"Ito offered me a job," Sasuke said, taking a sip of his tea and wincing. Sakura noticed the gesture and made a note that he must not like Fukamushicha tea.

Ito was the chief of the Konoha Police Force and as such was Sasuke's boss.

"Oh?"

He nodded. "Chief of Police."

"Really?!" Sakura exclaimed. "Sasuke, that's amazing! Is he retiring? Are you going to accept? Are you excited?"

Sasuke raised one eyebrow at her over his cup, but seemed to think better of taking a sip, and just left the cup in front of his mouth.

"Sorry. I got carried away." Sakura said, nodding her head seriously. "One question at a time. Does that mean he's retiring?"

He nodded. "End of this month."

"Are you going to accept?"

Sasuke took longer to answer this time. "I'm not sure."

"Don't you dare say it's because you don't deserve it."

Sasuke put his tea down and sighed. She noted he hadn't taken another sip since his first one. "But I'm not sure if I do deserve it." Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "And it's not the reason you think."

"Okay, then what is it?"

"My father was the Chief of Police."

Sakura nodded. "I remember."

"The Police Force consisted of only Uchiha before they were slaughtered." Sakura winced. It always amazed her how casually he talked about his family's demise lately. "While Ito was sure to tell me he was offering the position to me based on my own merit, he also mentioned how it felt 'meant to be' for an Uchiha to head the force again.

"My father loved his job, his title. But he also felt trapped in his position. Like it was just a way to placate the Uchiha name. And that led him to a bitterness that almost destroyed the village. Which in turn led to their near extinction. Is that a legacy I want to continue…? Would my future family feel trapped as well?"

Sakura stared at him, waiting to see if he'd continue. When she had decided he wouldn't, she responded. "Well, your future family hardly matters in this scenario, Sasuke. Kakashi wouldn't require your children to all be on the Police Force as a way to keep them on a short leash. They'd be free to live whatever life they choose."

"Hn."

"But, as Chief of the Police Force, you'd be giving up missions." Sasuke nodded. "Would you feel trapped here like your father did, Sasuke?"

"No," Sasuke answered without any trace of hesitation.

"Then don't put so much pressure on yourself. Learn from your family's mistakes," Sakura urged. "Somehow I don't see you planning a coup against Kakashi - or Naruto."

Sasuke pushed his tea away from him and leaned back in his chair, balancing it on the back legs. "Well I guess that depends on how the idiot runs the village."

Sakura laughed, and Sasuke smirked.

After Sasuke accepted the promotion, and the news was announced to the village, Naruto insisted they all celebrate together. He told them what he was planning would be a surprise and not to worry about a thing. His words had the opposite effect, and both Sasuke and Sakura found themselves worrying.

They all met at an address Sakura recognized as a newer apartment building, but neither of the three lived there.

"Okay, are you guys ready?" Naruto asked, placing his hand on apartment 207.

"No," Sasuke and Sakura both answered.

"Too bad!" Naruto threw the door open. It slammed into the wall. Naruto flinched, "Oops." Sakura's jaw dropped as she and Sasuke followed Naruto into the mostly vacant apartment. Ichiraku takeout was placed on a blanket on the floor. Twinkle lights were strung haphazardly throughout the living area.

"Are you proposing to Sasuke?" Sakura asked. "Because if you are, I can leave." She pointed back towards the door.

"I think I'll join you," Sasuke said, taking a step back.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked under her breath. "It's not everyday a future Hokage proposes to you. This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for you."

Sasuke snorted. "I'll take my chances. He's not a very good kisser."

"He should be so lucky!" Naruto shouted right as Sakura guffawed at Sasuke. "Besides! I'm not proposing to just Sasuke!"

Sakura's mouth hung open. "If you're proposing some sort of threesome, I will politely decline."

"That's exactly what I'm proposing!" Naruto said gleefully.

"Oh my gosh. Naruto!" Sakura squeaked.

"Wait. No. I don't mean like that kind of threesome," Naruto hurried to assure them, his face turning pink.

Sasuke brought a hand to his face and rubbed at his eyes. "Idiot."

"I only meant. Well. I heard that your leases were up soon. And Sakura, you've never really loved how far away your apartment is from downtown. And the bastard is always complaining about the shoebox-like quality of the apartment he was assigned during probation.

