They landed clumsily in the modest apartment, its old wood floors creaking in protest beneath the weight of three new bodies. As the purple portal dissipated behind them, Sasuke straightened himself up from where he crouched to soften his fall. His eyes scanned the familiar room, finding that nothing has changed since he left it months ago. The only sign that time has graced his long-abandoned apartment was the thin layer of dust settling on the surface of its furnishings.

A grunt pulled him harshly from his thoughts and he turned to find Souta still struggling against Sakura's grip where she continued to clutch onto his arm. When Sasuke, too, realized his fingers were still intertwined with hers, he released them with a start and ignored the swelling in his chest from the loss of heat.

Finally shaking Sakura off of himself, Souta glared at her as if she was the most foul being he had ever laid eyes upon and when he spoke, his voice was so dark it surprised even Sasuke that such a tone could be emitted from him.

"You're a traitor," Souta spat.

"We had no other choice. I didn't want to leave her there either, but it was the only way we could escape," Sakura replied, her shoulders tense at the accusation.

"We would have been fine from the start if it weren't for him," Souta's eyes settled dangerously on the onyx-haired man beside the kunoichi.

When Sasuke felt the gaze on him, he returned the glare with one of his own but it lacked the usual venom he possessed. A part of Sasuke knew that the boy was right. Root wouldn't have wasted such valuable resources to pursue a couple recruits. They likely had a better chance of escaping if Sasuke hadn't tagged along. Sachie probably would have lived to feel freedom if weren't for him.

On instinct, Sakura stepped protectively between the two. Her voice dropped in warning, "It's not his fault."

"You're right, it's yours," Souta's sharp finger jabbed into Sakura's collarbone as he loomed over her. "You insisted that we bring him, you didn't double check to make sure the poison was out of her system, and your friends were the one who attacked us."

With each syllable, Souta drew closer and closer to her until she was backed against the wall. Sakura, whose eyes were filled with fire just seconds ago, dimmed as he spoke and the weight of his words settled heavily on her shoulders. She could only stare back sadly, words lost on her tongue. The sight of it all brought a bitter taste to Sasuke's mouth and he fought back the anger that boiled in his gut.

Silence filled the room and tension gripped the trio. The only sound that could be heard was Souta's heavy breathing from the rage that was emanating from him. Sasuke averted his eyes, finding more comfort in staring at the swirling patterns of the wooden floorboards rather than looking at the face of the heartbroken boy before him.

"You can blame us all you want but you know that you would still be stuck with Root if it weren't for his help," Sakura spoke with a new conviction that had Sasuke whipping his head up to watch her.

Souta gripped the collar of her shirt, yanking her almost to her toes, "How dare y—"

"Am I wrong?" She interrupted, making no move to free herself from his clutches. "There's no guarantee that Root wouldn't have chased us down even if he wasn't there and without Sasuke, we would still be lost in the forest instead of here. None of us wanted Sachie to—," Sakura stumbled over her next words but gathered herself quickly, "to die and I'm sorry I couldn't save her but there's no one to blame but Root."

A loud thud echoed the room as Souta harshly released the fabric balled in his fist, accidentally causing Sakura's head to bounce against the wall behind her. The bubble of anger forming in Sasuke's chest burst and he stepped towards them, hand outstretched to yank Souta away from her, anything to protect her from further harm. But when Sakura's eyes, emboldened with newfound strength met his and she shook her head, Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

Her gaze settled back on Souta as he ran an exasperated palm down his face, seemingly regretful of his rough treatment of the pink-haired girl. When his eyes were revealed again, they surveyed the room with tired and hopeless expression.

"Screw you. Both of you." Souta snapped, but the earlier animosity was now gone from his voice. In its place was a weariness that Sasuke could feel the weight of even from his place several feet away. Without another word, Souta turned to leave. His hand was on the door when Sakura finally spoke.

"Souta, I know you don't want to, but we need to stick together, at least until we get to Konoha and bring you and the rest of your family under the Hokage's protection. It's what I promised Sach—"

"Don't. Don't say her name." With that final, implied warning, Souta was out the door and disappearing into the night.

