A/N: Happy Spooky Day! Thank you so much for being patient! I technically still made it to the end of the month if we're talking about California time, lol. This one took a bit longer for me to write with all of life's due dates and events. I wanted to express a huge gratitude to those who reviewed the last chapter and have interacted with me on Twitter with reactions. It made me feel like I was walking on clouds to know that you all enjoyed it as much as I had. Without further ado, here's the next chapter!
Chapter 22
It was an odd experience, being in the presence of those with whom Sasuke once shared a childhood. He supposed, though, that the sand siblings weren't a large part of his upbringing. Regardless, the sight of them and their overt hospitality was something that he never thought he'd witness in his lifetime. They welcomed Naruto and Sakura with open, warm embraces as though they were long-time friends, and even gave amicable greetings to the small trio of medics. It was an especially odd sight for Sasuke to see Gaara in the position of sociability, as the last extended encounter he'd had with the Kazekage had been one of bloodlust and hatred. Witnessing him rest his hand on shoulders in salutations as opposed to lethal threat sent a brief wave of dissonant confusion through the Uchiha's mind.
Only when Gaara turned away from his conversation with Naruto to look at Sasuke did the Uchiha realize he had stood a significant distance back from the rest of the group. The Kazekage eyed his appearance, again in a surprisingly benign and even curious way, as though he were assessing his well-being.
"Sasuke," Gaara nodded, prompting his siblings to turn toward him.
Kankuro and Temari. Sasuke hardly recognized the former, as his face was free of the familiar violet paint that decorated his skin, and his shoulders were absent of the weight of his puppet. Sasuke recognized Temari, though, only from Sakura's tellings of her relations with Shikamaru the night of their team dinner. They seemed strongly familiar with the rosette, as Temari had draped a friendly arm over Sakura's shoulders while she and Kankuro shared a silent smile.
"Gaara," Sasuke said, pulling his eyes away from the emerald gems that watched him.
"You look well," Kankuro commented, the corners of his mouth pulling upward in an honest grin. "Last we were in Konoha, we didn't get the chance to see you."
The Uchiha nodded in acknowledgment to the silent understanding of his detainment and forced his shoulders to relax. The sand siblings…were genuine. There was no malice in their gazes, no undercurrent of spite in their tones. He had half a mind to ask them why, but instead found himself locking eyes once more with Sakura's own. The expression she wore was one of reassurance, and he found himself stepping forward to join the vicinity of the group.
Gaara reached out and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's good to see you."
The Uchiha nodded once more, unsure of how to vocalize a greeting. While decorum was not a high priority on his list, he found himself hoping his loss of words did not come off icily.
"As stoic as ever, isn't he?" Temari chuckled to Sakura, though she made it no secret for the others to hear. Naruto snorted and Sakura even gave a laugh. Sasuke remained on the alert for any hints of spite and found none. "You all must be tired," Temari went on, releasing Sakura from her hold and making her way closer to her brothers. "We have rooms for each of you at our newest inn with complimentary breakfast. We also have a lunch planned later in the day to welcome all of you in our hospital."
"That's right," Gaara agreed, withdrawing his hand from Sasuke's shoulder and turning to Naruto. "Afterwards, you and I can begin our meetings regarding Konoha's status. I understand the soon-to-be-Rokudaime has information he wanted you to pass along to me while you're here."
"A ridiculous amount of reading, Gaara," Naruto sighed exasperatedly, following the Kazekage's lead in turning toward the gaping canyon that was the entrance to Sunagakure.
As the blond jabbered on about his studies and the others engaged in their own chatter, Sasuke stayed in the back of the travel group and looked up toward the looming rock walls that led into the massive village. It was like traveling through a mighty royal hall, for even the sand at their feet had transitioned to gravel, then to sandstone pavement.
The mighty walls of the canyon then opened into a gaping maw that gave way to Sunagakure's buildings. Bathed in the early morning desert light, the massive adobe structures looked like sleepy cubed homes cut with care from the canyon's own face. Some had patios with lines of drying sheets and desert shrubs as domestic plants. Others had intricate artwork engraved into their exteriors as though sculptors had stopped by with their chisels and hammers to craft culture into the homes. A few doors had opened with villagers who were beginning their morning routines and bowed reverently to Gaara and his party as they passed, their gazes lingering on Sasuke for hardly a second before they continued with their business, unperturbed by his presence among them.
Interesting.
Sasuke's eyes then trailed to the massive rock walls lining Sunagakure that made the Uchiha realize the entirety of the village seemed to be built in the middle of a colossal crater. The natural height of the rock rivaled mountains, he was sure, though it appeared to be a more desolate plateau than a perilous peak. Sunagakure was huge. It also didn't seem that Gaara was done expanding his village, for he could spy scaffolds with glittering tools hanging without their masters, though they seemed intent on chipping further away at the crater's stone fortifications.
It was aweing, if Sasuke were honest with himself. It was different from the misery of Oto, the lush nature of Hana, and the nostalgia of Konoha.
"This is your first time here, isn't it?"
Sasuke turned to see Kankuro slow his pace to match his own to connect with the Uchiha. The puppet master's expression was still as genuine, causing Sasuke to realize he tended to search for ill-will out of habit. "Ah," he replied, then allowed himself to pause to collect his thoughts. "It's larger than I imagined."
"That's what Naruto and Sakura said when they first came here, too," Kankuro chuckled. "And honestly, it's what my siblings and I thought when we first went to Konoha. It's nice when you finally see a little bit more of the world and realize your home isn't all there is."
At the sound of her name, Sasuke's eyes drifted instinctively to the medic's petal pink hair to catch her adjusting her ponytail while she and Temari laughed and conversed. Temari whispered something into the medic's ear, earning her a weak whine and gentle nudge from Sakura in her usual playful way.
"They were here before?" Sasuke asked, dragging his eyes away from her and glancing back toward Kankuro.