"This place is a three bedroom apartment. I just thought, well, maybe we could all live together. Like one big slumber party all the time! It's close to the Hokage tower, and training grounds, and a stone's throw from Ichiraku and-"

Sakura smiled at his suggestion. However, she didn't see Sasuke ever going for it. She imagined living with Naruto would be something out of Sasuke's worst nightmares-

"Sure," Sasuke shrugged.

"Wait. Are you serious?" Naruto grinned. He started bouncing excitedly from one foot to the other.

"Really?" Sakura asked, shocked.

Sasuke shrugged again, putting his hands in his pockets. "Hn."

The apartment filled with silence, and it took Sakura a minute to notice it was because Naruto and Sasuke were both looking at her, waiting for her answer.

Sasuke leaned in towards Sakura's ear. "Don't make me live alone with the idiot," he whispered loud enough for Naruto to hear.

"Hey!"

Sakura let out a soft laugh and tried to ignore the way chills ran up her body at the feeling of Sasuke's breath on her ear. "Okay," she said, hoping her voice didn't sound quite so breathy to them as it did to her.

"Yes!" Naruto whooped, jumping up and down. "You guys are going to love it. Let me give you the tour-"

"But not here." Sasuke's voice cut off Naruto's excited sprint further into the apartment.

Sasuke led them down a road just past the village's downtown. Sakura recognized it as the area she and Naruto said rich people moved to feel like they lived in the country, but was still close to everything they could ever want. He stopped in front of a white stucco two story house with a for sale sign in front of it. It had a blue roof and awnings, a balcony, a welcoming porch, and beautiful windows. Sakura knew this house well. She had secretly toured it when it had first been built. It was everything she had ever pictured having in a home.

"Isn't a house a little permanent for three single adults?" Naruto asked, staring up at the house in awe.

"Why?" Sakura asked. "You planning on marrying Hinata any time soon?"

Naruto turned bright red. He and Hinata weren't dating yet. A fact that Sakura knew frustrated Hinata to no end, but Naruto was nothing if not clueless.

"No!" Naruto shouted, disturbing some birds from their perch in nearby trees. "I only meant that. Well. I mean, eventually, one of us could get married. Or maybe two of us…" He hedged and Sakura didn't appreciate the blatant way he was looking between her and Sasuke.

"I already told you I wasn't going to marry you," Sasuke interjected, diffusing the situation before Sakura could beat Naruto senseless.

"Bastard! And I don't appreciate your earlier comment about my kissing! I'll have you know, I'm a great kisser!"

"I really don't want you to prove it," Sasuke said, a smirk on his face.

"Ugh! That's not what I meant!" Naruto harrumphed.

"Oh, then should I be asking Hinata?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow, smirk still on his face, completely unphased.

Naruto crossed his arms and began to pout. Sakura laughed, shaking her head at the two of them before turning her attention back to the house. "A house…" She whispered under her breath. Even now, all these months later, she was still in awe at how beautiful it was.

"Hn," Sasuke said, staring up at the house. "You two can pay me rent. I put an offer on it a week ago, and it was accepted this morning. I just have to sign some paperwork, and then it's mine."

Sakura's heart raced. Out of all the houses in the village, her dream house had been the same one Sasuke had picked for himself. She chanced a look at Sasuke and was surprised to find him already looking back at her. He held her gaze for a moment before looking back at the house. "I want something more permanent. I'm ready to put down roots here."

Sakura's eyes misted. She opened her mouth to say something, but a loud sniff from Naruto stopped her in her tracks. Naruto flung himself at Sasuke causing Sasuke to stiffen uncomfortably. Naruto sobbed unabashedly onto Sasuke's shoulder. Sakura watched as Sasuke patted Naruto awkwardly on the head.

"This and a proposal all in one day?" Sasuke monotoned, staring blankly ahead at the house. "What did I ever do to deserve this?" It was hard to tell if he was implying he was being tortured, or if he was just making a joke at Naruto's expense.

"Shut up," Naruto sniffled, pulling away and rubbing at his eyes with his forearm. "You're the one who bought me a house." Sasuke rolled his eyes and began walking towards the front door to give them a tour. Sakura giggled and followed after him, wiping subtly at her eyes as she went.

