One-shot. Canon-compliance. Sasuke's thoughts. Post-war. Sasusaku.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the chracters, plot or scenarios utilized in any way. Enjoy reading.
***
The sound of wind passed his ear like the gentle touch of a flower petal. Silence had befallen them, a gesture quite unusual to Naruto, but Sasuke liked it. Somehow, even with the weight of all wrongs he had done, he felt unexpectedly light. Maybe it might have been his missing arm or his missing darkness, he wasn't sure. But in that moment, he was thankful to have been born, to have formed a friend like him and to be alive.
Though for how long was uncertain. His left arm bled profusely, in the same battered condition as Naruto's right arm, and if it continued this way, the two might end up dead, just like Naruto promised one day. But he won't regret dying, knowing he would meet his deceased family up in the heavens, or maybe not, since he might not end up going to heaven after his life choices. However, he would never attain peace if his best friend died with him, without completing his dream of being Hokage and having a family.
Images of his past flashed before his eyes, and he was sure it was time soon. Him training with his brother, Itachi poking his head, his mother and father's corpses with Itachi behind them, joining team 7 for the first time, the land of waves mission, jumping in to protect Naruto, finding Sakura crying over him, the chunin exams, fight with Orochimaru, seeing Sakura all battered up and fighting for her, watching Naruto win against Gaara, the fight at the rooftop... so many memories had welled up inside him. He looked back the most recent ones; their fight against Kaguya, getting trapped in another dimension, holding a falling Sakura, defeating Kaguya, hearing Sakura's confession, and Kakashi's advising. All of it had come returning to him like a bird lost in rain, finally sighting its nest after sunlight cleared the clouds.
He half expected someone to come and heal them, since except four of them, everyone was trapped inside the Tsukuyomi; two of the four being Kakashi and Sakura, the former immobile because of his injury and the latter probably unconscious from the effects of his genjutsu. Regret washed over him when he realised he would die without seeing those two- his secretly self-proclaimed father figure and the only woman he found comfort in.
And therefore it surprised him even more, when his swollen eyes caught sight of a flash of pink advancing towards them from the top of the cliff. He could swear his breath had stopped for a second under the semblance of his everlasting impassiveness, when Sakura plopped down before them, hands hovering over their missing arms, tired eyes drooping and with less shimmer than he remembered. He shifted his attention towards his other teammate, who had a small smile planted on his face, as he breathed, "Sakura..."
"Sakura," he began, "forget about me. Heal Naruto–"
"Shut up and let me concentrate."
He registered her face with mild surprise, since the girl had never in his life cut him off, much less scold him. Just when he had thought nothing would surprise him anymore—having fought God-level zombies waging war against shinobis—this woman had the audacity to prove him wrong yet again. Honestly, what kind of girl would sacrifice all her life chasing after a vagabond criminal who never ceased to ignore her attempts at wooing him, tried to kill her two times(and he had still not gotten over the fact that she tried to kill him too), and put her in one of the harshest genjutsu he could. Obviously, Sakura Haruno had taken the responsibility for that and no one asked her to. For all one cared, she could have chosen the loser who desperately failed at the attempt to hide his obvious crush on her, but no. Here she was, treating both of them equally with eyes which possessed mixed emotions of that of a teammate and a medic.
How she even got out of his genjutsu was a question to be pondered upon, but he didn't acknowledge her genjutsu tackling skills for nothing. He even went along with the trouble of creating such an illusion just so she could hate him, but it surprised him to find none on her face, only pain; pain caused by him, which was evident in her eyes. Taking the time to observe his teammate, his eyes scanned Sakura's small face as, like a war goddess, she looked absolutely beautiful.
Beautiful?
He never thought the word existed in his vocabulary, not for a woman anyway, but as Sakura kneeled before him, jade light bedazzling the viridian in her own eyes, face covered in a motif of uneven scars, sheen of sweat and cluster of dirt while eyebags ruled below her cherry blossom lashes, she served the most magnificent sight he had ever seen.
Regret hit him hard in the gut again as he focused his distorted gaze on Sakura's jade eyes. He recognized those eyes well, too well for having possessed them for so long, having seen them through his own eyes before Itachi's last breath left him, and again when he pledged him an eternal love no matter what his actions. Those eyes screamed hurt, though the only difference was there was still no hatred.
