prime years, a naruto fanfic

It was a pleasantly mild March day Sasuke and Sakura spent playing together. The chill of the winter had passed and the weather was warming up, the sun shone brightly. They spent the morning drawing and coloring, when they got bored with it, they exited the Uchiha manor to the yard that lay behind it. There they ran around, sometimes chasing each other, sometimes stumbling over their own little feet, sometimes just rolling around on the ground. They fed the koi fish in the pond and filled up the bird feeders with seeds. The played ninja and fought over who was stronger. By lunch time, they were rather worn out.

Now, they were seated on either side of Itachi, as he read to them before their nap time. A tale they must have heard a million times already, about how the Uchiha and the Senju founded Konoha, about the importance of friendship, acceptance and forgiveness. About moving forward.

"And that is how Hashirama came to be the very first Hokage," Itachi lowered his voice, as rose-colored hair already splayed across his thigh, and looked to his other side. His little brother was clutching his beloved dinosaur toy, gaze heavy with sleep. Itachi carefully maneuvered the little girls head, as not to wake her, and motioned for his brother to lay down. Before he even had the chance to put a blanket over them, they had both been fast asleep, breaths steady and calm.

Itachi returned to the veranda, where his mother had been watching them from. "They love that story, don't they?" Mikoto asked, smiling, as she poured some tea for her eldest son.

"Sakura-chan sure does. I think I could recite it all from memory at this point," he sipped his beverage. Mikoto kept asking about the academy, and if Itachi had made any friends beside his cousin, Shisui yet. She offered to help her son with his history project for next week, when they heard the front door slide open and shut.

"Mikoto-san, Itachi-kun," Haruno Mebuki bowed, then looked to the yard, where her daughter was peacefully sleeping under the shade of a tree. "Ah, I see they have not yet awakened. I cannot thank you enough for watching her today on such short notice," she bowed again. Mebuki had been working as an administrator at the Hokage Tower before her pregnancy and after her maternity leave, was transferred to the police department.

"It was absolutely no problem at all," Mikoto smiled. "And please, just Mikoto is fine. Has my husband left the station yet?"

"Yes, we came here together, he told me where to find you. I don't want to inconvenience you any longer, I better take little Sakura home," Mebuki started for her daughter but Mikoto placed a hand on her shoulder before she could take a step.

"It is no inconvenience at all. Let them sleep, would you like some tea?" Mikoto motioned for an empty seat alongside her and Itachi.

"Oh, no, that's fine. Thank you. I really don't wish to be any more trouble–"

"I insist. I know how cranky Sasuke gets when I wake him before he's ready. Let them rest. I'll bring some more tea. Chamomile or green?" Mikoto stood and took the tray with the cattle and cups on it.

"Green will be fine. Thank you, Mikoto-san," Mebuki lowered her head in thanks, as the other woman disappeared inside. "How is the academy going, Itachi-kun?" She turned to the seven-year-old, who was going through the pages of a thick hard cover, sipping his tea.

"It's fine. Sakura-chan told me today that she wishes to be a kunoichi when she grows up." Just as the words left his mouth, he heard shifting from beneath a tree and snapped his head in the direction. Surely enough, the two toddlers were stirring awake, as Sakura had latched onto Sasuke's dinosaur and the boy desperately tried to pry it from her hands with a deep frown etched onto his face.

Sasuke shoved at Sakura's shoulder, causing the girl to roll onto her back and blink slowly. "Give it back," he grumbled. Mebuki and Itachi were on their feet, the young ninja-in-training much faster than his father's administrator.

"Now, now, Sasuke, it is not very nice to shove people," Itachi scolded as he crouched down next to them.

"Sakura, honey, give Sasuke-kun his toy back," Mebuki joined them, but Sasuke was already grabbing it and pulling at it, while Sakura looked on, still half asleep and confused. When he finally managed to free it from the girl's surprisingly strong grasp, the force of it threw him off balance, and he rolled onto his back, accidentally kicking Sakura in to arm in the process.

The girl immediately started to tear up, her lips trembled and the apples of her cheeks reddened. The youngest Uchiha's eyes became alert with panic, as Mebuki scooped her daughter in her arms. "I didn't mean to…" his tiny voice trailed off, eyes cast down in shame.

"It's okay, I know it was an accident, Sasuke-kun," Mebuki rubbed comforting circles on Sakura's back. Sasuke watched as the girl's tears ran down her rosy cheeks, and he thought she looked almost as pretty as his mother when she put some sort of powder on her face.

He shifted his eyes down onto his dinosaur and sighed deeply. He shouldn't make girls cry; his mother had taught him as much. But she had taken what belonged to him first, and he didn't do it on purpose anyway! Still, he thought he should make it right somehow.

Sakura was calm now, as Mebuki set her on the ground, but she clung tightly to her mother's leg. Sasuke took a few steps closer and poked her in the forehead. "I'm sorry." The girl just blinked in astonishment, a few tears sticking to her lashes still.

Mikoto smiled knowingly at the scene from the veranda, holding a tray of long-forgotten tea.

"Nii-san, can I train with you today?" Sasuke followed Itachi into the foyer and watched as his brother put on his nin sandals. Itachi turned to him with a small smile and poked his forehead. Sasuke did not need to hear an answer to know what that meant. His shoulders slumped. "That's fine. I don't need you anyway! I'll train on my own and become stronger than any of the Uchiha that ever lived," he proclaimed.

"I'm sure you will," their mother's voice came from down the hall. "But first, it's time for your nap." As Sasuke's attention drifted to Mikoto, Itachi soundlessly slipped out of the house.

"I do not need a nap! I need to train," Sasuke huffed, turning to where his older brother had been. "Right, nii-san?" He abruptly closed his mouth as he noted Itachi's absence.

"You know," Mikoto scooped him up in her arms. "When Itachi was your age, he always took his naps. One of the key points to becoming a strong shinobi is rest. You need to replenish your energies, or your training will be in vain." Sasuke kept brooding as his mother put him in his bed. "I was thinking…" she stroked his chubby cheek. "That maybe after you wake up, we could go to the station to pick up your father. What do you think?"

Sasuke's gaze brightened at that. He loved going to the police station and going to the evidence room, where he could only go because his father was the police chief, or sitting on the floor of Fugaku's office and drawing the many previous police chiefs whose portraits decorated the walls of the room. His ancestors.

