Her eyes were fixed on his back. His steady breathing calmed her, but Sakura couldn't focus on anything but the look of loss and grief visible on Sasuke's face at night. It had been a long time since she had seen him like this and it frightened her.

Clasping her hand on the bed sheets, she wondered how to start a conversation. She just wished she knew what had happened; what made him want to hurt himself. Sakura wanted to help him, but without knowing, she wouldn't be able to.

Shifting slightly, she slowly embraced him, placing her hand on Sasuke's torso. She hesitated a moment, waiting for any reaction from him. Sasuke, however, lay still. Perhaps he continued to sleep; maybe he was afraid to speak; or possibly he didn't feel like doing anything. Sakura, though, could no longer bear the silence.

"Sasuke-kun..." she began, receiving no reply, just a gentle, almost imperceptible tilt of the head as a sign that he was listening; so she continued, "Are you feeling better? Do you need anything?"

"No." he muttered.

And that was it.

Nothing else passed his lips. Sakura sank her face into the crease of his neck, placing a kiss on his skin. Sasuke didn't even flinch. He was like a statue. It was all becoming more and more overwhelming.

Sakura sat up, staring at half of his face, "I'll go make breakfast, okay?"

Sasuke muttered (she hadn't expected anything else). She stepped over him, wanting to get off the bed, but then he grabbed her wrist and looked into her eyes for the first time - eyes that conveyed every emotion, even the smallest one - and said nothing, letting Sakura go on.

On her way to the kitchen, she couldn't push Sasuke's sad face out of her mind, so she quickly fed the cat and busied herself preparing the meal to occupy her thoughts with something.

She boiled the eggs, chopped the vegetables and made the sauce, putting the ingredients into a bowl. From the cupboard, she took out chopsticks, arranging them on the side.

Before heading back to her room, she checked the phone she'd bought herself a week ago to be in quicker contact with her friends and Ino's mother, noticing a message from Naruto on the display - 'Understood.'

Sakura reached over to Sasuke, placing a bowl on the counter, "Eat, please."

He rose, taking the food.

She looked at him, sitting down next to him again and taking the book.

"I took some time off from work and wrote Naruto that you'll be gone for a few days. He'll report this to the Hokage and Iruka. Someone will replace you." she informed.

"Why did you do that? I didn't ask you for it." Sasuke looked at her, clearly unhappy with her decision.

"You need to rest at home, Sasuke." He clenched his jaw "Stop, please." She touched his shoulder "You know very well I'm right. Listen to me, Sasuke. I want the best for you. I want to help you, but I don't know what happened. Will you tell me?" she asked softly, trying not to cross the line that protected Sasuke's mental health.

"I can't." he put aside the bowl of uneaten breakfast and lay down, turning his back to her "Don't ask me that again, Sakura."

So she didn't start that topic again, leaving it a secret known only to him.

Sasuke didn't go to sleep, but he also didn't go out or move, staying in one place the whole time. Sakura let him, not invading his space. She simply stayed by his side.

.

Sitting with Sakura at home was anguish. Her sadness and hypersensitivity to his every move tormented him mentally. Sasuke couldn't look at her like this. He knew it was his fault again.

She didn't deserve him, she deserved a whole world he couldn't give her now.

Leaning against the couch, Sasuke stroked Nori's ear, following his wife with eyes. Sakura was pacing around the kitchen, talking to him, but he couldn't answer her. Even in her voice, he could hear the pity and sympathy he didn't want. He had dropped this fate on himself.

If only she had known his thoughts then, she would simply distance herself, most likely leaving him. There was no excuse for his heartlessness about the boy's death.

"I was thinking what we could do today," he heard her closer, "and I remembered that we still haven't watched two films. A romantic comedy is a good idea." She walked into the living room with the nuts.

She set the bowl on the table, smiling softly. Sasuke knew that smile very well; it was not at all cheerful.

"Aa."

"Great."

She probably took that as approval because she turned on the player and the TV, playing a movie. She sat down next to him, further away than usual. Sasuke could feel her tension emanating in the air anyway. All she had wanted to do for the past five days was help him. She was doing everything around him again. She wasn't thinking about herself. It was his fault!

