Sakura spent a few more days in the hospital before boredom and frustration began to take their toll on her disposition. Her bruises had faded to a pale yellow-green, she was able to walk independently (albeit carefully), and her diet had returned to normal. For Sakura, it was embarrassing to have her own apprentices caring for her night and day – she was supposed to be the one in charge!
Additionally, Sakura was becoming increasingly irritated with Sasuke's aloof behavior. He constantly checked in with her to make sure she was safe, but he said very little. When she tried to coax him into talking to her about whatever was bothering him, he either ignored her or changed the subject. She had thought that they were past all of that secretive behavior, and for a moment, she became worried that perhaps he had realized that love was just too complicated for him to bother with. After all, as much as she loved Sasuke, she sometimes still had to wonder if their relationship was real.
Sakura didn't realize that Sasuke was spending every free moment contemplating his future.
"Tsunade-sama, it's been five days. I feel fine. Please release me." Sakura was nearly begging Tsunade at this point.
Tsunade pursed her lips. "You must promise not to use your chakra for at least another two days, but waiting even a few more days would be best. I can't have my second-in-command out of commission for any longer than she needs to be." Tsunade admitted.
"Yes, I promise!" Sakura said emphatically.
Tsunade glanced over at Sasuke, who was perched in the window and watching Sakura carefully. "Sasuke," she barked. "You'll keep an eye on her?"
Sasuke nodded mutely, his eyes narrowing slightly as if to say, Do you even need to ask me that?
Tsunade exhaled heavily through her nostrils, having made up her mind. "Fine, you're free to go."
"Yippee!" Sakura said gleefully, grinning from ear to ear. "Just bring me the discharge papers and I'm gone!"
"I took care of it." Sasuke said, coming forward to lift Sakura from her bed and into his arms.
"Hey now, a patient cannot be released without their own signature or the signature of their spouse." Tsunade said sharply.
Sasuke gave Tsunade a long, meaningful look. Being one of Kakashi's advisors, Sasuke figured that Tsunade knew all about his current predicament with the council.
Tsunade tilted her head in a subtle nod and walked out of the room.
"What was that about? And why are you carrying me? I can walk by myself." Sakura peered up at Sasuke and raised an eyebrow.
"Home is on the opposite side of town. You're not walking that far by yourself yet."
"You're being overprotective," Sakura muttered, crossing her arms.
"I know," Sasuke said quietly into her ear, his breath tickling her neck.
Sakura couldn't help but smile just a little bit at Sasuke's mild form of affection. She tried not to look too childish in front of her coworkers as Sasuke carried her out of the hospital, still wearing her hospital gown. Sasuke had gradually taken her gifts and flowers home throughout the week, so there was nothing else to be taken home except for Sakura herself.
As they made their way through town, several people stopped to express their relief that Sakura had made a full recovery and had been released. While Naruto and Sasuke were the biggest war heroes, no one had forgotten the last member of Kakashi's legendary Team Seven.
"You're quite popular," Sasuke mumbled, dodging a small group of children who were playing in the street.
"I suppose so, but only because I've healed half of the village and delivered most of their babies since the war ended." Sakura shrugged.
Sasuke had never taken the time to really appreciate just how powerful Sakura had become, both in physical strength and in social status among the villagers. He was the unapproachable deserter of the village who had earned last-minute redemption; Naruto was the friendly goofball who was frequently called away from the village for missions or to assist neighboring nations. Sakura, on the other hand, was a constant presence for the villagers. She was rarely sent on missions, she was always eager to socialize with passersby, and she literally saved people's lives on a regular basis, not just during wartime. The village looked up to her; they knew they were in good hands as long as she was around.
Sakura had become an authority figure; a woman of grace and influence.
These characteristics were exactly the traits that any Uchiha was supposed to look for in a future spouse.
"It's almost funny," Sakura mused aloud. "When I was little, I was painfully shy, and nobody would be my friend until Ino gave me her seal of approval. But now," she continued, smiling. "I feel like a whole different person. And I love it. I love waking up every morning and knowing that I'm going to positively impact someone's life that day. I don't necessarily love the attention, but I love having a purpose and knowing that I have value in this village."
