A/N: It's my birthday tomorrow, and I wanted to upload this story as my gift to you all! Hope you all enjoy!
Over the years, as Sasuke Uchiha traveled between nations, sometimes between dimensions and time, he was always taken by surprise if someone he met on his travels brought up people he knew in Konoha. The closer he was to the village, the more they had to say, but he'd traveled to distant lands, and yet the reputation of his friends and sometimes himself had carried this far.
Hearing someone mention a medic ninja from Konoha or the Hokage always perked Sasuke's ears up, and he fed on every scrap of news he could. Sometimes, it was how he found out anything about his wife. She would send a message along with Naruto's missives of how Sarada was doing, how the hospital was, but she never shared any news of herself.
When she had helped create the medical hospital to treat mental health patients, he'd found out about it months after it had opened from a village who had a family that had traveled to Konoha to help their son.
When he had been gone for several years, he heard about Sarada from strangers, and it was odd to hear about his own child who he hadn't seen since she was a toddler. The ache in his heart hurt, and he wanted nothing more than to come home.
Sasuke had to remind himself that he was patrolling for intel that could keep his family safe. That what he was doing was for the good of the Village Hidden in the Leaves as well. His work was important, and it was worth the heavy cost.
Still, when he heard the Chunin exams were approaching, he made his way back to the village. He hadn't received any news in months, and it seemed things were safe. For the moment, at least.
After briefing Naruto on his mission, he asked for leave to stay in Konoha for a while.
"How long are you thinking?" Naruto asked, surprised. He put down the missive he was reading.
Sasuke looked out the windows of Naruto's office. It was dark, the sun had set hours ago, and the moon was full. He always loved the view from this office. "I'd like to help Sarada train for the Chunins. We can discuss deployment after."
Naruto nodded, "Sakura will be happy to have you home for so long."
"How is she?" The question slipped out before he could think better of it.
Shrugging, the Hokage looked at his friend. "She's fine. Keeping busy, too busy if you ask me."
Taking that in, Sasuke wondered if Sakura wasn't taking good care of herself. He'd find out soon enough, he supposed. Turning, he headed out of the office with a wave of his hand, but Naruto stopped him.
"You probably weren't aware, but they moved again. Sakura accidentally broke their house. I'll write down the address for you," Naruto started scribbling on a piece of paper.
"When did that happen?" Sasuke asked, confused.
"A couple of weeks ago. She was showing Sarada some moves in their backyard, and well, you know how hard Sakura can punch."
Frowning, Sasuke glanced at the address and headed out wondering why Sakura didn't say anything. Granted, he hadn't sent a messenger hawk back to them in over a month. So she wasn't completely to blame. He had wanted to stay incognito to see if he could infiltrate some enemy bases that had turned out to be fruitless.
The hour was late, but not so late that Sakura and Sarada would be in bed, so he'd probably arrive in time to converse with them for a bit. Arriving home was always awkward at first. Should he knock? Should he just go in? How should he greet them? Ignoring the ball of anxiety in his stomach, Sasuke walked up the steps of the house, noting that only one light was on in the house.
Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door. It felt weird letting himself into a house he hadn't even known existed.
Sarada opened the door a moment later, her face brightening when she saw him. "Dad! You're home!"
He smiled down at his daughter, the novelty of having a kid hadn't quite worn off yet. He still wanted to stare at her in wonder and awe. How lucky he had gotten. Stepping into the house, he closed the door behind him.
"How long will you be staying for?" she asked as she took his pack from him and ushered him into the living room, where Sasuke took a seat on the sofa. There were scrolls littering a side table and medical books on the coffee table. The TV was on, though the volume had been muted. "Are you hungry? I could heat up some leftovers?" Sarada was just like how Sakura used to be when he'd come back from missions, fussing over him and making sure he was rested and comfortable.
"I'm okay," he shook his head and removed his cloak. Sarada took it from him and disappeared in the hallway to hang it up for him. "I'll be staying for a while this time. I heard the Chunin exams were coming up."
