AN: Sorry it took so long! Here is chapter 3.
When Sasuke woke up in the morning, he let out a soft groan and quickly placed a hand to the side of his head. Sakura sure hits hard, he thought to himself before sighing and lowering his hand, shaking his head. "At least the fight didn't get out of hand," he added out loud. Getting out of bed, Sasuke grabbed fresh clothes and left his room, heading down the hallway to the bathroom. After grabbing a towel, Sasuke stepped into the bathroom and shut the door, setting his clothes and towel on the counter. "A hot shower...Haven't had warm water in...weeks?" Smiling lightly, Sasuke removed his shirt, dropping it before he paused, his gaze landing on his fake arm. Sasuke slowly glared at the snow-white 'flesh', his Sharingan slowly spinning into his eyes. Seeing the arm, like it did at times, annoyed Sasuke. He saw it as a reminder of the monster he had been. Was currently? Frowning, Sasuke shook the thoughts away and removed the rest of his clothes before turning the shower on, setting the water to hot before stepping in. Sasuke let out a breath as the water instantly began to relax his sore body, the Uchiha resting his forehead against the wall as the water sprayed down onto his back. "Today is going to be a...very...long day," he murmured to himself. "It'll be Sakura's last day in Konoha for...I don't know how long. I'm sure she'll need to take care of some hospital business, let them know she's leaving. And I'm sure she'd want to say goodbye to her parents..." Humming in thought for several seconds, Sasuke thought over what else would need to be done before the two set out on their journey. "Kakashi...I can leave whenever, as I'm not technically a Konoha ninja anymore, but Sakura will need permission. So we need to visit him...Hm, and I have to see Naruto before we leave."
When the Uchiha snapped himself back to attention, breaking away from the thoughts of the day ahead of him, he shut off the shower and ran a hand through his hair, letting out a small sigh. It felt good to have an actual shower, the Uchiha used to simply rinsing off in hot springs or rivers during his travels. Drying himself off quickly, the Uchiha began pulling on his boxers when he heard Sakura calling from the other room, "Sasuke, I made breakfast if you're hungry. I hope you don't mind!" Sasuke paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. Nobody had cooked him breakfast since before his clan was slaughtered, so he wasn't quite sure how to respond. Though, the Uchiha finally cleared his throat as he pulled his pants on.
"I'll be out in a minute, Sakura," Sasuke called back.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Sasuke wore a longsleeved black shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back with matching black pants, the usual outfit for an Uchiha. Sasuke supposed it was something from his past that he didn't feel the need to give up, or the man simply didn't care to waste time picking out various outfits. Either way, when Sasuke was done pulling his shirt on, he headed out towards the kitchen to the smell of cooked food and the sight of Sakura sitting at the table. The woman glanced up when Sasuke entered and offered a smile, seeming almost amused as she tapped the right side of her face. "You, uh...Got a nice bruise going," she finally commented with an almost proud grin. Taking a seat, Sasuke felt the bruise and let out a soft sigh at the soreness, though he didn't seem bothered by it at all. If anything, he was a little happy though he wouldn't openly admit it. Sakura had bruised him, something not many people could do with how strong and fast the man was. Although, Sasuke mused, he didn't want to actually hurt Sakura, so that might have been why. Still, though, the fact that the woman hadn't hesitated to knock some since into him was a little nice.
"Yeah, well, you hit pretty hard," Sasuke replied as he relaxed into his seat, offering her the smallest of smiles. "Anyways, you said you cooked? With what food? I haven't exactly been here recently. Any food I had would have been bad by now," he added, glancing at the plate in front of him with an unsure look.
"Yeah, I...kinda noticed that. Sheesh, you really should throw things out more often, you know. You knew you would be gone and all. Anyways, while you were showering, I went out and bought some things," Sakura explained as she set a cup in front of the raven haired man. "You look tired, so here, some coffee."
Sasuke mumbled a thanks as he sipped the coffee, the man staring at Sakura with a strange look in his eyes. When Sasuke wouldn't look away, Sakura frowned a bit. "What? Is there something on my face?" the Haruno questioned, placing a hand on one cheek. Sasuke lowered his coffee and stared for several more seconds before slowly shaking his head, setting the cup down.
"No. It's not that. I'm just wondering...are you SURE you want to go? I don't really know when we'll be stopping back here again, so you could be gone for quite some time," Sasuke finally explained. "I don't want you to end up regretting your choice, Sakura. So are you absolutely sure of this?"
Instead of replying right away, Sakura placed her hand on his bruised cheek and began to heal him. When she began to use her chakra to heal, however, Sasuke's vision blurred before suddenly everything went black. Slowly, Sasuke saw a woman appear before him, the woman's hand glowing as if she were healing someone. As quickly as the vision came it ended, and when Sasuke's focus returned he saw Sakura giving him a confused look, the woman's hand still on his cheek though she was done healing him.
"Sasuke? Did you hear me?" Sakura repeated softly and Sasuke frowned a bit, pulling away from her touch as he looked around.
"Did you see her?" the Uchiha questioned.
"Uh...Sasuke, we're the only ones here. What are you talking about?"
"I just...There was a woman just a second ago. Long black hair, down to her feet. Black and red robes...it had the same symbols as the Sage we met during the war," Sasuke said slowly. Sakura frowned and slowly shook her head.
"Sasuke, you zoned out for only a second. There was nobody here but us. Maybe you should go back to sleep..."
