Sasuke had returned to Konoha. Sakura busied herself at the hospital.

These statements were not related. Sakura was ecstatic that Sasuke had returned — for years, she'd wanted him to be safe, and removed from the reach of an enemy Sannin who aimed to dispossess him of his body. Once, she'd also wanted him to be happy with their team, and perhaps with her, but she'd long outgrown such childish notions. What they had now was enough.

"Dinner at Ichiraku's. Come on, Sakura-chan!" Naruto insisted, about three months after the war had ended. "They expanded the storefront recently. There are, like, proper booths now!"

"Okay, I'll let you know when I'm available," Sakura murmured, writing rapidly on her clipboard. "Do you need anything healed?"

He stopped her in her tracks, planting his hands on both of her shoulders. She peered up at him. "Tomorrow evening, okay?"

"I'm not sure that works—"

"I talked to Sai, and he says you're free that time on Thursdays. Don't lie!"

"I use that time to catch up on sleep," Sakura grumbled, "but fine."

Naruto caught her off guard with a hug, and she melted into it. He pulled away too quickly, saying something about meeting with Kakashi, and she waved goodbye.

Feeling lighter than she had in a while, Sakura got back to work.

"You and I need to have a word about freely revealing my schedule to just anyone who asks," Sakura said petulantly when she crossed the threshold of their apartment that night. Sai was lounging on the couch, sketching.

He put down his notepad. "All right."

"All right, what?" she asked, turning to him as she hung her coat.

"Let's have a word," he said simply.

She rolled her eyes. "All I mean is... don't tell my shift schedule to just anyone."

"Dickless is hardly 'just anyone,'" Sai pointed out.

She huffed, plopping down next to him and switching on the television. "I know that."

"It sounds like you're upset with me because you didn't want to attend a Team 7 dinner," Sai said astutely. "And my honest discussion with Naruto eliminated any excuses you might have used to miss it."

In moments like these, she found herself almost wistful for the days when Sai couldn't comprehend basic emotional urges.

"It's not that I don't want to," she said defensively. "I'm just busy. And it's been a while since I've seen Kakashi, or Yamato-taichou, or Sasuke. Even Naruto, for that matter. Maybe I just needed some time to prepare."

"Prepare topics of conversation? You told me that was unnecessary."

"No. Prepare, as in ready myself," she clarified. "Like when you ask someone to count to three before they rip off a bandage."

"I have never done that."

She pondered it, then said, "Well, it's like the saying. You know, 'brace yourself.'"

Understanding dawned on him. "I see. But instead of a physical brace, you are referring to a mental one."

She smiled. "Yeah. You okay with sitting through this?" She was referring to the romance serial she'd turned on; a shoujo manga adaptation. She liked watching it to pass the time before bed.

"I think I will go to my room to finish my sketch."

"Can I see?"

He shook his head as he silently gathered his paper and supplies. Sakura pouted.

"That will not work," he said, sounding mildly amused. "Also, I finished the dango you bought yesterday."

She gasped. "Sai!"

"Ugly, you told me it is good to indulge in sweets, as long as it is done in moderation." He looked confused.

Sakura thought back to that conversation. Sai hadn't actually tried sweets until a couple of months ago, at her behest. Apparently, his training officers at ROOT had deemed them to be an unacceptable part of his diet.

She felt like an asshole, so she quickly amended, "No, don't worry, that's fine, I'll just get more—"

"Ha. That was a joke."

She frowned. "What?"

"I know why you are angry. You told me not to finish the dango before leaving for work this morning. I was merely craving it."

Affronted, she tossed a pillow at him. He deflected it back to her and scurried away before she could admonish him further.

Once he disappeared behind his bedroom door, though, she couldn't help but grin. A joke.

Sai had come far.

It was odd, being back in Konoha. Sasuke found there wasn't much for him to do.

"You could go on missions," Kakashi suggested from behind his desk. "It might help garner goodwill with the village officials."

"I believe I've made my preference on that matter clear, Hokage-sama." He spat out the title with as much respect as it deserved.

Kakashi scrutinized him for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. You could volunteer? Physically, the village was spared from attack, but the hospital is still overflowing, and they could always use a helping hand. I'm sure Sakura can find you something."

"Maybe. And the Elders?"

Kakashi knew what he was asking. "Naruto and I have... run into some trouble."

His missing hand twitched. "In what?"

"We're having difficulty obtaining tangible proof of their involvement. Very shortly after Danzo was killed, a good deal of document destruction took place. Apparently routine."

Sasuke pursed his lips. "So they're walking free?"

"No," Kakashi assured. "This is only a hurdle, and one that we fully intend to overcome. We just wanted to keep you informed."