"A few years ago, yes. Gaara was abducted by the Akatsuki and I was injured." Kankuro patted his chest just below his ribcage. "Sasori—you may have heard of him—he poisoned me pretty badly and Sakura saved my life. She drew the poison out and found an antidote in record time. I don't remember very much except that it hurt like a bitch, but I wouldn't be here without her."
Sasuke hummed in reply and felt something like pride flicker in his chest. He wasn't acquainted with Sasori at all, though to be a member of the Akatsuki meant that he had lethal and quick methods of killing anyone on sight. For her to find an antidote for someone as off hinged as an Akatsuki member was a feat, he was sure. "Sounds about right," he responded. "I wasn't aware."
"She doesn't seem like the bragging type, but we all bragged on her behalf."
The Uchiha's gaze drifted back to Sakura's back. She didn't seem like the bragging type, he silently agreed, not at all. When they were children, she often minimized her own skills, even her flawless chakra control at times. Whether it was to appear humble or because she genuinely didn't see them as achievements, he wasn't sure.
The group eventually made their way to the inn of which Temari spoke. They were ushered into the building and were greeted by boisterous staff who offered to take their belongings. While the traveling group relinquished their bags, the inn staff smiled at Gaara, who offered kind bows in return, and nearly squealed when they saw Naruto. The blond scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly as he stuttered a thank you.
While more chatter continued, Sasuke took a moment to soak in the building's interior. It was far more contemporary than he was expecting: sand marble tiles lined the floors, and atop it rested dark wood furniture with plush brown upholstery. The entire space was bathed in the morning light, for the wide windows embedded into the white-painted walls laid lobby bare to the sun's greetings. There was a hall that appeared to lead toward a brightly lit room from which the smells of freshly broiled mackerel, cooked eggs, and steamed rice wafted. To the right of the hall was another sand-marbled staircase that climbed the inn's four floors before off-shooting into halls lined with doors that led to their own rooms.
One of the staff members took Sasuke's bag and placed a brass key that hung from a black wrist coil. On the key was the engraved number 406.
"This is the newest inn in our village," Temari announced. "Since the war's end, Gaara and our elders have agreed to lessen the border restrictions and allow for more traveling traffic." The team of medics sighed in awe. "You each have your own room on the fourth floor. Once you all are washed up, we can have breakfast. We don't have anything else scheduled for the next six hours, so you'll all have that time to rest. Then after lunch, our medical team plans to show you the progress they've made with the White Zetsu spore treatment."
The siblings exchanged amused looks when the group shared sighs of relief before the trio made their way down the hall toward the scent of fresh breakfast. Sasuke glanced down at the key, now secured to his wrist. A personal welcome, an amicable atmosphere, breakfast, and private rooms, he mused. I guess these are what good relations bring.
"Oi, Sasuke," Naruto walked over to the Uchiha, who immediately felt a scowl form on his face at the sight of his whiskered friend. "What room number did you get?"
"None of your business."
"Geez, how come?"
The medics began making their way up the staircase, but not without Sakura to share a final glance backward at her teammates. When her eyes locked with his, a blush bloomed on her cheeks, and he knew that the same thought was passing between them. She turned and hurried up the steps without another look, her pastel locks bouncing with each of her hurried steps. When she and the others were out of earshot, Sasuke frowned at his friend and had half a mind to shove him toward the stairs to avoid discussing his…interruption.
This didn't stop the idiot from bringing it up again, though.
"Look, if it's about the other night with Sakura-chan," Naruto blabbered, his face reddening from embarrassment, "I said I was sorry already."
"Then you've done your part." Sasuke stepped forward to make his way toward the staircase and leave the blond behind, but Naruto continued following him.
"Okay, so do yours and say I'm forgiven!"
"No."
"I didn't see anything, y'know," Naruto insisted. "I don't even know what you were doing in there, I swear."
"Shut it."
They turned once more to walk up to the top floor, and while Sasuke hoped his snippiness would be enough to deter Naruto from continuing the conversation…of course it didn't.
"Look," Naruto continued, "if you both want to do…whatever you were doing again, I—"
Sasuke pivoted on his heel as he reached the final step and glowered furiously at the blond, one shred of patience shy away from activating his sharingan. "Do you have any sense of modesty?" he hissed, glancing behind him to ensure none of the medics were peeking out into the hallway. When he saw no one, he turned back and narrowed his eyes dangerously at Naruto, but this did nothing to faze the blond who blinked back at him with mild surprise. I need to work on my glare, Sasuke thought, irritated.
"Why? Because what the two of you were doing wasn't modest?" The corner of Naruto's mouth twitched, the sign of a poorly suppressed smirk.
Sasuke opened his mouth to retort only to feel small wave of horror cross him when no words came out for his own defense. Instead he closed his eyes and exhaled to calm himself. Stick to silence, he reasoned, because he's looking to throw me into a pit of my own words. The Uchiha pivoted on his heel once again and made his way down the hall. He walked at a pace to showcase that he was unbothered despite the churning irritation growing in his chest. Naruto followed a few steps behind, though. Sasuke couldn't tell if Naruto didn't understand this as a cue to leave him alone or if he was blatantly refusing to submit.
"Just give me a signal next time," Naruto went on. "Put a smock on your door or something."
Processing his friend's words, Sasuke had to slow his steps. "A smock?" he repeated, genuinely confused, though his voice was stilled lined with irritation.
"Yeah, Kiba said that means something's happening that…y'know, is keeping people busy."
Sasuke ran an exasperated hand through his midnight hair before letting it fall back into his cloak, the brass key attached to his wrist tapping against his forehead as he did so. How the hell do I know more than this idiot? he despaired, though he supposed he would have been just as blind if it hadn't been for Suigetsu's own gallivanting tales. "It's not a smock," Sasuke said slowly, lowering his voice. He was highly aware that he had no idea which room Sakura or the other medics occupied, and he would be more than humiliated if their conversation was overheard. "It's a sock."
"Oh," Naruto paused in front of a door that was likely to his own room. "Never mind that idea, then. I guess that'd be pretty hard because none of us brought that."