Sakura let out a long suffering sigh, closing the door to one of her patients' rooms. How was it possible she still had two hours left in her shift? The hospital had been so slow that every second seemed to drag by. She had already caught up on three week's worth of backlogged paperwork, organized the new files in the records room, and had just done her third rotation of rounds.

She started walking towards the front desk in the emergency room, hoping to maybe poach a few patients to give her something to do. She was surprised when she entered and there was no one there but the nurses.

"Sakura, what brings you down here?" Akiko, one of the two medic nins called to her.

"I was hoping maybe you were busy down here, and I could lend a hand."

"It's a ghost town down here today," Botan, the other medic nin sighed, leaning back in his chair while running a hand through his hair.

"It's a ghost town upstairs too," Sakura added, taking an unoccupied chair behind the desk next to Akiko.

Akiko was currently balancing a pen on her upper lip. "Is it awful to hope someone accidentally hammers a nail through their hand or falls and breaks their arm?"

Botan gave a noncommittal "Hm," and Sakura chuckled.

"Yes, but I understand the sentiment," Sakura said, leaning forward and resting her head on the desk. The trio fell into a comfortable silence. She checked her watch after a few minutes. 5:00 on a Friday. The shift change was in an hour for the emergency department. "How about the two of you duck out early? I can stay down here."

"Really?" Botan asked, perking up, and throwing a glance at Akiko.

"Really," Sakura nodded, "If it gets busy before the shift change, I can grab some help from upstairs. I'm sure they'd appreciate some action."

"Thank you, Sak-" Botan cut himself short as a messenger hawk swooped in through the doors. Akiko's pen fell off her lip to the floor in surprise. The hawk landed on the desk directly in front of Sakura, eying her suspiciously, like she was somehow not who she claimed to be. Sakura let out a chuckle, recognizing the suspicious hawk as one of Sasuke's. She took the note from its leg and the bird immediately flew away.

Sakura,

I'll walk you home tonight.

-S

"What are you two still doing here?" Sakura asked, still staring at the note. She swivelled her chair in their direction, trying to fight the blush coloring her face as she shoved the note into her pocket.

"That's not an emergency you need to go handle?" Akiko asked, reaching down to pick up the pen she dropped. Sakura shook her head. Akiko stood up and looked at Sakura with a slow smile spreading over her face. Sakura knew immediately she had failed at covering her blush.

"Was it from Sasuke…?" Botan asked, a teasing look on his face.

"Maybe," Sakura said.

"What'd he say? What'd he say?" Akiko asked excitedly while bouncing in place.

"He just said he'd walk me home tonight. Nothing earth shattering."

Akiko let out a squeal of excitement "But that's how it starts, Sakura!"

"I'm sure it just makes logical sense to him since he only works three blocks away and you live together now. Don't get your hopes up, Akiko," Botan added.

"Oh, you're no fun, Botan," Akiko glared.

"He may be no fun, but I'm inclined to agree with him," Sakura chuckled. "Don't get your hopes up, Akiko."

Akiko harrumphed and started straightening up the desk where the hawk had landed.

Sakura let out a laugh at her friend's excitement. "Would you two go enjoy your Friday night already? Leave me here to die of boredom alone." She said dramatically. She leaned back in her chair and spun in a slow circle.

"Fine, but I expect a full report tomorrow," Akiko said.

"Fine, but only if you tell me when you started dating the 'no fun' Botan," Sakura fired back.

Akiko let out a surprised gasp. Botan laughed and grabbed Akiko's hand, pulling her towards the door. He turned back to stick his tongue out at Sakura before the two exited the building.

Sakura laughed to herself while shaking her head. She pulled Sasuke's note back out of her pocket. Despite telling herself it meant nothing, she still got butterflies in her stomach at the thought of him walking her home. Sasuke had been working three blocks down from her for over six months now, and he had never offered to walk her home before.

I suppose we've never lived together before now either… A blush colored her cheeks. She needed to stop. She knew this meant nothing to him. It was just like Botan said, it must have made logical sense to Sasuke.

In the hour before shift change, Akiko got her wish. A middle aged man came in after putting a nail in his hand while trying to fix his roof, and a twelve year old genin had fallen out of a tree while learning chakra control, breaking his arm. Two easy fixes that still left her with far too much time to read into Sasuke's short note.

