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Chapter 11 - Conclusion

Sakura

"What's so interesting about this match? You didn't pay that much attention to the previous ones." His gaze quickly swayed in her direction, but just as fast his eyes returned to the battling shinobi. Squinting slightly, as if there was something hidden in their movements, Sasuke looked very much like he considered activating Sharingan, although there was nothing to see that those eyes could catch. Again, he looked at her, and she smiled, just for good measure.

It was a good thing Sasuke didn't realize how easily she could read his thoughts and emotions through his eyes and expression. Sasuke watched her watch the fight. He'd done this for a while, maybe to see the results from the matches in her reactions before they actually happened.

"What do you see?" Sakura countered, and she was in fact interested in his opinion. Could he spot something more?

"A violent girl and a guy who can't land his jutsu, and doesn't even dodge properly."

"Well, that's just how it is."

"He's just stalling. It's obvious Temari will win this."

She laughed quietly. "No doubt indeed. Shikamaru will lose this fight." Sasuke scrunched his eyebrows, thoroughly confused, probably, and still searching her eyes for the answers. He had no way of understanding her little inside joke, of course. Soon a certain someone would end this match, and everyone would understand. "Anyway, there's magic in seeing someone fall in love. I didn't notice any of this the first time, but they really do fit together. They maintain a certain balance, even though they just met. It's beautiful."

"They end up together?" Incredulity etched a path across Sasuke's face as a very irked Temari unleashed another string of attacks, and Shikamaru once again evaded her. Honestly, Shikamaru looked mostly bored even as his eyes trailed his beloved clouds. Temari, on the other end, seemed ready to explode.

"They always denied it, but it was so obvious. Really cute, too." Sakura felt happiness bubbling inside her looking at them. Somehow, love existed in this world. As long as they stayed together, things might turn out right. Upon the podium sat the two Kage. With them, although she was unable to see or sense them, were Tsunade and Jiraiya. On their own little balcony stood the remaining participants and then some, she could see the two Jinchūriki sharing camaraderie, both a bit less lonely.

Sasuke and Sakura watched the fight together, standing close, breathing the same air, shoulders touching and sharing warmth.

Sasuke

"You're ugly today. Did you not sleep? I read that girls require something called 'beauty sleep' every night." Sai's creepy grin only served to show who Sakura picked up those fake smiles from. He was the most insensitive person Sasuke had ever met. This time she would surely explode, and her fist connecting with that white jaw would feel satisfactory to everyone but the receiving end. Alas, it was not to be. Sakura giggled, and shook her head while taking that pale hand.

"Thank you, I'm fine. I can go a night or two with little sleep. I have beauty to spare." Wink wink. Clearly they didn't hear the same statement, or there was a very unfair exception to the rule 'never insult Sakura'. "You should catch up on your reading. What did you think of the books I gave you, Sai?"

"So far I've found them very enjoyable. I've learned that to love is to hate, and am I interpreting it correctly that arguing is a way of showing affection?" Sai smiled soullessly.

"Um, uh… maybe I should have given you a different book."

"Ne, Sakura-chan. I've been wondering… How come you always talk about this future stuff so calmly? I don't get it." Enter! Uzumaki Naruto, obliviously bringing a complete change of subject – or perhaps intentionally ignoring the previous one. What a dobe. Not that Sasuke particularly minded in this case.

Sakura let out a very unladylike snort, that kind of hollow, short sound that resembles a laugh. "The first time was extremely hard. The second time was difficult. The third was less so. If I were to think about everything and feel all the time, I would be of no help to anyone. Sometimes a shinobi must put her feelings aside to fulfill her duty, and sometimes a person must shut down her emotions to protect herself." She promptly engrossed herself in her ramen, and Naruto followed her example with thoughts and emotions painted all over his face.

"I don't like it," he declared through his mouthful of noodles and broth. "You should always feel, I think."

"That's exactly how you do things, Naruto. It works for you, even in the most bizarre and unlikely situations. I have to do things my way, though."

Naruto slurped his noodles contemplatively. "I don't get it."

"That's fine, you don't have to," Sakura answered in her mild, patient voice that never stopped feeling strange when she directed it at the Dobe.

They finished their ramen shortly after, even though the Dobe had 'only three helpings, waaay too little.'

"Come, Sasuke, let's go. We'll meet up with the rest of you later."

"I still think it's unfair how we're not allowed to come." Naruto pouted childishly. "I can even do Rasengan now… almost."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Don't be a baby about this."

"Hey! I'm not a baby!"

