Chapter 16
Sasuke's POV
'Welcome all to the fifth annual…' blah blah blah 'It is our pleasure to…' blah blah blah.
Sasuke groaned internally. He was supposed to be proof-reading Kakashi's opening speech for the festival tomorrow, but all he could think of was Shoto's transplant. He was told the procedure would take a minimum of six hours, but time seemed to be dragging on. He looked up at the clock for the eight hundredth time that morning.
"Teme, just go to the hospital already." Naruto said without looking up from his paperwork.
"I can't. It's only been two hours." Fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds. "I'd just be sitting there waiting around."
Shikamaru stood up. "Okay that's it. Let's get out of here. Paperwork is not going to make this go by any faster."
"Where are we going?" Naruto asked now looking up from his work excitedly.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "I bet there's someone that still needs help setting up for the festival. I can just come back later and finish up whatever's left."
Sasuke felt a little less on edge. He was thankful to have a friend like Shikamaru; the man knew Sasuke was stressed and worried about the outcome of the procedure, especially after hearing about Mai. They both were genuinely shocked when he told them what all had happened.
Without wasting any more time, they left the tower and wandered into the crowded streets. Villagers from other nations had started coming into Konoha since last night, so the town was more packed than usual. Naruto seemed to disappear just about every second to say hi to someone he knew. Sasuke couldn't help but feel a little envious about the blonde's ability to make friends with anyone and everyone.
"Have you bought your yukata yet?" Shikamaru yelled loudly above the chatter.
He shook his head no, and they pulled into one of the many stores selling the traditional garment. He walked around glancing at the large selection of fabrics and colors. He didn't know what color Sakura was wearing, or if he should match her. He didn't know if she even wanted to match, hell, he hadn't asked her yet.
In the end he picked out a simple black and gray yukata while Shikamaru picked out an olive green and gray one. Satisfied, they left the store to see four of Naruto's shadow clones pulling a roll of string lights on the rooftops.
"Well he found something to do." Shikamaru muttered.
They joined the blonde and started working their way through various streets looking for anyone that still needed help. By noon, Sasuke had helped put up two large signs, carry forty-six boxes of decorations, and cleaned up one of the parks. They retired to a dango shop for a small break before he left for the hospital.
"I love dango." Naruto said chewing with his mouth open. "Not as much as ramen though." He added as if no one already knew that.
The sticky syrup from the dumplings coated his lips and hands making Sasuke cringe. He swore the blonde was still a child sometimes.
"Damn Naruto. Use a napkin." Shikamaru said, throwing some at his face. The blonde just grinned sheepishly.
Sasuke couldn't deny there was an electrifying feeling in the air. Friends from different villages coming together to celebrate unity and peace from war. Smiles were plastered on everyone's faces as they walked through the streets getting a preview of the next day's festivities. He couldn't help but feel excited and happy.
"It looks like everything should run smoothly for tomorrow." Shikamaru said, finishing his drink.
"Yeah, it's gonna be almost perfect." Naruto said, crossing his arms.
"Not perfect?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
The blonde frowned and sighed. "So you guys remember that drinking contest?" he grumbled. "Well since I lost first, I had to take the lead part of the hospital's play, and Sakura told me yesterday what part I'm doing."
Shikamaru laughed. "Which part are you playing?"
"I'm not supposed to say." he huffed.
Sasuke traded glances with Shikamaru, and that was all that needed to be said. They would make sure to get all their friends to the play tomorrow to watch Naruto make a damn fool of himself.
He glanced at the clock and stood up. "I'm heading over to the hospital."
The two of them nodded. "Let us know what all happens." Naruto said.
"Aa." He turned and transported to the hospital like he had done thousands of times.
Now that his distractions were gone, he could feel his worry increasing with every step. Turning around the corner, he saw the neon green light turned off above the operating room.
It was done. The procedure was over.
"Sasuke-san!"
He turned around to see Ichiro running over.
