A/N: Thank you for your patience! Life has been so busy that I almost completely missed the fact that this fic is already over a year old. Yay! For those who have stuck around since its genesis, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude. I've never interacted with others in the fandom before despite being a silent member for a decade-and-a-half, but this fic gave me so many opportunities to connect with so many of you. Each of you are truly wonderful. I wanted to hurry and post this, so this is an unedited version for your entertainment. I will likely go back when I have time to spruce up areas that need some extra love. Until then, I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 21
As Sasuke and Naruto walked in the early morning light towards Konoha's olive gates, it was quiet. By principle of the fact that the Uchiha was walking with Naruto, quiet was a problem. He glanced over at the blond whose form was shielded by his sand-colored cloak, one that matched the cloak Sasuke borrowed and wore himself. His cerulean eyes were staring straight ahead, and his brows were furrowed as though in deep thought.
Deep thought?
What an anomaly...
"What's wrong with you," Sasuke more demanded than asked, not bothering to soften his tone.
Naruto seemed to jump out of his trance and met Sasuke's voice with surprise. "What do you mean?"
"You're quiet."
"It's early in the morning."
"You're never quiet."
"I'm just thinking."
"You never think."
Naruto sputtered indignantly. "Yes, I do," he retorted defensively. He hesitated for the slightest moment before his confidence returned as he said, "I had a lot to read last night so I could be ready to meet with Gaara."
Sasuke eyed his friend suspiciously, signaling Naruto that he was aware a fib just escaped the blond. He thought back to the last encounter they'd had and realized it was the previous day. Naruto had been left in the office with the Tsunade and Kakashi, the latter of whom ringing a tone that sounded urgent when he asked the blond to stay behind. As the cogs in Sasuke's brain turned with terrifying speed, Naruto seemed to realize that the Uchiha was piecing together the source of his inconsistencies.
"Look, there's a lot to think about," Naruto huffed as he guided them into a turn towards Konoha's gates. "Just stuff that Kakashi-sensei and Old Lady want me to consider for the village.
"Information that needs to be relayed to the Kazekage?"
"No, just important information for…for the village."
"Your job on this mission is to be a diplomat and you're thinking of irrelevant information."
"It's not irrelevant," Naruto ran a frustrated hand through his hair before letting it recede back into the shelter of his cloak. "It's very relevant, and I can't talk about it."
Sasuke studied him once more, recognizing the undercurrent of anger in his voice. He was never one to console nor dig for information where he felt it unnecessary, but the moment compelled the Uchiha to say something, or perhaps dig for something…especially since there was a tense feeling in his gut that whispered Naruto's secret information had something to do with the Uchiha himself. He suppressed the urge to pry, however, and opted to look straight ahead with a curt, "Fine."
When the pair turned another corner and saw the looming gates, Sasuke's gaze trailed to cloak-clad figures that grouped together, their echoing laughter bouncing off the cobblestone path and through the dewy air. His eyes landed on the flash of pastel pink. He was barely aware that he was searching for her until then, causing him to voluntarily avert his gaze and study the group as they approached.
"Oi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out, waving his hand. Sasuke observed this and made a mental note that the blond didn't appear to have any intentions to showcase his distress to the other member of Team Seven, either.
The group of medics turned and gave their own waves in return. Sasuke recognized all of them as being part of the medical squad to which Sakura is usually assigned as leader. Among them was Goro who looked at him with a smile almost as plastic as that sheet-faced artist Sai. Despite not being one for pleasantries and courtesies, Sasuke had a knack for picking up on those that shielded wariness or dislike. While he didn't consciously allow the thought to rise in his head…the feeling was mutual.
Sakura and her group of medics began walking towards them to meet the pair halfway, only for Goro to reach a hand out and clasp it around Sakura's upper arm, prompting her to turn towards him. Although the group of kunoichi medics surrounded Naruto and Sasuke with words of greeting and curiosity, the Uchiha couldn't take his eyes off the way Goro leaned down as if to whisper a hushed message to her. He watched as Sakura seemed to stiffen at whatever words he had to say, the sight drowning out any of the buoyant questions the rest of her team had for him.
Without thinking, Sasuke stepped forward and ignored the looks of surprise—"Sasuke's kind of a one-track guy," Naruto assured them apologetically—to meander in Sakura's direction. He made his footsteps louder than usual to signal his arrival, but the underlying reason for doing so at all was still a mystery to himself. All he knew was that Sakura looked uncomfortable, and that made him uncomfortable.
Emerald eyes darted behind her and caught his gaze before she swiftly turned back to Goro. In a hushed tone he heard her say, "Not now."
Sasuke came to a stop by her side, not even a hand's length of distance separating them, and let his gaze travel to the fingers that rested familiarly on Sakura's arm. The Uchiha kept his expression carefully composed, as he always had, though he knew the movement would be signal enough to showcase his disapproval. The message was clearly received, too, as Goro's fingers tightened for a fraction of a second before releasing the kunoichi and receding back into his sandy cloak.
"Uchiha-san," Goro greeted tightly.
Sasuke looked to him and merely nodded in acknowledgment. Sakura turned her attention away from the other medic—the Uchiha couldn't help but smugly notice—and looked toward him. In his periphery, Goro bowed and took his leave. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," she beamed.
He studied her face, somehow bright at any time of day. She seemed unfazed by the earlier disturbance, though the urgency in her voice moments ago was enough to stir concern.
"Did something happen?" he asked, not bothering to return her greeting.
The medic shook her head without skipping a beat. "Nothing that needs any extra concern," she assured him, though the feeling in his gut was still unsettling.
It feels like everyone is lying.
In his pause, he saw Sakura's eyes travel up and down his form as though assessing his well-being. Then, a surprised blush formed on her cheeks. He followed her gaze and noticed with his own level of surprise that the distance between them was much shorter than he usually allowed in the presence of others. He was normally very careful about this, as he very much preferred to keep his affairs with others between the parties involved (especially when it came to Sakura), so the boldness of his proximity caught him off guard. Frankly, the whole interaction with Goro, regardless of how brief, started to settle in his brain as one that was wholly out of character for him.
