Yamato has an awkward evening. Sakura leaves a letter.

Chapter Text

Kakashi wandered down the streets of Konoha, wishing he'd acted faster. There was a girl in town, a pretty blonde and a good woman,

that had been smitten with a clueless Yamato for a while. He'd been meaning to set them up, life had just been too busy, and now his

friend was likely emotionally involved with a girl who was nothing but trouble.

When he arrived at Yamato's doorstep, Izumi was standing in front of it, hand poised to knock.

"Funny seeing you here.", he quipped.

She lowered her hand and turned to face him, bowing politely,"Hokage-sama."

She certainly wouldn't be explaining herself that easily. She regarded him with a blank face and dark eyes as she waited for him to

elaborate on his comment without any of her own.

Kakashi gave her a fake eye crinkle,"I guess I should have left it to the Uchiha to spread the news. I just wanted to tell Yamato myself

about Sakura's marriage. Old friends and all that."

For a very brief second, he saw a shift of attention in her eyes. Once again, it looked like his hunch was correct.

Her recovery was quick. "I will report that he was made aware, Lord Hokage."

The door to the apartment opened.

Yamato had a towel around his waist, another in his hand as he dried off his hair.

He smiled brightly as he registered Izumi standing in front of his door, facing away from him, glossy locks tapering to the first

curve of her ass. He opened his mouth to greet her.

'Yo."

Oh hell. A tuft of wayward silver hair was visible above Izumi's head.

"Hokage-sama.", he croaked out, concerned Kakashi's bad timing wasn't a coincidence, "Can I help you?"

Kakashi's eyes flicked pointedly to Izumi,"Was that all you needed here or did you need…. something else?

It really would be better for me to tell him…"

Izumi nodded and left.

Yamato watched her go, disappointment clear on his face.

When he looked back to Kakashi, he saw his steel grey eyes had a stern glint.

"Invite me in Yamato. Now."

The wood user sighed, opening his door further and stepping aside to let his friend in.

Kakashi wanted an explanation, and he knew he would be goaded until he gave him one.

The Rokudaime made himself at home on his couch,"Wanna talk about it?"

Yamato sounded defeated,"Am i in trouble?"

Kakashi replied, gravity in his voice,"Not from me."


Sakura woke up when it was still dark outside, her internal alarm clock buzzing away inside of her and reminding her of her early shift.

She glanced up at the face of the warm man holding her in her bed and her heart sighed in pleasure.

He looked relaxed and content, smooth lids topping his long lashes.

She smiled as she remembered the first time she woke up next to him.

It was on a four month mission in the land of snow when she had fallen hopelessly in love with him.

They were in a cave, a horrible storm blowing outside. She had been in her own sleeping bag, and he in his.

Sometime in the night, he had zipped their bags together. When she woke up with his arms wrapped around her and her head

tucked under his chin, she had startled a bit. He gave a small amused grunt, making her look up at him.

The corner of his mouth was curved up a bit, the way his black eyes looked at her making her stomach jump pleasurably.

Their lips were so close. She wanted a kiss from him so badly, to stay here and let him touch her.

His eyes flicked to her lips, his tongue darting out briefly to moisten his bottom lip.

For just a second, she could've sworn she'd seen molten desire in his eyes, but he pulled away.

On their walk back to Konoha yesterday, he had confided how difficult not being with her then had been, and she had told him

that she couldn't sleep again until she'd taken care of herself.

Surprised, his steps had halted for a moment, and right before Sakura burst into laughter at his reaction, he'd grasped her and

pinned her to a tree. Panting from his sudden passionate kisses and overwhelmed with desire to have him, she wrapped her legs

around his waist, but he pulled back again.

"You always tease me.", he'd said with a smirk.

"You're the tease.", she shot back, frustration in her voice.

"You are the one making me wait, Sakura.", he said, smirk vanishing, turning to resume their journey.

She was hurting him. He wanted her enough, and he felt her refusal meant she wasn't sure she did.

That wasn't the reason she hadn't accepted his proposal.

She wanted to live her life with him, the one she had plus the man she loved.

Sakura suspected the clan would take that life away from her, force a different life on her.

Itachi would help her if he could, but what if he couldn't?

She carefully disentangled herself from itachi, putting on a robe to make some tea.

Approaching the kitchen table, Sakura found breakfast had already been made, two plates and steaming tea set out.

A note lay next to it, in Mikoto's beautiful script:

I'm not dead yet, one of us leaves our own legacy.

As intimidating as the Uchiha matriarch could be, she was always perceptive and kind.

She didn't doubt that Sakura loved her son, knew what she was afraid of.

The pinkette smiled, thinking about what kind of legacy the two of them could make together.

This "mission" Kakashi put her on had her all out of sorts too.

Itachi was perceptive, hadn't been sure of her proposal last night.

But….if she forgot about everything else…...made it just about the two of them...

Deciding, she flipped Mikoto's note over, writing her own.

She ate, showered and dressed, leaving the note on the nightstand for Itachi.

Itachi opened his eyes after she left, sighing.

You're a fool, pretending to sleep to avoid talking about it now.

She had written him a note before she left.

He'd heard that wasn't often a good thing, wished he'd faced her this morning instead.

Was she upset about him wanting her to wait until he knew she was sure?

The note sat ominously, daring him.

He watched the sky for a long time, until he got the inner peace he needed to read it.

Pushing his fears aside, he opened it, her neat looping script gracing the page.

Itachi,

You traded your honor for mine, but I was wrong to accept it. I want everyone to know the truth, and not just because I know

we'll be happy together. Your honor matters too, especially to me, whenever there is anything I can do to protect it.

There wasn't a moment I didn't want you. I'm not ashamed to need you.

I was worried about being forced out of everything I've worked so hard for, the rigidity of the clan.

Now I know that, when the time comes, we can use our hard work to form our own way, and I really want to be a part of that.

Together. I just wanted to let you know.

Yours,

Sakura

Her steadfast, caring nature. Her protectiveness, her dedication to her work, her optimism for the future, her desire to be with him

in everything.

It was all right here.

A lovestruck smile graced his lips as he read it over again.

He dressed and placed the note in his pocket, got ready for the day with new energy.

He would train for a bit, then gather his wife in his arms and be certain she thought of him in fond memory every time she walked in her office.

Then he would find his brother.