but in this universe they are happy
Chapter 3
Sakura and Sasuke peek out of the doorway of her bedroom. They'd been ushered away as the "adults handled business" and were now attempting to employ all the stealth they've practiced in their training.
"That's your papa?" Sakura peers over Sasuke's crouching figure, her chin plopping onto to the top of his head.
"Hn."
Sasuke's father is sitting in the humble, quaint living room on the worn love seat. He is flanked by Itachi, with Sakura's father sitting across them in one of the armchairs. Her mother walks into view, placing a platter of mochi and tea on the coffee table. She takes her place in the armchair next to her husband.
Sakura notices that Sasuke's father doesn't quite have the same pretty features as his sons. He has smaller irises, and they don't seem to catch the light or hold the same glimmer as Sasuke's or Itachi's. But she sees the similarities in the lines and sunken dips around his eyes, a trait that he shares with Itachi. And the pronounced grooves of his frown, his haughty posture and crossed arms, they're unmistakably Sasuke.
"So, Uchiha-san," Kizashi takes a sip of his tea, "to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"Please, call me Fugaku-san. Thank you for taking care of my sons." Fugaku's bass voice rumbles, he lightly bows towards Sakura's parents.
Mebuki offers a soft smile, "Oh, it was our pleasure! Your sons have really helped us while Kizashi was out of commission."
Kizashi nods, "In fact, we should be thanking you! Business has been booming! We've especially garnered a lot of young, female customers." Kizashi waggles his brows towards Itachi who emits a nervous chuckle.
Fugaku leans forward and takes hold of a cup of tea, "Yes, my wife and I have heard great things about Haruno's Confectionary. Which is why I come to you with a proposition." This prompts Itachi to cast his father a curious glance. There is a small look of surprise on the faces of the Haruno couple, but Fugaku takes this silence as a cue to continue.
"Five days from now, the Uchiha clan will be hosting a formal banquet for several dignitaries from the Land of Fire as well as Konohagakure's top officials, including the Hokage."
Fugaku takes a deep breath, "Our dessert caterer has dropped out unexpectedly, and while I don't think this is cause for concern, my wife insists that we provide sweets. Something about these bourgeois bureaucrats being more pliable or receptive after treats or some other." Fugaku mutters that last bit with the wave of his hand.
Mebuki and Kizashi trade wide eyed glances, then smiles and grins grace their features.
"We'd love to cater for you!" Mebuki exclaims and clasps her hands together.
"Is it not too late notice for your business?"
Kizashi bellows, "Not at all! We work well under pressure! Although I gotta say, I didn't peg the Uchiha clan to be partying type!" Mebuki elbows him at this remark.
Fugaku furrows his brows, "Yes well, this is to help increase national funding for rebuilding and refugee efforts in Konohagakure since the most recent Shinobi War. The social function…that was an idea from some of the other clansmen."
At this Sasuke snorts and shakes his head. Sakura glances down at him and he returns her stare. "My uncle," He whispers, as though that were explanation enough. They turn their attention back on Kizashi as he stands up.
"Well, Haruno's Confectionary will be sure to impress! Our sweet mochi will help sweeten the deal with those dignitaries! They'll be eating rice dough, and Konoha will be rolling in dough!" Kizashi's guffaw is met with stunned silence. Mebuki's palm meets her forehead, Sakura and Sasuke groan, and Itachi manages a pained smile.
Fugaku coughs into his fist and his lips imperceptibly curl upward ever so slightly, "We are certainly indebted to your family. Thank you for accepting, we'll get back to you with more details and we will be sure to properly compensate you for your time."
Kizashi grins and crosses his arms. Mebuki beams, "Thank you for considering us."
Itachi nods, "I'm grateful today is not the last day my brother and I will work with Haruno's Confectionary. It seems we'll be spending more time together." Itachi shoots a look directly at his brother and Sakura, who have now inched into the hallway and are peering around the corner.
They duck and scurry back into Sakura's room, shutting the door hastily behind them.
After a beat, jade eyes meet jet black.
"What gave us away?" Sakura asks, befuddled.
"Definitely you." Sasuke points accusingly.
Sakura gasps, "Nuh-uh, it was you!"
They bicker for a few minutes and just when Sasuke is ready to tug her pink locks, she surprises him with a giggle.
