Chapter 38:

Naruto hated whatever smell Sakura put in her bath water. Really, he did. It was like...minty...vanilla? But that wasn't the worst part. It was so damn...slick. After a good 20 minutes of scrubbing, the floors were still slippery with a layer of essential oil that made his ninja-sandals glide over the linoleum even as he dried up the last bit of water. He'd stolen a large fan from Sakura's bedroom to help with the wetness, and took notice of the...disarray.

Looking at Mamushi, Naruto grinds his molars together. "You're not much help, ya know."

Mamushi was every bit of his father's son. Snobbish and proud with a chip on his shoulder—wait, snakes don't have shoulders? Naruto hated that type of personality, nonetheless, and it radiated off of his scales like a bad cold.

The snake plops his head upon the bathroom counter, causing a stray pebble to dislodge from under the sink. With a, "Aren't you going to pick that up?" look, Mamushi turns back towards his reflection with a narcissistic smile.

Just as Naruto bends down to pick up the rock, three rapid knocks bound on Sakura's front door. With a mop in one hand and a pebble in the other, the elite ninja slides into the hallway just in time for Hojo to let himself in.

"Ah, Naruto, what a surprise to see you here—is Sakura not home yet?"

Naruto didn't seem to have a lot of good luck. He was trapped between two snakes—one literally and one figuratively. He didn't particularly care for Sakura's overly friendly boyfriend who had no problem barging into her home at all times.

But, he did have a soft-spot for the toddler on his hip, and Ahiru sent him a gummy grin that set his heart on fire.

"She's with my wife," He says carefully, walking past the man and into the kitchen. After putting up the mop and washing his hands, he turns to face Hojo with bright red cheeks.

"I can, uh, watch Ahiru until she gets back."

Because babies are just so fucking cute. They're not scary at all! HA! HA HA HA!

Hojo smiles in a way that reminds Naruto of Sai. Naruto was good at reading people and body language, even as a young boy. He remembers Sakura's fake smile before her fake confession. He remembers Sai's unfamiliar, tight-lipped grin as he awkwardly tried to give off the appearance of kindness.

Yep, Hojo smiled just like that.

"No, it's alright. I'll just wait for her."

It seemed dropping off Ahiru was the least of his worries.

Mamushi could smell the territorial scent this man gave off from his position in the bathroom. He was under strict orders from Lord Sasuke to personally keep Sakura as safe as possible from any and all threats.

As much as he didn't care for the pink-haired Sanin, an order was an order. His father's death had sealed a contract between the two that only another death could break. Neither Sasuke nor Mamushi planned on passing anytime soon, so he'd simply have to bite the bullet and follow command.

Sliding down the hallway, the pit-viper leered to his full height behind Naruto, turning slit, orange eyes towards Hojo. "If you wait too long, Lord Sasuke will arrive."

Hojo opened his stance, ready to meet the serpents hostility.

He was not a big fan of snakes. As a young boy, working with his grandfather, he'd come across all sorts of slithery creatures curled up under rocks and rubble as the construction workers rebuilt what years of war and ninja battles had destroyed.

Killing a snake was simple. All it took was a heavy smash to the head from a large rock—flinging the tubular body against a hard surface—smashing the thing with the heel of your boot. This thing was only a neonate compared to the colossal serpents found in the Forest of Death.

Still, something about it gave off a…menacing vibe.

Clutching his niece close to his hip, Hojo took a step backwards. "Sakura's supposed to babysit today. Where is she, Naruto?"

Things just weren't adding up to Hojo. Was she, by any chance, in danger? Naruto trusted that Sasuke guy so easily…what if he'd done something to her?

"I've already told you, she's with my wife—"

A feeling of terror suddenly surrounded the blue-eyed Naruto. Even the tall-standing Mamushi dipped down low in response to the sickening shockwave. It was like pure adrenaline mixed with anger and poison. Chakra billowed from a few meters away, nearing the three rapidly.

Naruto knew this chakra all-too well.

And she was one pissed off kunoichi.

The ends of her hair whipped harshly against her cheeks. They were still wet from her short, unrelenting bath. As the sun danced along the horizon, the temperature of the evening started to fall. In a short skirt, a thin, white tee, and wet hair, Sakura was sure she looked just was maniacal and cold as she felt.