"No, I'm...I'm fine. Anyways...What were you saying? Are you sure you wish to go with me?"
Sakura stared at the man before her, frowning as she studied him with worry in her emerald orbs. She wanted to say more about his sudden vision, but didn't want to bother him. Instead, Sakura nodded a bit and gave him a soft smile.
"Sasuke...You know how I feel. I have loved you for as long as I can remember. I told you, I want to go with you, no matter where the journey takes us. I don't want you to be alone anymore, okay?"
Her words made Sasuke pause, getting an odd feeling in his chest. Though he wasn't the best with these situations, Sakura's words did make him feel happy. Wanting to show that he did care, in the best way he could, the Uchiha reached forward and tapped his index and middle fingers against her forehead, offering a soft smile. "Thank you," he murmured. The two held that position for several seconds, Sakura's cheeks turning a pink shade, until Sasuke was the first to break the silence. Lowering his hand, Sasuke finished his coffee before clearing his throat. "Today is your last day in Konoha, then. I...will try to make it a good day, for you," Sasuke promised as he stood, Sakura joining him seconds later. "We should head to the hospital first so you can take care of things there, let them know you won't be back for a while." As Sasuke spoke, he made a single handsign, a clone appearing next to him. Sakura stared at the clone, tilting her head a little bit before she glanced back at Sasuke.
"What's the clone for?"
"Hm...Don't worry. The clone is going to be taking care of something for me when we're out today. Just something I need to do."
As the clone walked off, Sasuke looked at Sakura and then nodded towards the door. "We'll head to the hospital now, if you are ready," Sasuke hummed and after Sakura nodded, he turned and began to walk, the woman staying by his side.
"This...won't bother you, will it? I mean, people seeing me leaving your house with you, they might get curious about us," Sakura asked as the two stepped out of Sasuke's house. At her comment, Sasuke paused then looked at Sakura and seemed amused.
"You can just tell them we're dating, if you want. I mean...You said you love me. And...I'm not...good with this sort of stuff, but I do care about you, Sakura. So...let people comment all they want, I suppose," was the answer the Uchiha gave the smiling woman before he looked forward. "Besides, that's part of why we need to go see your parents, right? I'm sure that'll be something they'll be...vocal about. I have a feeling your mother won't be very happy about...us." Sasuke glanced at Sakura again, studying the woman with his Sharingan eyes. It felt nice to admit that he cared and even felt good having her by his side. Perhaps their journey together wouldn't be so bad, Sasuke thought with a soft sigh.
As the two walked from the Uchiha Compound heading towards the hospital, Sakura stayed close by Sakura's side, the two getting looks as they walked together. Some whispered questions to each other, and others just seemed confused to see the last Uchiha with the Haruno woman. Sasuke didn't quite like the stares, but he kept quieit about it and as they got closer to the hospital, Sasuke cleared his throat and glanced down at Sakura. "Sakura, what all do you need to do at the hospital?"
"Huh? Oh, I'll likely need to ask Ino to take charge for me while I'm gone. She's gotten good enough since the end of the war that I'd feel fine leaving her in charge while we're away. But...Also...Sasuke, please don't get upset, but...I want to do a mental evaluation."
At her words, the Uchiha stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the woman. His Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan and Rinnesharingan flashed into his eyes out of annoyance, the man glaring a little. She wanted to get inside his head? Was this some sort of therapy? Shaking his head, the Uchiha crossed his arms, a cold look coming to his eyes. "You want to give me therapy? That's just a waste of our time, Sakura. There's no need for that, I've been just fine so," the irratated Uchiha spat out, making Sakura's smile fade a little.
"Sasuke-kun...you shouted in your sleep last night," Sakura said in a gentle tone, trying to soothe his anger quickly before things got out of hand. At her words, the Uchiha's angry look faded slowly and was replaced with a small frown, the man slowly lowering his arms.
"Sakura...I'll see about it, but I'm not making you any promises. If I don't like it, I'm quitting, got it? I quit, and we leave the hospital right away, okay?" Sasuke finally replied in a harsh whisper. While it wasn't exactly the answer Sakura had been hoping for, she figured she'd have to settle for it. At least it was a start, she reasoned. She just wanted to be able to finally help Sasuke. Giving a weak smile, the pink haired woman nodded. Sasuke's anger mellowed even more and after seeing Sakura's hurt expression, the Uchiha whispered, "I'm...sorry, that I snapped at you, Sakura." Hearing him apologize, a rare thing for the Uchiha, Sakura's mood lifted once more and she gave a more genuine smile before she nodded and began walking once more, the Uchiha soon joining by her side. "Hey...maybe it won't be so bad, right...?" Sasuke asked.
15 minutes. That's all it took at the hospital before the therapist Sakura tried getting Sasuke to see came out of the room. Sasuke could be heard in the background shouting, "You can fuck off with your mindgames!" The therapist, a woman named Yumi, looked at Sakura as she adjusted her glasses.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Haruno, but I'm not...I'm not going back in there," Yumi whispered before quickly walking away. Sakura stared at the door in silence for a moment before she slowly pushed it open and stepped in, shutting the door behind her.
"If you're back for more, you can fuck o-" Sasuke began but cut off when he saw who had entered. Frowning, he shook his head and stood up. "I'm not doing this. I'm sorry, but this is a waste of our time, Sakura!" Sasuke shouted. Sakura could tell the man was clearly upset and not just angry. What had Yumi tried getting him to talk about? Frowning, Sakura stepped forward slowly and gently placed a hand on Sasuke's cheek.
