For a while, everything was quiet. Sarada continued to live with Sakura, and Sasuke made sure to visit them every day. There were even times that Sasuke stayed the night, much to the delight of their daughter. In the quiet moments of night and with the moon only their witness, Sasuke had made sure to convey his love for the mother of his child.
Sakura was accustomed to sleepless nights. Having said that, she absolutely hated it—while she was still able to function normally (thanks to coffee), she was always cranky. She was not a morning person and would love nothing but to take an extra few minutes of sleep before getting up and rushing to go to work. But now, with Sasuke unable to keep his hands to himself, she was getting even less sleep. Before the sun rises, she would study his sleeping face and a smile would automatically appear on her face.
She could lose more sleep if it meant she would be able to cherish every moment of having to wake up with him by her side with one of his arms secured around her waist.
His eyes would always snap open, feeling eyes on him.
"What are you doing? Sleep more." He would tell her, pulling her closer.
She would giggle and bury her face in his chest. "You're just so handsome. I can't help but stare."
"Tch." He would click his tongue and kiss her hair.
From the outside, they looked like any other normal family. Sasuke still excelled in his work, meeting investors and signing up for deals. He comes across Madara more often than not, but nothing is exchanged between the two. There was always heavy tension in the air when they were in the meetings. Sasuke would openly challenge the older Uchiha's decisions and soon it would turn into a heated argument between the two. The board members and other employees present in the meeting always felt like they were suffocating whenever they entered the conference room.
At this point, it was apparent that Sasuke had just had enough of his granduncle's outdated and oppressive ways. He made it clear that he is willing to give up and leave everything behind if needed for Sakura and Sarada. Sasuke takes it that the old man has received this message loud and clear. He could not be controlled anymore. He will not be any other puppet. No more games and involving his little family in the selfish goals set for the Uchiha empire. As long as Madara leaves them be, Sasuke is willing to continue business as usual and lead the company.
But of course, Sasuke was 100% sure that Madara had not given up. He knows that the old man is only bidding his time and still scheming things. Sasuke's goal now was to find out what these plans were so he could protect Sakura and Sarada.
Sakura, on the other hand, was also getting recognized for her hard work and research. As a pediatric oncologist, she was as busy as any other doctor can get. Not only did she have many children to look after, but she was also set on preparing her clinical trials that could significantly increase the chances of survival for kids with leukemia. On top of that, she was also coordinating with other doctors in different countries to make sure that everything was on track.
To say the least, Tsunade was very pleased with how things were progressing. So pleased that in fact, Sakura received a letter from her colleagues in the Netherlands, saying they would love to have her there and supervise the clinical trials conducted in the country. She would also have the opportunity to go to the UK, Sweden, and other European countries to do the same.
At first, Sakura could not believe it. In a matter of seconds, several emotions passed through her face. She was so surprised she found it hard for the news to register. Her work is finally being recognized by well-known research programs in the world. Sakura then found herself in Tsunade's office- she could not remember how she got there; her legs were visibly shaking. Tsunade congratulated her for the amazing feat especially achieving this for such a young age. The Head medic was also quick to assure her that everything would be taken care of for her and Sarada, and all she had to do was say yes.
But of course, Tsunade saw through her apprentice's body language. She sighed and reached out for Sakura's hands.
"I know it will not be easy, moving again to another country, especially with your situation. I'm not a mother, but I understand. Sarada is only 6, and if you say yes, you will be traveling a lot, and it will certainly not be ideal for a six-year-old to grow up to."
Sakura shook her head. "I'm happy, Tsunade-sama. More than happy! I've been working on this since I was in medical school. This has always been my dream—to help other kids, see them get better, and just make a positive impact in the world. But it's complicated. Sasuke and I are now finally on the same page. I- I honestly don't think I can leave him again. Not after everything- he's been through a lot. I can't take Sarada away from him. And he can't come with us. I just- I don't even know how to tell him."
Tsunade automatically squeezed the younger doctor's hands in assurance. "Sakura, I know. I'm not telling you to make a decision now. All I'm saying is think about it. You are my brightest student; I've seen how much you've worked hard for this research. No one deserves to have this opportunity more than you. I will respect your decision whatever it will be."
Sakura found herself smiling. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I would not make it without you." Tears had now gathered in her eyes, and she could not help but cry with overwhelming emotions.