She jumped over her neighbor's rooftop and landed on her front porch in less than a second. It was the same old scene—wooden floorboards, a decrepit looking wreath, and the familiar worn groove right by the keyhole where she habitually jammed her key incorrectly. Normally the sight of her humble abode took the weight of the world right off of her shoulders. Not this time, however. She was a mission.

Sakura had scanned almost all of Konoha in search of Yuma Hojo.

To say she was angry was an understatement. She missed the days of insignificancy, when her thoughts and opinions mattered to no one but herself, and when she could do almost whatever she pleased without any backlash. Back before she ran a hospital, back before she aided in saving all of ninja-dom.

Being a household name had never really been a dream of hers. In her adolescent fantasies, being an Uchiha was everything. Even the popularity that came with the name got her giddy. But as time moved on, and as she matured, Sakura realized being popular wasn't what she thought it would be. Having people care about what you wore or how much you ate or who you were with was a foreign concept, and unbelievably annoying.

As of right now, Sakura could name three things that pissed her off about this silly rumor Hojo helped spread.

One: The fact that her love life was so interesting to the general public.

Two: The fact that she had less than a week left with Sasuke, and he undoubtedly heard she was with another man.

And Three: The fact that never in a million years would she date Yuma Hojo!

Call her ignorant. Call her selfish, or childish, or whatever you will. Still, Sakura knew it would be Sasuke or no one.

In many ways, she was Tsunade made over. Her care and admiration for her friends—for the people she loved—was too strong to bother with anything less than real. If it were possible for her to fall in love all over again, she'd welcome it. But her soul was connected to Sasuke Uchiha, and it would always be.

Sasuke knew she couldn't have children. She knew that, maybe to Sasuke, their rendezvous were just an insignificant fling to him. Her mind understood this, and yet, none of it mattered. With less than a week left before the Exams—before Sasuke set back on his journey—Sakura couldn't let this rumor continue to spread.

She was Sakura, the Doer, and she did what had to be done.

Starting here.

Sakura kicks the door open to her home and walks in on a three-way stalemate, reminiscent of the old western films her grandfather used to watch. Neither Naruto nor Mamushi turn towards her, but the broad back of Yuma Hojo tilts so he can face his would-be girlfriend fully. And with a small, genuine grin, he crinkles his eyes and says: "Oh, you're back! I've brought Ahiru to you. My sister is going to work early."

This…isn't exactly what she expected.

Naruto crosses his arms and juts one foot out, never keeping his blue eyes off of the strange foe ahead of him.

Maybe his distrust stemmed from the fake smiles and overly affectionate demeanor the guy put off. Maybe Naruto didn't like him because, every time Sakura showed up, he turned into some bumbling fool who tripped over his words as much as his own two feet.

Maybe Naruto didn't like him because, after all the delving and digging he did through this guy's profile (honestly, sneaking past Kakashi was hard.) he couldn't find one bad thing about him.

Maybe Naruto didn't like him because...he was a threat to Team 7's dynamic, and that's what scared him the most.

He didn't want things to change.

Hojo volunteered a lot. Hojo donated a percentage of his salary to the orphanages of Konoha, every week. He'd taken in Amu and Ahiru after Amu's husband had died during the war, and he still helps pay for her rent and utilities as she works through the heavy decrease in pay she'd been given after trying to murder Sasuke. (Totally her fault, but still.)

The only fault in this guys personality was his shitty flirting game.

Naruto was selfish, he knew. Sakura deserved happiness, even if it meant they'd all have to...grow up, and move on with their lives as everything but Konoha's Team 7.

With a disarming smile, the blond greets his teammate. All he'd ever wanted was her to be happy. "Boy, you don't seem too relaxed after that bath, Sakura! At least your bathroom is finished, no thanks to this guy."

Naruto smacks Mamushi upside the head, resulting in him being smothered with a complete python-like wrap.

Sakura is recovering from her anger. She looks at her friend, then to the snake curled around him, and finally back to Hojo. Ahiru waves her arms around frantically, wanting to be held.

"She want's you." Hojo says, stepping closer. "Here you go,"

His arm brushes Sakura's side as he transfers the baby carefully, smiling as she tangles a fist in the woman's pale, puce locks. He reaches up without any qualms and untangles Ahiru's hand carefully.

As he touches her, a series of things roll around Sakura's head. Looking at the tiny girl cradled in her arms, Sakura knows that now is not the time, nor the place to break every bone in Hojo's body. And Sakura isn't really sure she's willing to do that, until she's spoken with him.