Sakura seemed to realize this, too, and he could nearly see the thoughts forming in her head as she looked back up at him, eyes wide. He froze.
"Sasuke-kun," she began slowly as though cautious of scaring away a street cat, "were you…were you jea—"
"Sasuke-nii!"
The pair jumped at the sound before they turned in the direction of the shrill voice and pattering footsteps that hurried toward them. Behind young Sato stood his parents walking at a leisurely pace, Yuri's arm wrapped lovingly around Hiroto's as they grinned after their son.
Saved.
"Sasuke-nii?" Sakura echoed, looking to him amusedly. The raven-haired shinobi pointedly ignored her expectant gaze, knowing full well that she was looking to gather some sort of embarrassed reaction from him. She chuckled anyway as though sensing his internal embarrassment at the term of endearment that Sato attached to his name.
The young boy barreled into Sasuke's legs and wrapped his arms as best as he could around the Uchiha's knees. Sasuke reached out and patted the top of his unruly head awkwardly, as he was still unaccustomed to the child's open affection. Sato turned his head and gave the pinkette a beaming smile.
"Sa'ra-nee," Sato grinned, though he didn't release Sasuke from his hold.
"Good morning, Sato-chan," Sakura replied, reflecting her own bright smile. "You're always so happy, huh?"
Sasuke's gaze trailed to Hiroto and Yuri, nodding to them in acknowledgement.
"Glad we caught you before your team left," Hiroto said as he stopped in front of the pair. He glanced over Sasuke's shoulder and nodded at Naruto who jogged over to the rest of his squad, earning him an excited squeal from Sato. "Yuri, Sato, and I wanted to see you off," Hiroto continued, his eyes flickering with amusement as Naruto taught the young boy how to fist-bump.
"Natto-nii," Sato giggled.
"Natto?" the blond repeated, flummoxed, spurring everyone to laugh—even Sasuke snickered—as the image of fermented beans flashed through their minds.
"It's so early." Sakura gestured toward the still-awakening sky with her verdant eyes. "You didn't have to come all this way."
Yuri waved her hand dismissively. "Nonsense! We heard your trip would take two weeks, and Sato grew so sad that we hardly had another choice but to come here to see you off ourselves."
The two women laughed together and exchanged more pleasantries, Sato and Naruto shared lame jokes that amused the both, and Sasuke turned to Hiroto while raising a single questioning brow.
"My family tends to make a ruckus," Hiroto shrugged, reaching out to place a firm hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Regardless, we really did want to have a moment to wish you all safe travels."
The Uchiha's gaze flickered toward Hiroto's hand and felt a warmth in his chest. "Ah, thank you," he responded, unable to help the way the corner of his mouth tugged upward into a small smile. Despite his sourness toward his position as a tag-along on his teammates' missions, seeing the officer's family appeared to brighten his circumstances.
"Have you thought of a way to keep yourself busy while in Suna?" Hiroto asked, withdrawing his hand.
The Uchiha shook his head honestly. He thought about snooping around Sunagakure's libraries or observe their training grounds, though he wasn't sure about the nature of his welcome in the village. It was highly likely that he would need to be accompanied by one of their ANBU if he were to explore on his own or that he would be forced to have one of the Konoha shinobi tailing him. He didn't want to inconvenience any of Sakura's team or impede Naruto's mission, so his choices were limited to remaining in whatever inn they were provided or shadowing his teammates.
"Sasuke's welcome to learn the ropes of diplomacy," Naruto suggested, jerking his thumb into his own chest.
"You're barely learning the ropes of diplomacy now," Sasuke muttered back, earning the pair a round of chuckles even from Sato, though Sasuke suspected the child was only laughing because those around him were. The young boy gripped onto the Uchiha's cloak and swayed back and forth with the fabric clutched in his little fingers.
"Sasuke-nii," he pouted, drawing his attention, "come back and play games soon?"
He nodded and patted the young boy's head once more.
The group made their way over to the small cluster of medics for Sakura to give her final notes of briefing before they headed off. The whole time, Sato clung to Sasuke's cloak as they watched Sakura command her team. Even the Uchiha's eyes were trained carefully on her despite her instructions intended only for those who needed to complete their missions, for he had not seen her in a position of power since the war's battlefield. Her posture was tall, even though she stood nearly a head shorter than him and her form was shielded by her sandy cloak. Her voice was strong, knowledgeable whenever one of her medics would ask her a question with medical vocabulary he couldn't decipher. In this light, her presence didn't just demand attention; it coaxed attentions to turn towards her willingly.
"Prodigies," Hiroto murmured. "That's what you all are. Especially her." He nodded toward Sakura.
"She's something," Yuri agreed quietly, gently elbowing Sasuke's side.
The Uchiha wanted to roll his eyes, but he refrained from doing so, as it would require his focused gaze to move away from Sakura.
"Alright," the pinkette beamed when all of their supplies appeared to be in order. "We head southwest from here toward Takigakure in the Land of Rivers."
"We're off," Naruto gave Sato another fist bump and the young boy reluctantly pulled away from Sasuke's cloak. The blond then exchanged a look with Hiroto, causing his smile to falter. The officer didn't seem to react to the hints of Naruto's crestfallen emotions. After watching the subtle interaction, Sasuke felt suspicion rise in his gut once more.
"Bye-bye," Sato smiled shyly as he hugged his mother's leg and drawing Sasuke's attention.
"We'll be back," Sakura assured the family as her medical team bounded for the trees. "And we'll all play a game when we come home."
Sato giggled at that.
"I'll call for our usual meeting," the Uchiha said, turning to the officer.
Hiroto clapped his hand on Sasuke's shoulder one more time. "Be safe out there, Sasuke."
