"Sasuke-kun," Sakura looked up at him with glistening eyes. He'd grown taller in his two-year absence. Sakura took his face in her hands. "I–" she started but couldn't find the words. Sasuke's arm remained firm on her waist as he stared into her eyes. "I've missed you," Sakura finally said.
That would be a good start. Everything else she'd waited two years to say would come later. She was just so happy he was here.
"Aa," his eyes crinkled just the tiniest bit in the corners.
"When did you get back?" She asked, still not pulling away, though her hands had shifted to his chest.
"Just now," he answered.
"Have you seen Kakashi-sensei yet?" Sakura asked. The Hokage would probably want some sort of report from Sasuke after he'd been gone for two years.
"No." Does that mean…?
"Have you seen Naruto?"
"Why would I want the dobe the be the first person I see?"
Sakura's eyes widened and Sasuke smirked as realization hit her. He'd come straight to see her. Sakura felt her cheeks warm up. His hand left her waist to poke her forehead. Sakura worried she would burst from happiness.
"I, uh… Would you mind waiting just a bit? I need to finish up this paperwork quickly," she pointed at the mess on her desk. "We could maybe grab dinner afterward if you want to?"
"Sure," Sasuke walked over to the loveseat and gracefully dropped down. He leaned back and closed his eyes. Sakura watched him for a minute, smiling happily, before turning toward the documents in front of her.
Dinner wasn't uncomfortable per se, but it wasn't the most comfortable meal they'd shared. Sakura was nervous, her thoughts going wild in her head, jumping from one to another with a speed she couldn't quite comprehend. She kept babbling on about things she hadn't included in her letters and some things had. She kept looking at Sasuke and nervously averting her gaze and biting her lip.
Sasuke, on the other hand, looks as cool and collected as ever. His gaze was firm on Sakura and a ghost of a smirk never left his lips throughout dinner as Sakura kept rambling on.
Afterward, Sasuke walked her home and she still felt awkward. They'd been waiting two years to reunite and while Sakura was overjoyed to be in his presence again, she couldn't help but wonder… Two years is a long, long time. What if he changed his mind? What if he had been expecting to return to something else? Had she changed too much? Her hair was the shortest it had ever been, just barely reaching her chin. Did he like her hair? His hair was longer. She liked it. Oh, god, stop overthinking it! He's here! And I'm the first person he came to see!
"Would you like to come in?" Sakura asked as she unlocked her door.
"I should probably go and see Kakashi now," he said. "There's something I found during my travels he'll want to know about."
"Alright," Sakura smiled at him. "Will you tell me about your travels? Tomorrow maybe?"
His eyes softened. "Don't you have work?"
"I'm the boss, I can rearrange my schedule however I see fit," she said haughtily.
"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow," Sasuke turned around.
Sakura slipped inside her apartment and closed the door. She rested her forehead against the doorframe as she turned her key in the lock. "I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered to herself.
–––
"I asked Kakashi permission to leave the village," Sasuke told her the next day.
Sakura looked at him in confusion. "But you just came back."
"I meant for you."
"Me? Why? Where are we going? And how long?" She had so many questions. Uchiha Sasuke left as a mystery two years ago and returned the same.
"Just for the day," Sasuke said. He didn't offer any more information, and she didn't bother asking. He would reveal his plan on his own time, she was sure.
They left the village gates and Sakura felt emotion overwhelm her, she wasn't looking at Sasuke's back as it grew smaller and smaller with distance. No. She was walking beside Sasuke. They were going somewhere, together.
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" She tried again.
"Hachou-mura."
"Huh… And what's there?"
"You'll see," Sasuke looked at her, gaze playful.
"Come on," Sakura whined. "That's not fair. At least tell me something about the place!"
"That's where I first went when I left," he shrugged.
"Why? What's in Hachou-mura?" Sakura wondered.
"Nothing, really," Sasuke said. "I was… hesitant to pass the borders at first but I also needed to get far away to clear my head. You'll see why I picked that particular town."
