The fall breeze rustled the lush trees lining the dirt path before him. The leaves had just started to change colors with small tints of yellow, orange and red randomly scattered among the greenery. The underlying chill in the air reminded all creatures that winter was coming soon. The sounds of animals preparing the snow that was about to blanket the area soon were all around him. One more day of travel and he would be at his destination, home. It still felt weird calling Konoha home after everything that happened, however, he wouldn't lie, he was glad not to be on the road for another winter.

Sasuke looked up, the sky was still blue and clear but off in the distance there were dark clouds dancing just on the horizon. Hopefully he would make the next village before the storm hit. He knew the next village well; they would often stop for meals when they went on missions as Genin. Memories of the past came flooding back with every step he took.

A young Naruto would run this path so obnoxiously excited to be on a mission, Sakura always yelling to calm down and be quiet, Kakashi trailing behind and reading his perverted books and he would always stalk behind annoyed to be there.

Sasuke shook his head. He was in a dark place back then, being manipulated by every adult in his life had twisted his thinking. He had caused so much hurt and pain in his actions, especially to those who cared for him the most. He sighed, during his atonement he spent his time thinking about what his new future would look like and what he wanted next. These are things he never really gave much thought to when he was with Orochimaru. In the spring when he was informed of Naruto's marriage to Hinata, it was the first time marriage and family had crossed his mind with any seriousness. He had always written things like that off as silly when he was younger, now he wondered if these were things deserved after everything he had done.

His thoughts were interrupted when the walls of the village came into view, Shukuba Town, he planned to stay here tonight and head to Konoha in the morning, it was already getting late, he was hungry and tired, and a hot bath that wasn't in a river was in order as well. The sky was darkening with the sunset and the clouds overhead rolling in and the wind was picking up.

He stood at the gate and summoned his hawk, it was getting easier using jutsu with one hand, his Rinnegan was a tremendous asset since losing his left arm. He figured he would let Kakashi, the 6th Hokage, know he would be arriving in the morning. He was positive they already knew he would be coming back sooner or later because he had gotten word Sakura had been abducted recently. He had rushed to rescue her but... well... as it turned out she could handle herself. By the time he arrived on location where she was supposedly being held, well, Leaf Shinobi were already cleaning up after the aftermath of her monstrous strength. Knowing that she was already safe was the only reason he wasn't racing back to the village. He had witnessed what she was capable of during the 4th Great Ninja War, and he was both impressed and slightly intimidated by it and was a heavy reminder of how much things have changed since they were children.

Sasuke watched the hawk fly off into the storm clouds overhead and with that out of the way he made his way to the inn. Fond memories came rushing back again as he walked down the streets pushing his way through the bustling crowds. He remembered they bought Kakashi here to try and see what was under his mask, the memory brought a smile to his face. He always acted annoyed back then but could now admit to himself those days were a lot of fun and he wished he had taken time to enjoy those times more. As he made his way to his room the sound of rain pattering on the roof shook the thoughts from his mind. Tomorrow.

X

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open as the daylight broke through the only window. He groaned softly, his sleep was restless, his body ached, and he felt more tired now than when he went to bed last night. He wanted nothing more than to sleep the day away, avoid all responsibility... or avoid her, it was tempting thought, but Lord Sixth was waiting on him. When he left the village years ago, she had asked to come with him, instead he tapped her forehead like his brother used to... She was just like Naruto, always chasing after him, never letting him sever their bond no matter how hard he tried to.

He dragged himself out of bed and got ready for the journey to the Hokage's office. He packed up the small bag he carried with him and changed into a black button-up shirt, black pants and pulled his cloak on. He quickly fixed his black hair to cover his Rinnegan. During his travels he let his bangs grow out to cover the right side of his face, keeping his visual jutsu hidden while moving from village to village. It was easier that way.

When he stepped outside the inn, a small yawn escaped, knowing the big day ahead of him he pushed exhaustion aside. Kakashi already knew he would be arriving which meant not only did his former team teammates know, but it was also a good bet the entire village also knew. Not that seeing everyone was a bad thing, it was just... a lot. He braced himself for the overwhelming welcome he knew was coming and kept walking.

The rain stopped during the night, blue sky and the sun were trying to break through the dark clouds that swirled above. The ground was still wet and muddy and small puddles littered the pathway ahead. It seemed very fitting for the mood he was in.