He grabbed his dinosaur and settled into his bed without another word. His dreams consisted of police uniforms and saving people, of fire jutsu and shurikens.

He held his mother's hand as they entered the building. The receptionist bowed deeply to his mother, "Uchiha-san," she greeted. "I'm afraid Uchiha-sama is out on a case right now; he should be back shortly, though."

"That's alright. We'll just wait in his office, won't we, Sasuke?" His mother smiled down at him. He loved going to his father's office when he was there, but when he wasn't his mother always allowed him to sit in his chair, which was arguably more awesome than sitting on the floor.

Sasuke would pretend to be the Chief of Police, and – since he could barely draw, let alone write – scribbled nonsense lines on empty pages, pretending to write case reports. He would sometimes look at his mother as she read across the desk and sigh. "Another tough case, Uchiha-san?" His mother would play along. He'd massage his temple, as he'd seen his father do, and nod. Amused, Mikoto would ask if perhaps some tea would help, and he'd graciously accept.

As they headed toward the office, he already started to plan out today's case – a someone had robbed a weapon's shop and only left a torn glove behind as evidence. But Uchiha Sasuke, Chief of Police, would find the culprit! At least, that was the plan, until his mother took a left turn instead of going to his father's office. "Okaasan?" Sasuke followed his mother's gaze, to find a familiar pink head of hair, running between the desks and being chased by a very frustrated mother.

"Sakura!" Came Mebuki's warning tone as she scooped the toddler in her arm, her other hand on her hip.

"Hello, Mebuki!" Mikoto greeted. "Did your baby sitter cancel again at the last minute?" Sasuke looked at Sakura as she kept flailing in her mother's arm, tirelessly trying to escape. Her mother must be strong, he decided, if she barely flinched from all that movement.

"That girl…" Mebuki sighed. "Ever since she got with that boyfriend of hers, she's been anything but reliable."

"You could have brought Sakura-chan over. It would have been no problem at all. I'm sure Sasuke and I could have entertained her," she ruffled Sasuke's hair and gazed down at him. "Right, honey?" Sasuke just let out an indifferent breath of air and crossed his arms. He did not have the time to entertain anyone. He needed to train and become stronger, so he could follow in his brother and father's footsteps. "Why don't I take Sakura-chan to Fugaku's office with us, huh?" She took the girl from Mebuki's reluctant arms. "What do you say, Sakura-chan? Would you like to come and draw with us in the police chief's office?" She beamed at the girl, but Sasuke was getting more annoyed by the minute.

"I don't want to trouble you, Mikoto-san," Mebuki tried to protest, but Sasuke's mother just waved a hand dismissively as she set Sakura down next to Sasuke.

"It is no trouble. We were just going to wait for Fugaku there. This way you'll be able to finish your work faster anyway. And please, just Mikoto," she took the children's hands.

"Thank you, Mikoto" bowed Mebuki.

"And… And my flowers got trampled!" Exclaimed Sakura, arms waving in the air, fake outrage in her voice.

"Hn… What else?" Asked Sasuke as he pretended to take note, both his face and voice entirely too serious for a three-year-old.

Mikoto chuckled lightly behind her book. Sasuke was currently sitting in his father's chair, his face just barely above the surface of the sturdy oak desk. He had a notepad and a pencil in hand, as he took Sakura's statement, who was sitting across from him. Apparently, Sakura's drawings had been stolen, her favorite red ribbon cut to pieces, and her flowers destroyed. She had tasked Sasuke with finding the perpetrator, who was taking his job very seriously.

A knock sounded against the door and Mebuki peeked in. "Sakura, darling. I'm all ready. We should get going, your Otousan will be grumpy if he doesn't get his dinner on time," she came to a stop next to her daughter, reaching out her hand.

"But Okaasan," Sakura whined. "Can't I stay longer to play with Sasuke-kun? Please?" Her large green eyes blinked at her mother pleadingly.

"We were not playing!" Sasuke interrupted, annoyance evident in his little voice. "This is training for when I become the Chief of Police!" He declared, just as his father stepped into his office.

"What's all this commotion? And what is it I'm hearing about a new police chief?" Uchiha Fugaku grumbled. He was a stoic man, his face always strict, never wavering. Perhaps saying that no one outside his immediate family had ever seen him smile would be no exaggeration. He dropped a file on his desk, and picked Sasuke up, immediately placing him in his lap, so he could look over the document. Sasuke peered down at the pages curiously, but did not understand much. He only recognized the characters of his own name.

"Nothing, dear," Mikoto said softly, just as Mebuki replied: "Sorry for the trouble, Uchiha-sama. I was just leaving. Come on, honey, let's go home," she took Sakura's hand, leading her to the door. "Thank you again, Mikoto, for taking care of Sakura. Good night."

"Anytime," Mikoto waved and turned to her husband as the Haruno's left the office. "Are you not finished for the day?" She asked, already knowing the response would be disappointing. Being married to a workaholic, who was no less the head of a clean and the Chief of Police was not easy.

"I'm sorry," Fugaku sighed. "I need to finish this tonight, there's a meeting with the council tomorrow. I'm afraid it cannot wait." And if it was anyone else in that room besides Uchiha Mikoto, they would have missed the mist of sadness in her husband's eyes, and the way his hand tightened around his youngest son.

"Go on, then, Sasuke," Mikoto patted his hair before going to nearby bench and taking a place. Sasuke had been begging Itachi to take him training, but as always, his big brother just poked his forhead and said "Maybe next time." Mikoto found Sasuke sulking near the koi pond in their yard, assaulting the innocent fish by throwing any rocks or pebbles he could find in the water. She brought out a box of wooden weapons and asked him if he wanted to go to the playground. He'd responded: "I need to train, not play if I want to be as good as Itachi," but took the box out of her hands and headed for the gate anyway.

"Mikoto, Sasuke-kun! Hello," Sakura's mother approached them, Sakura shying away behind her. Her hair was different today, Sasuke noted. It was tied back with a red ribbon, the one he'd always seen around her wrist. She looks nice, he thought.

"Mebuki, how are you?" Mikoto greeted. "Hi, Sakura-chan. Well, don't you look pretty today!" She looked at the little girl, who blushed at the compliment and hid entirely behind her mother. Weird, Sasuke thought. She never used to be so quite when we played together before.

