#sakura haruno mood board

[pfpanimes]

Could you do a Sakura Haruno mood board please?

Ty 🥹

done 😘

[pxnkpxp]

\ sakura - love \

“i believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word”

[fanficlibraryposts]

Naruto Mood Board

A Naruto mood board to go with my Naruto fic recs.

[peppermonsterofficial]

I made these to post on my Twitter Freshcrackedpep but I figured I would post them here too for people to enjoy, if they choose.

Team 7, Assemble.

[barbellina]

My AU team mood boards💜❤💙💚

[powerful-niya]

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Heartbreaks & Heartaches

𝕄𝕒𝕣𝕔𝕙 𝟙 | ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕥 𝟙

•°𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒂𝒚•°

𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯: (𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘸)  

જ⁀➴ 

| 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘢𝘥 | 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 | 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.𝘯𝘦𝘵 |

✦𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬

"𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳." 𝘚𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴.   "𝘏𝘮, 𝘯𝘰, 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘵’𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬," 𝘕𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘚𝘢𝘬𝘶𝘳𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.   "𝘐'𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘴."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

✧𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬 

જ⁀➴ | 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘢 | 𝘥𝘰𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘶 | 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘶 | 𝘦𝘮𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘶 | 𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘶 | 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘶 |  𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧 | 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 | 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵 | 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 | 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 |

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

✦𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 ↠ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝟏

𝑯𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒂 𝑯𝒚𝒖𝒈𝒂 💙

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

𝑵𝒂𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒐 𝑼𝒛𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊. 🤍

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

✧𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝟖𝐤.

✦𝑻𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒓 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒕: 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕: 𝟒𝐤.

✦ ✧Preview 

"Ah! It's my lunch break! I'll be right back, everyone!"

"Oh, so soon, Miss, Hyuga?"

"We really need your help here!"

"And here!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, my dearies. I'll be back in thirty minutes. My stomach's rumbling!"

Blue eyes that could rival the ocean itself stared back at a midnight blue-haired woman that slipped past a sliding door, working away from her coworkers to instead walk across the porcelain floor of the Konoha central hospital.

Dressed in all white, the young surgeon was seen trotting down the hallway in a quick stride while holding a floral, lavender lunch box in one hand while her other hand held a clear board with many papers snuggled underneath the clip.

The young man stared back at the surgeon in awe, completely beguiled by the midnight blue-haired woman that was steadily walking away from him. The blonde, blue-eyed male in question was just kinda... standing in the middle of the hallway, awkwardly. 

Many doctors and even nurses walked by while giving him confused and even annoyed looks. But he didn't seem to care. He didn't notice the many looks that were shot toward him. He didn't notice the many voices that filled up the busy area around him. Such voices belonged to both males and females of all ages, nothing but chatter filling up the buys area the male in question occupied.

A lot of movement was made throughout the place, walking, pushing, and pulling patients on stretchers. But the blonde remained put.

Ding! Ding!

Beep, beep, beep!

Such sounds that came from electronic machines in patients' rooms fell on death's ears as the male's eyes lay fixated on the moving surgeon that passed him.

The young woman before him was quite the looker, he couldn't help but stare. And of course, he's been waiting for this moment all day.

Miss Hyuga, had clear porcelain skin, and long, gorgeous hair that was now pulled up into a messy bun due to her profession. She also possessed soft facial features and that includes her pretty doe eyes which had a lavender tint to them. Such a feature was one the blonde EMT worker has never seen before in his entire life, not from any individual he's met ever before.

No.

Such eyes held warmth inside, positivity, confidence, and cheerfulness. Just looking into her eyes often made patients calm and of course, safe within her care. The blonde has seen some of the most panicked people grow peaceful and harmonious once he hands them over to Hinata who instantly makes it her top mission to cure their pain and discomfort.

But the surgeon's eyes weren't just unique but the young woman as a whole.

She was unique.

She was intelligent, skillful, and reliable. She was the finest surgeon worker the world's laid eyes on. She saved many lives, and helped many families more than any other surgeon in any other village.

Konoha Hospital's charts hold all the evidence to support such a claim.

Because the blonde surely thought so. He thought she was unique, actually more so. He looked at the midnight blue-haired woman as an angel that possessed miracle hands that blesses anyone she touches.

And he wanted her to touch his life too; to bless him with her marvelous uniqueness.

Naruto Uzumaki, the EMT worker that had grown feelings for Miss Hyuga was an everyday emergency medical technician where his work is set apart from the hospital. He instead handles his business on the streets, of the village. He worked alongside his other comrades to save those that needed help by taking a vehicle. Ambulance.

The blonde helped many lives as well by taking panicked and troubled victims from all across the town directly to the hospital so doctors and surgeons like his oh-so-sweet crush could then do the rest. Save the patients.

He was helpful, yes. He's saved many lives as well, some instances with his bare hands but Naruto did not feel as though his skills were as proficient as Hinata's. Her skills were talked about all across town. Many people find it remarkable how easily she's able to operate under crazy conditions and execute her tasks gracefully.

She never looks tense. She never looks troubled. She was calm and collected as she went about her work.

Naruto saw Hinata as someone of high status; superior. To him, she was on an entirely different level than he was. He thought she was way out of his league which is the exact reason why his feelings remained locked up within his heart. That is also why he cannot speak to her about anything that's not work-related. He only keeps their conversations professional.

He can't just go blurting out his feelings to a person of her caliber. He'll look like a complete baka. She deserves someone more.

A lone sigh escaped the uniformed blonde but his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden voice. A voice that he knew all too well.

"Naruto. Psst. Hey, you're doing it again."

"Psst. Snap out of it, you idiot!"

Naruto gave his head a furious shake as his mind took in what the familiar voice had just said to him. Snap out of it...

His blue eyes widened. Oh crap.

"Damn it. I've spaced out again." He whispered.

"Yes, you most certainly did." The voice once again responded which led the blonde to finally turn his body around so he was met with the individual behind the voice.

Instantly upon seeing his comrade, his face lit up in joy. Sakura Haruno.

Sakura stood beside Naruto's frozen body with her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair was pink, a very rare and bold color to have in the medical field. In fact, Sakura was the only woman on the EMT team that had pink hair so you can spot her from a mile away. Her hair was quite pretty in Naruto's eyes.

Her hair was also short, the strands stopping at her shoulders where her EMT uniform was then presented.

Naruto and Sakura both wore an oversized black bulky vest which read EMT on the backside. Underneath the vest, they both wore a black long-sleeved shirt with the collar popped out around their necks.

Down below, cutting across the bottom of the EMT vest laid a green and white design that also read, Konoha EMT in the very middle.

Naruto's and Sakura's pants were all black and also made out of polyester, the fabric nice and thick so their skin was safe from environmental substances that could splatter on their clothing while in action.

For their feet, both of them had black boots which rose up high on their ankles to also cover their skin from the environment.

They were pretty suited up which would occasionally bother Naruto. It wouldn't be him to act out. And usually, he would complain about the heat. But his comrades knew such complaints only came from a comical place. Naruto knew better than to complain due to the position he was in with him seeing injured people on the daily. So his comments only showed off his character. Humorous and outgoing.

But at the moment, that particular side of Naruto was long gone and that was because of the familiar surgeon that was walking before the two EMT workers, their eyes steadily tracking her.

Sakura glanced over at the woman and back at Naruto who seemed to fall back into his frozen state again. The pink-haired EMT worker shook her head, "You know you can simply just say hi to her. There's nothing wrong with being friendly-"

"No! No, I can't do that."

Sakura's pink eyebrows furrowed at the blonde's hysterical comment, his head whipping towards her which caused his blonde locks to sway and slap him directly in the eyes. But he didn't even flinch. His attention was now solely on Sakura who managed to bring a blush on the young male's whiskered face.

He shook his head again at her, "I can't talk to her, Sakura-chan. I just can't."

"And why the hell not? You've talked to her before, haven't you?" Sakura's eyes averted when she heard a few giggles nearby, her light green eyes landing on two smiling nurses passing by Naruto who was clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.

The pink-haired girl groaned in annoyance, her eyes shifting to look ahead of her, just where the surgeon was located, the one she and Naruto were talking about just seconds ago. But looking forward, the EMT worker instantly saw that the dark-haired woman was gone, completely vanished from view. But Sakura knew where Miss Hyuga's intended designation was.

The lounge.

One thing she's heard about Miss Hyuga around the building is that she never leaves the hospital. She never stops working. She's a hardworking woman that's dedicated to her job and only her job.

Gossip always breaks out about the young woman and many question if she even had a family, a significant other, or even friends outside of work. No one truly knows the background of Miss Hyuga and of course, no one likes prying so no one does.

Miss Hyuga is a mystery.

Sakura gave her tongue a click before moving over to her knucklehead friend who was now grinning like an idiot. It seemed all he needed to have his day uplifted was to see his crush.

But Sakura was going to make it her mission to force Naruto to reveal those mushy feelings that are locked inside him. She was going to get him to finally confess to the lucky lady he looks up to. That is, Hinata Hyuga.

Sakura smirked before grabbing Naruto's arm to pull him onward, surprising the male, "You're not off the hook that easily, Naruto. Let's take this chat elsewhere."

Instantly, the blonde's smile was wiped clean off by his comrades' response, a groan of exasperation escaping his lips.

"Ah no! Sakura-chan!!"

-A Few Minutes Later-

Naruto let out a sigh, shifting his wrist over to check the watch that was on it.

'It's almost noon.' Naruto thought to himself.

Now sitting at a lone park bench by the hospital, Naruto removed his eyes from his watch to look back at the pink-haired woman in front of him who was happily sipping away at a cup of coffee she bought herself at the hospital's cafeteria.

Sakura sipped on the cup with a satisfying hum, light steam steadily rising from the inside of the cup letting Naruto know that the beverage was extremely hot.

The blonde let out an annoyed groan, moving one arm to prop it up on the table. He also opened his hand so he could lie his head on it.

"Sakura-chan, why can't we talk about this later? Aren't we on call?"

Sakura's eyes shifted from her styrofoam cup towards Naruto's grumpy person, her head tilting to the side in amusement upon seeing a light blush still taking over his tan features.

She shook her head, placing her coffee down on the table to free her hands, "We have plenty of time to talk, Naruto. We're in the process of rotation which gives us lots of time to rest while the others take over."

Naruto groaned due to Sakura's response. He knew that the two were not on the clock but in fact on 'rotation,' just as Sakura has previously mentioned.

Rotation is a process Naruto and Sakura have to follow throughout the entire week. The process works like a circle.

A group of EMT workers, usually four people are paired together to work the morning shift. But when noon hits, the process of rotation starts which means a different group of EMT workers is called in to work the afternoon shift until evening comes. Only then, do the group that worked the morning shift comes back, and so on and so forth.

Sakura and Naruto are paired together so the two work morning and evening shifts on certain days. But because it's after 12 am, they are on break which means the two EMT workers have all the time in the world to talk.

And Naruto hated it. He thought he could worm himself out of the conversation. He absolutely disliked Sakura's intentions.

The blonde pouted, "Come on, Sakura-chan! Don't do this, please!"

"Oh, I'm definitely doing this and you're going to cooperate. Capiche?" Sakura responded back with an amused smirk, her arms folded over the other, pressed down against the wooden table underneath her.

Naruto flicked a small pebble from the table before shifting his eyes back onto Sakura. He fought the urge to stick his tongue out at her. But obediently, he complied. He didn't want to test her wrath after all. Sakura shows a really scary side of her when he manages to annoy her. He had to be careful. But that didn't mean he liked that he was complying.

"Ugh, fine." He muttered but in a whiny tone, a tone that could rival a baby throwing a tantrum which made Sakura laugh.

"Oh, hush. I just simply wanna know more about this.." Sakura moved her body a bit as she thought of the right word to describe Naruto's secret crush on Konoha's most specialized surgeon. Sakura smirked, "unrequited love you have with Hinata-san."

Naruto's shoulders slumped, very taken aback by the description Sakura came up with about his hidden feelings for the Hyuga surgeon.

"Unrequited love? Damn, you make my life sound miserable, Sakura-chan."

Sakura giggled at Naruto's gloomy response, "Well, isn't it though? The love you share for Hinata is a little one-sided, sadly, but ya know you can change that. You simply have to confess-"

As soon as the word, confess, left Sakura's lips, Naruto moved to cut her off, pouncing up so his body was no longer slouching forward but now erect, fully erect within his seat.

"Sakura-chan, no, I can't possibly do that. I can't possibly confess to Hinata. She's gonna laugh at me!"

"She's not gonna laugh at you, Naruto. She's a doll."

"No, I'll look like a complete idiot. I probably won't even be able to form any words around her."

"I think you'll do just fine, Naruto. You'll only look like an idiot if you don't man up and just talk to her, at least ask her out on a date."

"Are you kidding me? Ask Miss Hinata, the busiest woman in the entire village on a date? Hell no." Naruto let out a huff, completely taken aback by Sakura's pressure. He didn't understand why it was so important to Sakura for him to confess to his crush. It's his problem and his problem alone.

Naruto gave his temples a rub with his fingers, "Do you even know what you're asking me?" He retorted back with another annoying little blush on his cheeks, an unwanted detail.

But this go-round, Sakura didn't find the blush nor Naruto's responses amusing. It really began to irk her. She didn't understand the issue.

Sakura has known Naruto for a very long time, ever since high school. Hell, the two of them stuck together all the time, hip to hip. The both of them decided to enter the medical business together and in the end, they became EMT workers.

Sakura always knew Naruto to be bold, risk-taking, and fun. A challenge was never a real challenge for him. He was able to conquer any obstacle that came his way. Such determination and vigor were really shown once Naruto pursued his current role as an emergency medical technician. She's seen him always on the front lines, ready to help, ready to help the lives of strangers he knows nothing about.

He took his job seriously and as a result, helped many people. Sakura truly looked up to Naruto so seeing him blush and clam up just by talking to a girl that was, let's face it, out of his league, was just very concerning to see for Sakura.

Usually, obstacles like this would not intimidate Naruto. So why now?

It worried Sakura.

But she regained her composure and simply tried again. But by using a different approach.

She blew out a deep breath, her eyes falling back down onto her coffee which was slowly growing colder by the minute. She grabbed her cup and took several more sips, just giving Naruto time to think about the conversation.

'Maybe, he'll see how ridiculous he's being.' Sakura thought to herself between sips.

The blonde, whiskered male let out a deep sigh, his head turning to look at his surroundings. Trees stood tall everywhere around the hospital, constantly swaying due to the light, autumn wind. The trees not only danced with the wind but shed colorful leaves onto the ground, decorating the place all over.

Many villagers walked the road, laughing, smiling, and living their lives freely. They looked happy and safe within their village, all because of people like Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata. Naruto's beautiful crush.

A small smile spread across Naruto's lips and he turned back to Sakura. But the sight of her only reminded him of the conversation they had before. The one about... Hinata.

Naruto could feel his cheeks heat up once more, just at the mere thought of the gorgeous woman. But he needed to explain himself. By the constant questions that Sakura was throwing at him, he could tell that she had no clue why he was so hesitant to talk to Hinata, let alone confess his feelings to her. She didn't know his side of the situation.

She didn't know the male was deeply in love with Hinata. She was oblivious to the fact that he didn't want to lose her or scare her off due to his idiocy. She meant a lot to him, on a deeper level. Hinata meant so much, he would stay up at night with her on his mind, sometimes dreaming of the day he'd actually confess to her. But he knew he could never do such a thing. His body was not on the same team as his mind. It just wasn't happening.

'Dreams are only dreams for a reason.' Naruto thought to himself dejectedly.

Dreams are just an imaginary world that has no place in reality but spends its days in the minds of the unconscious. Dreams were for the wishful thinkers, for the ones that could hold onto hope for a very long time.

But Naruto was content. He can most certainly live without ever revealing his feelings to Hinata but he knew Sakura could be very persistent and would never leave him alone about his big dilemma. 

So his hand was forced.

He blew out a deep breath upon that, steadying his mind and body before speaking on the troubling matter once more. He could literally feel his blood pressure rise due to his heightened nerves but he ignored it all and instead faced his fears.

"Sakura-chan." He called out with nothing but seriousness in his tone. Instantly, his voice alerted the pink-haired woman and she slowly lowered her beverage from her lips to plant her attention back onto her friend.

"Yes, Naruto?" She responded back curiously, her eyes meeting blue ones.

