Chapter 29: Reintegration
On her fifth, sixth, and seventh days of isolation, Sakura repeated her training routine to the point of utter exhaustion; she even took an eighth day of grueling training and isolation for good measure. However, despite the backbreaking work, meditating until sundown every day gave her the piece of peace she so desperately needed. No matter how much the redheads snickered at her during training and how often they stomped on her jaw throughout the night, they could not touch her when she sat beside that riverbed.
When Sakura woke up on the ninth day, she decided that it was time to say hello to some old friends. Even though Tsunade and Naruto were probably growing antsy, she had someone to thank before she could visit them.
After dressing and eating, Sakura headed out the door. Today, she walked slowly. She had a lot of reevaluating and readjusting to do—and, foremost, she wanted to become more of a sponge for the present than a relic of the past or a vision of the future. Her tardigrade pace gave her a chance to enjoy the scents from food stands and the sounds of children playing in the streets.
It was a lovely day. The sunshine soaked into her skin and warmed her achy bones. It really was the perfect day to visit an old friend. Perhaps she was working in the flower shop today. Sakura decided that she could use some flowers either way, and changed her path to the Yamanaka flower shop.
Upon walking inside, she saw her tall, blonde friend focused on organizing a resplendent bouquet.
"What's that one for?" Sakura asked.
Ino looked up from her work with eyes wide enough to be two glowing moons. "You're alive!"
"Yeah." Sakura scratched her head, looking a little abashed. "I guess I am."
The florist kunoichi dropped the remaining flowers in her hands and ran over to hug her friend. Ino wrapped Sakura so tightly in her arms that it seemed like they would never part and, considering the circumstances surrounding their last meeting, Sakura appreciated her relief and excitement.
Ino pulled back and blinked tearfully. "I really thought I'd never see you again. When Tsunade told me that you were missing, I was terrified that you'd never come home. The look on your face the last time I saw you was… It was the look of an innocent person set to hang."
Finally, Ino broke down into wailing sobs. Sakura would have joined her if she had not felt so jaded about the whole ordeal.
"Sakura, is that you?" It seemed that Ino's father had heard the commotion and came to check on his daughter. Ino hastily wiped away her tears.
Sakura let out a whistling breath. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry if I startled you."
He shook his head. "Not at all. Why don't you two go for a walk together? I'll take over the shop for today."
Ino and Sakura looked at each other before looking at her father. His offer was generous.
"Are you sure it's alright, Dad? I know the shop's been busy lately…"
He looked at her. "Yes, and I know that you've been staying up at night. Go somewhere and catch up with each other—I'm sure both of you can use it."
The two women did not need any more convincing. Ino quickly showed her father where she left off in the current flower arrangement and then the twosome headed out into streets of Konoha.
"Why don't we head to a restaurant for lunch?" Ino suggested, "The streets seem a little busy today." She was right—the streets were busy, which would make it impossible for them to talk about anything substantial.
"You read my mind. Let's head somewhere a little quieter," Sakura agreed.
Rather than a restaurant, they turned into a cozy coffee shop known for its intimate ambience. They each grabbed a cup of java and a few pastries from the front counter before sliding into a private booth.
Sakura looked out the dimmed window and Ino sipped her coffee. The quiet between them waited patiently for the first person to shatter it.
"What's been going on, Sakura?" Ino appeared concerned, but prepared for the truth.
Sakura took a deep breath before responding. "Well, a lot's been going on. So, I'll give you the brief version. As you know, you haven't seen me much over the past five years because, to my knowledge, my one teammate was dead and the other one was as well off as the first. I withdrew into myself and, when I did, I decided that I was going to hunt down Itachi Uchiha."
Ino's eyes widened, but she did not interrupt.
"I trained for five years. Then, I left the village because I finally got reliable intel on his whereabouts. And, when I left, I decided not to come back. While I was gone, I ran into a very alive Sasuke, which was startling, but we agreed to 'work together' to find Itachi. As expected, there was some fighting, and then, as unexpected, someone gave me some secret information. This information was so secret—and so awful—that Danzo the village elder wants me dead for it.
"After I saw you last, he almost had his way. He sent people to capture me and… Well… They succeeded. I just got back about week and a half ago."
Over the course of her explanation, Ino's face shifted from concerned to utterly stricken.
"Sakura… You went missing almost two months ago," Ino whispered.
Sakura nodded her head hesitantly. "Yeah. I did."
Ino looked ready to retch. They both sat in silence for a few moments, with the unspoken reality hanging in the air between them. The florist kunoichi could not find the right words to say because there truly was none.
"Don't worry, Ino. Retribution is on its way. He'll pay for everything he's done."
Danzo would waltz back into Konoha eventually. And, when he did, he would undoubtedly make some ridiculous demands about having her head. Fortunately, Sakura had Tsunade to protect her on the official end of things. However, by then, Sasuke would know the truth. While she might not be able to snuff Danzo on her own, Sakura had no doubt that she and Sasuke would slaughter him if they worked together.
"But, Sakura, he's a village elder! I'm sure he didn't get there by being a pushover! Aren't you at least a little worried?" Ino asked incredulously.