"Sakura, don't be rude," Mebuki nudged her. "Say hi. And someone just paid you a compliment, what do you say?" Sakura kept her eyes on the ground and mumbled a soft, barely-audible "thank you."

"Sakura-chan, why don't you go play with Sasuke? I'm sure he would love to show you his new wooden kunai and shuriken set," Mikoto suggested. Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, that (1) he was not going to play, he was going to train, and (2) he would not share his toys. But before a sound could leave his mouth his mother fixed him with a pointed glare, leaving no room for argument. As beautiful and kind as his mother was, she sure could be scary.

"Fine," he muttered and took off towards the trees, but stopped when he noticed Sakura hovering by their mothers, eyes still downcast. "Aren't you coming?" She looked at him then, veridian eyes slightly widening, and nodded hesitantly. Annoying, he thought, then turned around and started for the trees again, now followed by the cherry blossom-haired girl.

Sakura sat down in the shade, and watched for a while as Sasuke kept throwing his weapons at a target painted on the trunk of a tree. His aim is very good, she thought. Sakura had always liked Sasuke, but then again, almost all girls seemed to like Sasuke, much to his annoyance. He wasn't very unkind, if indifferent to their affections.

"Do you want to try?" He turned towards her suddenly, collecting all the kunai he'd thrown.

She furrowed her brows, "me? I– I don't know how…" she said, ashamed.

"You want to be a shinobi, right? You need to learn then," he held out a kunai to her.

"O–okay," she stood as she took it. Sakura took slow and unsure steps towards the spot where Sasuke had been standing. He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to throw it, but she just stood there. She considered the wooden weapon in her hand. How am I even supposed to hold this? "I–," she turned toward him, embarrassed. "Can you show me how?"

It was Sasuke's turn to look flabbergasted. No one had ever asked him to show them anything, especially not when it came to throwing kunai or shuriken. His brother was an expert after all, so who would ever need his help? He looked from her shy eyes to the kunai in her hand and back up. Sasuke nodded and spent the next while showing her how to hold both a kunai and a shuriken, when he deemed her grip stable enough, he went on to explain the correct stance, the way Itachi had taught him, and finally, he told her to throw.

Her first few attempts were pitiful at best, and he could see she was embarrassed. He did not console her, but didn't make fun of her either, just told her to keep going. And so that's how their mothers found them, hurling weapons at a much-distressed tree trunk. This was a nice afternoon, he thought to himself as he walked back to the Uchiha compound with his mother, dirty and tired.

"Hey, Sakura," Ino stepped beside Sakura in front of the announcement board. "So, how did you score?" She asked as her eyes scanned over the sheets of paper, searching for her own name.

Sakura was at the top of their class, when it came to theoretical subjects anyway, and Ino knew that as well as Sakura did. She was smart and a hard worker, she would slave away over homework each afternoon after finishing at the Academy, always making sure her answers were correct and assignments left nothing to be desired. However, when it came to the physical subjects, she was mediocre or average at best. Her aim was good and she had stamina, but she was unsure on her feet and uncertain of her movements. She never truly wanted to hurt her friends and comrades, and so when it came to sparring, she never truly scored well, despite having taijutsu kata memorized perfectly. She could go through the motion seamlessly in an empty field, but when it came to using those same moves against one of her classmates, she was hesitant.

When Sakura did not answer, Ino spoke up again. "You know… If you didn't pull your punches during training, you could be up there at the top with Sasuke-kun and Shikamaru." Ino was good in combat, but never paid much attention during other classes and never cared to study much for tests, unless Sakura forced her to. Of course, it was expected of Yamanaka Ino to do well at the physical aspects of their training. After all, she came from one of the oldest shinobi clans of the village, it was in her blood, while Sakura's parents were mere civilians. Her mother an administrator and her father a librarian, which was ironic, Sakura thought, because her Otousan was anything but quiet.

"You did well, Ino," Sakura smiled. "Would you like to study with me for the next term's exams? Maybe you could bring up your score as well," she would always offer her help up to Ino, though she rarely took it.

"Next term? How can you think about next term? This term barely just ended!" The blonde whined loudly. Perhaps, Sakura mused, Ino's even louder than Otousan. "Anyway," Ino waved her hand dramatically. "Would you like to come over? We could go to the flower shop and make crowns out of the leftover flowers, what do you think?"

"Maybe later," Sakura replied. She needed to return a few books to the school library before the school break started.

"Whatever, just make sure you don't get sucked into one of those books of yours. See ya!" Ino turned around and just barely missed whipping Sakura straight in the face with her pony tail.

Sakura just smiled after her friend, then after a beat turned around and started towards their homeroom. Just as she was about the step into the room, someone came out and they bumped into each other. Sakura would have fallen straight on her butt, if two hands hadn't grasped her elbows. As soon as her bright eyes met dark ones, she felt heat rushing to her cheeks. "Thanks," she mumbled as she found her footing again.

Sasuke just nodded at her, pocketing his hands, and stepped aside. He turned toward to corridor she had come from, but before he could walk away, she opened her mouth shyly. "Congrats…" she trailed off as he turned back around to face her. "On–on your scores. Top of the class, huh? Itachi-san must be proud of you."

"Yeah," he said, and she thought he was going to leave it at that, but then: "Thanks for helping me with history." Sometimes, when Sakura finished at school earlier than her parents, Mikoto or Itachi would pick her up along with Sasuke and bring her to the police station, where she would do her homework by her mother's desk. Sometimes Sasuke stayed as well, while Mikoto chatted with the staff or her husband, and during those times, Sasuke and Sakura would work on their homework together.

"Oh, anytime, Sasuke-kun," Sakura smiled awkwardly. "So, what are you doing duri–"

"Hey, little cousin!" A voice interrupted her question. The older boy's appearance was almost identical to Sasuke's, the only difference being that his hair was curly, and the shapes of his eyes slightly more feminine. Sakura had seen him around with Itachi at the station sometimes.

"Shisui," Sasuke nodded. Sakura looked from one Uchiha to the other.

"Hope I didn't interrupt you and your girlfriend," Shisui smirked menacingly at his little cousin, who, while sporting reddened ears, gave Shisui a daggering glare in return. "I was just swinging by to pick you up, Itachi received a mission and Mikoto is busy preparing food for him," Shisui changed the subject.