"Shh, Sasuke. Look, if I promise to do this, will you agree to a mental evaluation? I swear on my life I won't tell anyone what I find out." Sasuke stared at the woman in silence for several seconds before he slowly sat back down and looked away. Though he hadn't verbally agreed, Sasuke's actions gave Sakura the answer she needed.
When Sakura was finally done, she sat across from Sasuke and frowned a little. "Well...? How bad am I?" Sasuke finally asked her, breaking the tense silence.
Taking a breath, Sakura shook her head a bit before sighing.
"Well...You seem to be an antisocial sociopath with post traumatic stress disorder and a bit of a sadistic streak. You also seem to have suffered multiple psychotic breaks since the time of your clan's massacre and seem to not understand the concept of compassion while consistently displaying homcidal tendencies, not unlike a psychopath. However, you do have quite a bit of activity in your frontal and temperal lobes. You also seem to care quite a bit about certain people...So it isn't that you can't. Your mental illnesses are entirely situational and surprisingly there is hope in that," Sakura explained in a calming, gentle voice, not wanting to upset the Uchiha. Sasuke sat in silence as she explained and after several quiet minutes Sasuke looked at Sakura and forced a smile.
"You helped me once, you can help me again right? After all...You saved me from darkness. I...Trust you," Sasuke whispered softly before going silent again. Sakura smiled weakly and stood up, Sasuke joining her with only a small hesitation.
"We need to go see Ino now, alright?" Sakura asked gently. Sasuke nodded and tapped her forehead gently, chuckling softly.
"Relax, Sakura...You don't need to seem so worried. I'm fine, you know...Anyways, let's go see Ino so we can leave here. We'll see Kakashi next, since you need permission from him to leave the village."
Sakura nodded and pulled out her phone, the medical ninja quickly calling her longtime friend.
"Hey, Forehead, what's up?" Ino greeted when she picked up. Sasuke couldn't tell what was said, but by the way Sakura's eye twitched he figured Ino was just being...well, Ino.
"Piggy, we need to talk in person. It's, well, pretty damn important. Could you meet us in room 208?"
"...'Us'? Who's 'us'? Who's with you?"
"Ino, we're kiiiinda busy, so can you please just come up? I promise to explain when you get here."
"Fine, fine, sheesh. I'll be up in a few minutes."
With the call done, Sakura put her phone away and looked back at Sasuke, the Uchiha offering a smile. "She'll be here soon."
When Ino arrived, she let herself in and greeted Sakura with "Hey Forehead, what's so important you had to..." Trailing off when she saw Sasuke, Ino blinked a bit before glancing back at Sakura. "Alright, why are the two of you together?"
Sasuke stepped forward and moved himself behind Sakura, hesitating before he hugged her. It was a little weird for him but he pushed the feelings away and looked at Ino.
"Hm, hello Ino. Sakura and I are going to be leaving the village together. Well, it was SUPPOSED to be just me..." Sasuke paused to hug a little more. "But, Sakura beat me into letting her go with me." Ino stared after Sasuke explained, feeling confused as hell. Not only did the Uchiha just show up after being gone for so long, but suddenly he was taking Sakura with him when he left again? Not only that, but he was...hugging her? Ino glanced at Sakura for her to explain things.
"Well...Sasuke's telling the truth. He got home last night and I saw him. He told me he was leaving again after he got rest, so I told him I was going with him. He refused...at first. But after I kicked his ass- I mean, after we fought," Sakura paused to grin up at Sasuke, "he agreed to take me. Today is my last day in Konoha for...Not sure how long. So today we are taking care of a few things before we head out. Which brings me to my point..."
Sakura gently pulled away from Sasuke, though with great hesitation. She enjoyed his embrace, but needed to focus on Ino. Sasuke simply stood and waited calmly, the Uchiha resting his hands in his pockets as he waited. Sakura looked at Ino and grinned a bit, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder.
"Ino, while I'm away, I'm trusting you to take care of things here. Can you do that for me, Piggy?"
Ino just stared at her friend as if she grew a third head. Ino was being put in charge of the hospital?
"I...What? Why me?" Ino finally asked.
"Come on, Ino. You are my best friend. You're skilled, too. I trust you with this, alright? That's why. So can you do me this huge favor? I promise I'll pay you back!"
Ino remained silent as she thought things over. On one hand, the new job would change up her boring, sometimes slow days. Things after the war had been hectic, with so many people needing to be healed and helped. But now, two years later, things were finally starting to slow down and relax once more. Ino hummed a bit as she thought over what to do, but eventually she smiled and nodded at Sakura.
"Okay, Forehead. I promise I'll do a great job."
Sakura grinned back at Sasuke before smiling at Ino, hugging her friend before she pulled back to tell Sasuke, "So, you wanted to get out of here right? We can now, if you want." Sasuke, of course, simply nodded and followed Sakura out of the room. But as they left, Ino decided to tease Sakura one last time.
"Do you think you'll need to go on the pill for your trip?" Ino called out.
Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, hand still on the doorknob, her face slowly going blood red. Sasuke simply stood there, not really paying Ino any mind. To Sasuke, it seemed like a weird question to ask. But Sakura seemed embarrassed.
