Chapter 5:

More than once did Sasuke ask himself why he had agreed to go to dinner as he rode with Team Seven in Naruto's carriage to the Yamanaka residence. Sitting across from Sakura and next to Naruto, the Uchiha put up with Naruto's boundless energy, Sai's awkward comments, and Sakura's distracting presence, all for the sake of a dinner he had no interest in.

Sakura looked beautiful, dressed in an elegant berry and mahogany dress. It was not overly frilly, but instead had a beautiful sparkling fabric around the neckline that traveled in the center of her dress all the way to the tip of her skirt. It revealed a good amount of skin from her neck to her chest. A necklace lay just above her bust, attracting Sasuke's eyes directly to her neckline. He swallowed and looked away, choosing instead to stare out the window.

Naruto's carriage was the last to arrive at Ino's home. Sasuke was not surprised at the delicate and intricate architecture present at Ino's house. It was just as fancy and feminine as she had been. The man sighed, realizing that he was going to be presented with many people he did not care to talk to. Sakura was the last to depart the carriage, and Sasuke was waiting to help her out. While he didn't necessarily want to be around her too much, he still wanted her to know that he was a gentleman.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she whispered to him, a gentle smile on her face. Sasuke felt his heart beat faster than he anticipated, and he hated it.

"Hn," he replied before letting go of her hand and stalking off to follow Naruto. Sakura watched his handsome form walk away with sadness filling her jade eyes. She could see the royal blue ribbon that tied back his hair, and could only imagine what it was like to pull that ribbon out. Sakura didn't know if she wanted to hit him for ignoring and confusing her or kiss him for being the man he was.

Sai offered his arm to Sakura after seeing what had occurred, to which she was grateful for. If Naruto was the Sun to her Spring, then Sai was the rain: unpredictable, calming yet aggravating, and necessary for flowers to bloom. She needed him the same way she needed Naruto. Sakura was also the only one of Team 7 to notice the way Sai studied Ino, and was helping him work out his feelings for her.

Team 7 was greeted at the door by the Yamanaka's butler. Taking their hats and coats, he then showed them to the parlor where the rest of their comrades were waiting. They could hear the cheerful noise coming from the parlor, and for the first time, Sakura felt nervous. She hoped everyone would be kind to Sasuke, and she feared him getting upset at his former peers.

Naruto, however, had no qualms about throwing the door open and announcing to the entire room the Sasuke had returned, and so he did just that. As soon as Sasuke stepped foot in the room, it went silent. Everyone was staring, dumbstruck at the Uchiha.

"Sa-sasuke-kun!" Ino breathed, totally astounded.

"What are you doing back, Uchiha?" Inuzuka Kiba howled, rising from his chair.

"He's back to serve the village! He's rejoined Team 7!" Naruto shared cheerfully before moving to stand by Hinata, totally unaware of the confusion in the room.

Remembering that she was the hostess, Ino snapped out of her state of disbelief. "Please, do sit Sasuke-kun! You as well, Sai-kun. Forehead, make yourself comfortable."

Sasuke moved to sit in a chair by Shikamaru and Aburame Shino where the two were engaged in a game of chess. Despite his laziness, Shikamaru was a genius, and had a calm demeanor that Sasuke had appreciated as a child.

"Are you actually here to serve Konoha?" the lazy ninja asked Sasuke as the rest of their comrades began snapping out of their disbelief to return to their conversations.

"Aa," Sasuke confirmed.

"Hm, I'll believe you. Just don't change your mind anytime soon. It'd be a drag to have to do something about it."

For once, Sasuke actually chuckled. He then turned to look at the rest of the room. Choji and Kiba were engaged in a discussion of something trivial that the Uchiha had no care to overhear. Naruto was sitting next to Hinata, regaling the tale of how Sakura had attacked him at the training ground that morning. Sai's attention had been taken over by Ino, who was shamelessly flirting with her guest. Sakura perched back in her chair, amused at the scene in front of her. All of them stole glances at him every so often, and he knew they were all on edge.

Not half an hour later, a maid announced that dinner was being served. Sasuke entered the Yamanaka's opulent dining room. It was all crystal vases, flowers and intricate tapestries. Around the beautifully ornate table were little cards with guest names on them. Sasuke found a spot that simply read "guest", which he was sure could only be his. The man discovered that he had been placed in between Sakura and Naruto. Across from him sat Sai and Hinata.

Sakura was to Sasuke's left, meaning whenever he tried to move his spoon or drink his wine with his left hand, there was a chance that their elbows would brush. This was not good for Sasuke, seeing as he wanted to avoid all physical contact that he possibly could with Sakura. He tried to keep his movements as tight and minimal as possible. He ate his food carefully, knowing he was being watched by his hostess and her friends. As the main course was served, Ino finally decided to ask him about his plans.

