Alone Together...

Finally Home

Normal POV

The sun was rising and shining its warm glow upon the world. The night mist was disappearing and welcoming the bright sun's rays. Everyone was awakening and beginning their daily morning routines. A family of three, however, had not slept well for the past week.

They walked quietly through the road that lead them straight to the village of Konoha. The man walked on with as much self-restraint as he could, while the woman to his left showed the distress they all felt from the journey. Dark circles underlined her eyes and her untidy appearance that matched the others. The pink haired child to his right walked the road in silence, a messenger hawk perching on her right shoulder a bit restless. She paid it no attention, as her thoughts were clearly somewhere else.

"What are you thinking about?" Inner asked sensing her pensive aura.

'I don't know whether I should be happy that we're returning or sad that we left in such a crucial time.' Sakura voiced out her concerns.

"Well, there wasn't much we could have done. Although Gaara was starting to trust us, he trusted his uncle more, and he was betrayed by him. What were the likeliness that he would listen to us?"

'So you're telling me, all that delicate work in befriending him was wasted because of his father and uncle?' Sakura asked as she looked away from her feet down below and instead focused on the path.

"Pretty much, but in your memories of what you know, his uncle just lied. And Gaara only finds out they lied to him until the Fourth Shinobi World War."Sakura sighed dejectedly at Inner's words, thinking of everything she would have to prevent.

"But cheer up! We're finally back home! There's no time to be sad, we have to find Naruto, Ino, and everyone else! And let's not forget about Sasuke-kun!" Inner squealed and Sakura rolled her eyes and smiled.

'Of course. We could never forget about Sasuke.'

"Okay, now you're being sarcastic!" Sakura smiled amusedly at Inner. She looked up at her parents, noticing their serious and tired demeanor. She looked on ahead and she could finally see the gates of Konoha in perfect view.

Sakura's POV

"You have to act excited or they'll think you're acting stranger than usual!" I nodded at her instructions and ran up ahead all the while laughed excitedly.

"Yay! Mommy, Daddy, I can see the gates from here!" They smiled, the first genuine smile all week. The shock of seeing Shukaku unleashed in the village was hard for anyone to forget.

"That's right! We're almost home!" Madoka said with excitement, finally getting that twinkle of happiness in her eyes again.

We walked through the gates and showed the guards our papers, which was merely protocol since they knew Kioshi. We went straight home and it felt nice to enter a house we left over 17 months ago. The house was actually clean. I had thought it would be covered in a thick layer of dust. My thoughts were interrupted when Marianne appeared from out of the dining room. She must have cleaned the place while we were away.

"Oh! You're back? Welcome home!" She said as she moved closer to us.

"It's good to be back Marianne." She smiled at her good friend before looking down at me clearly surprised.