Sasuke and Sakura made their way via land across one of the islands in The Land of Water. It had been a few weeks since they'd left The Land of Lightning with Killer B's seal of approval. Though the Raikage didn't trust the Uchiha as much as his younger brother did, they had left on agreeable terms.

"I wonder if the great Naruto Uzumaki still lives here." Sakura mused as they moved through the trees.

Sasuke cocked a brow at that. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

She chuckled. "When Naruto came through here, there was a guy going around saying that he was Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village who had defeated Pain and that in order to get past him, they had to give up all their valuables."

The Uchiha snorted. "Someone actually impersonated him?"

Sakura nodded. "Captain Yamato said that he laughed until he cried at the whole situation as well as the imposter's appearance."

The young man rolled his eyes and glanced over at the carefree smile on his companion's face. She looked so lovely and over the past few weeks, the desire to close the distance between them was almost maddening. He'd resolved to tell her his feelings but hadn't felt like the right situation had presented itself. Feelings and words were both things he wasn't the best with and he was very nervous about laying his heart out on the line.

They arrived at the harbor in the early evening and on account of the fireworks festival scheduled for that evening decided to stay the night and leave early the next morning.

"I suppose it's that time of year." Sakura said as they walked through the town just before dark. "It's been so long since I went to a fireworks festival."

"Me too." Sasuke said as they neared the docks.

Sakura laughed. "I'm sure." She said. A little squeak of surprise left her lips when a group of children barreled down the walkway and knocked her into Sasuke. "Sorry." She said as he steadied her grasping her hand.

"It's fine." He said savoring the feel of her hand in his.

As the crowd thickened the pair of shinobi took to the rooftops and settled there with chicken skewers and sweet dumplings as the first fireworks launched into the sky and exploded showering the sky with green and red colored sparks.

"Pretty!" Sakura mused at the colorful display. "It reminds me of our vests actually." she said with a little giggle. Another group of fireworks exploded overhead a shower of gold and orange. "That reminds me of Naruto." She said with a smile. "It's amazing how we come to associate color with people." She mused as a bright purple and blue one exploded overhead. "And almost on cue the Sasuke fireworks follows the Naruto group." There was a flash as a firework that was a combination of green and pink followed. "And the Sakura fireworks. Team seven is present and accounted for!" she said with a grin giggling at her own childishness.

Sasuke smirked and looked up at the sky as a red-orange one went off, his mind immediately remembering the hue of his late brother's Susanoo.

"It's true. Some colors never leave our memory." He murmured. A silver one went off reminding him of their sensei now Hokage. A thought occurred to him. "Is it true that Kakashi can no longer use the Chidori?"

"So that one reminded you of him too huh?" Sakura said with a smile before it faded slightly. "It is true." She replied. "From what I understand, a large amount of speed is required to use it, because of that the wielder develops tunnel vision while using it and can become vulnerable to enemy attacks." She leaned back on the palms of her hands and studied the sky. "Kakashi was only able to use it safely because of his sharringan. Without it, he can't use it in battle." She turned to the Uchiha. "What do you know, The Copy Ninja had his own unique jutsu swiped from him by his favorite student."

Sasuke's eyes widened and then softened. "I see."

"Don't worry about it too much." She replied. "Since you left the village, I've had to treat several electrical burns on his arms and hands." She smiled. "He's developing a new lightning style jutsu to compensate for the loss of the Chidori. From what I've seen of it, it's sure to be incredible."

He nodded and glanced up at the sky as more lights exploded in the sky. They reminded him of the sounds of war yet meant something so different. A breeze kicked up and Sakura shivered instinctively moving closer to him.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

She blinked and offered him a sheepish smile. "A little. Kunoichi outfits aren't known for their warmth."

He nodded and put his arm around her to try to give him some of his warmth. As they sat there, watching the lights in the sky, something seemed to simmer in the air. Sakura was so close, and warm seated next to him. Her smile as bright as the fireworks themselves. The wind caught her hair and it danced in the wind like a blizzard of cherry petals. She tucked her hair behind her ear and turned to face him, beaming at him with love in her eyes. His memory went over their past together seeing every smile and frown that touched her lips. The one thing that was consistent through it all and had even intensified over time was that love in her eyes. He didn't deserve it and likely never would but he was only human. Now more at peace with himself than he'd been in years, he was going to reach out and take the pure, warm heart she offered him and offer his own broken, stained one in return.

"Sakura." He said softly.

She turned her head towards him and smiled. "What is it Sasuke?" she asked.

His gaze focused on her lips. Steeling his courage, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth to hers.

It was everything he'd thought it would be and more. Her lips were warm, just a little moist, and tasted of the mint infused lip balm she always wore. He felt heat building in his blood and his heart and was tempted to take the kiss further but instead pulled away. He needed to gauge her reaction.

Her eyes were wide with surprise, and she was pink to the tips of her ears. He could see and hear her increased breathing and heartrate. She trembled against his side and shakily lifted a hand to her mouth touching it gently as if to see if she was dreaming.

"Sasuke," she breathed. "Why?"

He sighed, of course she'd be blindsided by such a change in his normal behavior. Especially after all of the times he'd rejected her. She was going to make him explain himself. Annoying… But it had to be done.

He slid his hand up her back to the back of her head and touched his forehead to hers. "Listen closely." He said softly. If he had his way he'd only say what he was about to say once. The words were binding, embarrassing, and to an Uchiha, the most dangerous words in the world. "I love you Sakura." He said softly.

Her eyes widened and then filled with tears as her hands lifted to cover her mouth. "No way." She whimpered. "Is this a dream, or are you a creep using that medicine or transformation jutsu."

He sighed. "It's me Sakura. Sasuke Uchiha. Before I fought Naruto for the second time in The Valley of the End I put you under a genjutsu where I used the Chidori on you and called you annoying just like when I left you when you tried to stop me from leaving the village."

She winced but nodded. "It is you." She said softly.

He closed his eyes. "Sakura, I've done things to you that are unforgivable. I know that I'll probably never be able to make up for them but even so," he took a deep breath. "Sakura, will you… Will you let me love you too?"

Her eyes widened and then softened. With trembling fingertips she hesitantly touched his face and then laid her palm against his cheek. The tears that had been welling since their lips met slid down her face. "I've been waiting my entire life to hear those words from you." She said softly. "Of course Sasuke." She leaned forward and pressed her mouth firmly against his.

Sasuke felt relief and warmth unlike any he'd felt before as he closed his eyes and melted into the kiss. Sakura had accepted his feelings. He'd know she probably would but that knowledge still didn't cheapen the moment. She loved him, he loved her and now they could move down the same path together.

After a few moments, they pulled apart and held one another as they each tried to catch their breath.

"We should go back to our room. The fireworks are over." He said softly.

"Not yet." Sakura said snuggling closer to him. "Let's stay like this just a little longer."

He smiled and pulled her a little closer. "Alright, just don't complain about how hard it is to get me up in the morning."

She chuckled. "I have more than half a decade of experience getting Naruto's lazy butt out of bed." She said. "I'm sure I can handle it."

He snickered and held her just a little closer as they looked up at the night sky. A shooting star streaked across the sky and Sakura immediately pointed it out.

"Look!" she exclaimed. "Did you make a wish?"

He glanced over at her. "Did you?"

Sakura smiled and laid her hand over his lacing their fingers together. "I don't need to. Being here with you like this fulfills all my wishes."

Sasuke smiled. She wasn't just cute, she said cute things as well. He gently squeezed her fingers and laid his forehead against her pink locks noticing that she'd used the hair clip he'd given to her. She shivered, though he wasn't sure if it was from the cold of the night finally getting to her or his touch.

"Come." He said getting to his feet. "We really should get inside now."

"I suppose you're right." She relented as he tugged her up. "Tomorrow we head out to sea again right?"

He nodded and the pair of shinobi dropped to the ground.

