Title: Starting Life Again From Zero

Summary: At age 36, Uzumaki Naruko died with very few regrets with her family by her side. Having achieved her dreams and formed a wonderful family she was content on just passing away and entrusting her will to the next generation and to those that outlived her. Yet, life had a weird way of operating whenever Naruko was involved. (OP time-travelling !femNaruto)

Chapter 2: My Darling

Sasuke was in a decent mood, his fangirls were quiet for a change and the two especially loud and annoying ones were still yet to come. He was able to, for once delve into his thoughts and think of his revenge plots. It was the peace of mind he wanted.

Well, he was in a decent mood until the other loudmouthed idiot decided to not only show up and break the peace but to also bother him personally. She never even deliberately sat next to him and whenever she looked at him it was with a glare or with a sneer. If he would've guessed, he would say that she hated his guts. Not that he liked her either, she was loud, brash and incompetent.

He was sure she hated him, yet she sat down beside him and gave him the happiest smile he had seen on her face -because even with how much she was smiling and laughing he was sure none of them even came close to being truly joyful. He couldn't do anything but blink at the face of her smile.

''Good morning, darling.'' She said sweetly and her tone was truly loving and surprisingly affectionate. God, he knew he was the subject of admiration of the whole girl population in his class, they had a good reason to admire him, he was good-looking, he was as mature as they come and nowhere as childish as his male classmates were. But when it came to the blonde kunoichi, he had come to respect her despite her abysmal abilities and rash personality because she unlike the other girls didn't fall head over heels for him, didn't act like an unreasonable fan-girl and she was determined, resolute and adamant on truly becoming a kunoichi.

Seeing her acting like one of his admirers was plain pitiful.

''What do you want idiot?'' He growled, annoyed that the only girl that he respected despite the one-sided rivalry they had decided to join his annoying fan club.

Now Naruko for her part was hesitant on approaching the boy that would go on to be her husband, she was after all aged 36 while he was still a pubescent teen, but seeing him there sitting all alone, her heart started to ache. She just couldn't find it in her heart to just watch as he allowed himself to wallow in his dark thoughts and indulge in his self-destructing emotions. She was not going to stand by and watch him go down a similar path to the one he took the first time around.

And she'd rather do it as early as she could, no torn hands, no broken hearts and no streaming tears.

She also needed someone by her side, someone to give her solace, the faces of her previously dead comrades suddenly appearing reminding her of her failures thumped on her heart, the memories of them dying in her hands, of her sending them to their demise weighted at her heart. It was a lot more than she could handle.

She wanted her husband by her side, she needed him.

''That's not a way to greet me, dattebane.'' She pouted, not really annoyed. By now that term was more like an affectionate way that Sasuke used to call her, even if he rarely used it lately, and even if this one lacked the usual affectionate undertone.

He just grunted and turned away, clearly not intending to keep the conversation -if it could be called that- going.

Unbeknownst to him, her hands wove some hand signs and in a moment he felt flashes of somethings. Events he never saw before, him graduating, getting placed in a team with Naruko, the bell test, the wave mission, the friendly rivalry relationship he had developed with the girl in those times. His eyes widened as his mind processed what he was seeing, they felt real! All too real. Like he truly experienced those events.

He glanced at the girl to find her looking at him, smile still on her face and he found himself instinctively inching away from her. It had something to do with her, he was sure. It couldn't be a genjutsu, no way she would be able to do a genjutsu that he wouldn't be able to notice.

''What was that?'' He asked, suspicious.

She looked at him confused, or she faked the confusion at least yet it was so well placed for him to notice a thing. And so he just grunted and looked away.

Maybe he was just imagining things, but his heart grew restless, the emotions he felt from the sudden memories felt all too real.

He couldn't see the expression on Naruko's face turn guilty but he did hear the tired sigh. The woman-turned girl felt guilty for making the boy see her Sasuke's memories. She was essentially robbing him of his choice, his life, she was stealing the right to make his own decisions from him and instead forcing him to become the one that she came to love. He was a 12-year-old kid and the probability of him choosing another path in life because of her mere unexpected presence in this world was high.

God, she already felt like shit for robbing this Naruko her life even if it was not her fault and even if they were essentially the same person.

Yet she didn't stop, she kept on showing him glimpses and peeks of what her Sasuke had faced day after day, gradually shaping him and molding him into the man that she knew. She realized it was selfish, it felt wrong for her, but at least she was also saving the Uchiha from the hate that consumed him in the process. This Sasuke would be able to reconcile with his brother, he wouldn't have to stray the dark path that he had before. He would have his dear brother by his side.

The fact that she only let raw memories enter his mind with the genjutsu was doing wonders to calm her guilty heart. She didn't let any emotion that she knew her Sasuke was feeling to slip over. At least this way, Sasuke will ultimately make his own decision and she'd feel like she wasn't forcing him to love her. She didn't want to oblige him to be the one she remembered.

