Archive of Our Own

With the war over and Itachi dead, Sakura was sure Sasuke would finally return to the village. He had no reason to leave now, he had achieved his goals, found new meaning in life and had been pardoned for his crimes. Yes, with the war over, Sakura was sure Sasuke would stay in Konoha. He left shortly after being pardoned.

With the war over, Sakura was sure Sasuke would write letters. Sure, he would probably run into trouble here and there on his journey of atonement, but she couldn’t imagine anything too taxing would occur in these times of peace. She wrote, crumbled up, and rewrote multiple letters, carefully choosing how to subtly hint that she missed him. He never did write back.

With the war over, Sakura knew Sasuke would find time to visit. Each time she heard a knock at the door, her heart skipped a beat at the thought of finally seeing his dark, familiar eyes again. She answered the door with bated breath each time, only for it to be Naruto. Or Ino. Or her parents.

With the war over, she was sure Team 7 would finally be reunited. She got chills thinking of that fateful moment on the battlefield, where for a few split seconds, her team felt whole again. She and Naruto giggled like children at the thought of team dinners that they would force the formerly rogue nin to partake in. Instead, they lost contact with him. They continued to have team dinners at Ichiraku’s and the seat to Sakura’s left remained empty awaiting it’s owner to reclaim it.

With the war over, she was sure there would be nothing stopping him from finally letting their relationship blossom into romance. She showed him around the newly rebuilt Konoha and explained what had changed since Pein’s attack. He listened to her intently, his hand reaching for her’s. She woke up again. Just another dream.

With the war over, and Sasuke away on his journey, she imagined all the different ways her name would roll off of his tongue when he returned to the village. She still grinned ear to ear thinking of how he said goodbye to her before he went away. One day, she realized, she couldn’t quite remember his voice anymore.

With the war over, many people began to gossip to pass the time. At lunch one day, Ino told her she heard rumors of dark haired nin with a purple eye being spotted at a secluded cabin in The Land of Snow. She suddenly lost her appetite. It didn’t return for weeks.

With the war finally over and nothing stopping him from returning, she was sure her childhood dreams of marrying him would finally come true. She yearned to look into his dark, intense eyes as she said her vows. She married a retired Anbu nin instead. He had kind, light blue eyes.

With the war over and less missions to take on, she devoted most of her time and efforts to the hospital. Walking home from another long, difficult shift, she passed by a familiar bench. The full moon radiated above, and her heart clenched at the memories of a boy she once knew.

With the war over and the grief bubbling in her chest, she decided she deserved an answer. She made her way to the Land of Snow.

With the war over, she shouldn’t be feeling like she’s back on the battlefield. Her resolve is trembling, and she keeps reminding herself, that she deserves to know why. Before she even makes it to the front door, there he is, standing in front of her. Ninja skills as sharp as ever. She opens her mouth to speak, to yell and scream that he abandoned them once again, but no words come out. Her eyes began to water, and she knows this is enough to communicate her thoughts. She knows he understands. He does not respond.

With the war over, Sakura cannot recall a time that she ever felt this shaken. Even Madara or Kaguya didn’t fill her with the dread that she’s feeling in this moment, standing across a silent Sasuke. In the distance, she hears laughs of children coming from the cabin and the muffled sounds of a woman talking to them. It dawns on her that he has a family inside. She leaves.

With the war over, Sasuke knew he had no practical reason to leave Konoha again, but he also knew peace in Konoha was not achievable for him. He knew his teammates would be crushed, but he rather disappoint them with his absence than have them leave their home, the one they loved dearly, just to chase after him once more.

With the war over and his past life put to rest, he knew he had to ignore the itch to stop and stare anytime he saw a cherry blossom tree on his travels. He moved to the land of Snow, hoping to be far away from any reminders.

With the war over, he expected her to be kept busy with success in her career. He heard rumors of a mental health clinic in Konoha.

With the war over, he thought he would be free of nightmares. Yet all these years later, he still woke up in a sweat. He looked over at his sleeping wife and made a quiet exit from his bed. He had dreamed of his hands around her neck once again, but this time it wasn’t the young, teenaged Sakura, it was the one he saw earlier in the day, outside of his home.

With the war over and Konoha far behind, he headed to the only place he felt a sense of comfort in the Land of Snow. A small area upon a hill, where his younger self once layed in the lap of a girl, much brighter than the surroundings. He sat down and reached his lone arm into his pockets, retrieving old, barely legible letters.