"I'm glad I'll get to see you guys more!" She flings her arms around Sasuke, and his jaw drops at the sudden shift in her mood.
"Tch." He scoffs after regaining his composure, but he doesn't shake her off.
.
.
.
.
.
Sasuke is a peculiar, precocious child. He doesn't associate with children who are his age, preferring to stay in the compound and spend his time training with Itachi. When he isn't training, he enjoys taking quiet walks, (the only exception he makes when it comes to venturing out into the village).
In fact, he doesn't enjoy much, and probably the strangest of all for a child his age, he doesn't enjoy sweets. His mother has a fondness for mochi, his brother a weakness for dango, and even his father holds a quiet appreciation for the occasional piece of daifuku. And yet despite Sasuke's aversion to sugary treats, he can't withhold his awe at the diversified spread before him.
The night of the banquet seems to arrive in the blink of an eye, and Haruno's Confectionary pulls out all the stops for such an auspicious occasion. They've expanded their repertoire of sweets to include more than just mochi, before him is an array of wagashi fit for nobility so intricately designed that they look almost too beautiful to eat.
All of his family's favorites are on display, along with colorful pieces of rakugan, nerikiri, and monaka. A mosaic of pastel shades shaped into delicate flowers lay sumptuously on golden platters, but what catches Sasuke's gaze is a piece of pastel pink mochi delicately wrapped in a dark green leaf.
"They taste as good as they look." A gravelly voice startles Sasuke. He turns to find a tall man with cropped hair, grooves of a scar like rings of a tree trunk covering one half of his face, the cloth of his hitai-ate covering the other half. His face at rest tells the story of a hardened war veteran, but it contrasts with the warmth of his grin while finishing off the last piece of his mochi.
"Otou-san said we're not supposed to be eating that before the main course, Uncle Obito." Sasuke says.
"I deserve it after sitting in on those long meetings, drumming up money for the village! Besides, Isobu is hungry." His uncle plucks a few more sweets from the array before them, the Konoha Police Force crest grazing the top of Sasuke's hair. Uchiha Obito was revered for his status as the jinchuriki for the Sanbi. While the three tailed beast was originally implanted in a Konoha kunoichi as a trojan horse, its extraction and subsequent sealing in Obito helped turn the tide of the Third Shinobi War. His unbridled spirit and contagious optimism won over the heart of his timid beast, and together they harnessed unrivaled power.
As a former student of the Yondaime and a war hero venerated throughout the Five Great Shinobi Countries, his presence was key in swaying the hearts of the dignitaries in Konoha's favor. It was an unspoken fact that he was expected to take up the mantle of Hokage in due time.
Obito offers a piece of dango to his nephew who only frowns, "No thanks."
His uncle chuckles, "Lighten up, Sasuke-kun, it's a party! Or could it be you prefer a different type of sweet?" Obito turns his attention to the clacking of geta against the hardwood of the banquet hall, and Sasuke follows his gaze.
He feels his breath catch in his chest as Sakura skips toward him, clad in a pale green yukata the same shade as her eyes, her hair pulled back in an intricate bun to reveal a proud forehead.
"Sasuke-kun!" Her sweet voice carries throughout the hall. Guests look on with amused smiles, Sasuke could hear murmurs of adoration at such a darling, young girl. She reaches forward but stops short of his sleeves, and instead clasps her hand behind her back, "I'm so happy to see you!"
A faint blush dusts her cheeks, and Sasuke feels his stomach flip at the sight of her. Sakura falters under the weight of his gaze and fidgets, bringing her hands to her forehead, "Um, my forehead is kind of big…but your mom really wanted me to tie my hair up. She's really pretty, Sasuke-kun! Just like you and Itachi-nii!"
Obito raises his eyebrows at Sasuke, then smirks at the little girl, "It's so rare for my nephew to have friends outside of his brother. Unless...are you his girlfriend?"
Sasuke pales and swipes at his uncle, but before he can verbalize a protest, a blur of yellow and orange barrels into him. Obito swiftly grabs the offender and Sasuke by the collar of their robes before they can knock into the wagashi display.
A boy with yellow hair and ridges like whiskers glares at the older Uchiha, "Let me go Uncle Obito! Let me at this bastard!"
Sakura gasps and Obito shakes his head.
"Language!" He says with furrowed brows as he drops them. Sasuke lands on his feet, while the other boy lands unceremoniously on his bottom.