When Sakura started to follow him, Sasuke spoke, prompting her to halt her steps. "Leave him. He'll be back."

"How do you know?"

"I just do," Sasuke allowed his voice to trail off as he watched the closed door of his apartment.

He may not know Souta personally but something told him that the young boy only needed some time alone to cool off and grieve. Even if he never fully forgave Sasuke, Sakura, or even himself for that matter, Souta would be back. He wouldn't give up on his late sister's wishes so easily. At least Sasuke hoped that was the case.

Sakura sighed as she turned back to face him. While she seemed to accept his reassurance, she didn't look convinced. Her face was lit dimly in the moonlight that peeked past the blinds of a nearby window, eyes downturned with melancholy. Sasuke could only watch her curiously, finding himself unsure of what to do or even say now that they were alone for the first time in three years. Suddenly, her brows furrowed.

"Sasuke, don't worry about what he said. I'm serious, we couldn't have made it out without you."

He felt his mouth run dry as his brain stumbled over the words to say. Unable to gather his thoughts, he opted to say nothing at all and instead only nodded quietly in reply. For several beats, Sakura's eyes flickered across his face. What she was searching for, he couldn't be sure. The only thing he knew was that her expression made him want to run despite his feet remaining frozen in place. Finally she looked away as her clasped hands fiddled at her waist.

"I guess we should get some rest for the night. We can figure the rest when Souta comes back."

Sasuke nodded again but finding that she couldn't see him, or perhaps didn't want to look at him, finally hummed in acknowledgement before adding, "You can wash up first if you want, the bathroom is over there."

With a small smile, she removed her sandals and arranged them neatly by the door before heading down the hall to the bathroom and switching on the light. As she did so, Sasuke busied himself with peeling off his own shoes. He suppressed a sigh of relief when his bare feet settled on the smooth floor, feeling some sort of solace for the first time since he was captured. He may have not spent enough time in this apartment to call it a home, but it was familiar, and that was a feeling he didn't know he missed.

When the sound of the bathroom door clicking shut never followed, Sasuke looked up to find Sakura gripping onto the door frame so tightly that her knuckles turned visibly white. Her body trembled where she stood.

"Sakura?"

At the sound of her name, she twisted to face him before widening her smile that didn't quite reach her weary eyes. "I'm okay, don't wo—"

The world seemed to spin in slow motion as Sasuke watched her body plummet to the floor, her eyes rolled back. In less than a second, he was beside her, supporting her collapsed form in his arm. His lone hand cupped the back of her head, cushioning it from hitting the floor as it hung limply from her neck.

Lit by the light of the bathroom, her soft features seemed to glow with a gentle halo. Her mouth parted slightly as she slumbered and ragged breaths escaped her lips. Pink tresses cradled her cheeks and cascaded delicately down her neck. Sasuke swallowed roughly when he realized the proximity of their bodies. Her warmth against his chest caused his heart to pound rapidly and once again, he was speechless.

Quickly, he tore his eyes away from her face before lifting her as gently as he could in his one-armed state. He kicked the door to the bedroom open and laid her down on the bed above the covers. Careful not to disturb her, Sasuke settled her head on the pillow. Satisfied when it seemed like her neck was properly supported, he grasped the blanket folded at her feet and pulled it to cover her bare shoulders.

His heart thudded as he pulled away and stood beside the bed, hovering above her sleeping form. There was an ever-present guilt that found him each time he looked at her. He felt it when she healed him after his battle with Naruto, when he left her at the gate, and when her bloodied body was sprawled on the grass in the forest after she helped fight his assailants at the outskirts of the Hidden Grass Village. But he especially felt that guilt now.

The look she bore when Sachie died haunted him, even when he tried his best to ignore the emotions in his chest at the sight. If he went the rest of his life without seeing her so distraught, it still wouldn't be long enough. Sasuke clenched his fist. No matter what she said, he knew the truth. Wherever he went, death followed, and that was a fact no one could change. Eyes softening, he leaned down until his lips were mere inches from her ear and whispered the words he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to voice that fateful night on the bench.

"Sakura," he murmured. "I'm sorry."