"INO PIG, YOU IDIOT!"
It took Sasuke several minutes to calm Sakura down enough, but finally she agreed to leave the hospital and stop yelling at Ino. When they were outside once more, Sakura grumbled a bit before sighing, hugging Sasuke's arm. Sasuke tensed at first but relaxed quickly and offered a smile.
"Sorry about that..." Sakura mumbled. "Anyways, do you want to go see Kakashi-sensei now? Or do you want to check in on your clone?"
Sasuke simply tapped under his Rinnesharingan eye. "I don't need to check on it. It's going fine, it seems. So let's go to Kakashi, then we can visit either Naruto or your parents." Sasuke briefly wished they could put off visiting her parents for as long as they could. Though Sasuke had played a big part in ending the war, there were still people who didn't quite like him still. After all, he had been a rogue ninja who wanted to slaughter the village. He could see why that might be an issue with some. Still, in his defense, he DID end up helping save the world. Sure, afterwards he tried to kill Naruto...again. Sasuke hummed a bit at the thought before shaking the thoughts away. He'd just have to deal with those issues when the time came.
"We'll see Kakashi first then Naruto, okay?" Sakura offered, knowing Sasuke wanted to avoid her parents for as long as possible. Sakura knew her mom didn't exactly like the Uchiha, thinking of him as a traitor to the village. Her dad, though, didn't seem to hold much of a grudge on Sasuke, so Sakura had hope that the meeting with her parents would go smoothly. Right, and she was the queen of Konoha.
As the two walked towards the Hokage Mansion, they suddenly stopped when they heard someone shout, "Hey, Sakura-chan! Sasuke? Long time, no see!" When the two turned around, they saw Uzumaki Naruto running up to them. When the hyper blonde made it to them, he grinned and placed his hands on the back of his head, happy to see his friends and team mates.
"Hey, Sasuke, did you just get back or something? What are you guys up to?" Naruto questioned as he lowered his arms. Sasuke let out a soft sigh before he started to explain the situation to Naruto, feeling a little tired already about having to explain himself. Naruto paused by the end of the Uchiha's story, glancing over at Sakura. "So you're going with Sasuke, huh? I'm a little surprised, honestly...I didn't think Grouchy would actually take you."
Sasuke raised a brow and looked at Sakura.
"U...uh, I mean, I kinda mentioned I'd make you take me next time you came back," Sakura quickly explained.
"Ah, I see," came Sasuke's calm reply.
Sasuke looked at Naruto then and placed a hand in his pocket, the Uchiha getting a serious look on his face as he spoke to his friend.
"Naruto, I actually wanted to see you before we left. We were on our way to Kakashi, but...I suppose you have good timing. Listen...During my travels, I came across a scroll. It had the symbol of your clan, the Uzumaki symbol. I kept it with me because...Well, I wanted to get you something. After all...you did save me from the path I had been going down. I know you did it because you saw me as your friend. I get that. I see you like a brother, Naruto, and so when I saw that scroll I thought 'Hey, he deserves this.' You know? It belongs to you, as one of the last know Uzumakis. And so..." Sasuke paused then, and suddenly a popping sound could be heard as he summoned the scroll to his pocket. Pulling it out, Sasuke held his hand out, holding a thick scroll. The scroll was red with golden edges, the Uzumaki seal stamped in gold in the middle. "I didn't open the scroll, I promise, as it belongs to YOU. I want you to have this, Naruto." Naruto stared in stunned silence at the scroll before he gently took it, holding it carefully. He wiped a few tears away and nodded a bit at Sasuke.
"Thank you, Sasuke. This means a lot," Naruto replied. Clearing his throat, Naruto put the scroll away and changed the subject, not the best at talking. "Anyways, just cuz you gave me this doesn't mean I'll get off your back about taking Sakura! You better not hurt her, Sasuke!" Naruto quickly warned. Though Naruto had once had feelings for Sakura, the two had grown close after the war and now Naruto saw her more like a sibling and thus had become a little protective of her.
With a dead serious tone, Sasuke replied "I swear on the honor of my clan, I will never hurt Sakura ever again and I will make sure she doesn't regret caring about me." Such a serious promise coming from the Uchiha made Naruto and Sakura stare at him, surprised by his words. After all the pain Sasuke had put Sakura through already in her life, he didn't want to cause her pain any longer. The members of Team Seven were silent after Sasuke's promise, not sure how to continue to conversation, but soon Sasuke said, "Naruto, take care, okay? After all, Konoha needs you now, with you being the hero." Naruto grinned then and nodded quickly.
"You take care, too, Sasuke. Come visit sometimes, okay? You and Sakura-chan are always welcome, you know!" Naruto gave Sakura a hug before he laughed and added, "Come visit soon, okay?" Sasuke was silent for a moment before nodding a little.
"I'll...try, but...this place...It's still a little hard being here, you know. But I will visit. Goodbye, Naruto."
When Naruto left Sasuke and Sakura, Sasuke let out a soft sigh and turned his attention to Sakura. "I meant what I said, Sakura. I promise I will never let you down again. I swear on my life." Sakura stared at the man before hugging him tightly, hiding her face against his chest.
"I know, Sasuke. I believe you," Sakura whispered softly. When she pulled away, she had to wipe away a few tears from her eyes before she smiled warmly. "Let's go see Kakashi-sensei, alright?"
