to the ER?"
"No no, you don't need to," Sakura put off her stove. The uncooked tomato omelette threw into the sink without second look. "You must try your best to rest okay, turn off the light, close all the curtain."
"If you're-"
"-I know," Sakura cut him off while removing her apron. "I'll be on my way ten minutes from now, okay?"
"I'm beyond relieve," Sakura could imagine Itachi slumping shoulders, "Thank you, Sakura-chan."
"It is fine, Itachi-kun."
She had done this 'screw-my-day-off' hundred of times, since she was responsible for the emergency unit start from her early days until now. So, right now all she could think about was another glass of soyu milk and banana for her to eat inside the taxi.
Mikoto's face was scrunched with worry while looking at Sakura who was now examining her son. Sakura of all people knew how disconcerting Itachi's situation was.
"You can have the sleeping pils's dosage to doubled up, but only for two days," Sakura heavy sigh was a clear note for Itachi that he was back to square one. Add to that, she looked so disappointed.
"If you keep making yourself busy all the time, this would eventually worsen, Itachi-kun. I'm afraid it would cause you an enlarged heart."
Itachi with hazy eyes looking at the two women beside him. A rushed feeling of guilt and tired was overwhelmed him.
"It won't be that long, mom, I promise," said Itachi to Mikoto who was now aidding to his side.
Sakura could not say anything further. She repressed any disappointment she had. Because she had done her part more than enough. At the end of the day, her patient's would free to make any decisions for their own life.
"I'd be here if you need anything, okay," Mikoto raised the blanket to Itachi's chest.
Sakura put back the stetoscope into her backpack, after writing a long notes of Itachi's condition for her home visit record. "I will leave you to rest then."
"I can't thank you enough, Sakura-chan."
"Don't even mention it, Itachi-kun. You can call me if you need anything."
Sakura watched as Mikoto raised from Itachi's side to walk out with her, "No, no, you shouldn't leave him. I need you to watch over him, just in case he's trying to go back to his works or something else."
Mikoto was smiling, eventhough it didn't reach her eyes, "Thank you, Sakura-chan. Please, take care on your way home."
Nodded her head, Sakura send both of them a warm smile. She tried to close the bedroom door gently. Turned around she faced the broad staircase which led her to the main living room on the first floor.
As her feet touched the living room floor, she could sensed there was something within her peripheral vision. A glimpse of huge figure looming over the fridge, which was in the dining room behind her. When she was about to run-
"-Going already?" the looming figure transformed into one beautiful men with messy wet hair and half naked body. Today the sun was high, but still the temperature was thirteen degrees celcious.
Sakura sure enough, her inner self was swearing out of shock. "Y-yes," she almost choked on her own words.
Sasuke stood still while gulped down the rest of his milk with his right hand. Without looking, he put the bottle back into the fridge.
"Is he okay?" he asked Sakura once more, without even bothered to recognize the fact that this was their first encounter after nine years.
"Uh, oh-he's alright. He just need more time to rest."
"Okay," he said, while he was scrutinizing her whole being for five seconds, "take care."
Both eyes were staring for another five seconds before Sakura answered, "Sure."
The shattered expectation was back, it led Sakura to completely denied that the man she just met was Sasuke. She cracked the door open and left the Uchiha's house with her hands held in fist.
/
The Tokyo's Judicial office's grandiose façade was pleasing for every eyes to see. It's Greek style was one of a kind-with four pillars stood strong were supporting the white building-made it impossible to notice this was a government's office building not some majestic monument.
However, if you take a look closer from one of their huge windows would displayed the hustle and bustle of their law enforcers were just the same with common offices. Especially, of course, on a monday morning.
A young public prosecutor was busy walking back and forth in his room; from answering a never ending discussion-calls, raking his cabinets to examined documents, and of course taking notes. The secretary was knocking at the door for the second times when finally the young prosecutor took his phone down.
"You may come in."
"Sir, Uchiha Sasuke is coming to see you," The secretary came in with a gentleman in his early thirty who looked nothing but a royalty.
"Sasuke-kun," the young prosecutor dashed from the secretary to embraced the gentleman tightly.
The secretary did not waste time to excused herself. She was smiling for the last time to the prosecutor's guest, eventhough she knew he would not spare a look, she was glad to have a pleasing view to start her day.
"I heard about your wedding, congratulation, Naruto."
