Sakura stood in the Hokage's office along with Naruto.
"Did you find him?" she asked full of hope.
"Yes. But there is a small problem." Kakashi replied, and although half of his face was covered, Sakura knew that this 'problem' was not small, but big
"What happened?"
"Sakura-chan, we found him in a small village next to the Earth Country. With his family."
"Family? What exactly do you mean, Naruto?"
"Sasuke got married."
Sakura's mind was shrouded in blackness.
It took her and the others three years to find him after he went on one mission and did not return. Three years she sat at home with Sarada hoping to see her husband again someday.
And now, after so long, she finds out that Sasuke got married.
"How can this be?" she felt tears gathering under her eyelids.
"Shizune is assuming memory loss. He didn't know who we were or what we wanted from him."
"Do you think it's permanent?"
"Apparently it can be cured. It may take some time, though."
Sakura tried to get her breathing under control.
So that meant she could get her husband back. All she had to do was cure him. But there was a problem - since he had found another woman, that meant he had to love her Or at least get attached to her somehow.
If his memory returns, will he leave her and go back to Sakura and their daughter, or will he leave Sakura though?
Such thoughts are not good, Sakura admonished.
"Can I see him?"
"Sure, Sakura-chan."
The road from the Hokage's tower to the hospital took them moments. After three minutes, Sakura found herself in front of the door to Sasuke's room.
She wanted to go in there and hug him with all her might, but she knew she couldn't do it. And it hurt. A lot.
"Come on in, Sakura. We'll wait outside." Kakashi communicated.
Sakura nodded, then with her breath held, went inside.
As soon as the door stood open before her eyes she saw him. Sasuke sat with a grimace on his face and stared at the wall.
At least he's all right.
"Hi." she tried to sound as normal as possible, but she couldn't get rid of the tremor in her voice.
Sasuke, when he heard her, turned the head.
"Who are you?"
Who am I?
Your wife, friend, the mother of our child...
"Your new doctor."
"I already said I'm healthy. You guys instead took me from my house and brought here. I have a wife at home. I have to go back." anger could be heard in his voice.
"What did you do when you were fifteen?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Please answer." He sighed. "I was helping my family in the fields." Sakura blinked several times. What was he doing? It was even worse than she thought. Not only had he lost his memory, but his memories had been transformed.
"I know this sounds silly, but you have memory problems. More specifically, you've lost your memory."
"I already heard that from the first doctor. I don't know what's going on here, but I have no intention of staying any longer. I don't know about you, but I have a family to feed."
Family. That meant she could have children as well.
"I'd hate to keep you here, but unfortunately you have to stay. At least until tomorrow. I'll bring your papers and if you find that you'd rather leave after all, I'll let you." with difficulty, Sakura said the words.
They looked into each other's eyes for the first time. Sakura sank into his irises. For a split second, a glint appeared in Sasuke's eyes. And then it disappeared.
"Okey."
Walking away from Sasuke, Sakura closed the door behind her.
"How is it?" asked Kakashi.
"It's bad, but I'll try to start treatment as soon as possible. If he agrees."
"Of course he'll agree, Sakura-chan."
"Naruto, you know Sasuke. If he doesn't want to, he won't agree."
"Teme has changed."
"He's changed now too, but we don't know how." she walked closer to Kakashi "How did it happen?
"When we found him, I sent some trusted men to find out. There were three people in a village nearby. One of them also lost his memory, and two of them have problems with it, but they remember most of their lives. They said that three years ago a group of ninja attacked a nearby village. Sasuke must have been in the wrong place and ended up as he did."
"My husband is not an easy opponent. How could he possibly allow something like this to happen?"
"That we don't know, Sakura. But no one is indestructible."
—-
Sakura unfolded his papers in front of Sasuke.
"You can look through them."
She watched as Sasuke took the bundle of papers in his hand and read everything carefully. They were the usual data and medical cards. Nothing interesting, but important.
"You didn't ask my name." he spoke up.
"I know how you are... You're right. I didn't ask."
"Hiruko."
"Hiruko?"
"That's my name, apparently. When my wife found me in a clearing, wandering, she took me to her. I told her I didn't remember anything, and after a few days she told me who I was."
"Did you believe her?"
"No. Not really."
"Then why did you stay with her?"
"She told me our story. I didn't know if it was true, but I had nowhere else to go. I got married because I liked her. But I missed someone all the time. Someone I loved."
Sakura's heart beat harder. She was the one he was missing. Sasuke knew all along that he loved another person. However, there was nothing he could do about it. At that time, he was just a lost person who got involved with the person who deceived him.
"I will help you. Little by little I will tell your true story until we reach the end."
"I just have one request and question."
"I'm listening."
"I'd like to send a letter to my wife not to worry. And I'd like to know who we were to each other."
"We ... were friends."
Sakura wanted to. She really wanted to tell the truth. But she couldn't. It could ruin the whole healing process. Their marriage was at the end of Sasuke's journey through life.
"Now we begin..."
—-
"Are we going to visit papa?" almost four-year-old Sarada asked Sakura.
"Yes, honey."
"Why couldn't I see him earlier?"
"You see, sweetheart, Daddy's been a little sick, but after these six months he's finally able to see you."
"I missed him." her sad tone squeezed Sakura's heart. It was hard for Sakura, too. For six months she had to pretend that nothing major connected them. She told him slowly, in detail, the entire twenty-three years of his life. It was painstaking work, but it worked.
Sasuke believed Sakura. Today he'll decide if he'll go back to the woman he left a few hundred miles away, or if he'll stay with his first family after all. "I'm sorry for making you wait so long."
In a short time they found themselves outside Sasuke's room. "Sarada, I'm only asking you to do one thing, don't say anything yet." Sakura looked at her daughter who was looking at her not understanding anything. She didn't want Sarada to shock Sasuke too much. They walked in.
"Hi Sasuke, today is our last day of treatment and I brought-"
"Sarada." Sakura stiffened.
"How-"
"Pa-pa?"
"Sakura."
After a second, she felt a strong hug. Sasuke was hugging them with all his strength.
"Remember how I told you about those weird dreams? It all makes sense now."
"You remember?"
"Everything."
Slowly, then faster, tears streamed down Sakura's cheeks. She couldn't control herself. She returned the hug.
"You mean-?"
"I'm staying. I told you, after all, that woman tricked me."
"But you're still her husband."
"I could have as many as ten other women as my wife, it wouldn't mean that I love any of them."
"I...I, Sasuke-kun."
"Aa. I'm sorry. I promise everything will be fine now."
When Sasuke promised something he always kept his word and Sakura knew it. She was his wife, after all.