A/N: As always, thank you to those who leave lovely comments and are voting.
The breaking of dawn indicated a new chance to right old wrongs, and to breathe new air, and another chance to hold those dear to you. The young and old birds tweeting their morning songs was just another affirmation of this, and the caress of the wind was an endearing stroke that promised good fortunes for those that fought for what they believed in.
Sasuke overlooked the lands beneath the clifftop he had steadied himself upon, and another stroke of the pen met a blank parchment, waiting to carry its duty. With every word he wrote, a tear tumbled down his cheek, making his words blur together on the paper.
Sakura,
I need to meet with you. It may be our last meeting.
Meet me at the Hokage tower next month. July 20th. 6pm. Naruto and the other Kages will be there. I will explain everything there.
I'm sorry.
Forgive me.
Sasuke's hand trembled as he struggled to write down the next words:
I love you.
Sasuke.
Sasuke's onyx eyes filled with torment followed his hawk's ascent into the sky, and watched as it flew away, taking his words from him, and delivering it to his wife. Hoping it would not break her, as it broke him.
***
The weeks had dragged by, and with every passing day, Sasuke's heart crushed into a million pieces knowing that the next time he would see his darling wife, may be the last in a long time. With the worries and sorrows that plagued his mind, sleep was not at his disposal, and Sasuke had begun fretting about whether he had truly forgiven himself for all that he had done.
This decision which he had made himself so long ago, but had only disclosed to the old members of Team 7 and the Hokage's adviser, Shikamaru, would soon be common knowledge between all the other Kages. By admitting what his real mission was all this time - and what it would continue to be - Sasuke would be tied down to the shinobi world for good. He would be known as the one who wandered around the darkest crevices of the earth, and uprooting the most infested species by his own hand, tracking them down with his gifted ocular abilities. It was the life that no man wanted to live: but one that he would have to. And his own past - and present - mistakes were confirmation to him that he could not complain about his current misfortune. If the safety of his family meant that he had to go on a thousand more redemption journeys, then so be it. Whether it was the duty of being a father, a husband, a best friend, or a shinobi, Sasuke would see through his role to the end - obediently.
The day had come to an end, but Sasuke could no longer take it anymore. He needed to see his wife. He needed to feel her body against him. He needed her. In every way possible. He opened up a black whirlpool of chakra before him and entered, passing through it until he found himself embraced in the confinements of her bedroom; the smell of her perfume clung onto his cloak like a desperate lover who no longer wanted to be parted from their other half.
Sasuke disrobed himself until he was standing in only his shirt and trousers. He had folded his cloak and waistcoat on the nightstand, his shoes placed neatly beside the bed. He could hear movement coming from the newer side of the house, and so he dropped a vase hoping to garner her attention. Soon enough, his wife came scurrying inside but skidded to a halt when she came eye to eye with her husband.
"Sasuke-kun! I wasn't expecting to see you until tomorrow!" she exclaimed in a hushed whisper.
She locked the door behind her and padded forward towards the broken vase, attempting to piece it together, but failing, and ultimately leaving it as a pile in the bin. Sasuke's eyes attempted to undress her, but her white bathrobe insultingly concealed every inch of her curves, and the black leggings she wore underneath hinted that she only wore the bathrobe for comfort, and for no other reason. Sasuke frowned at her choice of dressing for the night.
"I know," he muttered. "But I couldn't wait."
"Oh... Well, is it okay if you wait a bit longer? I was helping Sarada study for her exams tomorrow. I'm guessing Naruto thought if the people of the village are preoccupied with different tasks tomorrow then they won't bother him at the office..." her words faltered when she noticed the frown lines on Sasuke's forehead. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. I won't be longer than an hour."
"Half an hour," he demanded.
Sakura creased her eyes to slits and twisted her lips in protest. "Ah... I'll see what I can do Sasuke," she finally said.
When she turned around, he saw the Uchiha crest on her back and a jolt of pride surged through him, forcing a small smile to play on his lips as he waited with only thoughts of her lingering in his mind.
It was another forty minutes before his wife passed the threshold again.
"You're late," he commented, his face a blank expression with no hint of annoyance nor amusement painted on him.