Her bones ached and creaked as she stretched, arching her back and reaching her arms above her head. A yawn erupted from her lungs, bringing tears to her eyes that she rapidly blinked away to survey her surroundings. The room was bare, furnished only by the bed she slept in and a modest dresser. The blue-tinted darkness peeking from the window told her that it was dawn.

As Sakura continued to take in the new environment, her mind reeled with flashbacks of the events that happened just hours before. The last thing she remembered was Souta walking out the door. Running her palms across the soft sheets, what happened after slowly came to her. Vaguely, she could recall an overwhelming dizziness and a heat rose to her cheeks when she realized Sasuke must have carried her to bed after she fainted from chakra exhaustion.

Against her best wishes, a pale face with large, unseeing eyes found itself at the forefront of her thoughts. She could still feel the burn of the poison beneath her fingers as she tried desperately to extract it, and could still smell the acidity of the vomit that pooled on the grass. A pang formed in her chest as the image continued to swirl in her brain. She could feel herself spiraling, Souta's words repeating like a broken record. Sachie died because she didn't protect her like she promised. She died because Sakura failed.

Desperate to clear her turbulent mind, she shot up in bed so quickly that her head spun. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood with a groan before reaching her arms above her head again. Popping sounds filled the room as her joints protested from the sudden movements.

Despite her best efforts, the floorboards creaked beneath the weight of her footsteps as she crossed the room. Sakura crept to the door and cracked it slightly open so that she could peer into the dim hallway. As her hand curled around the knob, she had to work to ignore how her chest constricted at the thought of what–or who–awaited her behind the door. Finally, she tugged the door fully open with bated breath.

The hallway was dark, lit only by the small streams of the slow-rising sun rays from a young dawn. As she wandered out to the living room, her eyes darted rapidly across the area, taking note of how the furnishings were as bare as the bedroom she came from.

When Sasuke transported them here, she concluded that it was likely his apartment but her mind was too foggy and occupied with thoughts of the twins to truly survey her surroundings. Now with a clear head, she could see how little of Sasuke lived in the confines of this home. It was as if he never lived here at all and she wondered briefly how long he stayed before setting out once again on his journey.

A part of her ached at the thought of Sasuke making a home here, outside of the village and away from her. But the other, more reasonable, part of her understood that the path he walked was not an easy one, nor even a short one for that matter. It made sense for him to have some sort of place to rest even as he adopted the life of a nomad. But still, a small voice hoped that place would have been beside her.

Sakura found Sasuke sitting on the floor beside the entrance to the apartment, his head leaned back against the wall. His hair, unkempt and wild during his capture, was smoothed to its usual place with bangs that covered his rinnegan. The tattered clothing he had on prior were gone, replaced simply by a black tee and black pants. As she approached, he straightened to watch her, an eyebrow raised curiously.

"G'morning," she murmured with a smile when she stopped just several feet in front of where he sat.

"Ah," he responded, his gaze still locked steadily on her.

Sakura's heart thumped as she drew closer before asking, "Is Souta not back yet?"

He simply shook his head no, briefly meeting her eyes just long enough to see the disappointment that flashed across them.

Quietly, she settled in the space beside him, shuffling slightly to find a comfortable position on the hard floor. When the small sounds produced from her fidgeting subsided, a comfortable silence engulfed them, disturbed only by the sound of distant morning birds beyond the walls of the tiny apartment.

"Is this your apartment?" Sakura finally asked, flinching slightly at the volume of her voice that contrasted roughly with the silence they sat in.

"Ah," Sasuke confirmed.

"How long have you been here?"

He stared ahead as if lost in thought, an unreadable expression on his face. Watching him from the corner of her eyes, Sakura had to fight the burning in her chest. Even in this dimly lit room and his tired appearance, he was the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

After some time, he finally replied, "Not long, I think I only stayed in this town for a week before I left."

"I see."

Sakura wasn't sure how to feel about the information. Would it be wrong for her to be glad that he didn't settle in this town away from Konoha? But a criticizing voice inside told her she was being selfish. If she truly loved him like she claimed, she would be happy as long as he was happy, even if that happiness didn't include her.

"Sasuke…" She started before trailing off.