Sasuke couldn't focus on the action, flying far away with his thoughts. Sakura was overwhelmed by his problems, she had already told him this once, so he saw no point in sentencing her to the same thing again. He couldn't even pretend to be happy.

"Sakura," she looked at him, probably surprised that he had started a conversation for the first time in a long time, "could you give me some peace and quiet?"

He wasn't sure if he had phrased what he meant incorrectly, or if Sakura was hoping for something different, but her lips pulled downwards.

"Oh..." she picked up the remote, turning off the TV "if that's what you want." She stood up, heading for the room "If you ever need me you know where I am."

She closed the door behind her, leaving him with the cat. Sasuke kept making the same mistakes over and over again. And all he wanted was to treat his wife the best he could.

.

Stress had once again become her best friend, an inseparable companion taking every happy moment away from her.

Sakura couldn't concentrate on making the bouquet. She'd been practically absent from work for a week (she'd gone back to work because she had no intention of disturbing Sasuke and wanted to comply with his request, but she was also worried that leaving him alone wasn't a good idea at all; by the way, Sasuke didn't support her idea of leaving home alone because of recent events, but he couldn't stop her from anything) that even Ino hadn't been able to distract her from her intrusive thoughts.

She felt bad about her inability to help Sasuke. Through her lack of knowledge and ignorance about mental problems, she was only bothering him with her persona.

They distanced themselves from each other, leaving her with a hole in her heart. Sakura felt useless, without the basic knowledge she had no way or place to get. Neither in her village nor in Konoha had she heard of people helping in areas of mental health. If there were, children, teenagers and adults, civilians and especially shinobi, would not suffer so much, having the support of someone else with their problems. Yet, they were left to fend for themselves.

"It's the wrong flower, Sakura."

Ino stopped her before she trimmed the rose and not the carnation.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't looking at what I was doing."

"I noticed. Go home, Sakura. You still need that time off though."

"No!" she shouted unexpectedly "I'd like to stay." she said softer already.

"Alright then." She left her, sitting down to her station.

Sakura didn't stop thinking.

.

Silence lurked in every corner of the house, increasingly revealing his distress. Sasuke spent exactly eleven days in virtually complete solitude. His self-loathing passed slowly, but eventually he came to terms with the boy's death and locked it away in a distant memory.

He had no more time to sit at home and do nothing. At work they needed him.

Therefore, he came back to his senses. He had responsibilities. And one of them was to apologize to Sakura. It seemed easy, and it was among the most difficult. How many more times would she forgive him? Would she understand his behavior? Sometimes he thought he said a lot, but she still knew too little about him. They should start trusting each other implicitly, only how to do that?

Picking tomatoes, he threw them into the basket to the accompaniment of the cat. Nori was lounging on the grass, attached with braces to the fence so that he wouldn't escape, just in case.

Sasuke wiped his sweaty forehead. Sakura wouldn't be back until late in the evening anyway, tired after a day at work and with Lee, so the conversation would have to wait until tomorrow morning.

.

A loud banging on the door woke her up. Sakura rose frightened, listening to the insistent knocking. It was the middle of the night and no one was visiting them at this hour, so the anxiety grew in her heart with each beat.

She clutched at her shirt just above her heart, feeling strong thumps. She wasn't sure what she should do, so she remained still, with the thought that maybe Sasuke would get up and see by himself who it was.

No one, however, got up, and the stranger continued to stand outside the house. She finally rose, quietly, so as not to let the person on the other side know she was awake, and walked into the living room. Sasuke was asleep on the couch, not even hearing the man banging on their door.

Sakura crouched beside him, shaking his shoulders.

"Sasuke..." he didn't even flinch "Sasuke..." still no response "Sasuke, wake up."

No sound came to her husband. Sakura became stressed as the knocking began to get louder and louder. She was alone. With no way to defend herself. Further sleepy and tired.

She rose, lighting a small lamp to find a knife in the drawer, but instead she saw Sasuke - all in blood soaking into the couch, with torn clothes and puncture wounds on his body. He wasn't breathing, and next to him lay a dead Nori.

Sakura's scream rang through the room. In a panic, she moved away from him. She didn't manage to get far, as someone kicked the door open. She turned her head, spotting a stocky man in the corridor with a sickening grin. She was lost.