Naruto bit his bottom lip briefly before continuing, his fingers steadily picking at the makeshift wood on the table he sat against, "Hinata, means a lot to me, Sakura-chan. You know I'm not much of a love expert but what I feel inside is different when I look at her; w-when I talk to her. I feel as though my whole world grows super overwhelmed, so overwhelmed my mind grows blank. My heart pounds faster than it's ever done before. My cheeks turn red and I fall into a trance, just at the mere sight of her. I marvel at her work. I marvel at how kind and intelligent she is." Naruto shrugged, "I marvel at her entirely. I look up to her, Sakura-chan. A-A-And all of that has to mean something." Naruto's eyes widened, "I-I think I'm in love."

Naruto's entire body grew stiff once he verbally said such words, finally coming clean about his feelings and why he felt them.

Yes, he loves Hinata Hyuga. He knew he did from the moment he first saw her. Her smile, her laugh, her helpful gestures, her kindness; all of it was what he adored and wanted to see and hear in his own life.

Naruto yearned for Hinata.

And hearing such a confession from Naruto almost made tears form in Sakura's eyes. Naruto's words truly touched her heart, no her soul. She was having trouble battling with her emotions.

The pink-haired woman let out a coo, pressing one hand on the front of her chest, right over her joyous heart, "Oh, that's so sweet, Naruto! Oh, my kami! I had no idea you felt that way about Miss Hinata." Her mouth gaped, "Oh, I have gotta tell Lee and TenTen about this!"

Naruto's eyes widened at Sakura's response who clearly stated in amusement that she was going to tell their EMT buddies about his mushy gushy confession, buddies that were also teamed up with the two of them.

Naruto he stood directly up to wave his hands but when he moved, he accidentally hit his knees directly against the table underneath him. The blonde male grimaced due to the sudden jolt of pain he felt.

"O-Ow! No, don't! Come on, Sakura-chan, I thought we were having a moment here!"

Sakura's laughter filled the air due to Naruto's amusing outburst. Without even trying, Naruto can always bring a smile to her face and fill her world with laughter. She appreciated him dearly.

Naruto frowned and simply sat back down, now feeling like a total idiot. He knew this was gonna be the outcome of his confession which further made him want to hide his feelings.

'If Sakura's making fun of me, what would Hinata do?' Naruto grimaces at his thoughts. He didn't want to know.

But he misunderstood Sakura's reaction. So once Sakura calmed down, she corrected herself.

Now silent, no longer laughing, she reached over to grab Naruto's hand that was lying limply on the table, lost of feeling due to the gloomy mood he was now in.

Sakura rubbed her comrade's hand to help uplift his spirits, "You, Naruto, have no reason to doubt yourself. You are perfect, just the way you are. You're not a laughingstock. You're not worthless. You are amazing. Just like Hinata, you have helped save so many lives. You have uplifted so many hearts, just by your smile." Sakura shook her head, keeping her warm smile on her pale face, "You do not have to hide your feelings from Miss Hinata, Naruto. Just as she's taken care of all of Konoha and its people, she will no doubt take real good care of your feelings as well. You deserve the treatment, after all."

Naruto's body began to tremble due to Sakura's profound response, "R-Really? You think Hinata will consider my feelings?"

Sakura nodded, without hesitation, "Of course. Hinata is a good person. A very good person. I think she'll be open to listening and even considering your feelings. So, I believe if you man up and talk to her right now."

Naruto's body jumped back at how loud Sakura's voice had gotten once she said the word 'right.'

The blonde gulped, "Right now?"

Sakura nodded with determination, "Yes, right now, while Miss Hinata's on her lunch break. You only have..." She moved her hand away from Naruto's hand to look at her own watch, grimacing at what she saw.

She looked back at Naruto, "Fifteen minutes."

Naruto yanked himself up to stand from his seat, blowing out a deep breath while he was at it, "Fine, fine. I-I-I'll do it."

"You will?" Sakura's ears perked up in an instant. Naruto nodded hesitantly but for the most part, he felt good about his decision. Sakura was right.

'Miss Hinata is a good person, why did I think she would laugh at me?' Naruto thought to himself, his mind now changed on the matter due to Sakura's pep talk.

Miss Hinata may turn him down but he felt that's better than being laughed at. And besides, it took him years just to get to this point, so he sees this moment as a big win.

'A very big win.' A cheerful grin spread across his lips upon his thoughts.

He turned to Sakura and nodded, giving the table before him four playful pats, "I'm gonna do it. I'm finally gonna talk to Hinata. I'm finally gonna ask her out, damn it!"

Sakura laughed, rocking back in her seat in amusement, "That's the spirit! That's the Naruto I know and love!"

Naruto laughed as well and with that, he lifted his leg up and brought it over the bench seat, moving his other leg over to do the same. Now, he was standing away from the bench, the same one his friend was still currently sitting at.

She threw up one hand, giving the young man a wave, "I have total faith in you, Naruto!"

Naruto smiled, for that is all he needed to hear. He felt nice to have someone rooting for him. He felt nothing but confidence now.

Naruto nodded, throwing up a thumbs up before he turned around to run back into the hospital. But he didn't leave without waving Sakura goodbye.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan! Thank you!"

Continue Reading on Wattpad, AO3, or Fanfiction.net.

ʟɪᴋᴇ! ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢ! ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ!

𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒔𝒕.

HeartBreaks & HeartAches ❤️

NHPrompts22

March 1 is the start of the NHPrompts22 event and I am sooo excited! I have made a new book for it where I will place all of my prompts in!

Book is available on: AO3, Wattpad, FF.Net.

Come check it out! 💜

@nhprompts2022

-Powerful_Niya

[writer168]

mood boards by awkwardxfreak on Wattpad

[githvyrik]

InoSaku moodboard

[18-fandoms-unite-08]

I didn't know I needed you until you needed me pt. 3

Pt. 1 ~ Pt. 2 ~ Pt. 3 ~ Pt. 4 ~ Pt. 5 ~ Pt. 6

Enjoy!!

~~

She scanned her surroundings, taking in everything and anything that could either be used for her gain, or against her.

"On my mark," The man said.

"Thalatha.. " The grip on her bow tightened.

"Athnan.. " She knocked in an arrow and aimed.

"Wahid!" The sound of the wind as the arrow sailed across the field was satisfying. It was even more satisfying when she heard a loud clang resonated through the open space. She grinned.

"Your aim has improved much in these last few months."

"Shukraan alsyd. " Anyone could visibly see that she was beeming with joy.

"I am glad to inform that your training is nearly complete."

"Where does the council suggest the order be rebuilt?"

"We, of the council, have sensed great dark magic in the city of Gotham. We advise you to start there. There is also a past holder settled there. They have offered their guidance, should the need for it arises."

"And when do I leave, alsyd?"

"Sunrise. In a weeks time."

"Very well."

~

Hushed voices could be heard from inside the room. For the untrained ears, they would not be able to have heard a word. However, to her, the conversation sounded as clear as glass.

"Will you follow her to Gotham?" She voiced it as if already knowing the answer.

"Unfortunately, this is where Nette's path and I part. I still have matters to attend in the other-realm."

"I understand."

At that, she stepped into the room.

"You're not going with me?" She asked both the occupants of the room, Félix and Kagami.

They both looked at each other before Kagami sighed and looked at her.

"Don't get us wrong, we really want to go with you, Mari-Hime. It's just... Mother wants me back in Japan. There is a family meeting. Fé... He has some... matters to settle in you-know-where. "

Mari nodded her head in understanding.

"Does the media believe what we told them that happened?"

"Well, some people didn't take it to well. Mainly Jagged and your parents. Luka also. Other than that, the world believes you dead."

"Good. Let's leave it at that. Easier for me to rebuild the Order. I can't keep living in the past" Marinette said.

Though it would seem as if she was metaphorically speaking, it was true. Félix had the power to time-jump and had brought her and Kagami into the past. Specifically, twenty years back. When the Order was still thriving. (See notes at the end for an explanation)

See, Félix was a past holder of old. Like, really really old. He was cursed to forever live on, witnessing those he loved die infront of him. The curse was brought as a side effect of abusing the magic of the rabbit miraculous. He had befriended Fu during his time finding a cure for the curse and had found out of Marinette through his last plea to help the girl before he died.

The reason Kagami was there too was because she had come to Marinette's aid when Tikki asked for help when she was severely injured during that last akuma attack. It helped that the both of them could pass as twins, minus the eyes of course.

Just then, someone knocked on the door.

"Marinette, it is time for your afternoon meditation."

"Be there in a minute."

With that she faced Félix and Kagami once more and wished them both well before she headed out.

~

It had been five months. Five freaking months since the soulmate connection literally just vanished from existence. Though if he concentrated hard enough, it would sort of appear, he was still worried.

What the hell happened to her?

Damian was getting more worried as the days passed. Especially what he found during his search for his soulmate, Marinette. She was... proclaimed dead in Paris, though a body was never found.

Though he knew Marinette was still very much alive, it left him to ponder where she was and what was going on.

It was a week later when Damian finally sensed her again.

~

Marinette looked out the window of the plane. She had boarded about two hours ago, already having said goodbye to Kagami in Paris and Félix before he went to the other-realm.

Yes, she could have used Kaalki to get to Gotham, however that wouldn't be quite... legal and she hadn't wanted to cause any trouble. She was already in enough precaution since people technically thought her dead.

From inside her coat pocket, she could feel the slight tightening embrace of Tikki. Subtly trying to comfort her holder and tell her that everything would be alright.

Little did they both know that everything to come would be pretty... chaotic.

~~

Notes:

Félix Culpa was a past holder and due to him abusing the time/rabbit miraculous he was cursed to watch his loved ones die in front of him while he lived on forever immortal. He was old friends with Fu.

Kagami is there cuz Tikki asked her to help and she told her mom she was training in Tibet with some legendary Swords men.

Sooo, I tried. Hope you guys liked this!! Sorry this was a little (a lot) later than I promised, :(( it has been quite a tough few days and I wasn't in the mood to right. So sorry for those of you who have been waiting for so long.

{TAG LIST}

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Idk what happened to the ones that r not tagged. I couldn't find ur urls

Tag list is still open! Sorry if I missed anyone!

---

All my fics are under the tag #18fandomsfics

[anoceaninthesun]

Needs Improvement

Thanks largely to a brilliant suggestion by @shineejeya the Home Improvement AU continues with this ficlet (mini-series ??). This time the renovating teams tackle their toughest assignment yet. If only it was all about the house and not the feisty, beautiful client.

Summary: When Yamanaka Ino meddles in her best friend’s love life quest to DIY renovate her new fixer-upper, Haruno Sakura finds herself caught up in a home improvement competition between four handsome, creative questionably qualified renovators.   

(Home Improvement AU, Modern AU, Slice-of-Life AU)

Pairings: FoundersxSaku (IzuSaku, TobiSaku, MadaSaku, HashiSaku), ShikaIno, other background pairs

Rating: T

Genre(s): Romance, Comedy, General

Warnings: none really—except maybe swearing, atrocious flirting skills and the Founders being renovating crackheads (not literally, but almost)

Pt.1 

“Another satisfied client here on From House to Home!” the man’s boisterous voice yelled from the TV. Senju Hashirama stood with his less than impressed brother on the clients’ front yard. Yamanaka Ino leaned forward, drinking in the naked torso of Uchiha Madara as he rushed into the shot, sweaty and with a prominent grass strain streaked across his glistening skin.

“Next time it’s our win, Hashirama. We lost the battle not the war, and all that.” he declared. Hashirama laughed, throwing a well-muscled arm over his rival’s bare shoulders. Ino wet her lips, mesmerized as credits started to roll. She got a firm nudge, blinking at the lightly scowling face of her boyfriend.

“Why are we marathoning this?” Shikamaru grumbled. Ino began to explain, only for him to scoff preemptively. “Like I don’t know,” his dark eyes glared at the screen, which now displayed an energy drink commercial. “You don’t care about home improvement.”

“I like some of the aesthetics they use on the show, okay?” Ino fired back, leaning back into the couch, and Shikamaru’s arm. “And,” she added a little defiantly. “I’m looking, that’s all. It’s like window shopping because we both know I’m off the market.”

“Bad analogy.” he rolled his eyes, though his body was less tense beside hers. “You’ve never gone to a store without bringing half of it home a day in your life.”

The blonde absently smacked him with a pillow as the theme music to From House to Home filtered through the room, the next episode starting. “You know...” she hummed.

Shikamaru groaned.

“Be quiet, I’m thinking.”

“Meddling.” he corrected.

“Agree to disagree,” Ino folded her legs underneath her. “You know how Sakura just moved into that new place on the other side of town, right?”

“Hard to forget. You dragged me to her house warming party.” Shikamaru yawned, running a hand through his hair.

Ino scrunched her nose, “And I still say it needs a lot of work. I know Sakura’s proud because it’s her first house, but, you’ve seen the place.”

“I’ve seen the couch. I was napping through most of the party.” he corrected.

“But what if we got them to come and renovate it,” Ino motioned to the TV, watching with rapt attention again as Senju Tobirama used a power saw to cut a board into uniform pieces, his biceps flexing as he worked. The cameraman chose that moment to zoom in for a close up of his sharp, tattooed jaw, and Ino nearly swallowed her tongue at the way it clenched in concentration.

“Sakura wouldn’t go for that.” Shikamaru’s eyes narrowed, his fingers on the remote and dangerously close to changing the channel.

When the view switched to a safer scene of Uchiha Izuna chatting with the Uchiha team’s clients, his girlfriend finally broke free of whatever spell she was drooling under.

Now Ino was already springing from the couch and flitting around in search of something. Shikamaru observed, not bothering to get up when he knew from experience it was futile. “It’ll be a surprise! I’ll get on their website and submit a request on her behalf to be one of the next houses they choose to renovate.”

“You know what, fine. But this wasn’t a ‘we’ idea. It was a ‘you’ idea.” he drawled, slumping back into the cushions and reaching for the bowl of chips on the table.

Hashirama lifted his aviators, the quaint shop’s warm atmosphere and heavenly smell almost making his toes curl. The walls were a mellow pink, a sample table containing tiny, fresh-baked sweets on a table by the front door. Shelves lined one wall where packaged candies were neatly arranged by flavor, large lettering at the top of each shelf to label.

 A middle-aged woman in a cheerfully decorated apron smiled at them from behind the display case. “Oh! Hello,” her eyes shone just a bit brighter as she took him in, and then Tobirama who had shouldered forward from behind his brother. “I’ll be with you shortly.” One last, appreciative glance and then she was back to boxing up the customer’s order.

 By the hunch in his back and the distracted look on his face as he thoughtfully peered into the case, it would be a while before he finished deciding. 

Not that Hashirama really minded. 

“I told you it’d be okay if I took that detour,” The elder Senju grinned, “We still made it early.”

Tobirama stared around the bright space, which doubled as a sweets shop and bakery, picking a booth in the corner by the front glass. Their producers had called the impromptu meeting in the middle of the week, and so the younger of the “Reno Twins” (a nickname his brother despised for some reason) was sure it was bad news. More importantly, he was sure it was Hashirama’s fault.

“Good thinking,” Hashirama beamed, doing his best to ignore his brother’s mood. “You save us a spot and I’ll order us some snacks!”

He wandered over to stand and look at the baked goods on display. The bell above the door chimed again, and the young cashier, who had just accepted payment for the order she’d been ringing up, paused. 

“Hello, welcome to...” The same woman who had greeted them came from the bake with a tray of fresh croissants, which nearly slid onto the floor when she stopped abruptly. 

“This is where we’re meeting?” The baritone voice was familiar, as were the footsteps on the tile floor behind him. “Well, at least it smells nice.”

Hashirama spun, taking in the sight of his old friend and rival dressed casually in a leather bomber jacket, opened enough to reveal a tight gray tee-shirt underneath, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his black jeans. While Madara idly perused the pastry selection, Izuna greeted the Senju with a wave and a small smile. He looked comfortable in a soft red henley and blue jeans.

“So none of the producers have arrived yet?” Izuna asked after stepping out of their short, friendly hug.

Hashirama shook his head. “Not so far, but then we’re early.” The man who had been buying sweets finally moved past them on his way out the door, his sleepy eyes slightly more alert as he munched a donut.

“Hi,” the baker peered as closely as she could at them all. They weren’t exactly in disguise, and the show’s popularity had only grown in the last several years. It was now one of the highest-rated on their network. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they were recognized. “So sorry for the wait. Are you ready to order?” 

Hashirama quickly got an assortment, three small spiced plum cakes for himself and daifuku for Tobirama. He added Izuna’s slice of apple pie and the fondant o’maron Madara kept eyeing to the tab as well, ignoring the complaints from the latter. 

