Disclaimer: I do not own the manga, anime, characters, whathaveyou that are used in this story.

After the War

Why does this seem so familiar?

Like déjà vu, but it can't possibly last this long, can it? And for the life of her, she just can't figure out what's so familiar about each scenario. It happened yesterday when she was grocery shopping with Sasuke. And the day before that, it was when Sasuke walked her home after her shift at the hospital. There were so many more instances before that.

Is this because she's having trouble settling in after her experience in the war?

It's all so strange.

Sasuke hands her the furikake for the rice. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."

He'll be leaving any day now but she's been seeing a lot more of him. Sasuke hadn't told her yet, she's only heard from Kakashi, but that's alright for now. Because he's here in her kitchen, helping her cook dinner. He's trying to make up for all the years past.

Sakura looks at the concentration on his face as he fries the red sea bream with one hand. He looks so much like the boy she first fell in love with that her chest aches a little. Except his eyes aren't so hard nor his mouth so perennially down-turned. To be able to witness this, him, again— it's all she could ever ask for.

At least, that's what she tells herself.

--xxx--

Sasuke-kun would probably need thicker clothing. For the winter season. Or for when he traveled to areas like Kiri or Yuki.

She passes through rows and rows of cardigans and sweaters and thick jackets but none of them seem like Sasuke's style. Although… she giggles to herself. Except for what he wore during their genin years, the rest of his get-ups have been rather questionable. That interesting black onesie. The white long-sleeved shirt that opened wide in the middle— and while she had appreciated that thoroughly, the purple skirt and belt kind of dampened the rest of the ensemble.

Yeah, maybe using Sasuke's past outfits as a basis isn't the best idea.

Sakura fishes a black cloak from the displays. It's simple but sturdy enough for the tough weather. It's not too heavy. It even has the high collar he prefers.

Yes. It would be a good… going-away gift.

She shakes away the cobwebs from her mind before they settle and she calls Ino to the cashier. Before she can pay however, a familiar chakra approaching has her masking hers and ducking behind some mannequins.

One beat. Two beats.

Three beats.

Sakura pokes her head out and checks if the coast is clear, but all she sees is Ino looking down at her, a smug look on her face.

"Why are you hiding from Sasuke-kun?"

"What makes you think I'm hiding from him?" Sakura dusts off her butt and gets back in line to pay. "Come on, I have a shift at the hospital after—"

"I know you're hiding from Sasuke-kun because he's out there, wandering like a lost puppy while you're here squatting behind furniture."

"Can you just let it go?"

"No. So spill."

"Can we at least get some dango first?"

"Sure. Your treat of course!"

--xxx--

Secretly, Sakura thinks that Sasuke's intention to roam the world isn't merely a redemption tour. It's also a journey to build himself back up, away from other people's manipulation and expectations. She can understand that.

From a young age, Sasuke had been told how he should be— as an Uchiha, as the youngest son of the clan head, and as the younger brother to the genius Uchiha Itachi. After that, he had to realign himself to the reality of being the only Uchiha left, shouldering the knowledge that from then on, he would be the only basis for how the rest of the world would view his clan.

Member of Team 7. Missing-nin. Orochimaru's next host.

Terrorist. Indra Otsutsuki's most recent incarnation. Savior of the world.

Maybe it was time for him to just be Sasuke.

And that's why Sakura truly is supportive of what Sasuke aims to do. All she's ever wanted is for the beautiful, sad boy to be happy again.

Well, no. She was twelve. She wanted Sasuke to be happy with her.

But hey, she'll take what she can get. That doesn't mean she won't miss him the moment he walks through the gates of Konoha once again.

And there's a part of her that's afraid too.

Spending the days with Sasuke-kun has been like a dream. She's not sure what she'll do once the dream is over.

--xxx--

The first thing Sakura does when she gets home is stash the paper-wrapped gift in the deepest recesses of her closet.

It wouldn't be much of a surprise if Sasuke— or anyone really, sees it before she can give it to him.

There. She buries it under some t-shirts she rarely uses and calls it a day. And it's been a long day. Three surgeries after she made her rounds, a pile of paperwork, and a rigorous meeting planning the future of not just the hospital, but of the whole medical ninja corps as well.

It was… a lot.

There was one odd thing though, Sakura thinks as she submerges herself in the warm bath water she had drawn.

Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei asked her to stay after the meeting ended. At first, she thought it was because they'd just given her control of the hospital and they wanted to know if she could handle it. Imagine her surprise when what they wanted to talk about… was her love life.

Did she still have a special someone?

Has she been dating?

Specifically, was she and Sasuke dating?

How ridiculous! A grown man and woman— the hokage and her next-in-charge no less— tittering and gossiping about her non-existent love life. And all to settle a bet! Sakura huffs and sinks herself further into the bath.

And why do people keep asking that lately?

She doesn't know what annoyed her more, that they'd asked her at all or that the answer to all of their questions is 'no.'

Her bed creaks under someone's weight.

Is someone in her bedroom?

She scrambles off the bathtub, the lukewarm water sloshing down the tiled flooring in her wake. Who would have the nerve? And just when she was finally getting to relax too! And so, in nothing more than a fluffy white towel, Sakura rips the bathroom door open so she can give the intruder a piece of her mind. Maybe a punch in the face too.

"What do you think— Sasuke-kun?"

The Uchiha sits on her bed, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "W-why are you naked??"