When Sasuke and Sakura arived at the Hokage mansion, they were greeted by an ANBU member wearing a dog mask. "Are you two here to see Lord Sixth?" the woman asked them politely. Sasuke stepped forward and spoke for them, offering a polite smile as he nodded.
"We're here to get permission for Sakura Haruno to leave Konoha. We'd like to see Kakashi about that, if you don't mind."
"I'm sorry, but Lord Sixth is very busy today, but if you come back tomo-" The ANBU woman was cut off when the door to Kakashi's office opened, the man standing there as he looked at his two students.
"You can let them in, it's fine. If Sasuke's here, it must be important to him," Kakashi told the ANBU guard who nodded and flickered away, leaving the members of Team Seven standing there. Sasuke and Sakura stepped into Kakashi's office when he motioned them to, the older man taking a seat behind his desk, Sasuke and Sakura sitting in front.
"So, what can I do for you?" Kakashi questioned, glancing between his two students slowly.
"I want to take Sakura with me when I leave tomorrow, so we're here to get your permission. Seeing as how she'd be named a rogue ninja if she just up and left without saying anything to you," Sasuke explained in a calm voice, resting his elbow on his chair, placing his hand against his cheek as he relaxed. He expected Kakashi to agree, but his reaction wasn't what he had hoped for.
"I'm sorry, I can't simply allow Sakura to leave. For one thing, she'd be needed at the hospital. Not only that, but she's a powerful ninja and we might need her for missions. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to say no."
Sasuke stared in silence, a look of anger coming to his eyes as he slowly glared at the Hatake. Sasuke wasn't exactly in the mood to waste time, so he glanced first at Sakura then Kakashi.
"Sakura has already put Ino in charge of the hospital. That's already taken care of," Sasuke began, voice laced with anger. "Ino is skilled enough, it sounds like, so she can handle that. And I'm more than aware of the fact that Sakura is strong. After all, we fought just last night. So I know. So why don't we stop wasting each other's time and you just tell me what it'll take? I'm taking Sakura with me, one way or another." Sakura sat in silence by the Uchiha, shrinking into her chair a little as he yelled at their former sensei. She took a quick glance at Kakashi, who went from a relaxed look in his eye to a more serious one.
"Fine, I have a few conditions if you want to take Sakura." Reaching into his desk drawer, Kakashi pulled a Konoha headband and set it on the desk, the cloth black, the metal shining in the light. "First of, I don't care if you aren't technically part of this village. Travelling with Sakura, you'd represent Konoha. So you WILL wear this whenever you enter another village, understand? I don't care if you use it as a back scratcher in your free time, but when in another village you will wear this. Understood?"
"Hn, fine, whatever. What else?"
"Second, to let Sakura leave for so long, I'm going to make it a mission." Once again Kakashi reached into his desk and soon set two books on the desk. "You will be taking these Bingo Books. As you travel, I'd like you to work on this."
At that, Sasuke narrowed his eyes once more. "And why would I want to do that?"
"Let's be honest, Sasuke. Your reputation isn't exactly the best. To convince the council, I'll need you to work on that. The more you work on the book, the better you look. The better you look, the better Konoha looks. Here, I'll make you a deal. If you can improve how people see you, I'll have the council start work on fully repairing the Uchiha Compound. Okay...?" At his offer, Sasuke's glare slowly faded into a look of surprise. While his own house may have been fine, most of the compound was still damaged. Glancing at the Bingo Books and headband, Sasuke slowly grabbed them and put them away for later use, giving Kakashi a simple nod.
"Thank you," Sasuke finally murmured. Kakashi nodded gently, knowing how important it was to Sasuke to restore the Uchiha Compound.
"As it stands now, not enough people would be behind fixing the place. But if they thought you were with us, they'd change their minds in no time. I promise, Sasuke, I'll do my best to get construction started as soon as possible," Kakashi replied but then sat forward in his chair, his tone becoming serious once more. "My final condition. I know I may not be as strong as you, Sasuke. But I swear to you, if I hear you hurt Sakura, I will hunt you like a dog. Sakura is my student and is important to me. I'm putting a lot of faith in you, Sasuke. Please don't make me regret it."
With that, Kakashi sat back in his chair and hummed before he sat forward and placed a passport on the table in front of Sakura. "This will clear you to leave, Sakura," Kakashi explained. Sakura nodded and put it away. "I'm very proud of all of you, you know," Kakashi added suddenly. "Including you, Sasuke."
Sasuke froze and looked at Kakashi in silence, confusing and surprise in his eyes.
"Sasuke, you had the chance to destroy us. You hated Konoha for what it did to you, but in the end, you chose to come home. You may not live here most of the time, and you might be gone for long periods of time, but you still came home, in your own way," Kakashi explained before he smirked behind his mask. "I have one last condition you must do if you want to be allowed to take Sakura with you."
Five minutes later, Sasuke stood outside on the Hokage mansion with Sakura, Kakashi, and a camera man. "You have to be joking," Sasuke muttered as he stared at an amused Kakashi.
"Sorry, Sasuke. But if you want to take Sakura, you have to join us for one final photo before you go," Kakashi explained, Sakura giggling at the look on Sasuke's face. The Uchiha clenched his teeth but moved over to them. Sasuke and Sakura stood side by side, Kakashi standing behind them. When the photo was taken, Kakashi's visible eye was shut in amusement, Sakura was smiling happily and Sasuke scowled at the camera, his Mangekyou and Rinnesharingan still active in his eyes. These gave Sasuke a dark look, though the Uchiha wasn't as angry as he seemed. When the photo was taken and the camera man left, Sasuke turned to Kakashi and Sakura.