They traveled mostly in silence for the next couple of hours. Sometimes Sakura would ask a couple of questions and he'd answer and sometimes Sakura would point out a plant that looked pretty or a tree that looked funny.
Sasuke slowed down as they neared the outskirts of the small village. Sakura could smell the sweet sea breeze. She followed Sasuke as he followed the wall of the village from the outside, rather than entering through the gates. He led her to a very steep rock, which would be hard for anyone to climb who wasn't a ninja. Once at the top, Sakura felt the breath get knocked out of her. The view was incredible.
"Sasuke-kun… this is beautiful," Sakura whispered in amazement. It felt like she was standing on the very edge of the world. She felt terrified and invincible. She inched closer to the edge of the cliff, carefully channeling chakra into the soles of her feet. She peeped over the edge.
The water beneath was a shade of blue she'd never seen before. It had green undertones, but somehow, as it reflected the sun, it also seemed to be kind of golden. She turned back to Sasuke, he was sitting on a makeshift bench, made out of rocks.
She sat down next to him. "Thank you for bringing me here," Sakura said in a low voice. "I've never seen anything like this."
He gazed down at her and hummed in response. They sat there for a minute before he spoke. "We should head back soon if we want to make it before dark."
"Seriously? Already?" She asked in disbelief. "I'm not finished staring at this incredible view."
"Come on," he stood up. "I'll bring you back here sometime."
Sakura's breath hitched. "Promise?"
"Aa."
Sakura followed Sasuke down the cliff.
–––
After his return, Sakura met up with Sasuke every day. It wasn't much different from when he had stayed in the village after the war… except that it was. Sakura could feel them self-consciously dancing around each other. Afraid to say the wrong thing, afraid to do the wrong thing.
She was so happy he was back but she had to know for sure that he was back for her. To be with her. How long was he staying anyway? Was this permanent? Was it just a brief visit before he resumed his journey? She was afraid to ask because she didn't know the answer.
"Hey, Forehead," Ino snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Sorry, Pig. What were you saying?"
"I'd ask who has your thoughts so occupied but it's pretty obvious," Ino gave her a scrutinizing look. "What's up with Sasuke?"
"I don't know," Sakura shrugged. "We've been going here and there, talking. Like before he left."
"But?" Ino pressed on.
"But it just feels different, alright?" Sakura admitted. "It's like we have more distance between us than we did while he was on the road."
"You just gotta suck it up and tell him how it is," Ino said helpfully.
"Easier said than done," Sakura muttered.
"When you say 'going here and there'," Ino made quotation marks in the air. "Do you mean, like, as in on dates?"
"What? No!" Sakura denied, though she herself wasn't sure what they were.
"Well, where has he taken you?"
"We went to this little village on the coast the other day, then we went to the Uchiha library, we climbed Kakashi-sensei's head, I showed him the new park on the other side of th–"
"Hold on, hold on," Ino put her hand up. "He took you to a little coastal village? When the hell was that?"
"Like two weeks ago. Right after he came back. Why?"
"And what did you do there?"
"Well, we sat and looked at the ocean for a bit. It was so beautiful, Ino. Like nothing you've ever seen."
"Yeah, hate to tell you this, Forehead, but that's a date," Ino gave her a pointed look.
"What? No, it isn't!" Sakura protested. "We were only there for like… I don't know, two and a half minutes?"
"Two and a half minutes? Seriously?" Ino's jaw dropped. "Why do you put up with that guy? I hope your other dates were longer at least," she raised her eyebrows.
"They were not dates!" Sakura kept protesting. "It's just two old friends hanging out."
"Yeah, two old friends who totally have the hots for each other," Ino wiggled her eyebrows.
"Please get out of my office," Sakura sighed.
"No can do," Ino grinned. "We still have to go over these forms," she brought Sakura's attention back to the massive pile on the desk between them.
Sakura threw her head back in her chair and groaned.
–––
"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked uncertainly. Sasuke was making her dinner. When she got home, she found him in her kitchen already. She would have been shocked if it was anyone else, but it was Sasuke after all. He did what he wanted whenever he pleased.