He swallowed. "Right."

There was a pregnant pause. Then, "How is... your team?" Kakashi inquired.

"They're fine. But Suigetsu is restless. You said we weren't on house arrest, Kakashi."

"You aren't," Kakashi corrected. "The Council was willing to accept the absence of a sentencing for you — reluctantly, I might add — given your indispensable role in saving the world, and due to my command. But I can't push them too far."

"So how long?"

"It's been three months. It might be six more before I can let all of you go, pending good behaviour. That's the best I can promise." When Sasuke didn't respond, Kakashi asked, "You really want to leave already?"

He didn't reply. Fatigued, Kakashi leaned back, and said, "Has Naruto informed you about the team dinner taking place? Tomorrow night."

A long-suffering sigh escaped Sasuke. He thought he heard Kakashi snicker, but when he glanced up, his former sensei was as placid as ever.

"Will you be there?" Sasuke asked.

"I wouldn't miss it."

"Naruto would be too irritating the next day," Sasuke agreed.

"You have no idea." Kakashi was, of course, alluding to the fact that he had spent most waking hours with Naruto over the past few months, given the latter was training to be the next Hokage. "He's even managed to get Sakura to agree to come. No easy feat. She practically lives in the hospital these days."

The mention of Sakura's living situation reminded Sasuke of her roommate. "Will Sai also be there?" The name of his replacement was foreign on his tongue.

"Yes, Sai as well. And Tenzo. He was the captain of the team for some time while I was... preoccupied."

Sasuke absorbed his words, then ventured, "You mean you were indisposed. In the hospital. Chakra exhaustion?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I remember when you treated your poor old sensei with respect."

"When was that?" Sasuke asked doubtfully.

Sasuke's daily routine was simple. He sparred with Naruto in the mornings, then visited Suigetsu and Karin, whose accommodations were close to one another. He never went long without a trip to the Konoha Library. Some days were spent in the library entirely; other days, he grabbed a book and most of the afternoon and evening passed by in the quiet company of Juugo; and sometimes he felt like exploring the village. There was a lot he hadn't seen, in his first thirteen years growing up here.

To end the day, he paid Kakashi a visit, or had dinner with Taka (nearly always at his or Juugo's apartments), or was roped into ramen with Naruto.

It wasn't bad. There was enough variation to keep him distracted. Although some things didn't change.

Every day, without fail, he stopped by the Uchiha graveyard. The stones required upkeep from time to time, and Sasuke was happy to oblige. Itachi's body lay underneath an unmarked (for the time being, according to Kakashi and Naruto) grave, some distance away from his fellow clan members.

Sasuke wished he were buried with them. That didn't change either.

"Maybe we could get dinner tonight?" Karin suggested.

"Not tonight. I have dinner with my old team."

"Looking forward to it?" Suigetsu asked from across the room, smirking.

Sasuke didn't really feel any way about it. "Whatever. Naruto wouldn't stop asking."

"Yeah, he was complaining about how all of you haven't been in a room together since you were discharged from the hospital," Karin said. She and Naruto had gotten to know each other somewhat, though never in his presence. Sasuke felt disconcerted by it.

"When?" he asked.

"Last week. He took me to some ramen place..."

"Ichiraku's," Sasuke supplied. "For fuck's sake. I'm surprised it hasn't killed him yet."

Suigetsu chimed in. "How come Naruto doesn't take me to Ichiraku's?"

"Oh, he made me pay," Karin said irritably. "But he thinks we should be closer. Family, and everything."

Sasuke knew if Karin truly minded, she wouldn't have agreed to a meal with Naruto at all. He chewed down the last of his toast. "It was better," he told her honestly.

She'd tried her hand at making breakfast for them the past few weeks, to little success, either burning the bread, or drenching it in excessive butter, or both. Comparatively, today's breakfast was a notable improvement.

"Yeah, okay," she snapped.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said. Suigetsu followed Sasuke out the door, and then patted him wordlessly on the shoulder before retreating to his own apartment.

"You're wearing that to dinner?" Juugo asked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, eyeing over his black shirt and pants. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. It's nice, Sasuke," he offered kindly.

"It's a special event." It was difficult to shake some elements of his upbringing, like dressing appropriately for any semi-formal outings.

"Sure. You see Naruto and your sensei often, don't you?"

"He's not my sensei anymore, but yes."

Juugo considered that. Then he asked, "Did you speak to him about leaving Konoha?"

"It'll be a while, Juugo. Several months, at least."

Team Taka had faced serious punishment at the end of the war. Sasuke and Suigetsu were affiliated with their own villages, but Kirigakure had not been as generous with their proposed sentence as Konoha. Juugo and Karin were from Sound, which no longer existed, but seeing as they were technically international criminals, most villages were eager to impose justice upon them. No other village, with the exception of the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand, had been willing to allow them to walk free for their crimes.