He bit back a bitter laugh, his actions seeming the most stupid things he had ever carried out and realising how much he had missed out on. The girl hadn't retracted her hand, and he felt like he could gaze at her for years and he would never get tired.
He glanced at his best friend-cum-brother again, eyes which lost focus a while ago glimmering strangely.
I am sorry, loser.
He shifted it back to the cherry-blossom shade he missed so much since he left.
The thing is I...
"Sakura, I am sorry."
She didn't look up, but her brows furrowed slightly, unshed tears threatening to fall and yet, they never did, like she held them in vigorously. Her plump lips parted slightly, before he actually heard her stern voice, "Sorry? For what?"
Never breaking his gaze, he thought back on what he had to apologize for. Leaving her? Hurting her? Rejecting her? Or maybe, rejecting his own feelings for her? But the only answer that reached him was...
"For everything."
A part of him wished she would never forgive him, that he deserved it after all he had done. But the bigger, more selfish part of him, which recently realised something he should have long ago, was rooting for her to hold on.
"You should be. You idiot, Shannaro..."
And the tears dripped down her eyes, framing her soft cheeks as they fell on the ground. But her features slackened and relief washed over him, along with astonishment at how easily he was forgiven.
He closed his eyes in thought and reasoned with himself.
Why did I do all of this?
A stupid question to ask, honestly, but he had wanted to, for a long time.
Was I angry?
Was I upset?
Was I crazy?
No. The answer came too soon to him and something wet formed in his eyes, too faint compared to Sakura's but there.
I was just...
...in pain.
He held the wetness back as Sakura ended up patching their wounds. His friends, his family, he deserted them because he was too lonely. Oh, how ironic!
Her face was wet with tears and he wished he could be upfront about his emotions just like her, just to ease this slight pain dwelling inside him.
Maybe you can cry away my pain too...
The thought was so cringe, his younger self would have scoffed, but now that he had realised the position his female teammate held in his heart, he couldn't help the slight smile on his face, especially when she reciprocated it tenfolds.
"I am sorry as well." Sakura's voice surprised them both as they gaped at her with widened eyes.
"What are you–"
"No," Naruto was stopped by her, "let me say this. I am sorry for not being able to be a help." More tears fell down her eyes, her smile from before diminishing under her teeth biting her lower lip, "I wasn't strong enough to bring Sasuke back, to help you. I didn't even have the resolve to–"
"Are you seriously kidding me?" Naruto voiced out Sasuke's exact thought, "If you weren't here, we would have died. And do you think he would have lived if you hit him?" He tried to lighten the mood as he snickered himself, making Sakura giggle under her tears, "come on now, Sakura, if you say that, I will have to get grandma Tsunade to give you a pep talk all over again. Geez! He is back now, so what's there to worry, you know?"
"Thank you, Naruto," she sniffed, "but next time, I will definitely be there to help you. And you," she pointed at Sasuke, "don't you dare try to think shit like that again or I will not be as generous as Naruto, to leave even a limb on your body, even if I had to be the one to drag your ass on a wheelchair around the village after that." She laughed along with Naruto, "that sure would be a sight. And it will he a lot more painful too, you bastard. Right, Sakura?"
"Mhm."
"I'll make sure to avoid that happens." Sasuke replied with a gentle smile. Silence filled them, when Sakura fidgeted with her jounin top, as a look of understanding passed on Naruto's face and he extended his only arm towards her, kicking Sasuke to do the same, which he awkwardly did with confused expressions. Sakura watched them with widened jade eyes before more tears fell down her eyes and she jumped on them, wrapping her own arms around her boys' necks, burying her face into the space between their heads as they too wrapped her arms on her waist, resting their faces on each of her shoulders.
"Geez, Sakura, you are making me emotional with all the crying, you know." Naruto laughed, not fighting the lone tear that escaped his eye.
"Shut up or I'll hit you."
When she pulled back, Sasuke almost missed her warmth. Ever since Genin, he knew how perfectly her body fit his own whenever she hugged him. But being too driven by the fog of revenge, his sight never caught the name of the feeling that bubbled inside him.
Now sitting in front of Sakura, with no fog of revenge or hatred hogging his sight, the stupid epiphany slapped him hard, but he felt no more pain.
Because he had found the cure to it.
Or rather realised, for she had always been his cure.
The woman named Haruno Sakura.
The woman he loved.
_