"Idiot," Sasuke muttered under his breath.
"I'm just glad it's still attached, friend."
Sasuke took another deep breath to keep himself from spewing a string of curses that he would regret and continued walking down the hall to his room. He heard Naruto disappear into his room with a squawking laugh just as he arrived at his own. Room 406 was at the very end of the hall on the left side, same as Naruto's. It appeared that the traveling group occupied the entirety of the left side of the fourth floor and that he was only with one neighbor. He inserted the key into the lock and entered the room.
In front of the doorway was a small section to leave his shoes just before a step up into more sandy marbled flooring. As he was kicking off his shoes, Sasuke looked around the contemporary space. Just beyond the step was a short hall that housed a sliding door leading to a bathroom. Its countertop was filled with complimentary toiletries and fresh, pristine white towels next to a basic toilet, sink, and bathing area. As he stepped further into the room, he saw a wide bed with white sheets and pillows with its headboard pressed against his neighbor-less wall with a nightstand and lamp on either side. On the one closest to the window was a small white telephone cradled into its receiver. He let his eyes linger on the device before carrying on with the rest of his examination.
Across the bed was a simple dresser and abstract painting that hid behind his traveling bag. In front of him he saw a wide, south-facing window that poured light into the space. On either side of it were white curtains to provide shade. He stood there in awe for a moment as he drank in the sight of what glimpses he could afford of Sunagakure's scenery from this height.
The adobe buildings were about one floor shorter than his current position, providing him with a sea of sierra blocks, each decorated with desert shrubs, colorful fabrics that hung on patios, dark wood accents, and artful etches into their exteriors. The morning sun was peeking higher over the mighty canyon wall which, from Sasuke's distance, looked to be a mere parapet. The sky was already flooding with it and everything within his view with wakeful pinks and yellows, ready to wake the desert.
After a moment to save the view to his memory, he retreated into the bathroom and washed himself free of the itchy grains of sand. He recognized his naïve hope that it would also wash away the irritating embarrassment spurred by his blond best friend.
After a steaming shower and a quick change of clothes, Sakura found herself standing in front of Sasuke's room door. She sighed a deep breath as she smoothed down her sleeveless red blouse and white capris, burning the anxious energy that was already beginning to pile into her muscles.
The process of elimination made it easy to determine which one was his after she had knocked on the others to usher her team down to breakfast. And knowing Sasuke, he was more likely to make a quiet appearance towards the end of the meal to avoid any unnecessary conversation should he be left alone with the Sand siblings or her medics. He's probably still in his room, she reasoned, which means it's now or never.
Seeing Naruto and Sasuke pause to speak to each other in the lobby made embarrassment curl in her stomach. Naruto, as unpredictable as he was as a fighter, had a routine pattern of communication: oblivious confrontation. And Sasuke, as methodical and strategic as he was in most procedures, tended to lose his cool intentionality around his best friend. More than likely, Naruto would push Sasuke's buttons about the other night and not let it rest.
Naruto and Sasuke would talk about what happened again.
Naruto and Sasuke have talked about what happened before, even if it was just a scathing reprimand from the Uchiha.
And yet, she and Sasuke haven't exchanged a message about that night save for the brief, stolen glances they had on the last leg of their travels to Suna.
And that…well, that didn't seem right.
Although she didn't have a blueprint of how to go about these conversations or relationship milestones, and she highly doubted that Sasuke would be one to go out of his way to begin a dialogue about it himself. He was, both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, averse to the vulnerable despite having shared so much with her.
So, there she stood, fists clenched as she exhaled another grounding breath, ready to rip the bandage and formally acknowledge the moment they shared before Naruto had interrupted.
She raised her hand, gave the door three gentle knocks, and held her breath.
There was a moment of quiet as she listened for any indication of movement. Then, soft, muffled footsteps sounded on the other side just before the door opened to reveal the Uchiha. His raven hair was damp from his own shower, the ends of which were brushing against a white towel that draped around his shoulders. He had already changed into black pants and a gray shirt, the sleeves of which exposing the remnant of his left limb as well as the lean, strong form of his right. Her eyes trailed over him as if to examine his well-being, taking notice of the way the collar of his shirt skewed slightly to reveal his collarbone and a teasing view of more muscle. She stopped herself and looked right up into his mismatched irises to avoid any misconstrued messages by the act. When their gazes met, it appeared that he was examining her just as studiously, so she fought the blush that threatened to make an appearance on her cheeks.
"Uh," she croaked, "hey."
"Hey."
Her prior confidence in spurring a conversation had dissipated into the ether the moment she raised her hand to preface her words. When nothing came out, and she instead looked like a gaping fish, her brain rewired and opted for a more benign thought as she let her hand fall limply to her side. "So, uh…breakfast."
Oh gods, why?
Sasuke used his foot to hold the bottom of the door open while he brought one end of the towel to ruffle against his midnight locks. She had the sudden urge to reach out and do it for him, to feel his nearness the way she did months ago at Mozukai, weeks ago on their second date, just the other night in the room of the other village inn. She was careful not to do it, though, by holding her hands still by her sides with conscious effort.
"So, uh, breakfast," he echoed mildly, the tease apparent in his voice.
Sakura scoffed indignantly. "You know what I mean. And I need…I need to…"
Rip the bandage, Sakura, just rip the bandage! And I need to talk to you, and I need to talk to—
"I'm in the middle of a call," he said, breaking her concentrated effort and taking her by surprise.
"A call?" she repeated, raising her eyebrows. The tension in her shoulders she didn't even realize existed released as she blinked at him, dumbfounded. Sasuke-kun isn't scheduled to make a phone call until later this week…isn't he?
He nodded in the direction of the room's telephone that rested atop the white pillows of his bed to motion her to follow him. She only had a moment to be flabbergasted before she entered, let the door close behind her, and slipped off her sandals. She stepped into the bright space and watched as he took a seat on the edge of the bed facing the window. When he picked up the phone and pressed it against his ear, Sakura took her seat next to him and felt the way the mattress accommodated her weight. There was a hand's width of space between them. Careful. Measured.
