With each passing day after the Gala, Sakura's hope had dwindled.
Each day, little by little, it become glaringly obvious that this man had no intention of ever seeing her again. A thought that both saddened and irritated her. Sakura was definitely a type A personality, and things like this that were out of her control did not sit well with her.
Like a sponge, she tended to soak up knowledge whenever she could, quickly becoming a walking encyclopedia of many things. But intangible subjects like spirituality or love, befuddled her.
One topic she could now add to the list was mysterious men who seemed to vanish without a trace.
Initially, she was quite hopeful. Thinking he would eventually come around, seeing as he knew where she lived and worked, Sakura made sure to stay close to home or work at all times. But as the days passed with no such luck, she began to accept the fact that she may never see him again.
Luckily for her, she was married to her job, and quickly threw herself into her work in an effort to keep her mind distracted... for the most part.
Every night, she would lie awake in bed, eyes following the dancing shadows on the ceiling from the tree branches outside her window. When the fall breeze made them sway, her eyes followed the movement of their shadows, entertaining the fond memories of the dance she shared with her Zorro.
She'd be lying if she said she didn't feel some kind of remorse over the whole situation.
Day after antagonizing day, she looked at faces more closely... in the halls at work, in the aisles of the supermarket... at passersby on the street... and inside each shop and restaurant window she passed.
Searching, always searching, for her missing beau.
It wasn't that she was obsessed, Sakura just liked to think she was determined to get some kind of closure. Mainly for herself, but also to prove to Ino that he wasn't just some skeevy traveler who was looking to get lucky.
Unfortunately, her roommate liked to bring this topic up more than Sakura cared for. She was already feeling pretty miserly about the whole ordeal, only feeling more ridiculous as the days went by. The longer she thought about it, the more she realized he had zero excuses for not seeing her again. But she supposed, that was his decision.
It couldn't have been any more clear to her now. He simply had no interest in ever seeing her again. A hard truth to learn, but a truth, nonetheless.
Choosing to forgo further lamentation, Sakura was thankful her work life seemed to become more demanding, as it definitely helped to put some distance between her and that night that seemed to haunt her.
With the success of the Gala beneath her belt, Tsunade stepped down as Hokage. The village had raised more than enough to cover the remaining damages and fund most of the expansion plans, so her mentor was rather looking forward to her much earned retirement after the new Hokage was sworn into office.
None other than the Copy Nin Kakashi Hatake was named as the Rokudaime of Konoha, while Naruto studied diplomatic affairs under the tutelage of the other Kage in preparation for his turn. It was a call everyone supported, but seeing as he was still technically a Chuunin with little leadership experience, Tsunade and the Elders thought it best to give the jinchuriki time to develop.
With Naruto, and his would-be advisor, Shikamaru, traveling around the other nations for training, this left Kakashi needing an administrative assistant. With Shizune stepping into a teaching role for the medic training program at the academy, it seemed Sakura would be filling the shoes of such position for the time being.
As Head of the Medical Department, and Hospital Director of Konoha General, Sakura would be working closely with the Hokage anyway, and adding the title "Assistant to the Hokage" to anyone's resume was never something to refuse. She knew it would keep her busy, and that was exactly what she was hoping for.
Ever the dedicated worker, Sakura plunged head first into her new roles, and quickly found how easy it was working with someone she had known for so long. Due to her new job specifications, her hospital rounds were handed off to her medic underlings, as she now needed to work in close proximity to the Rokudaime.
With her office relocating to the Hokage building, it allowed her to be at Kakashi's beck and call, and still be close enough to the hospital. She would no longer be seeing each patient, but would oversee each case file, perform surgeries, and still have time to handle her administrative duties. It was a lot to undertake, but she felt her time with Tsunade had more than prepared her for it.
Moving up in the ranks, Sakura welcomed the change of scenery... and the change in salary.
For the first time in her life, she was able to save enough money to make a down payment on a house, and enjoy her very own place. With the village expanding, she was able to secure a decent home in the newer part of town. It was a far cry from the small home her parents had, and the shoe box apartment she and Ino had shared for the last year. With Kiba moving in, Sakura had no desire to be a constant third wheel, and decided it was time to start acting like the adult she was.
Life seemed to be taking her in some amazing new directions, and instead of dwelling on the past, Sakura reveled in the possibilities of the future. Before she knew it, the days turned into weeks as the end of the year was quickly approaching.
The new year was sure to bring a new beginning for this next chapter in her life, and for the first time in months, Sakura found herself full of hope.