It was a short walk to Konoha, he had only been walking for just over an hour and he could already see the barrier walls in the distance. The wave of anxiety washing over him made his chest tight. There were many people he needed to apologize to, but the one he needed to apologize to the most, well, he wasn't sure how he was going to face her. He wasn't sure how he would begin to make up for all the pain he caused.

He inhaled deeply and pushed those thoughts aside; he would deal with it when the time came, there was no point letting it get to him before he even faced her. He was so lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized the main gate was now in view, the shinobi standing guard at the closed door approached to greet him, he didn't recognize them, he was surprised that they were the only ones here to greet him. This was unexpected.

"Sasuke Uchiha?" The young male on the left questioned, he was dressed in the typical leaf jonin attire, with navy, almost black, pants and matching shirt, the forest green vest and standard hachimaki with the symbol of the hidden leaf village carved in it, is brown hair spilling out around it. Sasuke had the same one but with deep line carved through the logo, reminding him of his past sins. He nodded at the question and looked to the other man still standing by the gate, he had to be around the age with bright red hair, wearing the same uniform.

"Lord Sixth has been waiting for your arrival," the young man continued as he stepped aside, "he's in the Hokage's office." The brunette looked back at his red headed companion and nodded. The rumble of the gate moving shook the ground as it started to open.

Sasuke nodded at the guards and started making his way to the Hokage's office, which happened to be on the other side of the village. The leaf village was by no means a small village; it was home to thousands of shinobi and civilians alike. The streets weren't nearly as packed as Shukuba Town, but it was lively, nonetheless. Children ran by with their parents chatting amongst themselves as they followed, he often wondered what parenthood would be like, though he was pretty sure he wouldn't make a good parent, not that it was something he would ever need to worry about, starting family didn't really seem like a feasible future for him, not for someone like him.

Surprisingly no one was really paying any attention to him as he worked his way through the crowds of villagers, he was expecting stares and whispers, after all he had betrayed Konoha, attacked the Kage and then left for 2 years. However, he was not complaining, the peace and quiet was nice. Sasuke paused as he passed Ichiraku Ramen, another flood of memories rushed forward, surprisingly the shop was silent, the loudmouth wasn't here. Where was everyone? Sasuke turned away and kept walking, perhaps they were all at the Hokage's.

"Hey Sasuke," Shikamaru Nara greeted, he was leaning against the red brick wall of the Hokage's mansion. He was flicking a lighter open and closed as he nonchalantly looked over towards the Uchiha. His black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, he was wearing the jonin uniform with his hachimaki tied around his left bicep.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke questioned; this wasn't exactly the welcoming party he had been expecting.

"I'm the advisor to the Hokage now, I've come to escort you," Shikamaru explained as he motioned to the steps leading to the main door, "come on let's go." The young advisor started walking up the winding staircase.

"Hokage's advisor? Things have certainly changed since I was here last." Sasuke acknowledged.

"Oh, you have no idea, I'm getting married next month. Can you believe it?" Nara looked over his shoulder as he spoke. "I wasn't sure where to send your invitation but now you're here now so that's one less thing I need to worry about. It's such a drag."

Sasuke couldn't hide the surprised expression on his face. First Naruto and now Shikamaru. He had received notice of Naruto's marriage to Hinata but was too far away to make it in time, but that was when he started slowly making his way back to the leaf. Sasuke furrowed his brow; he had no idea the village strategist was involved with someone... No, that wasn't true. After the war was over and before he was pardoned and left the village, he remembered the blonde sand village shinobi girl that was always with him... what was her name again? He knew he met her before the chunin exams with Gaara... ah yes, "Temari, from the Village hidden in the Sand?"

"I'm surprised you remembered," The leader of the Nara clan joked, "the whole thing is such a drag." They came to a stop at the large thick wooden door leading to Hokage's office. Shikamaru pushed the door open but remained outside.

Kakashi was sitting in the oversized chair behind the large red oak desk stacked to the ceiling with paperwork... Sasuke's eyes travelled around the familiar yet new space. A picture of Tsunade had been added to the wall, there were also a lot more stacks of paperwork on the floor than he remembered from last time. The silver haired ninja was still wearing his jonin uniform, his white Hokage cloak was hanging on the wall. Kakashi was alone.