"I–, um," Sakura started, still flustered by the elder Uchiha's previous comment. "I need to get to the library. Yup, the library," she muttered, more to herself than to the Uchihas standing next to her. "See you around, Sasuke-kun, Shisui-san," she all but burst into the classroom.

Sasuke shoved Shisui as they started for the exit, his only response was an amused chuckle.

"Hello, Sakura-chan!" Mikoto beamed at the girl standing in front of a portrait at the police station. "How are you? I heard from Sasuke that you did very well at your first exams. Congratulations!"

Sakura's cheeks turned a red color that perhaps rivaled the bow in her hair. Sasuke-kun… has talked about me? "Thank you, Mikoto-san," she replied, voice a bit too thin. "I'm nowhere near as good as he is, though. Your sons are going to make excellent shinobi," she tried to steer the conversation away from her. Mikoto was having none of it.

"Well, that is sort of expected of them," she waved a hand and turned toward the picture Sakura had been observing. "Being raised in a shinobi clan and all, it is in their blood, I reckon. You should learn how to take compliment, Sakura-chan," Mikoto briefly gazed down at her. "There is no shame in taking pride in one's accomplishments, especially if the person worked hard for them."

A beat of silence followed, then an ever-so-soft, yet much more self-assured: "Thank you."

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto plopped down beside her cheerfully. "So, I was thinking…"

"Oh, no. You and thinking? That's never a good combination," Sasuke grumbled from the row in front of them.

"Hey! What was that for?" Naruto exclaimed as he leaned on one of his palms on Sakura's desk, while his other palm went to slap the back of Sasuke's head. "It's really rude to interrupt someone, not to mention to eavesdrop!" Before his hand could connect with Sasuke's head though, the Uchiha had grasped Naruto's wrist, turning around partially.

"It's not eavesdropping if you're so loud that they can hear you two villages over," he glared, then turned back around. Sakura just sighed, those. two were always bickering about one thing or another.

"So, anyway. Before the teme so rudely interrupted me… I was thinking, Sakura-chan, that maybe you would like to study together for final exams? We will be graduating soon after all, and you're top of the class, and if I want to be the Hokage, I'm gonna need all the help that I can get," Naruto rambled on nervously. Sasuke ever so softly scoffed in front of him, no doubt at the part of becoming Hokage, and Sakura could imagine him rolling his eyes. The Uchiha not only bred achingly handsome boys, but arrogance seemed to run in the family as well.

She smiled softly. "Sure, Naruto. Ino and I are going to the library after school, you're welcome to join us," she kindly offered, though she really doubted she would actually get any studying done with the two blonds by her side. Maybe if I studied with Sasuke-kun… Sakura pondered. No, that's silly. We have not studied together since we were nine. I'm sure he doesn't even want my help anyway, he would probably think I'm two annoying, Sakura thought to herself. While they used to do their homework together a lot when they had started at the academy, that was mostly because they both waited for their parents to finish work at the station. It was more of a convenience than anything. Though Sakura had always enjoyed spending time with Sasuke-kun, she doubted he felt the same about their study sessions.

Naruto's shoulders slightly slumped, and his grin faltered for a bit, when he realized he wouldn't be alone with Sakura, but only for the split of a second, before he gave her a thumbs up and all but shouted: "I'll be there! Believe it!"

After he left to go back to his own desk, Sasuke turned back slightly, looking at Sakura from just the corner of his eye. "He wanted to study with you alone, you know," he said lowly, a teasing smirk barely visible on his lips.

"Oh, shut up," Sakura said, trying to hide the fact that she was flustered by his attention. "He just wants to take advantage of my huge brain."

"Hn."

"Okay, so chakra is composed of both physical and spiritual energy," Sakura started to explain. Naruto nodded, his eyes narrowed in concentration, while Ino just twirled her hair around her fingers. "Each individual has a certain, limited amount of chakra at their disposal that they need to replenish once it's run out. All jutsu require chakra in order to be performed an–," Sakura was interrupted when none other than Uchiha Sasuke sat down at their circular table at the library.

"Actually," he said, coolly. "Taijutsu only requires stamina, no chakra needed."

Sakura flustered, blood rushing up her neck, to her cheeks and ears. "I was just about to say that!" She whisper-yelled, they were in the library after all. Wait… What is Sasuke-kun doing at the library? He never comes here… "Just what are you doing here anyway?"

"Loud construction at the compound," he shrugged and opened one of his text books.

"Well, what about the police station?" Sakura asked, seeming rather hostile, despite feeling the exact opposite. She was so happy that Sasuke-kun had joined them. But she had trained herself not to throw herself all over him, after he complained about annoying girls and their annoying attention and constant nagging. Sakura did not want him to think her annoying, well, any more than he already did.

"Tch. What is it with you? There's a lot of traffic down there today," he left it at that, taking out a pencil as he started scribbling down notes.

Sakura cleared her throat. "So, um, well… Anyway. As I was saying, all types of jutsu, except for taijutsu," she emphasized, and she could imagine Sasuke rolling his eyes. "Require chakra. Naruto, do you know what types of jutsa there are?" She raised an eyebrow.

"There's taijutsu, of course, and… Um, and then there's… There's that one with the… Um," she scratched the back of his head. This time Sasuke audibly scoffed.

Sakura sighed, this is going to be a looooong study session.

It had been over a year since Sakura and Sasuke had been put on the same team, along with Naruto. While Sakura excelled at the academy, she could not help but feel left behind her teammates as they advanced and got stronger. She could not count the times Sasuke had snatched her around the waist to quickly get her out of harm's way, how many times Naruto shielded her with his body, or Kakashi ordered a formation, which would leave her in the least vulnerable and most sheltered position. Sasuke, of course, had always been a prodigy, as is expected of an Uchiha, and while Naruto left much to be desired in his studies at the academy, his sheer determination out in the field more than made up for it.

It frustrated her. It frustrated her beyond what words could ever convey. But after… After the chuunin exams, Sakura realized, she needed to get stronger. She would not be helpless anymore.

During the exams, Team 7 was attacked by a team of Sound shinobi. Both Naruto and Sasuke had been gravely injured, and she could do nothing to ease their pain or help them, as they lay unconscious. And then came another team, targeting them. Surely, Sakura faced their opponents as her boys laid there unaware, and held her ground. But it was not enough. Cutting her hair was not enough. Being beaten to a bruised and bloodied pulp was not enough. Because in the end, it was Sasuke who saved her. He came to it sometime during her battle and he was so enraged it frightened her. As he broke both arms of a Sound ninja, Sakura's world crumbled around her. She had to get stronger, she had to get better. She would not rely any more on her teammates for protection. She would not watch them get hurt anymore and they would not see her weak ever again. I will not disappoint them, she vowed.

