After the war, her parents had started inviting Team 7 over for dinners every few weeks. They said life was too short to not know the most important people in their daughter's life. Despite Sasuke's two year hiatus and the flaky nature of Kakashi and Sai, the dinners had continued for three years..

"Well, if we didn't do them every time someone couldn't make it, we'd never have them," her mother had told Sakura's father in response to Kizashi pouting about Sasuke's absence.

Kakashi had only successfully made it to four of the dinners in the three years they had been hosted. Sai had made it to a lot at first, but rarely came now. As captain of the ANBU he was typically away or busy when the dinners were scheduled. If he wasn't busy, he preferred to spend time with Ino. Who he wasn't dating, he was always quick to add.

"We're just screwing. As some friends do. So Ino tells me," Sai had informed her, Naruto, and Sasuke one evening at Ichiraku after Sakura had extended an invitation to the gathered group as well as Hinata. "Considering I have no desire to screw you as well, Ugly, I see no need to get to know your parents any further."

Naruto paused shoveling noodles in his mouth to give Sai an appreciative chuckle. Sasuke rolled his eyes (his usual response to anything Sai said). Sakura had nodded, sharing Sai's sentiment about not wanting to screw him, and was far too used to his nickname at this point to feel anything other than vague fondness for him over it.

"I don't want to screw Sakura, and I still go!" Naruto added. He couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to get to know Sakura's parents. Naruto had latched onto them immediately. This didn't surprise her. She knew her father's corny jokes and her mother's nurturing - albeit a little aggressive at times- nature were like a flame to Naruto's moth. He hadn't missed a single one of the dinners. "Sometimes I think I like them more than I like Sakura."

"What about you, Traitor?" Sai asked.

Sasuke's relationship with her parents was something that took Sakura by surprise. She expected Sasuke to dislike her father's jokes and consider her mother overbearing. She expected her parents to harbor ill will towards Sasuke for everything he had put her through when she was young. Or, to tease her relentlessly about her childhood in front of him to embarrass her on purpose. She expected her mother to pull her aside after their first dinner and question if Sasuke was really the man she had spent years pining over.

She was surprised when it was nothing like she envisioned. Her parents made no mention of her adolescent crush on Sasuke - for which she was glad. They also avoided needling him about asking her out (they had not done the same to all of the Rookie 9 boys they had met as well as Sai and Lee.) They seemed genuinely interested in getting to know Sasuke as a person apart from being her teammate and unrequited love. And Sasuke, for his part, seemed to actually enjoy their company.

Her mother had even pulled her aside to compliment her good taste.

Her father had started calling Naruto and Sasuke "sons" in greeting or "my sons" when asking after them. Though they didn't play favorites, Sakura could tell they liked Sasuke more, a fact she tucked away with a smile. Kizashi preferred how Sasuke would give his jokes a witty response rather than just bluster and shout like Naruto would. Mebuki appreciated how Sasuke would look out for her during the chaos of group dinners. Always walking to the kitchen to help her cook. The two of them would talk quietly to each other as they prepared the meal for everyone, occasionally joined by Sakura.

Sakura couldn't help but smile at how naturally he blended into her family. The smile fell from her face as Sai continued his question to Sasuke. "Do you go because you want to screw Ugly, or because you like her parents?"

Had he really just asked Sasuke that…? This had to be some sort of nightmare.

Naruto shook with silent laughter, a goofy grin sliding slowly over his face as he eyed Sasuke out of the corner of his eye- the steady stream of noodles into his mouth never stopping. Sasuke, however, didn't respond. He just continued poking at his ramen, trying to find more bean sprouts.

"Well, Traitor?" Sai asked again. Sakura really wished he would just drop it.

"Hm?" Sasuke asked, cocking an eyebrow and turning to Sai. "I couldn't hear you over the idiot's slurping."

This had Sasuke's desired effect. Naruto immediately began yelling in outrage "I don't slurp that loud! Maybe the screeching of all that lightning is finally making you deaf!"

"Or maybe it's all of your screeching," Sasuke monotoned, cocking his head and tapping his chin with a finger as if he had just had an epiphany.

"I don't screech," Naruto screeched, grabbing Sasuke in a chokehold and trying to shove his face into the bowl of ramen in front of him.

