Mine
"And I hold on to that every night
To help me understand - when I ask myself why
Of all the people out there - you chose to be with me
To share a love so rare"- 'To Be Loved'- Jane
"Does she matter?" Asuka asked after scanning Sakura's face.
"Well-"
"How wonder you can't ever feel secure," Asuka said with an amused smile. "Your mind is racing with all sorts of jealousies and stories of what ifs."
Sakura blushed at that but she persisted with her stubborn thought. "But what if?"
"He was mine," Asuka said with certainty
"How do you know?" Sakura asked with a bitter smile.
"Because he may have never said it but he entrusted to me, his future," Asuka said with softened eyes. "Ita was and always has been a thoughtful and peaceful man. He may recall her from time to time but when he was with me; I had no doubts that he loved me."
Sakura sighed. If only she could to be that open-minded when speaking of Sasuke.
"You shouldn't feel guilty saying he's yours as well," Asuka said with a smile. "You were persistent and now you're his wife right?"
"How do you know-"
"I could tell with your reaction and his," Asuka stated. "It wasn't a conventional love and maybe he would've ended up with someone else had everything worked out the way he wanted it to."
Sakura's eyes lowered in pain at being told outright that.
"But-"Asuka said reaching out to hold Sakura's hand. "He's yours now and no matter how you cornered him into it, he does hold a place of his heart towards you."
"Mom-" Sarada started seeing her mother tear.
Sakura smiled at her daughter and ushered her over to where Tachi and Sasuke was returning from. She turned away back to Asuka with tears as she whispered over. "Do you think he blames me for Sarada?"
"If he did, would he have married you?" Asuka asked
"You stated he had no choice!" Sakura accused.
"I said he most likely felt that way for a long while," Asuka corrected. "But he is an Uchiha, and they follow their own stubbornness. He has learned to love you. Maybe not in the way you wanted but nonetheless there is affection."
"I hate you," Sakura whispered as she blinked back tears.