"We were eating dinner," she defended herself. "I was able to sneak some up for you. Sarada is going to study some more, and then she'll be in bed after an hour or so. I told her I need an early night as I have a long shift tomorrow. So you have my full attention, don't worry, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke took the bento box clothed in a blue cloth which had the Uchiha crest stitched onto it. "Thanks," he mumbled. He sat on the bed and united the knot whilst Sakura sat beside him and took the chopsticks that were placed inside.
"Here, let me," she offered. He watched as she deftly scooped a handful of rice and salmon and skilfully let the imprisoned bundle of food fall within his parted lips. He watched in amusement as a light blush adorned her elegant features at the intimate moment they were both engulfed in. "Tamaki was kind enough to make us some of these cloths. This way the other kids would stop 'accidentally' taking Sarada's lunch at school," Sakura explained. "We have quite a few, so I can wrap up tomorrow's dinner for you."
Sasuke smiled at her thoughtfulness. Thank you. "In return, I've brought Sarada some clothes from Karin. And a new pair of glasses," he informed her as he handed her the scrolls from his satchel.
Sasuke's heart warmed as he saw Sakura's face brighten up with a smile that could be compared to the sun. "She's too sweet! The next time you see her, thank her from me," Sakura said gleefully. Sakura then looked at the empty bento box in her hand and stood up. "Ah, I'll just go and wash these," she said.
But before she could take another step, he took the box from her hand and placed it on the bookshelf. "Do it in the morning," he ordered her. "We have more important things to do."
She placed the chopsticks on top of the bento box and rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, of course. I suppose you want to talk to me about tomorrow-"
"No. No talking. Not tonight, Sakura."
"But-"
"Tonight, our bodies will do the talking," he preempted, as his onyx eye shone with lust, and he drew her closer to him until soft skin was meshed together with a hardened abdomen, their clothes being the only offenders coming inbetween the two lovers. His hand found her face and he caressed her cheeks, allowing the warmth of her skin to consume him until he felt like he would melt into her. His hand then slid lower, and lower still, until his hand was working to free her from the confinements of her bathrobe. As soon as the white cotton hit the floor, his mouth was on her collarbone, feeding into her until she was struggling to stifle a moan.
He could feel her hands climbing up his chest, attempting to free his naked skin from the infuriating clothes that shackled him. He drew away from her exposed neck for a second to help her dislodge his shirt, and then the rest of the clothes that at this present time was only a nuisance to him. His next move was to push her down onto the bed, but her strength was immeasurable and she prevented him from taking the lead any further. Her strength and the assumption of her intentions aroused him even further, his need only becoming stronger. She guided him towards the bed and pushed him down. He watched in amazement as she bit her lip slowly and seductively. She was a seductress. And he was her willing victim. His sharingan sprang forth and lazily swirled as he took in the act she was displaying for him. She shed her clothes like a snake sheds its skin, and he observed in delight as each of her motions were tactful and well-planned out, as if she had had a strategy devised for a night like this for a while.
After finding paradise together through a series of whispered names and sighs, and delicate touches that left them wanting more, he lay panting on the mattress beneath him, and turned his head to the left to see that his enchantress was doing the same. A satisfied smile both graced their lips, and he turned on his side so that he was facing her. He drank in all of her: her beauty and grace that only flourished in the light of the moon that had seeped in through the cracks of the curtains. The silver light illuminated her naked state, and she flourished beneath it. His only complaint was that she would not turn to face him, but instead she stood staring up at the ceiling.
"You know, I once told Naruto, that when a girl falls in love, her feelings don't change so easily," whether she was speaking to herself or to him, it was unbeknownst to him. "I still stand by that."
"You think it's different for a man?" he asked.
"What?" she finally turned to face him, her smile replaced with a quizzical look.
"It's nothing," he muttered.
"No, no. You can't just say that and not continue. Like I said, you have my full attention. So tell me, when was it that you fell in love with me, Sasuke Uchiha?" she probed.
Sasuke gulped. He had always managed to avoid that conversation. "I... I don't know," he replied, meekly. He saw the way her green eyes dulled, and so added, "But I know that I cared for you deeply when we were genin. I knew you were important to me. And so that time at the bridge... even though I knew what you were offering, to desert the village for me, was a lie. A part of me wanted to believe it. Seeing you again... it resurfaced old feelings... of you. And so it hurt even more when I knew you were attempting to assassinate me. Fighting with you... Sakura, you're the last person I've ever wanted to hurt. Even back then. Fighting with a true love is like boxing with no gloves. I never should have grabbed you like that-"
"Sasuke, stop. You don't have to-"
"Sakura, I want to. Let me apologise," he begged. He noticed how this was at least the second time when she had shut him down when he had attempted to apologise for his tainted past.