"I'm starting to miss the village." She admitted. "I wonder how everyone is doing."

"I'm sure they're all fine." He assured her.

"Oh I know. I'm not worried about them." She said with a smile. "I just want to know what they're up to."

"You're nosy." He murmured.

She giggled. "Guilty." She admitted. "I can't help it, being director of the hospital and one of Kakashi's advisors means I'm always in the know. Naruto is worse than I am." She said with a little pout playing on her lips.

He looked down at her, his eyes full of warmth. "There are worst things to be." He said as they approached their Inn. They mounted the stairs to their room and walked inside. They quickly changed, taking turns in the bathroom to do so. Their relationship might have changed, but each of them knew better than to rush things. Even so, that night they slept hand in hand their hearts finally in synch for the first time in years.

%&%

The next few weeks were filled with sailing and contentment for the new couple. Unfortunately because they were at sea where the cabins were tight and the beds barely big enough for one of them, they weren't able to explore their relationship physically but their new emotional closeness was very enjoyable. Now that she wasn't afraid of pushing her feelings unto him, she was much more open about them. They talked often long into the night and he felt the distance that had grown between them over the past five years rapidly closing.

"So this is The Land of Copper." Sasuke murmured as they moved through the forest. "I've never been here before."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "I have." She said as they moved through the trees near the coast line. "I came through here with the Prince of The Land of the Moon on one of my first long term A rank missions."

His eye brow cocked at that. "The Land of the Moon? I've heard of that place."

"It's as beautiful as they say it is." She said with a wistful sigh. "I'd love to go back some day."

He nodded and then tensed as a flurry of paperbombs streaked through the trees towards them. He and Sakura immediately dropped to the ground avoiding the deafening blasts.

"Sasuke Uchiha!" came a strangled cry. "Prepare to die!"

He activated his sharringan and grunted as a woman burst from the trees twin blades blazing as she slashed at the Uchiha. He hissed in frustration and dodged the attack the woman's blades slicing through the trees behind him.

"Sasuke! Are you alright!" Sakura called out as she flipped backwards and landed next to him.

"I'm fine." He assured her. "You?"

She nodded and armed herself with a kunai as a woman with waist length black hair in armor wielding two swords appeared before them. "Who are you and why are you targeting Sasuke?" Sakura demanded her emerald eyes fierce.

"That man deserves to die." The woman snarled. "I'll kill him." Her grip on the blades tightened. "HE WILL DIE HERE BY MY HANDS!" she cried.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "I can tell by your armor that you're a samurai from The Land of Iron. They're warriors who fought alongside shinobi in the Fourth Great Ninja War and are proponents of peace. You shouldn't be attacking us like this. We're allies. What's going on here?" she demanded.

The woman glared at her. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Another shallow whore who has been mesmerized by his good looks and power?"

Sasuke shifted forward his eyes narrowing at the insult to his lover but Sakura held out a hand to stop him.

"She's mentally unstable." She whispered. "I need to figure out why first." She raised her voice. "My name is Sakura Hauro. I'm a medical ninja from The Village Hidden in the Leaves." She explained in a calm firm voice. "This man is my guard and escort for my current mission."

The woman stared at her and then began to shake. "That man… Sasuke Uchiha. Just before the Fourth Great Ninja War there was a Kage Summit held in The Land of Iron. My husband was asked to be one of guards at the meeting." Her jaw clenched. "He was among those the monster behind you slaughtered without a second thought" she snarled.

Sasuke cringed and looked down as his demon's writhed within him. It was like divine retribution. Just when he was beginning to feel genuine joy again, he was reminded of the terrible acts he'd committed.

"The shock of his death took such a toll on my body, that I delivered our son four months prematurely and he died before he took his first breath." She said her eyes haunted and full of hate. "You killed them both and for that I will kill you!" she glared at him. "If you're even half the man everyone claims you are, you will step forward and offer your life to me as retribution." She growled lifting her blades.

The Uchiha looked down as Sakura gasped. The blood on his hands was even greater than he'd thought. He'd resolved to atone for his sins by living in a selfless way. Itachi had left him the Uchiha name and his eyes, he'd resolved to protect Sakura forever and help Naruto create the world of peace he wanted. He couldn't die, not yet. He stepped forward and the woman howled as she charged at him.

"Stay behind me!" Sakura shouted as she moved to stand protectively in front of him, spreading her arms in a manner that reminded him of when he'd protected her on their mission to The Land of Waves and again when they faced down a demon possessed Gaara many years before. With a push of his chakra, purple light burst from his body and the rib cage of a giant formed around them both stopping the blades in their tracks.

"You're becoming as reckless as Naruto." He hissed as he moved to stand in front of Sakura. "I know that you were about to release your seal and take those blows for me. There's no need for you to do that."

The woman's eyes widened before she jumped back. "Why?" she demanded her gaze fixated on Sakura. "Why would you protect him like that?"

"I love him." Sakura said simply as she walked out of the Susanoo.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He knew that Sakura was going to try to talk the woman down and doing so outside his protective barrier was the best way to do that, but the manic gleam in the woman's eyes reminded him so much of his former self, he couldn't help but be wary.

"Be careful Sakura!" he said the foundation for the arm of his giant already being laid in his mind. He had to be ready to protect her at a moment's notice.

"You love him?" the woman asked taking a step back.

Sakura nodded. "That's right. I'm so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how terrible that must have been for you." She said. "Even so, killing Sasuke won't bring either of them back. You'll just create more sadness to me and everyone else who loves him. Please, let's talk about this." She said extending a hand to the woman.

The woman took another shaky step back. "You're Sasuke Uchiha's lover?" she said her eyes flickering between the two. Whatever she saw there seemed to enrage her further and her eyes almost glowed with maniac light. "Unforgiveable." She whimpered looking at the ground one of her blades slipping from her fingers. "His lover lives while mine is long dead." She suddenly shot forward the tip of her blade aimed at Sakura's heart.

Sasuke reacted a second before the woman did and closed the fist of his Susanoo around the medic protecting her from the strike before he dragged her back and placed her inside the ribcage with him.

"Are you alright?" he asked noting the color that had drained from her face.

She nodded. "Thank you Sasuke. I thought I was done for."

"Stop being so reckless." He said to the pink haired woman his voice sharp but his eyes soft.

The woman watched the exchange and her second blade rattled in her hands as her body trembled. "I knew it." She said softly. "I'm no match for him. I can't even get to her." Her eyes lifted towards the sky. "There's nothing more for me here." She murmured.

Sasuke and Sakura both rushed forward as the woman raised her sword and aimed it at her own heart. The Uchiha reached her first and wrapped his hand around the blade ignoring the pain as it sliced open his palm and yanked it out of her hands tossing it aside.

The woman stared at him in shock as Sakura quickly kicked the second blade out of her reached and reached for Sasuke's wound.

"You lecture me about being reckless." She hissed as she quickly went to work stopping the heavy bleeding. "This is the only hand you have left you know!?"

The woman blinked at that seemingly coming to her senses. "Why? Why did you do that?" she asked. "I just wanted to join them in death since I wasn't able to avenge them." She explained falling to her knees.

Sasuke looked at the woman. "Revenge is nothing but a vicious cycle that breeds hate and sorrow. I know. I lived my life in pursuit of it and managed to complete my vendetta only to find more sorrow and heartache at the end of that road."

Sakura nodded. "Your husband and child wouldn't want this for you." She said softly. "They'd want you to live on as happily as you could. If you die here, who will carry on their memories?"

The woman blinked as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I didn't think about that." She admitted. "All I thought about was revenge."

Sasuke pulled his hand from Sakura's hands and knelt before the woman and touched his forehead to the ground. "I am very sorry that my actions cause you so much pain and suffering." He said softly.

The woman's head nodded once and he slowly rose again.

"Tell me, what happened to your arm?" she asked.