"Sato," the Uchiha spoke into the receiver.
How did Sato find the inn's number?
Sakura could hear the muffled high pitch of a child's voice and felt herself brighten at the sound. She watched in rapt fascination as the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement before handing the phone off to the medic. She held it, but rather than pressing it to her own ear, she placed it between their heads to allow them both to listen. He instinctively leaned closer, obliging to her offer to share the space to hear. The scent of the inn's soap wafted into her nose mixed with something distinctly Sasuke. She tried not to dwell too long on this should she be carried away.
"Hi, Sato-chan," she beamed, pulling her focus away from the proximity of the Uchiha beside her. "I didn't know you were going to call Sasuke-kun so early today."
"Sa'ra-nee!" the boy squealed. "I didn't call Sasuke-nii. Sasuke-nii called us!"
"Sasuke-kun called you?" Sakura raised a teasingly curious brow and turned her head slightly in the Uchiha's direction. He didn't react, though she knew that there was some amount of embarrassment in his suddenly strict, stoic expression. What a genuine surprise, she thought, for she never took Sasuke to be the type to voluntarily reach out unless it was for necessary business. "Well, that was kind of Sasuke-kun to do."
"Is Natto-nii there, too?"
"He's eating breakfast right now," Sakura replied, glancing up at Sasuke with a tickled gleam in her eyes. The image of fermented beans was surely passing through both of their minds at the sound of Naruto's unfortunate nickname. "You're up so early today. Is your papa there?"
"Yeah, he's right here! Mama has work, so now Papa can't smoke," Sato giggled his explanation, spurring Sasuke and Sakura to exchange look of amusement. She stifled a laugh and there was the muffled sound of the phone passing on the other end of the line.
"Good to hear from you, Sakura," Hiroto's voice came from the receiver, his grin audible. "I take it there were no issues on your journey there?"
"None," she replied more hastily than she intended, stealing a miniscule glance at the Uchiha whose eyes were trailed toward the Sunagakure scenery. "None."
"Glad to know it. Sasuke told us the Kazekage had met you all personally at the gates."
"He and his siblings did," Sakura confirmed, relaxing at the change in topic. "They set us up in a really nice inn and have plans to feed us well during our stay."
"Sounds like a cushy mission," Hiroto sighed, and Sato's voice could be heard in the back echoing "cushy, cushy, cushy."
"To some extent," Sakura smiled, shrugging.
"Well, I'll let you two continue on, then. I don't want to keep you from your plans."
"I'll give another call at our scheduled time," Sasuke said into the phone.
"Alright," Hiroto replied, the single chorus of Sato chiming his salutations in the background. "Enjoy your time away from the village, Sasuke. And please take care of him, Sakura."
The medic raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked to the Uchiha to gauge his reaction. He seemed equally as startled by the officer's fatherly words, but he refused to exchange a glance with her.
The medic couldn't stop the blush that bloomed on her cheeks then, for she began to wonder just how much the officer knew about the nature of their relationship. Sasuke wasn't one to divulge details to anyone, not even Naruto. And judging by the Uchiha's reaction, he was likely wondering the same thing. Despite it, she felt herself splutter, "I…yes, I will!"
Sasuke nodded once as though Hiroto could see before the two said their goodbyes into the telephone. Sasuke pulled away from her to place it back into its receiver before settling back into place, back into a quiet she thought she had originally disrupted.
He exhaled a steadying breath through his nose as he gazed out the window, a signal that he was waiting for her to speak and ease them out of the silence. She took the moment to gaze at his refined profile before grinning and commenting, "I didn't expect you to contact Hiroto so soon before your scheduled meeting time."
The Uchiha shrugged. "I figured it would be common courtesy to let him know when we'd arrived in Suna."
"Did you call Kakashi-sensei, too?" she tested, though she already knew the answer and tried to hide it behind her smile.
Sasuke paused for a moment, the corner of his mouth sinking slightly into a frown as though he'd been caught. "No, although…maybe I should, too."
She chimed a laugh as she rested her hands on the bed, allowing her arms to prop her up as she gazed out the window with him. "You really are close to Hiroto and his family," she smiled, picturing young Sato's defeated look when they'd departed from Konoha's gates. "First you're Sato's hero, now you're like his older brother."
Sasuke shrugged again, though there was something more relaxed in his posture as he did so. "They've been kind to me. And…," his voice trailed off, and she knew he was searching for the right words. "They knew my family. Hiroto did, anyway. It's just…similar."
Despite the sparse explanation, Sakura felt her heart swell with empathy and understanding. She hummed thoughtfully to let him know that she'd heard him while she thought of her words say. "When Tsunade-sama sent me on missions outside of Konoha, I would always call my parents when I'd arrived at my destination. If they had a phone, anyway. I'd always call whenever I was on my way home, too." The swell tinged itself with melancholy, and like a drop of dye, it swirled and colored her heart a deep hue. She smiled sadly. "It feels good to know that there's someone out there thinking about your wellbeing, someone waiting for your call."
He didn't respond to that except with a mirror of her body language. He leaned back and pressed the heel of his hand into the bed to prop himself up while he gazed out the vast window. She studied his expression and saw his eyes soften around the edges as though he were getting lost in a memory from his childhood. It was a beautiful sight, if she were being honest with herself. When he was calm, pensive, brow absent of tension, he was the most beautiful. Then, to her surprise, he leaned his shoulder against hers in a gesture of comfort, the warmth of his intention making her want to close her eyes and savor it.
They both understood.
After a few seconds passed, he broke the silence but still didn't turn to face her. "You were mentioning something earlier. You needed something"
"Oh," she said, reminding herself why she came to his room in the first place. Her heart shed its sadness and was replaced with anxiety again, though this anxiety seemed to thrum a different tune. "Yes."