Seeing her teammates injured beyond belief scared her more than any attack could, because she knew she was powerless. All she could do was clean their wounds and bandage them, but what about the more serious ones? What if there was internal bleeding? No, she would not let her precious comrades die. They had protected and saved her countless of times before. Well, no more. She would return the favor; she would save them.

Sakura was determined, and when an infamous, drunken medic with a gambling problem stumbled into the village, Sakura pursued her to take her up as an apprentice.

"Look, kid," Tsunade fixed her with a much-irritated glare. "You need to beat it. I am not going to train you," she pointed an index finger at her and spilled a bit of her sake. "Why is it so important to you anyway? You could ask any other medic and they would gladly train you, I'm sure."

Tsunade's cheeks were slightly pink from the many helpings of sake she had since Sakura had arrived. But her drunkenness and harsh words would not sway Sakura in her pursuit of strength.

"Because," she started carefully, as she stared into hazy, honey-brown eyes. "I have been powerless for far too long; I have let my comrades get injured because of their desire to protect me. I will not watch my precious people suffer because I am incapable! It is not just medical jutsu I want you to teach me. I know about your strength, who you can level mountains and split the earth with just your little finger. I want you to teach me, so I can protect the ones I hold dear, and if I can't protect them, I want to be able to save them!" Sakura's voice had raised as she gave her passionate speech. Tsunade was quiet for several long moments, but Sakura's gaze never once faltered. Determination shone in her bright, veridian eyes, her mouth set in a harsh line.

Tsunade's gaze was calculating, before finally, she sighed. "Fine," she poured some more sake and downed it. "Just leave me alone to drink in peace. Meet me at the hospital on Monday. Seven o'clock sharp," and with that, she took the bottle to her lips, not even bothering to pour it in a glass anymore, and gulped the beverage down.

Sakura grinned and left the booth hastily before Tsunade could change her mind.

"Sakura!" She turned her head to the left, seeing Sasuke's cousin approaching. He waved at her, then turned a questioning gaze toward the building she had just exited. "What is a young lady, such as yourself, doing in such an establishment?" He smirked as he came to a stop next to her, in front of the bar.

"Oh, um…" Sakura was struggling to find the right words. "Well, you see–"

"I'm just kidding," Shisui chuckled. "You're clearly not intoxicated, and so I don't see why this would be any of my business. Plus, I just got off work, I would not like to take up a case of underage drinking in my free time," he joked.

Sakura let out a breath, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh. She wanted to keep her training with Tsunade a secret for now, if Shisui knew, he would surely tell Sasuke. "Are you heading to the station? My mom is finishing soon, I was just on my way to meet her there," she explained.

"Oh, no. I was going home. But the station's on the way. C'mon, I'll walk with you," Shisui pocketed his hands and fell into step beside Sakura. On their brisk walk he asked about the chuunin exams, their missions and her parents. In return, Sakura asked about his work as a police officer, and if it was any different from missions outside the village gates.

Sasuke was just leaving the police station, having brought dinner for her father, when Sakura strolled up to the building with Shisui. She was smiling brightly at something he'd said.

"Hey, little cousin," Shisui greeted. Sasuke hated it when he called him that.

"Shisui. Sakura."

"Oh, hey, Sasuke-kun," a blush dusted Sakura's cheeks, her hands were clasped behind her back and she smiled at him prettily. "Well, I better get inside… I'll see you tomorrow at training," she nodded at Sasuke, then turned to Shisui. "Bye!"

"So, Mikoto-obasan, you'll never guess who I caught drinking with one Senju Tsunade today," Shisui said nonchalantly later as he dined with his cousins and aunt. Mikoto looked at him quizzically. "It was none other than our little Sasuke's girlfriend of course!" Sasuke was so shocked by the statement that he forgot to protest his cousin's claims of Sakura being his girlfriend for a second.

But then his eyes were shooting lightning bolts towards his cousin. "She is not my girlfriend," he growled. What was she doing with the drunken granddaughter of the first Hokage anyway? He wondered.

Sakura had planned to keep it a secret, she wanted to surprise her team, show them she was just as formidable as they were. However, the day after her meeting with Tsunade and run-in with Shisui, she showed up first for training with Team 7, then came Sasuke. At first, he just nodded and stood beside her on the bridge, watching the water trinkle south. But then, "So, what are you doing drinking in a bar with the first Hokage's granddaughter?" He questioned, completely shocking her.

"I– I was not drinking!" She nearly shouted, scandalized that he would think so. "And what are you doing spying on me anyways?"

Sasuke just smirked and said: "Shisui told me. I was just asking," he shrugged his shoulders, his hand in his pockets. He looks so effortlessly cool, so handsome, Sakura thought.

"I was…" she sighed. "I asked her to teach me medical jutsu," she confessed. Before Sasuke could respond, Naruto bellowed a greeting from a few yards away, rushing towards them.

Sakura spent the next years training rigorously under Tsunade between Team 7 training sessions as well as missions. Sakura was fifteen when Sasuke had watched her punch a crater into the earth and he could not help but smirk proudly at how far she had come through her determination and hard work. Sasuke was sixteen and when Itachi fell ill and Sakura tried tirelessly to heal him, doing research night and day. Sasuke was also sixteen when he had first kissed Sakura, after a particularly draining day, doing research at the hospital's record room to try to find a cure for Itachi's ailment. She was angry and exhausted because she could not find any useful information, she had not already known, and she was frustrated because she felt like she was failing. She had expressed as much to Sasuke as he walked her home, when his hand suddenly gripped her wrist and he pulled him into her. He pressed his lips against hers, sweet and chaste, and he whispered words of gratitude, before promptly turning around and leaving her in front of her apartment building, blushing furiously.

Sakura was seventeen when she formed the Yin Seal, just as Konoha had come under attack. The police were trying to take civilians to shelter as buildings were destroyed in a series of explosions. She had been eating dangos as Sasuke watched – he hated sweets –, when they sensed a menacing group of chakras approaching the village. Quicker than one could blink, they were on the rooftops, racing to the Hokage Tower for further instructions. When they got there, half the village's available shinobi were there, the other half, undoubtedly, heading to the gate.