Value, Sasuke thought to himself. Sakura has value because of what she does at the hospital. Her purpose is to help people. What is my purpose? Am I valued for anything more than the Uchiha bloodline?
Having promised Tsunade that he would look after Sakura, Sasuke supervised while she changed into her normal, more comfortable clothing (goodbye hospital gown!) and made herself some food in the kitchen. She then read the newspaper at the kitchen table while she ate, eager to catch up on any major news that she missed while she was in the hospital. Sasuke sat next to her and folded his hands beneath his chin, propping his elbows onto the table while he idly watched her read the paper.
"So," Sakura said after a few minutes, turning a page of the paper. Her eyes remained focused on the text. "Are you going to tell me what's been going on for the past week, or do I have to pester you?" She continued to casually read the paper.
Sasuke looked straight ahead, avoiding any possible eye contact with Sakura. "You're annoying when you pester," he said mildly.
Sakura tried to hide her smile. "I know. But eventually you'll tell me, right?"
Sasuke sighed. "I have a decision to make."
Sakura nodded, eyes still on the paper in front of her. "I see." She waited for him to divulge more information.
Sasuke paused for a moment before continuing. "I have two options; both have consequences."
Sakura's brow furrowed slightly with concern, and she looked up at Sasuke, who was still avoiding her gaze. "Consequences for who, exactly?"
"The same person."
"Is it you?" Sakura inquired, growing a little more concerned.
"No." Sasuke shook his head. "But I don't want to hurt the person my choice will affect."
"Well," Sakura went back to reading the paper, sensing Sasuke's unease. "I'd say do whatever is best for you in the long run, Sasuke. In this world, sometimes you just gotta look out for yourself."
"I've done a lot of selfish things in my life, Sakura." Sasuke said quietly. "I don't want to repeat my past mistakes."
Sakura laid the newspaper down onto the table and turned in her seat to face Sasuke. She put a hand on his shoulder, and he turned his head toward her. Green eyes met onyx, and she gave his shoulder a supportive squeeze. "You're a different person now than you were before, Sasuke. I know you are." She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Trust your gut," she advised, smiling encouragingly.
Sasuke watched as Sakura rose from the table and took her dishes to the sink to be washed. She tied her hair back and turned on the faucet, waiting for hot water to come. Her hair almost sparkled in the sunlight that fell onto her through the window. Sasuke was once again reminded of his mother when she would wash dishes after dinner every night. She would pull back her glossy black hair, and her ruby and onyx ring would sparkle as she lovingly scrubbed each plate clean.
Sakura began to hum a quiet melody as she rinsed her plate, and Sasuke's memories shifted to all the times that his mother sang him to sleep when he was a small child. Before he even knew what he was doing, he silently went into the bedroom and pulled his mother's jewelry box from his dresser drawer. He pulled out the ring and stared at it for a few moments, lost in thought.
Part of Sasuke wanted to rush back into the kitchen and ask Sakura to marry him without any further explanation. Another part of Sasuke knew that Sakura deserved the entire story. And still another part of Sasuke was frozen with fear, unsure of whether he should leave Sakura out of this mess altogether. She had clearly built a life for herself here in the village without his help – who was he to go and turn everything upside down?
"Sasuke?"
As Sasuke whirled to face Sakura, he quickly slipped the ring into his pocket.
"Did I surprise you?" Sakura giggled. "You walked out of the room so quickly, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Her eyes wandered to the jewelry box laying open on the bed, and her face lit up. "Wow, where did you get such a beautiful jewelry box?"
"It was my mother's." Sasuke said quickly, thankful that Sakura hadn't noticed the ring that had been in his hand moments before.
"May I?" Sakura asked, reaching for the velvet-covered box with gentle hands.
"Of course." Sasuke said, and he meant it.
Sakura examined the velvet, the silver feet, and the tiny key that we wedged into the silver lock. She lifted the lid and caught sight of the silver locket that had been left open, revealing baby pictures of Sasuke and Itachi. "Is that…?"
"Me. And Itachi." Sasuke said, pointing to each picture in turn.
Sakura stifled a small giggle. "You were so cute," she said, smiling. "How old were you when you learned how to scowl?"