In her periphery, she saw Sasuke glance at her as though sensing her sudden realization, his mismatched eyes careful. She knew he was already trying to read her expression and predict what she was going to say. The medic straightened her posture and placed her hands in her lap, and her body instantly yearned for his warmth again when they separated. she continued to stare ahead and find a focal point in Suna's vast landscape at which to gaze, but to no avail. However, despite the anxiety building in her chest, her voice came out steady. "I need to talk to you about the other night."
He mirrored her posture again as he straightened himself. "It's fine," he assured her. The gentle tone of his voice that lined his reassurance caused her to turn to him and study his expression. "You don't have to apologize for it."
How courteous of him, she thought, nearly making herself snort.
"Good," she chuckled, "because I wasn't planning to apologize."
Not anxiety.
Confidence.
Confidence was in her chest.
And it only solidified as he blinked at her with something between a cross of amazement and sheer confusion written in his mismatched eyes.
Sakura stood from the bed and felt her smile widen even more. It was like invincibility. She felt like laughing, like running up a hill to roll down on the other side, like spinning because she could never get dizzy. Instead, she stepped forward and reached out for the towel on his shoulders, grabbing hold of either end. He looked up at her, his expression morphing into one she'd never seen before, though she didn't mind. She was learning that she liked more and more to see what else she could charm from him, she liked to know that she could.
She watched him lean forward almost instinctively, but something in her told her to hold still and not give in, to relish the magnet's pull to her metal. Although, his gaze was just as mesmerizing, and it was as though his hypnotic eyes coaxed her next words out of her lips without permission: "I liked it."
Oh, gods.
I said it.
I liked it.
I liked it.
I liked it.
Did you?
She noticed the way her lungs arrested in her chest when his mismatched eyes flickered with something she didn't recognize. Then, he murmured, "I did, too."
Sakura blinked once. Twice. Thrice.
Her heart exploded in her chest, spurring her to smile even wider at him until her cheeks hurt. "Okay."
"Okay."
She released the towel and clasped her hands behind her back, worried of what they would do upon realizing didn't just hear a rejection. She shrugged at him and gave a soft chuckle, not knowing what else to say, for she wanted to bask in the elation that made her heart sing. He scoffed his own quiet chuckle and shook his head, though the corner of his mouth was upturned in amusement. He looks so beautiful like that, too, she thought in awe. She was about to make a comment on it, ready to push just how far she could run with her confidence, when her stomach gave off a low, persistent gurgle of hunger.
Glrrrglurr.
It was then that it felt like flames burst to life on her cheeks. I'm hungry, she realized, cursing at her empty belly's moment-ruining call. She lifted her hand and felt her fingers curl into the fabric of her shirt in horror, unsure of how to recover the moment.
"Go downstairs," Sasuke said, the smirk on his face growing. "I'll be there soon. I'm actually going to call Kakashi."
Sakura nodded, the blush on her cheeks refusing to recede and betraying her earlier burst of conviction and poise. She turned and put more conscious effort into ensuring her pace was relaxed as she strolled over to slip her sandals onto her feet. She looked back at him once they were secured and jerked a thumb in the general direction of the hallway stairs. "Just be sure you get there soon," she joked lamely. "You and I both know Naruto eats enough for three, so he wouldn't hesitate in stealing your share."
Sasuke propped his left leg on the bed atop the spot where she sat just before ruffling his damp hair with his towel. "Ah," he replied. "I know."
Sakura tucked her hair behind her ear. "And, uh, tell Kakashi-sensei I said hi for me."
He nodded. "I will."
With that, Sakura pivoted on her heel and made her way out the door, her heart smiling even wider than her lips.
The Uchiha eventually did follow her down to the dining hall to view the splendid spread of grilled mackerel, pickled vegetables, and bowls upon bowls of steaming rice. Among the dishes he found familiar, he also saw what appeared to be specialty Sunagakure foods. He sat across from her and Temari, conceding to Naruto's playful teases and remarks, politely responding to Gaara and Kankuro's queries, listening to the bursts of chorused recollections of the last Chunin exams when Sakura had apparently received her promotion in rank. Even the medics on her squad retold their own village gossip about the event, spiraling them into discussions of more memories.
Stories upon stories of the time in which he was absent took hold of the conversation. While he knew he often maintained a relatively impassive expression, Sasuke found himself listening with curiosity. He imagined what Gaara and Naruto's friendship looked like considering the former's drastic transformation from bloodlust to beneficent. He imagined how the medics first began their jobs at the hospital, perhaps even their surprise in working as subordinates to a medic who was years their junior in age but years their senior in skill. He watched as Sakura and Temari nudged each other playfully, draped their arms around each other during their friendly banter. He watched as Naruto openly poked fun at the Kazekage and how Kankuro merely laughed.
War, cooperation, and friendship. They changed a nation by changing its leaders, Sasuke realized, the evidence of such metamorphism before him in the form of camaraderie between shinobi of different villages. Years ago, he never would have thought this possible.
The Uchiha then eventually tagged along with the group over to Sunagakure's medical district despite their schedule calling for rest than work before lunch. Sakura insisted, however, to ensure she was properly prepared. No one seemed surprised by her diligence, and even Naruto cracked a joke about her endurance being like that of a work horse. The fact that her medics enthusiastically followed her lead was something Sasuke took as a sign of their respect for her.
Impressive leadership, he thought as he walked a few paces behind her while half-listening to Naruto babble in his ear.
They turned toward a complex of four massive buildings, each between three to four stories high and made of what appeared to be smooth stone painted white. It had a more contemporary, professional aesthetic than the rest of Sunagakure's architecture. In the middle was a garden of strategically placed desert shrubs and sandstone sculptures, a courtyard that showcased the Sand's culture and art. And now that the morning summer sun was higher in the horizon, the scene looked almost as though it were pulled from one of the medical textbooks in Sakura's apartment like an example of what an exemplary hospital looks like.