A cold shiver ran down Sakura's spine, tears dripping down her cheeks stopping at her chin and seeping into the shirt. Warm arms unexpectedly enveloped her.

"I'm here. Relax, Sakura, it's just a nightmare."

She knew that voice. But a moment ago she had seen him dead. In a dream. It's just a nightmare, Sasuke said after all. Sakura caught her breath, cuddling tighter into him. The stress made itself known in the most awful of ways.

"You... I..." Her hand trembled, she couldn't speak, her breathing was intermittent.

"I'm sorry." He stroked her hair "I'm sorry. I thought you needed some peace. I thought you'd be overwhelmed by my problems again. I was wrong, I'm sorry."

With one ear she listened to him, crying openly in his arms. Sakura couldn't calm down, fearing that her dream was just a prediction. The vision of losing Sasuke was all too likely and terrifying. The old tears didn't even have time to dry, constantly covered by new ones. Her stomach began to ache from the constant sobbing.

Neither of them moved from their spot. Then, suddenly, the lanterns attached to the windows on the outside, to light the garden and the house around it, lit up, and the impact came from the living room. Sakura froze in place.

For the first few seconds they didn't speak to each other, listening to see if anyone moved in their house. Even Sakura's cries went quiet. Only their breaths broke the sudden silence.

Sasuke strained his attention, clenching his hand tighter on his wife's blouse. If someone got inside, he would have to defend them both. But Sakura was the priority. So if that someone attacked them here, Sasuke would have a problem. He had to get out of the room.

Pulling away from her, he thought she was going to let him go, but she grabbed his wrist, looking at him in panic.

"What are you doing? You're not going anywhere, Sasuke, do you understand?" she whispered, her breathing still quickening "I'm not letting you. You can't do this. This is—"

"I know. I understand you, Sakura, but you have to trust me." He brushed her fringes away from her eyes "I know what I'm doing. I need to see if we're safe."

"I'll go with you."

"No." He said without thinking, imagining what could happen. Though they weren't really safe anywhere right now "Stay here for now, please."

She made no reply, but Sasuke waited no longer, getting up and heading slowly into the living room. He looked carefully around every dark corner, room and window. He didn't notice anything in particular until the curtains swayed in the breeze.

As he approached them he activated his sharingan, glancing around and not noticing any flow of chakra. If anyone was here they were well covered.

With a quick movement, he opened the curtains, getting a strong blast of cold air in his face. The two large windows in the living room were wide open. Sasuke remembered that he had closed them before going to bed. So someone was here.

Panic rose in his heart. He had to go to Sakura, he needed to find the burglar, to protect them from whatever this man was planning. This...

"Look."

Sasuke turned around abruptly. Of course she disobeyed him. How could she not.

"Sakura—"

"He left us a message."

A small piece of paper was sticking out from between her fingers. This did not mean anything good. He walked over to her, getting down to reading. With each new word, Sasuke's head spun. This was exactly what he feared most. Unpredictability. He had always been able to sense an enemy, to defeat them with a few strikes, and now he was the mouse - he and his wife were the ones being hunted.

'I follow your every move. I am your shadow. I will always be two steps ahead of you.

Sasuke, watch out for your wife, she's a pretty woman.'

"What are we going to do about it?" she asked, looking at him while his eyes were still fixed on the threat "I don't think we're going to let ourselves be threatened, are we? We can't live in constant fear. So, how do we catch this son of a bitch?"

He sighed.

"Not us, but me." She lowered her gaze "Sakura, look at me." He lifted her chin gently, sinking into her eyes "I can't lose you. I understand that you want to help, but there is nothing you can do about it. Even I am helpless now." He brushed her nose "He knows my soft spot."

"And what is—"

"Go to sleep." he interjected, not having the strength for any new conversation.

"No."

He was surprised by her answer.

"You're not going anywhere. I won't let you, I already told you. You're going to sleep with me." she made it clear, not letting him object.

And so Sasuke did not possess the desire to argue either.

"Fine."

Immediately she took him by the hand and led him into the room, making sure beforehand that the windows were tightly shut and no one was definitely inside.

The warmth of her body pulled him to her and calmed him down, though inwardly he continued to be shaken. Sasuke lay down next to Sakura, drawing her closer to his chest. The beating of his heart lulled her to sleep; he, however, could not even blink an eye.

