Wednesday, 21st of June
""Where is he?"
"He said he had to go on a short mission but that's it."
"He always does that!" shouted the pinkette angrily. "He always leaves and comes back hoping that we will act as if nothing happened. I'm tired of this."
"Sakura... you know we are ninjas right? We need to go on missions.""
The conversation Sakura had with Naruto a week ago was haunting her. She knew she was just trying to find something to be mad about because she could feel her heart opening up to him again. It scared her.
She was on her way to the gates of the village to collect some herbs for a preparation when she saw a group walking towards her. Her eyes accustomed to the faded light and she saw who it was. "Sasuke..." she tried to walk back towards the village when a voice stopped her in her tracks.
"Sakura?"
A faint smile lit up her face. He did come after her. She turned around to face him, her eyes analysing his body to make sure he wasn't hurt. Of course he wasn't. His clothes were impeccable, well they were already destroyed from his travels anyway, and not a sign of dirt on his face. A D-rank mission was like going on a walk for him. Nonetheless she was still reassured to see him fine.
"I'm home."
She looked up and drowned her eyes into his. For the first time he didn't look away. None of them talked but their silence meant so much more to the pink kunoichi. She caught herself wanting to take his hand and hold it. "No, I can't do that. If I do it it's the end and I'll be back to where I was a year ago." She was the first one to look away not knowing what to do. He frowned at that action. She gazed back at the team accompanying Sasuke.
"Welcome back!" she said with a smile. Her eyes looked at their disheveled bodies. Her smile grew bigger, they were just children. One of them ran up to her.
"Ha-Haruno-san? I... I can't believe I am talking to you. One day I want to become a medic as successful as you. I... sorry."
Before she backed away Sakura took her hand in hers.
"Well then I wish you all the best. Being a medic is about saving people and helping them, you should be proud to have such a dream."
The little girl laughed and ran back to her team. The four of them walked in direction of the tower. They all nodded at the sight of Sasuke.
"I'll go and report to the Hokage. He will be pleased to know what you did during that mission. Thank you, Sasuke-san."
Sakura raised her eyebrows. It was the first time she heard someone calling his name with respect and no hatred or anything like that. Even he seemed surprised.
Both their gaze followed the group walking away leaving Sakura and Sasuke together. She turned around to him with a smirk.
"Sasuke-san, eh? What happened over there?"
"We got attacked. They weren't prepared for that so I fought."
Her smirk turned into a genuine smile.
"Well, you should be proud of yourself then. You being respected by the villagers is a good thing. You can stay here safe now."
"Hn."
He started walking away leaving her behind. She put her head down, maybe he wasn't that different.
"Are you coming?"
Her face lifted up and she saw him looking at her with a small smirk. The both teammate walked side by side towards the village that they both cherished, their shoulders nearly touching.
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That same evening Sasuke was asked at the Hokage's office in an emergency.
"Sasuke," started Kakashi." I heard what you did yesterday. It seems like you are here with good intentions. That's surprising but it's nice."
"Why did you want me here?"
"I remembered the letter you sent me while you were away talking about the traces of Kaguya you felt around the world. I didn't know what to do with that information but now that I know your intentions I need you to go on a mission for an indefinite amount of time. Go and research that, you're the only one who can. Leave during the week. You won't have to pass that chunnin exam."
Sasuke nodded. He knew that it was eventually going to come. Suddenly he remembered something from two years ago.
"Kakashi, I have a promise that I need to keep."
The white haired man nodded.
"You can take her with you."
Sasuke's face lit up slightly. It was a reaction only visible to Kakashi who knew him. Shikamaru didn't notice anything.
Before he could open the door Kakashi interrupted him.
"She is liked and needed here. Make sure you protect her and bring her back alive."
"She doesn't need protection."
Without waiting for an answer he left the room.
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Kakashi laid back on his chair.
"You were right, Hokage-sama. Sasuke has good intentions."
"I really hope so. His intentions towards this mission could impact our world forever, that's why I am letting her go with him. She might keep him on his good side."
"By her you mean Sakura, right?"
"Hn. She was always the one who was able to get through to him. Her and Naruto. Let's hope that this time things will go without problems."
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Sakura was cooking her dinner late today. She went back to work for a few hours only to see how the clinic was doing. She was pleased with everything and hoped that in the future she will be able to do even more than what she was doing now. A knock on her door made her jump a little bit.
"It's probably Ino or Naruto." she said to herself with a smile.
She left her kitchen quickly to open. Sakura opened the door with a smile on her face, smile that quickly faded when she saw Sasuke standing in front of her.
"Sasuke...?"
"Hn."
He pushed her aside and walked into the room. His eyes inspected his surroundings. She let him settle down before she spoke.
"Can I do something for you?"
He took his time to turn around with a blank expression on his face. The silence felt heavier than when they saw each other this morning.
"I have to go on a mission."
Sakura raised her eyebrows. Why was he telling her about it? Did Naruto told him about her reaction to his departure?
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Sasuke stared at Sakura hoping for a reply to make it easier for him. Seeing that it wasn't coming he looked towards the kitchen. It smelled nice here and his stomach made his hunger known to his team mate. He blushed slightly and shortly looked at her. She was already smiling.
"You can stay for dinner if you want."
He didn't give her a response not knowing what to say to her.
"Make yourself at home!"
He watched her back going back to the kitchen.
He started to wander around her living room when he stopped in front of a picture. It was the old photo of the team 7. The three of them still very young and far from being the people they were today. He put down the frame and held the next one. Team 7 older and with... Sai? He felt angry at the sight of the man there. He didn't belong on the photo.
"We should take a new one now that you're back. You know with Kakashi and Naruto."
He grinned at the fact that she didn't mention Sai. Just as he thought, Sai was just replacement.
"Hey... dinner is served, come on."
He turned his back on the photos and faced her real face this time. She was standing next to the table smiling. Two fuming plates were on the table. The sight brought him back to when he was a child. His dad facing his mom as he and his brother sat down to eat. His mom was smiling the exact same way as Sakura was. His heart shattered in his chest but he still sat down not showing anything.
The two ate in silence glancing at each other. Sasuke felt calm and content. It was agreeable to eat with someone else for once, someone who knew when to speak and when to stay quiet.
"So, you are going on a mission?"
Sasuke put down his spoon and looked at the woman in front of him. Her green eyes were piercing through his walls.
"I owe you a journey, I believe."
He watched as her delicate hand pushed a strand of her pink hair away from her face. She was slightly blushing.
"Is that your mission? To bring me on a journey? Because if that's the case then it's a no."
He kept staring at her hypnotised by something but he couldn't say what.
"It's not that. I have to investigate something. I just asked Kakashi if you could come with me."
A small smile appeared on her lips which made him warm. No one had ever smiled like that to him since his mother.
"Very well then. When are we leaving?"
"In two days."
After Sakura gave him a real smile this time they finished their food in silence. Sasuke looked at his future teammate. A travel with her and her alone would have been a challenge in the past but today it seemed normal to him. Since he had come back he was trying to put a word on the new Sakura and now he knew which one fit: pretty.