"No. You already have, Sasuke-kun. And besides, I didn't ask you to apologise to me. I've already forgiven you for all of that. I asked you when you fell in love," Sakura reminded him, her voice faltering at the memory of his dark past. Her lashes came down to protect her tears from falling, but they fell anyway. He removed the traces of her sorrows with a kiss on her tears.
"Maybe it was then," he whispered to her. Her eyes fluttered open at his confession. "Maybe it was when you forgave me. At daybreak. Or even before that, I don't know, Sakura. All I know is that I love you more than I can bear."
He felt her hand wrap around his torso, bringing him closer to her. He brought his own hand over her waist, and his lips to rest on her forehead, and it was like that they fell asleep. In each other's embrace, clothed in only each other. Never wanting to let go.
When he awoke in the morning, he felt the absence of his wife immediately. There was no pink strands of hair framing a loving face beside him, no soft skin wrapped around him, and no warm breaths tickling his body. He was about to drift back to sleep with a fresh twang in his heart, when he smelt the bitter smell of coffee near him. He rubbed his eyes only to see his wife sitting cross-legged on her pillow, adorned in her white bathrobe, sipping coffee as she read a newspaper.
He sat up beside her. "You didn't wake me up," he pointed out. "And you didn't bring me coffee."
He watched as she lowered the cup from her lips, and her green eyes widened at his comment. "Oh... I didn't think you'd want me to wake you up. Sorry, Sasuke," she apologised. She showed the contents of her mug to Sasuke and added, "I'd offer you some of mine, but as you can see it's finished now. Besides, I added quite a few spoons of sugar, so it'd be too sweet for you. I know you like it strong and bitter... and dark. Just like yourself," she giggled. "If you want, I can make you some now. Sarada's already left for school. Choji came with his daughter to pick her up ten minutes ago." She was about to hoist herself out of bed when Sasuke placed his hand on her knee.
"Don't bother," he stated. "I can still have a taste."
He heard a "Huh?" before he closed his lips against hers. Their lips moulded together, and he felt fully awakened by the act: whether it was her lips or the caffeine, he was not sure. But he knew it felt good. He placed his hand under her chin for good measure and deepened the kiss, before drawing away.
"You were right," he smirked at her as her face became a bright red. "Too sweet."
He took the mug from his speechless wife and clothed himself in a bathrobe he kept sealed in one of his scrolls, and made his way to the kitchen to make breakfast, which was soon followed by a well deserved shower.
The rest of the morning and the afternoon was spent with his wife who could barely muster anything the entire day they spent together. The teaching of chakra control, studying and cooking together, learning about more basics of healing and slow dances were all adorned with light blushes.
They were in the living room with the curtains drawn and candles lit. His hand rested on her lower cheeks and and her arms were flung over his neck as she nuzzled her face into his chest. They swayed together, their synchronising heartbeat the only music to their ears as they held onto each other as if their lives depended on it. As if, if they let go, either of them would forget how to work the natural orchestration of allowing oxygen to pass through their bodies. They were each other's life lines. Why would they let go?
He felt his shirt dampening, and so he raised his hand to her face, lifting her chin up until glassy green eyes stared back at him. "Sakura..." he whispered to her, hoping just her name alone would her soothe her.
She sniffled. "Sasuke, I know you said you didn't want to speak about it last night, but I need to know. What did you mean when you wrote that this would be our last meeting? What are you planning to do?" she interrogated him, flinging her open heart at him which she had been holding close to her chest all day.
He traced her tears with his index finger and hushed back, "Sakura. Let's not do this now. Let us savour these last moments."
Her right hand slid down to his chest and she gripped a fistful of his shirt as she spat out, "If you're planning to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the world, I will hunt your body cells down, you selfish bastard."
What was she saying?
Sasuke's brows rose in surprise for a split second, but then his eyes softened as to the realisation of what she had confessed. She would really be willing to use a forbidden jutsu to bring him back to life? "Sakura, I'm not planning on leaving you like that just yet," he consoled her.
She blinked back her tears and furrowed her pink brows. "Then what is it?" she asked.
