I know there's a blue horizon
Somewhere up ahead, just waiting for me
Getting there means leaving things behind
Sometimes life's so bittersweet - Starts with Goodbye by Carrie Underwood

I woke in the morning to the sound and scent of my eggs being fried. Which was quite a shock since I was positive that I'd activated several interesting traps for any intruders intent on finishing the Uchiha line. But the surprise was a welcome one, after all the unwelcome moments I'd received in my 17 years of life.

Instead of worrying about the fact that as sure as the sun rose this morning, Sakura was wrecking my kitchen; I took care of my morning rituals, a shower, and re-dressed in freshly laundered clothes. I was looking forward to having a new batch of clothes to pick up this evening on my way over to the Seat. I even reminded myself to get a new set of slippers to wear there, since I hadn't needed any in the kamis know how long.

Upon entering the rest of the apartment, I was surprised that my foster family plus Sai had cleaned all the hard surfaces already. Nevermind that they'd managed to do it so quietly. There was a basket full of used rags and a vacuum standing at the ready. I wondered at myself. I hadn't slept, truly felt at peace enough to sleep this deeply since… I almost groaned aloud. Not since before I left this place.

Sakura tucked a lock of bubblegum hair behind her ear and smiled at me. "Just have a seat, I brought enough for everyone."

She slid a plate in front of me, and I wrinkled my nose but managed not to say anything about the blackened toast. The rest of it was edible, and I dug in with a will. If there's one thing about being on the road I wouldn't miss it was cold breakfast.

We talked, though it was a little constipated. In the end all we could really agree on was the seasoning on the eggs was spot-on. It didn't matter. I'd already made the decision to be around for the next couple of months at least. Plus my earlier determination to be something to the village. I'd have time to learn how to be a better friend.

Which means I would have to learn how to keep friends. How hard could that be? Even after everything I put Suigetsu and Jugo through, they hadn't hated me. Sakura, though I didn't want to think about that right now. And Naruto, of course, though he was a special case. I thought back to yesterday and a gentle smile. Hinata was a friend, too, right?

After breakfast we got our marching orders from a very bossy Sakura. Doing choses one-handed wasn't as easy as I'd anticipated, and after just a few minutes I was beyond grateful that they'd all shown up. Not too long after that I was amazed at how fast we all were, or at least how small my apartment was. Sakura had beaten the daylights out of the futon I kept in the living room as a couch. Sai and I went over everything with clean rags, wiping up years of dust in moments.

Strangely, Naruto had offered to clean my bedroom. It was mostly alright, but in no time he had garbage bags filled with old clothes and my discarded bedding. I'd not been able to salvage it and had simply washed a couple of blankets from my chest instead. He'd brought the bags and my rug out, handing the latter to Sakura and her advanced beating ability.

"There was a seal etched and inked on the floor." Naruto jerked his head toward my room, "Right under the rug. Looked like it's for making a sealing scroll."

Not an artifact of mine, so I assumed Itachi'd done it before he left. "I'll take a look at it later."

We all went back to work putting the finishing touches on my tile floors and kitchen. The vacuum took care of all the nooks and crannies plus my armchair. I was, for the first time I could recall, elated. My apartment was once again spotless. Unfortunately, I felt like I had to ruin it.

"Thanks for helping out here. I really appreciate it."

Sakura had brought water out for everyone, and she handed one to me when I waved her to take a seat. I looked at it. I could hardly twist the top with my teeth, and didn't want to make a spectacle of setting the damn thing down and doing one-handed gymnastics on a damned water bottle. I set it aside with a sigh, and let a few steps ease my tension.

"First I want to say I am sorry for making you all wait so long for an apology." Naruto opened his mouth but I shook my head, "No, don't make excuses for me. I know I shouldn't have."

Naruto perched on the edge of my futon, the bottled water in his hand nearly forgotten as he watched me pace for them. Sakura, hugging herself in my armchair, trained her eyes out the window. Sai, a boy I knew next to nothing about, sat on my floor, his long legs crossed in a casual seiza.