The yellow haired boy scrambles to meet face to face with the young Uchiha, "I want a rematch!"
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke seethes.
"Our fight! Down by the bridge yesterday!"
Sasuke scoffs, "That wasn't a fight. You slipped off the railing! You fell in the river before you could do anything."
And for added measure, Sasuke smirks, "Idiot."
The other boy growls and claws at him, with Obito tugging at his robes to hold him back, "Why you – just you wait! I'll kick your butt! When I'm done with you, you won't—" The boy's train of thought is derailed at the pink-haired girl moving closer to Sasuke's side. A look of concern graces her features as she gingerly pinches Sasuke's sleeve.
The boy stops struggling and gawks at the girl. A crooked smile and quirked brow creeps onto Obito's face as he releases his grasp and observes the interesting turn of events.
The boy sputters, "I – um, who –"
Sasuke and Sakura stare at him in confusion as he stutters. Sasuke has never seen him so flustered.
"Wh-who are you?!" The boy manages to spit out, "What's your name?!"
"Sakura…" She says hesitantly, gripping Sasuke's sleeve a little tighter.
"Sakura…Sakura-chan, huh? Well my name is Namikaze Naruto!" The boy beams.
"Namikaze…san?"
"You can call me Naruto! I'm the Hokage's son! And one day I'm going to be Hokage too!" Naruto's shouts.
Sasuke snorts, "In your dreams."
"Why you—" Naruto snarls, "Sakura-chan, you should ditch this loser and hang out with me instead!" He stomps towards her but Sasuke's arm shoots out before her frame.
"The only loser here is you." Sasuke's eyes narrow. Naruto matches his glare and the boys break out into a brawl. Obito is forced to throw them out before the guests can fully pay heed to the commotion. After a stern talking to, the two are separated to opposite sides of the estate.
Sasuke sulks and stews by his family koi pond as the full moon glistens over the water. He thinks about the idiocy that is Namikaze Naruto. Just because he's the Hokage's son, he thinks he can do whatever he wants. And he has the nerve to call his friend "Sakura-chan"! As if he were the one to spend hours slaving away at mochitsuki!
Wait a minute, friend? Before Sasuke can completely process the thought, the rustling of grass reaches his ears.
Sakura emerges with a smile and sits down next to him. The croaking of frogs fill in the quiet that settles between them.
"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?" She asks in a small voice.
"Hn." He offers a short reply.
"That's good." She hugs her knees to her chest and Sasuke sighs, savoring the calm of the summer night away from the banquet hall. They stay like this for a few more moments before Sakura sits up at attention. He raises an eyebrow in her direction as she presents something wrapped in a handkerchief.
"I saved this for you." She pulls back the cover to reveal a small, light pink confection tucked in a dark green leaf, "It's sakura-mochi."
He tentatively reaches for it, taking a small bite. After a bit of chewing he swallows, then he nods, "Thank you."
A broad smile tugs at the corner of her lips, and with her hair framing her face, he can actually see the green of her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. It is the green of the verdant trees in his home, when sunlight filters through the leaves. It is the green grass he and his brother lie on as they find shapes in the clouds. But most of all, it is the green that glimmers at the sight of him, brimming with happiness when she bounds toward him.
Sasuke doesn't enjoy sweets, but he decides that this one – it isn't so bad.
.
.
.
.
.
Praise of Haruno's Confectionary reaches the farthest corners of the village, and business is booming. The heaps of acclaim from the Land of Fire aristocracy draws long lines to wind through the street towards their shop. Soon the number of actual patrons outnumber Itachi's initial fan club from his mochi making days.
The Harunos' newfound success has Sakura working around the clock, helping her parents pound and knead the mochi. She is tired but overjoyed at the hustle and bustle of their humble shop. The art of mochitsuki becomes something of an experience, and crowds gather at the shop windows in awe of the craft.
When there is time to spare, Itachi visits the shop to pick up mochi. It's typically after a mission or on his way home from training, and typically with Sasuke in tow. Mebuki reminds him that they do not have to stand in line, but he assures her that it's worth the wait. Sakura is over the moon when Itachi arrives and is insistent on always being the one to hand him an artfully wrapped package.