With that, Team Seven turned as a unit and rushed into the trees.
They traveled as one unit, though there was a clear split between Team Seven and the small medical corps. Sakura led the way with Sasuke and Naruto flanking either side of her, mostly in silence as though they didn't want to awaken nature's surroundings. Sasuke was pleased that the was able to keep up with them, unlike his first trek outside the village since he was released from detention. He sweat like the rest, but his body's endurance kept him going without much fuss. It was a meditative activity. All he had to do was focus on his breathing, feel the way his body moved agilely through the treetops with ease.
It wasn't until the sun began to rise higher in the sky that the heat began to impact the traveling group, as it grew uncomfortably warm beneath their cloaks. They didn't stop running until the midday sun began drifting directly them, its heat foretelling of the blaze that was to greet them in Wind Country's desert. And it was then, when they stripped themselves of their sand-colored cloaks under the shades of Konoha fir trees, that he found himself staring, his meditative state broken.
It'll be hot, they said. Pack for heat, they said. And so, he did: beneath his cloak, he was dressed in a sleeveless navy shirt and lightweight, breathable black pants. Simple enough. Even Naruto and Goro were dressed in their own sleeveless shirts and shorts. They stripped the cloaks off to free themselves and feel fresh air graze their sweat-drenched skin.
And of course, they weren't the only ones.
As he caught his breath, Sasuke turned to scan the area when his eyes fell on a flash of pastel pink hair being raised into a ponytail as her cloak was dropped to the forest floor, the ends of her tresses ruffling against short straps of a scarlet tank top. Her lithe, toned arms were bare to view like porcelain weapons, capable of sweet caresses and deadly force. A portion of Sakura's midriff was exposed, covered only buy a translucent mesh netting, and beneath it was the flat surface of her abdomen that moved with each panting breath. Beneath a medical pouch strapped to the soft curve of her backside was a scarlet red skirt with slits on either side, the design serving to expose her impossibly long, toned legs and short, tight black shorts. Her skin was smooth, a light sheen of sweat forming on its surface while a few crystal beads trailed down the column of her neck to disappear into the collar of her shirt.
Beholding her like this, Sakura's spring colors in a sea of lush Konoha firs and leafy green overgrowth, made something in his chest stir. The command she had this morning paled in comparison to this.
Compared to the two other women, Sakura was more conservative in dress. But this observation didn't stop the memories of her front brushing innocently against his back, of her lips in the Mozukai inn, of each time a trail of fire was left behind her gentle, featherlight touches on his skin.
The heat suddenly felt more stifling, though he wasn't sure if it was due to the summer sun filtering its blazing light through the greenery surrounding them.
"Oi, Sasuke."
He didn't know how long he was staring, only that Naruto's voice brought his attention reluctantly back to the present. "What?" he frowned, ripping his eyes away from the Sakura. He wiped sweat from his brow as casually as possible. Except casually, for Sasuke, came out irritably.
Not that Naruto was fazed by it.
"Caught you," his shit-eating grin spread across his whiskered face. "Geez, it's like you've never seen a girl before."
"Shut up," Sasuke hissed, shifting his eyes to ensure none of the others were listening to Naruto's brazen comment. He ensured his gaze didn't rest too long on Sakura's form as he did so before turning back to his friend. "What do you want?"
"Just trying to look out for you," Naruto shrugged, his smile not any less smug. "Even though I know you're still attached down there, I don't think it'd be a good idea for you to showcase it to others when you're mentally undressing people."
"I was not doing that, and I do not have a—"
"Uchiha-san."
Gods, he wanted to slug that blonde's face, but he needed to attend to the burning that threatened to rise in his cheeks as he turned to the other man on their team. Goro approached with a plastic bottle in hand. The man tossed it toward Sasuke who caught it with ease and silently examined its playful colorings.
"Cloaks off, sunblock on," Goro said, nodding at the bottle. "Sakura's orders."
"Aw, man," Naruto groaned loud enough for the third member of Team Seven to hear him. "It's all sticky, though, Sakura-chan."
The rosette turned her head in his direction and narrowed her eyes as Goro walked back to the other medics. "Either overheat in your cloak or get sunburned. And if you choose the sunburn, none of us will help you peel." She turned her attention back to the other medic nin and handed them another bottle of sunblock to go around.
Naruto grimaced before swiping the bottle out of Sasuke's hand to squeeze some of its contents onto his legs, smearing it haphazardly until uneven films of white littered his skin. Sasuke rolled his eyes and offered his hand out to the blond as a request for his own portion of sunblock to apply to the remnant of his arm, his face, and his neck. He also hated the sticky substance, but he wasn't in the mood to debate its necessity.
"Oi, Teme, help me put some on my good arm," Naruto requested, holding the bottle towards Sasuke.
"You mean your only arm," Sasuke scoffed. "And no. Figure it out yourself."
"Come on, Sasuke. You do mine, and I'll do yours."
"No."
"It's a fair trade!"
"I said no."
"Teme—"
"Naruto, really," Sakura snapped as she made her way over and snatch the bottle out of the blonde's hand. "Stop fussing. We can't rest here forever." She squeezed sunblock onto her hand and dotted it over Naruto's arm. She rested the bottle on the ground and went to work in smearing it evenly over the blonde's skin.
"I was trying to be efficient," Naruto grumbled, but then raised an amused brow at Sasuke as she began to finish up her task.
The Uchiha couldn't keep a scowl from forming on his face as his whiskered friend grew smug, the usual precursor to some attempt to put Sasuke on the spot. He glared at him in warning but, of course, it didn't stop the blond from opening his damned mouth. Naruto nodded at Sasuke, ensuring Sakura could see his gesture.
"I'm not the only guy with one arm, y'know, Sakura-chan."
Little shit.