When they were all seated at the booth Tobirama had chosen, Senju on one side and Uchiha on the other, Hashirama picked up his fork and savored the first bite of the succulent dessert. 

Izuna took a sip of water before addressing the elephant in the room. “So, what do you think this meeting’s for?” 

Madara, who had finally stopped grousing enough to eat, lifted his head. “We’ve won the last three challenges consecutively. Maybe the network’s decided From House to Home would be better with just one team.” he innocently bit into the chestnut-shaped cake. “Us.”

“Huh,” Tobirama sat down his glass with force. “There you go again, making asinine conjecture. It might be true that you’ve enjoyed a small winning streak as of late, but I wouldn’t let it go to your head.” 

Hashirama bit his lip, wondering if he should just go ahead and jump in. There was definitely more than a little friendly rivalry between all of them, but Tobirama and Madara tended to exchange words that were more caustic than charitable when they got worked up. Which was...frequently in each other’s presence.

“Oh?” Madara leaned forward across the table, eyes narrowing, “Care to explain?”

Hashirama swapped looks with Izuna, and he could tell both of them were now a bit apprehensive about the direction the conversation was headed. “The last three challenges you’ve worked on houses for lonely, single women.” Tobirama explained calmly. “Our clients have been older couples. It doesn’t take a moron to see you appeal to the lowest common denominator.”

“Are you saying our renovation can’t stand on its own merits? This is pitiful, Tobirama,” he sighed. “I knew you were a sore loser, but control yourself.” 

“I’m simply wondering what removing your shirt has to do building fire pits or converting attics into studio office spaces.” he insisted. “You play on sex appeal more than actual skill.”

“I resent that.” Izuna chimed in, disgruntled. Hashirama frowned at his brother. Despite Madara’s...eccentric habit of losing his shirt, their rivals worked hard, and when they won a challenge, it was because their vision for the week’s reno had been better.    

Tobirama raised a brow at Izuna but didn’t take it back. A thick tension settled over the table.

“What’s this?” a new voice guffawed. “We leave you boys alone for hardly half an hour and you’re going at it? That’s not going to work.”

“Gengetsu-san,” Hashirama’s chest fluttered with relief as he stood, smiling at the approaching team of producers. Hozuki Gengetsu led the way, followed by a stout, elderly man leaning on a cane, affectionately dubbed Old Man Onoki. The third producer present, Terumi Mei, had beelined for the sweets, though she looked reluctant to sample any. 

Gengetsu eyed the food on the table with interest, not hesitating to reach for one of Tobirama’s daifuku. 

“Oi,” Tobirama scooted his plate away and the blonde man only laughed. “This place has the best pastries in town, doesn’t it?” he plopped down on the end of the booth beside Izuna, stroking his chin. “We thought the cozy atmosphere would be best to break the news.”

“Cancellation.” Tobirama said. 

“No, nothing of that sort!” Onoki waved him off. “Don’t be so cynical.” 

Although the others might have hid it better, Hashirama could tell that they were relieved that whatever the news, it wasn’t that.

“We’ve been thinking of what the show should do for its 300th episode, which subsequently starts a new season. And then we got a very interesting letter.” Gengetsu rubbed at his short goatee, his eyes twinkling. 

Madara leaned back in his seat, arms crossed and staring out at the street, where a group of shoppers had happened to spot him and were already pulling out their phones. 

“As much as I like seeing them a little hot under the collar with the suspense,” Mei sashayed over with a plate in each hand “I think you should just get on with it.” 

“Here’s how it’s going to go, boys...” Gengetsu successfully snagged one of Madara’s cakes and waved it around before taking a bite. Afterwards, they had to wait for the man to get his bearings as he groaned exaggeratedly over the flavor. “Oh, this is heavenly.”

“Hozuki-san, today.” Tobirama urged. Hashirama nervously elbowed his brother, but Gengetsu took it in stride. 

“I was right, wasn’t I? Only one team’s staying on the show.” Madara’s smirk was victorious. “You’ve made the right decision, I assure you.”

“Hold on, hold on--how’d you know?” Onoki grumbled. 

Hashirama felt his jaw drop, eyes widening more than the plate his unfinished plum cakes sat on. 

Tobirama’s neutral expression shifted into a full blown frown. “You can’t be serious.”

And although it was Madara’s idea to begin with, some of the fire left his eyes, his lips parting. 

“Uh, I don’t see how this is going to work either, actually.” Izuna tilted his head. “The show’s been two teams competing since it started. How is switching the format now, when the ratings are solid--or better than ever even--going to be...”

“Not forever.” Mei clarified. “Just for the season premiere. It’s true it’s always been two teams facing off on two separate houses. But what if you all joined together and completing just one house?”

“All of us working together?” Hashirama was the first to recover, and the idea instantly sent excited sparks through his brain. “I’m intrigued. What kind of project is it?” 

Admittedly, he’d considered a few times before what would happen if he and Tobirama ever joined up with Madara and Izuna. Competing was fun because the Uchiha brothers were worthy competitors, but collaborating could take their projects to a whole new level.

 It wasn’t an idea he’d pitched to the execs because everyone seemed content with the dynamics already happening. But in the end he hadn’t had to say anything! 

“A young woman by the name of Yamanaka Ino wrote to us recently. Her close friend bought a new house.” Gengetsu explained through his chewing. “Miss Yamanaka feels it’s in need of renovation. She signed up for the house in question to be featured on an upcoming episode of the show, and after thinking it over and looking into the property itself, we think this could be the time to try something new.” 

[kawaiiart00]

sᴀᴋᴜʀᴀ ʜᴀʀᴜɴᴏ/ᴜᴄʜɪʜᴀ

[pxnkpxp]

\ sakura - hair \

“pink hair, don’t care”

[blue---rose]

White Widow - Chapter 2

Fanfiction.net | AO3

Title: White Widow Chapter: Two Author: Blue Rose Rating: M (Hard R) Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura Summary: "Running away was easy; not knowing what to do next was the hard part." - Sakura needed to stop fantasizing about running away to some other life, and start figuring out the one she had. [Sasu/Saku, Modern AU]

Warnings: Adult Content Disclaimer: I own nothing, and I damn sure don't make a single red cent for this either. So please, don't sue the Blue

Author Notes: If you like please don't forget to review/comment/like. A very special thank you to my amazing beta: MySoberThoughts

･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･

He looked down between them and decided… it was one of the most foolish things he ever did in his entire life. The air rushed past his lips and his whole body strained for some measure of control, but watching himself as he took her was stripping any discipline he possessed. He wanted to savor this conquest, as barbaric as it sounded. It truly was the only word his muddled brain could come up with, to describe how it felt… to be able to get this close to someone like her, to have been deemed worthy enough to allow him into her bed, inside of her…

The groan he released did not cover the sound of them joining, his hips pulling away and... Gods... he could see how she covered him. The neighboring apartments and full moon cast the room in shadows, but through the dim light, he sees everything.

Her essence on his length as he began to move quicker…

The beautiful arch of her back…

The thick, wild mane that almost glowed peach against the sheets…

It became easier as they went along, moving together so fluently they could have been mistaken for long-time lovers; companions that had spent countless nights together, getting to know every dip and curve… every hidden crevice.

His patience in the beginning with her … taking his sweet time… allowing her to adjust and succumb to the pleasure that raced down to her toes, was paying off. She moaned beneath him, her body moving with a hypnotic, feline grace as she followed his lead. She yielded to him, offering herself…

…if he promised to keep taking care of her, like his sinful eyes had sworn to her that they would… she would give him anything he wanted at all… all night, for as long as he demanded it. The unspoken way his body communicated with her, all the ways he could make her feel… and all the things he could do, if only she would let him.

He was trying to fulfill that promise now. Shifting his hold, he moved at a faster pace, eager to show her all the ways he could make her sing for him. She was mistaken if she thought the little mews coming from her full lips would placate him for long.

Hands grasping, slipping across soft skin as she all but purred, green eyes finally meeting his own over her shoulder… looking at him in a way that had him aching… straining… just for her, and his lips pulled back, mouth opening to tell her just how fucking good she was being to him right now and he-

･ﾟ* : *ﾟ･

He awoke as his throat closed, cutting off the groan that was rising from his heaving chest. Sweat cooled on his forehead and pecs, the tank top sticking to his skin as he kicked the blankets off with a huff. His pulsing erection throbbed against his lower belly and he shut his eyes once more. He didn't have to check the time to know it was still very early. It was still dark out, but in a few minutes the predawn, morning sky would give way to streaks of blues and greys. His heart was still beating fast, as his mind scrambled to retain the images from the dream.

' Not just a dream though… was it? ', he thought.

Sasuke frowned, not liking the interruption from sleep the dream had caused… especially regarding that. Fuck, he was way too old for this shit… hardly an adolescent. He supposed it made sense though. It's not like these thoughts were just randomly populating. She was back, it seemed. And seeing her, standing there… no matter how fleeting, was bound to stir up memories of their last encounter together before she disappeared.

Damn, she looked good... really good. Standing there, tall boots hugging the edge of her thighs … looking so beautiful… with those legs that went on for days, and every inch of exposed skin sent heat racing through his veins. He sighed, running his hand across his face before running blunt nails across his scalp in frustration.

' Doesn't mean I have to like it. '

Accepting that he would not be going back to sleep anytime soon; he sat up, swinging his legs so his feet touched the floor… running a hand through his midnight locks again, body still humming. His only options were to either go for a run… or take a cold shower. His eyes flickered down, taking stock of his calming length, beneath his sleepwear and decided… some air would do him good.

By the time he rounded the corner at the end of his block, the playlist he selected on his phone was two songs in… and he had faith that, the repetitive pounding of his feet on the pavement would drive out any lingering thoughts of a girl that made it clear she did not want to be thought of, or chased.

At least for now…

There would be some time, coming soon he was sure… that would allow them to settle up, and actually, talk. And this time, she wouldn't go running off to some random airport gate to board a plane, before then… he'd make sure of it.

He was not someone to be ignored, as she'd soon come to know… even if she learned that lesson the hard way.

Sakura Haruno now had his full attention.

:✧･ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B R✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ･✧:

"Oh, I wish you'd visited the Manila Ocean Park while you were there. I'm telling you, it is absolutely amazing. Your father took me there a few years back." Mebuki said as all three ladies made their way outside. They had just all but gorged themselves on French Toast and mimosas, chatting half the morning away in the little café.

The older Haruno fussed over her daughter constantly, not missing a moment to inquire about her health… as well as her dating life. Only her mother could squeeze in talks about home cooked meals and husbands randomly, despite the topic of conversation. She tried to brush her off like normal, insisting that her job left little to no time for finding dates lately… or whipping together three-course meals every night.

"It's not like I'm going on a girl's trip. I don't go there to visit museums and beaches. I'm working."

"I know, I know. That doesn't mean you can't take care of yourself. Your health is important, you know that. I swear, if I didn't know for a fact you can cook more than microwavable meals, you'd put me in an early grave. I worry about you Sakura." She cupped her daughter's soft cheek, frowning in concern.

She really was proud of the work her daughter was doing with a small humanitarian group, the small organization was a branch of Doctors Without Borders. That did not take away the uneasiness she felt whenever her only child went abroad; sometimes to war-torn nations to lend aid, spreading health awareness and overall helping and doing good. Her concerns were only put to rest when, and ONLY when she heard her daughter's voice over the phone during a scheduled check-in, or… more importantly; when she was back in her home town… close enough to touch and hug and smoother with affection.

Sakura smiled, reaching up to cradle the warm hand still pressed against her face.

"Momma…" She gave her hand a squeeze before lowering both of them. "I'm fine… really. I eat, and not just junk food and grease. I promise."

"She has been eating salads and lots of lean protein since she's been home this time, Scouts Honor." Ino pipped up from behind them, slipping her sunglasses over her eyes. Sakura turned back to her mother.

"See?"

"Neither of you were girl scouts. We couldn't even get you two to join the Brownies because of the uniform color, remember? It wasn't 'in season' at the time." She deadpanned. Ino just cracked a smile at the memory.

Mebuki turned and swept Sakura up in a hug, squeezing just a bit too tight… but it warmed her heart, because it reminded her of the giant hugs her Dad still gave out, and she returned the tenderness eagerly. "I miss you so much. You really need to come home more often." She pulled back, catching her eyes before she could look away.

"And not just to your apartment, in the city… but home. You need to make more of an effort Sakura. Thanksgiving was the last time you set foot there, wasn't it? Such a long time ago. I know it's been difficult, and I completely understand-"

"Momma-"

"I mean it." There was a sharpness that entered her voice and had her back straightening. Her mother was not one to repeat herself, and when she did… you'd had better shut up and listen. That all, too familiar tone was hard wired in her brain, and even adulthood could not erase it. It was the language between a parent and child, and Sakura buttoned up immediately. "I know your father will be away for a while on business, but I'm still there. Your home, is still there, and you'd best make your way there to come see us… and sometime soon."

Green eyes were intently focused on her, and Sakura just knew; if they'd been somewhere more secluded, then standing on the sidewalk in DuPont Circle… they would indeed be having whatever discussion Mebuki felt was long overdue. Thank goodness for old school parents, who thought heavy conversations were best done privately.

Cracking a smile, and in an attempt to reset the mood; Mebuki changed the subject to Sakura's dating life.

"Hmmm, maybe you could bring that Managing Director home next time, for dinner. What was his name?" They walked her to her car, but Sakura stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, a muscle in her jaw twitched.

"…Dr. Dan? My boss?" She could not be serious.

"What a nice young man he is." Mebuki sang as she fished out her car keys.

"…He's my boss." Sakura deadpanned.

"You two could be discrete. Is such a thing, against company policy or guidelines?"

"Ew." Ino muttered, deciding to sit this one out. Sakura needed to fight her own battles.

"He's my mentor's fiancé, Momma", Sakura shook her head. Mebuki unlocked her car doors when they arrived to her parking spot, chuckling while pulling both girls close.

"It was just a thought. Anyways…I'll see you girls soon. I have a few stops to make in Georgetown before heading back. Sakura, you make sure to call me tonight, hmm? Love you girls!" One last departing kiss on the cheek and she was off, the little two-door coupe pulled away into traffic, leaving the duo standing there, a slight breeze brushing past them.

Ino turned to Sakura while pushing a few golden strains behind her ear. "Want to grab a drink?" Sakura's eyes widened, checking the time on her phone… confirming her suspicions.

"It's not even noon yet." She conveniently left out the fact that they just downed a few glasses of orange juice and champagne not too long ago.

"Ugh, whatever. Coffee then." She relinquished, leading her across the street to cut through the park, to grab a cup. She wasn't ready to part ways and wanted to spend as much time as she could with her best friend. "So… anything new? Other than 'Sexy Dan the Man', are there… any other guys I should know about?"

"You are horrible at being subtle; you do know that… right?"

"Then don't make me continue on with this charade and finally give me the 'deets I've been dying to get, for well over four months. And please, don't spare the horrid details. Because you owe me Hurano!" Did she even take a moment to breathe during all of that?

They took a seat in the outdoor patio area, enjoying the slightly warmer, spring weather the weekend ushered in. It was pretty nice out, with the sun making an appearance here and there despite the overcast. That didn't stop her expression from closing up, not quite sure how she wanted to approach the subject. It was at that moment she realized, she never really allowed herself to think about it. As crazy as it sounded, she was successful with her intentions of distraction over the last few months, and had not dwelled on the unknowns she'd left behind.

"There's not much to say. It was just a hook-up. Nothing special."

"Nothing special?" Ino echoed, after giving their coffee orders to the petite waitress.

"It was either So-God-Awful that you needed to run away, almost halfway across the world to escape the disappointment, OR-"

Her eyes lit up, gleaming with realization.

"It was good. Really good. And maybe… that scared you? I know you… and I have a funny feeling this was something loooooooong in the making you sneaky, sneaky girl. So what happened? You tried to ignore-", her hand waved in the air in Sakura's general direction, "-whatever has been building for a while… then… what? It all came to a head one crazy night of hormones?"

"And morning." She had no idea she spoke out loud until Ino gasped, recognition dawning across her pretty features.

"You whore!"

Aaaaaaaaand thank goodness that; despite it being a wonderful Saturday morning, the coffee shop was not packed, and no one was sitting close enough to clearly hear the outburst. Sakura still sunk down further in her seat and wished she was wearing one of the fitted caps hanging in her closet; she could at least, have pulled it low over her head and pretend to disappear for a while.