The shift change arrived, and Sakura headed back upstairs to her office. She took Sasuke's note out and placed it in her desk drawer. She checked her watch. 6:05. Maybe Shizune had something for her to do.

"Nothing. I have absolutely nothing to do. What a weird day, huh?" Shizune said as soon as she saw Sakura. "Sakura, why don't you clock out early? We could have five emergency surgeries come in in the next forty-five minutes, and we still wouldn't need you."

Sakura laughed, "Well, call me if you get a sixth."

"Will do," Shizune said, waving Sakura away.

Sakura went back to her office and packed up to leave. Only 6:20.

I guess I can wait for Sasuke outside. She walked out the double doors and froze. He was already there! Sasuke saw her and looked down at his watch. When he looked back up at her, his eyebrows were raised.

"Slow day?" he asked.

Sakura let out a long breath. "The slowest I've ever had. And that's counting before the war."

Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets and indicated with his head that they could begin walking. Sakura took a deep breath, surprised at the slight chill in the air. Normally, Konoha was burning up by mid May. They temperature would never drop below 80 even in the evenings. But tonight almost still felt like an early spring day.

The hospital was in a less busy part of town. There wasn't much around to attract crowds, but the less intense weather must have been drawing everyone outside. She wasn't used to the streets being this crowded so far from the village center.

"Did you get off early too?" Sakura asked, in reference to him being at the hospital so early.

Sasuke shook his head. "No, I was slammed today. Everyone decided to fill out their reports for the quarter two days before the deadline."

Sakura chuckled. As chief, Sasuke had to review every report and sign off on it. He was not the type of person to just skim through them and sign off, though. He was meticulous. Thorough. He probably read through every report three or four times.

"You were just going to wait outside the hospital for thirty minutes?" Sakura teased.

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. "I was stuck inside with paperwork all day."

Sakura looked up at him and grinned. Using the excuse of the busier than usual streets, she looped her arm through his and hip-checked him. "Well, I am happy to have the honor of a personal escort home by the chief of police. I don't know what I did to deserve it."

"It helps that you live with him," Sasuke monotoned.

Sakura let out a quick laugh. "And that his office is three doors down." They slipped into a companionable silence, interrupted only by the occasional villager saying hello to the couple as they walked by. Sakura kept her arm looped around Sasuke's, and he made no move to pull away.

"Oh! You'll never guess what I found out today!" Sakura said excitedly.

"Hn?" Sasuke replied, lifting a hand in greeting to someone they walked past.

"Botan and Akiko are dating,"

Sasuke let out a snort. "Told you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I owe you a bowl of ramen tonight."

She looked up at Sasuke. He looked down at her with a smug smirk on his face.

"I still think I'm right about Ino and Sai," Sakura said looking back towards the street. "They'll give up on their friends with benefits thing soon and start dating for real."

"And I've told you, it doesn't count when you have a man on the inside."

"I'd hardly call Ino a man."

"Funny, I'd say the same about Sai."

"No one ever said Ino had good taste. She did like you once after all."

"Is that a dig at me or you?"

"You. Obviously. I have great taste now."

"Yes, and Ino will just have to keep pining after the lowly captain of ANBU and the disreputable Chief of Police," Sasuke monotoned, nodding in greeting to another person who walked by.

"There's more to a man than his title."

"I think a lot of women would disagree with you."

"Do you speak from experience?" Sakura laughed. Sasuke didn't respond. She came to an abrupt stop and tugged at his arm, still linked with hers, to get him to stop as well. He turned his head back to look at her questioningly, but his eyes twinkled smugly. "Oh my gosh. You do speak from experience!"

"If you mean as a woman, then no."

Sakura swatted at his shoulder. "You know that's not what I mean."

"Oh, then you mean as one of those men with a title?" He began walking again, pulling her along with him. Sakura waited for a beat, but he didn't continue.

"Sasuke…" Sakura pushed. "Come on. Tell me. How many?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Just four or five."

"Really? That's 'a lot of women'?"

"A day."

Sakura came to an abrupt stop again in shock, her arm slipping out from his as he continued on without her. "A day?" She said in shock, more to herself than to him.

"Hn. You'd be surprised how many women began showing up after my eighteenth birthday."

Sakura guffawed. She knew Sasuke was attractive. And she loved him, so she knew how wonderful he was, but she still found herself surprised at the amount of bold women in the village. "A day…" she said again. This time shaking her head in wonder.