"Thank you," the whiskered smile was never change; he led Sasuke to the sofa near his desk. "I heard about your dad, I was kinda too late to hear the news. I'm very sorry for your loss."
Sasuke nodded his head in comprehend. "Precisely I came to thank you, Naruto. You really gave Itachi a big hand on his fraud case."
"Itachi and I were a longdue partner you know, we once communicated, through our secretaries though, to discussed some legal papers. I remember telling him if he needs anything I'll always ready to help. So, that was it."
Sasuke merely smirked.
"So, are you moving here now?"
"Yeah, I guess. Looking at Itachi's condition righr now, he desperately needs me more than ever."
Their reunion after nine years without contact was inevitably brought an awkward feeling nonetheless. Sasuke believed his arrival here in Tokyo was far called a reunion. So, practical as he always, he got down to the bussines part right away.
"Back to Itachi's case, how is it going, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.
"About that, Sasuke," Naruto straightened his back, "we found a trace about the developrs who defraud Itachi had worked together with Ryouichi Kudo, the one and only son of Asahi Kudo*. But, then I found out that the two were in a bad term for so long, Ryouichi was ran off or could've been kicked out of house because his entanglement with Danzo Shimura."
"Danzo Shimura? His name ring a bell."
Naruto stood up and took out a bundle of files from one of the drawer behind him. He handed one piece of paper which contained Danzo Shimura's profile and biodata.
"Yakuza, you know about it, right? From what I had collected Danzo was long resigned from that bussiness and now running a restaurant and maybe some pubs."
Sasuke looked at the picture of an oldman who looked tired and did not even resembled any kind of threat. He had his forehead wrinkled, eyes bag so deep, and a tired frown. Sasuke would definitely going to ask some of his friends who might know about any of this stuff.
"Well, it could be councidence so we have to dig deeper about what their dealings with each other. On the other hand, unfortunately Itachi didn't like the idea of we suspecting Asahi Kudo. He told me right now he just want to breathe and rest, he was enough that we finally caught those filty swindlers."
"He maybe thought about dad, he didn't want to disappointed him. Because, you might know this already, Asahi Kudo was dad's bestfriend and a bussiness colleague, which he also helped Itachi built this hotel. However, now the hotel is on my watch, I'll give you my permission to do what you supposed to do."
Naruto squeezed his now slightly bearded chin.
"There is another thing."
Sasuke waited for the explanation.
"The hotel was in crisis for almost a year, and in that kind of state does the paints exhibition still opened? I heard you had partnered up with some artist to held an exhibition for two seasons in a year."
Sasuke thought for a moment, "No, we had rearranged it only for fall. What about it, Naruto?"
Two pair of eye were focusing on to each other. Sasuke could not grasped what was in the young prosecutor's mind.
"Itachi and I were quite close with the artist, Maddy Williams as known as Madoka Williams, she befriended with us because of Itachi's ex wife introduced her to us like… six years ago."
Naruto caught an intense worried from Sasuke's eyes, he chose his words carefully. "You don't need to worry too much though, this merely my gut keep bothering me. The thing is when I do an investigation I'd prefer to look at everyone as a suspect, and often relied on my instinct to sorted them off."
Naruto was smiling to ease the tension.
"There's no harm to double check everything," Sasuke stated.
"Absolutely, and I already had the exhibition's guest lists from Itachi to start with."
"If you need anything please tell me right away, Naruto."
"I hope there's nothing more to it. So, you could focus on taking care of the hotel."
Sasuke could not agree more.
/
"Thanks again for you help, Naruto."
Naruto, the young prosecutor grinned. "I'd love to invite you to my place on weekend, if you have time, Sasuke. I'll ask Sakura-chan to come too, she'll be happy to see you."
Sasuke gradually drop his head. He did want to say no, neither he want to have another 'reunion', he thought.
"What's wrong?"
"Sure, just call me," Sasuke put on his sunglasses, then patted Naruto's left shoulder, "I'll see you again, Naruto."
Right after Sasuke broad back disappeared from the front door, Naruto almost run to his desk to grab his cellphone. He scrolled through his contacts.
Naruto finally pressed the call button. Then came the ringing sound.
Click. "Hi, Naruto?"
"Guess who I've just met this frickin' morning, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura rolled her eyes, "What do you take me for, Naruto, a psychic?"
*Uchiha Fugaku's Friend; one of the main investor of the Uchiha Hotel