Kouri slowly opened her eyes to meet a very bright light, forcing her eyes to close again. Sasuke, Orochimaru, Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo awaiting her conscious to surface. She ignored everyone around her and sat up, stretching her arms and fingers to feel how limp her limbs were.
"I'm not dead ?" she questioned herself, surprised herself that she didn't die after sacrificing herself for Sasuke. As the name crossed her mind, she immediately felt her lungs constricted from air, became flustered thinking if he'd survive or not.
She looked around and saw a raven-haired male standing by her right, watching as she trying to grasp her surrounding and what happened to her. Everyone were silent as she stared straight to Sasuke, trying to take in the change of his appearance that changed a lot. His face and hair got longer, his face became more mature and the way he'd dress up also different. She quickly got up and lunged onto Sasuke, wrapping her arms around him as tears went down her cheeks.
"You're alive, thank God." she said, bringing her fingers through his black locks. Sasuke wrapped his only arm around her tightly, feeling himself being put into the most happiest state in his whole life knowing the old Kouri had come back to live.
She released Sasuke and looked over at Orochimaru who gave her a smile. She went towards Orochimaru and hugged him gently.
"Orochi.. You survived.." she said as she hugged him like a baby. The other three could only watched the reunion between them and didn't know what to say, while Karin felt relieved while upset at a same time.
"W-what happened ? You guys look different from the last time I saw!" she exclaimed, looking around and pointed at everyone who looked more mature and laid-back, except for Orochimaru of course.
"You're supposed to reborn after the kekkei genkai you used on Sasuke. It was because the jutsu required you to trade your own life to revive someone." Orochimaru explained, " I just connected your chakra that I have on my body to your memories and now you're back. You can now become a full-fledged shinobi again." he smiled at the end. Kouri scoffed softly at his remarks at the end, swinging her limp arm over at him.
"This ? I'm not sure what i'm doing my whole life to have this body." she said, shaking her head and she stopped as she realized something.
"Wait a second, how old am I ?" she asked and Sasuke answered.
"17 ?! I'm still 17 ?!" she exclaimed in Sasuke's face, looking at him up and down.
"How old are you ?" she asked Sasuke.
"34."
She almost fell back onto her bed when he answered the question. Sasuke was double her age. Everyone around her had grown up while she was still a young teenager who didn't have experience enough of this world yet.
"It's okay, Kouri. I'm still the same." Orochimaru said.
"Of course, you are."
Sasuke brought her back to their room for her to rest. She complained from time to time how weak her body was and she could feel it. Sasuke just kept silent because he didn't want to say anything or else the situation would overwhelmed him.
Kouri sat at the edge of the bed and Sasuke followed. Kouri just stared at him afterwards and Sasuke was put into an awkward position. He didn't know what to say as Kouri kept on staring at him without saying any words.
"Kouri ?" he called her which she just hummed softly. She wanted to take in his new look. She missed him badly and she couldn't even stare at his face like she used to ever since the day he left the village. She wanted to take in every part of everything of his and imprinted it in her mind while she still could.
"You've became so handsome." she said, bringing her hand onto his cheek, caressing it gently. He let her did what she was doing, slowly bringing it to his neck and to his left arm, her brows creased a little.
"What happened ?" her voice turned worried as she moved her fingers under the sleeves that wasn't occupied by his forearm. He didn't say anything but let her came closer and caressed his other cheek with her other hand.
"I love you so much, Sasuke." she said, her voice became wavy as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as if he would run away if she didn't hug him tight.
"I'm sorry for everything." he whispered in her ear, tugging her hair behind her ear as he watched how her crystal tears fell down her eyes.
"I don't care anymore. When I saw Madara stabbed you, I was scared and forgot everything you did to me." she cried, "That time, I regretted ever intent to kill you. I wished I told you 'I love you' countless time. I hated myself for lying to myself." she said all of her true feelings to him. He felt his heart broken to know what she had felt. He's the one who drove her to do what she did, and he supposed to be blame and hated for the rest of his life. She looked up to him and wiped the tear that came down his cheek.
"I'm glad you're okay now. You've grown up well." she smirked cheekily.
"You made me this way." he hugged her tighter in his arm. She shook her head.
"You did it yourself."
---
"Are you ready ?" Sasuke asked her as they stood in front of the huge gate with "KONOHAGAKURE" hung huge on it. She looked at him, her face was tainted a little unsure but she missed everyone and everything in Konoha. She nodded at him and gave him a reassuring smile.
She was wearing long-sleeved turtleneck that has been cropped and a shorts short. There was a pouch hung on her waist along with her spear Orochimaru gave her before she left the hideout. Orochimaru said he saw her spear laying about on a ground and he already knew what happened to her. A Nohara can't lay around their spear unless the user already gone.
The wind flew through her hair as she took in a last breath before marching into the village. Sasuke watched as she was agitating and nervous on meeting her childhood friends. It was also scared her that they're grown whilst she was still only 18. Yes, it took her another 5 months for her to decide to go to the village. By then, she already work out on her body and she got her ideal body back.
