A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! One thing many people fretted about was that this story was only a one-shot. In my haste to release the first chapter, I forgot to mention that this will be a chaptered story. Many apologies to you all!
If you haven't added this story to your alert list, then you can find my updates at the SasuSaku LJ community, or on my profile page. Anyway, here is chapter 2. Unfortunately, there is no SasuSaku interaction, but that's what the third chapter is for : )
I woke up to the sickly sweet scent of the sugary vapors which always permeated the house in the early morning hours. For a moment I lost myself and groaned into my pillow, thinking it was another day of team training. I covered my eyes with my hand to block out the blaring rays peaking in through the window panes.
And then reality hit me like a swift and unexpected kick to the stomach during a practice session. I was reminded relatively fast that I had just returned home the day prior, I wasn't twelve years old anymore, and Sasuke was back.
It was enough to cry, which I considered for a moment; yet I found myself laughing. It wasn't happy laughter, but it was laughter all the same. I curled into a ball as I tried to stifle the fit of giggles that had assaulted me. I pinched at the skin on my arm and hoped it would pacify the sheer amusement I was feeling. No such luck.
After a time the laughter subsided. I was left breathless and gasping for air, accompanied by this strange feeling of emptiness and exhaustion. I closed my eyes and listened to my heart beat pounding in my ears as my breathing gradually returned to normal.
A shadow towered over me.
"Don't tell me you're losing it." The voice sounded anxious as a hand shook lightly at my shoulder.
I blinked and stared up. A pair of bright blue eyes loomed dangerously close above me, reciprocating my gaze almost eagerly. I sank back farther into my pillow and smiled before responding, "And what if I am?"
The eyes pulled back until Naruto's face came into focus, a wide grin settled onto his lips. "I'd be very sad; but I wouldn't blame you." He lifted two familiar-looking bags from his shoulder; it was my luggage. I had dropped it down at the hospital when I went to visit Sasuke. As if sensing my thoughts, the grin quickly disappeared from his face. He shuffled his feet and glanced around. "Where do you want it?"
I pointed to an unoccupied space by my desk. The room was spotless, just as I had left it. Naruto carefully set the bags on the floor, then pulled the desk chair out and sat down facing me.
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. His gaze was steadily occupied by his entwined hands as he cleared his throat. "How're ya feeling, Sakura-chan?"
I turned onto my side beneath the covers so that I could watch him. My heart felt like breaking into two. He looked so nervous and concerned, as only Naruto could. I had planned to lie to him and say I was perfectly fine, but we both would have known that was far from the truth. He didn't deserve that.
"Angry, upset, dejected, miserable; any of those words will do," I said calmly, tugging the blankets tighter around me.
"Oh," he replied, taken aback by such a candid response. We sat in silence for a while, the hustle and bustle sounds of someone rummaging through the kitchen below slipping through the floorboards.
"You were right," I whispered. Naruto looked up from his hands, justifiably confused. I shook my head as he tried to speak. "I heard what you said yesterday, and you were right. I did come back, because of Sasuke. And I know—"
Naruto stuck a hand out to stop me from continuing, a pained smile on his face. "Hey, hey; you weren't supposed to hear any of that, eheh…"
I stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Naruto." I sighed into my hand. "I feel so stupid."
He sat straight up in the chair. "Don't apologize, Sakura-chan. I—I shouldn't have said any of that. I guess I was jealous since… and I was just so mad at that bastard, and he wouldn't answer me. He wouldn't say a word."
I sat up in the bed. "Are you still angry at him?"
Naruto ran his fingers through his blonde hair and frowned. "I was, especially when I heard what happened after I left the hospital. Not anymore, though; even though I want to be." He looked at me. "You know things can't go back to the way they were, don't you, Sakura?"
I wiped at a tear that had escaped from my eye and nodded. "I know."
Naruto's hand reached out, and then quickly drew back. I met his gaze, so sincere and troubled with his problems and mine. It was so like him to try and carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
He reached into his pocket and produced a beige scroll. "Tsunade asked me to give you this," he said, resting it carefully on the pink sheets. "She said that she wants to see you."