Sai nodded beside Sakura. "Ino told me avoiding answering a question regarding feelings about someone is practically a confirmation of feelings," Sai said loud enough to ensure Sasuke could hear him. Sasuke was too busy grabbing the bowl of ramen Naruto was trying to shove his face in, and turning it upside down on Naruto's head to pay much attention to Sai.

"I'll have to inform Ino of this development…" Sai muttered to himself. Sakura also silently tucked this information.

Sasuke was going well out of his way to avoid answering a rather simple question if he wasn't interested in her…

Or maybe he just doesn't want to hurt your feelings…

"I can't believe you just did that!" Naruto shrieked, pulling away from Sasuke as if he hadn't just been trying to do the same thing to him.

"Did what?" Sasuke asked, pulling Naruto's bowl towards him and beginning to eat it as if nothing happened. A smile curled Sakura's lips.

"That's my ramen, you bastard!" Naruto growled, grabbing at the bowl. This seemed to be what Sasuke was expecting. Just as Naruto yanked at the bowl (expecting Sasuke to pull as well), Sasuke released the bowl, causing the contents to spill into Naruto's lap.

"Bastaaaard!" Naruto leapt to his feet, trying to wipe the hot ramen off his pants.

Sasuke stood up and placed some ryo on the counter. "Tell your mom I'll be there Thursday, Sakura."

"Not if I kill you first!" Naruto shouted chasing after Sasuke.

Sakura let out a sigh. "I guess Naruto is leaving us with the bill again."

"It would appear the traitor has covered Naruto's meal," Sai said pointing at the amount left on the counter. "That, or he has no basic concept of math."

Everyone typically fell into a routine at the Harunos' house. Naruto and her father would joke from the table while Sakura and Sasuke helped her mother with dinner. During dinner, Kizashi would sit at the head with Mebuki on his right and Sasuke on his left. Sakura would sit on the other side of her mother and Naruto on the other side of Sasuke. Naruto would always grouch and say he deserved to sit next to Kizashi occasionally. Sasuke would always clap back that if he wanted a place of honor, he should help with dinner.

Naruto would grumble that no one wanted him to go near the kitchen and everyone would wholeheartedly agree, setting him off on a tirade.

They would then eat dessert (minus Sasuke) and have tea. Who brought the dessert was different every time, though everyone always dreaded Sasuke's week. They had told him this to his face so often, Sakura and Naruto were pretty sure he now considered it a challenge to bring the worst dessert he could.

However, Hinata, now officially dating Naruto, was attending her first dinner with Sakura's parents. Sasuke had slowly edged Mebuki out of the kitchen, noticing her obvious desire to get to know Naruto's girlfriend, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone. Sakura kept shooting grins at the couples at the table, wondering what her parents thought of Hinata.

"I wonder how it's going," Sakura murmured mostly to herself.

"Do I need to kick you out too?" Sasuke asked, looking pointedly down at the stove and the vegetables she had forgotten about. Sakura let out a curse and took the pan off the heat. "If they can stomach Naruto, there's no way they won't like her."

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke. He was spooning the rice into a serving bowl.

"Well as someone who does more than stomach Naruto, I assume that means you think she's amazing."

Sasuke shot her a glare. "As someone who knows Naruto, I think she's a saint."

Sakura laughed, spooning the vegetables into a serving bowl of her own. "What's so funny in there?" Mebuki called. Because of their lines of work, cooking with Sasuke and Sakura was typically Mebuki's pipeline into village gossip. Sakura knew her mother was currently wishing she had pursued a shinobi lifestyle so she could create a clone and be in two places at once.

"Nothing, you traitor!" Sakura called to her mother.

"Traitor?!" Her mother screeched. "Sasuke practically threw me out of the kitchen!"

"Sasuke would never throw you anywhere," Kizashi chuckled.

"Sounds like he wanted some alone time with Sakura," Naruto laughed. He made little digs like this all the time since moving in with them. Sakura and Sasuke had grown quite adept at ignoring him. This, however, seemed like the opening Kizashi had been waiting for.

"Alone time, eh?" he said, narrowing his eyes at Sasuke with his arms crossed over his chest. The perfect imitation of a posturing father. "Don't get enough of that living together?"

"Or the meals during your lunch breaks?" Mebuki added.

