"Sasuke-kun, don't pout. I'm sure that Tsunade-shishou will let you go on a mission soon enough. You too, Naruto."

Team 7 was at Konoha's gates, accompanying Sakura for her departure. Her mission consisted of examining and curing a village in Sound that had been targeted with poison. Many medics had tried finding an antidote, and they were almost there. After hearing about Tsunade's prodigy Haruno Sakura, those medics had agreed on requesting her assistance to make sure the antidote didn't cause side-effects. Since the peace treaty, Team 7 had had less missions to achieve, so the Hokage had let her best medic-nin and prized student go on this one for once, which Sakura had gladly accepted.

So here they were, with a scowling Sasuke, a protesting Naruto, a smiling Kakashi and a cheerful Sakura. The men were quite jealous of Sakura's chance, but also secretly relieved. They were getting tired of getting their asses handed to them after the pink-haired kunoichi got mad during training.

"I'll come back as soon as I can," she went on, "in the meantime, who can water my plants ?"

"Ah, gomenasai Sakura-chan, but I'm taking care of Hinata-chan's garden while she's away with Neji." Naruto proudly answered.

That's good, because I wouldn't want him to touch my plants... Sakura knew better than to let Naruto touch a flower. It would either drown under Naruto's watering, or dry from his forgetting. She then turned towards Sasuke and Kakashi, lifting a questioning eyebrow.

"I sure can, but we'll have to take turns, Sasuke, because on Tuesdays and Thursdays Jiraya is selling a special limited edition, and--"

"Hn." Sasuke effectively cut Kakashi.

A deeper scowl painted the Uchiha's features, if that was even possible. Sakura giggled at the scene and waved her teammates goodbye, taking off to a new exciting mission. The rest of Team 7 watched her leave, two of them wishing they were gone too, and one noticing how proud he felt. My students are grown ups. Kakashi smiled upon that thought.

"Oi, pervert! What are you looking at with that smug smile of yours ? You're creepy." Naruto told his sensei, a disgusted look on his face.

Sasuke and Sakura are grown ups. Kakashi rectified.

It had been two days since Sakura left, and ten minutes since Sasuke arrived in front of her appartement complex, remembering a detail that hadn't occurred to him at the right time. "How the hell am I supposed to water her plants if I can't go inside ?" He muttered. Sakura lived in a flat, so he couldn't 'naturally' break in through a window nor get in through a potential garden. Maybe she kept a key hidden under the floor mat ? Nope. Under that vase ? Not there either. Hell, she didn't even have a freaking mailbox ! How did Kakashi get in yesterday ? Did he have a key ? Why would he have a key and not Sasuke ? Did Naruto have one too ?

The angry young man hastily stopped those unwelcome thoughts before they went too far. He also ignored the weird displeasing feeling tugging at his heart.

Sakura and him had gotten pretty close after the War ended. She wasn't the annoying lovestruck little girl she was back then, and Sasuke's jerky attitude had smoothed out just a little. More importantly, after pleading on Sasuke's behalf for his final acceptance in Konoha as a ninja and citizen, Sakura had acted like she never held a grudge against the boy. Both had let go of their past as a deep mutual understanding -of what, they didn't know- had replaced their old one-sided chasing game.

Now, they would casually hang out with Team 7, or just the two of them, picking up groceries and helping each other with simple everyday tasks. She would confide in him and he would listen, sometimes giving his opinion, sometimes telling her about his life too. They would critic jutsus all night and train all day. He even picked her up on Friday nights on his way home after his intense training, once her late evening shift at the hospital ended, and they would eat at Ichiraku's together. Sasuke always convinced himself that he wasn't working out so late just to wait for her.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned around, recognizing his sensei's voice. Kakashi was walking towards him, scratching the back of his head while sheepishly grinning. "I forgot to lend you the key !"

So Kakashi did have a key. Why him, though ? Sasuke spent way more time with Sakura than Kakashi did. Didn't she trust him more ? Or maybe she thought that her key was safer with Kakashi ? Sasuke wasn't going to barge in her apartment and crash there ! Only Dobe would do that.

Sasuke halted his rambling thoughts again. What was with him today ? Seriously...

"And there she said I would be more trustworthy of her only key... " Kakashi sighed and slid something into his student's hand. "The green and blue orchid in Sakura's room needs more water than the others, and you have to turn it twice towards the sun." He disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a helpless Sasuke who didn't dare enter Sakura's sanctuary.

It's not like I've never been inside, he thought. But every other time, she was there. He wasn't alone. Screw it! He opened the door and stepped inside. The day was well in the afternoon, and the sun was pretty bright, but the apartment was incredibly dark. Sasuke had to switch the lights on to see where he was walking. He usually came in here in the middle of the night or in the evening, so the somber atmosphere never shocked him. But now, the lack of daylight struck him more than he would've liked to admit. Shit, he felt like a teenage girl flushed from head to toe because she stood in her crush's room. His face felt too hot at that damn thought.

He hurried to finish his task, watering all her plants -Sakura had too many!- and orienting her orchid towards the sun twice. He took the liberty to clean a few things too. It took him around three hours to do all of it, and he was pretty tired afterwards. Locking her apartment, Sasuke went straight to his, dreading the moment when he'll have to take care of Sakura's place again.

"Teme, wasn't Sakura-chan supposed to come back two hours ago ?"

She was indeed late. Tsunade had ordered her pupil to stay on her mission eight days top, telling her she had other plans in the hospital for Sakura to take care of.

Harunos were never late. At least, that's what the pink-haired girl always told her teammates. Sasuke often noticed that she came (and came back) right on time whenever they had a meeting or a mission, so not seeing her in the village worried him a little. Just a little. She must've stopped somewhere to eat or enjoy her free time, Sasuke thought lamely.

"Oi ! Sasuke-bastard !"

"What ?!" Sasuke snapped. Naruto was annoying him more than usual, and he was exasperated beyond normal. Sakura's tardiness strangely weighted on his stomach, too.

"Why are you spacing out ? Sakura might be dead !!!"

"The fuck ?!"

"We have to go look for her !! Come on, Teme !!!!"

Okay, this noisy prick was going to freaking get it. "We're not sending any fucking search party, Dobe, because she's alright somewhere in the forest, coming BACK. Now shut the hell up before I smash your teeth." The raven haired nin sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time this day. Why was he hanging out with Naruto of all people ? Wait. Why was he hanging out with someone in the first place ?!

"Tch". Sasuke just needed a break. A long, long break. I'll just skip evening training tonight, it's late and I'm exhausted--

"Stop scoffing". Naruto had calmed down after his companion's barking, but his whining clearly showed that he wanted to loose his teeth.

All the yelling and insults-throwing as well as hitting distracted both shinobi from their missing friend.

That night, they both peacefully and tiredly went to bed, completely forgetting that Sakura hadn't come back.

Pant.

Pant.

Sakura was panting. Hard. She felt incredibly numb. But she had to go on. She had to get back. She was nearly there. Just one more mi--

SLASH.

Thump.

...

How did it go so wrong ?