Naruto joined them just in time for Lady Fifth to start barking orders and dividing the personnel. While Sakura was placed with a group of medics, Sasuke and Naruto were sent out the village gates for an ambush. When Sakura protested that she was more than capable of fighting, Tsunade dismissed her with a: "I can't have my best medic at the front lines unless absolutely necessary." Sasuke had squeezed her hand before taking off with the others on his squad.

Sakura was healing injured civilians when she felt it. The seal materializing on her forehead as the last bits of storage of chakra she had been building filled up. She looked at Lady Katsuyu, assisting her in her healing, and requested that she inform Tsunade about the development. The reply came not long after, Sakura would have to report to the front lines.

She had entered the battle swinging. An enemy ninja was sneaking up on Naruto, who was already in combat with two others. Sakura jumped from her perch on the rooftop, kicking one of the ninjas Naruto was fighting, so hard his spine snapped, using the momentum of her kick to launch her further, she punched the ninja sneaking up and watched as he flew back several yards while she gracefully landed on her feet.

She released the seal, which allowed her not to get a scratch on her, so she could focus on battle and healing anyone who needed it in her proximity. After the last of the enemy nin had collapsed, Sakura tapped her heel against the ground and it opened up beneath the pile of foes, some dead, some unconscious, and some critically injured. Other Leaf shinobi were quick to spring to the edges of the hole to seal it, so no one could attempt an escape until the Interrogation Division and ANBU got there.

Sakura rushed to Sasuke and Naruto. The former had a nasty cut up the side of his torso, while the letter's leg seemed to be broken. Sakura did not waste any time, her palms glowed green as she healed her boys. "Sakura-chan! You are awesome!" Naruto exclaimed and Sakura blushed. She looked at Sasuke, who just gazed at her fondly, he didn't say anything, but that was okay, she smiled at the gleam in his vermilion eyes.

The Haruno's apartment building was destroyed in the attack, along with Naruto's place. Mikoto insisted they stay with them, there was plenty of room in the manor and guest house they called home. Naruto readily accepted, already going on about how awesome this is, as he threw an arm over Sasuke's shoulders, who just directed an irritated gaze toward the sky. Haruno Mebuki and Kizashi were more reluctant. Mebuki still felt that she was indebted to the Uchiha matriarch for the many times she had helped her out when she was in need of childcare, never once accepting anything in return. Naruto had embraced Sakura with his other arm and looked the Mebuki with huge eyes as blue as the sky. "Please, Mebuki-san, let Team 7 stay together. After the battle we've had I'll surely sleep better knowing my dear sweet team mates and their families are safe and nearby." Mebuki hesitantly nodded.

The Uchihas, Harunos and one Uzumaki sat around the dining table as they ate their dinner. The Harunos would take the guest house, while Naruto would sleep in one of the guest bedrooms in the house. After dinner, Naruto suggested that Team 7 take a walk and check up on Kakashi-sensei. He was in hospital, after taking some serious injuries to his abdomen.

"We can't even go in, Naruto," Sakura pointed out. "Visiting hours are over."

A sly smirk curled the blond's lips, reminding her of the fox spirit within him. "Well, isn't it just our luck then, that our dear teammate is the apprentice of the hospital's head, who also happens to be the Hokage, and also works at the hospital? I would imagine she'd be able to get us in."

"Naruto, I'm not about to abuse the power of my keycard like that! Beside, Kaka-sensei needs his rest, there is a reason for there being designated visitation hours," Sakura sighed. Sasuke could see she was exhausted. She did well today. She deserves some rest.

"C'mon, Naruto. I'll take a walk with you," Sasuke motioned with his head toward the door. "Sakura looks tired, let her get some rest."

"Since when are you and Sakura-chan together anyway?" Naruto asked after a while of walking in silence and taking in the debris and ruins of the buildings.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sasuke muttered, shoulders tensing slightly.

"Come on, man! I'm not stupid. Well, maybe sometimes. But I'm not blind!" Naruto locked his hands behind his head as he continued on. "It's pretty obvious. You always walk her home after missions and even from training sometimes. She always brings you lunch with lots and lots of tomatoes, even though Sakura-chan hates tomatoes. And then there are these looks," he shuddered. "Don't think you're being sly, ya bastard. You may not be gawking at her like any other teenage boy would, but I see it, whenever there's a battle your eyes always, always, follow her. Making sure she's okay. It's sweet, I guess. But she doesn't need it you know; she could probably snap us both in half if she wanted to."

Sasuke smirked at that. She sure as hell could. "Look! There it is! That proud look on your face! You think you're sooooo smug! Oh, look, I'm Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto started in a highly pitched voice. "I'm so cool, I don't feel anything. I'm the king of ind–," Sasuke slapped him upside the head.

"Shut up, dobe," he groaned. "So, what if we are together. I don't see how that is any of your business anyway."

"Not–not my business?" Naruto exclaimed, outraged. "I am your best friend–"

"You're really not."

"Both of your best friend!" Naruto insisted. "And also your teammate. How could you not tell me?" He whined. Sasuke regretted ever agreeing to any kind of walk with the idiot.

He was sitting on the veranda, looking at the moon's reflection in the koi pond, when he heard the door of the guest house slide open. He looked up and saw Sakura sneaking out, light on her feet, as expected of a ninja of her skill. Sasuke downed the rest of his tea as she padded toward him across the grass.

"What are you doing up this late?" She whispered as she sat next to him.

"Couldn't sleep. Naruto's snoring so loudly I could hear it from across the other end of the hall," he sighed. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

She touched her pinky to his as they leaned on the edge of the veranda. "Bad dream," she mumbled softly.

"Do you…" he trailed off, unsure of himself. "Would you like to sleep in my room?" He blurted out, before he could change his mind. Upon seeing her eyes widen in shock, he started explaining himself. "I mean, just sleep. Lay beside each other," he snapped his mouth shut. Sakura took his hand and gave him the most beautiful, tender smile he had ever seen. He couldn't help it; he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a way as soft as the upturn of her mouth.