"Or from the walks home together?" Kizashi boomed. "Now, Sasuke, you know you have to ask my permission first if you want this 'alone time' nonsense to become more permanent."

"How did you know about any of that?" Sakura squawked, fighting off her blush and feeling extremely grateful that Sai was not there to stoke the fire. Her mother's gossip chain really was quite frightening. Though, she supposed all of that wasn't exactly a secret. Anyone could see them walking home or see him in her office at the hospital.

"From the source himself!" Kizashi laughed, pointing an accusing finger at Sasuke.

"What!?" Naruto and Sakura yelled at the same time. Sakura's head whipped to Sasuke. He seemed surprised at being called out, but was otherwise unaffected.

Mebuki nodded beside Kizashi. "We get lunch with Sasuke on his day off every week."

"You what?" Naruto asked. "What about me?"

"Well that would involve you actually asking," Sasuke chastised, beginning to set the rice and fish on the table. Sakura couldn't make heads or tales of this conversation, but she blindly followed Sasuke with the bowl of vegetables

"He asks you? Not the other way around?" Naruto asked in utter disbelief. "How long has this been going on?" Naruto sounded close to tears. She took her usual spot next to her mother and glanced at Hinata across from her. She was shaking with quiet laughter at Naruto.

"Oh, I don't know…" Kizashi said, his brow furrowing as he began filling Mebuki's plate. "Son, how long have you been home now?" He called out to Sasuke who was taking his seat at the opposite end of the table. Sakura's right. Sakura shook her head. Naruto had crowed at claiming the seat to the left of Kizashi knowing Sasuke wouldn't make him move with Hinata already seated. He had unintentionally given Sasuke a spot of even greater honor.

"A year," Sasuke said, grabbing Sakura's plate and serving her. Sakura blushed at the action. Naruto, taking notice of this, snatched Hinata's plate and began filling it with a serving size that Sakura wasn't sure even Naruto could finish.

"In that case, a year," Kizashi said, nodding.

"A YEAR?" Naruto howled, slumping his head onto the table dramatically. He was so caught up in his outrage, he hadn't noticed that Kizashi had also served his plate. He placed his face directly onto a full plate of food. Sakura saw his ears turn red, but he seemed determined to leave his face in the plate as if to convince everyone he had put his face in it on purpose.

It wasn't working.

Kizashi roared with laughter. Mebuki restrained herself from laughing. Hinata rubbed at Naruto's back in comfort. Sasuke stared at Naruto and shook his head with a look of disgust.

They were finishing up dessert, dorayaki picked up from a local shop by Sakura and Sasuke on their way over (thankfully it was her week to pick), and each nursing a cup of tea, prepared by Hinata, when Kizashi turned his attention from Naruto and Hinata to Sasuke. He was still seated at the end of the table, a dessert plate absent from in front of him, idly rocking his cup in a circle on the table.

"Ah, son, I just remembered. I know it's not polite to talk shop at dinner, but now that dinner is over," here, Kizashi chuckled at his own joke with Naruto snickering beside him, "I thought it would be okay to ask you a quick favor…"

Mebuki chuckled at her husband, and Sasuke smirked at the table, shaking his head slowly.

"My neighbor, you've met him, a real delight, has been complaining about a tree that he claims is on our property dropping leaves and branches in his yard. He's always making threats about it, but this time he actually managed to have one of your guys file a report and tell me to take care of the tree and charge me a fine. I tried to tell him that his boss was my son, and normally that works-"

At this, Sasuke let out a quiet huff of laughter that was drowned out by Naruto's own howl of laughter. Sakura and Mebuki shook their heads with twin smiles on their faces. Hinata smiled, watching the group as she figured out the dynamic.

"-but this guy acted all high and mighty and said he knew for a fact you didn't have any parents-"

Sakura almost choked at her father's casual mention of Sasuke's tragic past, but Sasuke seemed otherwise unbothered, still just smirking down at his cup of tea.

"-and I said who's to say you weren't my son some other way, and he said he knew you weren't married because his sister is always talking about how she still has a shot and that he should introduce the two of you-"

"Kizashi, you've lost the point," Mebuki said, gently touching Kizashi's hand. Sakura tried her hardest to not glance at Sasuke, nervous to give a hint as to how she felt about her father claiming he was Sasuke's father-in-law in a roundabout way. She was even more nervous to see his reaction.