"Can I take her now?" Sasuke asked, arms folded. Kakashi gave a nod and a chuckle and Sakura moved over to Sasuke.
"Sure thing. But, I am busy today, so if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to work. You two stay safe, got it? Sakura, I'll see you when you return."
When Kakashi was gone, Sasuke slowly glanced over at Sakura and let out a soft sigh before he gave a tiny, slightly tired smile. "Now we just have to go see your parents so you can say goodbye, then we should head home. We leave in the morning, after all. We'll want to get our rest tonight." Sakura nodded a bit and once more the two were off, heading towards Sakura's parents.
When they arrived, Sasuke stared at the door and sighed loudly. "It's not too late to just skip this part," Sasuke said under his breath to Sakura. Sakura rolled her eyes a bit and elbowed him in the stomach before knocking on the door.
"You fought an alien chakra goddess during the war yet you want to avoid meeting my parents this much?" Sakura shot back before the doorknob turned, Mebuki opening the door. The first thing Sakura's mother saw was Sasuke, and instantly she tried to attack him.
"You have a lot of nerve coming back to Konoha!" she shouted as she punched at Sasuke, the Uchiha simply dodging the attacks with a frown. "Traitor! Criminal! Rogue ninja!" Mebuki yelled, each word followed with a punch that Sasuke easily dodged. To Sasuke, almost no ninja stood a chance of hitting him, and so Sakura's mother definitely had no chance. Finally catching one of her punches with his Zetsu arm, Sasuke calmly stared at Mebuki.
"If you are done flailing around, your daughter is here to talk to you," Sasuke explained in a calm voice, the Uchiha almost amused by the Haruno woman's attempt at hitting him. Sakura sighed from behind them and ran a hand through her hair.
"Mom, sheesh, could you not attack my boyfriend?" Sakura questioned finally.
"BOYFRIEND?! YOU'RE DATING THIS BASTARD?!" Mebuki screamed back, Sasuke letting go to move to Sakura's side.
"Knock it off, mom! Would you just calm down and let me talk?!" Sakura snapped back, her eye twitching slightly from anger. Mebuki glared at Sasuke as she turned to face her daughter but finally nodded.
"Fine, but if he tries anything, I'll tell Lord Sixth," Mebuki warned.
The three went inside then, Sasuke and Sakura sitting next to each other on the couch in the living room while Mebuki sat in a chair nearby. There was an awkward silence, broken only when Sakura's father, Kizashi, came downstairs to see what all the screaming was about.
"Hey, it's my daughter. And Crazy Eyes!" Kizashi shouted and laughed when he saw Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke looked a little confused by the nickname, raising a brow. "Your eyes," Kizashi explained as he took a seat near his wife. Sasuke realized his Mangekyou and Rinnesharingan were still active in his eyes from his earlier outburst towards Sakura. Chuckling a bit, Sasuke slowly shut them off, his eyes slowly returning to their normal onyx color. "Now, what can we help you two with?" Kizashi asked politely, the man having his usual grin.
"This rogue bastard wanted Sakura to tell us something," Mebuki muttered under her breath, her comment making Sasuke take a deep breath to keep himself calm. If he reacted, it would only prove Mebuki's point. And so Sasuke chose to remain quiet, simply planning on letting Sakura do the talking for them.
"Mom, he's not a bastard," Sakura began slowly, having to take her own deep breath. "Anyways, mom, dad, I'm leaving the village with Sasuke tomorrow. I asked Sasuke if I could come with him on his travels, and he finally agreed," Sakura explained, quickly adding, "But we're also going to be working on a mission for Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura held up her copy of the Bingo Book to prove it before putting it away again. The look Mebuki gave Sasuke would make most people flinch from the rage in her eyes, but Sasuke simply stared back in a calm way.
"Sakura decided she wanted to leave with me. I didn't force her, and in fact I tried to refuse. But Sakura can...convince people, it would seem," Sasuke explained, tapping Sakura's hand once. "Very strong punches," he added.
Mebuki shook her hand and looked at Sakura. "Are you really going to go off with some rogue?" she asked quietly, seeming almost disappointed.
"Mom, Sasuke came back. I know he doesn't stay here often, but he's with the village!" Sakura defended.
"If he's with the village, why is he never here?!" Mebuki yelled back. It was then that Sasuke spoke once more, his tone almost emotionless.
"Would you want to stay in a place that has so many bad memories? My clan was murdered because the village feared them and didn't trust them, which ended up making them want to attack. Instead of trusting my clan in the first place, Konoha has always pushed us out of sight and tried giving us as little power as possible," Sasuke pointed out, staring directly at Mebuki. "Imagine being the last of your kind. Left all alone, feared for your blood, with nobody there for you. You would have ended up just as bad as I had. I openly admit I left the village to seek the power needed for my revenge. I willingly went to Orochimaru, an enemy of the village. I had planned on stopping after I killed Itachi, but then I learned the truth. And so I wanted to destroy this village, burn you all to nothing. I wanted you to know despair. I thought it wasn't fair how my clan was gone, yet all of you went on as if nothing had happened. I hated your smiles and happiness. I thought, how dare they laugh? My brother had to slaughter his clan, sparing only me, because of Konoha. So how could I not hate this place? There was nothing but reminders of the family I would never see again. But Naruto and Sakura stopped me from going down a path I could never return from. I know you don't like me, I get that. Most days I don't like myself either. But I care about your daughter and if she wants to go with me, then that's up to her. She's an adult, so the choice is fully up to her." Mebuki began to protest, but Sasuke shook his head and added, "And if I do mess up, you know Sakura can take care of herself. I'm done hurting her, so if I mess up, I won't fight back if she attacks me. I'll take whatever happens to me." Mebuki went silent at that, frowning a little before she looked at her daughter.