He watched as Sakura seemed to flinch in surprise at the insinuation as she picked up the bottle of sunblock before turning her head to look at Sasuke. Up close, he noticed the way soft pink strands pressed into her forehead and framed her yin seal from the thin layer of sweat that covered her skin. The Uchiha froze in place and stared at her verdant eyes, wide with hesitation and uncertainty. It was a moment he wanted to capture and save in his memory, but he was hyper aware of the company around them.
He was never one to show affection in open spaces—and certainly not in front of their idiot teammate. He'd allowed her to press kisses on his lips in the privacy of the shadows and they'd exchanged fleeting touches on each other's wrists and clothes to gather attention…all when alone. As innocent as smearing sunblock on his arm seemed, it made him feel unsure, almost embarrassed. And seeing her the way that she was now in her summer glory, well, made him all the more hesitant.
And so, they stared at each other, both sharing a moment of indecision as her cheeks pinked and he stood rigid as stone waiting to see what move she would make…and deciding if he would withdraw. Her eyes trailed over his form, but not in the usual way she would conduct a clinical assessment. The blush on her cheeks intensified. Sakura thumbed the bottle as though it were her palm, the anxiety manifesting clearly on her face. "Uh—"
"Sakura," Goro called, gesturing for her to join him with the group of medics. "I have a few questions about the route we're taking."
The rosette startled as though she was caught daydreaming in the middle of an important meeting, her eyes losing their uncertainty and quickly being filled with clarity as she turned her attention toward Goro. Then she looked to Sasuke, her mouth slightly open as though a word were about to escape, but she quickly closed it again.
"Right," she muttered, handing the sunblock to Naruto and striding hastily away. She called back to them, "You both finish up."
The Uchiha's eyes followed here before locking with Goro's, whose expression looked stern for the briefest moment before he welcomed Sakura with a smile. Sasuke felt himself frown and wanted to bristle at the man's sudden change in demeanor. What was his problem?
"Wo-ow," Naruto snorted when she was out of earshot, tossing and catching the bottle idly. "You really like your private time, huh? It's like I wasn't even here."
Brushing off the moment of confusion, Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "No one knows about us, you idiot," he hissed. "Stop baiting her."
"You talk like you weren't baited, either."
Resist. The urge. To hit.
"I was just saying that she could apply it for you," Naruto went on with feigned innocence, shrugging with yet another shit-eating grin. He flipped up the cap of the sunblock to open it. "But I'll be a good friend do it myself. Sakura-chan's orders!"
They reached a small village less than two kilometers northeast of Tanigakure in the land of waves just after the sun set. They walked for only a short amount of time during their traveling and opted to run most of the course. Tired, hungry, and sweaty, the six of them trudged into the inn where Kakashi had arranged for them to stay for the night, eager for a hot bath and meal.
They were lucky enough to all have their own rooms, to Sasuke's relief. He wouldn't be able to stand Naruto's star-fishing habit and usually had half a mind to kick his shin in return while he slept.
After setting his belongings inside his little solo room, decorated sparsely with only a full bed in white sheets, a floor lamp, and a light wood nightstand, Sasuke took the liberty of being the first to take a hot bath and rest with some time alone, time to cleanse his mind of the constant image of Sakura glide and leap effortlessly through the trees like a spring fairy complete with peculiar clothing. After washing himself clean, Sasuke stepped into the bath and let the heat soak into his muscles, feeling the way each almost groaned in protest to the initial sensation before finally relaxing.
At this point, Naruto had agreed to summon a small toad to shoo back toward Konoha to report their status, and the medics were likely fussing with their own nightly routines.
Sakura's nightly routine usually consisted of her own hot bath and a few hours of studying, the latter of which usually occurring while she was mindlessly spooning a meal into her mouth, her brows furrowed together in intense focus. He'd seen it a few times when they slept in the same vicinity, or even some evenings when they'd sit in comfortable silence after he walked her home from her shifts. In those moments, he could see how she seemed self-conscious of his casual observation of her. A soft blush would bloom across her cheeks, she'd tuck her petal pink tresses behind her ear, or bite her lip. Then, after a few minutes, she would settle into her element.
Sasuke leaned back in the bath and stared up at the tiled ceiling as his mind continued trailing to the way she gets when she's anxious. That blush, those wide emerald eyes, the way her voice catches in her throat. Like their midday stop in the forest, he realized, picturing the way a bead of sweat trailed down the column of her neck and disappeared into her shirt, likely traveling the valley between her breasts and—
Control yourself.
Sasuke closed his eyes in frustration before shaking his head free of the thoughts that threatened to rise. He glanced around the bath, suddenly self-conscious, unreasonably worried that others may be able to hear the or see the images that played in his head.
I've spent too long in the bath, he reasoned, climbing out of the hot water and drying himself as best as he could. He put in effort to ignore the tightening in his abdomen as best as he could, replacing the thoughts with something he'd find more distracting, perhaps. He wrapped a cotton robe around his form, draped a fresh towel around his shoulders, and worked to divert his mind.
Naruto kicking in his sleep.
Kakashi's dull talking voice.
Kakashi could stand to at least sound a little more interested in his work.
Sato calling Naruto, "Natto," the most unappealing dish in the world.
Sakura's upper arm captured in Goro's hold.
Goro leaning forward as if to whisper a secret, too close for comfort to her face.
Wait.
Sasuke froze in the hallway as he was meandering toward his room to see Sakura, hair damp from her own bath and arms folded across her chest. She was wearing that amusing, cheeky panda shirt she tended to don for sleep, and long black tights that ran the length of her legs. She was looking up at Goro, her eyes absent of their usual soft edge, as the guy's hushed voice grew unintelligible across the lobby. He's too close, a whisper in the Uchiha's chest sounded once more.
Before he could stop himself, Sasuke opened his mouth.
"Sakura."
The pinkette startled and turned her head. Just as she did so, Goro straightened himself, not bothering to stifle the frown that formed upon his face. She blinked at him a few times before uncrossing her arms, instantly looking more open, more herself.