Two steaming cups were placed in front of them both, and the waitress tried unsuccessfully to hide her smile. She heard enough, to not meet Sakura's eyes, and said to let her know if they needed anything else. "Yes… please, be louder. I don't think they quite heard you in the back." She scolded when they were left alone. Ino waved her hand dismissively, blowing the hot liquid in her cup. Manicured nails tapped the porcelain rhythmically.

"Why had I not seen it? I got zero vibes from either of you, even leading up to it. I saw you over Thanksgiving break and you didn't say a word. I can't believe you tried to keep this from me." Ah, there it was… the bit of hurt finally peeking through. Sakura's gaze softened.

"This wasn't an ongoing thing, it only happened on New Years. I mean, I always thought he was kind of hot, but I never thought to act on anything. I mean, sure we've all been around each other but that was it, really. He was just one of Kiba's 'work friends'. You know that." There was no secret love affair that carried on for months, right under everyone's noses. It was much simpler than that.

"It wasn't…planned." She continued, her hand reaching up to graze the industrial piercing in her ear, a nervous habit. "I was just confused, after. I was still trying to figure some stuff out, and didn't want to make a bigger deal out of what happened, than it already was. Last year, everytime I saw him… I don't know. I just began to pay a little more attention to him then I should have. I don't think he knew, though. At least, I don't think he did. I just kept teasing myself with the thought, but never acted until…"

A sharp gleam entered her ocean colored eyes. "He didn't blow you off, did he? After… I mean."

"No! No… nothing like that. I promise." The killing intent bled away from the blonde's aura, but Sakura tried to put her completely at ease. "I'm serious. I mean, he had to leave after… and it was kind of awkward…-"

"Awkward enough for you; to hop on a plane, twenty-four hours later? To the Philippines?"

"That's not fair. That trip was planned and booked, even before I came home the first time, on Thanksgiving. We made it to France before turning around because of the delay. I figured I'd come home for a bit, while waiting. It's the only reason why I was in the city at all, remember? It just so happen we got word the very next day, after… you know…" She cupped her hands around the hot mug, the warmth seeping into her chilled digits. "When the embassy cleared us, we had to go."

Trailing a fingernail around the rim of her expresso, Ino bit her lip. She sighed, before leaning in.

"He asked about you."

"W-…What?"

Another sigh… before-

"I guess this was a few days after? He came with Kiba to a party. I don't know him that well, but I knew something was up. He never asked about you before then… so why start now? You dodging my texts and calls all but confirmed it for me. I knew something was up." Ino smiled. "I let it slip to Kiba, but he was utterly clueless."

Sakura rested her chin on her fist, elbow propped on the table in a way that would have Mebuki scolding her for lack of manners.

"Tall, rude bastard wouldn't squeal, either. 'Mind your business, Yamanaka', he said. Hah! As if! He should have minded his business... kept his ankle-spanker in his pants, and away from my poor, little, naïve friend." She huffed. The look on Sakura's face was priceless. She wasn't sure what she was about to say, but Ino cut her off. "So you iced him out after, huh? Is that it? That's what happened?"

Sakura shifted in her seat, lashes fluttering as she blinked, picking at the crisp white table cloth.

"He did try to call… sent texts too. I just…" She nibbled on her bottom lip. "It's just that… this was the first time I'd been with anyone since…you know… 'him'. And not just making out, but like… all the way."

Her eyes glinted briefly.

"I don't know… I just let it all get to my head, you know? Making a big deal out of nothing… over thinking everything… getting worked up and-"

She was going to give herself a headache if she kept this up. The more she said out loud, the crazier she thought she sounded. Especially now, when she was forced to face the hidden, deeper issues… things she'd dropped and left in her past.

"Look… we're friends. I love you… so much, you know that. You can tell me anything, and even though it might come off that way… I'm not judging, ok?" A brief pause had her meeting her gaze. "I just don't want you to get in the habit of running, every time something happens. Sometimes, you have to stay and deal with it. And I also don't want you to keep things in."

Sakura winced, immediately on the defensive.

"…That's not fair."

"No… maybe it's not. But it doesn't make it any less true."

"One has nothing to do with the other." She knew where this was going, and she didn't like it. Not one bit.

"You rarely go home…" Ah, and there it was.

"And that makes me a bad person?" Sakura countered, heart rate starting to elevate.

"No-"

"You know why…"

"I know-".

"You fucking know why." She whispered. The unshed tears began to burn, and she blinked rapidly. She tried to take a breath, the air getting caught in her throat and she tried to calm down.

She was quite surprised to find herself so upset… so quickly.

Gods, does that make her such a bad person? Does that make her such a bad person because she didn't want to go home that often… only to be reminded of-

"Can I get you ladies anything else?" The waitress returned, refreshing their water glasses.

"The check please, thanks." Ino replied, reaching under the table to grasp Sakura's knee. The pinkette grabbed her napkin, discreetly wiping the corner of her eyes. When they were left alone once again, Ino gave her a small smile. "I didn't mean to upset you. You know I want to see you happy. That's all… I promise. It just worries me sometimes that you keep a lot bottled in. I don't ever want you to think that you can't come to me."

Gathering her composure, she nodded. She knew Ino was coming from a good place, knew what type of person she was, and where her intentions lie. She returned her smile, letting her know that all was forgiven, even if they agreed to disagree for now.

"So…" The corners of her mouth turned up, the lopsided grin giving her away before she could continue.

"How was it? I hope he knew what he was doing with that thing, and wasn't just mindlessly shoving away."

Sakura almost choked on the still heated coffee, glaring at her around a cough, her throat unconstricting. "Should I even ask how you would know something like that?"

Ino just rolled her eyes.

"Grey sweatpants; last October. You know I don't miss a thing." She winked, as if that explained anything. "Now, back on topic. Was it good? It must have been good for him, to have come to me, asking about you. That's my girl. Been off the pony for a while, but saddled up like a pro!"

Maybe… just maybe, getting up and leaving the table was the best option. It would surely spare any more embarrassment than she already felt.

The waitress returned with Sakura's credit card and receipt, while Ino excused herself to take a trip to the ladies room. Sakura's phone vibrated, and she swiped right to unlock and answer the device without looking, signing her name on the slip of paper in front of her.

"Hello?"

"…Hello?" Sakura tried again, only hearing a faint melody in the background, before the call ended. Looking at the screen, she didn't have long to dwell on the call before Ino made her return to stand next to the table, one hip poked out to the side as she tapped away on her own phone.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?"

Sakura stood as well, the call from the unlisted number quickly fading from memory. Her eyes lowered in thought. "Not sure… I don't think I had anything planned. Why?"

"Ten-Ten is in town this weekend. We are so going out tonight." She was already leading the way down the street, to where they parked. Even in sneakers, Sakura was hard pressed to keep up… increasing her pace, calling out for her to wait up.

"I'm going to call Chino; see if she can fit us in for blowouts, right now."

:✧･ ﾟ･*･ﾟ･✧ B R✧･ﾟ･*･ﾟ ･✧:

His body felt strangely cold; despite the fact heat was drifting across him, from the fireplace. There was this persistent, ringing in his ear and he couldn't tell if the noise really was loud… or it was just something he was focused acutely on, instead of the pain.

' Fuck. '

It really hurt to breathe. It felt more like a chore, than a life necessity. A thump could be heard somewhere in the home, but he didn't trust himself to accurately locate where it was coming from. He could gauge that he was tired as hell, and wondered just how long his eyes were previously closed before he opened them (barely)… just a few moments ago. His phone flickered to life, making him squint at the cracked screen. Bloody fingers reached out across the wooden floor, moving slowly… barely able to manage a grip on the device to pull it closer.

Message:

"Dear Valued Customer, it has come to our attention-"

His eyes blurred again, and he blinked hard, twice.

Message:

"-ause of this, we have reversed the following transaction-"

Dark eyes skimmed the text. His thumb pressing a box on the screen.

Message:

"Confirm Transaction Reversal?"

A new payee was chosen; one from recent history near the top of the list, and the selection was quickly made. He accepted the changes, his breath beginning to rattle in his lungs. His fingers scrolled across the screen, trying to press the correct characters. The emoji options came into view; an array of colorful option to choose from. They weren't needed however, and his fumbling fingers tried to get the device to switch back to the qwerty keyboard layout.

He was unsuccessful, and finally choose one as his eyes began to feel heavy.

Message:

"-re about to transfer all available funds. Are you sure?"

The green button was pressed.

Message:

"Transaction Complete"

His fingers begin to cramp, trying to hold his hand steady before he gave in. He let the device go, landing face down on the cracked screen just as he heard muffled footsteps approaching. His chest tightened as he let out a wet cough; his eyes closing for what he thought would only be a moment. He just needed to rest, just for a minute, and he would feel better… he was sure. The room stopped spinning just before darkness claimed him again.

END CHAPTER

Next: Chapter Three

[kairi-chan]

Red Rose

A/N: Written for my favorite girl’s birthday, and Sakura Week! Have some SasuSaku with a side of BoruSara.

Genre: Romance/ Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Summary:  Real world AU. It’s Sakura’s birthday, and Sasuke just wants to spend a day with his wife. However, things don’t always go according to plan.

Beta read by: @levadia

Today, she turns thirty-eight. Yet whenever he would set his dark eyes on her, he always does a double take, and think she’s only twenty-three. Her beauty and youthful appearance never changed, like her courage and strength, it never wavered.

The sun was rising a little too high for his liking. He usually rose with the sun, in favor of meditating. But not today. Today, he wanted to be with her for as long as she would have him.

Gingerly, he moved a lock of her pink hair away from her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. She shifted and her long lashes fluttered. “Sasuke-kun,” she whispered, without really opening her eyes.

“Happy birthday.”

Her lips curled up in a smile, and slowly, she opened her green eyes. She snuggled closer to him.

He wrapped his arms around his wife and pulled her closer. “Let’s have breakfast in the garden. I had the servants prepare it under your favorite cherry blossom tree.”

She hummed. “That sounds nice, but I can’t.”

He pulled away, his lips dipping lightly to a frown. He had this day planned for months. “Why not?”

She shifted her gaze up to face him. “I have patients today, waiting for me at my clinic.”

“Take a day off,” he grumbled.

She laughed. “Just because you did, doesn’t mean I should, too.”

He pouted at his wife and pulled her closer, snuggling at her neck, effectively hiding his face.

She laughed again. “Stop being such a spoiled baby!”

Sasuke scowled. “Alright, fine. But I’m going with you to your clinic.”

Sakura blinked a few times. Sasuke was a very busy man. He almost never interfered with her work, because he firmly believed that he did not want to bother her in any way. With that kind of thinking, Sakura did the same. They always lived their own worlds when it came to their careers. This whole business of him coming with her to her clinic was a bit of a shock for her. “Alright,” she said slowly. A wide grin started to form on her lips. “I’m sure my patients would just love to have you.”

Sakura was sitting in front of her dresser when her husband approached her and presented her with a single red rose. She looked at him through the mirror, a soft smile on her face.

“Every year, you get me one of these,” she said sentimentally.

“And I will keep giving you one on your birthday for the rest of my life.” He smiled.  “It’s more than just tradition to me.”

She turned to face him and accepted the rose. He swooped down and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. He pulled away and presented her with a small red box. “Sarada wanted me to give you this.”

Her eyes lit up. She almost forgot. Her daughter was coming back from boarding school later in the afternoon, to join her and her husband for her birthday dinner. She took the box and opened it. There was a single platinum clip, with a Sakura pattern engraved on it. At the very edge sat the Uchiha clan’s crest. The craftsmanship was impeccable. A wide grin grew on her face.

“Is this…” she looked at her husband to explain.

He smirked. “I bet she convinced Sai to sell it to her commission free.”

Sakura giggled. Sai was a famous artist, he recently tried his hand into designing jewelry. “How thoughtful of her,” she said lovingly. She picked up the clip, and cut the stem of the red rose her husband gave her. She then entwined it with the clip and slipped it into her hair. She looked at the mirror to inspect her handiwork. The left side of her hair was swept back with the clip, holding the rose in place.

Sasuke leaned down to look at her through the mirror. The red rose complimented her beauty even more.

He walked through the white hospital walls, his steps even and measured. He walked right next to his wife, who was being greeted left and right by various hospital staff.

“Doctor Uchiha!” A young nurse greeted. “Happy birthday!”

She smiled kindly and bowed a bit. “Thank you.”

The nurse smiled and nodded at Sasuke with a dreamy smile before walking away.

“Always the popular one.” Sasuke smirked.

Sakura feigned hurt. “I’m nowhere near as popular as you, darling.”

He glared at her for the quip, without any real malice. She stuck her tongue out at him playfully in return. He hid his smile, and landed his dark eyes at the door to her clinic.

There was a long line of patients waiting at the right side of the door, sitting and waiting. On the left side, it looked like the Yamanaka flower shop decided to change residence. There were bouquets of flowers, and presents stacked on top of the chairs.

Sakura’s green eyes widened. Her secretary came out of the clinic to greet them. “Good morning, Doctor Haruno. Happy birthday!” She smiled cheerily.  “Mr. Uchiha,” she shifted her gaze to him, her smile growing a little wider. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

Sasuke only nodded in acknowledgement. He was far too distracted by all the flowers and presents waiting for Sakura.

“Good morning, Yuki.” Sakura smiled. She shifted her gaze to the left side of her clinic’s door. “Are these for me?”

Yuki nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. There’s more inside. Mr. Uzumaki’s flowers were taking up most of the space, so I had to move some of them out. He also sent a cake over.”  

She raised her brow. “Naruto?” She followed her secretary inside her clinic, and that’s when she saw it. It was the largest display of Sunflowers she had ever seen. It sat on the top of her secretary’s desk, taking up all the space. There was a bright orange card sitting in the middle. She took it and read the scratchy handwriting aloud.

“Happy birthday, Sakura-chan! Don’t let that bastard get you down for not throwing you a party today. I planned one for you tomorrow night. Hope you like the flowers. Hima helped me pick them out from Ino’s shop. Enjoy the cake, too. Hinata baked that just for you! See ya tomorrow. Love, Naruto.”

Sasuke growled. He knew it wasn’t beneath Naruto to throw Sakura a party. The three of them were childhood friends, after all. There was a reason why Sasuke didn’t throw parties for his wife. It was because he wanted to spend time with his wife and daughter, undeterred by anyone else’s presence. It didn’t mean that his friends weren’t important. He just wanted to be selfish every now and then and have the two most important people with him.

“Well, isn’t that nice of him?” She grinned. Sakura turned around and faced her husband. “You get today, Sasuke-kun. Tomorrow,” she lifted the card and waved it at his face. “We’re going to celebrate with everyone else, okay?”

“Aa.” He was not going to defy any of her wishes today. Maybe he could try to convince her to skip it tomorrow morning, instead.

“Yuki, please send in the first patient after five minutes. I’ll just set up.”

“Yes, Dr. Uchiha!” Her gaze shifted then to Sasuke, who was just standing there at Sakura’s reception area. “Umm.” The girl fidgeted with her clipboard. “Do you need anything else, Mr. Uchiha?”

Sasuke slowly shifted his dark eyes to her. “No. I will wait for Sakura to finish her shift.”

“Ah, oh… Okay.” She stuttered. “Just make yourself comfortable, then.”

Sasuke nodded and sat down at the bench at the corner of the clinic. He pulled out a book, and started to read. From his perch, he could see Sakura talking to her patients through the glass window, Yuki’s desk, as well as the entrance to the clinic. He saw more and more people leaving presents and flowers outside, some even entering just to inform the secretary that they had left a gift.

“Please tell Dr. Uchiha I left her a gift.”

“Please send her my thanks, and to have the happiest birthday.”

“She has done so much for my father. Please tell her I am forever in her debt. Say, does she life daffodils? The Yamanaka shop owner told me likes those.”

“Can’t I please see her for just a minute? I want to hand her my gift.”

Sasuke watched silently from his seat. He knew his wife was popular, but he was still surprised that they always went out of their way to send her gifts and warm greetings on her birthday, and on Christmas. Yuki kindly turned all of their requests to see her down, explaining that she was busy and had a lot of patients to deal with. Some of them waited outside, while others simply left their gifts.

Sasuke’s presence did not go unnoticed. Sakura’s patients would stare at him, some far less discreet than most. He ignored them, and pretended not to hear.

“Look at him! He’s so handsome.”

“Is he a movie star? You know, I heard Dr. Uchiha has some popular patients.”