"You're right. Is there any way you can take care of this fine for me?"

"Dad!" Sakura couldn't believe he was abusing his relationship with Sasuke like this. Well, she could, but not so blatantly. Kizashi gave her a pout, and Sasuke looked at her out of the corner of his eye. If it had been anyone else she would have said he had a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Aa," Sasuke said, giving her father his full attention, still spinning his cup in a circle. "I think I did see that form waiting for my signature on my desk this morning."

Kizashi's shoulders sagged. Sasuke was not one to procrastinate his work. If it had been on his desk that morning, Sasuke would have signed it as soon as he read it over.

"I think it may have fallen in the trash," Sasuke continued, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "They shred everything on Thursday evenings, so I can't help you."

Kizashi let out a booming laugh and wiped at a tear in his eye.

Naruto was walking Hinata home which left Sakura and Sasuke to walk home together. The evening was freezing, but much to her dismay, Sasuke wasn't moving any faster than his regular snail's pace. Normally Sakura would roof hop from her parents house, especially given the frigid weather, but Sasuke always preferred walking everywhere.

He claimed it was because people assumed the worst and began panicking when they saw the police chief roof hopping. Sakura knew it was because he had spent so long stuck in the tunnel vision of revenge that he wanted to truly take in the village now.

Either way, she wished he would just roof hop home tonight. It was too cold for this!

"Does it bother you?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence only previously disturbed by Sakura's chattering teeth.

"How slow you walk when it's this cold outside? Yes." Sakura grumbled trying to huddle further into her cloak. She noticed he wasn't even wearing his.

"No, that I get lunch with your parents," Sasuke said, but Sakura noticed he slowed their pace down marginally in response to her jab.

What a jerk.

"Why would that bother me? You like them. They like you. You're consenting adults."

Sasuke snorted. He looked like he wanted to say more, but refrained.

Honestly, she liked that he liked her parents enough to seek them out on his own. She liked that her parents liked him enough to enjoy lunch with just him.

"Sasuke, I swear, I am going to leave you alone to this stopping and smelling the roses crap or whatever you want to call it if you don't go faster!"

"Hn. Go ahead. I'm fairly confident in the safety of the village at night," he said, calling her bluff.

"Sasuke, please! It's freezing! Not everyone is a fire nature."

Sasuke let out a long sigh and grabbed her forearm as they continued walking. Her body warmed up instantly. At first, Sakura thought it was her body's reaction to Sasuke touching her, but then she realized whatever he was doing to regulate his own body temperature was passing to her own body.

"You're telling me all those times I froze my butt off on walks home with you, you could have helped me just by touching me?" Sakura shrieked. "Are you telling me you chose not to warm me up all those times we linked arms?!"

"People are trying to sleep, Sakura," Sasuke chastised.

"You… you jerk!" Sakura laughed. "And I feel like I'm in trouble with you dragging me by my arm like that!"

"Maybe you wouldn't be if you'd stopped being so loud."

Sakura dug her heels in forcing Sasuke to a stop. "I thought you were in a rush to get home?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I am, but I don't want to be dragged the whole way there," Sakura huffed.

"Sakura, stop hinting. If you want me to hold your hand, all you have to do is ask," Sasuke cocked his head, a dare written all over his face.

Sakura fought back the blush. "Fine. Sasuke, will you hold my hand instead of dragging me through the village like a child?" She plastered on the most sarcastic smile she could muster.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, considering her request. "No," he said simply, jumping to a roof before Sakura could even register his words. Sakura let out an outraged cry and followed after him.

The cold immediately returned at the loss of his hand.

A few months later, Naruto and Sakura laid out on the grass of their backyard, enjoying the late afternoon breeze. It was one of the early March days that hinted at spring coming. Naruto had gotten home after being stuck in meetings all day begging Sasuke to do some taijutsu training with him.

"It's really nice outside, and I've been in a chair all day! I need to move!"

Sasuke had refused, telling Naruto he had been conducting training exercises all day and was out of chakra or motivation. "Besides," he had said with a sigh, "Sakura is better equipped at dealing with you blowing off steam in a taijutsu fight."

Sakura had pinked at the praise, but agreed with him. Her defensive strategy meant she was perfect for if someone just wanted a punching bag.