"Cause I was taking a bath!" Sakura wraps a hand around her chest and bends a little so that the towel can cover more of her legs. "What are you even doing here Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke, with his back turned, accuses her of avoiding him.

It's true, but she's not gonna explain that to him. Most definitely not while wearing only a towel!

"Can you please get out and let me dress? We can talk about it after."

"No."

"No?? What do you mean no?"

Sasuke turns back to her but with his eyes closed. Like a gentleman. "No. For all I know you'll just squirrel out of your window and leave."

"I'm in a towel Sasuke-kun! I'm not jumping on rooftops in just a towel— hey!"

A shirt is thrown her way. An Uchiha shirt. "There. I'm not going anywhere so just put it on."

Sakura sighs. She considers kicking him out anyway but the past few days without Sasuke has been so tiring, she just can't be bothered anymore. Making sure that he still has his eyes closed and his back turned, she lets her towel fall on the floor and puts on his shirt.

It's so big that she drowns in it, the hem almost skimming her knees. She takes a whiff of the soft fabric and she's assaulted by déjà vu once again. Kami knows, as a child, she had never been particularly observant of Sasuke's need for personal space. Sakura's embarrassed to remember it, but she clung to him every chance she got.

It's nice to know that he still smells the same. Like fresh laundry and warm afternoons.

"You can turn around now Sasuke-kun."

Moonlight strikes his face at just the right angle as he does what he's told, and Sakura is reminded of the youkai in the stories of old. Shapeshifters that turn into beautiful creatures to play tricks on unsuspecting prey. If they looked even half as good as Sasuke-kun, she can understand why such beings were feared.

"Why have you been avoiding me?"

Sakura averts her eyes. "I've just been busy is all."

"I haven't seen you once this whole week Sakura. Did I… did I do something wrong?"

She looks up upon hearing that rare tremor in the Uchiha's voice.

"No!" Sakura rushes to the bed next to him. "You didn't. It's me, I'm the one with the problem."

Sasuke peers into her eyes, as if to make sure she wasn't lying. "Then what's the problem?"

"It's just," she plays with her dripping wet hair. "You're going away soon."

He sighs and grabs the towel she left on the floor. With the utmost care, he begins to dry her hair. "And you decided not to see me anymore?"

"No! It's not like that. I just didn't know what to do about how I felt about it."

"Sakura, I'm coming back." He stops what he's doing. "I'm not going to disappear again."

"I know that Sasuke-kun! And I fully support what you want to do but… I am going to miss you."

They lapse into silence as Sasuke goes back to drying her hair. It's an intimate act but Sakura doesn't find herself flustered. In fact, she's slowly being lulled into drowsiness by his gentle movements. Until he tugs on a strand of her hair. "Ow!"

"Just talk to me next time, okay?"

"Okay," she whispers.

Content with her answer, Sasuke pulls her to a stand. "I brought some take-out."

"Wait! I need to give you something."

Sakura runs to her closet and digs for the gift she had hidden. She must have buried it too well because she has to bend over her mountain of clothes before she can actually find it.

"There you are!" she exclaims as the pads of her fingers touch rough paper. "Here, this is for you Sasuke-kun!"

The Uchiha's cheeks are burning bright red and his eyes are trained at her legs. "Are you alright?"

"Can we just go already?" What has him so nervous all of a sudden?

Sasuke grabs her hand and pulls her out to her small kitchenette. A veritable feast lay before her— tempura and baked pork buns, umeboshi and anko dumplings. There is even a bowl of anmitsu. Is she reading too much into it or does he know that these are all her favorite food?

"Of course I did," Sasuke says, making Sakura realize she had asked her question out loud. "Sakura, we've been together since we were kids. Give me some credit."

Her mind blanks.

Wait, what?

--xxx--

They'd been together… since they were kids.

Since they were kids…

Sasuke couldn't have possibly meant it like that, right? He just meant that he'd known her for such a long time, right?

They're not… they haven't been dating this whole time, right??

Ugh. Sakura walks around in a daze until the day Sasuke is set to leave. She and Kakashi-sensei see him off at the gates and she's giddy that he's wearing the coat she got him. It gives her some measure of contentment to know that a piece of her will be with him when he's out there.

So here they are again, at the gates, about to say goodbye once more. And just like before, she couldn't let him leave without at least asking. "Well, what if I asked you to take me with you?"

Maybe this time, he'd finally consider her request... Or not. He tells her that his journey of redemption is for himself, she has nothing to do with his sins. She really should have known better. Just because he's been friendlier to her doesn't mean she should expect more than that.

In her dejection, she fails to notice Sasuke's approach until he's right in front of her.

With the hand he has left, he gives her forehead a gentle tap. "I'll see you when I'm back… and thank you."

Suddenly, everything is good and bubbly and bright. The daze and the confusion that has been hanging over her the past few days are shed. Sakura doesn't know what the gesture means but she's sure in her gut that it means a lot to Sasuke. It had the gravity of a promise not made lightly, infused with the warmth of affection he doesn't share with just anyone. So it doesn't matter if she's watching his figure get smaller and smaller in the distance. It doesn't matter what new Sasuke comes back when he's done with his journey.

Sakura loves the person he had been and she'll love the person that will emerge after this.

He'll be back again, as he promised, and she'll be here so that he'll always have someone to come home to.

And that's how it will always be.