Her face warded off his demons.

.

Shock from the night's events had not gone away. Sakura sat on a chair in the garden, looking at the passing Uchihas who were carelessly walking to work, the bakery or to visit other family members. None of them were experiencing the same thing they were. They didn't have to worry about their lives yet.

Patting her lap, she invited Nori to join her. The kitten jumped up and lay down politely, and Sakura stroked him behind the ear. Meanwhile, Sasuke returned from the kitchen with a cup of water.

"Do you need anything else?"

"No, that's enough, thank you, Sasuke."

A silence fell and they didn't know how to break it. There were so many things they should talk about. So many contradictions and emotions. But they couldn't bring themselves to address them. Where to start? How to lead the conversation?

Sakura felt mentally ruined. She needed some rest, which she wouldn't get for weeks, months, or maybe even years to come. Did she regret marrying Sasuke? The answer is yes and no.

"I just wanted to tell you," her husband's voice snapped her out of her musings. She looked at his tired face "that I am extremely sorry. No one should threaten your life because of me. It is my family they hate, not you."

The bitter words touched her heart. The world was falling apart, taking its toll.

"No one should hate so much as to want to kill someone. Especially since you haven't done anything wrong, Sasuke."

The cold liquid cooled her heated body pleasantly.

"Our clan has a long history. My ancestors were not the best people and they made some mistakes."

"Everyone makes mistakes, but to be judged on what your ancestors did is awful." She reached out, catching his little finger "You are not them."

Sasuke bit his cheek on the inside, struggling to say something. He abandoned the subject, however, returning to the beginning:

"Once again, I'm sorry my parents chose you. If you weren't here, you would be safe now."

"If it wasn't me here, it would be another woman." she said softly.

"But you're not another woman." remonstrated Sasuke.

"Exactly. And I will not stand by while someone threatens me, my husband and his family."

She squeezed the glass a little too hard and stroked the cat too roughly because Nori ran home and the water trembled.

"Sakura, I must again—"

"No, Sasuke. You can't stop me from doing what I want."

"I know." He crouched beside her, putting his lips to the skin on her knee "But I'm scared. If I lose you like..." he closed his eyes, trying not to fill his head with these cruel visions "Shit."

She slid her fingers between his hair, stroking him reassuringly. Sakura had no words with which to contradict Sasuke's words. After all, she wouldn't tell him that he wouldn't lose her - not anymore. He was well aware of that too. The previous assurances were meaningless. They dissolved into thin air, fleeing and disappearing.

Their previous distance had to stop, categorically. They needed each other; only close to one another did they feel safest. Nothing else would make them feel the same.

Sakura leaned in, putting her lips to Sasuke's head. The scent of cedar and sweet notes took over her nostrils. She longed so much for his closeness. She craved it and became intoxicated when Sasuke was near. His strong hands, faint smile and warm aura (which he probably wasn't sure he was creating around himself) was her drug. If this was love, Sakura wanted to never stop loving.

The gentle muscling of her calf reassured her. This intimacy seemed the same as before; not so long ago. They longed for it.

"How are you feeling, Sasuke?" she asked, needing to know. She would give so much to make sure her husband never suffered again "Are you able to talk about what happened?"

He shook his head in no, but this time he did not take a defensive stance, distancing her from him. He replied instead:

"It's all right now." He looked deeply into her eyes.

"How?" she touched his face, looking at the slightly red eyeballs "Please, I'm trying to understand this, Sasuke." she tread on unstable ground "You look awful for a week, I'm afraid you'll do something unexpected, and then suddenly you act like nothing happened. I don't understand it."

"Me either, Sakura." he didn't sound annoyed, but more powerless in the face of his problems "No one taught me how the human psyche works. I don't know when something will trigger a strong reaction in me and when it will end. If I only knew the answers to your questions I would tell you right away."

Nothing will be done for the moment, but she decided to herself that she would not leave it at that. Sakura will spend as much time over the books as she needs to help him.

Still looking at him, however, she could not resist a small smile. Sasuke had come back to her. He possessed that little sparkle in his eyes.

"I missed you."