The medic skidded to a stop and took a couple of deep breaths. "The transplant was a success!" he said smiling up at Sasuke.
The hours of pent up worry and stress melted off his body and he finally gave a smile.
"Do you want to see him?"
"Am I allowed?" The last thing he wanted to do was get Ichiro in trouble.
"Aa. Let's go." He said happily.
Sasuke followed him down several hallways and into an observation room. There on the opposite side of the glass laid Shoto wrapped in bandages and hooked to machines. He watched the boy's chest as it lifted slowly with each breath.
"He's woken up a few times, but he immediately hits the button for pain meds and it knocks him out again."
"How soon do you think he'll be able to get out?" he asked, knowing the answer.
Ichiro looked at him already reading his mind. "Not by tomorrow," he said sadly.
He didn't push further. Shoto needed to rest and recover.
"Do you know where Sakura is?" he asked.
"I think she was finishing up a report on Shoto and then wanted to do a round some floors.
He mentally shook his head. The woman didn't know how to rest. "If you see her, can you tell her I'm in her office?"
"Hai. No problem."
They parted ways after leaving the observation room and he felt much better. Shoto would survive, and now he could live life like a normal kid. He was looking forward to talking to the boy again once he was healed up.
As he approached, he could see light coming from Sakura's office. He knocked once and entered.
Empty.
Probably making her rounds. He grabbed a random book and settled on the couch like usual.
It wasn't long before he heard a soft knock on the door. He got up to answer and immediately regretted his decision.
"Oh! I didn't expect to see you here." Hana stood outside the office giving him a fake shocked expression.
Somehow, he didn't believe that at all.
Her overpowering scent infiltrated his nostrils as she walked past him into the office. "I was looking for Dr. Haruno to fill out some forms."
"Aa." He didn't give two shits. He sat down on the couch and picked up his book again.
"Do you think she'll be long?"
"She's doing her rounds." he said, not looking up.
"Oh?"
He could already imagine the smug face she was making.
"What are you reading?" Hana asked, sitting down next to him.
He looked at her with annoyance. Like she actually cares. He was getting sick of her questions. She just twirled a lock of hair waiting for him to respond.
"It's one of Sakura's books." he replied shortly.
She scooched closer. "Is it interesting?" She asked leaning against her arm.
He couldn't take this anymore. Her smell was about to make him puke. He snapped the book closed and stood up.
"Wait! Don't leave!" she grasped his wrist and yanked him back down with surprising force. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Something wasn't right.
"Listen, you don't have to keep hiding your feelings." she said, batting her eyes.
What the hell is she talking about? A weird sensation filled his body.
"I don't-"
"Shhh." she cut him off, placing a finger on his lips. She was nearly sitting on his lap at this point. He felt like he couldn't breathe anything but her syrupy fragrance. She moved closer, pushing him down towards the couch.
Why did he feel so weak? Alarms were going off in his head telling him to get out of there, but he couldn't move. Hana climbed on top of him running her hands over his chest. He opened his mouth to protest, but she muted all attempts by placing her lips over his.
Sasuke wanted to throw her off but he felt like poison was running through his body. Am I in a genjutsu? What did she do to me? His lips felt numb and frozen as she continued to kiss him. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse…
The door creaked open and his heart clenched as saw Sakura standing completely awestruck at the door.
Hana jumped up startled. "Dr. Haruno!" Her lipstick was smeared all over her face as well as his. "It's not–"
He watched Sakura change composure immediately. "I don't care what's going on here, but I can assure you that it is not appropriate for my office or anywhere in this hospital." She commanded in a stern voice.
There had been plenty of times when Sakura had made him feel embarrassed, but this was a whole new level.
"We–" Hana started.
Sakura immediately held up her hand, effectively silencing her. "I don't want to hear anything. When I come back to my office, I expect the both of you to be gone." With that, she turned on her heels and left the two of them alone in awkward silence.
It didn't take long for Hana to get up, wipe her face, and leave without even glancing at him. It was like he didn't exist anymore.