Tsunade sighed. "No tears. Celebrate! This is an important milestone in your career!" She stood up from her seat and brought out her wine bottle.
"Tsunade-sama! How many times has Shizune-senpai told you not to sneak in wine bottles!"
"Quit it. No nagging. If you will not celebrate, I will."
Sakura chuckled before leaving her master's office. The smile disappeared from her face as she thought of her eventual decision.
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It turns out Sasuke was right in his suspicions. Madara was scheming something.
He found out from his hired private investigator that Madara had been in talks with Yashiro Uchiha's family to seal the deal for his daughter, Naori, to become Sasuke's official bride-to-be. Apparently, Madara was also meeting with other media representatives to announce the news of the successful engagement of his heir. On top of that, he learned from Obito that Madara intends to have a gala of some sort for the Uchiha Conglomerate's anniversary. His older cousin mentioned Madara will most likely announce Sarada as part of the family there as well as his supposed engagement to Naori Uchiha.
Sasuke anticipated this, of course. But to say that he was livid would be an understatement.
He gathered every piece of evidence he had and made his way to his great uncle's office.
He ignored the pleas of the secretary behind him and marched inside the room.
"Sasuke! What a pleasant surprise!" The Uchiha elder greeted with an overly cheerful tone. His face, however, said otherwise.
"I told you I will not tolerate any of your schemes!" Sasuke growled.
"And do tell me what have I done to incur your wrath, my dear grandnephew?"
Sasuke, in turn, practically threw the folder to Madara's face. "You really think I will not find out? That I will just follow you? I'm not going to marry that woman!"
Madara then stood up from his seat, his face was now equally furious. "You think you have a choice? You don't. As long as I live, I lead this family!"
The younger Uchiha scoffed. "Then I quit! Find another heir you can control and manipulate!"
Sasuke turned around, intending to leave the office altogether and never show up again. But then, he froze when Madara's next words registered. "Boy, do not test me. And you shall see how much power I have. You walk out that door and I guarantee that you nor your child will ever see that Haruno woman again."
Sasuke's hands curled into fists. For a second, he wondered if it was worth it if he landed a punch on that appalling face of the Uchiha elder. Just one hit and it would make him feel a lot better, and he knew the much older and frail man would not stand against him.
But he stayed his hand, the old man's threat making his insides boil with fury.
He slowly turned around, settling for the signature Uchiha glare that could cut like a thousand knives. "You touch Sakura, I swear.."
Madara smirked. "I knew you have feelings for her." The old man slowly walked towards his grandnephew, watching his every move. He would give Sasuke that; he did not even flinch when confronted about his relationship with the pink-haired woman. "Did you also think I would not find out? The Uchiha feels more strongly than others. One look, I can tell how much you favor that woman." The word favor was said with so much disgust and hatred.
"What is it that you see in her? I thought you were smarter than that." Madara continued. "But I guess you're a man after all." He could not help but snicker like he was amused Sasuke was still a growing teenager who could not think straight because of puppy love.
"I have no objection whatsoever to your sexual relations with her. If that's the thing you're worried about, I have no problem with that." Madara let out an amused laugh, noting Sasuke's murderous expression. If Sasuke thought the glare the elder was receiving would stop him, he was mistaken. Because in an instant, Madara's expression hardened.
"But you will marry Naoki and that's final. I will not stand by and watch you tarnish the business empire and our family name I've built and protected for many years. You think you can just quit and the world will be okay with that? The next heir and one of the youngest and considered the best CEOs in his generation leaving the company and the family? How preposterous!"
Sasuke, unable to contain himself any longer, lounges himself onto the elder and hits him in the face. The younger Uchiha saw how Madara's eyes widened, clearly not expecting his grandnephew to lay a hand on him. He instantly fell to the floor, but Sasuke was not done. He seized Madara's collar. "You are nothing but selfish, arrogant, and miserable old crone. With all the Uchihas, no wonder no one is by your side. You are not my family. No one considers you a family!" Sasuke hissed before letting go of the elder's shirt.
Before Sasuke left, he took one last glance at the elder who was still shocked at how things escalated quickly. "Consider that as my resignation letter. I do not care if the press finds out. Deal with it. And if you so much touch Sakura or Sarada, I will not think twice but I, myself, will go to the press and reveal everything. Every line you've crossed to build your so-called empire; every shady deal you made. Do not underestimate me."
