Forever Mine

Chapter 14

[2 Years Later]

The lone raven entered his home village for the first time in what felt like forever. Familiar gates and familiar gatekeepers stood before him, and just like every other time before, he was glad to get that same nostalgic feeling in his chest.

It never failed.

Memories briefly surfaced in his thoughts; the one time he was able to bid goodbye to his brother when he was a kid, standing with a genin team seven before leaving on a mission, returning from the war, and all the times he told goodbye once again for his solo missions.

It was always good to be home no matter what was waiting for him inside.

Kotetsu and Izumo were surprised to see him, making them both wake up from their dozing. They waved his way in greeting as they usually did, not questioning or delaying him from entering his home.

Sasuke merely nodded his head in return.

The two slackers were always civil with him, sometimes asking how his travels went whenever they weren't half asleep. Kakashi trusted him. That's all they needed to be able to look past his mistakes.

Sasuke wondered how the people would react to seeing him this time around. According to Naruto, he was no longer resented like he was before, after all, he wasn't on vacation while being away. He was finding different ways to contribute to Konoha's safety.

A mere year into his journey, he was able to get rid of all of the bandits sneaking around and keeping marketers from getting their things. He was also able to get rid of many human trafficking sources around the village, allowing people to travel without worry, and many other things.

Every time he did something useful, his teammates spread the word around the village, trying their best to get him accepted before his return, Naruto especially.

The blond made sure they knew about his contribution in the war—more than they already had—and never stopped going on about him protecting the village from the shadows.

While making his way to the Hokage's office, Sasuke was able to see how his teammate's words weren't merely wishful thoughts.

He was already more than halfway to his destination and no one had scowled his way once or insulted him, some even greeted him politely—if they didn't ignore him as just another passing individual. It was a visible change, and frankly, it made him feel relieved to be treated as a simple villager instead of a backstabbing traitor.

It's good to be home.

Sasuke gave a brief knock on the wooden door once he made it to the Hokage's tower. He allowed himself in right after and was met with his former sensei who was visibly surprised at the sight of him.

"Sasuke," Kakashi greeted as he stood from his seat. "This is a surprise."

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded back in greeting.

He hadn't informed anyone about his return, not even Naruto who he always kept in contact with. It wasn't random per se, he'd been thinking of returning for a while. The thing was, he needed to be sure about something first before he did.

And he was absolutely sure now.

"What brings you back?" Kakashi rounded his desk to stand before him.

"Was I not allowed to return home?"

"Of course, you are. It's just I didn't expect to see you for another year." Kakashi voiced, still looking surprised to see him. Sasuke had decided on three years before returning, yet he was standing in his office now. "Is there a reason for your return?"