"They are!" Sarada nodded as she came back into the room and sat beside him. "If you'll be back for a while and have time, I'd really love it if you could help train me!"
A memory of Sasuke asking his brother, Itachi, to train him surfaced unwittingly. His brother had usually been too busy to train Sasuke, and he was always told 'next time'. Sasuke vowed he would make the time. "Of course," he nodded to her.
"That's great!" Sarada exclaimed.
"Where's Sakura?" he asked.
"Mom's working late tonight, so I've just been reading through these scrolls and watching some TV. I'm sure you're tired, so I can turn off the TV if you want to go to bed."
"You don't need to do anything different on my account," he assured her. He got up and realized he didn't know where the bedroom or bathroom were.
Sarada, noticing her father's distress, hopped up from the sofa and gave him a quick tour of the house.
"Thank you, Sarada," Sasuke smiled at her before she slipped out the room, shutting the door behind her, leaving Sasuke alone in an unknown room. The place still smelled new, and he could only smell Sakura's scent on the bed, which he relished.
Glancing around the room, he noticed this room was still not fully unpacked. There were boxes spilling out of the closet and along the wall and on top of the dresser. Peeking into the closet, he saw that only a handful of Sakura's clothes had been unpacked, and several boxes were opened with clothes spilling out as though she'd been looking for something.
Sasuke found a box that had his name on it. Grabbing a clean pair of clothes, he hurried to shower off the road dust and muck. Then he grabbed a couple boxes and started unpacking, putting things away as best he remembered Sakura liked to put things. He was so ingrained in hanging up her clothes, he almost missed her chakra signature stepping into the room.
"Sasuke?" she gasped, holding a hand to her chest in surprise.
Glancing at the clock, he found he had been unpacking for several hours, so Sarada was likely asleep and hadn't given Sakura a heads up. Sasuke stopped what he was doing and smiled down at his wife. "Welcome home."
She set her bag on the floor and smiled up at him. "You, too," she returned the smile. "You've been unpacking?"
"It felt weird to go to sleep when I could help do this for you," Sasuke shrugged. "I hope I remembered correctly where everything goes."
"Well, I appreciate it. Thank you. I am just going to hop into the shower and get rid of the hospital smell," she said as she grabbed fresh clothes and hurried from the room.
Sasuke stood there, debating about following her. It had been years since they'd slept together, and it wasn't like he hadn't thought of her naked nearly every night he'd been away from her. On nights when he was feeling especially lonely, he'd take himself in hand and conjure the image of her writhing beneath him, her mouth opened, and he tried to remember how she sounded when she moaned.
Shaking his head, he tried to calm himself. She'd just got off work from the hospital and was likely exhausted and not up for it. There would be other times, he reminded himself.
Sakura emerged, running her fingers through her damp hair, just as Sasuke was breaking down the last box. She sighed as she sat on the bed, glancing around the room. "One less thing for me to worry about."
"How come you didn't tell me you'd moved?" Sasuke asked as he set the cardboard on top of the other boxes.
Sakura shrugged as she grabbed the brush from her nightstand and began running it through her hair. "It just happened a couple weeks ago, and I was going to wait for your next message."
It bothered Sasuke how nonchalant she was about it, but he knew he didn't have the right to be upset, so he didn't say anything.
"Naruto said you're keeping busy with the hospital," he tried again.
"I suppose so. Now that I'm the director of the hospital, there's so much more to do." He'd heard she'd gotten that promotion from Naruto and had heard neighboring villages talking about it. The people loved Sakura. She helped so many.
"How did your mission go?" she asked him.
"Same as usual."
"I'm sure you're tired," she said. "Let's go to bed." Setting the brush down, she slipped under the covers and one Sasuke had done the same, she turned off the light.
Sasuke expected her to roll into him, to want to talk late into the night. They used to do that. They'd stay up until almost morning talking and catching each other up on all that they had missed. Sasuke loved those nights, holding her close, feeling her breath on his chest, her hands running circles along his skin.