He didn't move a muscle from the couch; partly because of whatever Hana did to him, but a larger part because he couldn't believe what had just happened. His mind kept replaying Sakura's face after walking in on them.
He felt like he was going to be sick. How could I let this happen? He felt like a dumbass for not keeping his guard up around Hana. He knew there was something wrong from the minute she walked in.
What the hell am I going to do? He desperately needed to talk to Sakura; He wasn't going to leave her office until she came back and he could explain everything to her. Surely, she would believe him, right? I just keep hurting her again and again. He clenched his teeth in frustration.
Hours had passed and Sakura hadn't come back to her office yet. Meanwhile, he had been pacing around the room like a lunatic. He finally collapsed against the couch and looked out the window to see the moon set high in the sky.
Realization hit him like a ton of bricks. She's not coming back. He punched the couch cushion next to him. How could he be so stupid!? He quickly locked up her office and transported to her apartment. The lights were off, but he ran up the stairs anyway. Stopping in front of her door, he took a deep breath and knocked.
Nothing.
He knocked again.
Still nothing.
He leaned up against the door to see if he could hear anything, but it was silent. There was no traces of chakra inside either.
Sakura was smart; she knew he would come to find her. He left her place and started walking around town. He checked all of her favorite spots, team 7's hang out spots, the training ground, the rest of the hospital, hell, he even checked the academy. But the pinkette was nowhere to be found.
Sasuke dragged himself home in frustration and disappointment. Relax. Just relax. I'll see her tomorrow at the festival for sure. I can just pull her aside and talk to her.
All of this was much easier said than done, but that was all he could do now. He closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.
Today was the day. Weeks of preparation and hard work all for this special day. Sasuke wanted to just relax and have fun with his friends, but he had other things on his mind.
He got up, showered, and attempted to put on his yukata. It wasn't until arriving at Naruto's house did he realize he was wearing it all wrong. Hinata had politely told him that he had tied his waist cord incorrectly and his seams were not lined up. She rewrapped the fabric around him and expertly tied the cord. When she had finished, the whole garment had felt more secure than he could have ever done.
He politely thanked her and waited for Naruto to get dressed. Hinata also had to step in and re-tie the blonde's robe, so he didn't feel as dumb. The couple was wearing matching orange robes, which was obviously Naruto's decision. Looking at them, they were honestly a perfect couple. Hinata was the only person he could trust to keep Naruto in line.
The three of them left the Uzumaki household and headed to the main stage where the festival would begin. They all had Hokage's clearance to sit at the top with the other kages and elders.
They found their seats as the crowds began to gather around the stage and the Kages entered with their guards and advisors. Sasuke spotted Shikamaru standing next to Temari.
He smiled internally. They were an interesting couple, especially for a guy who stated almost everything was troublesome, but somehow they just fit.
"It's like he's a different man." Naruto whispered to him and chuckled.
He nodded in agreement. If a pen rolled off his desk, Shikamaru would be the type of person to stare at it with frustration because he was too lazy to pick it up. But with Temari here, he was all straightened up wearing a traditional yukata. Naruto was the opposite. He was usually the silly and energetic guy, but with Hinata, he became completely serious. He would never fail to drop what he was doing and go help his wife.
Sasuke wondered if he was different around Sakura. He probably was and didn't recognize it, but it seemed like that didn't matter now. She probably hated his guts and never wanted to speak to him again.
"What's wrong with you?" Naruto asked with a concerned expression.
He opened his mouth to say 'nothing.' but he knew the blond would automatically know he was lying. "Just some things happened yesterday with Sakura and I was thinking about it."
Naruto was silent for a second. "Look, I don't know what happened, and you don't have to tell me, but I think you just need to be open and honest with her. Sakura's good at reading people, and if you keep holding back, I think it's going to be worse."
He nodded just as the music started to play. They all stood up as Kakashi went to the center of the stage. Crowds populated the streets, corners, and roofs all trying to get a good look at the Hokage.