"This is where we leave you all," Gaara said as they entered the main building and walking into a lobby of white linoleum floors and chrome accents. A older man dressed in a white coat and black pants approached them and offered a deep bow in Gaara and his siblings' directions. He had salt and pepper hair atop his head parted and combed carefully to one side. His expression was rather severe, the wrinkles around his eyes indicative of the years of furrowed brows and concentrated looks. His eyes hid behind square spectacles as they scanned the group. "This is Kenta, the head of our medical division. He will provide you with a tour and overview of the projects with which we need consultation."
Sasuke felt himself internally cringe at the name, as it was very closely related with their own Ken from Konoha. Logically, it made no sense to be averse to a few symbols and sounds, but the human with whom it was paired, both in Konoha and before him, made him already have an air of dislike. Regardless, the team bowed politely in greetings and Kenta offered a slight nod. "It's nice to meet you all," he responded, his voice low and gravelly.
"I will work with you tomorrow, Naruto, to discuss our villages' agendas of trade," Gaara went on.
"I'm looking forward to it," Naruto beamed.
"Thank you, Kazekage-sama," Sakura smiled, bowing in respect to him. Her medical team followed suit beside her.
"Sakura," he shook his head and lifted his hand as a small smile reflected hers, "Please call me Gaara. We are peers here."
"And the snooty elders aren't here to correct her anyway," Kankuro snorted.
"You have a couple of those, too?" Naruto joked, earning him a round of laughter. Sasuke glanced at Kenta, whose mouth pursed in displeasure.
The rosette chimed a laugh as she hugged Temari a temporary goodbye and Naruto clapped a hand on Gaara's shoulder in salutations. Kankuro approached Sasuke and rested a friendly hand on the Uchiha's shoulder. "I saw that look," he smiled wryly. "Kenta's known to have a stick up his ass a lot, but he does good work. He could lighten up every now and then, but he refuses anyone's offer of going for drinks after work."
While Sasuke appreciated the humorous perspective of this Kenta person, he felt the corner of his mouth frown. He turned to Kankuro and nodded. "I appreciate it."
Kankuro patted Sasuke's shoulder before returning to Gaara's side. The Kazekage and his siblings took their leave then, allowing Kenta to take over the tour of the massive first facility. The older doctor wasted no time in doing so, for he didn't even bother to ask for their names. Sasuke may not have been the most courteous or socially compliant person, but this was adding another tick mark in the direction of dislike.
"This building is primarily used for research and training," Kenta explained, guiding them to elevator doors and holding them open for the team to file inside. "It's the newest of all of them and the biggest. Since the war, there have been many medical new ailments and advances that we had not been able to treat until now."
"It seems that way," Goro commented in an attempt to ease into comfortable conversation. "This facility looks much newer compared to other hospitals and clinics, even our own in Konoha."
Kenta scoffed softly, though the pretentious nature of it was not lost. "Kazekage-sama," Kenta said, enunciating the syllables a fraction slower than his earlier pace, "capitalized on Sunagakure's monetary resources after providing supplies to the other villages during the war. He made sure to implement a strong medical facility to house top-rated services. He also was able to ensure this complex's construction during the war as opposed to after, and it's served our village well. It's been a true…advantage."
A dig at our Konoha's timing on medical work.
Sasuke's frown deepened as he glanced in Sakura's direction, her back turned to him as she faced the elevator doors.
A dig at the heir to Konoha's medical division.
Goro turned to Eri and Kano with a single raised eyebrow, and the other two kunoichi offered small, clueless shrugs. Even Naruto stiffened at the doctor's tone. Sakura, though, seemed wholly unfazed by the interaction. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and her fingers were relaxed. She wasn't even making the hint of a move to thumb her palm like a worry stone, piquing Sasuke's curiosity when even the Uchiha himself wanted to snap a snarky remark.
"We had a lot to recover from in Konoha," Naruto commented, his voice less buoyant than it had been in the hospital lobby. "There were large-scale events that occurred prior to the war that needed to be addressed."
"Ah, yes," Kenta hummed, though it was clear he was not interested in hearing the details of such events.
When the elevator doors opened, Kenta stepped aside to allow the group to file into the hallway. Then, the older doctor took the lead with Sakura just behind him as she listened to his explanation. On either side of the group were plexiglass windows that held what looked to be classroom or lecture halls. Others housed medics conducting different procedures in front of others dressed in sterile protective gear until only their eyes were visible beneath the blue hospital gowns, gloves, and shields.
"In this wing is where we conduct basic upkeep trainings for our medical shinobi," Kenta explained, gesturing toward one of the rooms that had a group of medical staff. "We have required all medical shinobi to undergo a training once every three years to ensure proper skills are being used in the field and in our facilities." He continued leading the group to the end of the hall where a set of doors led into what appeared to be the next wing. "I assume Konoha may be in the works of planning to implement their own continuous training program," he asked with another tone of self-importance.
Without missing a beat, Sakura replied, "Tsunade-sama and I have worked to implement a continuous training program that has an annual renewal requirement for all of our medics. It's been in place successfully for five years, now."
"I see," Kenta hummed, the corner of his mouth downturned.
Naruto, smirked and held a thumbs up to Sasuke and the other medics, the latter of which exchanging their own thumbs up and cheeky grins.
They walked through two more sets of doors, one of which requiring Kenta to hold a badge to a scanner before it opened for them. It was another hall with more windows, though the windows appeared to peek into viewing rooms that had yet another window that allowed a view into a surgical room. In the little annexes were tables and chairs set up like an observation deck into the surgical room.
"Here is where we have treated those afflicted with the White Zetsu spores," Kenta went on, opening one of the doors to an annex viewing room where two medics were studying a procedure in the surgical room. They were startled and stood at the sight of Kenta to offer them bows. When their eyes landed on Sakura, their expressions burst in excitement.
"Sakura-san!" one of them gasped, taking Sakura's hands in hers. "We are so glad to have you and your team here working with us!"
Sakura smiled her usual charming grin, but Kenta went on as though no exchange occurred between his staff and the pinkette.
"We have made great strides here in Suna using the biopsy and research notes we received," he said, looking toward the surgical room.
