Silence, communicating through eyes and gentle touch was all they had left in these difficult times.
Sasuke left the village over a year ago. During that time, he had been training and strengthening his hatred in the depths with his new master. Sakura, for her part, was discovering her new strength with the strongest kunoichi.
They were both doing similar and so different things at the same time; they were on two different sides than when they started, but their paths crossed anyway. Exactly three months ago, Sakura bumped into Sasuke as she was returning from a mission. An encounter so fortuitous that they stood as if stunned, unable to get anything out of each other.
However, neither of them moved away or spoke. A cut wound on the boy's cheek forced the girl to move. She healed him and walked away, leaving it their little secret.
She treated him the same way she was treating him now - gently applying her hands to the open skin, sending pain-relieving chakra through her fingers. Sasuke didn't move, letting Sakura do her work. He kept looking at her face, gliding his eyes over every line of skin. He formed a newer image of Sakura in his mind.
A final pulse of chakra closed the wound. She stepped back, sending a sad smile in his direction. Sasuke stood up, communicating non-verbally - "I can always count on you," - then walking away, leaving her alone again.
8 - non massacre
She was so annoying.
Everything was going well; Sasuke always tucked or turned his head the moment he felt a blush creep up his neck, so that no one ever caught him reacting to her gestures; likewise, he kept the tone of his voice in check, saying her name like any other, though occasionally he happened to soften his tone with Itachi or add that unbearable ending that wanted to get through his throat all by itself.
In other words, Sasuke didn't show the world how much he fell in love with his teammate. But she loved to ruin his walls. Just like today.
Sakura was sitting in his living room with his mother, sipping tea as if with an old friend, laughing loudly. For the first few seconds, Sasuke couldn't even move, absorbing the young woman's beauty. When her hair grew, her facial features sharpened and her eyes became even bigger? He had only been gone for a week, after all.
"Sasuke-kun!"
Before he could disappear into his room, Sakura spotted him, momentarily rising from the table.
"I'm glad you're back safe and sound, Sasuke." Mikoto pinched his cheek in a motherly gesture, then headed into the garden without disturbing them.
Sakura wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly.
"I've missed you sooo much…"
She looked up at him from below, and because of the damned sparks in her eyes, Sasuke smiled of his own accord, as he allowed himself to do only in front of her.
"Aa." he muttered, hooking his fingers into her hair. It was enough for him to lean in now, but he rebuked himself in mind; not in the house where they're in plain sight "My brother and father will be soon-"
"I know, that's why I came earlier. Come on."
Sakura kissed his chin, then grabbed his hand, pulling him to the stairs.
"My mother…"
He didn't even finish, seeing the playful smile on her lips and biting her lip. They were almost at the top, but someone decided to interrupt them.
"Welcome home, son."
Fugaku's voice spread throughout the house, and Sasuke almost fell down the stairs. Sakura's amused gaze swept over his entire figure (of course she must have seen his red ears!). He turned around quickly, tracking down two people.
"Father," he bowled slightly, and then looked at his brother "Itachi. It's good to see you again."
They responded to him with the same, but he was not their object of interest now, although he knew that as soon as she left they would start talking and teasing him about Sakura, which Sasuke would deny, even if it was the truth.
"Sakura, come here." Fugaku's voice was lighter than usual, as always; Sasuke's family just loved her.
"Sure. What's going on, Uchiha-san?"
She ran down the stairs, joining his almost entire family.
"I already told you to call me Fugaku, dear," she laughed sweetly, approaching his father, "I have something for you."
The red box shone in the setting sun. Sakura opened it, and to their eyes appeared a gold necklace with a tiny flower and the letter s engraved in the center. It was…
"Sasuke recently said it reminded him of you, but I'm not sure why he didn't buy it." commented Itachi.
They were all annoying.