There was so much she wanted him to tell him, so much she wanted to ask him. She wanted to say that she missed him and that she hoped he had been well all these years. She wondered what he had seen on his journey, whether he had found whatever it was he was looking for, and if he achieved comfort in a world that he was blind to when overcome with revenge. And most of all, she wondered if he thought of her and if their exchange at the gates all those years ago replayed in his mind every night the way it did hers.

But the words never came. Instead, Sakura opted simply to say, "You should rest. I'll keep watch until Souta returns."

Sasuke hesitated before finally nodding as he rose to his feet and trod softly down the hall. As he disappeared behind the bedroom door, Sakura's stomach dropped with the unspoken words that lingered on her tongue. It left behind a bitter aftertaste that flooded her senses, rendering her mouth dry.

With a sigh, she leaned back against the wall and shut her eyes. Now that she was alone again, a weariness settled in her bones. She was frustrated, sad, and relieved all at once and the conflicting emotions swirled rapidly until it left her dizzy. A creeping feeling reminded her of the grief she was yet to fully face and she suffocated it like a fingertips to a flame. There was no time for her to mourn Sachie while Souta was gone. She needed to focus if she was to keep her promise.

Quietly, as to not disturb Sasuke's rest, she slipped on her shoes, cracked open the front door, and slid outside. She inhaled deeply, relishing in the scent of fresh air mixed with morning dew. The sun peeked playfully across the horizon, hidden behind a thick line of trees. The town surrounding her was quaint and quiet, its residents still asleep as the morning slowly crept in.

Sakura took in her surroundings, making a note to ask Sasuke where they were once he woke. The air was different here, she thought to herself, but there was a familiarity to it that brought a comforting warmth to her belly. As she settled herself on the porch steps leading to Sasuke's apartment, she rested her chin on her knees and gazed towards the foliage of leaves in the distance. It was there that she saw an approaching figure that made her heart lurch.

Souta was stumbling towards her, clearly worn from the ordeal of their escape. She watched him draw closer, his gaze intentionally avoiding hers. His eyes were rimmed red and swollen, evident of the anguish that tormented him from losing his sister. When Sakura's eyes dropped to survey the rest of his figure, she gasped audibly at what she saw.

His knuckles were cracked and openly bleeding, leaving a trail of dark maroon behind him. When he finally sat heavily beside her, Sakura wasted no time summoning chakra to her palms. As she worked to patch the skin, a rush of relief found her when he didn't pull away.

"What happened?" She asked as the torn flesh began to mend beneath her expert fingers.

Souta was silent for a while, watching wordlessly as she worked her medical ninjutsu before finally replying. "Got into a fight with a tree. I lost, I think."

Sakura snorted at his answer as she finished the healing, finding solace in the hints of humor in his voice. Perhaps the hate he seemed to harbor for her after Sachie's death dissipated after all. But when she looked up to meet his gaze, she found that he continued to avert his eyes, opting instead to stare at the ground as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.

More silence fell on them as Sakura mirrored his actions and stared intently at the ground below after wrapping up the healing session. She took in the patterns of the porch steps and followed the trail of ants that made a home off to the side of the building. At least half an hour passed with the pair staring silently at their respective areas before Souta finally spoke.

"So I take it your name isn't actually Mariko?"

Sakura chuckled quietly, "No, my real name is Sakura."

Nodding slowly, eyes unfocused in thought, Souta seemed to be grappling with something he wanted to say but couldn't put into words. She waited patiently for him to speak, anxiety growing by the minute as she picked at the skin on her fingertips.

When the wait was too much to bear, she finally asked, "What is it?"

Souta hesitated, mind still visibly whirring to come up with words, but he soon found them. "I don't know why Sachie trusted you but I'm going to choose to honor that. But I'm going to need you to explain some things to me."

"Okay," Sakura agreed, knowing that it was only fair that she answered his questions given everything that happened in the last twenty-four hours. "What do you want to know?"

His eyes darkened and tone grew serious as he asked his question, "How do you know the Uchiha?"

"Ah, I figured that would be your first question."