Sasuke turned around to face her, walking backwards, despite the crowds. "Yes, but they aren't getting a personal escort home by the chief of police." He jerked his head behind him to tell her to come on. When she caught back up, he stuck his elbow out, and she looped her arm back through it.

"Yeah, but it helps when you live with him."

When they got home, Sasuke informed Naruto that Sakura had lost a bet and owed him a bowl of ramen. The three of them left to go to Ichiraku, located only half a mile from their home. Sasuke and Sakura tried to stretch their singular bowls to last as long as Naruto's usual five.

"A toast!" Naruto called out filling three glasses with sake. "To the first of many late night Ichiraku runs!"

"It's only seven on a Friday," Sasuke intoned, "that's hardly late."

"Are you going to make us toast every time we come here?" Sakura asked, grabbing one of the cups. "We've already been here five times since moving in a week ago."

"Life's too short to not celebrate the little things," Naruto tutted. "We have a lot to be grateful for." His eyes slid towards Sasuke who was rolling his eyes with his arms crossed. Sakura would swear he had a small smile on his face though.

The second time Sakura received a note from Sasuke at work, the hawk almost knocked her bento box off her desk. It eyed her suspiciously just as it had before. It must have decided she wasn't in disguise because it haughtily extended its leg out to her, turning its head away in the process. Sakura snickered at it. She gave it a pat on the head before grabbing the note and unrolling it. She swore the hawk huffed before flying back out of her open window.

It had been nearly a month since the first note, and this one was just as short:

Sakura,

See you at 2000.

-S

Alone in her office, Sakura allowed herself to grin and giggle unabashedly at the note. She opened her drawer and added it to the first one. She checked the clock on her wall. Just three hours until 8.

She turned back to her bento, eating the last few bites in a rush. Truthfully, she had thought about working late to catch up on paperwork she had gotten behind on the last two weeks. Repairs on the village had been wrapping up allowing more shinobi to go back out in the field, which meant more work than usual for her. But, if Sasuke was going to walk her home at 8, then at 8 she would be ready. She could probably take some of the less sensitive records home to work on, but she'd need to clear it with Tsunade before taking them from the hospital. She stood up from her desk and stretched her neck before going to find Tsunade.

Three hours later, Sakura had worked herself into a sort of paperwork trance and jumped when she heard a knock on her door frame. Sasuke was leaning against the frame with his arms crossed. His dark grey flak jacket was unzipped and the sleeves were rolled up. Her face brightened at the sight of him. She loved how post-work casual Sasuke looked. Still in uniform, but slightly undone. She put a hand to her racing chest. "Sasuke! You nearly gave me a heart attack."

He glanced at the clock on her wall, and her eyes quickly shot to it as well. 8:10.

She shot up, "Ah! Sorry, Sasuke!"

"I can head home if you have work you need to do," Sasuke said, eying the massive pile on her desk while pushing off the doorframe with his shoulder.

"No, no," Sakura said, grabbing some stacks she had put off to the side that Tsunade had said she could bring home, and shoving them into her bag. "I meant to just stop at eight, and lost track of time." She grabbed her empty bento box and placed it in her bag as well. "Shall we?" Sasuke stepped aside to allow her to exit the office.

"How was work today?" Sakura asked as they exited the building and entered the mostly deserted street. The aggressively hot days were finally here to stay, and the late hour mixed with the ungoldy temperature kept people indoors. It was a rare moment of quiet in Konoha. She huffed and fanned at herself with her hands. Sasuke made no move to remove any of the layers of his uniform, seemilngy unbothered by the heat.

"Busy," Sasuke replied. "Less shinobi in the village means more people thinking they can start getting away with everything."

"Mm," Sakura intoned.

"What about you?"

"Well, you already saw I was busy. It's a Monday at the end of the month, which means most everyone returned on Saturday and won't be going again until the first of the month. So, all things considered the hospital was slow. But that just meant I had time to attempt to catch up with my pile of paperwork."

"Ah."

"No one warns you how much paperwork is involved in adult shinobi jobs," Sakura pouted, earning a huff of quiet laughter from Sasuke. "Don't get me wrong, I love my job. It just feels like some days I can't catch my breath. It's been so busy since the war. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever go back to how it was before."