The atmosphere thickened, the gazes became more intense. Their breaths began to mingle, and the heat in their bellies grew. Sakura felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Sparks swirled in the air. Sasuke's black irises traveled downwards; she bit her lip at the gesture. Did he want to kiss her? If so, let him do it quickly, because she craved it. She needed it like oxygen - his full lips on hers.

Sasuke, as a matter of fact, was in no hurry, though. He tortured her, prolonging what only he could give her. Sakura couldn't stand the tension and the tense feeling in her stomach. She was excited about the impending kiss like a teenager.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, blushing even more as Sasuke began to bring his face closer. She closed her eyes, imagining how comical it must look; she'd done plenty of other things with him before. But it was the kisses that were the best.

His breath brushed her lips. Almost...

"Me too." He whispered, pulling away and heading towards the house.

What was that? Why?

Sakura made a quiet sound of frustration, covering her face with her hands. She waited for nothing. No. She will get what she wants. She stood up abruptly from her seat, stopping Sasuke with it. He paused, turning only his head.

There was a small smile on his handsome face, his eyebrows raised a little and his eyes attracted more than usual. Sakura stood, unable to move. She stared in awe at the person who was hers. Who...

No. Yes. Maybe.

Yes.

One hundred per cent, indisputably and undeniably, she fell in love.

It was this feeling her mother had described to her before bedtime. The one she hadn't felt for anyone before.

"Is something wrong?"

She approached, embracing him from behind and dipping her face into a shirt smelling of the essence of plums, apples and fresh citrus, along with hints of cinnamon, cloves and mahogany, mixed with cedarwood and sandalwood with vanilla - her favorite scent.

"No."

She was just happy to have him.

The days passed slowly, filled with fear and anxiety. Sakura tried to shake off these feelings, repeating to herself beforehand that they couldn't afford to live like this, but it wasn't easy one bit. Every time she left the house meant constantly looking back and flinching at every sound.

While packing her lunch for work, she didn't hear Sasuke entering the kitchen, so when he put his hand on her shoulder she jumped up, almost throwing the box of food up in the air.

Sakura frowned at her behavior, catching the silent apology on her husband's face. She sighed loudly, leaning her forehead against her husband's chest. Gentle fingers stroked her head.

"If you don't want to be late, we have to leave."

The gentleness of his voice gave her chills; pleasant ones. Almost two weeks of not speaking to each other made Sakura react twice as much to every word and gesture. Despite the circumstances under which they had bridged their separation, they were able to get back on track in their relationship in less than two days. Was it good/healthy? Neither of them knew.

"I know." she muttered into his shirt "Sasuke..." she dragged his name, and when she heard a quiet 'hn' she continued, "I could use a short holiday. Away from Konoha. What do you think about that, huh?"

"We could both use it. We'll think about it tomorrow." He patted her on the back, then started towards the door "Are you going out with Lee today?"

"No." she threw her bag over her shoulder "I've canceled our meetings. I don't want anything to happen to him because of me."

"A wise decision." They put on their shoes "But I won't be able to pick you up from work today. I'll be sitting in the academy until this evening."

Sasuke dropping Sakura off at work and bringing her home became a habit they returned to after he regained his strength. She felt safer then, and he didn't fear that a male stranger would attack her. That was why days like today were not good for them.

"I can handle it, don't worry. I have a knife, pepper spray and a stun gun with me."

Sasuke closed the door with two triggers, grabbing Sakura's hand and walking through the crowded village streets in the morning.

"Against trained shinobi—"

"You don't have to finish." She sighed loudly, squeezing his hand tighter "I'm trying to think positively, but it's clear I have no chance of winning against a man twice my size and strength. Even now with my skills..." she quietened down, realizing that she had lifted the shroud of secrecy.

"That's what I thought."

"Really?"

"What else could you be doing with Lee?" he raised an eyebrow, swiping her with his gaze "I realized because your grip got stronger and you started moving with a grace worthy of a ninja."

Sakura would never have guessed that praise from Sasuke's lips would bring her such joy. For a moment, she felt like a child who had managed to do something amazing, and proud parents ran to take them in their arms and kiss them, showering them with kind words. But these were just her imaginings; night dreams that did not come true.

"Then I must thank him for being such a good trainer." She smiled broadly, stopping in front of the flower shop; they had arrived sooner than she had expected. The time with Sasuke, without intrusive thoughts, passed in a flash "Maybe I'll be able to knock that man down after all, you'll see!"