He reached over and touched the stump. "This is just one of the many consequences of my selfish quest for vengeance." He said.

The woman nodded satisfied with the answer before turning to his companion. "Sakura, do you know what this man has done?" she asked.

The medic blinked and then nodded. "Yes, most of it I think anyway."

"Even in The Land of Iron?" she asked.

Sakura nodded. "Yes. I arrived there myself shortly after he attacked the summit."

The woman studied her. "You still love him? Knowing all of that?" she asked.

The emerald eyed woman nodded. "I do." She said without a trace of doubt or hesitation in her voice.

"How? How can you love someone like that?" the swordswoman asked.

Sakura smiled. "I've been in love with him since we were children and I'll probably always love him." She said. "There isn't a single reason I can think of for loving him that would be enough to satisfy you." She admitted.

The woman glanced down at the ground. "I suppose love is just like that sometimes." She said. "Thank you for treating me such respect even though I attacked you for little reason." She said bowing to the medic. She then turned her focus to Sasuke. "I don't think I'll ever forgive you for what you did however, I no longer wish harm on you or your companion." She glanced at Sakura. "Take good care of her. Any woman who can still love you while knowing everything you've done, is a priceless treasure."

"I know." He replied.

The woman smiled. "It seems you have some honor after all. Farewell now." And with that, she vanished into the trees.

Sakura moved forward and reaching for Sasuke's hand her palms glowing green. "Hold still and let me finish." She insisted when he tried to pull away.

"I can't believe I was so blind." He murmured. "How many hateful, vengeful people like her did I create?" staring down at the ground as his body shook. A child, an innocent unborn child had died because of what he'd done.

The pink haired medic reached out and touched his face. "Hey, look at me." She said softly. "There's no reason for you to feel responsible for how she became. The only actions you can control are your own."

"But I.."

"You were a heart broken boy who was taken advantage of by evil men who coveted your power and potential." She said cupping his face between her palms and pressing her forehead to his. "Your entire existence was manipulated by that black bastard and his mother. Don't you dare take the entire blame yourself."

"But Sakura, I-" he started but she cut him off pressing her lips to his. His eyes widened as she slanted her mouth across his, her tongue slipping out to taste his lips. He instinctively copied the action slipping his tongue out to dance with hers. Her fingers slid back into his hair as his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her flush against him as their tongues battle for dominance. He felt heat pooling in his belly at the sensation of her breasts pressed up against his chest and her fingers tugging lightly at his inky locks. Just when his hand was about to venture lower she pulled away to catch her breath.

"Please Sasuke." She breathed wrapping her arms around him and burying her head against his chest. "Don't torture yourself like this."

He blinked and then lowered his head tucking her head beneath his chin. "I'll try." He said holding her close. His mind went over their past together how she was always trying to alleviate his pain and suffering. "It's always like this." He said softly. "You've always been able to read my heart." His hold on her tightened. "There's no one better suited to be by my side than you."

She nuzzled closer to him and sighed. "Do you want to continue to the next Village or stay here for the night?" she asked.

"Let's stay here." He said scanning the small clearing. "We wouldn't be able to reach it before nightfall and getting an Inn after dark can be troublesome."

Sakura nodded. "We better get to work then." She said pulling out of his arms. "Do you want to take care of the fire or catch fish from the river?" she asked.

"I'll take care of the fish." He replied.

She smiled and nodded before walking into the nearby trees to gather kindling. He walked the short distance to the river and smirked as he remembered fishing during the chunin exams with Naruto. The Loser jumped in and scared the fish out of the water and he pinned them to the nearest tree with his kunai. As much as he hated to admit it, their teamwork had been fantastic even then.

"There's no Naruto to scare the fish this time." He said to himself as he picked out his fishing spot. Learning to fish with one arm had been an essential skill to master given his vagabond lifestyle and the fact that hardly anyone really trusted him. It was probably an insult to use his ninja tools and chakra in such a way but, there was no helping it. A ninja on an empty stomach was weak and in the case of Naruto, and Choji… Useless.

He picked up a few rocks and tossed them several yards upstream. With his sharringan he quickly picked out four good sized fish from the group he startled and watched them as he pulled on his lightning nature chakra.

"Chidori Senbon!" he muttered letting the needles of lightning strike his intended prey. They floated to the surface and he snatched them from the water before they could float down river. Using the wire he used most often for directing his flames during battle and setting traps, he strung them together and carried them back to the clearing.

To his pleasant surprise, he found a fire already crackling and Sakura leaning against a nearby tree trunk with her nose in a book.

"That was faster than I thought." She admitted glancing up at him.

"You didn't need one of my fireballs this time?" he said with a little smile.

She chuckled. "Not this girl. I became quite handy with flint and steel during my second go at the chunin exams."

"That's right, you're a jounin so you have to have passed the exam at some point. How did that go by the way?" he asked.

"It wasn't quite as terrifying the second time around." She admitted. "I was put on a team with Choji and Ino for my second attempt and things were going fine until I passed out."

"Why did you pass out?" he asked glancing over at her.

She'd always been prone to fainting, it had been annoying as Hell when they were genin but it had seemed to happen less and less once she began taking lessons from Lady Tsunade. The last time he'd seen her faint was during their battle with Kaguya. He remembered teleporting to her side, trading places with her singed jacket and catching her as she began to fall. He'd could tell right away that she was near her limit but the look in her eyes, the relief and gratitude, tinged with love and fear had made it impossible for him to look away. For a moment, it seemed like only the two of them existed and he desperately wanted time to stop so that he could just hold her properly and let her rest from her labors. Unfortunately, they hadn't been granted that luxury.

She chuckled nervously as she prepared the fish for cooking. "To be honest, it was because I was expending a lot more chakra than what I was used to and between that an accumulating chakra for my seal, I just lost consciousness."

His eyes widened. "Wait a minute. You were saving chakra during the chinin exams?" he asked.

She nodded. "The seal can only be achieved by continuously gathering and focusing chakra to one spot at a set rate." She explained pointing to the mark. "It doesn't matter if you're in the midst of battle or sleeping, it has to remain consistent, you can't speed it up or slow it down until after you've achieved the mark. Even then, you can only speed it up by releasing the seal. If you slow it down or stop all together, it disappears."

The Uchiha's eyes widened. The amount of focus and chakra control needed to use such a technique was astounding. To maintain a steady flow to a fixed point even while sleeping was something he knew that he'd never be able to accomplish.

"Incredible." He said softly.

Sakura blushed and looked down. "Thank you Sasuke." She said with a smile. "Lady Tsunade was impressed too. I achieved my mark in half the time she did." She chuckled. "I can't take all the credit though, it was mostly because of her effective teaching."

He smiled as she put the fish on the fire and arched up stretching her arms above her head. "It's almost sun set but, I think I'm going to run down to the river and wash up a little. I'll be back in a few minutes." She said slipping off her cloak.

"Alright. Stay on guard though." Sasuke reminded her as she slipped away. He watched the fire crackle and burn remembering how naïve and physically weak she'd been when they were younger. Now she was a woman that could easily shatter bounders with a single punch and had lived through the horrors of war. He doubted that fewer people in the world were prouder of her accomplishments than he was. He'd always hoped that she'd find a place for herself. Find a way to stand on her own without relying on him and Naruto to protect her. He'd never minded rescuing her of course since she was smart enough to rarely get herself into dangerous situations, unlike Naruto, but he'd always wanted her to become someone he could rely on in battle. She had far surpassed his expectations.

Her scream of terror shocked him out of his thoughts and he dashed towards the river with his heart in his throat. Had the woman from before come back to take her revenge after all? Was it rouge ninja that his rinnigan had neglected to detect? The awful scenarios played out in his head as he burst through the trees and found himself face to face with a half-naked Sakura who appeared to be in the process of ripping off her own shirt.