I swallowed, "Sai, I know you're part of the team, and I really do appreciate your help cleaning, but you don't have to be here."

"I am their friend." Large dark eyes swept my body with bald curiosity while his mouth held a disapproving line. "If you are going to stay, I should be your friend, but I find that difficult."

Sakura glanced at him, "Why?"

Sai smoothed the hem of his shirt between his fingers, but regarded me coolly, "You hurt them."

"Yes. I know. But I want to put a stop to that now." I took another deep breath, "I want to be more to everyone, not just Team Kakashi, but all of…" I paused, stumbling over my words, "I can't really call them my friends, because I wasn't a friend to them. But they came for me, time and again, just like a friend would."

Naruto's fingers rubbed over the bottle making a soft crackle follow the motion. "Did you miss us?"

"I was angry with you. I felt like I had to find my own way. You know I wasn't focused on our bonds at that time. " I tried to make them see me for what I was. I had only cared about power, and if killing Naruto would have granted it to me on a platter, I would have. I am sure I would have, though I could not reconcile my current feelings with my actions from back then. "You can't understand the life I had outside of Konoha." It was the truth, just not the truth they wanted.

Sakura let herself go just to grip her knees instead, "But you said you care for us. That you needed to atone, but that next time…" Her voice dragged to a whisper.

Suddenly, I was tired, exasperated. "You aren't without fault here."

Naruto frowned at me but Sakura spoke, "I know. I'm sorry for the things I did and said back in Iron."

That wasn't even the end of it, but I didn't need their apologies. Though mine was a long time coming. "Just forget it, okay? I'm here, and I want to stay here. Without you, if you can't try to put things behind us."

"Don't interrupt me this time," Naruto blurted out, his face set in firm lines. "We want to put this behind us. We'll help you if you let us."

I nodded, "Thank you." I turned to Sakura, "I do care for you, Sakura. You and Naruto. Both of you, along with Kakashi-sensei; you are my family." Sai was watching me carefully, and I tipped my chin toward him, "I want to meet my new brother." His eyes arched just like Kakashi's. "I wouldn't have talked to you if I didn't care."

"Will you stay?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"I said I am. You all know about Hinata?"

Three pairs of eyes trained on me. I knew Naruto's and Sakura's faces like my own. Sakura's said that she had promised to keep it a secret, and Naruto's guilt ridden countenance said the exact same thing. But now they both knew that the other knew, and Sai was about to know something that might hurt Hinata.

"Maybe Hinata should tell us when she's ready." Sakura gave me a pointed glare.

I nodded, "Fair enough."

Sai was looking at us all, "You obviously all know something. Is it that Hinata is pregnant?" Three sets of shocked eyes turned on him. "I am a trained observer. And an artist. Hinata sat for a portrait for me last week, and it's obvious that her breasts are heavier than they were."

Naruto and I must have looked like matching sunsets. I saw her yesterday, and her breasts… I ended that line of thought. Sakura was blushing, too, but her hands were over her eyes as she shook her head.

"Baka! Did you say anything to Hinata about it? Anyone else? And who goes around comparing breast sizes?!" Naruto stood to grab the hapless artist's shirt front.

Sai brushed off his fingers, "I like women." He shrugged slightly, "I don't make a study of it, per se, but a good artist and a fine shinobi should learn to open their eyes. Besides, she has a slight protrusion under them, too. Once she took her coat off." He smiled at Naruto, now trying to intentionally antagonize him, and I was glad that Naruto had someone else in his life that would keep his feet on the ground. "It's common sense." He folded his arms, "I didn't say anything to her besides I thought she was beautiful, which I've always thought, so no harm there. Why would I tell anyone anything that isn't their business?"

I wondered how he knew so much about what a pregnant girl looked like. I shrugged, "That aside, I will stay at least until she brings my niece or nephew into the world."