Sakura chuckled. "I was very worried before being captured, but, by the time I came to my senses in his prison cell, I was just really adamant and really pissed off. Unfortunately for him, I escaped and have since reconvened with someone who has even more reasons to kill him than I do."
She smiled a little. She had never dreamed that Sasuke would be her most effective ally in a war against evil. In fact, Sakura had always assumed that he would be on the opposite side. However, after their most recent rendezvous, she had no doubt that she could rely on him. If he wanted to have a public relationship with her—a concept that still made her dizzy—then, it would not take much for his bloodthirsty personality to want a fight. When she finally revealed the truth to him, she suspected that she would have to hold him back rather than spur him to arms.
"You have me, too, Sakura. If there is anything you need me to do, let me know—I'll be there," Ino offered with fierce determination.
Sakura reached out and grabbed Ino's hands with her own. "Ino, you've helped enough. That letter you sent saved Naruto's life. The best thing you can do right now is feign ignorance. I just want everyone to be safe."
"Don't be so stubborn, Sakura! I'm not weak and I'm sure that Sai would want to help, too," she insisted.
Evading Ino's suggestions, Sakura paused and arched an eyebrow. "Jeez, you talk like you're dating…"
Rather than a chuckle or a wave of the hand, her joke earned a smug grin from Ino. It took only a moment to draw the obvious conclusion before Sakura's jaw dropped.
"Uh huh. Because we are dating," Ino beamed proudly, "I told him to take me out to dinner over a year ago and we've been dating ever since."
Sakura stared at her. "So, you strong-armed him into a relationship?"
"I like to think of it as taking the initiative, you know?" Ino's pleased grin shrunk to a small smile. "He's opened up to me a lot over the past year, so I think it's working out pretty well."
That small smile made everything real—Ino and Sai really were dating.
"Ino! That's fantastic! You're perfect for him, and well, he's perfect for you, too." Sakura's joyful celebration turned dark as she added, "But don't think that your relationship will stop me from putting him in his place if he ever calls me 'Ugly' again."
Her friend chuckled and waved away her warning. "I'd be worried if it were any other way. I'd try to keep him in line, but, quite frankly, I have better things to do. Plus—he's an experiential learner, you know? It just takes a few tries."
They both laughed together and took a conversational pause to sip their coffee.
"Speaking of romance...I've heard that something is going on between you and Sasuke. Is there any truth to the rumors?" Ino asked with hesitant curiosity.
Sakura slumped in her seat. "Where the heck did you hear that?" How could there be rumors already?
"From your loudmouth teammate, of course. He's been blabbing with pride for days. Maybe it'll give him the reality check he needs to ask out poor Hinata…" Ino shook her head. "So, is it true?"
Sakura laughed nervously. "Well… Ha. I haven't exactly decided yet."
"What does that mean! Are you saying that he's asked you out and you haven't given him an answer?"
"You think he asked? He just told Naruto and Tsunade that we were dating without even consulting me first. When I got wind of it, I told him something along the lines of no-fucking-way, until he pointed out that a public relationship might not be a bad idea considering the circumstances…" Yet, Sakura still vacillated on the subject.
"You said no at first?" Ino gasped. "Are you actually Sakura Haruno? His fan club would lynch you if they found out. Though, I suppose they'd be ready to lynch you if you accepted, just as well. If this had happened five years ago, I'd have lynched you myself." She paused. "But… I can understand your hesitation."
Sakura studied the palms of her hands wondering if she even understood her own hesitation.
"You have to admit, though—he has a point. Another powerful public ally couldn't hurt right now. And, even if it's hard, try to remember that it's been five years. People change. If he's offering something like that, I can't help but wonder if he's changed, too."
Sakura pressed her lips together in contemplation. "He's given me plenty of reasons to think that he's changed. The problem is, I've changed, too. I've met new people along the way and now I think that I just have different expectations."
Ino's eyes narrowed perceptively, but without judgment. "There's someone else, isn't there?"
Sakura gulped and began to thrum her fingers on the table. There was no one else, right? As much as she loved talking to Itachi, he was just a friend. Anything more would have been impossible. Plus, he was the one who claimed to prefer a solitary lifestyle—those preferences were not particularly conducive to a romantic relationship.
"Nah," she responded dismissively, "No one who'd be interested, anyway."
Ino stretched into a yawn. "Why don't you give Sasuke a try, then? You can always break up with him if it doesn't work out."
"You make it sound so easy," Sakura chided before conceding, "But, you're not wrong. How about this: if I decide to say yes, you and Sai have to come on a double date with us."
Ino's face lit up like all of her sweetest dreams had come true and Sakura began to wonder what types of things her friend dreamed about.
"Oh, that would be perfect! Maybe we could even get Naruto and Hinata in on it, too!" Ino swooned.
However, her energetic celebration did not last long before she yawned again.
Sakura frowned. "Your dad mentioned that you've been staying up at night. Have you been having trouble sleeping?"
Ino looked at Sakura with resigned sadness. "Of course I've had trouble sleeping, Sakura. I had no idea if you were ever going to make it home. I stayed up at night just in case you showed up at my door looking for a place to stay. How was I supposed to sleep after seeing that look on your face?"