I left the scroll untouched and simply nodded. Naruto stood up and pushed the chair back in beneath the desk. "I gotta get going. I have a mission to get ready for and I still have to say goodbye to Hinata…"
"It's alright," I said, attempting a pathetic smile, "I have some stuff to take care of." A thought crossed my mind. "Hey, um… H-how is she? Hinata?"
Naruto froze, a genuine and sheepish grin suddenly returning to his face. "Hinata? Well, she's great. I finally got her dad to let her go on a date with me; except now every time we do go anywhere, he sends what he calls "a bodyguard" along. I think he's worried about us being alone, or something." He shrugged.
"I'm happy for you, Naruto," I said. He nodded at me appreciatively and started for the door.
"I'll be out of town for a few days," he said as he placed his hand on the door and stopped. He seemed hesitant to leave. "Take care of yourself, Sakura-chan."
"Make sure you follow your own advice," I replied. He gave me one last look before closing the door behind him.
I had thought about pointing something out to Naruto before he left, a simple trait he and the Hyuuga leader shared. He probably would have denied it, anyway. They were simply trying to protect the ones they loved from something they couldn't stop.
I picked up the scroll.
I walked slowly, setting distance between me and my mother as we ventured down the street leading to the Ninja Headquarters. The fire symbol emblazoned upon it easily stood out, evening as the building loomed beneath the Hokage stone monument.
I return my gaze to the street, preferring to study the surroundings which were currently closer to me. Shops and small restaurants were already open, a steady flow of customers and neighbors coming and going. I paused briefly outside the Ichiraku Ramen stand. The warm aroma of spices drifted pleasantly across the way, and I considered coming back later for a bowl. I had important matters to attend to first, though. Tsunade was waiting.
My mother glanced back over her shoulder, hazel eyes searching for her long-lost daughter. She spotted me and frowned. "Sakura, you can daydream later. I have to get back to the shop, and we still haven't seen the Hokage."
She stood five feet tall, pink hair dangling in the cool morning breeze. She was my mirror image, save the two inches of difference in height that allowed me to peer just over her head; and ours eyes, of course, as mine were bright and green like my father's. She looked impatient and slightly annoyed at my lack of enthusiasm in getting to the meeting with the Godaime, which, she had informed me earlier, was a great honor. I suppose she felt it was "a great honor" that Tsunade would want anything to do with me after I quit being a ninja.
The writing in the scroll had been very discreet and official, but there was no air of resentment in the Hokage's style or handwriting. It asked that I report to her office the next morning at nine o'clock, and to bring one of my parents. It was the latter part of this supplied information that filled me with unease.
All too soon, the building with its red roofs and fire symbol towered directly above us. Ninja were passing back and forth through the doorway. Some shot curious looks at me, others waved as they realized who I was. They all looked so busy, but otherwise content. I held the door open for my mother to go inside.
We climbed the steps to the fourth floor as I led the familiar way to my former teacher's office. Soon we found ourselves in the reception area, where a desk occupied by a dark-haired kunoichi sat before a door.
The familiar face of the Hokage's assistant, Shizune, glanced up from the documents skewed across the tabletop. Relief blossomed into her gaze upon seeing us. "Oh, thank goodness! You're here."
"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune's voice rang loudly through the room as she knocked twice at the door.
A disgruntled voice snapped, "What is it, Shizune?"
Shizune glanced back at me nervously. "Haruno Sakura is here for her appointment."
After a moment the same voiced replied, "Send her in."
Shizune opened the door and directed us to go inside. Tsunade sat at her desk, head held in her hands. Her blonde hair hung like a curtain hiding her face from view. A pile of untouched folders were stacked on the edge, while one lay open directly before her.
She took a deep sigh and flipped her head back, arching her neck in a stretch. "Shizune," she barked, "bring me some Tylenol or something before my head explodes."
"Right away," the medic-nin responded, snapping the door shut quickly.
Tsunade cringed at the jarring click of the lock. "Forty-five years of medical training and you think I'd be able to cure my own migraine," she grumbled. She motioned for us to take the vacant seats before her desk, then glanced over at my mother and nodded. My mother eyed the Hokage, slightly taken aback by her less-than-formal greeting.
Tsunade's eyes fell back to me. "It's been a while."