"Welcome all…"
After Kakashi gave his opening speech, the crowds dispersed into the town to begin all the various activities. Sasuke felt like a kid again; it was the most relaxed he'd felt in a long time. Stalls bordered the streets, charming people to partake in the games and food. Kids (and Naruto) were lined up at various tournaments trying to win special prizes and show off. The aromas from fried foods or sweet candy filled the air, and people were laughing and talking amongst one another.
He couldn't believe he had skipped so many festivals as a kid. He felt like an idiot for missing out on his childhood.
As they walked down the streets, they met up with Kiba, Choji, Lee and Tenten and it was soon decided that they would all get together for lunch. Naruto summoned several shadow clones while the rest of them went to reserve a spot at one of the restaurants. He forced himself to talk to everyone; he wasn't going to keep clinging to Naruto and Shikamaru.
He found out that Kiba was still trying to be Hokage, Lee was still weird, and Choji was apparently seeing some chick from the Hidden Cloud Village. As Naruto dragged in friends from the Academy, he made it a point to at least say hi to everyone.
Sasuke was in mid conversation with Gaara about office work when he saw a flash of pink in the corner of his eye. He turned to see his pinkette walking in with Ino and Sai and his breath was cut short.
She was absolutely breath-taking. Sakura was wearing a dark forest green yukata that made her eyes more vibrant, if that was even possible. Her hair was expertly pinned up into a bun with delicate silver clips.
Their eyes met for a brief second before she turned to say hi to everyone. She didn't look mad. She's probably just holding back for the festival. He snapped back to his conversation with the Kazekage and put the pinkette in the back of his mind.
Lunch was spent laughing, catching up, telling stories, and making jokes. Sasuke didn't realize until later that they had spent about four hours in the restaurant just talking, and he enjoyed every second of it. This was his home; these were his friends. He didn't feel like an outsider anymore.
"Alright, I'm sorry to cut the party short, but I gotta steal Naruto." Sakura said standing up from the table.
"Where are you going?!" Lee shouted.
"I'm taking Naruto to rehearse for the play. You all should come see it. " she said with a devious smile.
"Sakura-chan! Don't encourage them!" Naruto groaned.
"We'll be there." Kiba snickered.
They spent a little longer at the restaurant before departing towards the hospital. The courtyard of the hospital had now transformed into a miniature stage, and chairs were neatly lined in rows across the grass. Many of the patient rooms in the hospital had their windows opened so the patients could see right down to the courtyard.
They made sure to get front row seats to witness whatever Sakura had up her sleeve. It wasn't long before the chairs were filled and play was ready to start.
The curtains slowly pulled back and there dead center of the stage was Naruto dressed like a princess. He was somehow stuffed into a short fluffy pink dress that exposed his very hairy blond legs. The crowd erupted with laughter as Naruto pushed back the face of horror.
"Wait, is he wearing fake boobs?" Kiba whispered.
They burst out laughing again. There was unmistakably some sort of fake implants stuffed under the dress. They watched Naruto parade around the stage acting out various scenes and lip-syncing to songs. Sasuke's cheeks were hurting from smiling so much and that was saying something. He rarely ever smiled like this.
Sakura's POV
Sakura peaked her head from behind the velvet curtains of the stage. The crowd was loving Naruto's performance. She gazed at the patients' relaxed and smiling faces in the audience and felt at ease. It was important to her to make sure her patients were included in the festival. Weeks ago, she had planned the play and scheduled vendors to stop by so that no one was left out.
Naruto gave his final bow and the audience got up and cheered loudly. She watched the blond rip off his wig and give more dramatic bows. She rolled her eyes and laughed. She nodded to the man on the other side of the stage and he began pulling the curtains closed.
"Finally! I can take this goddamn thing off! That was torture!" Naruto exclaimed, tearing off a sleeve. A fake silicone boob popped out of the dress and bounced off the floor.
She chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Then don't get shitfaced drunk and make stupid bets."
She waited for him to change before meeting their friends outside again. The guys cheered as Naruto came out with a stupid grin.
She glanced around and noticed Sasuke was missing from the group. Huh. Where did he go?
"Great job Forehead." Ino nudged, breaking her out of her thoughts.
She grinned and rejoined the group again.
"What's the plan guys?" Kiba asked. "Should we go find a place to watch the fireworks?"
"Yeah!" a couple of them agreed.
"I KNOW THE BEST PLACE!" Lee shouted and saluted.
Shikamaru sighed at his volume. "Lead the way Lee."
Sakura started walking when she felt a tug on sleeve. She knew who she wanted it to be, but was disappointed when she turned to see Kenji standing behind her.
"Hey!" he said, flashing her a dazzling smile.
"Hey Kenji." She turned back to Ino waiting for her. "I'll meet up with you in a second Pig." she assured.
Ino looked unsure, but nodded and left with the group.
"What's up?" she asked, sitting down in one of the empty chairs off stage. He joined her in the adjacent chair.
"Your play was great. All the patients were amused." he grinned.
"It was all thanks to Naruto."
He looked a little squeamish. "But it's not just that, you've done a great job with managing and keeping this hospital together."
She smiled sheepishly. "Ah..thanks."
"But I worry about you." His face changed to one of concern. "You work too much, and I just want to make sure you're taking care of yourself." He placed his hand on top of hers.
Sakura nearly yanked her hand back but she knew many people were watching them. What the fuck is happening right now? She bit the edge of her tongue and forced herself to remain calm.
"Don't worry Kenji. I know my limits." she said, desperately hoping he would remove his hand. It was getting sweaty.
He looked unconvinced. "I need to also tell you something."
No. Please don't. She knew where this was going.
"I've always admired you and—"
She couldn't take this anymore. "Kenji. I'm going to stop you there because I know what you're going to say." She said, slipping her hand out from under his. "I think you're a great guy and you're such an important part of this hospital, but there's no way this could ever work out. I just need to be upfront and tell you that I'm in love with someone else."
Kenji's face became stern, almost in disgust and she watched his fist clench tightly at his side. His whole demeanor had changed and now he was giving off a venomous aura.
She didn't want to be here any longer. "I'm sorry it ended this way, but I think it's for the best." She began gathering the skirts of her robe.
"Wait." he said icily. "I need to know. Why him?"
She looked him dead in his eyes, ignoring the hateful look he was giving her. "He completes me. I have never been able to imagine myself with another person." She said simply. She could go on and on, but it was none of his business.
"But he's a traitor!" he said, raising his voice.
Something went off in her head. There was a lot of things Sakura could tolerate, but insulting her loved ones was not on that list. It was her turn to clench her fists now.. "He's not. Don't you ever say that again." she threatened.
"He doesn't love you."
"And how would you know that?" She asked crossing her arms.
"He went and kissed another woman!" His face suddenly shifted realizing what he had said.
Sakura could feel fire igniting in her core. There was tightness and shooting streaks of pain in her jaw as she grinded her teeth together. Calm down. Calm down Sakura. "Which I'm sure your orchestrated." she said standing up. She wasn't going to give him anymore of her time.
"Wait! That's not–"
"Save it. I'm done." she said sternly. She walked off not caring who was looking at her anymore. She was pissed.
"Forehead!"
She turned to see Ino running towards her. Thank goodness. She needed her best friend right now.
"I heard the whole thing. I knew it was fake." The blonde said, crossing her arms. "Fucking asshole."
*flashback*
"…and then I just left." Sakura said, wiping the corners of her eyes. She hated crying. It always reminded her of how weak she was in the past.
As soon as she walked into the whole fiasco with Sasuke, she immediately left and went to Ino's house. She knew Sasuke would be waiting for her back at the office, but she couldn't face him right now. It had taken all of her strength just to not beat the shit out of that stupid bimbo sprawled on top of him.