Naruto stood, "Do you need help moving?" Apparently Naruto felt the need to ruin things too.

Sakura and Sai exchanged looks, but I said, "Not really. Since I apparently already have a seal for it, I'll put everything into a sealing scroll and just bring that with me to the Seat."

"Then we'll let you go." He clapped me on the back, "We'll train soon?"

I nodded, "Yeah."

With that Sai stood and crossed to the door as well, "Let's meet for lunch. You're buying."

"Right."

Sakura waited for them to leave, "I still wanted to talk."

I couldn't avoid this anymore it seemed. "Sure, Sakura." I looked at her, her big jade eyes and pink hair, the blush riding high on her cheeks. I immediately felt bad. I'd been thinking about this moment for weeks, but she'd been dreaming of it much longer. I twisted the lid off the water she'd given me earlier and took it to settle where Naruto had been sitting.

Sakura took a big breath, "I can't put the things between us away as easily."

"There isn't anything between us." It was time for total honesty, "Sakura, you decided you loved me at twelve. You have never given me any choice in the matter. Doesn't that bother you? At all?"

She swiped tears, "You said…"

I interrupted her, "That I cared and I do. You'll always hold a place in my heart. But I don't think…"

"You could!" She lunged forward to lay hands on my knees. "You're absolutely right! I have been selfish. Please let me be by your side, Sasuke!"

Could she not hear herself? "Sakura. Listen to me. Right now, I'm not ready for a relationship. Neither are you." I pushed one hand off and she slid the other down.

"Do you like Hinata?"

"No." I shook my head, "Just like I told Naruto, it's my home too. She's carrying my brother's baby. I want to be there for her since Itachi can't. I'm not ready for whatever you imagine I came back for."

"Okay. I won't give up."

I sighed, what did I have to say? Maybe the swiftest cut is kindest. "I need time and space. You are incapable of giving either."

She burst into tears and motion, jumping up from my armchair and wrestling the door until it opened. She gasped out a loud sob before slamming the poor thing, shaking my walls.

I frowned at the portal. I didn't know if I was doing the right thing or even the best, but seeing this side of her again reminded me of my reasons for turning her down.

Trying to move past that little drama, I gave myself a break, just watching Itachi's TV and making lists of things I needed, either to live or just because I hadn't had one in a while. The last list seemed long, but if I was going home, if I was going to stay, I wanted things to call my own. Things for no other reason then I wanted them. I was definitely packing this television.

I sighed, even Naruto had things worth keeping. I felt it in my pocket; Itachi's letter. He'd given Hinata my mother's ring. I had checked the deposit box, and there were a few more pieces of jewelry along with some odds and ends. They had probably been placed there by indifferent agents sent to clean up after the massacre.

After lazing around, I went into town to buy lunch and a large scroll, something that would still fit in my pack, but be large enough to seal and retrieve things as bulky as bedding. I didn't want to leave the things I'd taken the time to launder behind. I also picked up my newly embroidered shirts, along with a set of black fleece house slippers, tipping the man extra for getting the stitching done so quickly. Though I couldn't afford to keep being generous, for today, he'd deserved it.

I brought it all back and dumped it near the inked circle by my bed. Naruto was right, and though I was no Kakashi, I had been using these since my academy days. I pulled over the scroll and searched around for the pen that Itachi'd left me. Unrolling it, I began to ink large squares, using a roughly folded blanket for a guide. In no time I had enough for the things I needed to pack. Itachi's seal was precise and used just a minimal amount of chakra to open. Blankets, clothes… and nothing. I owned literally nothing but this apartment, a gift from the Third; I'd found out, and the things in it. Of which there were hardly any.

Kakashi-sensei was correct. I needed money, which meant I needed to talk to him about getting some missions. But first, I needed to go home. A home that had a person in it again. That was enough to make me at least press my melancholic thoughts to the back of my mind.