“Isn’t that… isn’t that Sasuke Uchiha? The CEO of Uchiha Corp?”

Sasuke’s lips pressed into a fine line. He was not in the mood to brush off any fan girls right now. He only wanted one girl’s attention for today, and he was already frustrated enough as it is that she was not giving it to him. Well, not really. But you get it.

A woman with blond hair came in. Her honey colored eyes scanned the clinic’s reception area. “Where is Sakura?” She asked Yuki firmly.

The secretary looked up from her computer and stood at attention immediately. “Dr. Senju! Dr. Uchiha is inside with a patient.”

Her eyes hardened at the secretary. “Will she finish soon?”  

“She-she should!” the girl was a nervous wreck. Sasuke smirked. He knew Tsunade had a penchant for scaring staff.

“Ah, you’re here.” Tsunade regarded him.

Sasuke stood up and nodded. “Tsunade.”

She smirked. “Waiting for her this year, I see.”

He inclined his head. “I told her to take the day off.”

The doctor snorted. “I’ve been trying to get her to go on a vacation for two years.”

They were interrupted by two teenagers who entered the clinic.

“Sarada.”

The girl with dark eyes slightly widened. She was holding a bouquet of pink roses. “Papa? What are you doing here?”

“I’m waiting for your mother,” he explained simply.

“Hey uncle Sasuke.” Boruto grinned. He was holding a bouquet of red carnations.  

Sasuke’s lips dipped into a slight frown as he eyed the flowers. He also didn’t like the thought of his daughter being with him. “Boruto.”

The blond’s grin was as bright as the sun. “Just wanted to stop by and drop off these flowers for Aunty Sakura.”

“Oh, everyone’s here!” Sakura padded out of her office.

All eyes turned to her, however, Sakura’s eyes instinctively gravitated towards her daughter.

“Sarada, you’re home. Welcome back!”

Sarada flung herself at her mother and hugged her tightly. “Happy birthday, mama!” She pulled away. “For you.” She presented the bouquet of pink roses and grinned. “Do you like the clip I got you?” She peeked at her mother’s hair and saw she was wearing it, along with a red rose. Her grin widened. “I’m glad you understood its intended purpose.”  

Boruto piped in. “Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, you always wear a red rose in your hair on your birthday every year, Aunty Sakura. Is that, like, for good luck or something?”

“It’s an Uchiha family tradition,” Sarada explained. “Family and close friends usually present pink roses to show appreciation.” She then eyed Sasuke carefully, a small smile on her lips. “Lovers and admirers present the female celebrant with a single red rose. It’s up to the celebrant to choose whose flower she will wear in her hair, as a sign of her reciprocating her love.”

Boruto’s blue eyes widened. At this, Sakura explained further. “Usually, it’s only done on the celebrant’s eighteenth birthday. But Sasuke-kun has been doing this every year since then, just to make sure I still love him,” she teased.

Sasuke felt his cheeks heat up. He looked away and scowled. Everyone laughed.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it, then.” Tsunade nodded. She shifted her gaze to her pupil. “Happy birthday, Sakura.” With that, she left the clinic.

“Mama,” Sarada spoke. “I’ll be heading out to have lunch with Boruto, and then we’re meeting up with Mitsuki. I’ll see you later for dinner?”

Sakura nodded. Boruto handed her the bouquet, and smiled. He promised he would bring Sarada home before seven. Sasuke’s body stiffened, but he chose not to speak about the matter. He had a feeling something was going on with those two, but he wanted to wait for Sarada to tell him. His eyes shifted to Sakura, who gave him a sweet smile. His eyes narrowed. He knew that look.

She giggled and handed the bouquet over to Yuki. “Darling,” she started. “I have a few more patients. After that, let’s grab some lunch?”

Sasuke nodded and sat back down on his perch. He tried his best not to think about how his wife had just embarrassed him earlier, and that his daughter may be potentially dating the dobe’s son.

The two of them went to one of Sakura’s favorite restaurants near the hospital. It was a quiet little shop that only accommodated four tables for two.

Sasuke knew that Sakura chose this restaurant today in order to give him some reprieve from her crowded clinic. She was just that thoughtful.

“I’m sorry, darling.”

Sasuke lifted his brow. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I’m apologizing that you had to wait outside my clinic all morning.” She held his hand, which was resting on top of the table. “I know you planned for us to have lunch at The Leaf today.”

His eyes narrowed. He didn’t tell anyone of his plans. He even made the reservation himself, just to make sure his secretary didn’t blab about it.

Sakura giggled. “I heard from Ino.”

“Tch.” He looked away. That blonde always was good at retrieving information. He forced himself to calm down and sighed. “It doesn’t matter.” He shifted his gaze to her. “I just want to spend the day with you, but it seems like I’m forced to share you with everyone else.”

Sakura blinked a few times. “Share? Sasuke-kun, you know I’m all yours.”

“It’s not that,” he replied cooly. “You’re loved and appreciated by a lot of people for very obvious reasons. I just…” He didn’t want to say it out loud. This was always a sort of insecurity for him. For years, he and Sakura had been together, and yet he always felt like she was better off with someone else who could make her happier. He was never the type to give flashy gifts, or throw grand parties for her. He doesn’t even recall ever giving her a bouquet of flowers in public.  

“I wouldn’t trade anything in the world for what I have now, darling.” She looked at his dark eyes, and he knew she was looking into his soul. She smiled warmly at him. “This is by far the best birthday ever, because I get to have you near me the whole day.”

He felt his lips tug up into a small smile, and he gave her hand a squeeze. No one ever understood him the way Sakura did.

Their food arrived, so they retracted their hands. As the server placed their food in front of them, a sly grin crept up Sakura’s face.

“Did you notice the way Boruto’s eyes lit up when Sarada explained the Red Rose tradition to him?”

Sasuke scoffed. “He probably doesn’t understand it.” He lifted the tea cup to his lips.

She chuckled. “Do you think he’ll be giving her a red rose on her eighteenth next week?”

He choked on his tea, to which Sakura laughed heartily.

A/N: I told myself I wasn’t going to join Sakura week because I was travelling. But while I was travelling, all I saw were Sakura trees. I felt inspired to write a birthday fic for my favorite girl, in her man’s perspective.

I hope you liked this! Thank you so much to @levadia for quickly beta reading this for me. 

You can read more of my fics here on tumblr, or on ff.net. 

[sariasprincy-writes]

Where it Happened - 016

Part i    Part ii    Part iii    Part iv    Part v    Part vi    Part vii    Part viii       Part ix    Part x    Part xi    Part xii    Part xiii    Part xiv    Part xv    Part xvi (here)   Part xvii

Where it Happened part xvi

Dawn broke just as Itachi arrived at the hospital. He pulled into in his normal space only to find Sakura's car was already in her spot, two stalls down from him. She had beat him and by a number of hours, judging by the dew that clung to her vehicle. Times like these he did not envy her position on the board.

Inside, the hospital was still waking up for the day. There was activity but it was not nearly the rush that it would be in a few hours. Just enough time for Itachi to check in on his patients before the ER and operating rooms began filling up.

Shisui was already in the elevator when the doors opened. Itachi greeted his cousin and settled beside him, both heading to the same place.

For a few floors, the ride was quiet. Then Shisui prodded, "So when were you going to tell me you're dating Sakura?"

"Where did you hear that?" Itachi asked, his voice void of inflection.

A pointed look crossed the plastic surgeon's face. "Sasuke. After he apparently walked in on you two."

"I don't know what he told you, but it was nothing like that."

Shisui snorted softly. "Well he hadn't meant it that way, but now I'm curious. You and Sakura are that familiar already?"

A moment too late, Itachi realized his cousin had been joking. Shisui's eyes widened. "You two are sleeping together?"

Fortunately for Itachi, the elevator slowed to a stop at that moment to let a few nurses on. He didn't offer his cousin a reply as the lift moved again. Merely watched the numbers above the doors count up.

"You can't just tell me nothing." Shisui pressed half-teasing, half-serious. "How long has this been going on?"

Itachi glanced at the nurses again, relieved to find they were too immersed in their conversation to pay attention to his and Shisui's. He sighed mutedly before relenting, "About two weeks."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Again, Itachi didn't answer.

"Oh…" Shisui said, understanding dawning on him. The playful tilt of his lips faded as his expression softened. "You know you don't have to feel guilty, Itachi. You deserve this. Sakura is good for you. Definitely improves your mood, that's for sure."

The look Itachi shot his cousin was enough to make the older man laugh again. Itachi didn't know how Shisui did it, but he always made him feel better. Even with just a few simple words.

Itachi could admit that Shisui was right. His mood had been quite sour for a long time, even after he had moved. Perhaps that was why Sakura hadn't liked him very much at first. Perhaps it had been her lack of modesty about it that had finally snapped him out of it. She had been a breath of fresh air in stale room.

"So what's the deal with her and Sasuke?" Shisui asked, knowing Itachi was unlikely to elaborate any further. For now at least. Shisui lived here now too. He still had plenty of time to corner Itachi about his relationship with Sakura later.

"They were friends in med school," Itachi explained as the lift reached their floor. They stepped out together and headed towards the attendings' lounge.

"Were?" Shisui repeated. "Let me guess, Sasuke's charming personality ruined that."

"Sakura didn't tell me the whole story, but I do believe it was an argument of some sort."

"She didn't tell you? Why not-? You know what, I don't wanna know," Shisui interrupted himself. As if it occurred to him that they had likely become too preoccupied during their conversation for her to elaborate further. He ignored Itachi's smirk. "What was Sasuke doing here anyway?"

As they entered the lounge, Itachi slipped his jacket off and hung it on the hook in the back of his locker. "Sasuke went to go learn under Dr. Orochimaru in the Middle East. Apparently his teacher is a friend of Chief Tsunade's. Sasuke came to deliver something to her."

"Well isn't that a coincidence," Shisui said, yanking on his scrub top.

"I think it was less coincidence and more he spoke with mom and she mentioned I was here. Though, I do not think Sasuke understood she meant I had moved permanently," Itachi explained.

"You think he's going to let it go?"

Itachi considered this as he changed into his own scrubs. "Knowing Sasuke, unlikely. But he has always been a lot of bark and no bite."

"Like a chihuahua."

They laughed at that before they collected the rest of their things and headed out to begin their day.

Down on the surgical floor, there was a small commotion. Nearly every Department Head was present. At first Itachi wondered if there was a mass casualty but the air seemed to be full of quiet excitement rather than tense anticipation. Beside him, Shisui seemed equally confused and they gazed around curiously to see what it was that had drawn so much attention. It wasn't until the crowd parted that saw the buzz seemed to stem from a single person.

Blinking, Itachi recognized him as Sunano Gaara. A world renowned Neurosurgeon. He had been on the shortlist for the Uchiha Foundation Award a number of times but they had never met face-to-face. No one had mentioned that such a highly-regarded surgeon was coming to the hospital. Perhaps this was why Sakura had arrived so early this morning.

"Is that Doctor Sunano Gaara?" Shisui asked.

Itachi glanced at his cousin, only to find the question hadn't been directed at him. But rather Kakashi who had appeared beside them. His attention was focused solely upon updating the surgical board, but he glanced at Shisui before he followed his gaze across the room.

"The one and only," Kakashi said before he returned to the board.

But that didn't sounded like a compliment, Itachi noticed. Shisui didn't.

"I wonder what he's doing here," Shisui said more to himself. "He's one of the best Neurosurgeons in the country. I'd love to meet him."

Itachi watched Kakashi a moment longer but the trauma surgeon just continued to write on the board, his back to the room. When Itachi returned his attention to Gaara, he found Neji had joined the talented surgeon.

Their heads were bent together as they viewed a chart. Their voices low in private conversation as they began walking down the hall in their direction. The pair of Neurosurgeons stopped in front of the surgical board.

"If you're available this afternoon, I would love to discuss this further with you," Neji said. He briefly glanced at his beeping paper before he flipped the chart closed.

Gaara nodded. "Of course. I will find you later."

With that settled, Neji left.

Gaara eyed the board. His gaze studying Kakashi as he erased one finished surgery and entered the next. The neurosurgeon was quiet. Then he glanced at Itachi, recognition flickering across his face. "Doctor Uchiha, isn't it? I'm pleased to finally meet you," Gaara said, holding out his hand in greeting. "I read your work on Endovascular Stent grafting of the Thoracic Aorta last year and was quite impressed."

"Thank you," Itachi replied, accepting his hand. "I believe it was your research on using an alternative approach to resect tumors in the Frontal Lobe that nominated you for an Uchiha Foundation Award last year."

"It was," Gaara nodded.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Itachi saw Kakashi half-turn towards them, listening to their conversation. He didn't say anything. Just paused briefly before returning to what he was doing.

Shisui held out his hand and introduced himself. "Are you working with Dr. Hyuuga on a case?"

"A little. We are meeting later to discuss a patient," Gaara told him. "He is concerned about a young boy that has a tumor in a particularly dangerous area. Not to appear insensitive, but the tumor itself is actually quite fascinating."

"Chief Tsunade didn't grant you privileges," Kakashi said. He capped the pen and turned to face them then, his expression stony.

His comment gave them all pause. For as passive as Kakashi normally was, his tone held something a little sharp, a little hostile. Something silent passed between the men, something only they understood, but Itachi could just as well feel the tension.

"Yes, I am aware," Gaara eventually said, his voice calm but otherwise unreadable. "I am not overstepping my bounds. I am simply offering my help while I await news on my brother's condition."

"Your brother is in the hospital?" Itachi redirected the conversation. His eyes lingered on the trauma surgeon briefly, but Kakashi didn't acknowledge him.

Gaara stared, a little surprised. "My brother, Kankuro, is on the waitlist for a new heart. He was admitted to the hospital yesterday in heart failure. We are discussing options for treatment while we wait for a heart to come. I am surprised Sakura did not tell you."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Itachi told him sincerely. "I believe I received a missed call from Dr. Haruno last night. I was looking to catch up with her this morning after rounds."

Perhaps that was a lie, but Itachi had no intention of calling Sakura out to another surgeon. Especially one he hardly knew. In fact, he hadn't heard from her all night. Which he supposed wasn't entirely unusual, but news that there was a close relative of a highly-regarded surgeon under her care did piqued his interest.

Gaara nodded his thanks. A moment later, his phone sounded and he pulled the device from his pocket before excusing himself.

Only after he had disappeared around the corner did Shisui break the silence, "Heart failure, huh. That sucks."

There was a note of nostalgia in his voice. Itachi glanced at his cousin but he was still observing Gaara's fading back. Even after all these years, Itachi could still remember how he had felt while watching Shisui struggle with his own health. He would never wish the experience upon anyone.

Shisui said nothing more before he left to begin his morning rounds. Itachi was about to do the same when Kakashi stopped him. "Uchiha," he said, his voice so low Itachi had to strain to hear him. "Watch yourself around Gaara."

Then the trauma surgeon shot him a meaningful look before he turned and disappeared down the hall.

Those parting words passed through Itachi's mind again later that afternoon when he ran into Sakura. She stood at the nurses' station, her head in her hand as she filled out a patient chart. Itachi peered into the hospital room at her back, eyeing the lone figure inside.

"How is Kankuro doing?" Itachi asked, stopping beside her.

Sakura picked her head up to look at Itachi before she followed his gaze to the hospital room. "He had a rough night but he's holding steady for now." Then she turned back to him, her expression confused. "How do you know him?"

"I met his brother this morning, Doctor Sunano Gaara."

"You spoke with Gaara?" Her tone sharpening minutely, drawing Itachi's interest.

"I did. He seems like a highly intelligent surgeon," he told her, watching her a little closer than before.

However, Sakura merely made a noise of agreement before she returned to her chart. "He is."

"You know him?"

Her pen stilled again. "Yeah, I do," she said after a moment. Her eyes drifted back to the hospital room where Kankuro was resting. His heart rate stable. For now. "His brother was a patient of mine for a number of years until...well until Gaara left."

That information surprised Itachi. "Gaara used to work here?"

Sakura nodded. "He left a few years ago. I had heard he'd been offered a position at the capital."

"It must have been hard for the hospital to see him go," he said sympathetically. He didn't doubt the board had taken a bit of a financial hit by having such a distinguished surgeon leave.

To his surprise, Sakura just shrugged before she returned to her chart. "It was. But Hyuuga has a reputation for good reason."

Itachi nodded his agreement but didn't comment further. He got the feeling Sakura wasn't really keen on continuing their discussion. He got the impression Gaara's decision to move to another hospital had left her a bit sour.