She decided to jump on poles and roofs to search for them, leaving Sasuke behind. She was nervous but also excited to meet them. She decided to go to Ichiraku Ramen as her first destination. She was about to reach Ichiraku Ramen when she saw someone walked out of the stall, a robe covered most of his outfit and he had a blonde hair. He immediately looked up to her who stood on a pole close to him, his eyes were wide and the look of horror painted his face. She chuckled at the sight and saw another person joined him as well, looking at her with equally the same look as the male. Kouri grinned as she crouched down.
"You guys are getting old." she joked.
"You're still the same!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing his forefinger at her. She laughed while Sakura already had her eyes teary.
"Come down her, stupid!" Sakura shouted, her throat was hurting since she was holding from the tears to fall. Kouri smiled at their reactions who were both holding their tears from falling. Their physical had changed so much, much more reserved and mature. She jumped off the pole and was attacked with a hug by Sakura, and Naruto came after wrapping both of them in his arms. Both Naruto and Sakura released Kouri from the hug, asking for explanation.
"How is this possible... Sasuke said you- you died!" Naruto exclaimed, wiping a tear that escaped from his eyes. Kouri chuckled softly before wiping it with her finger.
"Miracle happened." She replied, looking over at Sakura who was crying.
"Sakura, stop crying." Kouri wiped the tears off of her face and tugged her hair behind her ear. Sakura looked at Kouri with her crystal eyes, taking in her features that didn't change at all since the last time they met.
"It's been 18 years. I counted every day that passed without you beside us. I felt so lonely." Sakura professed, bringing her hand to Kouri's head, caressing her softly.
Naruto watched with a smile as the girls that has been best friend since Academy reunited. He then caught a raven-haired walking towards them, didn't seem to surprise of Kouri's presence right in front of him.
"Sasuke ?" Naruto watched as Sasuke approached them and stopped as he stood behind Kouri. Kouri smiled at Sasuke and looked back over other two friends.
"She has been waiting for this moment for 5 months." Sasuke said, glanced over at Kouri who gave him a threatening look with a fake smile on her face.
"Wait- you've been seeing her since 5 months ago ?"
"Almost a year, actually."
"What ?!" Both Sakura and Naruto exclaimed at the revelation. Kouri just laughed nervously as the truth being told by Sasuke who always being honest at everything. She took a step back and secretly pinched his abdomen, which made him exclaim in pain.
"We've finally met, right ? Let's hang out!" Kouri changed the topic and grabbed both Sakura and Naruto head with her arms and pulled her with her short form.
"Wait Kouri, we're too old for this."
"Let's just have fun!"
---
"Kouri-neesan." the fourteen-years old ninja called for Kouri who was walking with him to a destination. They were in a training field, requested by Boruto who wanted to train with Kouri. Kouri accepted it with an open heart and at a same time, wanted to test how strong Uzumaki Naruto's son.
"Are you single ?" he asked, his cheekbones painted with red as he asked the daring question. Kouri raised her eyelashes at Boruto who was looking sideways, prolly avoiding her eyes. She noticed that Boruto had a slight crush on her. He couldn't be blame. She was just 19 and Sasuke would always go out of the village, ongoing his top mission. She didn't know how to answer him. She didn't even make it official with Sasuke that they're together, but they knew they loved each other. Since Boruto was just a kid, she wanted to mess with him a little.
"Why ? Does our little Boruto have a crush on me ?" she grinned, lowering her not-so-tall body to his level with a taunting look. He clenched his teeth.
"I'm not that little! You're only five years older than me!" he flapped his hand over at her so she could return back to her normal posture which made her laughs. His face were covered with red blushes, trying his best to cover it with his hand.
"You gotta be stronger than me if you want to be with me so you can protect me." Kouri said, placing a hand on her waist as she smiled over the flushed teenager in front of her.
"I will! You just wait!" Boruto said with determined.
"Then she'll have to wait for eternity because you have to be stronger than me." a voice appeared behind them, making them turned around and saw a raven-haired male standing with his sharingan and rinnegan activated. He approached the two while his eyes eyeing Boruto who was looking up to his teacher with a surprised look.
"Sasuke, you came back." Kouri greeted Sasuke without any formality which surprised Boruto more. He looked at Sasuke and Kouri back and forth.
"Boruto, let's continue our training on another day, okay ? I have a date to go." Kouri said, apologizing Boruto at the end before she went to Sasuke's side. Sasuke who just shifted his eyes to normal, looked at her with warm heart. The effect Kouri have on him everytime they met.
She reached for Sasuke's hand and intertwined their fingers together as she asked of his day. They looked so happy together, now Boruto watched them from afar. The way Kouri smiled and looked at Sasuke convinced him that he had no chance over Kouri.
She had someone important with her, after all.
End.