"Sakura! What's wrong?" he demanded.

She ignored him and tore the fabric from her torso and threw it on the ground like it was poisoned. He was confused until he noticed the garment move and a small snake slithered out of it.

"Snake!" she squealed reaching for a kunai.

Sasuke moved faster and threw a pair of shuriken at the creature, the first impaling it while the second decapitated it.

"Are you alright now?" he asked.

She threw herself against his chest and shuddered. "So gross." She whimpered. "I can't believe it went up my shirt!"

"Well, most snakes are attracted to body heat." He said patting her back gently. "Are you afraid of snakes?"

Sakura wrinkled her nose and stepped away from him putting her hands on her hips. "Are you kidding?" she demanded. "Of course I'm afraid of snakes! Knowing Orochimaru should be enough to put the fear of snakes in anyone! Except for you and Kabuto I guess but you're the odd ones out." She said reaching for her shirt. "Naruto hates them even more than I do."

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak when he noticed a vertical scar about three inches long. Though she had many scars on her back, this one seemed different, raised and discolored by something. She pulled the red shirt over her back and turned to face him and his eyes widened as he saw an almost ident icicle mark on her abdomen parallel to the first. He knew the spot was a kill point, one that caused massive amounts of bleeding and excruciating pain. Even as a rouge ninja, he'd avoided that spot preferring the take out the heart or break the neck to save his victims unnecessary pain. Unable to help himself, he reached out and traced the scar with his fingertips.

"Sakura, what happened here?" he asked.

She blushed and quickly pulled her top closed forcing his fingers to retreat. "Oh nothing much. I was just run through by a poison coated sword." She explained quickly.

Sasuke's eyes widened. "How?" he demanded as they walked back towards camp.

"Sasori." She replied a little smirk touching her lips. "It was towards the end of our battle and we'd already discovered that Sasori was no longer human, that he was just a living puppet. We'd defeated his strongest puppets and so he was fighting us using his own body. I'd injected myself with the antidote to his poison but I was working on a strict time clock. It was only potent for three minutes and I was running out of time. My body was in tatters, I was almost out of chakra, and he was about to kill Lady Chiyo. I managed to grab the wire he'd sliced me with earlier that was attached to his abdomen and yanked him back to me." She chuckled. "I was so done with him and that fight. I remember yelling. 'Get over here!' and punched that damn puppet with everything I had left and broke his body to bits with only half a second to spare. I was sure we'd won and so I went to Lady Chiyo's side and was about to heal her most serious injuries when I was suddenly run through by a sword." She touched the place where the scar on her abdomen resided above her clothes. "That jerk had transferred himself to another puppet as I hit him." She sighed. "Lady Chiyo managed to simultaneously heal me and draw out the blade. How I stayed conscious through the pain I'll never know. Unfortunately the blade was covered in poison and it was such a rush healing job, it scarred worse than I anticipated it would." She smiled. "It's no big deal though. In the end I'm actually grateful to Sasori."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he stared at her. "What? He nearly killed you? Have you developed Naruto's ridiculous habit of befriending the enemy?" he demanded.

The medic laughed. "I'm not the saint Naruto is." She admitted. "It's just… that whole experience forced me to grow in ways I hadn't before." She explained. "Because of the complexity, and potency of the poison he developed I had to use a complicated cellular extraction technique I'd only practiced on cadavers in real life. I had to quickly analyze and create an antidote for a poison that had never existed until that point." She looked at the fire. "I battled an enemy that had taken down nations without Naruto or you by my side and emerged victorious." She looked over at him and smiled. "As awful as the battle itself was, I learned more about myself over the course of that conflict than I had in years of training. I can't quite explain it."

Sasuke nodded. "It's true. Real life application is a greater teacher than any training." He smiled. "It seems he drew out your true strength. I have to admit, I'm a little grateful to him for that as well, even if I might not ever forgive him for putting your life in such danger."

Sakura nodded and pulled the fish off of the fire setting them on a rock to cool for a few minutes. She handed Sasuke his share before nibbling on her own.

"Sasuke, I was wondering, what happened to the curse mark Orochimaru placed on you?" she asked.

The Uchiha glanced over at her. "Why the sudden interest?" he asked.

She shrugged. "That snake in my clothes kind of forced Orochimaru to the front of my mind for some reason. I guess I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me though."

"Itachi removed it from me." He said simply.

Satisfied with that answer she nodded. "I'm glad."

"Me too." He admitted. "Having a piece of him inside me was… revolting."

Sakura chuckled. "It's almost like you hate him or something."

"I do." Sasuke replied without a moment's hesitation. "If he hadn't branded me with that damn mark then I'm sure my life would have been much happier." He snickered. "It's quite interesting, I'm a snake master myself yet I can't stand the creatures. Even so, he taught me a lot and in his own way helped save the word."

The medic nodded. "I always knew that you couldn't stand him." She said nibbling on her fish. "Orochimaru has little respect for life and desperately coveted the power your clan possessed. Contrary to popular belief, you hate killing and have great pride in your clan and their powers. Learning from someone's whose ideology was so different from your own was probably maddening."

The Uchiha blinked and then nodded. "That's true." He admitted. "The man disgusts me though he's recently seemed to have had a change of heart. At least, he's seemed to become a little less obsessed with immortality and acquiring all the justu in the world."

Sakura nodded. "Who wouldn't though after seeing what became of Madara. He proved that seeking power for selfish reasons ends in nothing but sorrow."

Sasuke nodded. "The look on his face when he realized that he'd been nothing but a pawn in the scheme to bring Kaguya back…" he thought back on the moment and frowned.

The medic sighed and looked up at the sky. "I think we were all blown away by that bombshell." She admitted, her jaw clenched. "If only… If only I'd destroyed Obito's eye when I had the chance."

"Don't blame yourself." The Uchiha said throwing the stick that had roasted his fish on the fire. "Black Zetsu made it clear that he was going to do whatever it took to bring her back. If it hadn't been Madara, it would have been me or one of my descendants. The situation was unavoidable, we're just lucky we were able to stop it."

Sakura nodded and yawned as the sky began to turn from inky blue to pitch black.

"I'll take first watch." He said studying her carefully.

"It's ok. I can do it." She assured him.

He shook his head. "I have a letter I want to write and send off anyway before it gets too late. Go ahead and get some sleep."

"If you insist." Sakura said pulling her bedroll out of her bag and laying it out near the fire. "Who are you writing to?"

"A message to Kakashi about the woman that attacked us." He said quickly.

"That makes sense." Sakura said as she pulled a blanket over herself. "Goodnight Sasuke."

"Goodnight Sakura." He replied.

He pulled pen and paper from his bag and quickly wrote a note though it wasn't to Kakashi. When he finished his message, he summoned a much smaller hawk and attached it to the bird's leg.

"Go quickly now." He instructed the animal. "I need to make she has plenty of time to fulfill my request."

The bird squeaked softly in understanding and flew off into the night. His eyes followed the bird until it left the range of his normal vision. Sakura shifted in her sleep and he moved closer to her stroking a lock of her vibrant pink hair. A little smirk touched his lips, an Uchiha with pink hair. He wasn't sure if his father would roll over in his grave or simply be happy about the new pop of color. It wasn't like all Uchiha's had dark hair and dark eyes, but it certainly was the norm. As an old, proud, but secretive clan it had just happened over time. It was the same with the red hair of Uzumaki clan, the stocky build of the Akimichi clan, and the fangs of the Inuzuka clan.

As the night wore on, he wondered about Sakura's family. Out of the entire team seven, including their Sensei, she was the only one that still had both parents. Additionally, though they were both ninja, they'd retired from active duty shortly after she was born never moving beyond genin level. He'd only seen them in person a handful of times and had been mildly surprised at their appearances, particularly her father's hair style and color. The more he thought about it, the more it disappointed him. Sakura had made a point to learn everything about him and tried to understand his past and pain but he'd never made any attempts to do the same. A thought occurred to him and he shifted away from the sleeping kunoichi to grab some paper and a pen. With quick strokes, he wrote four letters choosing his words carefully before he summoned another hawk.