Spreading false rumors was awful, but in a town as big as Konoha, the occasional slip up was bound to happen. She'd never been the butt of this kind of situation, but it wasn't as if she'd never been told, (or spread) misinterpreted gossip before.

Her own mother had said it—there were quite a few men (and women) leaving her house at all hours of the night right after the war. Konoha needed money, so more people were deployed, and many people steered clear of the hospital unless it was life-threating. The wrath of Lady Tsunade was not one to be teased.

So yes, the fact that Hojo was showing up more often, without any injuries, must have set off a warning for the nosier inhabitants of her village. Sasuke would hardly ever use the front door, so his comings and goings were bound in secrecy.

Ino said she heard the news right from Hojo's mouth, though, so there was still something to be discussed.

"I thought I left my stove on," Sakura says lamely. "I left Hinata behind with Ino."

Naruto laughs and babbles on, a nervous tic of his. As he explains how hard it was to mop up the mess of her bathroom—which she apologized for again—she notices that Naruto is rolling a rock around his thumb and pointing finger.

It's the stone Sasuke gave her.

She's thrown back into the matter at hand.

"Hojo, I need to speak with you in private."

The brown-haired man's cheeks heat up and he rubs the spot under his strong nose. "Uh, yeah, s-sure Sakura..."

"I can watch Ahiru," Naruto says softly. "Really, I can. Hinata and I need the practice."

Sakura watches as Hojo agrees, giving Naruto a run-though about the Do's and Don'ts of childrearing and what kind of items are packed in the little girls baby bag.

"Hinata has a lot of cousins and she helped take care of Hanabi when she was little," Naruto says. "I'm going to pick her up from central Konoha and we'll be at my house for the rest of the evening…so…I guess when you're done Sakura, you can pick up the baby."

Soon, Naruto is headed out the door with Ahiru in his arms, a bag over his shoulder, and the complete absence of the vacuum he'd brought over earlier that day.

Before he leaves Sakura's porch, he passes her the pebble and says, "Sorry, I forgot to throw that away!"

And thank goodness he didn't. That small stone is more valuable than gold and diamonds.

When the door shuts, and Mamushi decides he needs to retire to the rooftop until Sasuke no longer needed his services, Sakura takes a seat and rolls the stone around her palm, because she needs to be the mean girl and cut this off.

Hojo is respectful of his distance, but takes his place by her side.

Sakura is not sure where to begin, or what to say. It was easier as a young girl, telling Rock Lee to back off, and telling Naruto to stop bothering her. But as a woman, she knows just how hard it is to fall in love and know that your feelings can never be returned. She knows the heartbreak all-too well. With a deep breath, she thinks of what to say. And just as she musters up the right words, Hojo interjects.

"This is about what I told Ino the other day, isn't it?"

Using her thumb to scrape off caked on dirt from her "engagement" rock, she replies. "Yeah, it is."

He sighs like a defeated man. Heartbroken and saddened beyond belief. "I figured. I'm sorry if it caused you any trouble."

"Why…why would you tell her something like that, if you knew it wasn't true?"

Smiling softly, he brushes his knee against her pale, uncovered thigh. "I guess it's because I want it to be true."

Sakura knows that feeling. But they are not children. He cannot have something simply because he wants it.

She is not a possession to covet, either.

"I know that you have feelings for me." She begins, "But spreading around rumors—telling people that we're an item when you haven't even asked me to be your girlfriend—that's wrong. And as much as I want to pound you into the ground, I know that I can't. You're a good person, so just..."

He looks up at her, and in those plain brown eyes she sees colors that she's never seen before. Flecks of amber and ochre and a strange, green hue bloom forth. They are the eyes of the innocent.

"I'll make it right," Hojo says, boldly taking her hand. "I know what I need to do."

The weight that lifts off of Sakura's shoulders makes her feel as though she could walk on air. Because the hard part is over, and she has let him down easy; there was no need to knock him out and leave him in a heap outside of her door. "Plan B" as she had so eloquently named it.

Man, she needed to give Sasuke a few lessons on how to turn someone down...

"So, we're good then? We're on the same page?" The emerald-eyed woman asks.

Standing up, Hojo gives her another genuine smile. "We are. I'm very sorry for saying that to Ino—I misspoke and it won't happen again."

And as he heads out of her door, she finally feels as though her life is stitching itself back up together. How easy was that? Sakura is getting better at dealing with drama, and being an adult isn't as hard as everyone said it would be.