"Hm?" He hummed, not looking up from the pan.
"How long are you back for? Like, is your stay permanent?" Sakura bit down on her bottom lip.
Sasuke shrugged. "Aa."
That wasn't very convincing. Sakura kept worrying her lower lip until she drew blood. She started tapping nervously against her knee instead. Sasuke turned around, perhaps sensing her distress.
"Sakura," he said and waited for her to look at him. "I'm not going anywhere. Not in the near future at least."
"Define near future," Sakura raised a brow.
Sasuke let air escape his mouth in a way that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. "Annoying," he muttered to himself. Sakura smiled and he turned back to the stove.
"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura started again.
He sighed. "Yes, Sakura?"
"When you left all those years ago… When you said thank you before you knocked me out…" Sakura winced at the memory. Sasuke's hand stilled but he didn't turn around. "Why did you thank me?"
Sasuke stood in silence for a minute. He turned off the stove and took a seat at the table across from her. Sakura could see him struggle for words. She knew it must've been a difficult question. He considered her for a moment, eyes dancing over her figure, before finally settling back on her eyes.
"When you offered to leave the village with me…" he started finally. "Did you mean it?"
Well, that isn't exactly an answer. "Of course."
"It's not every day a teammate offers to abandon their village for you." Sakura supposed that was true. "It's not every day a girl offers her heart and vows to make you happy…"
"I'm sure there were plenty of girls to do that," Sakura tried to lighten the thick mood that had settled over them. "Probably still are."
"No," Sasuke said, firm. "Not like you. You actually meant it. I wish I could have stayed." The corners of Sakura's eyes pricked with unshed tears at his admittance. "Your words, they meant a lot. I was grateful for them then and I'm grateful for them now," he finally said.
A tear slipped down Sakura's cheek. She quickly wiped it away and stood. She opened the window and started talking about how hot it had gotten in the room, probably from the stove. When she looked at Sasuke, he was shaking his head at her, an amused look in his irises. During dinner, they stuck to easier topics. One big question a day was more than enough, Sakura thought. And he was back, there would be time to ask everything she'd been wanting to ask him. Before he left her apartment, he poked her forehead in a silent goodbye.
No matter how many times he did that, Sakura didn't think there would be a time when she didn't blush at the gesture.
–––
"Finally!" Naruto slapped his hands on the table at Ichiraku. "I can't believe the teme has been home for two weeks now and we've only just managed to get together for a team dinner!"
"Well, it's not easy when you're busy with teaching and missions and I have missions outside the village every other day and Sakura is busy being the head medic of two establishments and Sasuke occupies all of Sakura's free time," Sai commented helpfully, a practiced smile lacing his lips, but never reaching his eyes.
Sakura flushed red, Sasuke's eyes sent daggers toward Sai, and Naruto burst out laughing.
"Ready to order?" Ayame appeared next to their table.
"Yeah, yeah," Naruto wiped his eyes, still snickering. "I'll have my usual."
"You're not making Sakura pay this time, though, are you?" Sasuke raised a brow.
"I'll have you know that as a war hero and Ichiraku's best customer and the most awesome ninja of the village," Naruto straightened in his seat. "I get an unlimited supply of free ramen now."
"Doesn't that drive them out of business?" Sasuke challenged. Sakura choked back a laugh at Naruto's insulted face.
"Actually, Naruto-kun draws a lot of customers here. He's better than any advertisement we could ever pay for," Ayame said.
"Hn," Sasuke said.
They ordered their food and fell into easy conversation. Well, Naruto was doing most of the conversing, Sakura adding something here and there, Sai providing clueless remarks, and Sasuke just grunting every now and again.
"Man," Naruto studied Sasuke. "I just don't understand how you can eat with your right hand," he drew his eyebrows together in serious contemplation.
"I always could," Sasuke replied simply.
"Yeah, but you never did!" Naruto said as if that explained his dilemma. "I remember what a relief it was when I got this baby," he slapped his artificial right arm. "I could eat twice as much ramen in half the time."