And while Sasuke had not lied about just sleeping that night, they found themselves on his bed again two weeks later, with much less clothing. It wasn't his fault. The village was still being reconstructed, so the Harunos were still staying with them. Sakura's mother, as well as his father and brother were at the police station, while his mother was off somewhere doing her own thing. Sakura's father was helping with construction and they had just gotten home from a mission. Naruto, of course, headed straight to Ichiraku's, promising to see them later.

When they realized the house was all theirs, they all but sprinted to his room. It wasn't his fault. Sakura had punched the ground during their battle and it opened up beneath her fist, swallowing half the army they had been facing off against. She's so hot, Sasuke had thought as the muscles in her arms flexed.

And so, what if Sasuke found strong women a turn on? When his door closed behind them, he kissed her, her lips felt feverish against his own from their searing kiss. "I love you," she whispered, her bottom lip brushing against his chin. He pulled away only slightly, so his vermilion gaze could meet her veridian one, so he could commit this to memory, forever burnt into his brain.

Their first time was clumsy, if anything. It was not bad, per se. But despite having watched her open the very earth they walked on, Sasuke was still afraid he would somehow hurt her. And Sakura… She was nervous. She had loved this boy for so, so long, and what if he decided afterwards that she was not enough.

She knew he loved her. That much was obvious after knowing him her whole life. He didn't need to say it, she knew from the way he locked his ankles around hers at her favorite dango shop, from the way he immediately searched her own gaze after a battle, to make sure she was okay, from the way he brought her a bento box every time she had a shift at the hospital, because if it were up to Sakura, she would simply just pop a soldier pill and call it a day, but that just wouldn't do, Sasuke would take care of her. She knew it from the way he touched her forehead, his eyes so dark, yet so bright with affection, and she knew it from the relieved sigh that would pass his lips when he fell asleep in her lap while watching television after dinner.

He loved her, and she would be more than enough. Because she was everything.

Despite their first time being slightly awkward, they found themselves in much the same situation, an empty house a few days later. "So…" Sakura looked up at him with eyes so loving he could feel his heart in his chest cracking. "You wanna practice?" She bit her lip and traced his chest, his shoulder, his biceps.

He chuckled at her feeble attempt at seduction, but kissed her deeply all the same.

"Sasuke, I have to go–," Sakura stopped as Sasuke nipped at her neck, slowly making his way up to her lips. She shoved at his shoulders, to no avail. "My shift starts in 30 minutes," she protested against his lips, but kissed him back afterwards all the same. He smirked. Asshole, she thought. Then, a thought occurred to her. Two can play this game.

She leaned further up on her toes, kissing him deeper in the process. He leaned against the wall of the entrance and growled in the back of his throat, his hands roaming over her back, her hips, her bottom. She trailed her own hands down his chest, his abdomen, enjoying the way her pecks tensed under her touch. She found her way to the laces of his pants, and started undoing them dangerously slowly, all the while trailing her lips to the corner of his mouth, to his cheek, to his jaw, and, finally, to his ear. Sasuke tilted his head back and sighed contently. Just as Sakura's hands shoved his pants down, she pressed a light kiss under his ear, and whispered. "See you later. I love you!" And ran out the door. He stood there, shocked, aroused, and beyond annoyed.

He showed up at the hospital later to bring her lunch anyway, because he knew she would never eat a proper meal if he didn't.

"I don't see why you don't just move in," he shrugged as he scooped up some more food with his chopsticks. "Half your clothes are already in my closet anyway. They take up more space than my own."

"You know what your parents think about pre-marital relationships," she glared at him. "I think I'm already on thin ice with your father as it is. Imagine if I moved in," she widened her eyes in mock outrage. She knew Fugaku didn't dislike her. If anything, he appreciated a strong woman and shinobi, however, she wasn't an Uchiha…

Sasuke leaned back and nervously fingered a ring in her pocket. He watched Sakura as she kept on rambling about his father's protests to him being with someone outside of the clan, especially after Itachi had declined his birthright to be clan head after his illness, and how he didn't want to jeopardize what they had, when she was stunned into silence. Sasuke held the ring in front of her face, and said: "I guess you'll just have to marry me then."

"You know, that must have been the most unromantic proposal I have ever witnessed," she said between tears as she held out her hand for him to slide the ring onto her finger. It was his mother's ring; she'd recognize the pearl and ruby set in a white gold band anywhere. "You could have at least declared your undying love for me, or tell me how amazing I am and that you would be lost without me, or tell me how I'm the most precious person to you, or gotten down on one knee at least," he pulled her up by her hands.

"You already know all that," he wrapped his arms around her. "And you're still saying yes," he kissed her, grinning.

She smacked his shoulder, "you assho–"

"Sakura," his eyes were cloudy. "I love you."

"Oh, my god!" Ino all but screamed when Sakura went into the hospital the next day. She went to the reception to receive any notices and patient files waiting for her, before heading to her office. She made the mistake of extending her left hand for said files. Ino, who had been chatting her ear off, instantly spotted the modest but stunning ring on her finger. Because of the volume of the Yamanaka heiress's voice, now all of reception and half of the waiting room were looking in their direction. The color of Sakura's cheek resembled her groom-to-be's favorite fruit.

"Congratulations, teme!" Naruto barged into Sasuke's apartment.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked as he toweled his hair dry. "And what did I say about knocking?"

"Well, I heard from Kiba, who heard from Lee, who heard from TenTen, who heard from Hinata, who heard from Ino, who saw Sakura's massive bling that you two are getting hitched," the blond explained enthusiastically. His only response was a groan. "C'mon, now. Lighten up! Oh, wait! I know–"

"No," Sasuke interrupted.

"I'll throw you the most awesomest bachelor party that Konoha has ever seen–"

"No."

"And I'll be your best man… or no, wait. Should I be Sakura's maid of honor? Or man of honor? Is that a thing? And–and, oooh–"

"No."

"We should celebrate. Yes, let's celebrate tonight. First, dinner at Ichiraku's–"

"No."

"Then, we'll go to a bar and get hammered in honor of your engagement. Hm, I wonder who I should invite…"

"Dobe," Sasuke snapped. "That is not necessary."

Naruto threw an engagement party anyway, much to the couple's dismay. Though Sakura had loosened up after a few shots of sake with the other, Sasuke remained brooding, only lightening up after they had returned home and his intended wrapped him in her arms and showed him just what was waiting for him for the rest of his life.

Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura pissed everyone – including their parents – off, when they decided to wed one early spring morning. They had been eating breakfast when Sakura spoke up. "Sasuke-kun… I…" his eyes were on her instantly. It was a rarity these days for Sakura to stumble upon her words. "I don't want a big wedding," she said quietly.

"Neither do I," Sasuke stated in return. "Do you want to go to the courthouse today?"

Sakura's eyes got impossibly brighter and her smile threatened to split her face in two. She nodded eagerly.

She was a beautiful bride, really, it was a shame that only her groom and the officiant got to see her. Her hair had been growing out and she braided it intricately, her white kimono hugged her contradicting form – so strong yet so fragile – beautifully. Her dashing groom's eyes were ablaze as he committed the sight of her to memory. And that is how they wed, tears in the bride's eyes and tomoe spinning in the groom's. Just the two of them.

They invited over their families for dinner to announce the news. Mikoto was, of course, saddened that he did not get to watch her darling son be wed, and Mebuki and Kizashi all but sobbed that their little girl had grown up in just the blink of an eye. Itachi congratulated them and shared some dangos with his new sister-in-law, as Fugaku clasped his younger son on the shoulders and gave him the faintest of smiles. You did well, son, his face said, and Sasuke nodded.

Naruto was beyond pissed and threatened not to invite them to his wedding. Sasuke pointed out that he would need to find someone to marry first and Sakura elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't be an asshole," she scolded.

"I thought you were supposed to be on my side? Isn't that what marriage is about?" He retorted.

"Not when you're being mean," Sakura stuck out her tongue, but her eyes shined with love.

"Yeah, teme, you heard the boss," Naruto chided. He really makes it hard not to be an asshole.

Sasuke set the hot water bottle next to Sakura, who was currently suffering from pre-menstruation cramps. He had to leave for a mission in an hour and he hated leaving her like this. Each month she would be uncomfortable, and irritable and moody, but most of all in pain. Once he'd asked why she didn't just ease the pain with some medical jutsu. His response was a throw pillow to the head and a lecture about how she is not weak, and has been handling cramps since way before she knew any medical jutsu, and that she was not some whine baby who needed medicine for one of the most natural of things, and that she was not a weak woman!

So, he did not bother asking again, instead going to his mother to ask for advice. How he could be of help, how he could ease her pain without offending her or pissing her off.

Now, he was crouching down next to her side of the bed as she frowned in silent misery. "I'll be back in a week," he poked her forehead and she managed a small smile at that.

"I'm pregnant," Sakura greeted her husband at the gates. She was on her tiptoes, arms slung tightly around his neck, face buried close to his ear. She had whispered it so softly, so that his squad members would not hear it. He wasn't sure if he had heard it correctly at all. He tightened his hold on her.

"But I thought you got your period last week," he said confused, once they were in the comfort of their own home. "I don't understand."

"Well, you see…" she sat down beside him on the couch and started healing the tiny scratches and knicks on his skin, the only evidence that he had been on a mission. "After you left the uncomfortable cramps got worse, but there was no blood and so I worried. I went to ease some of the pain with chakra when I…" she finished the last of his bruised and looked up at him in the eyes. "I felt another, faint chakra in there besides my own."

Sasuke looked at her for a long moment, then, hesitantly, put his hand on her stomach. "Can you show me?" He asked, ever so softly. She smiled the most beautiful of smiles at him and instructed him to channel his chakra to his palm, as she did the same to hers. His sharingan swirled to life and he paid careful attention. When he saw and felt the feeble chakras pulsing calmly within Sakura's womb, he let the unshed tears roll down his cheeks as he kissed his beloved wife.

Uchiha Sarada was born just a few days after her mother's twenty-fourth birthday. She had inherited strong Uchiha genes, looked like an exact copy of her father, except for the shape of her eyes and the tiny slope of her nose. The new parents gazed at the little girl with adoring looks as she laid bundled up in her mother's arms.

"She's so beautiful," Kizashi sobbed from across the room. Mebuki caressed her husband's back comfortingly, though she was shedding happy tears all the same as she beamed at her daughter. On the other side of the room sat Uchiha Fugaku, his eyes sparkled, but his face remained otherwise expressionless. Sakura thought that this was perhaps the most emotion she had seen on the man's face. Next to him Mikoto sniffled and smiled and sighed contentedly.

"She is," agreed Sasuke softly as he played with his daughter's finger, counting them again and again and again.

"Papa!" Sarada leaped into her father's arms as he crossed the gates. He easily caught her with one arm, perching his five-year-old daughter on his hip and pressing a series of kisses on the side of her head.

"What did I say about running and letting go of my hand?" Sakura scolded the little girl, her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face, though a softer one was fighting to surface as she looked at her husband and daughter.

"I'm sorry, Mama," Sarada cast her glance down upon the ground.

"Yeah, sorry, Mama," Sasuke repeated, smirking and poking Sakura's forehead. "Let's go home, I'm exhausted." As the little family walked toward the compound, Sarada chatted her father's ears off about all the cool stuff Itachi-ojisan and Naruto-ojisan had been showing her, and how her new favorite meal was ramen –, which Sasuke cringed at and Sakura just sighed tiredly –, and how Mama had to fix her favorite dinosaur because it got sick and his insides were spilling out but it's okay because Mama is a really good medic and she fixed him in no time, and she told him that she was either going to be Chief of Police, like Itachi-ojisan, or the Hokage, like Naruto-ojisan, but maybe she'll do both because she's more awesome than them anyway, and Mama has three jobs because she's a kunoichi and a doctor and a mom, so Sarada can do to if she wants to or she could maybe even do three because if Mama can do it, so can she.

With each sentence that left the little girl's mouth, Sasuke held her tighter against his chest, when suddenly, Sarada wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "I missed you too, Papa."

Later that night, after it took the both of them to put Sarada down to sleep, Sakura straddled her husband's hips. His hands instantly finding place on her thighs.

"Your daughter is a handful," she said as she massaged the junction of his neck and shoulders.

"My daughter? She's definitely your daughter. When have I ever been known to talk so much?" He looked up at her, mirth playing in his eyes. She smiled back and his eyes shifted to her slightly rounded stomach. "And how's this little one?"

"Oh, you know, just the usual, using my lungs as stomping grounds," shrugged and leaned down to capture his lips with hers. "I've missed you," she whispered, before going back to kissing him more deeply.