But tonight she slept with her back to him, and he wasn't sure if she was mad at him. He hardly slept, and from the way she tossed and turned, she hardly got any sleep either. She was up before dawn and Sasuke stayed in bed for a moment longer, listening to her tiptoeing around the room so as not to wake him. Then he heard her leave the house, and Sasuke felt more confused.
He must have fallen asleep because when he woke again, Sarada was knocking on the door. "Do you want breakfast?"
Getting up, he followed her into the kitchen, where Sakura was cooking up something on the stove. She was in a sports bra and tights, and Sasuke realized she'd gone out to train. She used to ask Sasuke to go train with her, to spar with her. Sarada pointed Sasuke to a seat at the head of the table before she started setting the table.
As Sasuke watched them, it was clear they had a routine, both going about the task automatically, telling each other what they had planned for the day. Sakura migrated around the kitchen, going from the stove to the counter, where she was packing lunches for the two of them, to the fridge, from which she pulled out juice, setting it on the counter for Sarada to take to the table. Sarada bustled around from cabinet to drawers, finding the plates and silverware and cups needed.
"I have a couple surgeries today, and the dinner tonight that I told you about," Sakura informed Sarada.
"I have an overnight mission, so don't forget that I won't be back until tomorrow afternoon probably," Sarada said.
"You have everything you need?" Sakura asked her.
"Bag was packed last night," Sarada grinned at her mom before slipping into the seat beside Sasuke.
"What about you, Sasuke?" Sakura asked. "What do you have planned for today?" She came around and plopped some pancakes on each of their plates."
He had hoped to spend it with them, but now knowing how busy their days were, he felt silly and didn't want to spoil it. "I'm sure Naruto will keep me busy."
Sasuke spent the day at the Hokage tower reviewing intel with Naruto, and then he went to the training grounds for something to do when Naruto had to leave. When he went home, the house was quiet and dark, so he turned around and went walking through town.
He found himself at Ichiraku Ramen, thinking he'd find Naruto there. Instead TenTen, Lee, Choji, Kiba, and Shino were sitting at a table together. When they saw Sasuke, they ushered him over.
"I heard you were in town," Kiba commented.
"You didn't go to the dinner with Sakura?" TenTen asked him as he sat down.
Sasuke frowned and shook his head. Sakura had spoken of a dinner but hadn't elaborated on what it was, and she certainly hadn't asked him to go with her.
Choji turned to TenTen, "What dinner?" Sasuke was glad he asked so he didn't have to.
"It's a dinner to celebrate the hospital's success. All the hospital staff and spouses were invited along with the Hokage office," TenTen explained.
So that explained why Naruto and Shikamaru had called it a day so early. Still, he wasn't sure why Sakura hadn't asked him to go.
"I think I saw Sakura going with Kakashi," Shino said.
"It must have been a fancy dinner, she was dressed up really nicely," Rock Lee commented.
"I helped her pick out the dress," TenTen agreed.
Sasuke listened to them talk about the dinner, as the ball of anxiety grew heavier in his chest. As soon as it was socially acceptable, he excused himself from the dinner and hurried home. Sakura still wasn't home, but then he didn't expect her to be yet.
He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Sakura probably hadn't invited him because his appearance had been so last minute. Sasuke tried not to think about how she seemed more distant since he'd been home. His brain conjured her going with another man, of there being someone else. But he knew she would never do that to him, and he dismissed the thought immediately.
Still, he was worried and found he could do nothing but wait for her to get home. He turned on the TV so as to give him some semblance of a distraction, though it helped none. When he heard her keys jingling in the lock, he tried to muster up more of the stoic countenance he was known for.
"Thanks for walking me home, Kakashi- sensei. See you tomorrow," Sakura said before closing the door and locking it. When she came down the hall, she peered into the living room. "Did you have a good day, Sasuke?" she asked him.
Her black high,low dress clung to her waist, and the thin straps were falling down her arms. She wore heeled sandals and a necklace that dipped down between her cleavage before disappearing into the dress. Her pink tresses were slightly curled and pinned back out of her face. She was beautiful.
She was also as cheerful as she normally was, and Sasuke briefly wondered if he was making a big deal out of nothing.