He attached the bundle to the bird. "Take those to Kakashi please."

The hawk ruffled his feathers expressing his irritation before taking off into the night sky. He moved back to Sakura and stroked his hand over her hair again his fingers resting near her forehead. His love for her was growing every day. She shifted in her sleep and the blanket slipped away pooling at her waist. As he reached for it, he couldn't help but notice her feminine curves. The rounded breasts, the slim waist, her slightly rounded hips. Sasuke wasn't oblivious to the female form like many thought, it was simply that he was a man that was much more interested in a deeper bond than just physical attraction. The fact that Sakura had always held a special place in his heart in spite of his attempts to kill that part of him likely also contributed to his disinterest in women. He sighed as he remembered his days spent with Karin, it reminded him of Sakura's younger days when she clung to him though Karin's less than pure intentions had been made clear from the beginning. Being around the woman was irritating particularly when he'd made it clear he wasn't interested but, she'd been useful so he kept her around.

Sakura, even after learning that he held the same feelings for her that she felt for him had maintained a certain level of distance between them. She wasn't clingy or needy even in private and seemed content to follow his lead. To be perfectly honest, he wasn't sure what to think of her behavior. He'd been half expecting her to throw herself at him the moment he'd confessed his feelings yet she'd never even attempted to do so. She was so passionate about everything and yet, he'd yet to see that translate into their physical relationship. Granted they were both beginners at romance but still. His gaze drifted down to her face and he traced her lip with his finger tip. Perhaps she was just trying to be courteous and considerate of his feelings. He'd always been vocal about his annoyance for clingy women and fan girls in general. Even so, she wasn't like them so why was she so cautious around him?

He lightly ran his hand down the length of her body and took a deep breath as the sensation sparked to life heat in his belly. He wanted her, she likely had no idea just how much. Since the night of their first kiss he'd been plagued by dreams filled with her. Dreams full of heated kisses, entangling limbs, lustful groans, slippery skin and electrified touches. Even remembering fragments of those dreams had his heart racing. His hand slid up to her rib cage and was about to venture towards the soft swell beneath her shirt when he stopped himself.

No, Sakura deserved better than his. She deserved to be worshipped body and soul in the privacy of a bedroom on a futon at the very least. Not only that, but as much as he desired her, he refused to take that part of her until there was more to bind them than just their mutual feelings. He was going to prove to her in word and deed just how serious he was about her. She'd offered herself mind, body and soul to him from the time they were children yet that made his desire to properly cherish her even stronger.

"Just a few more weeks." He said softly leaning down to brush his lips gently across her forehead. "Please wait just a little longer."

Sasuke glanced over at Sakura as they walked through The Land of Fire. "It's so nice to be back in our own territory again." The medic admitted. "It's so relaxing."

The Uchiha nodded. "It's definitely to our advantage in case something happens."

She nodded. "That's true too."

Sasuke paused and glanced to the trees to his right. "Come." He said. "Let's go this way."

The medic raised her brow. "Why leave the road? Is something wrong?" She asked. "This is the most direct route back to the village."

He shook his head. "There's someplace I want to take you. Is that alright?"

"Of course it's alright." She replied.

"Good." He said taking to the trees. "Let's move at full speed though. I want to reach it by moon rise."

Sakura blinked and then nodded. He wasn't surprised to see her a little startled, they'd tried to avoid traveling at night up until now. "Alright. Lead the way Sasuke." She said.

They moved swiftly through the trees, a blur of tan, black and pink towards their destination. The closer they came to the place, the more often he glanced back at her. If she realized where they were headed, she hadn't said anything about it, at least not so far.

His eyes immediately sharpened as he led the way to the place that had become the battleground for his last confrontation with his now deceased brother. Sakura remained quiet as he led her past the abandoned outbuildings to a section of wall surrounded by rubble with the Uchiha crest carved into it.

"You know this place." He said. It was a statement not a question and she nodded.

"I do." She replied and said no more as she stood at the place where his brother had died.

"This is where Itachi and I battled and I fulfilled my vendetta that I'd chased after for so long." His hand balled into a fist. "Had Obito stayed away from me, I think I might have returned with all of you to The Village when you caught up to me but… Unfortunately, that's not how it worked out." He touched the red and white symbol gently. "My clan has a long, proud, though blood stained history. As it stands now, I'm the only one left to carry it on." Sakura reached out and gently laid her hand on his back offering him her support. Taking it as a positive sign, he turned and laid his hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Sakura, you've always been there for me, even when I didn't want you to be. I am so thankful for that. I wasn't lying when I told you that I wanted you by my side, but do you really understand what that means?"

Sakura studied him for a moment and then sighed. "Sasuke, I believe I've made it perfectly clear to you, on more than one occasion that my feelings for you will never change."

He took a deep breath and leaned forward laying his forehead against hers. "If you're dead set on this, than there's something I need to show you. I need you to know everything before making a decision."

Sakura touched his cheek. "I'll see anything you want to show me Sasuke." She assured him. "I trust you and I've always had faith in you."

He took a deep breath and activated his mangyko sharringan. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I'm about to show you the entire history of the Uchiha, from Indra to myself. It's a lot of information but bear with me." She nodded and he gently guided her to sit down with her back braced against what was left of the wall. He knelt in front of her and quickly created a shadow clone.

"When did you pick that up?" she asked.

He chuckled. "You'll know soon enough, though I can't make nearly as many as Naruto. He'll keep watch for us." He focused his chakra bringing all the memories he intended to show her to the forefront of his mind and arranging them in the order he wanted her to see them. Satisfied with the sequence, he touched her face. "Look into my eyes." He said softly.

She did so without hesitation and the symbols around his pupil rotated. "Mangyko Sharringan." He murmured entering her psychic plane and pulling her into the world of memories he'd been shown by Black Zetsu, Obito, and Itachi as well as his own memories.

He walked her through the entire history of the Uchiha, showing her how their strong love turned into hate. Showed her the story of Indara and Madara Uchiha who thought the best way to peace was power. Showed her their jealousy and hatred when their closest friends and rivals triumphed over them.

He showed her Itachi's life, showcasing his selfless sacrifice and the pain he'd endured alone. He showed her his own life, how he'd adored and idolized his older brother, how he'd loved and respected his parents constantly seeking for his father's approval.

He showed her the night his entire life had been changed forever when his clan and parents were slaughtered on Donzo's orders. He showed her his lonely existence using his hatred towards his brother to keep living through the shock. He showed her how becoming a part of Team Seven had begun to fill his lonely existence and how he'd begun to see the shadow of his lost family in them. He showed her how his jealousy of Naruto's progress and power began to overtake him. He showed her the forest of death where Orochimaru had marked him and the struggle to control and suppress the power within him. He showed her how he'd become consumed with the desire for power and jealousy and left the village.

He showed her his training with Orochimaru, their first reunion, and how he'd killed the Snake Sannin right before he tried to snatch his body. He showed her the formation of team Hebi and his epic battle with Deidera. He showed her the battle with Itachi and then how he'd woken up in the hands of Obito posing as Madara. He showed her the truth about Itachi and how devastated he was to find out that everything he'd thought about his brother was a lie.

He showed her how he'd decided to take revenge on The Leaf with Obito's prodding and joined the Akatsuki with his team. He showed her their battle with Killer B and attacks against The Cloud Village. He showed her his attack on the Hokage summit including his battles with Gaara and the Raikage.

He showed her how he'd cornered Donzo and, faced with the man who had forced Itachi into a corner and given the order to slaughter his people, lost his mind to the hatred inside him. He showed her how he'd mercilessly run Karin through with his lightning blade to kill Donzo and was about to finish her off before her sudden appearance stopped him. He showed her his attempts on her life in his manic state and his threats to kill both Kakashi and Naruto.