"So, Sasuke-kun," She began pleasantly. "How have you enjoyed being back in Konoha? It's not very different, eh?"

Sasuke nodded in response. Not getting any other answer, Ino asked another question. "Do you have any plans while you're here?"

"Missions. I plan on serving Konoha as a ninja." Sasuke looked around. Sakura, Sai, Naruto, and Hinata were listening carefully.

"Have you enjoyed being back with your team, Sasuke?" Hinata asked, her lavender eyes wide. Naruto stared at her, enrapt with the lilting sound of her voice.

"Aa," was his quiet reply. He didn't like being put on the spotlight like that, but he knew Hinata wasn't a loud mouth the same way his blonde hostess was, and meant it with kindness.

"He's been having the time of his life!" Naruto puffed his chest proudly towards Hinata and took a sip of his wine. The Hyuga girl blushed and giggled.

"Hn, dobe." Sasuke muttered.

"What was that, teme?"

"Besides missions, do you have anything else of interest to you?" Ino interjected. There was no way in hell that she was letting a fight break out in her carefully decorated dining room. Her mother would kill her.

"Hn…" Sasuke didn't know if he should give an answer.

"Surely you'll want to restore your clan, considering all of your family is deceased." Sai said as he took a bite of his dinner. For a second, those at the table froze, watching Sasuke. Sakura made a mental note to punch Sai in the face later, and then inform him that it was impolite to refer to someone's dead family.

What surprised them all was Sasuke's answer. "Yes. I do." He averted his eyes from those around him, instead taking another sip from his wine.

Ino darted to Sakura and then back to Sasuke's. "Do you have any particular woman in mind to be your wife?"

Sasuke snorted. "Of course not. I just returned a week ago. I haven't had the opportunity to meet any women."

Sakura felt her heart break all over again. She had known that there was no chance of Sasuke loving her, but the knowledge that he was going to be openly seeking a wife hurt her more than she had prepared for. She did not, however, let her heartbreak be seen. In fact, Ino and Hinata were the only ones to glimpse the pain in her eyes before they hardened into apathy.

"Well…there are plenty of lovely women in Konoha." Ino forced a giggle, before deliberately changing the subject. "So, forehead, how have things been at the hospital?"

Sakura took a dainty sip of her wine before replying. "Tsunade-sama and I have been developing a drug that when injected will cause the patient to fall into a deep, peaceful slumber. We figure it can be used on enemies as well as patients. Other than that, I've performed about ten surgeries this week. It's exhausting."

"You really should relax, Sakura." Ino chastised. "You work yourself too hard!"

Sakura smiled wryly before taking a bite of her dinner.

"The hospital is my life. I don't have any other distractions, and I have no suitors to spend my time with." Sakura forced herself not to glance at Sasuke.

If Sakura had been willing to look at the man who held her heart, she would have seen the way he darted his eyes to her, hanging on her every word.

After finishing dinner, Sakura was determined to stay as far away from Sasuke as possible. When the men went outside with Shikamaru while he smoked a cigarette, Ino and Hinata pounced on Sakura.

"How are you feeling, forehead?" Ino asked her as she polished her flute in the Yamanaka's music room. The girls would be performing after dinner. They had all been musically trained not only because of their upper-class status, but because it could help with undercover missions in other places.

"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Sakura replied bitterly. She was sitting at the pianoforte, fiddling with the keys as a warm up.

"Ah, but it does, Sakura-chan. You're the one who told me not to be afraid of my feelings. It's taken a while, but I almost feel ready to confess my feelings to Naruto." Hinata blushed prettily while fiddling with the strings on her harp. The lovely woman was dressed in an ice gray silk gown that had small lavender roses attached all over the skirt. Her inky black hair was tied up in a graceful but simple bun, with a small lavender comb holding it up. If Naruto was the Sun, Hinata was the moon: beautiful, soft, and serene. Whether the idiot realized or not, Hinata was his other half. The sun would always chase the moon, and vice versa. "Does Sasuke know you love him?"

"I'm not sure," Sakura confessed. "I confessed to him once, but that was years ago. We were so young then, I'm sure he doesn't even think about it." She sighed. "Once again, it doesn't matter. He's looking for a wife, and I'm sure that I'll never be that to him."

"I refuse to listen to that talk!" Ino screeched. "You are more important to him than you realize. He is just a stubborn imbecile, like most men. You're beautiful, strong, and too good for him, forehead." If Sai was the rain, then Ino was a rushing waterfall: refreshing, vigorous, and dazzling. Her endless loyalty and support for Sakura was more than the rosette could ask for.

Sakura smiled at her best friend. "Thanks, Ino-pig."

"No problem, forehead." Ino then smiled mischievously. "You know, if you really want to learn how he feels about you, then you should ignore him. Act like he doesn't exist. Flirt with other men, and have a good time. If he feels something for you, then he'll come to you. If he doesn't, then you can move on."