Sensing the iciness, the Suna medic withdrew her hand and opted to smile politely at the group before returning to her seat alongside her colleague. They continued watching the procedure, their shoulders tense.
"The biopsy and research notes that Sakura-chan sent here," Naruto corrected, propping his hand on his hip in irritation.
As though sensing this, Sakura reached behind her and tugged at the hem of Naruto's shirt in warning to silence him. The blond obliged, albeit begrudgingly, and the team followed Kenta out of the annex and into another elevator. As it took them down to the ground floor, Kenta and Sakura exchanged words about the biopsy findings using terminology that went over Sasuke's head—and Naruto's, based on the confused scowl on his face as though that would somehow help him understand better. All the while, Sakura maintained a curious, steady tone of voice and continued not to respond to the quips and digs Kenta would slip into the conversation.
The older doctor guided them outside to cross the courtyard to walk into another building. It had a similar structure to the previous one, though it was smaller in scale. A plaque next to the doors read, "Mental Health Department." Kenta guided them to a large door in the lobby that led into a lecture hall with several rows of seats and long tables, all of which faced a gray podium.
"Here is where you will be providing training in mental health for our medics," Kenta continued, looking around the room with little interest. His next words made even Sasuke bristle in annoyance. "Although, I am not sure what information you could provide for our medics seeing as you do not even use chakra-infusing methods. This task may be a bigger bite than your jaw can handle."
Eri's fists clenched and she opened her mouth to protest. The other medics and Naruto did the same, ready to pounce on this irritating old man, when Sakura raised her hand to halt them. Her emerald eyes glanced over each of them, her expression calm. When she met Sasuke's gaze, it was more of the same composed, poised look. Goro, Eri, and Kano quieted, though frowns were still on their faces. Sasuke glanced at Naruto, expecting to see a similar expression of irritated defeat on his whiskered face, but was surprised to find a smug grin.
The Uchiha turned back to Sakura who now fully faced Kenta. She stood a head shorter than the old man, despite the aged curve of his back, though her posture was one of dangerous confidence. Her eyes burned a familiar green flame, and when she opened her mouth to speak, her voice was one that demanded all ears to listen. "Kenta-san, it is my understanding that Kazekage-sama," she stressed the syllables as the old man had earlier, "requested my presence personally to act as consultant and supervisor for training in your facilities. Is this right?"
Kenta frowned. "From what I have gathered, this is the case."
"I'm glad that we have an understanding of that fact," she went on. "As a consultant, I understand that my team and I are considered guests in Sunagakure, meaning we are also guests in your medical district. With this role, it is inherent that we work collaboratively while addressing the White Zetsu spore treatment. Is that right?"
Kenta nodded his head again, though he folded his arms across his chest. "Yes," he replied tersely.
"I am also glad that is understood between us." While the content of her words expressed relief, her tone was wholly unamused. "As a supervisor to Sunagakure medics who wish to learn more about mental health, I play an evaluative and instructive role. This implies that I have knowledge that you do not possess, particularly regarding mental health and trauma's impact on it. My understanding is that you fall under the classification of a Sunagakure medic. Is this right?"
The older man's brow furrowed in irritation. "I will not be spoken to with such—"
"Kenta-san," Sakura raised her hand to halt him, and Sasuke felt pleased to see that the older man actually stopped his speech. "It is I and my medics who will not be spoken to with such disrespect from this point further if you really intend to provide excellent services that you proudly stated earlier. You need my expertise. You need my team's expertise. That is our purpose in being here."
Kenta scowled at her, though Sakura remained unfazed.
"I am wholly aware of my appearance in this field," the pinkette went on, her fiery gaze unmoving from the older man. "I am young, and a kunoichi at that. I am regularly underestimated based on the way I present. However, I need not remind you who my master was. I also do not think that providing you with my resume stating every area of my knowledge and training as an efficient use of my time, nor your time."
When Kenta didn't respond but with a gaping expression, Sakura continued. "My team and I will now go back to the research building so that we may work with your medics. If there are no other questions, implicit or explicit, about my qualifications," she gave him a smile, but her lips whispered warning, "we will see you at lunch."
The older doctor closed his mouth and offered a stiff nod. He moved past her brusquely, muttering something about giving her and her team another of his staff to escort them, before disappearing behind the door to that led to the lobby.
There was a brief pause before Kano let out an exasperated sigh. "Finally!" she exclaimed, propping her hands on her hips. "For a second I thought you were going to let him keep talking to you like that, Sakura-senpai."
"It's almost as bad as watching that one visiting medic from Kiri," Goro chuckled, nudging Sakura's arm with his elbow. "I thought that one guy was going to cry."
While her medics offered Sakura praise and thanks for standing up for them, as well as herself, Naruto elbowed Sasuke's side. "This might be our time to leave and let them work," he said, but Sasuke couldn't take his eyes away from Sakura. She grinned, her lips forming a smile more genuine, more herself. It was almost as though she was glowing before him, her eyes full of the emerald fire that made his own determination want to spark.
Was she always like this?
Sasuke couldn't remember.
"We're going to go back to the inn, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, elbowing Sasuke to spur him to move. "We'll probably just catch you at lunch if we don't end up eating at the inn's dining hall. Right, Sasuke?"
The Uchiha nodded. When her gaze finally met his, he hardly realized he was silently hoping she would look his way. "No worries," she grinned. "We'll see you later."
Their eyes lingered for a second longer before she turned away to answer a question Kano posed. It was then that Sasuke finally turned away and began walking in the direction of the lobby. The Uchiha glanced around to see if the grumpy doctor was still stalking—or sulking—around the space, but only found a medic hurrying in the direction of the lecture hall where Sakura and her team waited. Sasuke felt pleased, maybe even proud, that the man had decided to scurry away.
When the duo made it into the hot desert heat once more, Naruto sighed and clapped a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sakura-chan handled that pretty well, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah," Sasuke hummed in agreement. Then he glanced at his friend. "She's underestimated often?"