Thus, his team had entered into an agreement with Konoha. Henceforth, they would be considered citizens of the Hidden Leaf, and prosecuted as such. His three teammates had been imprisoned for a month, and then Kakashi had placed them on house arrest for another month in government-funded apartments, in which they still resided. Now they had the mobility of any other citizens.

The news made Juugo sigh. "That's all right. I befriended another neighbour today. By the time we leave, maybe it'll be the whole floor."

"How's your seal?" Sasuke asked, flipping another page of The Vegetable Gardener's Handbook. One had been installed on Juugo to suppress his rages, as part of his punishment. Juugo had been grateful, at first, but his current symptoms made it evident that whoever had performed the task had done so sloppily.

"I went to the hospital yesterday. The medic treated it for an hour, and I thought it worked, until I woke up in the middle of the night from the pain."

The instability of his seal meant Juugo had been avoiding going beyond the four walls of his apartment, except to occasionally take a stroll in the hallway. Sasuke had even brought him groceries for weeks. The prospect of losing control of himself around innocent people petrified him.

For him to willingly go to the hospital… Sasuke realized the situation was more serious than he'd imagined.

"I'll ask Sakura tonight," he resolved. "She can take a look."

"The pink one?"

"Yes."

"Isn't she head of the hospital? Don't bother her on my account."

"It's fine. I don't think it'll take her long."

"Hi!" Sakura chirped breathlessly. She slid in the booth next to Sai, who was seated by Yamato-taichou. "It's nice to see you all here."

"You're later than I am," Kakashi pointed out across from her.

"I'm two minutes early," she rectified with a strained smile. Her punctuality was a point of pride for her. "I had to sprint here as soon as my shift ended. Sorry if I smell bad."

"No worse than usual," Sai said helpfully.

"You're still wearing your white coat, Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

"Shoot. Sorry." She took it off, then crumpled it into a ball in her lap. "How is everyone?"

Sakura slurped down some ramen as Naruto talked all about how he was planning to implement a new buddy program for anyone who'd fought in the war, given the recent rise in suicide rates among that population.

"And to make sure they do see each other for an hour every week, we'll have them fill out a weekly form to send to the Administration Building."

"What if they don't?" Yamato-taichou questioned.

"Then we'll encourage them to!" Naruto said enthusiastically.

"Can I opt out?" Sasuke asked dryly.

"Absolutely not! And guess who your buddy will be?" Naruto asked brightly.

"Dickless, you said a second ago that the pairs would be randomized."

Naruto groaned. "It's a work in progress," Kakashi answered for him, eyes crinkled in the usual forced smile.

"Seeing as you're the oldest, and our sensei, you should pay," Naruto said.

"Naruto, I would hate to take credit for all the hard work you put in to get us here at the same time. You deserve the honour." With that, Kakashi poofed away. Naruto cursed under his breath.

"I should go too," Yamato-taichou said.

They wished him good night as Naruto counted his cash.

"You're short, aren't you?" Sakura asked after some time, unsurprised. "How much do you need?"

"Just a twenty."

"I got it," Sasuke said, already placing the money on the table.

She yawned as Naruto complained about how much they'd all eaten, to which Sasuke retorted that Naruto had gobbled down most of the sides by himself.

"Ugly, you look tired," Sai said next to her.

"Thanks, Sai," she said, leaning against his shoulder and shutting her eyes.

"You can't sleep here," he said.

"Just give me a minute."

She'd barely drifted into sleep when she was unceremoniously awoken by her roommate.

"It's been a minute," he explained.

She rubbed her eyes. "Okay. I'm going home." She smiled sleepily at Naruto and Sasuke. "It was good to see you both."

"I expect we will soon meet again, Dickless," Sai said by way of parting salutation. "Sasuke, until next time."

Sasuke headed to Sakura and Sai's apartment first thing the next morning. He didn't expect Sai to open the door.

"Sasuke," he acknowledged. "What brings you here?"

"Is Sakura still around?" Sasuke asked. "Naruto said her shift always starts at 6." He'd arrived at 5:45 am, accordingly.

"It does. However, she is running late today. Please come in."

Sasuke followed Sai inside, taking in their apartment. One of the walls was studded with brown brick, and decorative warm lights were hanging overhead. The dining table was compact and wooden. Every detail was seamlessly coordinated.

"Did Sakura design this place?" He couldn't recall her having a passion for aesthetics.

"I did," Sai said. "Ugly has no eye for it. You should have seen her last apartment. It was painfully plain."