"I don't know about that, Ino…" Hinata murmured, concern appearing in her eyes.

"I don't think that flirting with other men would be a good idea, for my own sake." Sakura pondered aloud. "If I ignore him, though, it might be better for the both of us. From the way he's been acting, he obviously doesn't want to be around me. If that's the case, I'll just give him what he wants." Sakura's face contorted into a dull smile.

"Please don't make yourself unhappy for him, Sakura-chan," Hinata implored, moving to grab Sakura's hand.

The pink-haired kunoichi just chuckled darkly. "It's a bit too late for that, Hinata."

The women then heard the sound of the men reentering the great hall, making their way towards the music room. "Ah, get ready ladies!" Ino ordered. The group of ninja slowly meandered in, with Sasuke bringing up the rear.

"Ah, it's my favorite time of the night," Naruto commented cheerfully, winking at the three girls. Hinata blushed, while Sakura and Ino laughed at his silly flirtations. Sakura adjusted her place on the piano stool while Ino turned her music to the correct page. Hinata cleared her throat delicately while retaking her seat in front of her harp.

The men all seated themselves with the exception of Sasuke, who stood watching from the back, his delicious figure leaning against the wall. While Sakura appreciated the view, she would not give in to her temptation to constantly glance at him. She had a piano to play, after all.

The three women began to play together so harmoniously it could make someone cry. Sakura masterfully played the piano, letting out rich notes that added layers to the song. Ino played her lofty flute so that it pierced through and harmonized with the piano. Hinata completed the song with her delicate harp and lark-like soprano that added a layer of calm to the song. All-together, they appeared as a trio of nymphs, each beautiful and vastly different from each other.

While all the men appreciated the three women's talents, Sasuke couldn't help but watch Sakura the entire time. He remembered how much she had struggled to find the instrument that suited her as a child. She had gone from the violin to the flute to the harp, not succeeding at any of them. Now, to see her playing the keys with such a vigour and delicacy, producing one of the most heartfelt songs he had ever heard, brought him no small amount of pleasure. Her beautiful green eyes were entirely focused on the music notes in front of her. Her lips were pursed in concentration, and her cheeks were flushed from the adrenaline that came with playing an instrument.

Sasuke thought, with some irony, that it was very funny that Sakura's instrumental affinity was the same as his own. His mother had taught him to play the piano at a very young age. It was one thing that he had excelled at that Itachi hadn't. His elder brother could not play an instrument for the life of him. Sasuke could remember the way his father had smiled at him with approval whenever he was learning to play, something he had craved as a child.

After the ladies finished the first song, they received some applause, though no one was more vocal than Naruto.

"Ah, Hinata, that was incredible! Dattebayo!" The Hyuga girl looked as though she could faint.

The next song was a melancholy one about eternal winter. Sasuke noted as Sakura's demeanor saddened with the music, as though the song she was playing on the piano was an extension of her. He hated seeing her sad like that. Even if she was just a teammate, it still wasn't right for a woman like her to feel like that. Sasuke, however, was at a complete loss as to what he should do. It wasn't his place to do something, either. He was not a family member or a lover. He was simply a teammate.

"Why do I even care?" Sasuke thought to himself as he stared at the pink-haired woman. "What is it about her that makes me care?"

Sasuke watched her for the rest of the performance, not moving a muscle. She, however, didn't look at him once. Sakura was so caught up in the music that she didn't even realize when her eyes closed softly for a few moments, her mouth slightly agape. Sasuke did, though. Seeing her passion take over was incredibly enticing for him. He wanted to see all the different sides of Sakura, especially her passionate one. He wanted to see her flushed with excitement, eyes wide with pleasure as she lay in his bed.

As the performance ended, the women all curtseyed, and when Sasuke made eye contact with Sakura, he could see the girl visibly shiver, before forcibly looking away to plaster a smile on her face at Naruto and Sai.

As Sasuke entered his home that night, he could not deny that during her performance, he had wanted her in his bed. There was no doubt that she had become incredibly beautiful and arousing over the course of seven years. Once again, Sasuke had to force himself to stop thinking about the girl. He knew if he did, it would be too easy to give in and seduce her, and inevitably hurt her.

Instead, he forced himself to think about the upcoming mission. It was only 5 days away, but to Sasuke, that seemed like an eternity. Before leaving, Team 7 had given the others a quick rundown of the mission so that they wouldn't get in the way. The rumored illegal weapons specialist went by the name of Yoneda Susumu. The plan was for Sasuke and Naruto to steal the majority of the attention in the room. Sai and Kakashi would sit on the sidelines, working as backup in case Sakura needed it while she flirted with the criminal. She would then try to get him alone, and use her own interrogation tactics to get a confession out of him before arresting him.