"You don't think he's been secretly seeing other women, do you?" Ino asked lying next to her.
She shook her head. "I don't think so. Ichiro said Sasuke was waiting for me in the office. And I know he has feelings for me. I swear he looked sad when I walked in."
"It's probably that slut trying to break you guys up then." Ino said.
"Yeah maybe." She sighed and closed her eyes. She was tired of the constant emotional turmoil.
Ino wrapped her arms around the pinkette. "I'm sorry Sakura."
The blonde sat up after a few minutes. "Hey, how about you spend the night here and we can get ready together for the festival tomorrow?" She said excitedly. "It'll be like old times, plus we haven't had a sleepover in soooooo long."
Sakura smiled. She could always count Ino to cheer her up.
*end flashback*
"What are you going to do?" Ino asked.
"I'm going to find Sasuke and talk to him."
"I saw him disappear into the hospital as soon as the play ended."
She nodded. "You can go back with the others. Thank you for staying behind."
"I'll meet you back here after the fireworks show." Ino said, giving her a hug.
Sakura could only feel blessed to have such an amazing friend like her. "Thank you Pig. I love you." She whispered.
"Love you too forehead. Now go beat some sense into your man." Ino grinned.
They parted ways and Sakura entered the hospital as if it was another average day. It felt weird not being dressed in her uniform. She was definitely attracting all sorts of attention, which she wouldn't normally care about if she didn't work there.
Sakura knew Sasuke was going to go see Shoto. Her heart clenched in sadness and worry. She didn't know if she was even ready to face the little boy.
She entered the intensive care ward and said a few hellos to the nurses stationed at the desk. The light from Shoto's room peeked from under the door and lit the dark hallway. Calm down. She took a few deep breaths trying to relax herself.
She could feel her heart pounding wildly as she grasped the cold door handle. She clenched her fist and pulled the door open.
Empty.
Confusion replaced her worry as she fully entered the room. The whole hospital bed was gone.
What the fuck?!
She ran out and collided with Ichiro in the hallway.
"Ichiro—"
"Dr. Haruno—"
He read her face instantly. "Don't worry Dr. Haruno. Shoto's safe."
"Where is he? He shouldn't be out of bed! He needs time to heal his incision!"
Ichiro scratched his head trying to come up with what to say. "Umm… don't get mad…but he's on…the roof."
"Nani?! What the hell is he doing on the roof?!"
"Just come with me." He said.
She followed him to the stairwell and they climbed until they made it to the door.
Ichiro turned towards her. "Don't get mad at him. He was just trying to help Shoto." He opened the door softly and then stepped onto the paved roof.
There at the edge of the building was Shoto lying in his hospital bed still hooked onto several machines. And sitting next to him was Sasuke. She understood immediately. From their view, they could see the center of town where the fireworks display would set off.
"The machines have enough battery for a few hours. Shoto should be okay. I'm sorry I didn't ask you first. We just wanted him to see—"
"You don't have to explain Ichiro." She said softly.
Her heart nearly stopped as Sasuke looked up and locked eyes with her. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she knew she needed to speak with Shoto first. She silently made her way to the pair.
It was like Sasuke could read her mind. He stood up and offered her his chair. "I'll let you two talk."
She nodded gratefully and sat down next to Shoto.
Sasuke's POV
Sasuke stood on the roof of an adjacent building to give them some privacy. He could see Sakura holding the little boy's hand and talking.
It had been a rash decision, but he just couldn't let Shoto miss the fireworks. He spent a long time convincing Ichiro, but he finally gave in. After that, it wasn't hard to transport everything to the roof. Shoto was still connected to his machines which had limited but enough battery life.
He watched their figures disappear as it got darker. The sun had finally set and street lights and lanterns began going out to prepare for the show. The whole town became silent and still, waiting in suspense.