Laughter spread through the air. Though it wasn't joyful at all; Sakura was trying to throw some cheerful aura into the situation. Continuing to wallow in terror doesn't do anyone any good.

"If you make it, write to me you have arrived home. I'll be waiting."

He pulled a phone from his pocket, showing Sakura a small device. A piece of equipment he hadn't had before, or at least hadn't bragged about having.

"Since when do you have a phone, eh?"

"Itachi gave it to me about six months ago. I haven't used it yet." Sasuke twisted his mouth in a grimace, as if he wasn't at all happy that he had to use it at all "But I've already saved your number to mine and mine to yours."

"Ehh, Sasuke, that's not right! I have my private stuff in there!"

"And a lot of my photos."

Sakura didn't need a mirror to be sure that her face had taken on the color of a ripe tomato. Why had he suddenly become so blunt? Sometimes he should not share everything he saw (on her phone!) to protect her from being embarrassed.

"I'm kidding."

"That wasn't funny!"

She turned on her heel, crossing her arms over her chest and pounding. She would have lasted longer like that, but then Sasuke put his hand on her right side and leaned in, saying:

"Go, they're waiting for you."

He was right - Ino watched them curiously through the glass.

Sakura didn't want him to leave without doing one thing - an important thing, and the one she's been waiting for for a week. So she looked at him, specifically directing her gaze to his lips and waiting for an appropriate response. Just one kiss and they were able to move on; carrying on with their days.

Sasuke started to lean in, then tapped her forehead with his fingers and walked away. Just like that. He hadn't done anything in particular. Ugh, she couldn't with this man; he was driving her crazy.

"Well, well, I see that smile of yours, Sakura." she teased, embarrassing her more "Tell me, what happened between you two? You haven't been so happy lately. Did Sasuke come to his senses?"

Ino held the door, letting Sakura through it.

"Shouldn't you have the day off? I specifically came early."

"I rescheduled for tomorrow. The doctor himself had to take emergency time off and I preferred not to go to another one. I don't trust people much," she explained, placing a gentle hand on her stomach.

The little child developing inside the woman made even Sakura happy. She was overjoyed to see the happiness on her new friend's face. She herself would like to one day give birth to a new life; a tiny person she would love with all her heart and more.

"So, how are you and Sasuke? I want to know everything!"

"The workplace is not the best time to talk about my love life."

"Love life you say, hmm."

"Ino!"

Sakura's cheeks couldn't get any more pink, but the heat was burning her skin from the inside. Why was the universe bullying her today? Had the realization of how she really felt about Sasuke sharpened her reaction to him that much?

Nevertheless, she was glad that in this small room, together with a wonderful young woman, she could stop thinking about the cruel reality and the imminent vision of death, enjoying the usual gossip and conversations about everyday life. Ino and the flower shop became a haven full of warmth and peace for Sakura.

"It's not my fault I'm so curious. Just four years ago, I didn't think I would see Sasuke so happy. He must love you very much." She stopped by the flowers, correcting one. Sakura didn't speak up "Did I say something wrong?"

"I don't know if he loves me. That's a bit too big a word. Here it doesn't have to be about love at all, because—"

"Oh my god, Sakura! I can't with you, girl." she was tapped on the forehead again, but now with more force "You're right, let's not talk about your love life. I have something better to show you."

Ino led her to the back of the flower shop, telling her to sit in a chair and close her eyes. Surprises were exciting for Sakura. She listened carefully to her friend's footsteps, trying to guess what was going on.

"You can open."

She did so and before her eyes she saw a book. A book about flowers, illustrated. The one they had been working on together for over two months. Sakura had put an enormous amount of work and effort into it, so seeing underneath - Sakura Haruno-Uchiha - immediately brought tears.

"Thank you."

She looked deeply into Ino's eyes, then they involuntarily hugged and began to spin around, rejoicing over the small success.

.

An hour - that's how long it had been since Sasuke had returned home and not found Sakura there.

His first reaction was, of course, panic. The tightness in his stomach made him almost pass out, and his head was spinning from constant bad thoughts. His hands were shaking as if he had drunk at least six coffees. For five minutes his body wouldn't listen to his brain, causing constant waves of shivering. Sasuke knew the feeling - he hated it, and remembered it only vaguely.