Sasuke felt himself about to give her one of his signature scowls, but he checked himself at the last second. "Funny," he said quietly, poking her on the forehead with two fingers in retaliation.
"Ouch," Sakura said playfully, rubbing her forehead. "You know I'm sensitive about my big forehead."
"Even if your forehead was abnormally small, I'd still poke it." Sasuke said with a nostalgic smile as he remembered the way his brother used to poke his forehead. For all those years, Sasuke had thought that it was his brother's way of telling him to go away. If only he had known the true Itachi when he was young, then perhaps things would have ended differently…
"I can't believe you'd pick on someone who just got out of the hospital." Sakura said with pretend sadness, closing the jewelry box carefully. "What would your mother think?"
Sasuke's face froze.
Sakura quickly realized her mistake and tried to backtrack. "I'm sorry, it just slipped out. I didn't mean it like that." She bit her lip, worried that she had stirred negative feelings in Sasuke.
But Sasuke just looked at her for several long moments, thinking to himself. Then he slowly reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Sakura's ear, his hand grazing her cheek. "My mother would think that you're wonderful," he said softly, almost a whisper. "She would tell me to behave when I'm with you, or else I'd lose the only woman who could ever put up with me."
Sakura's eyes were shining with emotion. "You think so?"
Sasuke nodded. "I know so," he said sincerely. "She would be thankful that I'm not alone anymore; that someone brought the light back into my life."
A small tear slid down Sakura's cheek, and she smiled as she wiped it away. "Sasuke, I wish so much that I could have met your mother. I bet she was wonderful, too." She closed the gap between the two of them and wrapped her arms around Sasuke's waist, pressing her face into the space between his shoulder and his neck.
Sasuke returned the embrace, kissing the top of her forehead. They held each other in silence for several moments, enjoying a private moment of intimacy for the first time in over a week. Sasuke couldn't help but slowly run his hands along Sakura's waist, hips, and lower back affectionately. In return, Sakura kissed Sasuke near the base of his throat, causing goosebumps to emerge on the back of his neck. She then kissed along his collarbone, reaching up to pull down the collar of his shirt so she could begin kissing his chest.
Sasuke struggled to contain a low groan of pleasure. "Sakura," he breathed. "You're supposed to behave."
Sakura smiled smugly and pulled away, leaving Sasuke's arms limp at his sides. "Fine, if you insist." She slowly walked away, subtly moving her hips from side to side as she exited the bedroom.
Sasuke bit his lip; his hormones were raging. But with everything that had happened recently, he wasn't sure that ravishing Sakura in the bedroom was on the list of things that needed to be done, especially when she was still in recovery. "Wait," he called to her, taking a step toward the door.
Sakura peered around the doorframe, one eyebrow raised in amusement.
Sasuke crossed the room and swept her into his arms, gently kissing her fully on the mouth. "A little bit of misbehavior never hurt anyone," he said huskily, laying her on the bed.
"I agree." Sakura smiled, pulling Sasuke in for another kiss.
When they were done misbehaving, Sakura fell asleep in Sasuke's arms with her head lying on his bare chest. Sasuke was still awake, his mind racing with his usual thoughts.
First, he noticed that the owls had stopped calling to one another, and the sounds of the crickets had faded away.
Then he sensed them.
Sasuke fought the instinctual urge to leap from the bed and prepare himself for a possible threat. He activated his Sharingan, his whole body tense and alert. He lay still, not wanting to disturb Sakura. He counted the chakra signatures: only two shinobi. They weren't moving at all; they were completely still.
Watching. Listening.
They remained for several hours, and then they disappeared as quickly and silently as they had arrived. Sasuke vaguely recognized their chakra signatures, and he ground his teeth in fury. He connected the dots and decided that it was time for another meeting with Kakashi.
"I'm happy to hear that Sakura is going to make a full recovery," Kakashi said to Sasuke as they both leaned over the edge of their favorite bridge in Konoha, looking out over the water. They had arranged for a casual meeting that day, with Kakashi becoming bored with Hokage business and Sasuke becoming more and more paranoid with the passing days. It had been a little over two weeks since their last encounter, meaning Sasuke had less than two weeks to find a way to ask Sakura to marry him and revive the Uchiha clan.