"But you are the most immature member of Team Kakashi," Sai added his two cents.

At this point, Naruto was fuming. Way to go. Sakura shared that statement, at least.

"Not helping, Sai. Just… Go home, both of you. And don't kill each other."

They left the idiots behind, and Sasuke noticed Sakura crossing her fingers subtly – probably hoping that the aforementioned idiots would not choose death-by-friend in her absence.

They met up at the planned rendezvous, already occupied by a pretty impressive group of people. Of course it didn't intimidate him, being in the presence of one Hokage, two Sannin and three jōnin. Sakura twisted the hem of her top repeatedly, she was so stiff and nervous she might fall over if he poked her. Or potentially hit – try to hit – him, which is why he didn't act on the impulse.

His fingers had nothing to do, yet he felt the need to do something with them.

"What if something changed? They might have gone another way, or perhaps they didn't come to Konoha at all." Sakura twirled a lock of hair around her finger, over and over until the poor appendage turned red. It looked painful, but she didn't seem to notice. Kakashi-sensei put a hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

His own body felt stiff and strained.

Tension drained from her shoulders, and through some deep breaths her shaking stopped and that finger was released. Some stray strands shone in the sun, almost appearing white instead of the usual pale pink.

"It's going to be fine."

Sakura looked up at their sensei with nostalgia in her smile and gleaming eyes.

"Thanks."

Just like that she almost completely calmed down. She twined her fingers into his, and some of his inner turmoil settled. There was nothing to worry about, after all. He would show up. He had to. With the assembly of a closet pervert (according to Naruto), a drunken gambler, a lazy porn-addict and the person providing said porn, a smoker and that guy wearing too tight spandex (all first-hand observations)… what could go wrong?

At last Sasuke could see two people coming towards them on the road. They wore black cloaks with swirling red clouds, just as Sakura had said. They were quickly drawing closer, features becoming distinct, like the telltale lines of a tired soul in a young face, or the corner of his lips dipping down.

When the newcomers realized what kind of welcome awaited them, it was too late to escape.

Sakura had talked earlier about not feeling. He could do that. Sasuke pushed down the rage, doubt, injustice, hope, pain, everything, creating a blank slate across his face and in his heart. The claw crushing his chest and head and eyes and throat would go away. Any second now. Because he couldn't allow these emotions right now.

Sasuke stepped forward. "Did you come to tell me the truth this time, Ni-san?"

His voice sounded smaller than he would have liked, less demanding. He deserved this truth, and he would get it.

"You know this kid?" The sickly blue man with pointy teeth smiled at him, and he felt shivers run down his back. This man could make him the wrong end of dinner, if he wanted. Still, he was unimportant. Itachi was everything from their past to a possible future. All dark and light and good and evil, it was in this man, his brother, looking at him impassively with reddening, soon spinning eyes. Today his lies would fall, so that tomorrow could be a new beginning.

"It's my foolish little brother."

"It's your lies that are foolish, Itachi." Out from behind Sasuke Sakura charged in with incredible speed. Nothing changed in the face of his brother. Itachi observed her oncoming onslaught, and if he saw her raging eyes, he didn't show it. "Your plan is just a tragic, disastrous attempt at manipulation."

"That's quite enough, Sakura. Itachi." Sarutobi Hiruzen stepped forward, and everyone fell in line like good shinobi of the Leaf, except a certain shark with a panic attack (it was faint but definitely there). Itachi stood at attention, seemingly impassive. His eyes were still Sharingan red, though.

"There's been a change of situation. You can come home now. From our new source of information it is very clear to me that you can do more good here than as a missing nin. The process of removing Root is ongoing as we speek, Danzo will be put on trial, and your name will be cleared in a public announcement. Although I believe a certain someone deserves to hear the story from you, personally. We'll give you some space." The Hokage gave them both a brisk smile, and gave the signal to finish up.

Naturally Kisame strongly disliked his end of the bargain - the circle of shinobi that surrounded him and prevented escape. As for Itachi, after the general confusion wore off, a tiny twitch of a smile broke through the mask.

Sakura looked on with dazed eyes as the process took place around her. "Incredible. Everything just... falls into place. So easily. Sandaime didn't die, Konoha is whole, Orochimaru slithered away – can't win them all – but Sasuke won't leave, Itachi is safe, now that he's here... Incredible."

Sasuke could almost see her thoughts, her feelings. Instead of thundering, out of control waterfalls, the events had been like slightly stirred rivers all coming out in the same, serene sea. He locked eyes with his brother, and just like that, another broken piece was healed.