"Sasuke! Welcome back!" The Sixth Hokage greeted, looking up from the scattered mess of papers on his desk. He noticed his former student scanning the room. "I didn't tell anyone you were arriving today, I figured you might want to surprise someone." The elder snickered.

"What are you implying?" The younger man grumbled; he really didn't like where this was going.

"How was your trip?" Kakashi changed the subject he was as cheerful as ever. He no longer covered his left eye, with the sharingan gone he no longer needed to, it was those eyes that gave away this former sensei's mischievous smirk.

"It was eventful." Sasuke proceeded to tell his former sensei about his travels to five great nations and the smaller nations along the way, how everything had been affected by the war and how the recovery efforts had been progressing. He shared his concerns that rouge Zetsu clones may still be causing problems. He also wanted to ask about the incident with Sakura but bit his tongue.

Kakashi frowned, "Sasuke can you have a full report ready for me tomorrow?" He leaned back in chair, Sasuke nodded. "Are you planning to head out again right away?"

"I would like to stay for bit... if that's okay..."

Kakashi perked up, while he couldn't see his former sensei's entire face, he could tell the old man was grinning. "Ohhhhhhhhh... tired from your trip or do you have something or someone else in mind?" The former team seven sensei snickered again. Sasuke offered a confused expression but before he could answer the Hokage continued, "you know she's finished up at the hospital around 7."

Sasuke spun on his heel facing the door since he couldn't hide the faint blush that formed on his cheeks, "I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm just tired." Sasuke muttered under his breath as he stormed out of the office.

"Your old apartment hasn't been touched since you left, you should clean it up before you invite company over!" Kakashi's snickering could be heard from behind the door. Kakashi spent way too much time reading those Make Out books.

X

Sasuke found himself standing in front of the leaf hospital. He had already finished his report for Kakashi and had planned to grab something to eat, however his feet led him here instead. The sun was already starting to set but he still had another hour before she would be off for the evening. He let out a deep sigh, he couldn't avoid her forever and he needed to get her to check his eyes. While his visual jutsu was incredibly powerful just like all jutsu it had its weaknesses. The more he used his sharingan the worse the headaches were starting to become, while he had read about this in the old documents in the Uchiha compound, he thought these symptoms would go away when he took his brother's eyes, and they had, temporarily. He wasn't worried about going blind anymore but there was so much unknown with his Kekkei Genkai and there was no one left to ask so he had to focus on preventive maintenance.

Entering the hospital, he looked around but the person he was looking for wasn't there. She was the top Doctor in the village, the chances of her hanging out in the lobby were slim.

"Can I help you, sir?" The polite desk attendant greeted warmly as he approached. She was young woman with black hair tied up in a tight bun and a calming smile.

Sasuke's face flushed, "I'm... uh... looking for Doctor Haruno."

"She's busy right now, do you have an appointment?" She was scanning through an appointment calendar on a chunky looking monitor. The glow from the screen lit up her face.

"Not exactly... I'm just an old friend." Sasuke lowered his voice to just above a whisper. Why did he even come here, he could have just wandered about the hospital and found her on his own.

She looked up from the computer, "Oh okay, can I get your name, sir?"

"Ummm..." Sasuke paused; his former sensei's words came flooding back... 'surprise someone'. "She doesn't know I'm back in town...," he trailed off, unsure what he was supposed to say. He had promised to return to her one day, when he tapped her forehead. He couldn't avoid her forever. 'Maybe next time...'

"Oh... I'll take you up to her office and let her know you're here." The young woman replied with a coy smile. She stood up and motioned for him to follow her. That was easier than expected.

She led him through the large hospital to an elevator. "5th floor, first door on the left." She hit the button for him and disappeared.

He stepped out of the elevator on the 5th floor expecting to see more patient care rooms, instead the hallway was lined with offices. Walking a few steps down the hall he was greeted with a silver nameplate on a solid oak door.

Dr. Sakura Haruno
Executive Director

This was it. He inhaled sharply and pushed the door open. Holy shit! Her office was massive. At least twice, if not more, the size of the Hokage's office. There was shelving lining the two walls and it was filled to the brim with medical ninjutsu books and scrolls, all stacked haphazardly, like a personal library. Near the back of the room was a simple desk and comfortable looking office chair set up just in front a large panel window overlooking the entire Konoha. There were two smaller chairs on the opposite side of the desk closest to him, he thought about sitting to wait for her, but the library around him caught his attention. He wandered to the right of the room, it seemed more disorderly than the other.