Dropping her stone into the pocket of her skirt, Sakura makes her way into the kitchen for some gummy fruit snacks and her favorite brand of juice box, promising herself she'll pick up Ahiru after her nap.

Mebuki's sarcastic voice fills her head: "Oh yes, you're a real adult, taking naps and eating kid-foods!"

Che.

It was starting to get colder and colder. The thickness of his cloak battled with the cold-front that had blown in, and the scent of snow and rainfall clouded his nostrils. Though he was born in July, he'd always had an affinity for the chillier months. Walking through the chill, however, was not exactly enjoyable.

Sasuke feels just as airless as Sakura does, but not in the bubbly sense. More like...he's having an out-of-body experience.

After all, he never thought he'd be the type of guy to ask a girl's father for her hand in marriage.

There are a lot of things Sakura leads him to do, that he never pictured himself doing.

…Falling in love, for starters.

He watches his puffy outbreath escape his lips as he pushes down the adrenalin of meeting the Haruno's. They certainly were an odd bunch.

Sakura's father, Kizashi, is big and burly and gentle and kind all at once—the complete opposite of his blonde-haired, fire-eyed wife. He had welcomed her in, calling out both Sakura and Mebuki's name from his place at their dining room table.

"Sakura, darling, you're finally here!"

Imagine his surprise when the last Uchiha—the God of War and of Lightening and of Fire, the co-savoir of the entire world—walked into his humble family home with a permanent scowl on his clear, pale face.

Sakura's parent's house wasn't what he expected at all. Sakura wasn't necessarily a tidy woman—she left her clothes on the ground and dishes in the sink and rarely cooked any kind of elaborate meal—but still, nothing looked cluttered.

In this place, there were knickknacks lined self upon shelf. Wooden figurines of various types of animals greeted him high and low. Caricatures of the Hokage's—bathed in brass—guarded the entryway with goofy grins and overly exaggerated poses.

Their home smelled of spicy curry, and not of flowers like Sakura's did.

His family had no use for such silly objects.

"My, what a surprise it is to see you!"

Sasuke had been hugged by a few daring people in his life—mostly women. He had never been keen on touch. Getting engulfed in the thick arms of the purple-haired Kizashi was new for him, and just as unpleasant as his mind imagined it to be.

"If this is a surprise, you should see what I saw." Mebuki said lowly as she removes her coat. Although she's like a bat out of hell, the older mother takes Sasuke's cloak from his shoulders and hangs it upon her coatrack. Just like Sakura, she is made to care and support, regardless of her feelings for that person at the moment.

Slapping Sasuke's back, Sakura's father guffaws and leads the young man to the table. "Well, I'd love to hear all about it but let's eat first!"

"Aren't you wondering where your daughter is, dear?"

Kizashi rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you'll tell me alllll about it tonight, right?"

And that's how Sasuke ended up over-feeding himself on seafood curry, seasoned with an array of spicy ingredients that still have his mouth on fire. No wonder Sakura hated hot foods—her father's cooking could down a fucking horse.

Sasuke, however, enjoyed peppery meals.

He rounds the corner and passes a barber shop. It's nearing eight o'clock, but some stores stayed open longer than the rest. A man passes through the door and brushes stray, freshly cut strands of hair off of his shoulders. Sasuke catches his reflection in the window and pauses, staring down the purple-and-black-eyed man that was his own reflection.

"So, what brings you here, boy? You're not planning on marrying my daughter, are you?"

It was supposed to be a funny jab. Kizashi probably spouted out the most unimaginable phrase he could think of. Like saying, "You're not here to rob me blind and take all of my valuables, are you?"

And while he laughs, and Mebuki seethes, Sasuke simply responds. "I'm already married to her."

The quite the man gives off is, in some way, uncomfortable. It's kind of amazing how he could go from red-in-the-face laughter to dead-eyed wonder. Mebuki, however, reacts just the opposite.

Stretching out a confused grin, she blurts out: "What are you talking about?" with a hopeful chime.

So, Sasuke tells them that the head of a Clan is who betroths. With Sasuke being the only heir, and head of Clan, he is in complete control of when, whom, and where he weds without actual documentation from the Hokage or other officials. It's the truth.

"Sakura is free to do what she pleases." He finished with a soft voice. "But I won't belong to anyone but her. I've decided."

Narrowing his eyes, Kizashi places his water down on the table. "Why...would you choose something like that?"