"You really want to do this?" Mebuki finally asked in a softer tone than she had been using. Her anger seemed to die down a little for the moment.
"Of course I want to do this. I've loved Sasuke for as long as I can remember. Now that I have a chance to go with him, I'm not passing it up," Sakura replied with no hesitation, gently hugging Sasuke. "Sasuke cares, mom. I know you might not believe it now, but Sasuke does care." With that, Sakura stood up with Sasuke. "I promise I'll be fine, mom. And it's not like I'm going to cut contact with you and dad. So just relax, okay? Besides, it's not like Sasuke is going to go bad again."
"How do you know, though...?" Mebuki asked quietly.
"Because Sakura will keep me human," Sasuke answered in a serious tone before he and Sakura walked away from her parents. When they made it to the door, Kizashi came up to them and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder to get his attention.
"Hey, Crazy Eyes, don't let anything happen to my daughter, alright? I don't know where your travels will take you, but...I don't want anything to happen to my kid." Sasuke glanced back for just a second before looking forward again, nodding.
"Sakura will be fine."
With that, the Uchiha and the Haruno left the house, the two staying close as they began to finally head back to Sasuke's house after the long day they had already had. As they walked, Sasuke's mood seemed to improve the closer to his house they got. Sakura noticed this and raise an eyebrow, wondering what had made the Uchiha's mood suddenly improve. Gently tapping his hand to get his attention, Sakura questioned him.
"Why are you in such a good mood so suddenly? I mean...I'm not complaining! But out of nowhere, your mood began to improve. Happy to get home or something?"
The Uchiha simply looked down at her.
"I'm just looking forward to our trip together," was all Sasuke would tell her before going quiet once more. When the two reached his house, Sasuke stepped up to the door and put his key in the lock, pausing to look at Sakura. "Well, actually, I have something for you." This got Sakura's attention. Opening the front door, Sasuke pocketed the house key and motioned for her to follow, leading her through until they stopped in the kitchen. Sakura stared quietly, first confused then surprised.
"Sasuke, what...?"
In front of them was a meal made for two, the meal having some of Sakura's favorite foods and some of Sasuke's favorite foods. Next to the meal was a single bottle of wine with two glasses set next to the bottle. Motioning for Sakura to sit, the Uchiha took his own seat and offered a smile before he began to explain.
"Today is your last day in Konoha," he began slowly. "I wanted to try making it a good last day. So I decided I would do this. My clone earlier? This is the 'something' I needed him to take care of while we were gone. I don't really know much about wine, so when we left the hospital I had my clone go there to talk to Ino. She said this seemed to be your favorite, so while we were out today, I had my clone...well, make this happen," he explained, the Uchiha trailing off at the end as he looked down at the food. "I just...after all I've done bad to you, and you never really giving up on me, I wanted to make your last day in Konoha a good- Sakura? Are...What's wrong? Are you crying?"
Sakura was, in fact, starting to cry. Not from sorrow or disappointment, but the fact that Sasuke would even try to do something nice for her like this, even though he struggled just showing he cared, made Sakura happier than she had been in a long time. Wiping the tears away, Sakura laughed and quickly shook her head, trying to stop the tears from forming. The pink haired woman sniffled and laughed again as she wiped at her eyes.
"Sasuke, I'm fine. I just didn't expect you to try something like this. Just spending the day with you was good enough for me, but then you go and do something like this..." Sakura smiled warmly and placed a hand on his cheek, Sasuke closing his eyes at her touch, unsure of how to respond. "This is more than good, Sasuke. This has honestly been a great day," Sakura promised as she lowered her hand. Sasuke opened his eyes then and glanced at the food briefly,
"I actually have another gift for you, Sakura, but we should eat first," Sasuke finally replied. The two began to eat and drink, Sasuke agreeing to try wine. It tasted a little odd to him at first, but by his second glass he seemed to enjoy it enough. Sakura grinned at him when he admitted this and the two ended up laughing, Sasuke grinning at her. "I admit, it isn't bad," he finally said after finishing his glass, Sakura nodding with a warm smile, the woman resting her hand against her cheek. Sakura ended up staring at Sasuke then, cheeks tinted pink as she watched the Uchiha male, simply studying him. Sasuke froze when Sakura suddenly leaned over and kissed the man, pressing her lips gently to his. The moment their lips touched, both of then suddenly froze, seeming zoning out. For Sasuke, he saw the same mysterious woman he had seen earlier, the woman in the black and red robes. For Sakura, though, she saw a man. The man was around the height of Sasuke with long, wild reddish-brown hair, the man wearing white robes with black symbols of the Sage. The man stared at Sakura with an intense gaze, his eyes hardened yet caring. Just as soon as the visions came to them it ended, and Sakura pulled away from Sasuke, sitting back in her chair as she stared at the Uchiha in front of her. There was a name on Sakura's mind, the name of the man from the vision, though it was quickly fading from her mind. The two stared at each other, Sasuke seeming almost uncomfortable over what happened.