He showed her how he'd implanted Itachi's eyes into himself and then waited for them to heal oblivious to the war raging outside. He showed her his escape and how he'd made his way towards the battlefield to confront Naruto only to run into Itachi who was on his way to uncast the Reanimation Jutsu. He showed her how they battled Kabuto as a team and his brother's parting words to him.

He showed her how he revived Orochimaru and had him reanimate the pervious Hokage. He showed her the stories they'd told him of Konoha's establishment. He showed her how he decided to take over the village instead of destroy it and appeared on the battlefield to help them out. He showed her how he'd felt better than he'd felt in years standing next to his old comrades to battle the ten tails. He showed her how proud he was of her when she chased down the fision beings on the battlefield. How he nearly died and how The Sage of Six Paths appeared to him and explained his weighted fate as the reincarnation of the eldest of his two sons revealing Naruto to be the reincarnation of his second son.

He showed her their final battles against Madara and Kaguya and how he made the decision to fight Naruto once and for all to prove that he was superior. He showed her the battle and the revelation he had afterwards that he'd wasted his life, certain no one could understand him and trying to do everything alone instead of relying on his friends to help him. He showed her his farewell to both her and Naruto after his recovery and his solitary journey after that doing his best to make up to the world for the atrocities he, his clan, and The Akatsuki had caused. Finally, he took her to the night he'd left the village.

"I love you with all my heart!" A younger Sakura cried out. His eyes widened and his feet froze, this was different from the 'I like you!' declarations he'd heard in the past. He could hear in her voice just how much she truly cared for him. He felt his resolve starting to crumble at the sincere expression of her deepest feelings for him and realized that if he didn't do something quickly, she'd surly follow him or convince him to stay.

"You are such an annoyance." He snarled.

She begged and pleaded with him not to go, with tears running down her cheeks and he remembered his own tears as he'd watched his brother leave hurt but desperate for the older shinobi to stay with him. He quickly flashed behind her and she froze.

"Sakura, thank you for everything." He said softly before hitting her as hard as he dared in the back of the neck knocking her unconscious.

She slumped to the ground and he gently scooped her up into his arms and carried her to a nearby bench laying her out on the cool stone. He took in her tear stained face, her blush colored hair, her gentle hands and shakily reached out to touch her face.

"Forgive me Sakura." He whispered. "The place I'm going is too dangerous for you. Get stronger while I'm away ok? You've already improved a lot since we first became teammates." He reached out and squeezed her hands. "Don't forget about me ok? I'll come back someday." He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Whatever you do, don't fall for Naruto." He pleaded. His head perked up at the sound of the night watch nearing the park. "Goodbye Sakura." He said softly before vanishing into the night.

Sasuke's eye returned to normal as he finished casting the genjutsu and refocused his eyes on Sakura's face. She blinked as she came out of the genjutsu and panted a little touching her forehead. Though there had been no malicious intent behind it, cramming centuries worth of history into only a few short hours was overwhelming even with her natural talent for Genjutsu.

"I'm sorry, was that too much too fast?" he asked. "I tried to make it as manageable as possibl-"

She reached out with trembling fingers and touched his face tears welling in her eyes and streaming down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"So heavy." She murmured softly. "The burden you carry is so heavy. I knew it was but I had no idea…" she reached out and wrapped her arms around him holding him in a way that reminded him of how she'd held him in the forest of death, like he was the most precious thing in the world. "Oh Sasuke," she breathed. "I'm so sorry." Her grip on him tightened. "How I wish I could bare it all for you. Your clan, your parents, Itachi, and you were all made to suffer such hardships." She pressed a kiss to his temple. "Thank you so much for entrusting me with such precious memories. I will cherish them all of my life."

He blinked in surprise before a tear slipped from his eye. He'd known she'd cry for him. He couldn't keep track of all the times she'd cried for him, but he knew that the tears she shed weren't just for his sake, but for the sake of his beloved brother, his precious parents, and his entire clan. He felt the depth of his love for her increase as he laid his forehead against her shoulder. Her love for him and all of his people was as warm as the afternoon sun melting away any traces of ice lingering in his heart.

"Thank you Sakura, for shedding tears for me, my brother, my parents, for all of them." He said softly his voice cracking with emotion. "Thank you so much."

He lifted his head and brushed away the hair that was stuck to her face from her tears and then leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. It was a warm, gentle, intimate play of lips. Full of love, gratitude, adoration and devotion. There was no doubt in his mind who was meant to become the next Matriarch of the Uchiha clan.

They broke apart breathless just as one of his hawks sored into view. He glanced up at the animal and smirked. "Perfect timing." He said extending his arm to the bird. It hopped onto his arm and then to the ground so he could relieve the raptor of its parcel. Once the package was free, the summons vanished with a little pop and puff of smoke.

"What's that?" Sakura asked wiping her eyes.

He ignored her question and tore open the brown packaging revealing a small black box inside of it. He lifted the lid and nodded as he confirmed it contained what he'd asked for. Thankful to Granny Cat for being so prompt, he took the box in his hand and turned back to Sakura.

"Sakura I've shown you everything. The entire Uchiha history as well as my own. Are your feelings for me still the same?" he asked.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "No, I'm sure I love you more now than I did before." She answered easily.

Sasuke nodded his heart almost bursting with his love for her as he knelt in front of her and opened the box. Inside it was a pendant in the shape of the Uchiha crest with brilliant red and pure white on a chain made of white gold.

"Sakura, I have made you suffer more than almost anyone else and yet you have still loved and cared for me. I have always been grateful to you for that even though I wasn't able to properly receive or reciprocate your feelings. You can read my heart and have a way of stopping my darkest impulses. I trust you, both on and off the battlefield and rely on your strength and kindness more than you know." He glanced up at her. "Sakura, will you wear the crest of the Uchiha for the rest of your life? Will you marry me?"

Her eyes widened as she stared at the pendant, her hands shaking as they covered her mouth. With tears in her eyes she smiled and reached out covering his hand with her own, her fingers brushing the pendant.

"Yes Sasuke." She said her voice full of warmth and confidence. "I will wear it with pride."

His eyes widened at her bold declaration and then chuckled. "You never change." He said softly as he lifted the pendant from the box and offered it to her.

She nodded to him as she took the pendant and turned her back to him. "Will you lift my hair?" she asked.

He nodded and she slipped the necklace into place around her neck securing the latch with a skillful flick of her fingers. Oh how he wished he had two hands at that exact moment so that he could do it himself but there was no helping it. He released her hair as she adjusted the pendant around her neck and turned to him smiling warmly, blush tinging her cheeks.

"So, how does it look?" she asked her eyes trained carefully at his chest.

He smiled and touched the crest around her neck before trailing his fingers up to her chin where he coaxed her face up to meet his gaze. "Just as I thought it would. It suits you perfectly." He said leaning down and pressing his lips to hers in a sweet kiss. When they broke apart, he kissed the pendant around her neck and then pulled her to his chest.

"Mother, Father, Itachi, soon I will no longer be the last Uchiha. I promise that I will rebuild our clan the way you'd always dreamed of with Sakura by my side."

"I hate to interrupt, but you two should probably go inside." His shadow clone said.

He blinked and released Sakura a little embarrassed that he was embarrassed being caught being affectionate towards her by himself…. Shaking his head to get his train of thought coherent again, he studied the clone.

"Is someone coming?" he asked instinctively scanning the area with his Rinnigan. In the distance, he could sense a group of four shinobi and recognized their chakra signatures. It was the old Team Ten with the addition of Kiba and they soon became stationary likely stopping to camp for the night. Although he was fairly certain the Ninja Hound User hadn't detected their presence, he wasn't interested in any distractions at the moment. His clone nodded to him, likely thinking the same thing. "I understand." He said simply. "Let's go find a place to sleep." He said taking Sakura's hand. He could sense she was tired, it wasn't a surprise given the intensity of the genjutsu he'd put her under.