Then, from on top of the Hokage tower, a small spark could be seen. It grew larger and larger, then suddenly it shot into the sky and exploded into a million stars. The crowds began cheering loudly. One by one, streaks of light illuminated the sky in different patterns. Booms echoed in the air followed by cheering and clapping.
Sasuke was in complete awe. He hadn't remembered the last time he had actually seen fireworks. They filled the whole sky with the most beautiful colors he had ever seen. The displays started becoming more intricate forming different shapes. Soon each nation's symbol was formed in the night sky and the crowd went crazy. He could already picture Naruto going wild at Konoha's symbol.
The sky went dark again as everyone started yelling for the finale. Just like the beginning, a spark formed on top of the tower but this time, the spark weakly flew into the air and disappeared without a boom. He could hear the confusion in the crowd, but all of a sudden the sky exploded into a supernova of color. There weren't any patches of darkness that could be seen anymore. It lasted for a few seconds and slowly fizzled off leaving everyone in silence. The village then erupted into applause as street lights slowly began to turn on again.
Wow. He was speechless. He looked back where Sakura and Shoto were; he hoped they had enjoyed the show as much as he did. Sakura looked up at him and nodded for him to come down.
He thought she would stay to talk, but she walked right past him. She's definitely mad.
"Sakura!" he called out.
She stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm coming to talk to you after."
She didn't nod or say anything; she soundlessly opened the door and disappeared.
He pushed her to the back of his mind and focused on getting Shoto back to his room before one of the nurses sounded the alarm.
Shoto was overjoyed by the show. He told Sasuke numerous times how this was the best day of his life and how he wished festivals were everyday. He cried a little bit that Mai wasn't there and how she would've loved the show, but Sasuke did his best to comfort him. They talked a little bit before the nurse came into the room to give a round of medication. After that, it wasn't long before the little boy drifted to sleep.
He quietly exited the room and thanked Ichiro again for helping him before making his way to Sakura's office. Okay, what the hell am I going to say to her. "Sorry" wasn't going to cut it. He had to convince her that he loved her. He had no idea how Sakura would react to anything. He had been back at Konoha for months now and it seemed like she was still a mystery to him.
Yes they had gotten close, but they were also close in team 7. He didn't want to be the old teammate she had a crush on forever ago. They were both grown now. She had a great job where people respected her and she had a loving family and friends. What can I even offer her? He stopped outside her door. He couldn't turn back; he had to just tell her everything.
Sasuke opened the door swiftly and entered.
"Sakura–" he stopped.
Sakura was not in the room, but Ino was. She sat sitting on the ledge of Sakura's desk filing her nails.
"Do you know where Sakura is?"
"I do." she said not looking up from her nails.
An awkward silence filled the room.
"Um, can you tell me?"
She stopped and looked up. "Why should I? What difference will it make?"
"I just need to talk to her."
"About what?" she questioned.
He wasn't going to say anything at first, but he knew Sakura probably told her the whole ordeal with Hana. "About what happened yesterday."
"That's it?" she said, almost rolling her eyes. "I'm not telling you a single thing until you give me a valid reason. You think you can just–"
"I need to tell her that I love her." he blurted out.
She hopped off the desk with a smile.
Sasuke really had to spend a day exploring Konoha again. He had no idea where anything was. Ino told him Sakura was in this secluded field near the edge of some woods that he'd never seen before. That was all she gave him; He understood she wanted him to work for it, but she could've given him a better hint.
He spent the next hour running through woods searching for the pinkette which was much harder in a yukata. It kept snagging against branches and bushes, but he could care less.
The wind blew against his face as he made his way through the last forest he could find. He knew it was late and everyone had gone home at this point. He should've been tired, but he was filled with adrenaline.
He pushed through the wild brush of the woods and stepped into a grassy clearing. There, in the center of the field, stood Sakura looking up at the sky. Her hair was released from her fancy updo and her yukata was undone and blowing in the wind.
He stopped a few feet behind her. It was finally time.
"Sakura."