"I'll explain everything later at the summit. I promise."
The last thing he said to his blushing wife before he left was, "If anyone asks, you haven't seen me."
***
At 5pm he met up with Naruto in his office. "Loser," he called upon entering.
"Ah, bastard! You made it! And you should really call me by my new title, you know!" Naruto grinned back at him from his Hokage seat.
"How does it feel to be a bigger loser than before, you idiot?" Sasuke asked. Sasuke threw his cloak across the room, and watched as Naruto grabbed it instinctively without hesitation, before placing in on the desk.
"Oi oi! You're talking to the Hokage, you know!" Naruto snapped back, refusing to wipe off the stupid grin off his face.
"Hn. The village is proud of you," Sasuke said. Naruto leaned forward in his desk, studying Sasuke's stoic expression before concluding, "A-HA! That's your way of saying you're proud of me, isn't it, Sasuke?" Naruto assessed.
"Whatever," Sasuke retorted back, before offering a small knowing smile at his best friend.
"Sasuke, I've missed you, you know," Naruto happily shared, leaning back into his comfy office chair. "It's good to have you in the village."
"Don't get used to it," he mumbled back.
At that comment, Naruto's face became serious. "Gaara and Kurotsuchi are already here at the village. We're still waiting on Chojuro and Darui, though," Naruto informed him. "So are you going to tell me what this is about? Why you asked me to call them all the way over here? Because if they ask me, I have nothing to offer them."
"That's your problem," Sasuke said.
"HEY!"
"Don't worry, I'll be at the meeting. I'll explain everything there."
~
It was 5:57pm, and all the Kages had assembled at the Hokage tower with Shikamaru guarding the door to not allow any unauthorised personnel to enter.
"It's been a long time, Uchiha," Gaara greeted Sasuke formally.
"Ah, yes it has," Sasuke greeted him back.
"And you're still as handsome as ever," the new Tsuchikage winked at him. "Too bad you're taken," she sighed. "It's always the handsome ones."
"If you're not careful, you'll turn into a crazy hag like the Fifth Mizukage," Darui chipped in.
"Hey! Don't say anything bad about Lady Mizukage!" the new Mizukage hit back.
Sasuke looked around him and wondered how the shinobi world would keep afloat with these fools as leaders. And the biggest fool was standing beside him...
"Eh, Sasuke! Everyone's here, so why don't we start, huh? You're the one who wanted all us Kages assembled," Naruto probed him, cutting the petty squabbles to a stop.
All eyes were on him. It was still 5:59pm, and so his only excuse was - "It's not 6pm yet." But his lame excuse was drowned out by shouting outside the guarded door.
"Shikamaru, you let me in or I'll break down this door!"
"Ehehe... Sakura, please... It's only authorised people today..."
"I know Sasuke's in there! So let me in!"
"This isn't the time or place to have a domestic-"
"It's not about that! I know there's a conference going on. I know it includes the fate of the shinobi world. Don't you know who I am? I'm-"
"His wife, I know. As he keeps saying-"
"No! I mean, yes, but-" Sasuke imagined Sakura's cheeks flamed in red as she sputtered out, "I'm one of those who ended the Fourth War! Without me, you wouldn't be standing here today. So you let me in, you troublesome little-"
"If she asks, I wasn't flirting with you earlier," the Tsuchikage whispered to Sasuke.
The door swung open and in came a pink haired kunoichi and the Hokage's adviser who looked like he wanted nothing more than to evaporate and join the clouds. "Sorry about that," Shikamaru apologised half-heartedly.
"It's fine," Sasuke said, shutting down any further conversation from erupting.
Naruto looked between Sasuke and Sakura with one brow raised, trying to decipher what the hell just happened. Before Naruto could speculate any further, Sasuke cleared his throat so that all attention was on him, and him alone. Any curious eyes that were on Sakura dissipated, and were now only fixated on the Uchiha by blood.
"Hear me out..." he began. "The reason I assembled everyone today... Naruto and I managed to to seal Kaguya away, but... despite her formidable power she was still trying to create an army of white Zetsu in preparation for war. That's always bothered me, and I've been tracing her roots," he confessed to his wife, the five Kage and some of their advisers.
"And I learned that the white Zetsu soldiers... existed long before shinobi ever did," he continued. It was what he had been able to piece together from the pieces of intel he had gathered that Shikamaru had been able to piece together for him.