Sasuke had seethed at the thought of Sakura willfully flirting with another man, even if it were for a mission. She was, however, a fully grown woman and a capable shinobi. He had no say in the matter. He really didn't take well to the idea of being a distraction, either, but he supposed it couldn't be helped. His return was sure to shake the aristocracy of Konoha, and it would make the mission easier to accomplish. He would be forced to mingle with silly women and pompous men who had no idea about the power he held. To the upper-class, he was just another one of them.

"Well," he thought. "At the very least, I can begin searching for a wife. Then, maybe I'll stop thinking about Sakura."

Images of her beautiful form playing the piano, decimating the earth on the training ground, and watching a play in the theatre flooded through his mind. He shuddered again, pushing those thoughts away. In his room, he walked over to the small table where a bottle of Brandy was sitting. He poured a large amount into a crystal glass, and quickly downed the entire thing. He then poured another, but slowly sipped on it this time.

"Damn that woman," he muttered to his empty room. He walked over to his window and began staring out at his snow-covered grounds. In a month, the snow would be completely gone and spring would begin to bloom. Spring. That was always Sakura's favorite time of year. As genin, Sakura would force Naruto and Sasuke to go see the cherry blossoms bloom on the far edges of Konoha. They would spend days there while Sakura played among them like a child.

"It's not really spring until the cherry blossoms bloom!" She would chirp to her teammates. Even Sasuke had enjoyed himself during those trips. Her smile had been infectious, her laugh had mingled with the chirping of birds, and her beautiful pastel dresses had made her blend with the spring scenery.

Sasuke had always been a man who preferred the winter. There was something beautiful about the snow that had always appealed to him. It was peaceful, cold, and harmonious. That was why it was so strange that for the first time in his life, he felt a longing for Spring to come. To see the colors of the Earth, to see the creation of life, and to see Sakura smile effortlessly seemed so appealing to him.

Downing the rest of his Brandy, Sasuke thought again that he needed to find a wife immediately, before he hurt Sakura and himself.

After Sakura was safe in the confines of her room, she nearly ran to her bathroom. Drawing a hot bath and pouring some lavender oils in the water, she removed her clothes quickly and stepped into the soothing water. There was nothing Sakura loved more at the end of a stressful day than a hot bath, and today had been incredibly stressful.

She couldn't stop thinking about the way Sasuke had looked at her after the performance. His eyes had been darker than normal and appeared almost animalistic. He had removed his jacket, and she could see the outline of his hardened muscles underneath his white shirt. The collar of his royal blue vest had come up just below his chin, emphasizing the sexy line of his jaw. In that moment, he had incited a feeling in Sakura that she had never felt before, and she had shivered. It had been an overwhelming experience. She had not looked at him again for the rest of the night, choosing to sit diagonal to him in the carriage so she had no reason to.

Sakura finished her bath more quickly than usual. She was too anxious to sit still. Drying herself and putting on a soft cotton nightgown with a ruby ribbon holding it together just above her bust, the girl brushed her hair and made her way to her to her vanity and opened her bottom left drawer. She pulled out a hidden bottle of Brandy and a crystal glass. Walking over to the table by the window, she took a seat and poured a glass. Sipping daintily, the girl felt herself relax as she watched the snow fall outside.

Not even Ino knew she enjoyed the pleasures of alcohol once in a while. She was Tsunade's student, after all, and the Hokage was notorious for drinking. On days like this, when Sakura's thoughts were threatening to get the better of her, she relied on a glass of Brandy or Sake to help her relax. Instead of thinking of Sasuke, Sakura began to focus on the scene out her window. She knew that very soon, the snow would melt away, and then it would be springtime again. Her garden would bloom again, and more importantly, the cherry blossom trees would begin to sprout on the far edges of Konoha. It was her favorite time of the year. Nothing was sweeter or fresher than the smell of cherry blossoms, no matter what the weather was like. Even during the winter, the cherry blossom trees always had the most beautiful ice sickles. Snow froze like crystals and diamonds on the tree branches.

"Maybe spring will bring change," Sakura almost prayed. "Maybe once spring comes, my heart won't hurt as badly."

Finishing her drink, the girl continued to stare out the window. When she was younger, winter had been her least favorite time of year. As she'd grown, however, it became almost as dear to her heart as spring. There was something peaceful about the snow outside, and it was oddly comforting. The winter had taught her not to rush spring, but instead love all the seasons as they came.

Pouring herself another drink, Sakura wondered what Sasuke was doing on that cold winter's night. Was he in bed, asleep? Or out walking around the Uchiha grounds? She sighed, knowing it was useless to wonder. He would never think about her if he didn't have to. He would soon have a wife that would take up his attention, and Sakura would become just an acquaintance. She would be a memory to him.

When Sakura finally fell asleep that night, she dreamed about being lost amongst the cherry blossoms. A voice called out to her, but she was never able to find the man to whom it belonged.