Redemption |complete| (SasuSaku)

The one who turned 20

"Hey sensei we're here! Where's Sakura?"

Kakashi's head moved towards the kitchen.

"I'm in here Naruto. Is he here as well?" she shouted from inside a different room.

"Yeah, yeah..." Naruto's voice got inaudible as he moved into the kitchen.

He was left alone standing at the entrance.

"You know you can come in."

He looked at his former sensei and sighed. It seemed like it was just going to be the two of them for a moment.

Sasuke sat down on a chair on the opposite side of Kakashi.

"So Sasuke, why did you decide to accompany Sakura on that mission."

"I don't trust people."

"Well I'm the Hokage and Sakura is an important Shinobi for the village. Do you really think I would be stupid enough to send a team of genin with her? What's the real reason?"

"Hn."

He realised that he was now stuck in a situation he didn't want to be in. He decided to evade the conversation by changing the subject.

"Why are we all here?"

"You didn't guess? To celebrate your birthday."

Sasuke felt a hit in his chest that made him stop breathing. He deeply looked at Kakashi trying to see a sign that it was a joke but he seemed serious. How did they know that it was today. Kakashi answered his silent question.

"I told Naruto just after we took the photo. We were back in the office and he ran towards the cryptology building to tell Sakura about it. She planned the dinner out and invited us."

She planned it? Why would she do something like that for him? His brain was fuzzy and he couldn't think straight.

"Quite frankly I didn't think you were gonna show up especially when she asked Naruto to come and get you."

"I tried to avoid it but you know him."

"Ah yes... he always gets what he wants. Tell me Sasuke... did Sakura act odd when you two were traveling?"

He wondered for a minute why he was asking him this. Before he could say anything Kakashi explained himself.

"I'm sorry to ask you this but Lady Tsunade noted that Sakura wasn't sleeping and was eating soldier pills to keep herself awake before you came back. I just wanted to make sure that she was fine."

Sasuke looked at him. He did see her drinking but the problem simply turned out to be him and since things were better between the two, Sakura seemed to be better as well. He let out another sigh.

"She was mad at me and we talked. She is alright now."

Kakashi smiled under his mask and gave something to Sasuke. It was a piece of paper.

"Here, I thought that you might be happy to have one as well."

He turned the paper around and saw the photo, the one they took in the afternoon. He looked at himself and realised that he was smiling on the image. How did that happen? It was the first time that he saw himself with a smile on his face and it made him look... different. He chuckled quietly.

"I know you think the same way Kakashi. A birthday party is unnecessary."

"Indeed I do but it makes these two happy so I'm here. If it was up to me you wouldn't have had anything other than a happy birthday if I was in a good mood."

Sasuke nodded. They were exactly the same person.

"I'm going to say thank you to her at least.'

He stood up and walked towards the kitchen. As he got closer to the door, he saw Naruto walking out of it.

"Hey Sasuke, what do you want?"

"Move, I want to get in there."

"Give us a smile before you go there." teased Naruto.

He gave him a cold stare and pushed him out of the way. He loved being annoying to Naruto and he knew that his friend wasn't taking it personally.

He looked behind him making sure that he was alone and looked back at Sakura. She didn't hear him and was focused on her cooking. He looked at her hair that definitely grew longer since their dinner around the fire. He liked her hair. It was pink and delicate. Right now she kept pushing a strand of it away from her face. She reminded him of his family. Every time he was looking at her he felt the same way he used to feel when he was home as a child. He liked that feeling.

He approached her and took the strand of her hair in his hand. It was soft. She jumped in surprise and he let go of it. She looked at him with her big green eyes and smiled.

"Happy birthday."

A warm feeling filled his chest. He didn't know what to respond to it so he just gave her a small smile. His eyes moved to what was cooking in the pot. He recognised some tomatoes and smiled again. He liked tomatoes.

"I hope you like the food... I didn't know what you really like so..."

"It's fine."

He looked at her again and tried to find the strength to say it. He eventually found it and said:

"Thank you... for this."

She laughed and started to explain that it was a normal thing to do. She also started to give out to him because he never told her that it was his birthday and that because of him she didn't have time to do something special. What he couldn't say to her was that all of this was special. He let her talk for a bit while he was looking at her. She seemed genuinely upset that this dinner was all she could give him so he stopped her in her monologue.

"Thank you, Sakura." He wanted to add how much it meant to him but didn't find the courage to.

"Hey Sasuke," both their heads turned towards the living room. It was Naruto shouting, as per usual. "Do you want a drink as well?"

He looked back at Sakura. She nodded and told him to go and have fun which he did.

He was sitting on the sofa drinking his fourth glass of alcohol. He wasn't speaking much, mostly because Naruto was doing all the talking but also because he didn't know what to say.

The dinner was served shortly after and all he did for the entire time was listen to three people in the room talk about all the missions they did before the chunin exam. Everyone was laughing and even Sasuke caught himself smiling to some of the stories. He was feeling good and happy. The warm feeling in his chest wasn't leaving him but he assumed that it was just the alcohol.

The time for the gifts arrived and Kakashi was the first one to offer him something. Sasuke took it in his hands and saw that it was the book that Kakashi was always reading.

"Now Sasuke, become a man of culture."

He nodded at him knowing very well that he will never open this book. Naruto came in second and offered him a bottle of sake.

"So you two never get bored while travelling." he added with a wink.

Sakura then gave him a box that Sasuke opened.

"It's a first aid kit. I'll carry one with me as well but this one has different types of pills that could be useful. You'll find bandages, herbs, ointments and other necessary medical things. I made it myself based on what I know about your condition, health and body. "

He looked at all the little jars perfectly organised. The gesture touched him.

"Thank you..." he whispered but everyone in the room knew that it was mostly directed at Sakura.

She laughed and claimed that it was now time for the dessert.

They all ate and talked while Sasuke stared at the three gifts. He wasn't paying attention to any of them anymore. Maybe he was wrong, maybe a birthday party was more important than he thought.