Sasuke slammed the door, not waiting for the elder to recover and respond. As he came out of the office, he glared at every employee who was obviously trying to listen in to the commotion. In a second, all of them scrambled away and went back to work.
However, he hadn't taken more than a few steps toward the elevator when a scream from the secretary held him in his tracks.
"Send help! Madara-sama fainted!"
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Sakura was surprised, to say the least when a familiar man occupied her office couch. The beginning of a frown appeared on her face when she saw his troubled expression. He looked so lost in his thoughts- sitting with his head bowed down and even occasionally pulling his hair.
He had not even heard her enter the room. She slowly made her way towards him.
"Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here?" She called out gently. Only then, did he look up and see her.
She sat beside him; her eyes searching his. She then kissed his cheek before running down her fingers through his hair which had obviously become in disarray following his hair-pulling.
Sasuke heavily exhaled. He wet his lips before facing her with a serious expression on his face.
"Madara- he had a heart attack."
Sakura instantly dropped her fingers from his hair. Her eyes widened.
"Oh.. that's terrible. I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said softly, knowing that Madara is still Sasuke's family no matter what the circumstances. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"
Sakura noticed how he was having trouble finding the words. She reached out for his hands and squeezed them.
"It's-It's my fault." He admitted. "I confronted him about the arranged marriage. I was so angry and he kept insulting and threatening you, and it just.. blew out of proportion. I told him I'm leaving the family and the company. The next thing I knew he was on the floor. I..punched him."
Sakura kept silent at that, trying to take in all the information. And for a few minutes, neither of them had spoken. He must have been so pushed to his limits that he hit his granduncle. She knew Sasuke for all his faults and imperfections, but Sakura also knew he would never cause harm to anyone let alone someone in his family and also someone who's much older and fragile than him. She could not say anything. In this situation, what could she really say?
It turned out she did not need to. For Sasuke spoke once again.
"He totally deserved it. I've only hit him once after all the shit we've been through because of him. But why does it feel like I am in the wrong?"
Sakura did not waste time and engulfed him in her arms. "Oh, Sasuke-kun."
He instantly melted into her. He buried his head into her shoulder and kissed the side of her neck. With her scent engulfing his senses, he could now think again- as if everything is okay now that Sakura is here. Except that everything is not okay. Not okay at all. Up until this point, all that happened was a blur. He could not remember how he got to the hospital from the office. He knew his father, mother, and Itachi arrived at the hospital soon after asking what happened, but he just stood there, staring blankly at them.
He was basically ignored until Itachi decided he did not want any of it. He was nothing but a spare. He got to meet Naruto and Sakura as he was allowed to study in an ordinary school. Unlike Itachi who grew up surrounded with no one but his tutors and elders. He was so jealous of the attention Itachi was receiving from his father and older cousins. He failed to realize how lucky he was at that time.
But then, Madara intervened and suggested that Sasuke also had the potential any other Uchihas have, that he believed Sasuke was as smart and capable as his older brother so no need to fret over Itachi's resistance to lead the clan next. He felt valued then. Finally, someone sees his worth. But he was wrong. He was naïve. His granduncle never really sees him as another person, just another thing he could control.
At the same time, he realizes he is in love with Sakura all along, and what this means for them moving forward. It was hard enough that she was so far away. He was scared he was never going to see her again. And the next thing he knew he was flying to Boston to see her. And then, Sarada happened.
It all slowly sunk into him. Trying to trace back all the decisions he made- where did it all go wrong? He was so angry at everything. Mostly, he is angry at himself. He wanted to scream and break.. things. He felt like no one was on his side. How can the world be so cruel and unfair only to him and his little family? All he wanted now was to be with Sakura and Sarada. He realized he did not need anything else. Why did it have to be so difficult? Is it so selfish of him to choose his happiness for once?
"It only means you're a good person," Sakura whispered. Her voice felt like a soothing medicine to all his pain and suffering. "For you to feel all these emotions means you're human and you care so much. And that you have a beautiful and gentle heart."