He'd make his own choice.

Her eyes sparkled under the moonlight as she stood in front of him with that beautiful smile on her face, the unwavering blissful smile that captivated him the longer he looked at her, the longer his eyes dived into the blue wide ocean that her eyes were, the more it took his breath away. Her oh-so-blue irises shone like a sapphire, reminiscing of the stars that adorned the night sky hiding a swirl of emotions underneath; the sadness of heartbreak, the joy of love, the hope of the future, the pain of sorrow, and the fire of a spirit that would never give up.

Feelings that he was all too used to when dealing with the raging storm that was his rival and best friend, feelings that even he sadly took pleasure in inflicting sometimes past.

It wasn't even two years after the war and Sasuke realized he was in love, he was madly in love with the blonde haired girl, no he was madly in love with the magnificent woman that was his best friend. It ate away at his heart thinking that he tried to kill her, erase her from his life- he couldn't imagine passing a split second without her happy grinning face filling his vision. He was sure if he was successful that damned day, he would not be able to live it down.

''Hey, Sasuke, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my hair? Are you feeling sick or something? I knew there was something wrong when you didn't ask me for a spar or even contact me for a few days-'' Her face scrunched up in worry and there she was rambling again. A fond smile fought itself into his lips before a joyful laugh escaped his throat. He was laughing heartily-he found himself doing that a lot recently whenever the blonde was involved.

''You didn't bring me out here to laugh at me, did you, dattebane?'' She huffed in annoyance and Sasuke couldn't help but register how cute the action seemed in his mind. He mentioned for her to come closer and she did slowly and a bit reluctantly.

He poked her forehead affectionately, the same way his dear late brother used to in his childhood and he instantly understood why Itachi took such a liking to the gesture. He smirked as her hands instantly shot to nurse at the spot where his fingers had poked her and she pouted. He had seen the complaint from miles away but thankfully he was able to beat her to it.

''I just found the way you were rambling cute." He admitted. He suppressed a smile at the blush that appeared on her whiskered cheeks, the rosiness on her usually slightly tanned skin was cute.

''Now I know for sure you are sick! Did you eat something bad? Oh, maybe you drank some expired milk. The effect that that has is not good at all.'' She winced and he raised an eyebrow at that. That was a story he was going to have to get out of her someday.

But for now, he had a more important thing to do. He had a reason to bring her here after all and it was definetly not just to laugh at her.

He took her hands into his -her hand into his rather- hesitating for just a second. She looked at him surprised by the sudden action but didn't make any move to retract her hand. She didn't flinch away from the touch. She just looked at him with her wide curious eyes.

''I've been planning to do this for a few days now.'' He admitted. ''I asked Shikamaru and Kiba for help but I still couldn't figure out how to do this. I wanted this to be special but..'' He trailed off and risked a glance at her, and her beautiful smiling face met his gaze, she gave his hand a light comforting squeeze encouraging him to speak.

''I've been thinking a lot lately, Naruko... thinking if I deserve the warm smiles that you give me, thinking if I deserve the unwavering faith that you have in me. I've hurt you a lot in the past Naruko, I've done everything in my power to destroy and everything that you worked hard to achieve. I would've expected nothing than for you to hate me. But you didn't... You fought to save me even when I fought to destroy you. I tried to kill yet you still didn't give up... to the point that you lost an arm. You believed in me until the very end. You know, you told me once if this is what it was like to have a brother... maybe it is but I don't want it to stop there... I want you to be more than a sister to me, Naruko.''

His voice was low and unconfident and never in a million years had Naruko thought she would see her best friend as vulnerable and helpless as he was at that moment. She raised her other hand and rubbed on his sole hand soothingly only to get a grateful smile from the boy.

She had been moved by his words, deeply so. She was going to chide the Uchiha, tell him of course she'd believe in him; she would not be able to live without regret if she was not able to save him on that merry day, the day she got her Sasuke back but it was clear that was not what the man wanted to hear at that moment.

''I love you, Naruko.'' She felt her heart skip a beat. ''I know I've done wrong by you countless of times. I know I don't deserve your love but know that I will still always love you.''

A slow joyful smile spread across her features, and she felt an entirely new feeling in her chest. So this was the feeling of love. It wasn't like her love for ramen or dango as she had thought. It was much much stronger and more breathtaking.

''Don't be silly, -ttebane.'' His head shot up to look at her in an instant, his look was so hopeful and so desperate. ''You deserve all the love in the world. I love you too, Sasuke.''

For that moment, Sasuke could definitely admit that his whole world was lit up and the happiness that filled his heart was nothing like he had never felt before. His hand reached into his pocket and he pulled out a small box.