"Sasuke-kun," she grinned, a stark difference to her earlier stoic face. "Hi."
Shit, now what?
He let his gaze flicker toward Goro before landing back on Sakura, her expression expectant.
Say something.
"My shoulder hurts," Sasuke lied.
Sakura's eyes trailed up and down his form in their clinical manner as though she was searching for the bundles of chakra that usually caused him pain. Her brows furrowed together in concern.
"I'll take a look at it," she responded after a moment. She then turned to Goro and nodded a quick salutation before following after Sasuke. She didn't spare another glance back at the other medic, and Sasuke tried to silence the smug worm in his chest upon realizing this.
They walked down the hallway, Sasuke leading the way, as the sound of their bare feet padding against the bamboo flooring sounded around them. They didn't exchange any words while they walked. While this was something Sasuke was accustomed to, his earlier lie made him feel pressured to fill the silence. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain his fib away once she realized his shoulder was absent of chakra clots and pain. Frankly, he wasn't sure that he could find the words to explain it to himself. So, he held his tongue and simmered in the quiet until they arrived at his room.
He was lying.
She knew that immediately when her eyes scanned his form. She didn't even have to try to sense the chakra coming from his shoulder to know that a lie was written on his face. But this saved Sakura from the continuously frustrating conversation with Goro, so she entertained the lie and went along with it. She silently thanked Sasuke as she followed him to his room, for she figured it was written on her own face that she was feeling uncomfortable.
She entered his room and stood at the foot of the bed before gesturing for him to sit. He didn't make eye contact with her as he walked casually to the edge of the bed and took his seat, pulling his towel from his shoulders as he did so and placing it in his lap. The top of his robe loosened slightly, revealing some bare skin of his chest. She looked over it clinically, just in case there was a chance of him telling the truth about pain but found nothing.
After a moment of quiet, Sasuke appeared to realize that she would not make a move.
"I lied. It doesn't hurt."
Sakura rolled her eyes as she smiled. "I know. I just wanted to hear you say that."
Sasuke smirked in return, and she felt herself relax. The day's travels were beginning to catch up to her, and exhaustion was threatening to settle. She stepped forward and took a seat on his right, feeling the way the mattress sunk to accommodate her weight. There was a careful space between them, but she could still feel his warmth by her side. She looked down towards her lap and fiddled with her fingers. In her periphery, she could see his careful eyes watching her.
"Thanks for pulling me out of that conversation with Goro," she broke the quiet. "It was getting kind of uncomfortable."
The Uchiha didn't respond. At first it was as though allowing her gratitude to settle around him before opening his mouth. Then, Sakura realized he was playing their usual game of turns, and that he was providing space for her to speak without gesturing to the pause. It was a silent question of allowing her to explain from what exactly he saved her.
Anxiety gripped Sakura for as much as she she didn't want to talk about the topic with Goro…but she wanted even less to talk about it with Sasuke. The other medic had been caught in the crosshairs of information she usually kept diligently separate.
Earlier that morning, when Sasuke and Naruto arrived at Konoha's olive gates, she was about to bound towards them to greet them good morning. She was halted, though, when Goro's hand wrapped around her upper arm to stop her. She felt her head whirl around in surprise. "Goro?" she queried, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
"I need to talk to you," he responded, lowering his voice from his earlier joyful volume they shared with the rest of the medical team.
Sakura frowned as she recognized the urgency in his voice. But why now?
"Go ahead." She turned towards him and glanced at his hand that still rested on her arm, though he didn't remove it from its place. Odd. She looked back up at Goro with more concern, as it seemed as though he was about to deliver bad news. "What's up?"
"Your dad came by yesterday. He came to our unit."
Sakura's blood felt like it froze in her skin for a second, and she stiffened at the mention of her father. Her expression of concern must have turned into one of shock, and Goro picked up on this. "My dad?" she echoed, trying to redeem her composure and feign ignorance to why her father was waltzing into her unit.
"He didn't know it was your day off. He was looking for you."
Shit.
"Oh," was all she could manage at first. She then cleared her throat, as it was the only way to stall and burn the anxious energy that began rising in her chest. "Did he say anything?"
"He said…he said that he misses you and wants you to come home."
While her exterior was as composed as she could make it, she could feel her heart beginning to crack. She willed the fractures to slow or to mend, however, not wanting to open up a box of emotional pain. And then, behind her, she could hear the familiar footsteps of a casual gait. Sasuke-kun.
"Did something happen between you and your parents?" Goro pressed.
Sakura glanced behind her and her eyes locked with midnight and violet. Regardless of Goro's good intentions, the present moment was the last one in which she wanted to have this discussion. She turned to face Goro and said in a hushed voice, "Not now."
She was hopeful that the other medic would leave it alone. Perhaps he read her expressions and understood that it was not a topic of discussion, that it was never meant to be a topic of discussion, that he was not even supposed to know about anything of her personal life. It was a close call when he and her mother crossed paths, but this time was different. He knew something she had no intention to share.
But what he shared with her made something in her heart pull.
Dad's looking for me.
Goro had caught her again in the lobby of the inn. Since it was just the two of them, she didn't try as hard to hide her discomfort. Luckily for her, Sasuke could read it. Unluckily for her, Sasuke likely had questions of his own.
Sakura pursed her lips and thumbed her palm in her usual manner to burn more of her energy. She tucked damp strands of hair behind her ears as she took a few more seconds to contemplate how to explain herself. She wanted to tell Sasuke, but it would lead to more questions. Like why she still hadn't talked to her parents, or maybe more pressures about what difference of opinion could lead to her cutting off her own family. As much as she wanted to distract him away from the topic, the fractures that formed in her heart earlier in the morning reopened. She decided to speak to some of her pain.
"Goro told me he saw my dad yesterday."
"Your dad," Sasuke echoed.
Good start.