His second reaction was to force himself to calm down. There was no one inside and his breath escaped through his mouth quickly and too greedily, so he paused against the wall counting to ten. With this, his heart stopped beating too fast and he was able to shuffle to the kitchen for a drink of cold water.

At that moment, Sasuke found a small note saying Sakura had gone to the library with Ino and would probably be back by the hour and apologizing for not texting, but her phone had died and she had to leave. But the hour was up and she still wasn't there.

Trying not to get another panic attack was not having a positive effect, as Sasuke kept focusing his head on the one thing he so badly wanted to avoid.

The scrolls of the mission joined together to form an unbroken sequence of letters and seals. Ink dripped from the pen onto the page, forming one huge stain. The rumbling silence echoed unpleasantly in his ears.

Sasuke had to learn that their lives would be different from now until no one knew when, and Sakura was right when she said they couldn't live in constant fear.

As he went back to transcribing the details of Itachi's last mission, which he had been given quite illegally, just so he could make a copy and be able to link the rest of the strange cases later, Sasuke heard the door open. He momentarily sprang up from his seat, stepping out of the study and leaning against the doorframe.

Sakura immediately caught his gaze, smiling sweetly. Before she entered the house, she said goodbye to Ino (Sasuke received a loud hello and an unintelligible wink from his friend).

"Were you waiting for me?" she asked, although she knew the answer perfectly well. She took off her shoes, glancing at the clock "Oh, I'm a bit late. The time with Ino flew by so fast for me, forgive me."

"Sakura..." he sent her an unequivocal look, showing that the last thing she should do was feel bad about it.

Though, by her expression, it didn't look at all like she was bothered by this momentary delay.

"I can tell by the expression on your face that you were worried."

Sakura bit her lip, reaching out with the intention of gently pinching his nose, but refrained from doing so, blushing. Something had changed about her, Sasuke noticed. That morning, after a restless night, Sakura had changed her behavior towards him - she was more shy and constantly wanted to get closer, to bring their bodies together.

And he liked to tease her. So he leaned in, brushing his breath against her lips. In a second, her cheeks deepened their color and her teeth sank into her mouth with greater force.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes." she whispered, taking deeper breaths.

Sasuke's eyes traveled downwards on their own, locating on the slightly visible breasts beneath the thin dress. It really wasn't his intention, but by this time he had forgotten how damn beautiful she was and how she was affecting him.

"Would you like to tell me what you borrowed from the library?" he brushed his finger against the skin of her stomach.

"No," he almost took her breath away, "but I have something better." She pulled a book out of her bag; not the usual "Look. It will be available to buy in bookshops tomorrow."

He looked at the drawing adorning the cover and already knew whose it was. Sakura had shared this information some time ago, but Sasuke thought it would take them longer. However, he was wrong; together she and Ino worked wonderfully.

"Congratulations." He turned the pages, looking at the drawings quickly "Can I read?"

"Sure." They stood looking at each other until she spoke again "Would you like to maybe..." she pointed uncertainly towards the living room.

"I'd like to, but unfortunately I have a lot of work to do."

"Ah, no problem. Then I'll go wash up. And you're going to sleep..."

He knew what she meant.

They hadn't slept in the same bed for the past week (the exception being that night) because Sasuke claimed he preferred to keep an eye on the living room and everything around him, but he wasn't really sure if Sakura wanted him in her bed. It was a pretty heavy topic, as was their whole relationship, but he sensed now that Sakura would want him in her room, so he said:

"Leave the other half of the bed for me, I'll join you at night when I'm done."

A loud knock on the door woke Sasuke from a light sleep. He scrambled out of bed, leaving a sleeping Sakura. In the corridor, he activated his sharingan, trying to get an idea of who might be standing behind the door, but the chakra in that person indicated a mere civilian.

Gaining confidence from this, Sasuke opened the newcomer, looking at Sakura's father's face in shock. The sun was beating down on the older man, highlighting every wrinkle and tired eyes, probably after a long journey.

"Uchiha-san," he nodded in greeting, "I apologize for coming so early, but I just arrived and had to come here immediately. Is my daughter home?"