"What a relief."
Sakura chuckled next to Sasuke at his response. It felt so good to have all her boys in the village, spending time together. Their light bickering brought a warmth to her chest that she just couldn't quite explain. Konoha felt more like home at that moment than it ever had in the past two years.
"Hey, guys?" Sakura spoke up.
"What's up, Sakura-chan?"
"I have some news," she felt her blood buzzing. She knew this was going to both piss Naruto off and make him extremely happy at the same time. Before she could continue though, Sai butted in.
"Are you pregnant?"
Sakura's jaw dropped and she turned a deep, deep red color. "What! Why would you ask that? How did you even come to that conclusion?"
"I read in a book that women who are expecting often unveiled the news during family gatherings or events with friends," Sai smiled.
Sakura wanted to punch him, she felt a vein throb across her temple. "I'm not pregnant, you absolute buffoon," she groaned. She took a deep breath and held it in for one, two, three seconds. "I have been promoted to jounin," she announced.
"What!" Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. "Congratulations, Sakura-chan! Wow! That's great news! When were you even recommended?"
"A couple of months ago. Kakashi-sensei thought it would be weird if a chuunin kept running things at the hospital," she shrugged.
"So, how come you're only being promoted now?" Sai asked.
"Well, the jounin exams just took place like two weeks ago and the official ceremony will be next week," Sakura explained. "I will be officially promoted together with them. I wanted to invite you guys to the ceremony."
"You know I'll be there, right in the front row!" Naruto promised, giving her a thumbs up.
"And I'll be in attendance as well," Sai smiled, and now it finally reached the corner of his eyes.
Sakura turned to Sasuke when he didn't say anything. "Will you come?"
"Aa."
"When are you going to become a jounin, Naruto?" Sai asked suddenly.
"Well, any day now, I guess," he scratched the back of his head. "Honestly, I don't even know why Kakashi sensei insisted that I take the chuunin exams again. I'm like the strongest ninja in the village," he rolled his eyes.
Sasuke snorted.
"Got something to say, teme?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. "Aren't you still a genin?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I was also an S-ranked international criminal before. I don't really care what rank I am."
Sakura looked at him in shock, the way he just so nonchalantly pointed out his previous rogue status. She was always afraid to touch upon those subjects, always carefully avoided bringing them up. But hearing him talk about it so casually, almost joking… She smiled lightly to herself.
"Hey, Sai! What rank are you anyway?" Naruto looked at him.
"Well, I suppose as a former ROOT member I do have the skills of a jounin," Sai scratched his chin. "But on paper, I'm a chuunin," he admitted.
"How does Kakashi send you on all those secret solo missions then?"
"He's the Hokage, he can do as he pleases," Sai shrugged.
"Wait," Sakura said. "So that means… that I outrank all of you losers! Ha-ha!"
"Sakura-chan! Don't be so mean!" Naruto whined. Sasuke snorted beside her, half-amused, and Sai didn't understand why that was a big deal.
–––
After dinner, Sasuke offered to walk her home, though both of them knew she was fine on her own. Naruto wiggled his eyebrows at them and Sai smiled cheerfully as he said goodbye. As much as Sakura loved them, they could really get on her nerves sometimes.
The air around them was tense and Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on the cause of the sour mood. She hesitantly looked at Sasuke, who looked deep in thought, his eyebrows drawn together as he looked at the ground ahead of them. Sakura crossed her arms in front of her nervously. They had almost reached her apartment when he spoke up.
"Why would Sai think you were pregnant?" Oh, Sakura thought. So that's what this is about.
"Because he's an idiot," she answered simply. Because it was the truth. She hadn't even given his comment much thought, almost forgot about it altogether. Apparently, Sasuke hadn't.
"Is he now?"
"Sasuke-kun," Sakura stopped. "What are you suggesting?"
"Nothing." Liar, Sakura thought. She knew what he was getting at. Frankly, she was offended. She stepped in front of him, fury lacing her gaze as it pierced his.