At her blunt yet profound words, Sakura's eyes watered. Ino had sacrificed sleep for the past two months waiting for her to come home. There could not be a more dedicated friend in the world than the woman sitting across the table from her at this moment.
"I'm really sorry to have saddled you with that. But, I promise: Danzo won't get his way. If coffee can't even wake you up, why don't you go home and catch up on some of that sleep you've lost?" Sakura suggested.
Ino yawned again. "Don't be sorry, Sakura. However, that sleep probably isn't a bad idea."
They stood from their seats, tossed out their trash, and walked out of the coffee shop into the late afternoon air. Knowing that it was time to part, they gave each other a quick hug.
"Be sure to keep me in-the-know," Ino requested.
Sakura smiled and they waved their goodbyes. Sakura walked in the direction of the Hokage's tower and Ino headed back toward her house; they would reunite soon. Until then, Sakura owed her teacher a visit.
As she wound her way through the streets, Sakura heard a voice call out amid the bustling pedestrian traffic.
"Sakura? Sakura! Sakura, is that you? Wait up for me!"
Within moments, a perky Naruto trotted up behind her and pulled her into a bear-hug.
Upon letting go, he asked, "So, where are we headed?"
"We're going to visit the Godaime." She could not help but to smile at his cheery demeanor.
Before they continued walking, Sakura drew him into a headlock and rustled his hair with her free hand.
"Sakura!" Naruto protested with helpless wiggles.
She released him and grinned. "I've missed you."
Naruto smiled and scratched his head; he almost looked like he was blushing. Without another word, she grabbed his hand and began to drag him in the direction of Tsunade's office. Eventually, his feet caught up with her and he walked by her side rather than being pulled through her dust.
Upon entering the office, Tsunade looked up at them with a pleased smile and eagerly set down her paperwork. With the number of forms covering her desk, she looked ready for an interruption.
"It's good to see you out and looking healthy, Sakura," Tsunade greeted.
"Yeah, you look great!" Naruto agreed.
"Thank you. The week of disconnect really helped," she admitted, "But, I'm ready to see what normal life is like again. Has anything happened that I should know about?"
Tsunade grimaced. "Danzo sent me a correspondence indicating that he would return from his vacation in four weeks from now and that he would like to hold a meeting in my office upon his arrival."
"Vacation!" Naruto yawped, "What the hell does the mean?"
Sakura stayed silent, waiting for the Hokage to answer.
"He claims to have been absent because of a much-needed vacation."
Now, Sakura laughed with viscous spite. "By vacation, he means finding construction crews to repair the blown out wall of his prison. Plus, he probably needed to round up a few other escapees after the first one damaged the building's structural integrity." She paused. "But seriously, Tsunade… You need to do an investigation into the people he's holding in his cells. That place was huge and I have no doubt that he's holding other innocents who threaten his ideals."
The room took on a heavy air as they contemplated her request.
"You're right. To be honest, I don't think I realized how many prison cells he had until we were searching for you. And, even when we did go looking for you, we couldn't find you because he managed to hide you while those searching passed through. I'll open an investigation into his prison facilities and the people being held in them."
Sakura bowed to emphasize her gratefulness—who knew how many people an investigation could save?
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. It means a lot to me and I'm sure that it'll be worth your time and resources."
Naruto growled from beside her. "I can't believe he's getting away with this! You have to do something!"
"I will," Tsunade resolved, "It's shameful that he's gotten away with it for this long. With that out in the open, is there anything else I should know?"
Sakura fell silent for a moment. There was probably a lot that Tsunade should know, but Sakura felt uncomfortable telling her. The thing weighing on her most was not hers to tell—and she suspected that Tsunade knew more on that subject than she readily divulged.
"Actually, there is one thing. I don't expect Danzo to survive our next meeting. So, you might want to skip it in order to maintain a clean reputation."
Both Tsunade and Naruto looked at her with incredulity. Her words were outright treasonous, but she did not want her teacher to suffer the repercussions of her own actions.
Tsunade sighed. "I'll pretend that I didn't hear that. But, I'll be here no matter what. Anyway, meeting dismissed." She shooed them away. "I have a lot of work to do."
The pair bowed, waved farewell, and left smiling. As they walked through the streets, she found the sky growing darker by the minute.
"Hey, Sakura."
"Yeah, Naruto?"
He gulped. "Do you think I could train with you? I've fallen a little out of practice."
She paused for a moment.
"Of course you can, dork. You just have to promise to behave during meditation. We'll get you back in shape in no time!"
Naruto scratched his head and cracked a toothy grin. "You're the greatest, Sakura!"
Sakura waved away his praise. "It's nothing. Just be outside my door at dawn!"
He slumped.
"Discipline is the first part of training," she reminded him.
"See you tomorrow," he mumbled upon seeing that their paths were splitting ways.
With a pat on his head, she turned to the direction of her apartment. As she walked, there was a drag in her step; Sakura was ready to go to bed.
Authoress's Note:
I should be finishing my paper, but here I am, posting this instead.
Thank you all for reading and for your helpful feedback. :) I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
A