"What does it mean?" Darui asked, leaning forward in anticipation.
Sasuke closed his eyes. "This part... is purely conjecture, but..." Sasuke looked at the Kages sitting before him, wanting them to take his next words seriously. "What I believe this indicates is... the possibility that something that'd frighten even Kaguya could one day appear..."
He let his words hang in the air for a while, before his wife voiced what perhaps every one else was thinking. "You mean there's another Kaguya type out there somewhere?!" she asked in desperation, hoping that her interpretation of his words were incorrect.
He turned to his wife who was holding her left fist to her chest as if ready to punch any threat into oblivion. "It's not out of the question," he told her.
At this confirmation, the Mizukage spoke up. "But... how're we supposed to explain that to people who haven't finished recovering from this war?!" He asked, keeping in mind the shinobi in his village who did not have an advanced mental health facility like Konoha. "The enemy's just too vague..."
"Yeah, it's still only a guess. It'll merely inflame anxiety," the Tsuchikage pitched in. "We ought to keep it to ourselves, the Gokage council, for now."
"I agree," the Kazekage commented.
Naruto turned to Sasuke and suggested, "Sasuke, I'll join you and-"
But Sasuke was quick to interject. "You stay and protect the village as Hokage. I with my rinnengan am the only one who can look into this," Sasuke reminded the Hokage. "You do what you're meant to do... and I'll do what I'm meant to do. That's the collaboration you always wanted, isn't it?"
His words stunned Naruto into silence, as he knew full well that his words held the truth, and that what Naruto had always wanted was a brotherhood with him to help maintain peace. Sasuke was offering Naruto something that the blonde could not turn down, no matter which way he looked at it.
Sasuke turned his attention back to the rest of the room: the other four Kages. "Listen," he said, garnering back their full attention. "Treat my movements as a top secret mission known only to the councillors here.
"The future ought to stay bright. Am I wrong?"
And with that final closing statement, it was unanimously agreed that Sasuke would continue to track down whatever threat Kaguya was afraid of. And he would do it alone.
A look of longing passed between the Uchiha couple that went unnoticed by everyone else, except for... "Hey, hey. What is it with you two?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded. "I swear you two haven't seen each other in years, yet-"
"Naruto," Sasuke said, causing Naruto to stop overthinking. "We should go and make preparations. I'll need all the information I've gathered from the past few years into one scroll."
"Hmm... That'll take a few hours to do..." Naruto contemplated. Sasuke was sure that even as the matured Hokage he was now, Naruto could barely multitask without the use of his shadow clone jutsu, and by occupying him with a lengthy task, he would be sure to drop the subject about himself and Sakura.
Sasuke dragged Naruto away from the rest of the group after he shared a hug with Gaara, and promised to get a drink with him the next day, and said farewells to the rest of the Kages as well as Sakura-chan.
Sasuke kept Naruto preoccupied with conversation on how they would protect the future, most of the conversation leading back to the scroll they were putting together. They had eventually made their way back to the room where the conference was held, and Sasuke had left his cloak on the cushioned bench in front of him, where the Kazekage had sat only a few hours before. Both saviours of the world looked outside and reflected upon the past, present and future.
The evening drifted away, until all that was left was a blank canvas of the night sky, with not a star in sight. It was a strange thing for a city that was usually gifted with starlight was suddenly repressed from its blessings. Like he had not seen his Sarada for so many years, maybe this was the point where even the stars would start to fade away from him, abandoning him, as he had abandoned her... and now his wife.
"...Shadow Hokage," Naruto suggested.
"What?"
"Idiot! Don't ignore me. As I was saying, I may be the Hokage from inside the village, but as the protector from the outside, you're like the Shadow Hokage," Naruto insisted.
"Hn." Sasuke swooped up his cloak and concealed himself and his katana beneath it. The finality of his actions was understood by his companion, as Naruto asked, "Are you leaving already?"
"I'll send word if I find anything," Sasuke responded, as he finished clasping his cloak on at the front.
Naruto turned to face Sasuke, and intruded into his personal affairs once more. "It wouldn't hurt to stop by your house, would it?"
Sasuke didn't plan on entertaining any of Naruto's suspicions, and so he replied with the only way he knew how: by addressing his mission at hand. "The existence of a threat like Kaguya, who nearly destroyed the world, could arise again if we're not diligent." Sasuke's stern onyx eye flickered towards Naruto. "We can't afford to ignore any trace of it."