"Yes, both she and Naruto are very fortunate." Sasuke had decided to give Kakashi a moment to make idle conversation before he launched into the reason for calling this meeting.
"Naruto has been looking for some way to repay Sakura for all of her trouble; he feels responsible for the whole incident," Kakashi commented with a chuckle. "He's visited my office at least twice asking for advice, but I'm not sure what to tell him. Any ideas?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Sakura seems to be content with her life at the moment; I can't think of anything she might want from him."
"I think this is probably the most content that any of us have ever seen Sakura." Kakashi gave Sasuke a sideways glance. "Have you spoken with her at all about the arrangement that must be made?"
Sasuke did not answer.
"I can't believe I'm saying this," Kakashi said, chuckling again. "But have you considered asking Naruto for advice? He knows the two of you better than anyone else, even me."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Kakashi, we all know that you just pretend to play dumb. Naruto is the clueless one."
Kakashi shook his head. "Naruto has a special gift when it comes to helping people understand what they're feeling."
Sasuke knew Kakashi was right, but he wasn't going to admit it.
"I wish there was something I could do to change things," Kakashi sighed. "The council is standing their ground on this. Half of them are convinced you're going to make a run for it, and they can't wait for another reason to have you exiled."
"Tell them that I'm not going anywhere, so they can stop stationing ANBU patrols outside of my home." Sasuke said coldly.
Kakashi's face did not portray any hint of the surprise he felt. "Are you sure?" His tone was mild, but there was anger simmering in his eyes.
Sasuke nodded, glaring out across the river at an imaginary council that he could not see. "Two ANBU have visited my house every night since Sakura returned home. They stay out of sight, but I can feel them. Luckily, Sakura is usually asleep by that time." Sasuke shot Kakashi a meaningful look. "I do not want Sakura to suspect that anything is amiss. The council needs to remove the patrols immediately unless they want two dead squad members on their hands."
Kakashi shook his head with frustration. "Are they out of their minds? To send ANBU to the Uchiha compound without authorization, and to send a unit who can't even disguise their chakra from you…it's like they're trying to bait you into an attack." Kakashi sighed. "Honestly, I'm impressed that you've refrained from attacking them thus far."
"It takes a great deal of effort." Sasuke said tersely. "My priority is to keep Sakura in the dark until the right time. So I have to act like nothing is wrong."
"I hate to break it to you, kid, but I hope you realize that if Sakura becomes your bride, she's in for a lot more than just ANBU patrols," Kakashi said seriously.
Sasuke nodded, sighing.
"She's going to have a huge target on her back from the moment you're betrothed," Kakashi continued, his voice businesslike. "She will first be targeted in an effort to blackmail you into submitting to an enemy's demands. When she is carrying your children, she will be targeted to prevent the bloodline from being revived. And when the children are older, they themselves will also become targets for things like blackmail, revenge, and general wrongdoing."
Sasuke had thought about these things before, but hearing Kakashi say them aloud was jarring. He would essentially be sentencing Sakura to a life of constant watchfulness. They could never let their guard down.
"I wouldn't be surprised if the council insisted on a full-time ANBU patrol around the Uchiha compound once she becomes pregnant, to be honest."
"I can protect Sakura myself." Sasuke spat the words with anger. "I don't need others getting involved in my personal business."
"But the revival of such a powerful clan is not just your business, Sasuke. It's the business of everyone who lives in the village, because power dynamics will completely change once your children come of age."
"I don't want power; searching for more power is what fucked up everything for me in the first place." Sasuke bowed his head regretfully. "I don't want power anymore. I just want a chance to make up for what I've done – beginning with Sakura."
"We don't always get what we want." Kakashi said quietly. "We just have to make the best of what we're given. And you were given immeasurable power as soon as Itachi made you the last living Uchiha on the face of the earth. If you want to make things right with Sakura, you should use that power to give her whatever will make her happy. And as much as it might surprise you, perhaps spending the rest of her life with you is what will make her happy." Kakashi said wisely. "Even if it means she's giving up her freedom."