"There has never been anyone else, you jackass," Sakura said, poking him in the chest. She turned around angrily. "I can manage on my own from here, thanks," she took off toward her apartment before Sasuke could say anything.
That absolute asshole! How dare he! What was he even thinking! Just the other day, he was talking about how much he appreciated her feelings. And now he was doubting them? Sakura slammed her bedroom door shut. A small crack appeared on the wall from the force of it. She stripped off her clothes and crawled into bed, seething with anger. Why were men so stupid, she wondered.
–––
Sakura avoided Sasuke for the better part of the next week. She was still hurt by his implication that she wouldn't wait for him. The first day after the team dinner, Sasuke tried to catch her at the hospital. Sakura was on her way to the front desk when she sensed his brooding chakra. She quickly masked her own, only hoping that he hadn't sensed hers yet. She dipped into the closest bathroom and waited for his chakra signature to retreat. She felt it flaring for a mere second before it slowly faded as he left. She waited until it was completely gone, then went to reception.
"What did he want?" Sakura asked Sachiko.
"He was asking for you, Haruno-san," Sachiko replied. "I told him you were busy and that he could schedule a checkup with a different nurse or doctor, but then he just left… What was this all about, if I may ask?"
"Don't worry about it," Sakura sighed. "Thanks for covering for me. If he comes back, please tell him I'm in surgery or whatever." Sachiko looked doubtful. "Thanks, Sachiko."
The next day, Sakura was on her way home from work, when she spotted him leaning against a wall at the corner she usually turned. Sakura promptly turned down the next alleyway and took the long way home instead.
She came close to running into him at the Hokage Tower when she went to report to Kakashi about that month's shinobi checkups and results. Thankfully, she heard Naruto's loud voice before she spotted them. Sakura looked around in a panic and found a sturdy tree, so she quickly hid within its crown. As the boys passed on the path beneath her, she heard Naruto tell Sasuke that he was a dumbass and a bastard. Sakura could agree with one of those statements.
Naruto swung by her office one day, trying to figure out what was wrong. Apparently, Sasuke was being mopey but wouldn't tell him anything.
"I just don't understand," Naruto sighed. "Everything seemed fine the other week during dinner. And now you're acting weird. You're working more than usual if that's even possible! And the teme is, well, being himself but like multiply his grumpiness by a billion. The other day, I challenged him to a spar and he turned me down. He turned me down! He never turns me down, Sakura-chan. I'm telling you."
"You're both idiots," Sakura sighed and grabbed Naruto by his collar, guiding him toward the door of her office. "I appreciate your concern, but I got work to do. I'll see you at the ceremony." Sakura saw Naruto open his mouth so say something more, but she closed and locked her door instead.
The jounin ceremony would be in two days, and she still hadn't talked to him.
Now, she was sitting on her couch, reading a medical scroll Sasuke had given her and she wondered if she overreacted. He was absent for two years, after all. How would he know that she'd waited for him, he wasn't there to see. Maybe he thought her letters were nothing more than just her being friendly. But she had kissed him before he left! Was he really that dense!
Wait! If he thought she had been with someone while he was away, did that mean he had been with others? No, no. No. Sasuke wasn't like that. Was he? Sakura shook her head and tried to concentrate on the scroll again. It was hard to, though. She wasn't sure she knew him anymore. She thought she'd known him when they were children, but her knowledge of him only graced the surface. What was most important, she had not known. And then he ran away and left her on a bench with only the moon to watch over her. But then he came back and he was there and he sought her out and she felt like she really saw him for what he was, she felt like he was letting her in. Closer and closer to his heart. Then, he left again. And now, Sakura just did not know where they stood.
She heard someone knock. She sighed and went to the door, scroll still in hand. "Yeah?" She froze as she saw Sasuke at her door.
"Sakura," he greeted. When she stood frozen, he asked, "can I come in?"
She moved to the side silently and opened the door further.
"We should talk," Sasuke said as she closed the door behind him.