Sasuke made a noncommittal noise that Sakura must have taken as an agreement. She nodded and turned to go into the bedroom. Sasuke got up and followed her. "How was the dinner?" he asked.
"It was great," she told him, "It was for the hospital, and we were able to bring in a couple of new donors for some better equipment."
He could smell alcohol on her breath, and she was leaning a bit as she walked.
"How come you went with Kakashi instead of me?" he asked her suddenly.
Without hesitating or breaking step, she answered, "As if you'd want to go to a boring, hospital dinner with me."
"How would you know?" he asked her. It sounded a little more hurt than he wanted. He didn't want to start a fight. He just wanted to understand.
She stopped just outside the bedroom door and turned to stare at him. "You don't want me to answer that, Sasuke." Her voice had a note of warning, but she didn't look upset. Then she turned and went into the bedroom and started taking the pins out of her hair.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
She sighed and stopped. "Nothing," she shook her head. "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm sorry I didn't invite you."
Confused, Sasuke came up behind her, his hand reaching for hers. "Sakura," he said pleadingly.
Pulling her hand from his, she turned to face him. "I didn't ask because I am not going to live my life waiting for you, Sasuke." When she saw his hurt, she continued, "I only mean that I didn't know when or if you'd come back to the village, and I wasn't going to hold the invitation for the last minute to see if maybe you'd show up."
"But you never asked-"
"If I had sent you a message asking you to go, would you have made it back here to go with me? You didn't even make it back to go to any of our friends' weddings with me. I didn't expect you to take time to go to a hospital dinner party."
Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but she had a point. If she had sent him the invitation while he was on the road, he would likely have not come back for it. She was right, of course she was. He was just being jealous and stupid. He felt like an outsider with his own family, and he was letting it question Sakura.
"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered.
"I learned a long time ago to check my expectations." Turning back to the dresser,continued pulling out the pins before she began undressing, leaving Sasuke standing in the middle of the room, feeling stupid.
The next afternoon, Sasuke found himself in Naruto's office again. Naruto was prattling on about the Gods knew what, but Sasuke could barely focus on listening to him. "Is this about your fight with Sakura?" Naruto suddenly said, catching Sasuke's attention.
"How do you know about that?" he asked, looking around and finding that the two were blessedly alone in the office.
"I met Sakura for breakfast this morning, and she told me about it," Naruto told him. Sasuke winced, wanting to tamp down on the jealousy he felt that Sakura and Naruto's friendship seemed so effortless. The two were truly best friends and nothing more, and Sasuke just wished his relationship with Sakura was that easy.
Grunting in agreement, Sasuke wasn't sure what to say. Naruto was his friend, but it felt weird talking to him about his marriage.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke didn't know. He did, because he needed help, but he didn't want to talk to Naruto about it. It felt weird. Naruto had the picture perfect marriage, and Sasuke's marriage was not the traditional sort.
"Look, since you're both my best friends, and I want nothing more than the two of you to be happy and work this out, I am going to tell you something," Naruto was suddenly serious, and that made Sasuke worried more than anything. "You two made a choice to get married knowing that you'd be away from the village for long periods of time, right?"
"Yes," Sasuke agreed, though he wasn't sure where this was going.
"I think in theory, it sounded okay, but putting it into practice is hard."
That was his sage advice? Sasuke wanted to punch him. "If that's all you've got, I'm leaving."
"Hear me out!" Naruto shouted. "You two have now been apart more in your relationship than you have been together. Sakura has learned to become super independent. She's essentially living as a single mom trying to juggle a kid, two hospitals, and missions. You can't just come back and expect her to just pick up where you left off when you left."
Sasuke closed his eyes and leaned his head back in the chair. Naruto wasn't wrong, and he subconsciously knew all of that of course. But it was different to see her moving on with her life not needing him.
"My advice is to go home and talk to her about it. I told her the same thing. She's going to try and get off work early so you can both talk before Sarada gets home," Naruto told him.
"When did you get so serious?" Sasuke asked him. "It's weird."