"I...I'm sorry, Sasuke," Sakura whispered. "I just...couldn't resist. I mean...you know how I feel, and after this surprise and all..." the pink haired woman tried to explain, but Sasuke just shook his head a bit.
"It's...fine, Sakura," Sasuke replied after a moment, feeling a little dizzy suddenly as he watched her, his Sharingan forming in his eyes out of instinct. "Uh...Oh, right. Sakura, I had something I wanted to give to you, actually. Could you wait here for a moment?" The Uchiha finally asked when the shock wore off. After Sakura nodded a bit, Sasuke got up and walked away to his room, leaving Sakura to sit alone. Sakura stared down at her food, feeling embarrassed but looked up when Sasuke returned a few minutes later, the Uchiha having his right hand in his pocket. "When you are done eating," was all Sasuke said as he sat back down.
"Sasuke, uhm...can I ask something? About...your clan?" Sakura whispered several seconds later, unable to look at Sasuke due to feeling worried he would get angry or upset. Sasuke stared at the woman for a moment before he sighed softly and nodded.
"Yes, Sakura?"
"Why...Why do you want to fix the rest of the Uchiha Compound? I mean...I get it, it's your home and all. But like, isn't it...difficult...living here?" Sakura asked slowly, choosing her words carefully in hopes of not upsetting the Uchiha. "I mean...so many people died here..." Sakura added in an even quieter voice, unable to meet his gaze. When Sasuke didn't answer, Sakura slowly looked up only to find the Uchiha staring blankly at her. "Sasuke...?" Sakura began.
"Please...Please Itachi-san, don't hurt me," Sasuke suddenly begged in the voice of a child, seeming terrified. Sakura watched with wide eyes as Sasuke stood and screamed as if in pain before his voice changed to sound like an older man. "Itachi, why are you doing this?! Why would you betray your clan!?" Sasuke shouted at Sakura, Sakura flinching a little but staying quiet. Once again, Sasuke's voice changed and the Uchiha spoke with tears in his eyes. "I...Itachi-san...please...don't kill me..." he begged weakly, barely above a whisper as tears went down his face. "Oh god...NO! PLEASE LET ME GO! PLE-" Sasuke screamed in pain then and held his head, shaking his head side to side. When Sasuke's screams ended, he just stood with his head in his hands, his voice switching to sound like his older brother, the man behind all the deaths Sasuke was reliving. "You aren't even worth killing..." Sakura, feeling freaked out by Sasuke's actions, shook the man by his shoulders before simply hugging him tightly. Sasuke became silent then for several seconds before he slowly hugged back and whispered, "The things I saw that night...what Itachi said and showed me...my clan dying...That will always be with me, Sakura." Taking a breath, Sasuke added, "Even with all that, I...I can't leave this place. It's all I have left of my family."
After pulling away from the hug, Sasuke cleared his throat and wiped his eyes with his sleeve before he looked at Sakura. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything...Look...I still have something to give you." Sakura seemed worried and unsure now but, not wanting to upset the Uchiha, simply nodded, though she kept a small frown. Out of his pocket Sasuke pulled out a black scroll that held the Uchiha symbol in the center, the edges of the scroll lined with a golden color. "This...I thought maybe you'd want to have it. It's the history of my clan. Not only that, but...It also explains how to do my clan's signature fire style jutsu. I...hoped that maybe you would want to learn it. If not, that's fine. I could teach you if you wanted." Sasuke held the scroll out to Sakura, the pink haired woman gently taking the scroll and staring at it for several seconds before her gaze returned to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, I promise I will read this entire scroll," Sakura whispered gently. "And...I don't know if I'd even be good at learning the jutsu, but I promise I will do my best to do it."
"I could lend you some of my chakra if you'd like. It should make it easier for you, until you learn to do it. We could start during our trip. But, it's late now and I had one last thing for us to do. Could you follow me outside?" Sakura simply nodded and followed the Uchiha out, the two slowly walking through the Uchiha compound until they made their way down towards the lake. Sakura paused when she saw a large blanket spread out in the grass and gave Sasuke a quick glance before looking at the blanket again.
"It's a nice night," Sasuke explained slowly, watching Sakura with his spinning Sharingan, "So...I figured you might enjoy sleeping under the stars." Sakura smiled gently and the two moved to the blanket, laying down next to each other, Sasuke staring up at the night sky. "I am sorry about my...freak out, Sakura. I hope it didn't ruin your day to have to hear that."
"Sasuke, today was a great day. I'm sorry for even asking about why you stay. It's my fault you freaked out. Just...let's just enjoy the rest of the night. We leave in the morning, right?"
"As soon as we're ready in the morning, yes," Sasuke agreed.
As the two studied the stars, Sakura gently hugged Sasuke. "Thank you for making my last day so great," Sakura mumbled softly. From the long day they had, plus the wine Sakura drank, she suddenly realized just how tired she was. A full belly didn't help things, either. Sasuke simply stared at the stars for a while before he looked over, his Sharingan glowing in the dark.
"Good night, Sakura," Sasuke mumbled as his eyes slowly shut.
"Good night, Sasuke...I love you..." Sakura mumbled back, smiling as she drifted off to sleep.