"Right," Sasuke said. He approached the fireplace, looking at the photos perched atop its ledge. One was of Sakura, still a genin, in between two cheerful older people — her parents, he assumed, if the man's hair and woman's eyes were anything to go by. Another was Sakura and her Yamanaka friend, more recent. The third photo was of Naruto, with his arms around Sakura and Sai. Sakura's seal was missing, so that must have been from before the war. The last was their Team 7 photo, taken a lifetime ago. Sasuke was dimly surprised to see it there. She already had a photo with Naruto, and if last night was any indication, she and Kakashi weren't close. As for him… well, prior to their ramen outing, he and Sakura hadn't seen each other for months.

"She should be out of the shower soon," Sai said.

Sasuke appraised the other boy, still shirtless and in boxers, with his hair mussed. He was fairly certain he'd woken Sai up.

"I don't mind waiting alone," he said.

Just then, he heard the door to the bathroom swing open. Sakura emerged in a loose bathrobe, shivering.

"Sai, what are you doing up— oh!" Her eyes widened as they landed on him.

"Morning," Sasuke said.

"Um, good morning." She hurried past them into her bedroom, leaving a trail of water in her wake. The door slammed shut behind her.

"I think I'll return to bed," Sai said pleasantly. "Do tell her to clean that up."

The water on the floor was gone by the time Sakura reappeared.

"Hey," she said. She was dressed in black pants and a red sweater. Sasuke watched her slip a brown coat around her shoulders. "I'm afraid I have to get to work, I'm already running late, but—"

"I know. Naruto told me," he said. "I'll walk you."

"Oh. Okay." She smiled at him, a little hesitant. "Let's go."

Sakura racked her brain for what to say as they walked to Konoha General. It occurred to her, rather inconveniently, that she hadn't actually been alone with Sasuke since… well, since they were genin, and she'd cried and he'd thanked her and left her unconscious on a bench.

Twiddling with her hands, she settled for, "So, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke said, never one to elaborate when few words would suffice. "You?"

"Yeah, me too. Busy."

"Kakashi said the hospital was packed."

"It sure is," she said, wishing she was more interesting. Sai's suggestion to brainstorm conversational topics didn't seem so bad right about now.

"Shinobi injured from the war?" he asked.

"Yeah. I guess. It's a bunch of things. I won't bore you."

"You wouldn't," he replied.

She glanced sideways at him. He didn't look annoyed, so she said, "Well, the acute injuries have been dealt with, but a lot of people developed chronic issues. And Pain's attack and the war happened in such quick succession that we were too busy dealing with wounded to tend to other health issues for almost a year. So now we're getting through the surgeries we didn't get to before, and there are extra surgeries to be done because many patients deteriorated while we couldn't see them, and we need to do regular checkups on soldiers, and while we're doing that we're letting new patients pile up that we can't see because their conditions aren't severe enough — yet. I mean, we were understaffed on a good day, but now we're just trying to catch up." She inhaled sharply and rubbed her temples. "I didn't mean to dump all that on you. Sorry."

"You didn't dump anything," he said. "How long will it take to clear the backlog?"

"I don't know." The thought of it gave Sakura a headache. "Eight months, at least."

"Aa."

"But it's fine. What's up, Sasuke?"

"It's…" he trailed off.

His hesitation made the reason for his visit click into place. "Is it your arm? I don't mind checking it out, I promise. I'm not that busy."

"Tch. That's not what you just said." His mouth was quirked upwards.

Even a half-smile from Sasuke was a rare sight. She allowed herself to appreciate it, just for a moment, before saying, "Still, what is it?"

"It's Juugo. His seal has been flaring up recently. He's already been by the hospital, and it hasn't helped."

She understood the implication. Sasuke coming to her — willingly seeking her out — was a last resort.

She smiled, even as her stomach plummeted. "All right. I'll check it out. I think I should be free tomorrow—"

"Would you be able to go to him?" Sasuke cut in. "He's not comfortable in public."

"Since the seal might stop working. Right."

"He's always at home. I can give you his address."

The rest of the walk passed in silence. Sakura couldn't think of what more to say — asking about him seemed too intrusive, and Team Taka was none of her business. Plus, Sasuke didn't appear particularly interested either way. It was funny, really, that she'd worked so hard to bring back someone she didn't even know how to talk to.

"This is me," she said, just a few minutes later, as they happened upon the front entrance of the hospital. "I don't know off the top of my head when I'm available, but I will see Juugo soon."

"All right. Thank you, Sakura," Sasuke said, voice solemn.

Her breath caught, and then she nodded. "No problem. Bye, Sasuke."

Author's note

please leave a review with your thoughts. thanks for reading!