Remembering the layout of the mini fortress from both his battle with Itachi and the times he'd visited as a child, he led her to one of the most intact buildings. They stepped inside and he found that it was just the way he remembered it with futons stored inside large chests near the wall and an open stove. He laid them out side by side and set their things down near the door. Sakura knelt in the center of one, shrugged off her cloak, slipped her belt and headband off before climbing under the blankets.

He smirked at her. She had to be exhausted, otherwise she would have at least picked up one of her books. He slipped off his own cloak and vest and laid his sword down next to his futon. Just as he was about to lay down, Sakura reached out and grabbed his shirt.

"What is it Sakura?" he asked.

"Sleep with me tonight." She replied.

He blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. He'd already made up his mind to cherish her body and soul. Besides, he hadn't even spoken with her parents about his intentions with their daughter. It was bad enough that he'd asked for her hand in marriage without their blessing but to take her virginity too? That was a ticket straight to damnation.

"Sakura, I'm not sure that's such a good idea." He said trying to control the shakiness of his voice. "It's not that I don't want you in that way, it's just that you just got out of an intense genjutsu and we're both tired-"

She giggled and shook her head slowly. "I didn't mean that." She assured him. "I just want to sleep on the same futon."

He blinked and then blushed again thankful the night hid most of it from her. Of course that's what she'd meant. "Right." He stammered. "That's fine." He said slipping into her futon. "Is this what you wanted?" he asked laying straight as a board beside her trying to hide his embarrassment at the situation as well as control his own urges.

Sakura chuckled and shifted laying her head on his shoulder and her hand over his heart. "This will do." She said softly. "You're so cute when you get flustered. I don't think I've ever seen you blush like that before."

He blushed again in spite of himself and clenched his jaw. "Shut up." He muttered. "And I am not cute."

She giggled again. "Sure you're not tough guy." She murmured. "Goodnight Sasuke." She added quickly before he could rebuke her. Her lips gently brushed the underside of his jaw near his ear sending a delicious shiver down his spine. "I love you."

He smiled and rested his head against hers. "I know."

Within moments she was asleep as he figured she would be. Her mind, heart and soul were likely weary from what she'd learned as well as her body from moving at a quicker pace than normal for their travels. He brushed the hair from her face and soon felt himself tiring as well.

"So that's the girl huh?" a familiar voice said as Sasuke blinked his eyes adjusting to the warm late spring sun.

He found himself lying in the middle of a field of grass and flowers and sat up glancing around to find the source of the voice he'd heard.

"Yes it is. I met her a couple of times before coming here. Isn't she lovely?" came a voice he knew even better.

"Itachi?" he called out focusing on a large house behind him. He cautiously walked to the entry way and out of habit slipped out of his shoes.

"She's pretty outspoken." Came a soft feminine voice. "It's refreshing to see a young woman with so much spirit."

"Hello?" he called out stepping up onto the main floor of the house.

"So that's the woman who's going to be the next Uchiha Matriarch?" came a low smooth voice. "The fact that she faced me down in battle and lived to tell about it makes her fitting for such a role I suppose."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at that as he moved quickly through the house and found a set of closed doors. He knew that voice, he'd know it anywhere.

"Madara Uchiha!" he exclaimed throwing the doors open.

He blinked in surprised at the scene that greeted him there. His mother, father, brother, Madara Uchiha and Shisui Uchiha were all seated together in front of a large television set watching what looked like video footage of Sakura's battle against Sasori.

"I can't let it end here!" came Sakura's voice as she struggled trapped in a cloud of poison gas, her body being tugged on by Sasori on one side and Lady Chiyo on the other. She dug into her bag and pulled out a paperbomb attached to a Kunai. "I am NOT going to die here!" she exclaimed detonating the device freeing herself from the mass of poison.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Chiyo cried out as she caught the girl in mid-air. "Sakura! Hang on child!" the woman exclaimed cradling the medic's body in her arms.

"Not bad I've got to admit." The puppet master murmured as he watched the scene.

"Oh! This is bad! She's not breathing!" Granny Chiyo exclaimed. She tipped the girl forward and thumped her hard on the back with the heel of her palm.

Sakura sputtered and gasped for air as her lungs began working again.

"Are you alright dear? Talk to me!" Chiyo demanded.

"I'm ok." Sakura gasped desperate for air. She caught her breath and then turned to glare at her enemy. Sasuke's eyes widened at the murderous look in her eyes, he couldn't recall her looking at anyone that way, not in his presence at least. Even with her body in bad shape, she looked more imposing and dangerous than he'd ever seen her. "You listen to me." She snarled. "I will get you! Do you hear me!" she shouted struggling to her feet. "You can blow my limbs off. You can poison me until I can't move anymore. But I am STILL going to get you! No matter WHAT you pull! No matter what you throw at me, I'm going to make you tell me everything you know about Orochimaru! Is that CLEAR!?" she bellowed venom dripping from her voice and ice in her eyes.

"Look at her go! That girl has guts! " Shisui said with an appreciative nod of his head. He turned and grinned at Sasuke who stood with his eyes transfixed on the screen himself. So that's why she'd fought Sasori so hard. It was for his sake. He didn't know if he should scold her or praise her for it. "I approve, Sasuke!" the legendary Uchiha and his older brother's best friend said giving him a thumbs up.

"So you were here Sasuke?" Itachi said turning and smiling warmly at him. "It's good to see you again so soon little brother."

"What… What is this?" he demanded.

"Oh these?" Shisui said motioning to the video. "We borrowed them from the archives here. The volumes that chronicled Team Seven's Genin days had already been rented out by Minato and Kushina so we decided to start with these."

"That's not what I meant!" Sasuke muttered. "I mean how are all of you here and why are you watching that?" he said motioning to the television screen where Sakura charged and slammed her fist against a block of iron sand, knocking it and Sasori back with the force of her punch.

"Well, we heard that the leader of Uchiha clan had chosen a bride. We needed to see what kind of woman she was." Madara said in a matter of fact tone.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly at his old enemy and then quickly refocused on his parents.

His father Fugaku looked a little different than he remembered. His hair was a little darker, his face a little less severe, and he wasn't as muscular. "Sasuke. You've grown quite a bit." He said standing and approaching his second son. "I'm really happy to see you. Itachi, Obito, Madara, Hashirama, Hiruzen, Minato and many others have all spoken highly of you." He reached out and took the last living Uchiha into his arms and held him close. "I'm sorry for putting you through such heartache." He said softly. "I'm proud of the man you have become."

The former avenger's eyes misted a little as he returned the embrace. His father smiled and stepped away as his mother approached.

Mikoto also looked a little different than she had in his memories, a little slimmer with a less lines on her face but overall the same. She smiled warmly at him and took his face between her hands. "Your father is absolutely right. You really have grown into a wonderful young man."

Sasuke smiled and embraced her a tear slipping from his eye. "It's so good to see you again Mother." He said softly.

She giggled and stepped back. "Come join us." She said pulling him towards the little congregation arranged around the large television screen. "Tell us all about the woman you've chosen to marry."

He nervously followed and settled down on a cushion between Itachi and Madara.

"I'm pleased to see you finally allowed yourself happiness." Itachi said. "That girl really is spectacular. I wish I'd been able to see more of her in life. I recall that she was nearly always at Naruto's side."

Sasuke nodded. "They stuck together and never gave up on me. They made it clear that there would always be a place for me, right next to them." He replied.

His older brother nodded. "What has she done since the war? We've been a little busy here dealing with new arrivals and other matters." He said glancing over at Madara who shrugged clearly still a bit unapologetic for the havoc he'd wreaked after his return to the world of the living.