"I was very busy, at school I mean," I said, returning her gaze. She looked worse for ware at the moment than was normally acceptable, a few wrinkles just standing out around her eyes. Whether she would admit it or not, Tsunade was getting old.
"Yes, well; I've been informed that you've completed your final year of schooling." She shuffled some papers. "Is there any chance you will be returning to work here?"
I shook my head. "No, I don't plan to become a ninja again, at this time."
Tsunade stared at me for a moment before returning to cleaning up her desk. She left the one file untouched, though. "Well, I'll get down to business then. As I'm sure you're aware, Uchiha Sasuke is currently being held in the hospital." She paused to study my reaction, but I kept a deadpan expression on my face. She continued on. "I've been in meetings with Konoha's advisory council for the last four days, trying to choose the best course of action now that he's returned. He betrayed the village by leaving, but he was an intricate part of the destruction of two of Konoha's most dangerous enemies."
"The elders are a little upset, but I've decided to grant him a pardon. On the premises, of course, that he is suspended from his ninja duties. In time we will review his file and consider returning him to active duty. As of now, though, he is on a probation of sorts."
She leaned back into her chair and sighed. "Herein is where the problem lies: As he is no longer able to carry out missions, the council requests that he take a job here in the village that would keep him out of the ninja offices."
Tsunade got up from her chair, walked over to the window, and gazed out over the village below. "I've had two dozen ninja calling various businesses around Konoha. As I expected, no one is willing to offer a job for him to take."
I stared at her, bewildered by the sudden onslaught of information. "Why are you telling me all of this? What does this have to do with me and my family?"
Tsunade folded her arms and leaned against the window sill. "He needs to work somewhere, Sakura. Or else I'll be forced to send him to the national prison until his probation sentence ends." Silence filled the room.
Finally, my mother cleared her voice and spoke for the first time. "Hokage-sama, are you proposing that we hire this young man? To work at our shop?"
Tsunade turned back to us, her eyes suddenly apologetic. "I know; it's a lot to ask. But I also know that if there was any chance of keeping Sasuke in the village, it would rest with you. His fate is in your hands."
My mother simply stared off into space, her brow heavy with the sudden burden that rested upon her. She thought for a long time, and then slowly opened her mouth. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… What would he have to do?"
"Thank you for meeting with me, Mrs. Haruno," Tsunade said, standing up from her chair and bowing.
My mother returned the bow. "I'm sorry that I must be going now. I left my husband in charge of the store. Poor thing. He's probably wondering where I am."
I started to follow my mother to the door, but Tsunade called to me. "Sakura, I'd like to speak to you for a moment."
"Go ahead," I said to my mother, "I'll come home after I finish here." She nodded slowly and hurried out.
Tsunade rubbed at her forehead and pointed to the folder on her desk. "I know you went to visit Sasuke, and what happened in the room."
"Tsunade-sama, I—"
She held up a hand. "No, there's no need for explanations. I'm just thankful that your mother agreed to all of this." She rested her fists on her hips. "I want you to keep an eye on Sasuke while he's working at your shop."
I took a step back, her request shocking me to the bone. Even if Sasuke was going to be working in my family's business, I hadn't planned on staying around. I worried that such a situation would result in another hospital episode. "I don't know if I can…"
"He hadn't spoken a word… Until he saw you, that is. And your name was the first thing out of his mouth."
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to restore calm to my body. Tsunade continued on. "I'm not asking you to spy or keep surveillance on him. That's what the ANBU are for."
I folded my arms and stepped forward. "But you're still asking me to baby-sit a former missing-nin who's on the same level as an S-ranked criminal?"
"I just think he will find the transition into village life a bit easier if he has someone around that he doesn't feel threatened by."
"Tsunade-sama, maybe you were misinformed," I said, "but if you hadn't heard, I assaulted him while he was laid up in a hospital bed."
A smirk snuck onto the Godaime's lips as she looked at me. "And you're still alive, aren't you?"
I shut my mouth, my planned retort stuck in my throat as I recalled my thoughts from that day. I glanced at my wrist. There were no signs of bruising or sores to be found. His grip was strong but careful; I knew he could have snapped me in two if he wanted to.
And yet he hadn't.
Thanks for reading. All reviews are welcomed!
