A soft breeze flows through the window as Sakura puts away the journal papers on her desk. Despite retiring almost two decades ago, idleness has never suited her. Medicine was rapidly advancing throughout the Five Great Nations, and she made it a priority to stay up-to-date on all the recent developments.
She stands up gingerly, missing the dexterity and litheness of her youth. These days her bones creak with every step and her once-powerful fists are a distant memory. She leisurely makes her way to the kitchen and prepares two cups of tea before heading for the porch overlooking the back gardens.
Sasuke is leaning on his knees shovelling the earth to plant a new variety of tomatoes. Age has not diminished his beauty, Sakura thinks, as she takes a moment to appreciate the sight of him. Even though his hair is now more white than black, and wrinkles have invaded his once flawless face, he's still as handsome as the first day she laid eyes on him at the Academy entrance. Maybe more so, because she is now intimately familiar with the kind heart hidden by his stoic exterior.
He looks up as she approaches and his infamous eyes soften at her. She hands him his cup of tea, the afternoon sunlight glinting off the red ring adorning her finger, before sitting down beside him on the ground.
Their garden is one of their joys. There are plots of tomatoes, strawberries, figs, and various other fruits which Sasuke attends to with the same diligence he once saved for his missions.
Pots of cosmos line the side of the garden, a gift from Ino decades ago that Sakura has carefully maintained through the years, all the more bittersweet since her best friend's passing last year. Only a handful of their generation is left. Each year brings more death, but she is thankful that none has perished in the line of duty, that they all had the chance to live long lives surrounded by their loved ones—perhaps a gift from the fates for all the sacrifices and tragedies in their youth.
Yet despite this gratitude, she still feels a sharp pang of grief when she thinks about the future and the possibility of a life without her husband—however brief it may be.
A soft tap on her forehead brings her out of her sombre thoughts. "You're frowning," he says as he tenderly brushes his fingers over the wrinkled skin on her forehead before tapping it again and Sakura feels her mood lift immediately. He has always been able to read her better than anyone.
"You will get more wrinkles if you keep being so gloomy," he says with a playful smirk.
"You're one to talk," she counters, rolling her eyes at his teasing as she picks up the can to water the plants.
In a few hours, their house will be full of noise and laughter. It's her husband's birthday today and despite his half-hearted protests and grumblings, their children and grandchildren have never let the day pass without fanfare and celebration. He has spent far too many birthdays alone with nothing but darkness and hatred for company. He is glad for it, she knows, the happiness evident in the crinkle of his eyes and the softness of his smiles when all their precious people gather together to celebrate him.
Naruto will stop by soon with takeaway ramen and try to goad Sasuke into a fight, even though neither of them can successfully manage to do a jutsu without collapsing. Their antics have not lessened with age, she thinks wryly. If anything, retirement and boredom mean that sometimes their behaviour is worse than when they were rowdy genins.
Until then, it's just the two of them, sitting side by side and planting fruits for their remaining days. She presses a soft kiss on his forehead, and Sasuke turns and smiles at her softly, a smile reserved just for her, and for the moment all is right with the world.
A/N: This is my first ever fanfic and I would appreciate any and all comments and feedback 😊