Itachi pondered this line of thought a moment more before he moved the conversation elsewhere. "Are you staying late tonight?" he asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Sakura said with a frown. "I still have some things to do and I need to follow up on UNOS."

"You know calling them won't make a heart come any faster."

"Yeah," she said quietly. She was still staring down at her chart but her pen remained still. "I just want to help Kankuro. He's waited so long already..."

Itachi brushed a stray hair over her shoulder in a gesture of comfort before he smiled. "I know," he said softly. Then he withdrew his touch. "Call me later?"

Sakura nodded before he walked away. She watched him disappear around the corner, feeling just a little better. Somehow, Itachi seemed to have that effect on her. Comforting her with just a few short words or a single gesture.

But the moment didn't last long as Gaara stepped around the corner. A rock dropped into the pit of her stomach and her smiled vanished. She eyed the Neurosurgeon, tracking his every move as he stopped in front of his brother's hospital room. He paused there briefly, observing Kankuro's vitals through the glass before he finally turned to face her.

"Any change?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head stiffly. "No. I'm still researching other possibilities in the meantime though."

"What about an LVAD?" Gaara offered. "Is he a candidate?"

"I don't know yet," she told him.

She had considered the option last night herself. Implanting a mechanical pump into Kankuro's heart would certainly give the organ a chance to rest. If he regained enough of his strength would allow him to leave the hospital until a heart became available. But there were more tests to be run and factors to consider.

"I'm still considering that option but I can't give you a definite until the rest of his tests come back," Sakura said.

Gaara nodded but didn't speak. He seemed lost in his own thoughts as he studied Kankuro again.

Sakura was content just to let their conversation end there. She flipped her chart closed and set it on the rack with the others before she made to leave. Only before she could make her escape, Gaara turned back to her.

"Sakura," he said so softly his voice was barely a whisper.

She had half a mind to ignore him, pretend she hadn't heard her name. But they were alone, the rest of the nurses seeing to other patients on the floor. Glancing over her shoulder, Sakura looked at Gaara expectantly, hating the way he looked so open and vulnerable in that moment.

"I know we have our history but please do not take it our on Kankuro," he said quietly. "He needs your help."

Her stomach twisted into painful knots and she glanced into Kankuro's hospital room, no longer able to meet Gaara's gaze. That piercing, unwavering stare. When Sakura spoke, her voice was low but strong, not giving away any of the emotions that were churning inside of her. "I would never place my personal business over the life of a patient."

Gaara was smiling when Sakura looked at him again. So familiar and yet so painful. Like an old injury that ached on cold days.

Sakura left as quickly as she could after that. The inside of the hospital walls were suffocating, trapping her and pushing down like hands under water. She fled the building. Following the winding staircase in the back corner of the hospital, down and down until it led to the emergency door on the bottom floor.

The cool air outside was a welcome breath into Sakura's lungs. She collapsed back against the wall and stared down at her hands. They shook with nerves and she wrung them together as if trying to squeeze out their waver, like water in a towel.

Would she ever not feel like this around that man again? Just the mere thought of facing him again, of having to pretend that they were fine made her sick to her stomach. She dropped her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.

Just breathe, Kakashi had told her.

"Rough day?"

Snapping her eyes opened, Sakura looked at Tsunade. The Chief was leaning against the wall on the other side of the door, a cigarette in hand. She exhaled a puff of grey smoke before she peered at Sakura out of the corner of her eyes.

There was no judgment in question. Or even really any curiosity. If Sakura didn't answer, she wouldn't press. And if she did, then Tsunade would listen.

"Yeah," Sakura eventually said. Then she studied her adopted mother's profile. Wondered if she wasn't the only one looking for an escape. "You?"

Tsunade inhaled another breath of nicotine before she flicked the ash from her cigarette and exhaled slowly. "Yeah."

They lapsed into silence. Sakura leaned her head back against the side of the building again. The time watching the way the grey clouds passed overhead. She wondered absently if it might rain again that night. But it wasn't long before her mind circled back to how she had come to be out here.

A glance at her watch told her she had surgery soon. She couldn't hide forever. She had to go back into that suffocating building and do the job she was here to do. But she couldn't yet find the strength.

"Gaara is here," Sakura said. Her voice was soft but it shattered the quiet that had settled between them.

"I know," Tsunade said just as lightly.

But there was more in her tone than just acknowledgement. There was understanding and compassion. Two things that her adopted mother didn't show often. Tsunade met Sakura's gaze when she glanced over at her. It suddenly occurred to Sakura that there was a reason Gaara had been denied privileges within the hospital. And it wasn't for professional reasons.

Sakura couldn't help but crack a faint smile.

Tsunade said nothing. Only faced forward again as she sucked down another tainted breath. They stood in silence again until the older woman spoke, "Shizune left again."

Surprised, Sakura turned towards her adopted mother but she was no longer looking at her. She was studying the smoldering end of her cigarette with muted fascination. Sakura frowned.

Shizune and Tsunade had been best friends once. The dark-haired woman had been around a lot in Sakura's youth. Until one day she stopped coming over. Sakura still didn't know what had happened to put such an abrupt end to such a strong friendship - and she doubted she ever would. Tsunade was an incredibly private person, even to Sakura. But growing up, Sakura had seen the toll the distance had put on her adopted mother. Whatever had happened, Sakura had hoped it was something that could be fixed.

"Is she coming back?" Sakura asked gently.

Silence. Then a quiet murmur, "I hope so."

Sakura went back to watched the clouds. Made imaginary images out of them until she resigned herself to heading back inside. She reached for the door handle but didn't quite open it as Tsunade dropped the remainder of her cigarette and scratched it under her heel.

"Coming back inside?"

Tsunade pulled another stick from the package in her pocket. "Soon."

Without judgment, Sakura slipped inside and climbed the stairs slowly, her hands deep in the pockets of her scrubs to warm her chilled fingers.

##

It was the third morning in a row Itachi arrived to the hospital parking lot to find Sakura's car there. He frowned at the vehicle, noting the dry spot under her car where the rain from the previous night had been unable to reach. She hadn't gone home. Again. But what he didn't know was why.

It was this question that rolled through Itachi's head as he entered the hospital. He changed quickly and headed down to the Cardio Ward only to find Sakura wasn't there. Nor was she in surgery, according to the surgical board.

His curiosity grew until he crossed paths with Hyuuga Hanabi. The young resident had been on Sakura's service the day before and after a brief conversation he learned they had spent a better part of their night in Patient Records.

And that is where he found her. Head resting on her crossed arms over the desk and wholly asleep.

Itachi approached her soundlessly. He set the mocha he had picked up from the nearby coffee cart on the desk in front of her before he rested a gentle hand on her back and called her name, "Sakura, wake up."

She jerked awake, her entire form tensing as she bolted upright. When she saw it was just him, she breathed a heavy sigh, her body going lax as if sleep was once again creeping into the edges of her mind.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," Itachi said, pushing the coffee towards her.

Sakura accepted it with a genuine smile of thanks before she swallowed a much needed sip. Wordlessly he slipped into the chair beside her, his eyes lingering of the case files she had fallen asleep over. They looked like experimental treatments for patients awaiting a new heart. Is this why she had been working so many late nights?

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked. She briefly lowered the coffee cup to ask her question before taking another sip.

"It's almost time for rounds."

Her eyes widened. "It's that late already? Shit."

In the next instant, Sakura began tossing patient charts closed as she hastily gathered her own paperwork and notes into a messy pile she could carry with one arm.

Itachi merely watched her. "Sakura, are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"You haven't been home in three nights."

Sakura paused then to look at him, as if surprised he knew that. "I know," she said. She returned to cleaning up the workspace, this time at a slower pace. "I'm just so busy with my patients lately."

"Busy doing what?"

"Running labs and scheduling exams."

"That's what interns and residents are for," Itachi told her.

"Yeah, it's just…"

A frown marred her face as she trailed off quietly, unable to meet his gaze. The look only confirmed what Itachi had been suspecting. There was something she was hiding from him. Something she either didn't want to talk about, or didn't know how to tell him. His concern increased ten fold.

"Just what, Sakura?" Itachi asked as carefully as he could. He sat forward in his chair and grasped her wrist in the hopes that she would look at him. She didn't. "What aren't you telling me? Let me help you. I want to help you."

Sakura exhaled slowly. But it was heavy like a million burdens rested upon her shoulders. "I just...I can't go home right now," she said eventually.

The implication of those words deeply troubled him. Why couldn't she? Was there something here stopping her from leaving or was she afraid to go home?

Itachi opened his mouth but before he could ask, Hanabi appeared. She nearly sprinted around the corner, slightly breathless. Like whatever she had to say was of high importance. Both heart surgeons glanced at her and Sakura subtly pulled her wrist out of Itachi's grasp. In the presence of another, he released her without complaint.

"Sorry to interrupt, Dr. Haruno, Dr. Uchiha," Hanani said respectfully before she looked at Sakura directly. "UNOS just called. They have a heart."

Sakura stared at a loss for words. Then she jumped into hyperdrive. "Tell them we want it. Then go inform the harvest team and get the consent forms signed. I'm right behind you."

"Yes, doctor," Hanabi nodded. In the next second, she was out the door and gone again.

Sakura returned to collecting her thing, her movements faster than before. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I promise I'll talk to you later."

Itachi nodded. "Of course."

He simply watched her. Still in his chair as she piled her documents into one arm and grabbed her coffee cup with the other hand. Once she had everything, she turned to leave. Only to hesitate. Sakura turned back to him slowly. Her lips pursed as she seemed to consider something. Then her expression softened. "Thank you, Itachi."

Itachi smiled faintly in response before she left. Even after the door had closed, he continued to sit a little while longer. A disturbed feeling had settled deep in his gut. If there was one thing he had come to know about Sakura, it was that she was very good at hiding her feelings.

For there was definitely something going. And she was not alright.

to be continued…

[utsus]

Heartsigh

Part 3 (from this prompt/series). AO3

Hinata was frustrated; an emotion she had since begun to regularly associate with one Uchiha survivor.

She had been working herself up to those questions that much needed answers, going so far as to write some of them down late in the night after she’d returned home from missions or other village duties. Seeing the words on parchment brought them into stark focus, an efficient kind of contrast, and it was just what Hinata had needed to bolster her confidence enough to finally seek him out. No matter that it had taken her over a week to do so, with her many friends’ goading and insistent ripostes constantly in her ears.

Regardless, there was a part of her that hadn’t wanted to approach Sasuke unprepared. There was an air to him that was pointed, harsh, effortlessly needling. She couldn’t exactly name the vibe she got from him, but some part of her knew that Sasuke would not appreciate half-hearted attempts at interrogation. If she was going to grill him, to do so in any way that wasn’t lethally precise would be an insult to him.

She didn’t know how she knew that, and that was confusing, too; so she didn’t think about it at all.

She just took her time. She planned her steps and she met his eyes through the clamor of crowds in the market place for a fleeting second of wonder, sunlight through gold-tinged dust motes, and she returned home to the elegant alabaster walls to think things over.

And it was typical, she thought, that the moment she was ready to approach him, he’d vanish.

She pursed her lips, glancing up at the mass of the Uchiha Compound walls in front of her even as she let her fist fall away from the harsh wood. It had splintered, over time. She had waited longer than polite company ought to, and the evening was pressing on without her, so she turned at last and moved away from Sasuke’s personal space. She hadn’t seen him in the markets, or the Tower, and especially not at the training grounds—she had yet to actually catch him glancing at her there, even with her Byakugan activated, but Ino’s sources were unwavering.

Sasuke was gone and she had no idea where, and it wasn’t actually her business. She still found herself irritated, though. She’d spent so much time bolstering her courage, readying her mind and her words, and then she’d run into a wall with someone she was close to, who ultimately pushed her into action.

Surprisingly enough, that wall who finally set her on her way turned out to be Kiba, of all people.

“It’s getting really freakin’ old,” he groaned, nudging her slightly to the side as an older couple passed on their right. Kiba and Hinata both dipped their chins respectfully even as the couple disappeared from view, and Kiba shoved his fists deep into his pockets. Akamaru trailed after them, too giant a fixture to walk at their side through the crowded street. “If you would’ve told me months ago that at this point in my life, I would be bombarded daily with updates about that snake, I would’ve laughed, and then I would’ve ripped bark off a tree with my teeth.”

Hinata attempted to hide her smile but it pushed at the corners of her lips all the same. She reached for Kiba’s elbow and guided him away from a group of genin squatting on the side of the road, drawing plans in the dirt. One of them had a reptilian creature perched on her shoulder, and it looked bored enough to start a fight. “Kiba-kun,” Hinata kept her voice mostly serious, though laughter was banging at the door of her control. “Why would you have needed to do that, of all things?”

Kiba glanced down at her with pursed lips, failing to hide his own amusement even as he tried to appear put out. “That’s not the point, Hinata.”

“Ah,” Hinata agreed wisely, nodding. “The point.”

“The point,” Kiba repeated, with unnecessary emphasis, “Is that you could solve all my problems here if you just kicked it into gear and asked the snake your questions.”

Hinata frowned. “Kiba-kun, that’s rude.”

Kiba rolled his eyes, unbothered. “A snake’s a snake’s a snake, no matter how many times he sheds his skin.”

Hinata’s frown only deepened, displeased with Kiba’s blatant disapproval. After her spar with the girls, with all of them bleeding and exhausted lying in the fields of their shattered battle grounds, she had garnered a general acceptance to the idea that Sasuke might actually want something more from Hinata than an interrogation. Ino’s words, not Hinata’s.

Had Hinata not known Sakura so well and for so long, she might have thought that Sasuke wouldn’t be interested in any kind of communication, ever. That seemed the safest bet, considering his generally apathetic stoicism and disinclination to add anything to a conversation other than subtle changes in expression, or general vibes of disapproval. Hinata could have worked with that, even, having grown up her entire life beside Shino.

But she had known Sakura nearly her entire life, and Sakura had known Sasuke her entire life, and Sakura shared her girlfriend’s love of gossip. Sasuke had always been a common topic, and over the years Hinata had learned much about the man she had barely ever actually spoken to outside of missions.

Hinata learned two very important and lasting things about Uchiha Sasuke, through Haruno Sakura’s words.

The first was anticlimactically unsurprising; while unashamedly distant and defiantly independent, Uchiha Sasuke loved and welcomed a challenge.

The second had appropriately rocked Hinata’s understanding of the quiet man enough to rekindle in her mind over weeks, months, her curiosity insatiable.

It was this: that Uchiha Sasuke would go out of his way to help people who struggle. Sakura tied it to his impatient nature, which Hinata could totally understand—when you’re a prodigy and most things came easily to you, watching others struggle must seem asinine. Ino called it being a “Nosy Nancy,” insisting that while Sasuke hung out in the shadows he was a little too fond of sticking his perfectly aquiline nose in others’ business.

Hinata wondered idly if it was a combination of the two, with a surprising undercurrent of genuine compassion. She had never voiced it, though, and the thoughts had since left her over the years with nothing more than a surviving curiosity whenever she saw Sasuke. He had changed incredibly over the years, Kiba’s shedding skin analogy fresh in her mind.

But she wondered if as a child he had maintained that same silent, subversive benevolence, that impatience to help those who struggled. A kid in a world of overturned insects, who could’ve easily stepped on them, put them out of their misery.

Instead, would he have freed them—turned them over, gotten them on their feet again, lifted them to get air under their wings?

She just didn’t have enough information to say.

And that was why she needed answers.

She turned to gauge Kiba’s expression and found insolence, and dislike. Her girls may have expressed a gentle, muted kind of acceptance for Sasuke silently merging into her life, but it was clear that that same sentiment was not shared equally across the board.

Kiba was no friend of Sasuke’s; he couldn’t understand or accept disloyalty, ever.

Hinata understood, but there was something to say about forgiveness.

As it was, Kiba was still learning, and it was difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. His voice turned acidic, lashing out. “Ask him your questions and then dump him, Hinata. He’s no good.”

“His mistakes,” She began cautiously, turning away from the storm of Kiba’s response, “Are many and great, Kiba-kun. I don’t argue that.”

Kiba snarled, his only response, and an answering vibration built up behind them. Hinata didn’t have to turn to know Akamaru’s fur was raised, responding directly to Kiba’s sudden change in mood. The people around them shifted unconsciously away from them, not wanting to be anywhere near the heavy pressure of Kiba’s chakra signature. Hinata felt it like a tidal wave of humidity, heavy, pressing, and all-encompassing. Inescapable, if you didn’t know him.