Sasuke wanted to ask why she wouldn't be there, but anger at her wife's parents stopped him. He did not want to make a bad second impression, however, the thought that they were only now visiting their own daughter frustrated him. Sakura was suffering from longing, and they were doing nothing about it.

"Are you alone?" he asked instead, not seeing her mother anywhere.

"My wife had something to do at home, and I have something to do here." Invited inside by Sasuke, he took off his shoes and wiped the sweat from his forehead "You know, our trip was quite unexpected due to my mother's health condition and I haven't finished closing cases at work. I need to sign some documents." He unbuttoned the first two buttons of his shirt, under which he was also sweating unmercifully; he must have been on his feet from morning to evening for three days "But let's not talk about me now. How is Sakura doing? Have you taken care of my daughter, as you should?"

"I do my best to make her feel at home in Konoha." he generalized his answer, not wanting to enter into a larger discussion about his wife without her.

"That's great. We assumed you two would like each other. Sakura really knows how to adapt to any environment—"

Before he had a chance to finish, a stifled - "Dad?" - came to their ears, followed by a lock of pink hair distinguished on a black shirt.

"Honey, I'm glad to see you." Kizashi muttered into his daughter's head.

"Why didn't you write a letter saying you were coming back?"

"I didn't have time, we were caught by an unexpected event that I need to tell you about. Let's sit down for it."

He pushed Sakura away, moving independently to the table. Sasuke looked at her, communicating with his eyes that he didn't know what was going on.

They settled into their seats and fixed their gaze on the man.

"So, what happened, Dad?"

Kizashi grunted, correcting his hair. Evidently this situation must have stressed him out quite a bit.

"Your grandmother died." He said on one exhale "Unfortunately, lung cancer is cruel, but at least she lived as long as she could." He pulled a piece of paper from his briefcase "The funeral is in five days. I'm heading back to the village tomorrow. I want you to come with me."

Sakura lowered her gaze to her hands, which she had all the time placed on the tabletop, without speaking for the first few seconds. She looked very sad, confused by the news. Sasuke put his hand on her knee, giving her encouragement. He knew what the death of someone close to him meant, he had encountered it more than once; only he didn't have another person who understood him at the time.

"Okay, I'll go."

"Me too." Sasuke interjected.

"Oh, you don't have to, Uchiha-san. We'll manage on our own."

"The death of my wife's grandmother is also my business. I want to accompany her then."

"As you wish." Kizashi got up from his seat "Meet me tomorrow afternoon at the gate, in that case."

"Are you coming already?" Sakura stood by her father's side, timidly touching his forearm, as if afraid to touch her own family member.

"I only came to Konoha for my business. I found that I will visit you on the way. I'll see you tomorrow anyway, dear."

He kissed his daughter and said goodbye to Sasuke, leaving. Sakura continued to stand in the same spot, biting her lip hard and holding back tears. Her father had spent a whole seven minutes here. Insane.

"How do you feel?" he asked the safe question, rarely being in the role of a comforting person.

"Okay, I just thought he came back for me with my mother," she put emphasis on the last seven words "Not to come, inform and leave! I didn't see him for so long, and when it came to meeting him, he didn't even say he missed me!" she threw her hands in the air in exasperation "For several years I felt like I had no parents at all. And my grandmother didn't like me all my life! She claimed I was too selfish, talkative and didn't act like a real girl, whatever that means!" Her shoulders began to shake "They... agh-!"

Sasuke hugged her, holding her head tightly to his chest. So the reason for her behavior was a little different, he understood, but no less important.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." she clenched her fists on his shirt "Are you sure you want to come with me? It's two weeks away from home. They need you here."

"They can manage without me. We'll literally be gone for a while. Remember how you talked about the vacations? Now we'll have our much-deserved time off."

"My home village is not the best place for that, but..." he felt she smiled gently "we will have a good rest. And we'll visit my grandmother at the cemetery."

He had never noticed such humor in Sakura before. Maybe she was one of those people who try to defuse a tragedy and turn it into something funnier to protect themselves and their feelings, or maybe she couldn't think of anything else, cutting herself off from her pathetic situation.

a shorter chapter than the previous ones, but the next one will make up for it in length!

they finally go on a trip to visit the village where Sakura lived, and I will show the unpleasant truth of how some people live to Sasuke

let me know what you think, I love reading your comments 3