She nodded her head slowly and let her gaze rise to fix on the wall ahead of them. "He stopped by the hospital looking for me around the time we were visiting Kakashi-sensei and shishou. Goro talked to him since he was working the unit."
Pause.
She stole a glance at Sasuke who appeared to be pondering her words. What content she provided was simultaneously devoid of content, and she knew he was aware of that.
She pursed her lips before speaking again. "My dad said he misses me and wants me to come home. He brought it up this morning before we left, right before you walked over to me. Then he caught me just now to try to talk about it again." She lifted her hand to trail her fingers behind her ear as if to tuck more hair behind it, but there was nothing there. She repeated the gesture before letting her hands fall into her lap again.
Sasuke still hadn't said anything. From the corner of her eye, she could tell that his gaze was still fixed on her, but he had no intention of interrupting any trains of thoughts.
"Goro doesn't know what's happened in my family," she continued. "I think he found out yesterday that I haven't spoken to them since I left home."
"Mm," Sasuke hummed.
She glanced at him and offered a sheepish smile. "I never talk about that stuff at work. I'm pretty good about keeping my work and personal lives separate."
"And he's worried about your relationship with them."
Always straight to the point, she mused, though she wasn't bothered by this. If anything, the fact that he was engaging with it now made her relax. That in and of itself was surprising. She nodded her head in response. She could feel herself wanting to tell him more, but she fretted over the possibility of his discovery of why she and her family fought. It hurts me because it would hurt you, she thought.
Not only was she worried about Sasuke's reaction to the truth, but she was also aware of his own troubles. He needn't think about something as small as a family skirmish…not when he was still healing.
And yet, her heart was aching. Giving voice to her relationship with them, even if it had been so small, was opening the wounds again. Sasuke seemed to sense this.
"What happened between you and your parents?"
She pressed her thumb into her palm with more pressure. "We had a big disagreement that led to a series of fights, then one really big fight. It hurt me, so I left."
She thought back to the night she stormed out of her family home with only a bag strapped to her chest. The shattering of glass, the broken family photo. Her eyes stung, but she remained as composed as possible.
"What happened?" he asked quietly.
"We fought."
In her periphery, he shook his head. "I get that," he said. Then, he softened. "You don't have to tell me what you talked about. Just…what happened?"
She turned to him in surprise. He wasn't…he wasn't going to pry. He seemed agitated the last time they'd spoke about it months ago, disappointed by the fact that she hadn't spoken to her family. She understood his frustration, as Naruto had shed light on it, too: if he and Sasuke had their families, they would never let them go.
Who was she to fuss over something so trivial? Who was she to end her relationship with her parents on such a terrible note, when two people she loved so deeply had far worse burdens to carry? When their relationships with their parents had an undefinable end?
She half-expected him to push for more, as it would only have made sense. So, when he only returned her gaze with a calm expression, one that lined his beautiful aristocratic features with genuine curiosity, she felt herself begin to speak.
"My parents and I hadn't been getting along for…I'd say about a year," she began, her eyes trailing back down to her lap. "There had been a lot of build up over…events." Like when I tried to kill you. The memory made her want to shudder. "I was out with Naruto and then I came home that night. Mom was waiting for me at the door and questioned me. It escalated into an argument, like it usually did. But then…," she sighed. "But then it kept escalating. Dad came by and tried to calm us down, but it didn't work."
Sakura remembered the shocked look on her father's expression when she insulted their civilian statuses. Villagers like you who know nothing of what happens on the field and only run your mouths like you own more than the dirt under your fingernails! she'd yelled. She closed her eyes and cringed.
"My mom and I said things we shouldn't have," she went on, opening her eyes once more to stare ahead. "She threatened me. She said that if I didn't listen to her, I wouldn't be allowed home. And so, I told her that I didn't want to be there anyway because it was controlling and toxic and that I…that I feel sorry for Dad." Sakura instinctively raised her fingers to her cheek and nearly felt the sting of her mother's hand again. "Then she hit me."
The last words hung in the air, suspended.
She wasn't sure how long they sat in silence together, just that silence was all she heard. She could feel the familiar stinging of tears forming in her eyes, but she fought it down as best as she could. This was her problem, not one to share, and certainly not to someone who'd experienced far worse. Certainly not to someone who may feel responsible.
From the corner of her eye, she saw Sasuke face forward toward the wall, but still said nothing. When the quiet began to grow unbearable, she fiddled with the hem of her panda shirt before smoothing out the fabric of her already-smooth leggings.
"It's nothing, though, Sasuke-kun," she broke the silence and gave him a watery smile. "It doesn't need attention. I mean, compared to what others experience, it's not really…it's not really anything."
Sasuke turned to her, his expression severe. "What are you talking about?"
She nearly jumped at the sight of the sternness in his eyes as his mismatched irises bore into hers. There was a part of her that wanted her to pull away from him because of the suddenness of his movement. She stayed still, however, and tried to formulate coherent words.
"I…I mean," she stammered, "I mean to say that it's not as big a deal as the problems that others have."
"Are you bothered by this?"
"Bothered by others' problems?"
"By your problem. Does it bother you?" he asked, though his question sounded more like an irritated statement. His brows furrowed while he waited for her response, midnight and violet holding emerald green hostage.
"I mean, yes, but—"
"Then don't say it's nothing."
Sakura blinked dumbly at him for a moment, using the pause to register what had just happened. The stinging in her eyes returned just as Sasuke turned away to gaze at the wall ahead of them. Her eyes trailed over his features, unable to help it. They trailed over his sharp angles and flawless planes. Even with the frustration that lined his eyes, he may as well have been a fine statue carved from marble.
"You don't have to compare your problems with others to figure out if yours is worth troubling over," he continued, his tone softer. The irritation in his expression tempered, as well, for his brows relaxed slightly into what looked to be an expression of his own sadness. "If it's hurting, it's hurting."