''Will you be my girlfriend?'' He asked as he opened the box- kneeling on one leg- struggling for only a moment because even if he was a cripple he was still a ninja.

A beautiful gorgeous amber ring stared back at Naruko from within the box and her breath hitched at how beautiful and magnificent it was. It was her favorite color too.

''You don't have to give me a ring just to ask me to be your girlfriend, you idiot.''

Yet even as she chided him, she launched at him, hugging him closely crying tears of joy and he relaxed in her grasp enjoying her entrancing scent and the feel of her fluffy hair against his chin.

He didn't want this to end, maybe he could just hold on forever. Hopefully, she wouldn't mind.

Naruko felt her lips tug upwards into a wistful fond smile as the memory resurfaced to her mind. Those were simpler times, just coming out of a war, enjoying the peace that their efforts had brought them. They were able to just smile and laugh the days away, able to just enjoy their lives without the threat of death looming over. She wished she could be back to that time, hold her darling close to her again and smile with all of her friends by her side.

She supposed that this was her wish coming true even if it was slightly off by a few years.

Maybe it was for the better.

She relaxed under the twinkling stars, enjoying the night breeze, the sky in the land of fire -in konoha- was extra beautiful and captivating, maybe it was just her but every other place in the world never felt as beautiful as her home and the night sky never felt as soothing in the many hideouts she had visited in the many Otsutsukis attacks.

She was deep in thought when an unexpected visitor popped into her radar, slowly.

She turned around and smiled at the new visitor.

''Darling, what are you doing here?''

Sasuke's eye narrowed and he gave her a look.

''Looking for you, I knew you'd be here.'' It was after all the place where he proposed in his memories -both times- the place where they went whenever they wanted to be alone and just relax. It was a place very special to the both of them.

Naruko tilted her head in curiosity and her eye wrinkled with a hint of something he couldn't quite place. Her look was hopeful?

''Really? What for?'' She asked.

''Those memories, they were your doing weren't they?''

He watched as her eyes widened before shifting to look at the ground instead unable to meet his own. She just nodded.

''You idiot.'' And here Naruko looked up because unlike the other day, the usual affectionate and loving undertone was there, present and making her heart flutter. ''It's just like you to feel guilty for something like this.''

A smirk appeared on his features and Naruko noticed how similar it was to her Sasuke's smirk, not the mocking arrogant smirk that he used to sport in their genin days. he was teasing her, rather. Yet, she still didn't know what to say, she didn't trust herself to say anything and her gaze instead drifted to the lake. In the twilight the surface was as smooth as black glass, you could imagine yourself walking right out onto it or skidding across the surface with no chakra needed.

''Don't you see? You opened my world once more, you are my world, Naruko,'' He barely registered the shocked expression that formed her face as he continued. ''The memories they felt real, I felt something. I know my place should be by your side.''

He looked at Naruko to find her bitting her lower lip, her eyes turning glossy with happy tears.

''There was no way those memories were of your own creation because I felt like they were mine, the experience that that Sasuke endured, those things, no matter how much I'd want to deny it, were things I would do.''

She nodded, her smile radiant, her eyes still watering.

''At least that's what I think. They are real, aren't they?'' His eyes instantly shifted to the mangekyo Sharingan.''Don't lie to me. Trust me I would know!'' Even if the memories eventually turned out to be fake, which he highly doubted, he'd have to thank the girl for helping him unlock his Sharingan, let alone the mangekyo Sharingan.

''Of course, they are! What do you take me for, dattebane!'' Despite telling him the complete truth she couldn't help but feel nervous staring at his judging firm Sharingans. The legendary dojutsu would let him know if she tried to fool him, after all, it was revered for noticing the smallest of details too sharply. Even the slightly faster raising of her chest accompanying her faster-beating heart- which meant she was lying- would be noticeable with it, it was one of the reasons that the Uchihas formed the entirety of the police corps in the past. She was also never a good liar, at least to him, he was always able to figure out when she was lying -not that she lied to him that much.

His hard steely expression gave way to a fond affectionate smile and she finally found herself releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

He walked toward her slowly and she knew exactly what was coming.

Two fingers impacted with her forehead and she pouted at the familiar action.

''Welcome back to the land of the living, darling.''

Author's notes: I'd reckon there would be quite a few of those flashbacks, either to show Sasuke/Naruko relationships in the past and how it would influence their current relationship or show some of the Otsutsuki's attacks, maybe the aftermaths of said attacks.

About that love turning out to be stronger than her love for ramen and dango in the flashback, It's something said in Naruto: the last movie. Sakura had to specifically point out that true love was different from his love to ramen and dango. So I thought it would be cool to include it.

Thank you guys for all the support. I sincerely thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews. It means a lot and I hope I won't dissapoint!

The pressure is real now :3