But Hinata knew him.

“Kiba-kun,” her voice was soft, a quiet reprimand, and Kiba blinked. He glanced to the wide circle of open space around them, heard for the first time Akamaru’s low and menacing growl behind them. He stopped walking, turned to kneel for Akamaru and rub at his wide chest, displacing the fur in every which direction.

“It’s okay,” he told Akamaru, but Hinata knew the same sentiment was for himself, too. Hinata gave him time to regain his control, to get a handle on his emotions. When he stood, she offered him the gentleness of a smile, her eyes heavy with affection. His protectiveness was not something she would ever resent, even when it bordered on chaotic.

“Walk with me,” she offered, guiding him with the slightest of touches on his elbow. He fell into step beside her, and she allowed herself to thread her arm through his, holding him to her side. Something of a purr began in his chest, and ordinarily she would’ve laughed and pointed it out—but she had only just managed to diffuse him, and comparing him to a cat was not a smart move.

“I’ll ask him my questions,” she conceded, barely above a whisper. Then, she glanced up to his watchful gaze, studied the sharp crimson lines of the ink in his skin. “I have many to ask, and much to learn from him.”

Her wording, as deliberate as it was truthful, brought out a disgusted snarl in her friend. He rolled his eyes, his temper appropriately ceded. “What good can you learn from a snake.”

Hinata thought this was going to be more difficult than she had originally expected. Kiba’s insistence on derisive nicknames was not a good sign. She ignored it, however, allowing this while she pressed forward.

“He interests me,” she admitted. “There are many secrets around him, and I seem to be involved in them.”

Kiba lifted a sharp nail to rub idly at his lower lip, glancing down at her, considering. For the first time since his outburst, he appeared to be taking her seriously.

“You have awful taste,” he said, not for the first time, and Hinata laughed. He was sharp as a blade when he wanted to be, already seeing past her words to the feelings beneath. They were still complicated and vaguely indecipherable, but Hinata was beginning to understand them herself. She had not lied, when she told him of her interest. Her curiosity.

But there was something more, beyond that, and both of them knew it.

“Ask him your questions,” Kiba repeated, with far less disdain. He was resigned, sighing, but there was a gleam in his eyes that bespoke of violence, if necessary. “I don’t like it, obviously. But if you need this, then I’ll support it. I’ll support you.”

Hinata’s smile was a fresh blooming, but it halted at Kiba’s next tone, and the sly way he turned to her with wild eyes and a new kind of smile, perched on the edge of sharp teeth. Usually, it was bones that crunched between the teeth of this smile.

“But if the snake still has fangs,” he said, and Hinata felt her heart begin to pound. Disapproval spilled over her lips, a frown Kiba pointedly ignored. “Then I’ll teach him what real bite feels like.”

Akamaru huffed behind them, an agreement if Hinata had ever heard one.

In another mood, with a lighter atmosphere, Hinata might have laughed. She might have playfully agreed, tugged on Kiba’s arm, and bought him ice cream afterwards.

But this was not a playful mood, the storm from moments before still riding on the outskirts of Kiba’s wicked smile. Hinata considering him seriously before dipping her chin once, a single acceptance, before idly pulling him along towards the end of the street.

She did not laugh, or playfully agree. The time wasn’t right.

But she did find herself smiling, exasperated even as she was wary; and there was never a wrong time for ice cream.

Kiba added gummy worms, and smiled while he chewed them.

Hinata did not think of snakes and teeth.

✧

Hinata was a master of reconnaissance. She was on the lead Konoha Jounin team of master trackers. She had a wider range of Byakugan sight than anyone in her entire clan.

And yet, for several days longer still she could not find Uchiha Sasuke.

A mission, she decided. Still.

Frustrated and feeling at the end of her rope, Hinata hesitated before the massive walls of the Uchiha compound. She had been warring with herself for weeks; a constant battle between courtesy and obligation. She had many questions and they were important, certainly, but this—the vast expanse of hauntingly uninhabited space before her, and what it still meant to Sasuke—was important too. She’d searched the village for him several times, Byakugan seeking and stretching, and she had yet to locate him. And yet, she had only just come to realize that she had unconsciously shied away from looking into this—

It was, somehow, equal parts typical and atypical of her. She was critically efficient in her work; detail-oriented and a perfectionist on the job. When she looked for someone or something, she didn’t miss checking her corners, didn’t skim the surface. She delved, far and deep, until she had what she needed. And yet, she had grown up professionally trained to be demure, elegant and genteel. It was both her nature and her upbringing.

Seamless efficiency. Unparalleled gentility. These were the lines she had been fighting between for so many weeks. As she fought, she hesitated; her matchless eyes ran up against the stark wood of the Uchiha Compound and froze. She didn’t look any further.

And she had only just realized it.

If pushed to recall, she was confident she could give a general layout of the compound from memory. But it would be flawed (so unlike her to leave it so) but this was the heart of her hesitation.

To look would be to intrude. This was the reigning thought that had kept her at bay for so long, with Sasuke in the wind. And yet—

Here she stood, at the gates. The veins around her eyes were relaxed, blood limit at bay. A single thought had prevented her from passing these gates, and yet the pressure of time passing had pushed her right to Sasuke’s doorstep. Vision accompanied by physical form, this time.

And what she was thinking now was…normally totally unthinkable, for her. More than a step but a gulf past rude, her thoughts were leaning towards outright offence. She glanced up at the crimson and the white, stark and still bleeding against the elegant wood of Sasuke’s compound. The symbol was fractured. She bit her lip, debating.

But enough time had been wasted. She needed answers.

She glanced around her quickly, and then she leapt over the wall. The wall itself, while immense, was no challenge. It was the meaning of her actions and the weight of where she stood that nearly made her knees buckle.

She could feel it in the air, stifling and immeasurable.

Loss.

Even so long after the massacre had passed, still the air here retained the memory; cloying shadowed hands refusing to release the grip it had on the past. Remember this infinite moment, it seemed to say, do not forget what was done here.

Hinata honored the words by moving through the streets with her eyes facing forwards, touching nothing.

She didn’t know which house belonged to Sasuke. She didn’t even know if he still lived in the same house, or if he’d chosen one less saturated in loss, closer to the gate, the village, escape. She had jumped over the walls on impulse, tired and frustrated and jittery with nerves. If he was on a mission, then there was no reason for her to be here, looking. Interrupting the space here. The silence.

But something beyond the gates had called to her, a whisper of potential for the answers she sought.

She lost track of the houses around her. A careless eye would’ve thought the place untouched, a simple empty compound, houses still standing. Every door shut. Unsuspecting. Hinata’s eyes were not careless; she noticed the ash on the patio of a nearby home that had been scarred by flames. She caught the fractures of shattered windows tucked under weeping patio covers. Stairs broken through. Clipped wires hanging, aimless in a tired breeze.

She didn’t see any animals, but she could still hear them, the first signs of life. Vegetation was growing back, slowly but surely, and if she listened carefully enough she could hear the trickle of water somewhere in the distance. She followed it as best as she could, walking with eyes closed for a few paces. It brought her to a home that looked just like all the others, if slightly larger than those near the gate. Nothing about it really stood out, but the sound of the water—something about it—changed the closer she got to it. That was enough of an oddity to draw her closer.

There was no real change she could put her finger on. She couldn’t explain it in words if she’d been asked. But there was something here that was off.

The steps were intact, though this veranda, too, had been touched by fire. Hinata allowed herself this: to run her hand over the wood as she ascended, step by step. Someone had tried to clean it away, haphazardly, poorly, a child’s work. For an instant, she thought of Sasuke, eyes too large for his face, on his knees scrubbing away at the ash his brother left behind. She shook the thought off a moment later, her heart heavy and lurching.

The stain had already sunken into the wood, permanent.

The door was open. That, she thought curiously, did stand out. She approached it cautiously, fingertips on the doorframe, eyes trailing into the shadows.

She listened for the warbling water, different somehow—and suddenly it clicked.

Genjutsu.

She lifted her hands and called the blood to her periorbital veins, feeling them rise, her eyesight sharpen. Everything honed into minute detail, exposed unto her viewing, and she gazed at the tapestry of genjutsu placed so meticulously around this home. It had to be his, she thought, staring in wide-eyed wonder at the intricacy of the genjutsu he had placed in the rafters. She would have to be cautious of traps; Sasuke was not the careless sort.

His genjutsu was flawless, layered and seemingly unending. A few times Hinata felt herself become lost to it, following the stream, a glitch in the system. There was no running water in this place. It took her some time to work her way through it, until sweat beaded at her temples and her hands trembled, breath coming quicker over her lips. Finally, finally she found her way to the heart of it, felt the way her chakra mingled with his, and surrounded it.

With a muttered word and a whoosh of expelled chakra, Sasuke’s childhood home became free to her exploration.

“Hello?” She called, and the softest tone of voice she had to offer still managed to shatter the air around her. Even as she startled, her heart beginning to race, she persisted. “Uchiha-san?”

She waited several moments, each heavier than the last, before moving completely into the front room. Out of respect, she toed off her sandals, lined them up off to the side. She wiped a bead of sweat away with the back of her hand. When she walked she made no sound; her wide eyes took in the room. It was brighter than she expected, the further she moved in. There were no pictures on the walls, no ornaments or decorations. Stark and spartan, as though it was unlived in.

But there was a blanket folded over the edge of a worn couch, and a house plant in the corner of the room that was recently watered. There were pots in the kitchen, and when Hinata reached the back of the house there was a familiar stone, rectangular and bowed with frequent use, sitting freely on the first step of an elegant veranda.

It was the same stone she had seen Sasuke sharpening his blade with not long ago, in that strange calm place, amidst the tall grass. A safehouse. Standing within his empty family home—a place of betrayal and loss—and sensing at least five traps around the perimeter (and undoubtedly missing many others), Hinata would never feel more starkly how out of place that word must’ve tasted on Sasuke’s lips.

It was sudden, the touch of something sharp against her throat. Steel, she thought dazedly, tensing.

“I’m home,” Sasuke said vacuously, just this side of sarcastic. He didn’t move the blade from her throat, though, so Hinata did not move. Her heart moved for her, quicker and quicker, attempting to flee. She stayed incredibly still, and when she unconsciously swallowed the blade edged into her skin just enough to sting. She could feel the heat of him, now, there behind her. Radiating. He’d been so quick that the warmth of him had had to catch up. This thought was a welcome but preposterous distraction. He was a conundrum and it was ridiculous, ridiculous, but had Hinata not had his blade to her throat she might have allowed herself to lean back against him.

This thought more than anything else jarred her back into the present, enough so that she regained her composure and remembered why she was here. In his home.

She spoke against the blade. “Welcome home,” she said bashfully, with just the same tinged edge of irony in her tone. “I apologize for the intrusion.”

A moment of tension, before the blade fell away. She heard him sheathe it, a seamless slice, and when she turned she made sure to keep her chin held high. She was absolutely intruding, and somehow it felt so much more awful because it was his home. But he’d been avoiding her for weeks and she was tired of searching and waiting and being inactive.

She shouldn’t be here. She knew that.

More reason for her to ask her questions. The sooner she got her answers, the quicker she could leave.

Sasuke’s gaze was just another weapon, a blade pressed to her throat where the first had only just left. It wasn’t exactly anger, though there was something of disapproval, something of displeasure. He watched her sharply, pinned her in place, and somehow it was he who seemed vulnerable. She didn’t have to wonder why. She’d surprised him here in a place that maybe he’d learned to feel safe in. He didn’t have to fear her. She knew that wasn’t the point, but she hoped that he knew it—he didn’t have to fear her.

And was this place safe for him? She studied his eyes, the strong line of his tensed jaw. She wondered.

“I truly am sorry,” she said, not backing down even as she frowned. “But you’ve been avoiding me. I thought I could find you here.”

“And you have,” Sasuke agreed. He was completely closed off from her; the emotion she’d seen shifting in his eyes before had vanished. He had become shadows. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen him like this. Icy. She allowed herself to take all of him in, casting her eyes over him in entirety, and realized he must’ve just returned from a mission. There were wrinkles in his clothes. Dirt and what looked like blood on his wrists. Lines of strain under his eyes.

Hinata frowned. “I have questions about the Mist poison.”

When Sasuke didn’t respond, she thought of how best to push forward without sounding overly accusing.

“You’ve been withholding information, Uchiha-san.”

Sasuke tilted his head, curiously cat-like. A predator with relaxed shoulders, unassuming. Hinata felt deliberately tested. It made her own shoulders tense, held tight with suspense. She crossed her arms over her chest to dispel her weakness, to give her something to hold onto. Still, her heart raced. Some quiet part of her felt bowed in, soft and worried for the vulnerability he had sealed away. That part of her wanted to forego the questions—important as they were—and reach out to him instead.

“Uchiha-san,” she began cautiously, “Do you have an antidote to this new Mist poison?”

Sasuke watched her silently for several empty moments, his eyes moving slowly over her face. She wondered what he read there, and how it made him feel about her. Did he feel anything about her—at all? That isn’t relevant right now, she reminded herself.

When he moved, it was steady, easy. Still, it startled her into added watchfulness. He turned and toed off his sandals, and only gave hers a curious added look before moving around her, deeper into his home. He moved into the kitchen and Hinata followed warily, as quiet as she could be. She leaned against the doorframe and watched him prepare tea, her eyes catching on the way the fabric moved over his muscled back, his sculpted shoulders. Hinata felt heat rising up her throat. She licked her lips.

“I have an antidote,” Sasuke finally spoke, his voice fitting the solemn air. Hinata’s expression darkened, confused and bordering on suspicious. The latter leeched into her voice despite her best efforts to control it.

“Then why didn’t you share it with our superiors?” She demanded, moving a step closer, off the frame and into his kitchen space. Sasuke turned and rested his tailbone on the counter, the heels of his hands resting at his hips along the granite. He watched her carefully, and the intensity of his every look exposed her, unwound her. She felt thoroughly explored, and her heart raced with every new breath she drew in under his study.

“Naruto knows,” he said at last, tilting his head to watch her reaction to that information. He wouldn’t be disappointed with lack of reaction; Hinata felt herself react expressively, eyebrows jumping, lips parting.

“He knows?” She said, almost to herself. Her frown was going to carve permanence into her expression if she kept this up, but that was the least of her worries. “Then why wouldn’t he share it with Tsunade-sama and Sakura-san? Our medics? Why hasn’t he—”

Sasuke’s expression fractured, let slip another fragment of vulnerability, this time in a particular shade of disquiet. It was a strange expression to see on his face, a blended mix of anger and apprehension, something he clearly felt troubled with.

“It isn’t safe,” he admitted at last, watching her reaction from under his eyelashes, almost worriedly. Hinata wondered if every answer he had for her today was going to shock her anew.

“It’s not,” she hesitated, eyes flickering over his features, “Safe?”

Sasuke didn’t deem to repeat himself, but he did offer her a single shake of his head to solidify the fact. He watched her for a moment and misinterpreted something of her expression.

“It works,” he explained almost hastily, “But it’s not guaranteed to be safe. I’ve been studying the poison for months, and without the antidote, you would’ve died. There’s no question about that. I had to give you the antidote.”

“Oh,” Hinata agreed, shaking her head, a little overwhelmed. “Of course, yes. I understand. I suppose I—should’ve been more concerned about that fact, but I’m actually more concerned with why you haven’t explained this to our medics. If you don’t understand how the antidote works, then you should’ve immediately taken it to someone who could.”

The corner of Sasuke’s lips quirked, a smile, and Hinata realized he was laughing at her scolding him. Heat filled her cheeks even as she couldn’t help but to reflect his humor with a smile of her own, if only for a moment.

Sasuke chided her, saying, “You really should care more for your own well-being, Hinata.”

She nodded, this argument a constant among her inner circle. “Yes, yes,” she sighed, nearly sighing. He studied her reaction with open curiosity, tilting his head again. He had a mean jawline, that somehow further emphasized how beautiful he was. “We have more pressing matters to attend to, Uchiha-san. A potentially dangerous antidote. We know it works, and every poison has a cure.”

There was an added light to his gaze, though, something of humor that she caught just a moment before it dithered out.

“It’s not that simple.”

Hinata huffed. “It’s not?”

“The poison isn’t simple poison,” Sasuke explained, as the tea began to bubble. “It’s inlaid with jutsu.”

Hinata was stunned into silence, having never even considered. Poison with jutsu embedded within? If Sasuke was right and the poison had been concocted with jutsu as a component—what kind of jutsu, she wondered—then a simple antidote was out of the question. Which lead to another question: how had Sasuke come up with an antidote, however temporary, that was efficient enough to work at least for the time being?