"It will," Sasuke assured her quietly. "But then you'll complain about how boring it is." Sakura threw a glare at him, and Sasuke smirked at her. She stuck her tongue out at him for good measure.

"I wish I could say you were wrong, but we both know you aren't," she sighed dramatically. "But then I just remind myself that this job is everything I ever dreamed of."

"You don't miss going on missions?" He asked quietly. They were walking slower than usual. The silence of the streets lulling them into a slow pace.

"I do some days. Kakashi has told me when things slow down in a few months, I'll be welcome to join any mission I choose…"

"But…?"

"But, I don't know. I guess I'm just a little tired after the war. I want to go places, but I also want to go just to see the world. Not rush in and out of villages like missions allow."

"Aa," Sasuke nodded, "So you want to stay in inns, and not in a tent."

Sakura laughed. "Exactly! Is that too much to ask for?"

"The hospital has softened you, Sakura," Sasuke said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye.

Sakura let out a snort. "I was always soft, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped, and Sakura slowed to a stop before turning back to him with a questioning look on her face. He looked her in the eye, his own burning with some unknown emotion, before saying, "You were never soft, Sakura." His voice was gentler than she would have thought given the intensity in his expression.

Her breath caught in her throat at his words combined with the look he was giving her. Her cheeks burned and she knew her face must be as red as her shirt. Sasuke still hadn't looked away. She tried to think of something to say to break the tension she was suddenly feeling. All she could think to do was turn quickly and begin walking again, trying to slow her racing heart. She heard him start to walk again behind her. When he caught back up with her, hands shoved in his pockets, he extended his elbow out to her in silent invitation. She blushed harder, but looped her arm through his anyway.

"What about you?" Sakura asked quietly, knowing her voice was betraying how much he was affecting her.

"Well, I've always preferred inns to tents."

Sakura laughed quietly. "No, not that. Do you miss missions?"

"No," he replied. "I've been away for so long, I can't say I have any desire to leave again anytime soon." His answer made her smile softly.

"What about your job? Is it everything you dreamed of?"

Sasuke pursed his lips. This time he had to think before answering. "No," he said finally, shaking his head. "I guess for a while, I didn't even let myself dream of after... But I must admit, my imagination is lacking. It's more than I ever allowed myself to hope for." He turned his head to Sakura and slowed their pace to a stop. She heard the bustle of the village return as they neared downtown. Sakura looked up at him then. His eyes searched hers. "Everything is."

Sakura beamed up at him. He smiled back softly. "Come on," he said, pulling her along, "let's go home."

Sasuke didn't walk Sakura home every night. Their work schedules rarely lined up in a way that made sense for him to. Her schedule was, for the most part, predictable. Every so often she'd be called in for an emergency surgery, but her regular working hours stayed consistent. Sasuke's schedule was surprisingly the unpredictable one. As the Chief of Police, he filled in whenever someone called out, or picked up the open shifts on the schedule. Random cases would leave him working late until they were resolved. Sometimes two months would go by before he would send a note, informing her he'd take her home. Other times, it was once a week. There was one wonderful week in August in which she received a note and an escort home everyday. She loved those quiet evenings together before they would return home to Naruto. They would talk about anything and nothing.

When it had been more than a week since he walked her home, Sasuke would show up at her office at noon, knocking on the door frame with his lunch in hand. Occasionally, when he would show up for lunch, he'd have paperwork with him instead of food, and he'd quietly sit at her desk, reading through papers while she ate. Other times she was the one doing paperwork while he ate lunch.

One evening when he was set to take her home, she had lost a patient. When she left the building, he had been waiting outside with anko dumplings in hand. Her face had crumpled and she had flung herself into his arms and sobbed for a full thirty minutes. His chin rested gently on her head, one arm wrapped around her shoulders, while the other hung limply at his side, holding the paper bag.

Some evenings Sasuke would have a different silence about him. Those were the evenings she knew he had had a rough work day. She rarely got him to tell her what had happened, but in his line of work, she could only imagine. She would always go to sit on the bench across from the hospital with him, and he would stare blankly ahead while she sat quietly next to him, until eventually, he would let out a long sigh, stand up, and they would continue their walk home in companionable silence. She knew not to push him for information.

And so six months passed in the blink of an eye, and Sakura couldn't remember a time she had been happier since her genin days.