"All the time," Naruto rolled his eyes. "It used to really bother her because she felt like she had to prove herself to people in her field. She's the youngest in the room a lot. You've noticed it too, right?"
Sasuke had, as a matter of fact. He remembered the civilian medics in Hana Village who rejoiced at the sight of Sakura. All of them had to at least have been in their thirties and likely gained years of experience despite not being shinobi medics.
"Her entire medical squad actually took a little bit to warm up to her when she first started working with them at the hospital."
Sasuke openly scoffed, feeling a swell of irritation directed at Goro. He wondered how he first received Sakura as a member of the team. Not just a member, he supposed; the presumed leader, likely appointed personally by Tsunade. "And because she's a kunoichi, she already has a disadvantage," he thought aloud.
"You know how it is," Naruto shrugged. "But you also know how she is. Or, at least now you do. She gets really scary. She was scary before, y'know, but it's like she evolved her scariness into something that makes people want to shit their pants when they question her qualifications. And the wild thing is that they do it even when they see that thingy on her forehead. Strength of a Hundred or something."
There was something in knowing how strongly she was able to hold her own that made him swell with even more pride for her…as well as guilt. "I used to look down on her."
Naruto glanced in his friend's direction and studied him. "Do you still?"
Sasuke shook his head before replying, "No." Then, he smirked. "Definitely not after that."
The blond snorted a laugh before recounting memories of how terrifying he used to see the pinkette, how she would often scare Naruto "shitless" when he let words slip from his mouth without thinking twice about their meaning. It was reverent, though, the way the blond talked about her. When the pair reached the inn and retired to their separate rooms, Sasuke took a moment to lay atop his bed and realize he had grown a sort of reverence for her, too.
Sakura didn't return to the inn until after her medical team, as she had decided to stay in the research building to gather more information about the promising findings in their studies. She managed to find times during the afternoon to eat, for the lunch was more of a networking event for her than an event to actually spend time satisfying her belly. She dismissed her medics to go back to the inn before her, not wanting to be the big-bad-boss who scared their host and overworked her squad. She wanted a bit of quiet on her way home anyhow, for it allowed her to reflect on the strides she accomplished with the help of Nana's biopsy.
By the time she walked through the inn doors, the summer sun was well below the horizon. She should have felt more tired, but she was still energized. In her arms were stacks of documents of research that she would scour in her free time while in Suna. I might even send a hawk over to Hana, she thought, remembering that Aiko was taking her place as her eyes and ears for the clinic there.
She walked up the stairs with a bounce in her step, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice Naruto and Sasuke leaning against the banisters leading to the top floor until she turned on the landing. Naruto was dressed in a white shirt and burnt orange pants, and Sasuke didn't appear to have changed out of his clothes from earlier in the day. They seemed to be engaged in a more decent discussion based on the way Sasuke didn't look as though he wanted to yank the blonde's hair and the way Naruto grinned without mischief. Naruto caught sight of her first as she turned the corner.
"Oi, Sakura-chan," he greeted. "Okaeri."
"Tadaima," she responded as she smiled at her teammates, careful not to let her gaze linger too long on the Uchiha. Although, she could feel his eyes trained carefully on her the moment she caught his attention. "Why are you both still awake?"
"It's only ten o'clock," Naruto shrugged. "We ended up sleeping all afternoon and didn't get to go to the lunch." He had a slight pout at that, spurring Sakura to chuckle.
"We saw your team came back two hours ago," Sasuke said, gathering her attention. "They told us you decided to stay behind."
Sakura blinked and took a moment to process the message beneath the message. "You were waiting for me?" she asked, genuine surprise seeping from her voice. When Sasuke nodded an affirmative, a smile burst across her face.
"I'm still here," Naruto muttered, earning him an apologetic smile from the medic and a nonchalant shrug from Sasuke. "About to leave, though. I'm going to see if they have any specialty ramen shops here that'll top Ichiraku's. I'm pretty doubtful, though." He pushed off the banister and turned back to the Uchiha as he nodded in the direction of the inn lobby. "You coming with me?"
Sakura turned to Sasuke, curious to know his answer and what his plans would be for the night. The Uchiha shook his head. "I don't want ramen," he responded, his nose wrinkling slightly in disdain.
"We can find something else to eat!" Naruto tried.
"No," Sasuke replied, his tone firm. "I'm not even hungry, you endless pit of stomach." Naruto didn't take offense to this as he merely laughed, and Sakura couldn't help but follow suit. She felt a warmth in seeing their banter after a long day and felt tempted to throw her documents in the room and drag Sasuke out so the three of them could enjoy a Team Seven dinner. The awkwardness from the other night had since dissipated, to her great relief, and part of her wanted to take advantage of it.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to suggest the change of pace, her breath caught in her throat when Sasuke's mismatched gaze captured hers. In a smooth voice, he said, "My shoulder hurts."
Silence.
Sakura nearly gaped at him.
There was a message beneath the message.
And it caused her mouth to go very, very dry.
Naruto, oblivious to the exchange and realization, shrugged. "Lucky we have a personal medic on-hand." He turned and made his way down toward the lobby. "Also lucky that I don't have to be at Gaara's office until noon tomorrow. Don't wait up for me!" With that, the blond gave a single wave of his hand before meandering down the steps, leaving Sasuke and Sakura to be with themselves.
The pair stood in quiet together, even when Naruto had walked out of the inn and into the summer night. She hugged her documents to her chest and finally cleared her throat, realizing that Sasuke was waiting for her to accept or decline, his expression slowly morphing into subtle curiosity. All of the confidence that helped her say she liked what happened the other night, all the confidence that helped her be the metal that attracted the magnet, all the confidence that she radiated hours ago that helped her stand her ground, seemed to transfer itself over to Sasuke who continued to gaze at her patiently.
Then, an almost involuntary chuckle left her lips, one of disbelief and amusement. The feelings were mirrored as mutual as Sasuke shook his head and smirked.
It was time to take some of that confidence back.
"Your shoulder hurts, huh?"
A/N: NSFW for the next chapter.