Naruto seemed to accept that as an answer as he agreed with, "It was a peace that was secured with huge sacrifices, after all."
"This is... also a journey of atonement for me," Sasuke confessed, thinking back to how he had been the cause of Sarada's poor sight, and how he had been too much of a coward to be upfront with his wife about it. Sakura had been right; the night Naruto had become Hokage, Sasuke was clouded with emotions. How could he have reentered his daughter's life knowing that he hadn't yet atoned for his sins?
"No one has any bitterness towards you anymore," Naruto assured him with a hint of amusement in his voice. But Sasuke wasn't so sure about that. Even if it were true... Would Sakura really forgive him after years of deceit and secrecy, when he himself had made her swear to not keep secrets? Could he live with himself? Despite his frantic thoughts, he hoped Naruto would not catch on to his wavers, however, Naruto turned to face Sasuke once again and tried to sway his decisions once more. "Come on, Sasuke, together we can..."
But Sasuke interjected once more and corrected him. "I'm the only one, with my rinnengan, who can search for traces of Kaguya," he protested. "You do what you're meant to do, and I'll do what I'm meant to," he reiterated, hoping Naruto would get off his back and accept their fates. His fate. And to drive it home even further, he added once more, "Isn't this the collaboration you always wanted?" Not wanting to hear any further protests, Sasuke turned towards the exit and affirmed, "Listen, treat my movements as a top secret mission that only the top brass know about."
But just as he was about to reach for the door handle, Naruto's voice of reason cut through. "Not knowing anything hurts, you know. Sarada should, at least..." Naruto spoke solemnly.
Sasuke faced Naruto and gave him a slither of the truth. "Knowing will only create unnecessary anxiety," he affirmed, knowing how just his unexpected absences had once affected her so deeply. At least this way, his absences were steady, and she could live some sort of normality without him.
"She may resent you some day," Naruto pointed out.
Sasuke was already aware of Naruto's fears, and so all he had left to say, was, "Even if she does. The future ought to stay bright. Am I wrong?" he challenged Naruto again.
Naruto hesitated with an answer, and so Sasuke left Naruto puzzled at his best friend's marital and familial relations. Sasuke left the Hokage tower, and waited in the alleyway outside the hospital for a well-known pink-haired medical director. As if on cue, she jumped down a window and greeted him.
"Sasuke-kun, I thought you would have left already by now," she admitted, her brows knitting together as she worried on her lip.
With his hand in his pocket, he lifted himself off the wall he was leaning on and tread towards the figment of his most ethereal dreams. "I needed to see you one last time," he told her. "And I need to know that you'll be okay."
She wrung her hands in front of her clothed navel and looked up at his crimson red eye. "Is this really the last time, Sasuke? Won't you come back?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Her petite frame before him, the unshed tears that threatened to form in her pristine jade eyes, and her floral pink hair were almost enough to make him take back the words he had spoken in the summit. But he had made a promise to those he loved, and to those the rest of the world depended upon for security, and he would not let them down. His heart felt like thorns and shards of glass all wrapped up in one heavy bag, and he could barely imagine how the beauty in front of him felt.
"I can't waste anymore time," he choked out.
"How long...?" she asked, trying her best to hold his stare.
As long as it takes.
The only sound that could be heard was the rustling of the nearby trees. When he didn't answer her, she whispered, "I understand, Sasuke-kun. You don't have to worry about us. Sarada has me, so you don't need to worry about sending money or anything else. She'll be fine, as she has been." She had answered the anxieties which he hadn't even forced himself to face, and he loved her for it even more. Surely, sometimes her eyes could penetrate the heart and see better than his majestic eyes.
As if she could read his heart like an open book, her right hand slowly ascended until it parted his bangs on the left side of his face. The purple ripples of his rinnengan bore into her, and he could almost hear her own heart thudding with You're so beautiful.
"I trust that Sarada will be fine with you. More than fine. But... I worry about you the most," he professed. "If you ever feel alone... just know that I'm here-" He brought his index finger and poked her heart. "-And here," he informed her as he poked her diamond seal. She let out a small burst of laughter and touched her seal, almost as if by touching the same spot where his fingers had lingered just moments before, it would seal this moment forever, and keep the two lovers frozen in time where no connected hearts needed to be severed or broken. The broken smile she gave him fluttered his ruptured heart in response.