Sasuke started flipping through a large book on the top of a small pile. Poisons and Antidotes. He remembered Orochimaru telling him about the attack on the Sand and Sasori's poisons, Sakura must have been the one to create the antidote... he also remembered Naruto talking about her food pills. Perhaps if he found that recipe, he could make it disappear for everyone's sake.

Sasuke was so engrossed in reading that he almost missed the footsteps coming towards the door. It was her chakra. He placed the book back on the shelf and took a deep breath in.

"I'm afraid you'll make to an appointment for tomo..." A soft voice started as she came through the door but froze when her bright green eyes met his mismatched ones. She was one of the only people who always made eye contact with him while others avoided looking directly into his eyes, but she still trusted him, even after everything he had done. "Sasuke..."

"Sakura...," Sasuke trailed off. Her pink hair was shorter than when he had last seen her, just below her shoulders. The diamond-shaped mark on her forehead, 100 Healings Mark, was visible with her hair held back by her headband. Her red qipao top with white trim was covered by her white lab coat. His eyes followed the curve of her body down, her white capri's buttoning just below her exposed navel, he blushed sightly as he brought his gaze back to hers. "So, I have to make appointment?"

"Uh, sorry, I didn't know you were back," her face flushed slightly and before he could process anything her face was buried into his shoulder as she hugged him.

"I'm home." He whispered as he wrapped his arm around her lower back and hugged her back. Time seemed to stand still for a moment. "I told you I would come back..." He whispered, referencing their last encounter when he was leaving the village.

Sakura stepped back giving him his space again and was now standing a few feet away from him, "What brings you into the hospital?" she asked softly, "you could have waited until I was done to meet up with me..."

"My eyes," The raven-haired man injected quickly even if it wasn't the whole truth, "I overused them on my travels, I would like you to check on them."

She pulled back of the chairs in front of her desk and motioned for him to have a seat. Her body language changed from happy to concern, "Are you okay? Did something happen?" She inquired sternly, the doctor in her taking over.

"I'm fine I just notice the more I use my visual jutsu I get headaches." He explained as he sat down. He closed his eyes and could feel the warmth of her chakra radiating around his eyes and the muscles around his face, it was soothing. "I should be asking you if you're okay, I heard you had a little adventure recently."

"Oh, you heard about that?" she chuckled softly. He nodded but stopped quickly when he realized he shouldn't be moving while she did such delicate work. "It's a long story but I'm fine, I can take care of myself," She quickly changed the topic before he could ask more questions, "Your ocular nerves and muscles are extremely fatigued, I recommended rest. Are you leaving right away?"

Sasuke frowned slightly he caught her topic change but couldn't help himself, he wanted to know what happened, "I'm planning on hanging around for a little while, I have some things I need to attend to, so lots of time to hear about what happened." He relaxed in the chair and watched her expression go from happy to uncomfortable with his words, it made him want to grin.

"Well, it won't be any time soon I'm off work now!" she countered smugly.

"You can tell me all about it on the walk home then," the words left his mouth before he fully realized what he was saying.

A blush spread across her cheeks when the implications of his words registered and all she could manage was a small "Oh," that almost sounded like a squeak.

Sasuke held onto this composure, he enjoyed the reaction his comments elicited from her, he couldn't explain why, maybe it was an ego boost to see the strong Kunoichi unsettled by his presence. "Besides, I can't let you get yourself into any more trouble." He jabbed with a smirk as he stood up from his seat. He knew the comment would probably get him wracked, if he was Naruto, but... it was still a good idea to put some distance between them. He walked through the open door and waited for her to follow.

" . Aren't you funny," she snarled, as she grabbed her bag. "Alright then, I just need to make a quick stop to see a patient and I'm not going straight home, I'm starving."

"That's fine, I was planning to grab something to eat, I'll join you." He suggested as he hit the buttons on the elevator. He glanced back to watch her lock her office door and chuckled inside as she fumbled with her keys with a faint blush on her cheeks again, her face almost matched her hair. At least some things hadn't changed.