Sakura and Sasuke always trade glares, and dart to the back wall to compare their height. And although Itachi's visits become more sporadic due to the nature of his missions, Sasuke still continues to visit Sakura every now and then. But of course, it's not because he's fond of her (he argues with his mom) but because she needs to learn her place: that she's no match for an Uchiha clansman like himself.
Their check-ins become more frequent, and they fall back into the habits of their rivalry. Which is all well and good as far as the Haruno's are concerned, the exuberant kids furiously take over pounding the mochi together, eager to hone their skills while Sakura's parents rest.
And after spending their days trying to best the other, Sakura and Sasuke fall asleep soundly at dusk.
Soon the shop becomes too crowded for their physical spats that Kizashi and Mebuki all but kick them out.
"It's time for you kids to enjoy being kids!" Kizashi bellows as he pushes them out the doorway, "Expend all of that youthful energy in the great outdoors! Sunshine and fresh air, you can't beat that!"
"But don't you need our help?" Sakura's protests fall on deaf ears, with the Haruno family's recent windfall of good fortune they were able to hire a few more hands around the shop.
Sakura is grasping for any reason to stay home, she flashes imploring green eyes at her father but he just waves them off with a jovial grin. Sasuke drags her by her collar towards the Uchiha compound.
He takes her to the Uchiha estate and they train on their family grounds. Without Itachi as a buffer, Sasuke is bossy and brusque. They only practice ninjutsu and taijutsu, and he demands that when they're on his land they do whatever he has planned. Sakura is exhausted by Sasuke's singular focus, they train as shinobi from the crack of dawn all the way until noon.
She tries in vain to plead with her father but he continues to send her away, an unflappable grin plastered on his face.
Sasuke grabs Sakura almost every morning, on days he feels training solo will not fulfill all of his needs. She tries to weasel her way out of it, saying her mother expects her home for lunch or it wouldn't be proper for her to spend nap time in his home. But Sasuke is unshaken, they share meals in the Uchiha dining room and Mikoto warmly rolls out two futons in their living room.
Sakura is not one to shy away from arguing for her wants and needs, but being in the Uchiha compound makes her feel there's a certain reverence she needs to uphold. The regal estate where Sasuke calls home, with its immaculate gardens and pristine interior, makes her feel small. She feels like she's intruding on this noble place.
So she doesn't outright complain when she comes home covered in dust, clothes and hair askew, smelling like smoke and tinder from Sasuke's many attempts at his katon. But after another afternoon of Sakura wringing out excuses, Sasuke squats on the ground, tracing in the dust with a stick.
"You were the one who was excited to play together." He accuses, his lips pursed to the side in a pout.
She sighs in exasperation but tries to keep a measured tone, "Play? We…haven't been playing. All we do is train, and we only do what you want to do. I want to pick next!"
"This will help us be better ninjas when we grow up."
"Well, what if I don't want to be a ninja anymore?"
"Nii-san only respects ninjas."
Respect: the exact definition eludes her, but she knows earning it is really important and she wants to be important to Itachi. Sakura growls and shakes her fists, "It's just…"
Sasuke cuts her off and scoffs, "My brother won't waste his time with weaklings."
And then, Sakura just about explodes, "This isn't fun anymore!"
Sasuke flinches at her outburst, wide eyed. But Sakura continues, unleashing bottled up emotions in her tirade.
"You're no fun, you're mean and bossy…and…!" She lets out a disgruntled cry and stomps again, but as soon as the words spill out of her mouth she regrets it.
The flash of hurt that's etched on his face leaves as quickly as it appears, and he swivels away from her, stalking towards the main house.
"Wait…Sasuke-kun!" Sakura calls, but this only makes him break off into a run.
Author's Note:
I've read everyone's reviews so far, and I'm absolutely flattered and encouraged! I literally screenshot every review from my phone so I could immortalize my first warm review fuzzies.
So if you made it this far, thank you so much! This is my first fanfiction and honestly I've been stuck on this chapter for so long, I finally just posted it so it could drive me to make some progress (writing is no joke). My perfectionist tendencies had me tweaking and tweaking my writing (and my sanity away).
Anyway, this fic is inspired by all the angst I felt reading some really good but also really emotional and angst-ridden SasuSaku fics. I just felt they deserved to be happy somewhere out there in the multiverse! But now I'm not sure if I want to go the nonsense fluff route or write out the plot that's been turning in my head, this is all very new. Maybe both? Who knows.
But please keep reading and reviewing! I appreciate it!