"You don't need to worry about me Sasuke... It's because, as long as I have a piece of you, as long as I have Sarada, I know I'll always be connected to you. I know I'll always be with you, and you with me. Your home is beside me, and this is where we will be waiting. And so we will wait. As long as we are under the same sky, for that day I will wait, silently and strongly... until you have done your good deeds and when the time is right, we can be a family once again," Sakura soothed his aching heart with her words of love and ardour, with her voice as soft as silk. But what was meant to mend him only broke him further. His knees buckled under him, and his head fell forward until he was a deconstructed mess, and not the silent saviour of the world he was meant to be. He sobbed into her red dress, but none of her touches could appease him. It was only when she knelt down and took his face into her hands and kissed his temple did he stifle the pain that had leaked out from his accursed eyes.
"Sasuke, I meant what I said. We'll be waiting, and thank you for today. It meant a lot to me," she told him as she stroked his hair. "Thank you for spending your time with me."
He brought his fingers to feel her hair one last time. The silkiness of the pink threads of fate which had brought him back home time and time again now slipped away each time he tried to grasp it. In the end his hand went to her back and he brought her into a hug.
"It was nothing. I just wanted to show you how grateful I am to you. So, Sakura, thank you for being my wife," he thanked her, gratitude thrumming each word as it spilled from his lips. He felt her arms tighten around him before relaxing again. Together, they both brought themselves up and spoke their last farewells.
"It's time," Sakura observed, her voice deflating as she spoke the inevitable parting.
"Ah, it is," he agreed solemnly.
"Remember that in order to use your rinnengan and mangekyo sharingan for long periods of time simultaneously, you need to ensure your chakra control is strong and thin like a thread swimming through the hole of a needle," she fussed over him, reminding him of their conversation earlier in the day.
"Hn."
"And remember to heal yourself whenever you get the chance. You also need to eat and bathe as often as you can. Tonight's dinner is packed and sealed in your scroll so-"
"I know, Sakura."
"And Sasuke-kun?"
"What is it?"
"I love you."
She had freed a smile from his shattered face, and he closed the distance between them with a kiss full of longing, passion and hope. I love you. A thousand times over. I swear I love you.
And so, a wife was left in a cold and desolate alley, with only the footsteps of her estranged husband walking away from her. She counted each step he took until even his shadows had escaped her vision. He was gone, and who knew when he would return?
For him, he felt like he was forever walking away from home. Walking away from his beloveds. But as the dawn broke into the sky once again, he reminisced of a time when dawn had once symbolised a new start in life: a new way to see the world. To see the flowers bloom, to feel the sun's warm rays come down and shower every being in love, and to see the stars twinkle with pride at night, waiting patiently for the next morning.
Sasuke reflected on Sakura's words: As long as we are under the same sky, for that day I will wait, silently and strongly... Even if he were to be under a different sky, he knew that her love knew no bounds and it would reach him even in the most coldest, loneliest nights, just as it had many times before. Sasuke knew that for days to come, the silent morning chill would dictate the tales of Sakura and Sasuke, and that their love for each other would be heard in the wind. For months to come, the morning sun rays would rejoice at her ever-forgiving attitude laced with compassion, and he would be able to continue to embrace her forgiveness wherever he journeyed. For years to come, those that had been healed by her hands would tell the stories of how she was once loved by a man who at first glance, seemed to have a heart of stone, but as you peered closer, and sealed away the cracks and crevices that had surfaced after years of trauma, all you would find was a loving and gentle soul.
He let the dawn embrace him, and he continued on his journey of atonement.
A/N: I desperately want to finish writing this fanfic, but at the same time I don't want to stop?
I think I want to stop after Sasuke Retsuden but I'm unsure of when that happens in the anime/manga timeline. Somewhere in between, right?
Also, I love the SasuSakuSara content the anime has been feeding us lately, ahhh. Although I was quite anxious as I feared that some scenes may contradict with my story, as I want to ensure my story is canon-compliant, but instead it worked in my favour! That episode about Sakura worried about Sarada's eyes? Perfect! Sasuke being overprotective over Sarada? Perfect!
Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? What did you think of my take with the Kage summit/conference?
Let me know!