Sasuke shook his head. "I can only imagine." He replied. "She's been quite busy. She founded the Konoha Children's Hospital which specialized in treating not just physical injuries but the emotional and psychological trauma inflicted on children who were effected by war. In fact Suna and many of the other Hidden Villages have adopted her programs. Recently, she's been traveling to other nations on diplomatic missions as well as teaching missions to improve the medical ninjutsu of all of the villages since The Leaf is leaps and bounds ahead of most of the others. It appears that Kakashi and Lady Tsunade are grooming her to be one of Naruto's advisors when he becomes Hokage."

"Impressive." Shisui said with a grin. "Diplomacy is a big part of the duties of wife of the clan leader. How many petty squabbles did you take care of to ease the clan leader's burden?" Shisui asked Mikoto.

She chuckled. "My fair share I'm sure."

"Well she is a member of the New Legendary Sannin." The youngest Uchiha said with pride in his voice. "She's already surpassed Lady Tsunade in terms of power."

Fugaku's brow rose at that. "Is she now? The new Slug Queen I presume?"

Sasuke nodded his eyes widening as Sakura sprung up from the ground and smashed The Third Kazekage puppet into splinters.

"What an amazing accomplishment." Mikoto agreed.

Madara nodded. "I believe it's safe to say that she is one of the most powerful women in the shinobi world at the moment."

The former avenger smirked. "You're right about that."

"Tell us more about her." Fugaku said smiling at him.

He thought for a moment, her face appearing in is mind. "I'm not even sure where to start." He admitted. "She's beautiful, strong, kind and smart. She's also reckless, loud and a bit violent." He smiled. "She never gives up and cares about others with such intensity that even the most stubborn people can't refuse her care."

Shisui chuckled. "Yeah, we've seen that in these records." He grinned at Sasuke. "Tell me, have you ever been on the receiving end of one of those punches of hers?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, though honestly I think she would have punched me when she found me in The Valley of The End if I hadn't been so badly injured." He said touching the place where his arm had once been.

Itachi glanced at the injury and frowned. "I can't believe I didn't notice." He admitted before he looked at Madara. "Was that injury your doing, Madara?" he asked.

The man who had briefly been the most powerful being in the world shook his head. "No. Both of his arms were intact when I left that plane."

Sasuke's head lowered as he gripped the end of the stump. "This was the price of my hatred, arrogance, and jealousy." He said softly. "After everything ended, I fought Naruto. It was a draw but he managed to make me clear my head and break the cycle of vengeance and hatred."

Itachi laid his hand on his shoulder. "Even so, you're free from those chains now. An arm is a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things."

"You always have to made things sound so cool." Shisui said putting his arm around Itachi and leaning towards the former avenger. "So tell us, how did you make the girl fall for you? From what I've seen and heard, Naruto has been trying from the day he met her but nothing ever came of it."

"I have no idea." Sasuke admitted. "She's liked me since we were kids and unlike the other girls who gave up and moved onto other boys, she just never stopped." He ran a hand through his hair. "We were assigned to the same team so I ended up saving her a lot, at first at least but I also…" he sighed. "I tried to kill her at least twice that I remember so why she saved herself for me I don't know. I am grateful though."

The legendary teleporter blinked and stared at him. "That girl deserves all the awards for sticking with you even after you tried to kill her."

"I know that!" Sasuke snapped.

Mikoto watched as Sakura listened to Sasori's dying words about meeting a spy he'd slipped into Orochimaru's organization. "You had left the village and were training with Orochimaru Sensei at that time correct?"

His nose wrinkled at her use of the word Sensei to refer to the snake man and nodded.

She smiled softly. "I see. It's clear she loves you very much, even then."

"That's what matters most to an Uchiha." Madara said. "Are you truly prepared for what lies ahead? Are you certain that you would not lose yourself to hatred if anything happened to that woman?"

Sasuke blinked and then glanced at the screen watching as Sakura and Naruto were reunited at Gaara's side. "In life there are no guarantees." He said. "However, Sakura is not a weak woman. In addition to her strength and intelligence, she's mastered the creation rebirth jutsu and bares the strength of 100's mark." He glanced at Madara. "You saw it in action with both Sakura and Tsunade. You drew Lady Fifth in half and she still survived to face you again in battle. Sakura will not die easily, even in the most dire of circumstances. With her seal released, as long as she has chakra, she's immortal. Additionally, even if the worst should happen and she's killed, Naruto will be there to light my way and keep me away from the path of darkness." He said studying his blonde friend who grinned down at the revived Kazekage. "I also know that Sakura, who worked tirelessly and thanklessly to help pull me out of that cycle of hatred, would never forgive me or herself if I allowed myself to fall back into that dark place because of her death." He smiled at his family gathered around him. "You don't have to worry about me. I have friends I can rely on. Besides, have you seen how Naruto is when it comes to his friends? He'd probably have the bastards on their knees before I even have a chance to land a blow on them."

Itachi chuckled. "Naruto is rather passionate when it comes to his friends."

Sasuke nodded and watched as Sakura mourned Lady Chiyo's death bidding the old woman a final farewell before leaving Suna with Naruto by her side. It saddened him to see her in such a state and he felt a pang of regret that he hadn't been by her side. He could have comforted her at the very least.

His brow cocked as Guy, fed up with Kakashi's slow pace and spurred on by TenTen's complaints about their speed tossed Kakashi into the air and caught the copy ninja on his back.

"That's just… wrong…" Naruto thought his lips pressed into a line, his eyes half lidded at the sight.

"Grown men playing piggy back. It's almost creepy." Sakura thought her expression almost exactly the same as Naruto's.

"Oh brother." Muttered TenTen.

Neji didn't even have words for the situation, his face showing the most annoyance and irritation.

Lee on the other hand reacted quite differently. "I get it! A training exercise!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

Sasuke covered his face with his palm. "I knew it." He muttered.

Shisui and Mikoto chuckled as Itachi smiled and shook their heads. Madara and Fugako just stared at the screen with confused looks on their faces.

"Faster? I'll show you faster!" he exclaimed charging across the desert with Kakashi on his back kicking up a cloud of dust behind him. "Gang way!" he yelled charging through the group of Leaf Ninja leaving them sputtering behind them.

"It looks even weirder when they're in motion." Sakura muttered.

Lee bent over his arms extended behind him. "Neji?"

"FORGET it!" The Hyuga protégé snapped.

Sasuke blinked, snorted and then burst out laughing minutes later when the video skipped forward to the group's arrival in Konoha and Guy informed Lee that he'd come in third place because Kakashi, who was only half conscious on the Blue Beast of the Leaf's back technically came in second.

"That guy!" he chuckled as Neji commented on the ridiculous level of intensity his teammate and teacher exhibited. "He's STILL like that." His parents and Itachi studied him for a moment and then laughed themselves. Sasuke smiled and felt a waver in the room and sighed. "It seems that my time is nearly up." He said getting to his feet. His parents and Itachi rose as well surrounding them with their arms in a group hug.

"We'll see you later." Mikoto said.

"Be strong my son." Fugaku said.

"Until next time." Itachi added poking him in the forehead as the group dispersed.

"Hang in there kiddo." Shisui said grinning at him. "Tell that beautiful wife to be of yours that she's a kunoichi among kunoichi and should always hold her head high."

He nodded to his brother's friend and was surprised when Madara stepped forward.

"I entrust you with the future of the Uchiha clan." He said studying the younger man with calm eyes. "You have all the qualifications to be the Uchiha Clan leader and have accomplished what I couldn't, freedom from the cycle of hatred and revenge. May you lead our clan into a new age of light and love."

Sasuke bowed respectfully to the man who had without a doubt, been the strongest Uchiha in existence and smiled as the world began to fade. "Thank you." He said focusing on their faces. "I'll do my very best to make you proud."