She sat frozen in place. The sound of his voice had an undercurrent of his own pain. It wasn't just any pain; it was pain for her. She didn't know why she was so shocked by this. Perhaps it was because of his usually stoic demeanor, one she had only seen break once not long ago. That day she let her heart reach out to him, and here…it felt like he was doing the same in his own Sasuke-esque way.
She and watched as Sasuke closed his eyes as if in thought. The way he sighed was a precursor to an apology, as though he were going to say sorry for his tone or his words.
But that was exactly what she needed.
Before a word could escape him, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. The angle was a bit awkward with how they were sitting, but she didn't care. She wanted contact. She melted into an embrace, burying her face into the crook of his neck to hide the tears that threatened to spill. She breathed him in and closed her eyes, her heart nearly crying at how warm he was.
The Uchiha was unmoving at first. Then, after a brief second, he lifted his arm and wrapped it tentatively around her shoulders. He was careful. She sighed into his robe and closed her eyes, thankful that none of her tears fell. Sakura felt the swell of sadness radiate through, though it danced with relief. Sasuke wasn't prying. She still feared for his reaction of why, why, why she and her family no longer speak. For now, though, she could just sit with him. It would be for another day, maybe. Another day when her heart didn't sob at the thought of her father, another day when she didn't feel the residual sting of her mother's slap.
As much as it pained her to withdraw from her family, she didn't want to lose Sasuke. Not again.
Feathery light touches grazed her cheek, the same one she'd unconsciously touched as she recalled the night she stormed away from home. It sent a shiver down her spine.
"Did it hurt?" he murmured.
"Yes," she replied. But this doesn't.
She felt right. That's the only way she could describe it.
When she was young, she'd imagined what it would be like to be held by him. None of her daydreams matched reality. Then again, she'd always imagined the Uchiha completely out of character when they were children, hoping that he would turn to her one day and hug her like a lover in a romance novel. While her Sasuke wasn't one to profess affections publicly or twirl her when no music played, she realized now that she didn't really want any of that.
Sakura wanted Sasuke. As he was. As he is.
She liked knowing she could peek beneath his stoic mask and find something softer. And she liked that he seemed to reserve this for her when it was just the two of them. They were new to it, of course. It was like walking through a familiar dark house and slowly turning on lamps. And the rooms she expected to see were nothing like the ones before her.
This was Sasuke.
And she liked it.
She turned her head slightly to settle more comfortably into their embrace when her lips grazed the base of his neck. Her eyes fluttered open at the sensation, and she just barely heard Sasuke's breath hitch in his throat. They froze, neither of them uttering a single word, let alone a breath. Her senses came to, and she was suddenly aware that he was only dressed in a cotton robe. Heat bloomed in her cheeks when she grasped that she could peer down the span of his chest through the fold of the fabric. Her eyes darted to the column of his neck in embarrassment, but she otherwise made no other move to leave their embrace. Neither, too, did Sasuke.
Her heartbeat hammered in her chest. Despite the shyness that urged her to stay completely still, ther was part of her that wanted to explore the boundaries she and Sasuke walked so carefully these last few weeks.
She took her chances and exhaled the breath she was holding, though she did so as slowly as possible. As it escaped her, she felt the tips of Sasuke's fingers brush against her cheek once more. It was like an electric current raced through his fingertips right into her skin. The way he touched her didn't appear to be an accident…and it didn't appear to be a movement to push her away.
What am I doing? she thought in protest to her exploration. If it was a voice to try to reel her thoughts back to the logic that would force them to separate, she didn't give it time to vocalize itself again. She let another breath escape her, though she didn't try to slow it this time. Much of her focus was now on the heat between the two of them and the realization that she could brush her lips against Sasuke again if she so wished.
And so, she did.
But not a brush.
She tentatively pressed her lips to the base of his neck, parting them slightly to leave a thin layer of moisture upon his skin. She worked slowly, using every moment not only to explore but to sense when, or if, he didn't want her to do it again. She heard him inhale sharply, but he didn't pull away. Instead, angled his head until his own lips grazed her temple. His breath brushed against her hair, and the feeling of him so close to her made her head spin.
Was he going to whisper her to stop?
He didn't.
She pursed her lips before pressing another kiss to his hot skin and gripped onto the fabric of his robe to anchor herself to reality, as she feared her mind would fly away. She did it again, a fraction of an inch above the last at an agonizingly slow pace. She could feel her heart race faster in her chest as Sasuke's breaths grew deeper in her ear. She did it again and again, trailing her lips upward, letting them graze against his pulse that fluttered as quickly as hers. She wanted to see how much she could pull from him, how quickly his heart could pound.
But when her lips reached his jaw, she hesitated. Sakura pulled back slightly, just enough for their eyes to meet as an act of permission. What she found, though, surprised her.
She didn't think it was possible for Sasuke's eyes to grow darker than they already were, but the universe proved her wrong. His eyes were hooded, watchful. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that he was drowsy. But despite his drifting appearance, he was focused on her gaze, looking at her in a way no man ever had before. His eyes flickered to her lips, and the rush of heat that pulled at her core was immediate.
She leaned toward him and pressed her lips to his, feeling the way their practiced kisses helped mold their current comfort. Gods, he was so soft with her. She closed her eyes as he felt his fingers trail across her back, up her tender neck, and rest upon her cheek. Her own hands found purchase on the front of his robe, and she was sure her grip was so tight that her knuckles must have turned white. She didn't care, though, as their lips did their sultry dance.
It was different, this time. There was urgency.
His hand guided her, pulled her closer. She tilted her head more, yearning for him, as her body blazed with want. And when his mouth parted wider and his tongue graced her bottom lip, she nearly lost herself. A soft, surprised moan escaped her without her permission, and she felt her eyes squeeze tighter in embarrassment. There was a brief fear of rejection, but it was quelled immediately when she felt his lips form a smirk.
She wasn't even mad.
He could be proud of that.