Sakura would be surprised if Souta didn't recognize Sasuke as soon as he saw him in the cell. Even blindfolded, his hair was unmistakable and his reputation was known far and wide. But the dead giveaway, she knew, was the Rinnegan.

"Sasuke and I are…" she paused, unsure of what to say. Were they only teammates? Friends? The moment they shared at the gates flashed back to her. Were they something more?

"We were teammates," Sakura finally settled on.

"Before or after he became the world's most wanted criminal?"

Her eyes widened at Souta's choice of words, the hatred and distrust clear in his voice. As suspected, Sasuke's reputation consisted of more bad than good. Despite his efforts during the War against Madara and Kaguya, his heroic acts paled compared to how the world saw him: a heartless avenger who belonged to a cursed clan.

"Before," she replied.

Souta nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer, but his expression remained unreadable as his eyes focused on some unknown object in the distance.

When he didn't continue, Sakura interjected, "You can trust him."

"Not going to happen."

His answer was quick and final, giving her no room to argue in Sasuke's defense. But she knew her efforts would have been in vain anyways. The Uchiha name carried baggage and the memories of those affected by his actions on his path to revenge far outlived the memories of those who knew the good deeds his clan had done for the village.

Silence settled across the pair again, each lost in their own turbulent thoughts. Sakura knew that the only way to ensure Souta's and the rest of his family's safety would be to get them to Konoha as quickly as possible. The best way to do that would be to ask Sasuke to transport them back to the village once he was rested so she could send ANBU to retrieve Souta's grandmother and younger siblings. But there was one hitch to that plan.

Sakura couldn't be sure if Sasuke would even want to willingly return to the village. On one hand, he needed to return so they could work on removing his chakra-suppression seal. On the other hand, she knew that there was a chance he wouldn't feel ready. Could she ask him to return to a village that had only scorned him?

"I don't blame you," Souta mumbled, causing her to jump as his voice disrupted her thoughts..

Sakura's head whipped up in shock at his admission. In the short time she knew Souta, their relationship was rocky to say the least. She never pegged him as someone who would admit his mistakes, much less forgive others so easily. It shook her to her core.

When Sakura didn't speak, he continued. "I don't blame you, but I can't look at you right now. It's just…too much."

And just like that, understanding flooded her. She knew too well the feelings that overwhelmed him. It reminded her so much of the way she felt towards Sasuke after that day on the bridge when he aimed his chidori at her back, intent on cutting her life short with his bare hands.

She didn't blame Sasuke. Hell, it was even an appropriate response when she, too, was ready to make an attempt on his life. But for a long time, it was hard for her to look at him because all she saw was a person she could no longer recognize. Like Souta said, it was all just too much.

Unable to find the right words to say, she only nodded in acknowledgement and Souta, seeming to be content with her response, stood to leave.

"You should rest, we'll go back to Konoha once I recuperate all my chakra." Sakura said as she craned her neck to watch him turn towards the front door. "There's a couch in the living room. Sleep and I'll keep watch."

One wordless nod later, Souta cracked open the door and slid into the apartment, leaving her alone with her thoughts once again. With him gone, she finally had the chance to mull over his words a second time. It was progress, she thought. Small as it may be, she could see the potential of them having some semblance of a camaraderie as they healed from the ordeal of their escape.

Sighing, she returned to the position of her chin on her knees before wrapping her arms to keep warm from the breeze that blew past. Her mind wandered back to Sachie as her small voice rang in Sakura's ear. She remembered that night like it was yesterday, when the young girl asked Sakura to promise protection for her family even if she wasn't there. That night, Sakura had assured her that nothing would happen to her but how cruel this world could be.

Trying to ignore the heartache that threatened to consume her, Sakura pressed her forehead to her knees and closed her eyes in hopes to reign in the worst of the sobs that began to rise in her chest. Another hour passed until the sun finally made an appearance, lighting her surroundings in a soft golden aura. As the warmth kissed her skin, she lifted her face to the sky and allowed her tear-stained cheeks to soak in the rays.

Sachie, she thought, this time, I'll keep my promise.

A/N

Hi! This chapter is a bit slower than usual but I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll aim to update again next week.

P.S. Have fun reading the first chapter of the Sasuke Retsuden manga this weekend!