He now realized that he had spoken out loud, pouring every bit of his frustration and letting it all out to Sakura. He felt her warm hand caressing his back, offering all the comfort he did not know he needed. "I cannot assure you that everything will be fine in the end. But you have me. Me and Sarada. So, you're not alone. We are on your side no matter what."
She briefly pulled away, searching for his eyes and trying to convey that she meant every word of it. He looked so lost in the moment, but he nodded stiffly. She is so beautiful, he thought. How could he have thought to push her away for so long? How did he even manage to do so?
He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her to let her know how grateful he was. The kiss was slow and unlike their other kisses. His right hand reached out to cup her face with his thumb caressing her cheek. It did not last long as he broke the kiss and stared at the blushing face of hers. She smiled shyly, and for a while, the world faded and nothing mattered anymore.
"Thank you." He told her after a while.
Sakura smiled even more brightly at that. Sasuke felt all the tension expelled from his body. He proceeded to make himself as comfortable as he could be on Sakura's office couch, closing his eyes for a moment. A few seconds later, he felt Sakura lean into his shoulder, humming lightly. "The doctors in the Senju Hospital are all the best in their fields. Your granduncle is in good hands." She commented.
"Aa."
"I know even if you don't say it, you are worried about his condition. Dr. Yuhi is one of the youngest heads of cardiology in the country, and Kiba is an excellent cardiac surgeon himself."
Sasuke scoffed, still not liking the dog guy. He was about to make a sarcastic remark when he noticed the bouquet of flowers in the corner of her office room.
"Flowers?" Sasuke innocently questioned. He knew she gets all the flowers from her patients and all the guys that wanted her attention. He was not jealous, per se. He was just curious, and he wanted a distraction from all the events that happened earlier.
When she followed his line of vision, however, he noted how she nervously swallowed.
"It's from the team."
"Oh? What for?"
She hesitated, and now she was sitting up and pulling away from him. "Sakura?" He sat up as well, looking at her in alarm.
"You have a lot on your plate right now." She avoided his eyes, afraid of this eventual confrontation.
"Tell me."
She then looked up at him. "To congratulate me. You know, in my research that can possibly increase the chances of survival for kids with leukemia. A research program in Europe has acknowledged my work, and they wanted to conduct the clinical trials."
Sasuke blinked. "Sakura..that's.." incredible, he wanted to say. But she was shaking her head and she just looked so sad.
"They want me to move there to oversee the clinical trials myself. The research program is based in Amsterdam, but I will also be traveling to London, Stockholm, and Geneva most of the time. And.. well, they want me to say yes as soon as possible."
Sasuke struggled to connect the dots; his brain was once again in shock, and he could not find the words. Sakura seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, and so she smiled reassuringly at him. Although the smile did not reach her eyes.
"I'm thinking of saying no." She said quietly.
"What?"
"We're finally together, Sasuke-kun. There is nothing more important to me than you and Sarada. And come to think of it, Sarada is only six. I don't think it will be ideal for a six-year-old to constantly travel and with no constant friends she can grow up with. It will be too stressful for her, and I'm sure I will be too busy to look after her." She explained. But it felt like she was convincing herself too.
"My parents are also growing old; I was just thinking of visiting them more often. And if I leave again, it will be harder to see them. I know they miss me and Sarada very much." She added, noting the conflicted expression on his face.
They fell into silence again.
Sasuke could see the disappointment and regret in her eyes, and he needed to do something to chase them away. He swallowed hard before this time he was the one reaching for her hands.
"Sakura.. this had been your dream. Are you sure?"
She faltered under his gaze. "I.. I don't know. But I'm sure I can't leave you again."
"Then I'll go with you."
Sakura stilled. And then her brows furrowed, not entirely sure if she heard him correctly. "What are you saying, Sasuke-kun?"
"Exactly that. Let's leave these all behind. I still meant it when I said I'm leaving the Uchiha Enterprises."
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A/N: And I'm baaack! This really took so long, and if you read my other stories, you know why. Moving to another country, working on my Master's degree, and juggling everything with a full-time job. I really struggled with this fic because I need to be emotionally ready when I'm writing this. I wanted to incorporate the right emotions into each scene, and I had to rewrite many times since I was just not satisfied. Honestly, I have no idea how this goes, but I know it will only take a few chapters before this story ends. Please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts! It really helps me to keep going.