"So, ah, do you have plans while you're here?" She quickly changed the subject, keeping her head down as she joined him waiting for the elevator.

"I was planning to head down to the Uchiha compound tomorrow... well, what's left of it anyway, I haven't really been there since I was a child, I would like to see if there's anything salvageable from my clan." The former rogue ninja explained as they entered the elevator. While he had visited the compound during the war but wasn't exactly looking for remnants of his lost clan.

Sakura pushed the button for the 4th floor. She didn't offer a reply, she just smiled. They stepped off the elevator and Sasuke's body stiffened. He had never been on the new 4th floor as a patient and now he knew why. This was the palliative care unit. It was quiet except for the sounds of beeping machines and ventilators. A few medical shinobi could be seen walking between rooms, but the silence was deafening. The reality of what Sakura must deal with daily hit him like a ton of bricks. Walking down this hall following her brought it all to the forefront because she was going behind shinobi like him to tend to the wounds of the fallen, and some didn't make it, and if they clung to life, this is where they would be brought to.

"You can wait here if you want," Sakura offered picking up on Sasuke's mood change.

Sasuke shot a sideways glance at her but didn't acknowledge her comment and kept walking. As they passed quiet rooms going deeper into the unit Sasuke glanced in the rooms only closed off by thin fabric and took it all in, silhouettes of people laying in beds until they stopped at a room. He decided he would wait outside the door for her, but he could make out the shape of a child, small enough to have just started in the academy. He could hear Sakura talking but there was no response beyond the machines.

The pink haired woman was only in the room for a few minutes before returning. On the walk out of the hospital she explained the boy, Hiroko, who was now 10, was a victim of the war when he was younger and was transported to Leaf for treatment but there was only so much that she could do for him. She always felt bad not being able to help more, and with him having no family she made it a point to stop in at the end of her shift to check in, so he wasn't alone. She had always been soft hearted by nature, so he wasn't surprised by her kindness.

X

Sakura suggested they stop for BBQ at The Yakiniku Q. They used to come here with Shikamaru and the rest of team 10. It seemed everywhere they went was flooded with happy memories that got lost in his hatred of his brother. The pair took a seat and ordered.

"So where is the loudmouth loser?" Sasuke jested as they waited for their food. "I'm surprised I haven't run into him yet."

She tilted her head, "Oh, you haven't heard yet have you?"

Sasuke perked up, "heard what?" He frowned, was Naruto in danger?

"He's going to be the next Hokage. It's already been decided." She leaned back and looked amused. "He's been studying, I've never seen Naruto take book work so seriously."

"So, he's actually done it." He uttered out loud, it was more to himself, he wasn't sure why he was surprised. The blond worked hard, was strong, loyal to a fault and virtuous, even if he was annoying.

"You can usually find him and Hinata in the library, he basically lives there now." She joked half-heartedly. "He's taking it pretty seriously; you know how he is when he sets his mind to something." She just finished her sentence when their waitress dropped off their first order of food and drink.

As they ate and sipped sake, she filled him in on what was happening in the village. Ino and Sai wasn't a pairing he ever saw coming. He told her about some of his journey and she finally filled him in on what happened Kido Tsumiki kidnapped her.

"He tried to use a genjutsu but what he didn't know that that my chakra control makes me immune to lower level genjutsu. I just went along to see what exactly he was planning."

Sasuke couldn't help but laugh and took a sip of his drink, "I heard you were taken; I went to help but by the time got there I was met with your aftermath."

"Planning on being my knight in shining armor or what?" She was emboldened by the alcohol, and it put Sasuke on the spot.

He furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, using his chopsticks to grab the last piece of meat and replied, "Something like that I suppose," before devouring the bite of cooked pork. He decided he would save the heavy conversation for another night, tonight he wanted to do something he hadn't done in a long time, live in the moment.

X

Timeline: Sasuke returns around 6 months after Naruto and Hinata's Wedding. Sasuke is returning to the leaf around September. He and Sakura are 19 currently and Sarada was born when they were 20 turning 21. I've done a lot of research to make this story as canon as possible while trying to keep it from being a super serious love story.

Most of this will be written from Sasuke's POV because I always imagined him being an anxious mess when coming to terms with his feelings for her.

Lastly this story is posted on AO3 because they allow smut, if you want to read the naughty stuff head over there

Reviews keep me writing.