His lips found hers again without missing a beat, and this time she left her soft moan release without care. He combed his fingers through her hair until his hand found purchase on the back of her neck. She met him with equal fervor, trailing her hands up his chest and tugging on his robe to press herself against him. He held her firmly as he slid his hot tongue into her mouth, meeting hers and eliciting another breathy moan from her throat.
If there were ever a moment in her life where she thought she would explode, it would be this one.
It was as though fire ignited in her chest, threatening to burn her to ashes, as he tilted his head for more. She felt loss each time his hot tongue pulled away only feel unbearable want when he slipped it back to find hers once again. Sakura, without breaking their kiss, folded her left leg beneath her to turn more towards him, making it easier to press herself against him and feel his warmth. Her own heat pooled between her legs, and she found it to be nearly unbearable.
She yearned for him in a way she'd only ever imagined in privacy, but this was not her imagination. This was real. Holy fuck, this is real.
With her right hand, she released his robe and pressed her palm to his exposed chest, relishing in the way she could feel his heart pounding beneath his skin, smug in knowing she had this effect on him. Sakura tilted her head and slid her tongue into his mouth, probing him, unable to hide her want. Sasuke let out a sharp breath as though he was stifling a moan, and the noise instinctively made her roll her hips as they deepened their kiss even more, impossibly more, moremoremore.
She wanted to feel more. If higher powers meant they would really scorch her to ash, if she did, so be it. All she wanted was to feel him, satisfy the weeks of curiosity and chaste kisses, learn more about him in this way, just—
"Sakura-chan!"
Naruto's muffled call came from the hallway. She pulled away from Sasuke sharply, one hand on his bare chest and the other on his shoulder. His own fingers were wrapped around her right wrist, ready to pry her away should their invasive teammate make an appearance through the door. The hooded, darkened quality of his eyes was gone. Clarity returned, along with panting breaths and stunned gazes.
"Sakura-chan, I ended up getting sunburned and it's really hurting!"
She bit her lip and closed her eyes as she ran through all of the curse words she knew to exist in her head. Even with the string of profanity at the ready, her mind was still swirling with Sasuke's touch, Sasuke's lips, Sasuke. She couldn't find herself to formulate words, so a stifled, frustrated groan left her instead.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Oi, Teme, is Sakura-chan in there?"
She hastily pulled Sasuke's robe closed and pushed off the bed, but not before giving him an apologetic look. He shrugged tiredly at her as if to say, Well, what can we do? Though she could nearly see an irritated vein protruding from his temple as he ran his hand through his hair. His expression receded back into relative impassivity, exercising his talent of appearing unfazed on command. She walked over to the door, patted her flushed cheeks with her hand, and then swung it open.
"Oi, Te—Sakura-chan!" Naruto beamed. He was dressed in his own cotton robe and his hair was wet from a fresh bath. "I got a sunburn on the back of my neck, even with the sunblock and I was wondering if…" The blonde's voice trailed off as he got a better look at the medic's face.
She'd said nothing up to this point and was likely doing a very, very poor job of hiding her irritation. She didn't bother to around Naruto on normal occasions, but she likely looked more fiery than usual considering his…interruption. Naruto blinked for a moment before peering over her shoulder. His jaw went slack as the cogs in his head began turning, but Sakura didn't give him a chance to finish any thought.
She pushed Naruto's shoulder to rotate him just before slapping her palm against the red, irritated skin. The blond yowled in pain and flinched at her touch. Satisfied with his reaction—and unknown punishment—Sakura sent a steady flow of chakra into the bright red burn for two seconds. Then, she released him, his skin significantly less agitated.
"Eri has aloe in her bag," she snapped, pivoting on her heel and walking towards her room without looking back. The whole trek back to her solo abode, her cheeks burned as her mind replayed each moment that made her melt into Sasuke.
The group traveled diligently the next day and arrived at a border town of Wind Country in the early evening hours. They rested in a large communal room at the town's inn until the sun set below the horizon, following Kakashi's instructions to cross the sweltering desert at night to avoid heat stroke. All the while, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances with each other, but their privacy was always nonexistent with the rest of the team hovering within a few feet of them.
Despite members looking to Sakura for updates, clarification, or further instructions, Goro seemed to keep more of a distance, which the pinkette appreciated. He seemed to have gotten the hint from the previous night that she was not in a state of comfort to talk. Now it was mission time, and they needed to be prepared.
Thankfully, Naruto seemed to spare Sakura of any embarrassment and didn't say anything of what he saw when she walked out of Sasuke's room. Although, she figured the Uchiha had something to do with that himself and didn't question it. Not that she could if she wanted to.
When the sun was well below the horizon, they all donned their sand colored cloaks and rushed off toward the dunes. The desert was bathed in the moon's haunting glow, painting their surroundings in milky blue light as the dashed through the sand. Despite summer's unforgiving heat in the daytime, their cloaks were of absolute need in the night, for the air grew far chillier than any of them remembered.
"It beats crossing it and feeling our blood simmer," Kano commented, earning her a laugh and rounds of agreement with her words.
They crossed the sandbanks in relative quiet, as the last two days of constant travel seemed to drain them of their early mission enthusiasm. Every time any of them exchanged words, the sand seemed to absorb their words, anyhow. They were all ready for rest, as the extent of their cardio was beyond put to the test.
It wasn't until the sun began its lazy journey out of the horizon that the large walls of Sunagakure came into view. Rather than being bathed in the misty blue of the moon, the sky came to life with the hues of pinks, oranges, and yellows, all of which chased the night out of the sky to make room for day. The massive rock plateaus towered above them familiarly, each one looming as a reflection of Sunagakure's strength. A single valley led into the village, its gaping chasm no longer a thing of mystery and now a warm, earthly salutations. And in the middle of the valley stood familiar friends.
Sakura's team slowed to jog, then to a walk as they approached the three sand siblings. Naruto and Sakura had their arms extended to greet Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro with friendly embraces.
"Welcome back," the Kazekage smiled.