Two hours later, she and Naruto called it quits, but couldn't bring themselves to go in the house after being stuck inside all day. Sasuke had sat on the porch grading entrance papers as they sparred. Now, his legs were out in front of him, his arms crossed and eyes closed while he leaned against the porch railing. Sakura let out a sigh as another early spring breeze rustled her hair and cooled off the sweat on her body.

"Oh, bastard," Naruto sat up suddenly. "I forgot to tell you about the meeting today."

Sasuke let out a long sigh, but opened his eyes and looked at Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei finally got Homura and Koharu kicked off the council."

Sakura sat up at the news. Sasuke leaned forward slightly, his brow furrowing. Kakashi had been promising to get rid of Homura and Koharu since becoming Hokage three years ago. He said it was complicated. He couldn't just "abuse" his power when first becoming Hokage to dismantle the entire council without cause. He hadn't had enough proof of the massacre other than word of mouth from three criminals -two of which were dead-, one beloved Hokage -also dead-, and the council members themselves. It had forced him to dig through archives for the last three years - a true show of his love and dedication for Sasuke. Kakashi disdained research and paperwork.

"It's going to be publicly announced tomorrow, but Kakashi wanted you to hear it before the rest of the village."

Sasuke nodded at the news, but gave nothing else away. He turned his attention towards the sky, seemingly lost in thought.

"Did they confess or did Kakashi finally get enough evidence?" Sakura asked, concluding Sasuke would stay silent.

"Sounds like it was a mix of everything. Kakashi had let the information leak, so public opinion of them had gone way down, and he finally found the mission form. He told them they could step down with honor, or live out the remainder of their lives disgraced."

"That was generous of him to give them a choice…" Sakura said, leaning back to rest on her forearms. Though, she felt they did not deserve one.

Naruto's eyes flickered to Sasuke. "Actually, Kakashi said Sasuke is the one who said they should be given the choice when the time came."

This took Sakura by surprise. She turned her gaze back to Sasuke. He said nothing, his gaze still on the sky. But, he dragged his eyes to her and nodded once.

"That reminds me…" Naruto said. He was poking his pointer fingers together sheepishly, his tell that he was about to ask a question he thought might not be received well. "I was surprised when you came back before they were taken care of. I kind of expected you to only come back when they were gone. What made you decide to?" Naruto tried to play it off like it was a casual question.

A long pause followed Naruto's question. Sakura wondered if Sasuke would actually answer. He had been so open since his return, he hardly ever put his walls up if they got too close now, but still, this was one question Sakura had never dared to ask.

Though, she wanted the answer to it so desperately.

Sasuke's eyes softened as he spied a crow flying around the powerlines across the street. He slid his gaze to his hands. "It's what he wanted for me."

Sakura looked down at her lap, her eyes misting. The look on his face felt like it required a level of privacy. She heard Naruto sniff quietly to her right. Neither expected Sasuke to say more - didn't feel he needed to, but he did.

"I left to atone for my sins, and I did the best I could with that, but I was also looking for some sort of peace - had been since Itachi died. The two of them had taken so much from him, I couldn't let them take me too. Not after everything he did to insure I was spared. What was his sacrifice for if I let them have what they wanted in the end? The complete removal of the Uchiha from Konoha. I decided to put into practice what everyone else was showing me- forgiveness. So, after atoning, I came back."

Sakura chanced a glance at Sasuke. His gaze was back on the sky. As if he could feel her eyes on him, he looked down to face her, then Naruto. "And it turns out the peace I had been searching so hard for had been here all along. Right where Itachi always wanted me."

Naruto was now openly weeping next to her. She lifted her hands to wipe at her own tears, and smiled at Sasuke. She had loved him at his lowest, but it was so rewarding to be able to love him now - at his best. Sasuke returned her smile with a small one of his own.

"I-I w-wish I could have k-known him better," Naruto sobbed.

Sasuke let out a quiet laugh through his nose. He stood up and grabbed the papers he had been grading from the porch. Striding to the door, he said so quietly Sakura wasn't sure it was meant for them to hear, "I'm sure he would have loved both of you." He entered the house without another word.

Sakura turned to Naruto, his blotchy face she was sure was a mirror to her own.

Those few words might have been the highest praise she or Naruto had ever received from Sasuke.