Sasuke blinked, because he never wondered why. He just...wanted to. In many ways, Sasuke was spoiled. But he worked hard to make his dreams come true, and anything he wanted done, he would simply do it.

Thankfully, he was not as passionate about destroying the Leaf, or killing his comrades as he was of killing Itachi.

"It's not a choice I have any sway over…I don't think. It will only be Sakura,"

Mebuki and her husband were dissimilar on every level. As mentioned before, she's a small, compact woman with hideous strength and aggressive undertones. At the mere mention of marriage, she'd turned from wildebeest to caring mother-in-law. Kizashi, however, only met Sasuke with hostility.

"Was it "only Sakura" when you abandoned her and your countrymen?"

That was a normal reaction. Sasuke expected as much—no—even more, considering he'd raised his hand to her twice. He could only assume Sakura hadn't told them much of his misdeeds during his transgression.

Taking his own sip of clear, clean water, Sasuke dabs his mouth before he responds. "Yes, even then."

He found himself, in many ways, like his former sensei, Kakashi Hatake. Once Rin and had died, there had been no one else for him.

That's not to say she didn't have eyes for Obito or anything, but he digresses.

Mebuki had whistled lowly and heeled her palm to her chin. "If you plan on marrying her simply for powerful offspring, you're out of luck."

"Children are the least of my worries."

Now it's Kizashi's turn. "So, what exactly are you getting out of this "husband" thing? What is the point of being with her exclusively, when she doesn't even know what you're offering? I just don't get it, kid."

Sasuke didn't quite know how to answer that. Not just yet. "There is no point, if I'm honest. I simply want to be with her."

"And you didn't think asking us—her parents—before you did anything like this was…I don't know…important?" Mebuki interjects.

"It's not your decision to make. She's of age, is she not?"

Now, he is back in reality. After a few more cold steps, Sasuke sees Sakura's home. It is a shining beacon in this narrow alleyway, filled with all sorts of smells that aren't so foreign to him anymore. Now, late evening dinners and the broken voices of chattering families brought on a sense of nostalgia. Perhaps, during his travels, it will be just one more thing that would remind him of what he'd left back in Konoha.

As he nears, tucking his cloak tighter against his body, Sakura's boyfriend walks from her home with a bounce in his step and redness to his cheeks.

Dark as the night, and silent as a graveyard, the sable-haired Uchiha stands still in that passageway, fighting off the strange, new feeling that started to engulf his spirit and soul.

Sakura is not an object. Her body belongs to no one but herself.

But then, why did he feel so…annoyed…by this man's presence?

Why, in God's name, did he feel so possessive...so...jealous?

"Oh," Hojo says, suddenly noticing the new arrival. "You're back so soon?"

"It seems that way." He responds, wondering why he even bothered to say anything at all. Sidestepping the man, Sasuke bounds up the steps and places his hand on the doorknob. He doesn't enter, though, because the brown-haired man still lingers and Sasuke wants him to say something that will give him the perfect excuse to pick Hojo's teeth out of the flesh of his fist.

"She won't be with for much longer, you know."

The wind howls tauntingly between the two men. Sasuke turns, wanting to hear more words fall from this idiots mouth. Sasuke could handle truths, though. And Hojo wasn't wrong in the least.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned with the present?"

"No," Hojo retorts. "I want her for the future. You can cling to the past all you want. You can even embrace what you two have right now...but...in the end, you'll leave and she'll be all alone again. It will be me that picks up the pieces."

Sasuke could handle truths.

"She'll move onto bigger and better things...bigger and better people once you abandon her again."

Sasuke stares at the keyhole now—at the groves and notches from unsuccessful unlocking attempts—and lets out a barely audible sigh. This woman that they had both fallen in love with was a real mess. She was loud and obnoxious and blunt. She was a bit of a diva at times, and clumsy when nervous.

There was more to Sakura than Hojo would ever know. He would never be able to compare his feelings...his insignificant crush...to Sasuke's.

And as old habits tended to die hard, the Uchiha looks over his shoulder and pierces Sakura's brown-haired boyfriend with a look he reserved for his most hated enemies. If Sakura was going to choose someone other than him, he'd be damned if Yuma Hojo was the best choice. Maybe not in the future, and definitely not in the past, but for tonight, Sasuke would have her.

"If she is going to move on to "bigger and better", I don't suppose I need to worry about you."