"I'm always serious when it comes to helping you two."
"Thanks."
When Sasuke got home, Sakura was already waiting for him on the sofa. "We need to talk," she told him, and those words made Sasuke's stomach plummet. What if she told him she couldn't do this anymore? What if she wanted to leave?
Saying nothing, Sasuke sat down.
"I'm sorry I didn't invite you to the dinner. I realize that taking the choice away from you and deciding for you wasn't right," she told him.
"And I'm sorry I've let you down so much in the past that you didn't think you could ask me anymore," Sasuke replied.
"I just," Sakura wrung her hands. "I love you, Sasuke. But when I agreed that I could deal with you going out on missions for long periods of time, I didn't expect to not see you for years at a time. I can handle days and weeks and even a couple months or so. But it's gotten to the point where you're missing everything. Sarada didn't even know who you were until she was twelve. I'm doing everything by myself, and I am figuring this out and doing it, but I hate it, Sasuke. I can't keep doing this. I need you to be able to come home and stay home and count on you to help me. I know this is super selfish of me, that you have your mission that is helping the whole village and the world and all that, but you're one person, and I just feel like we can figure out a way to make this work."
She was rambling, and her eyes had grown misty, but Sasuke was happy she was finally communicating how she felt. They'd been married for thirteen years, and she was finally telling him how she really felt, and he needed to make sure he really listened and actively worked to make things better or he really would lose her.
"Sasuke, it's been so long since we've shared a bed that I don't know how to sleep with another person. I used to miss you so much it was like an ache in my chest, and it's a feeling that just stays with me because even when you're here, I am just thinking of when you'll leave again and wondering how long it will be before you come back again.
"I am going to all of Sarada's school functions by myself, to all of the work functions by myself. People that don't know you think I'm widowed and people are constantly making remarks about you not being around, and I can handle all of that, but I just wish I didn't have to."
Sakura reached for his hand, squeezing them as a tear slipped down her cheek. Sasuke leaned forward, kissing it away. She turned from him, and Sasuke's heart clenched.
"Sakura, look at me?" It was a question, not a demand. He would not make her do anything she didn't want to. She turned her tear filled eyes to him, and Sasuke suddenly felt like he might cry, too. "This whole time, I thought everything I did, I did for the good of Konoha, but also to protect you and Sarada. I thought it was my lot for what I had done. I needed redemption. But I was stupid. So fucking stupid."
The expletive made Sakura smile and laugh.
"I am sorry for what I have put you through, for being a selfish bastard only thinking about myself. You and Sarada are my legacy and who I should be focusing on.I love you, both of you."
"Took you long enough to realize it," she smiled as she pulled him into her for a hug.
"I talked to Naruto, and I'll be staying for a while. No more being gone for years at a time," he promised her.
"You mean it?" she asked, and the hope and love in her eyes threatened to choke Sasuke.
"Yes."
Her lips were on his before he could finish saying the word.
She tasted sweet, and he pulled her into him, relishing the feel of her body against his. He missed this so much. He ran his hand through her hair, down her shoulders, across the expanse of her back.
Sakura pulled back, Sasuke's lips trailing after hers. "Maybe let's move to the bedroom?" Sakura suggested, suddenly a little shy. "Sarada will be home any moment."
"Mhm," Sasuke agreed, pulling her down to him again for another kiss. "We'd hate to traumatize her."
After a moment, Sasuke pulled Sakura across his lap so she was straddling him. Sakura squealed and laughed at the movement, and Sasuke's eyes danced with mirth. Holding her tightly to him, he stood and Sakura instinctively wrapped her legs around his middle. Sasuke backed her up against the wall, wanting to do so many different things to her, but after nipping along her neck a bit, he moved them to the bedroom as requested, slamming the door shut behind them.
"Thank you, Sasuke," Sakura said as he laid her on the bed.
"For what?" he asked.
"For listening to me, for working on this with me."
"You are my wife. I will always do whatever I can to make you happy. I am just sorry it took me so long to figure out what that was."
"Better late than never," she said as she pulled him down into her arms again.