Hinata slowed her thoughts and took a deep breath. One step at a time.

“How do you know there’s jutsu within the formula?”

Sasuke’s eyes traced her lips for a single, breathtaking moment before his eyes bled red. Hinata tensed, an instant and unconscious reaction. Sasuke met her eyes with purpose. The Sharingan.

“I told you that I’ve been investigating this poison for months. Once I realized there was jutsu within it, I collected it for study. I brought it to Naruto. Kakashi and I have been trying to decipher it since.”

Hinata swallowed, and realized suddenly that there was fear in her. This poison—this justu—it had been in her system. It could still be within her.

“And your progress?”

Sasuke’s eyes faded out to their depthless black, and his eyelashes fell heavily. An edge returned to him, though Hinata couldn’t distinguish its origin.

“Dismal.”

Hinata studied him for a moment, watchful for that anger, wondering at it. There were so many holes in his explanation she didn’t even know where to start. There were an endless number of possibilities that could be the cause of his ire.

“How did you first discover there was jutsu in the poison?”

Hinata knew she had asked just the right question for the heart of her confusion when Sasuke glanced up at her and his gaze cut. It took him several moments of trying to find the words, through which she waited patiently, studying him all the while. The tea kettle whistled and Sasuke took the time to turn from her, to prepare two cups. He poured them with a steady hand, and set the kettle down softly. When he turned back to her he met her eyes squarely, and carried her cup to her across the kitchen. He did not look away.

Her fingers touched his around the porcelain and he said, “My brother discovered it.”

Hinata nearly dropped the cup. Her eyes flew to his immediately, and he did not shy away from the question and the suspicion there. He met her head on, as brave as she’d seen him. There was a strength to this kind of honesty, refusing to back down even when he knew how she’d respond to the information. She wanted to step closer to him, even as her mind raced around what that answer could actually, possibly even mean.

“Your brother.” She swallowed heavily, shaking her head. He could’ve told her any number of ways for deciphering the poison’s hidden contents and she would’ve considered them. But claiming that Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke’s traitorous older brother who had murdered his entire clan save for Sasuke himself, was the person who had not only discovered the jutsu but had for some reason shared that information with Sasuke, never would’ve touched the same plane of existence as Hinata. Not in a lifetime. And yet.

“He is notoriously elusive,” Sasuke went on easily, impassively, suddenly and sharply vulnerable, like a knife wound. “Except the rare moments when he doesn’t want to be.”

“He told you this?” At his nod, she asked, “How can we possibly trust him?”

Sasuke grit his teeth, the only noticeable tell of his subdued fury. It was the most noticeable reaction Hinata had seen from him yet. Only Itachi could fracture Sasuke with such ease.

“We can’t,” he said gruffly. “But it would be stupid not to believe him.”

“What?” Hinata tried to wrap her mind around his contradictions, but found herself only blinking at him, waiting for further explanation. She lifted her tea to her lips, nearly forgotten in her hands, and sipped lightly. It was delicious.

Sasuke sighed and ducked his head, as if to say I don’t know how to explain this to you. Still, though, he tried. He looked back up to her and said, “Itachi wants me to become strong enough to kill him. Though he would expect me to be somehow clever and cunning enough to avoid being exposed to a poison like this, he must also know how lethal it is because he was the one who sought me out to explain it. He wouldn’t do something like that just to screw with me. He’s fucked up, but not like that.”

Hinata let him chew on those words for a moment, the silence growing between them. There wasn’t anything in this house that could offer noise outside of their voices, their movements. No breeze, no decorations, no life outside of theirs. It was eerie, but strangely enough, Hinata was fast growing comfortable with it. It didn’t unsettle her quite as much as it had when she’d first arrived, and maybe it was because the idea that Uchiha Itachi would actually help his brother like this was far, far more unsettling.

Sasuke gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw working hard. “It pisses me off, but I think he was trying to help me.”

Hinata didn’t want to repeat herself and say, how could we ever trust him? There was so much between Itachi and Sasuke that she would never, ever understand, even if she tried. If Sasuke, who hated Itachi more than anyone and anything in existence truly believed that Itachi was right about this, then how could she fight it? She would remain cautious, of course, she wasn’t a fool. But that antidote had saved her life. The information Sasuke had gotten from Itachi had inadvertently saved her life.

“The antidote,” Hinata remembered, suddenly. “How did you come across it? Did—did your brother give it to you, as well?”

Sasuke’s eyes were answer enough, even before he said, “He created it.”

Hinata’s eyes widened, and Sasuke glanced aside, looking through the glass doors to his back patio. “There are chakra patterns woven into the antidote.”

A poison with jutsu in the mix. An antidote with chakra interspersed. What kind of mess had they landed themselves into?

Sasuke turned back to her and watcher her quietly, from under his eyelashes. There was a pain to him, an overlying sadness that seemed to last. He said, “Only our eyes can see it.”

Hinata had more questions, but she skipped past them instead to ask the most important one that came to her mind following that revelation.

She lifted her chin high and asked, “Why was I not consulted, then, to study the antidote?”

Was that a ghost of a smile on his face?

“That was my first thought as well, initially. But this is…an untrusted antidote. And you have been exposed to it.”

She let that sink in for several long moments of silence, through which he did not back down from her critical stare. “Oh,” she said at last, touchy with the understanding of what he wasn’t saying. She said it for him.

“I’m not trustworthy,” she said, “Because I’ve been exposed to the antidote Itachi crafted?”

Sasuke’s chin dipped once, and Hinata mirrored the gesture.

“Who has taken my place?”

Sasuke blinked, a hesitation. “Hyuuga Hanabi.”

Hinata’s heart lurched, not with betrayal but with a lesser pain. She understood, then, even without explanation that her sister had been ordered to secrecy. Still, it would’ve been one answer Hinata could’ve had, amidst the multitude of questions still plaguing her.

“You are still actively studying the antidote,” she stated, gauging his expression for any changes. He nodded his head, not shying away from her in the slightest.

“I was not exposed to the poison.”

“But you’ve been studying it for months,” Hinata started slowly, trying to understand how he could’ve possibly avoided exposure. He was fast, sure, but fast and efficient enough to avoid any and all exposure while actively investigating the poison in question?

“Yes,” he agreed, and when her he saw her expression still poised in disbelief, he added, “I’m…cautious.”

Hinata heard cautious and thought paranoid, but could she really blame him? Trust was something Itachi had taken from Sasuke long ago.

Sasuke blinked. “And then there was the antidote.”

Uchiha Itachi.

Hinata flinched at Sasuke obvious refusal to say his brother’s name, let alone mention him at all. It was a pointed kind of avoidance from a man that she had come to know as someone who never backed down from anything. An open wound.

“Ah,” Hinata sighed, the weight of the situation growing heavier and heavier upon her shoulders. Now she not only had been exposed to some new lethal Mist poison, which had some mysterious jutsu within it, but she’d also been exposed to an antidote that Uchiha Itachi had concocted himself. With chakra in it. She couldn’t help but to wonder how she was even still alive.

“How could he have come up with an antidote? And how did he get chakra to remain within it?”

Sasuke’s expression was stormy, clouded over and barbed. “I don’t know. It’s entirely possible that he figured it out himself and concocted the antidote. If it’s a genjutsu, it’s not like one I’ve ever seen before. And I don’t know what use an antidote with genjutsu would serve.”

Hinata felt the stark chill of fear race down her spine. She had never considered jutsu and chakra the way she was now, as something so easily manipulated. Sure, she worked with chakra every day and manipulated it almost casually to do incredible things, but to use it like a recipe? An ingredient? With possible dormant effects? It was…anomalous of what had been done in the past. No one had ever used chakra and jutsu like this before, at least as far as Hinata knew of. She’d have to brush up on her history, and was already wondering when she could slip into the local library. Maybe she could convince Sakura to go with her.

“Hypothetically, if he could weave genjutsu into an antidote and people imbibed it…do you think it’s possible he could alter our reality like that? How long can he maintain a genjutsu?” Hinata’s thoughts raced, and her words came just as quickly. “Does that mean he’s close? How far away can he be from the source and still retain the chakra within?”

If more Konoha citizens than just Hinata had been affected by the poison and received Itachi’s antidote, they could very well have a village-wide security emergency on their hands. Hinata’s eyes shot up to Sasuke’s and the severity of his expression only heightened her fear.

“Itachi,” Sasuke said through gritted teeth, one hand fisting at his side. “Has always been a genius. He still retains the title of youngest appointed Konoha ANBU Captain. Appropriately so. He has always had better chakra control, more power, and is quicker than you can imagine.”

Sasuke hesitated, and every word was a new foe he had to fight alone. Hinata watched the struggle behind his eyes, the way they clashed, caught the shadows and held.

“Even as a boy, he played an astounding yet masterful hand in mind games.”

Hinata felt the curious sensation of having the wind knocked out of her without ever having taken an actual hit. “We have to tell—”

“The bastard already knows.”

Hinata’s eyebrows jumped, surprised. “You told him?”

“Yes.”

“What did he advise?”

Sasuke’s jaw tensed, released.

“That anyone exposed is untrustworthy,” he said honestly, watching her carefully. “Until we can decipher the hidden chakra in the antidote, as well as the jutsu in the poison.”

Hinata swallowed, her lips opening though no words came. She struggled a few more times, breaking eye contact to glance around his kitchen, unable to continue to meet his searching gaze. She had not even considered—untrustworthy—the tower of deceit that had built around her since she’d returned from that mission so many months ago. Secrets in every corner, more than she had ever, ever expected. Hanabi, Naruto, and Sasuke, too. Who else was keeping secrets from her? How many people had been ordered to do so?

Hinata understood duty. She understood the need to keep secrets to keep people safe. And though it was never fun to be the person those secrets were kept from, she understood the necessity.

That didn’t make it any easier. She felt hurt, and ashamed. A simple mistake had led her to all of this. Had she just been quicker, sharper, paid closer attention—she could’ve evaded the poison. She could’ve made it home without ever having to experience any of this deceit. Instead, she’d been careless. In fact, she’d made a series of careless mistakes, one after another since the poison had entered her system. And now she was a walking time bomb with an unknown detonation time. Her friends and her family both were keeping secrets from her. Her own body was keeping secrets of her—holding onto the potential of a genjutsu that could alter her very reality.

She was hurt. But she would not let this break her. She was stronger than they knew, and she would not bend to the will of men who attempted to control her through the chemistry of her body, and the ways they may have altered it with their insidious concoctions. She was going to overcome this, even in the dark where she’d been cast, and she was going to win.

“I understand,” she whispered, honesty exposing her in a fine tremble. She looked back up to Sasuke with steel in her stare, chin lifted. “Still, I want to help in any way that I can. I’m going to do some research. You all can…do with them what you will.” To what extent did they mistrust her? Would she be given another mission, or would she be held prisoner inside the walls of Konoha until her autonomy was cleared? Hinata pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. They were dark and drawing and she had other more prevalent questions to ask, now.

“Okay,” Sasuke said, just like that. Hinata felt the briefest moment of relief, a respite in Sasuke’s unspoken promise to accept her work in this case. He might not be able to trust it, but accepting her efforts at all was a start. It was then that she remembered—Sasuke, returned to Konoha as a (forgiven) village traitor, knew what it was to be cast aside, and what it meant to have people there to accept his efforts. His team had welcomed him warmly, protectively, and promised to help him hunt down his brother together. Sasuke had learned and grown much from their support, and she had seen it in small ways, over the years. His simple kindnesses.

“Okay,” she sighed. “So it’s highly possible that Itachi made the antidote. It might also be possible that he got it from the Mist swordsman he travels with, though, right? Or at least got help from him?”

Sasuke didn’t look surprised at the trail her thoughts had taken, only nodded, crossing his arms over his chest in contemplation.

“It’s a fair assumption,” he said, “But Itachi wouldn’t take credit from someone else. It would be beneath him to do so, and he’d never have reason to.” Sasuke scowled. “He’d figure it out himself before ever plagiarizing someone else’s work.”

Hinata thought instantly of the legend Sasuke’s brother had left behind in the village hidden in the leaves, a trail of achievements each more impressive than the last, until he decimated them with an unthinkable atrocity. He had always been a genius, even as a very young boy, so it was entirely possible that he’d managed to figure the poison out and configure an antidote all on his own. Hinata didn’t know how much weight to give him, having never known him personally. It was likely that he’d gotten the antidote from his Mist companion, though that made the antidote feel even less trustworthy, somehow.

Itachi or a legendary Mist swordsman. Neither were trustworthy.

Hinata felt a headache forming, and reached up to rub idly at her temples. Sasuke dipped his chin at her tea, encouraging, and she smiled in gratitude as she lifted the cup to her lips. Sasuke had yet to drink any of his, she noticed. It might even have grown cold, sitting there untouched by the sink.

“Okay,” Hinata breathed again, trying to push away the tension and the confusion and everything that felt so heavy upon her. She had more questions to ask of him, but they seemed trivial and out of reach, now that Sasuke had shed so much light on the secrets he’d been keeping about the poison and the antidote. And about who all was keeping secrets from her.

Still, she wanted to know about the looks in the marketplace, the way he seemed to open up to her in ways he did with no one else—but now wasn’t the time. She had to sit down alone and consider the possibilities of this investigation and what her part would be in it, if she were allowed one at all, since having been compromised. How could the possibility of him maybe, possibly being a little interested in her even measure up to the enormity of what this poison situation held for their village? For her?

Hinata felt herself backing down before she could second-guess herself. It would have to be another time. Hopefully he would be easier to find and she wouldn’t have to break into his home again, she thought wryly, amused.

“I came here with so many questions, thinking I’d get them answered and leave quickly. Instead I only have more questions, decidedly less answers than I expected, and I have overstayed my—well, I was never quite welcome, was I?”

Hinata offered Sasuke a wry smile, tired and ashamed. She felt heat in her cheeks, a side effect of the shame at her intrusion. The burden of her earlier decision was finally weighing fully on her, coupled with the new weight of not knowing where she stood in this investigation. The weight bowed her shoulders and she was reminded of how brash and rude she had acted—and so impulsively! It was absolutely unlike her, and yet, here she was. Still standing in his home, after having essentially broken in. He’d even poured her tea.

She set her cup down on the edge of the table. Doubly shamed after remembering her impulsive actions, she took a step back towards the front room. The way Sasuke watched her made it feel like she was fleeing. He gazed at her and she felt her heart in her throat, thump, thump, thumping.

“Again,” she offered, quietly, “I apologize for intruding. For invading your privacy and—I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have acted so impulsively.”

Sasuke tilted his head, and for the first time, he smiled. Hinata’s heart was ever prominent in her awareness, suddenly light in her chest, hummingbird’s wings. Something about his expression spoke of a promise, and Hinata felt herself go breathless with the possibilities.

“Ah,” he said, as she took another step towards the front door. “I understand.”

I understand, he’d said, and something about it almost sounded playful. Hinata was at a loss for words and had no idea what he could possibly be planning, after this, so instead of asking further she turned on her heel and stepped onto his porch. She took a deep breath and a single step before hesitating, remembering the open door she’d found upon arrival. She turned and found Sasuke approaching, eyes still bright with some unknown humor.

Hinata gestured awkwardly to the door, as if to say, open? Closed? Which?

Sasuke’s expression gentled in a way that was as enticing as it was dangerous. Hinata felt drawn in, even as she knew that she was supposed to leave. That she had to leave. She needed air, and space, and time to think. To sort out the answers she had gotten, and the new questions she had. About the poison, the antidote, herself, and about one Uchiha Sasuke, too.

“Open door policy,” he said casually, in a way that placed more meaning on the words than Hinata thought he’d intended. He would soon prove otherwise, however.

Hinata marveled over those words the entire walk out of the compound, and kept coming back to the expression on his face when she’d first turned to see him in his own home. Every door in the Uchiha compound had been shut, possibly sealed and locked, except for his. Why was that?

She thought of Sasuke being an academy student again, studying to become a genin, learning about throwing stars and substitution jutsu; of him coming home to find his family every day, cheery and excited to impress; of his mother making him home-cooked meals, the smells of which were a comfort and a respite wafting through his home; of his brother waiting in the forest, prepared to help him learn how to exhale flame; of Sasuke coming home to Itachi standing over the corpses of his parents, blood on his hands.

Maybe that was why it didn’t matter to him, now. What good was a door?

When the nightmare had lived inside of it all along.