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She’s mad. That’s the only explanation Sasuke could come up with as he watched his pink haired teammate beat up a fellow shinobi into a pulp. Sakura deliver punch after punch (punches infused with chakra, mind you) barely giving the man a chance to recover. His nose looks like it’s broken, his mouth trailed with blood and by the way he’s clutching his chest Sasuke think Sakura has broken more than one rib. Civilians began gathering around them, wanting to know what the ruckus is all about.
“You bastard! What did you say?!” She grabbed the man’s jounin uniform collar and shook him hard Sasuke swear he heard the rattling of his teeth. “I dare you to repeat that you fucker!”
Sasuke blink in surprise, he’s been back in Konoha for four months now and he’s still not used to the new Sakura. Less loud but curses like a sailor and manage to become elegant and graceful at the same time, less violent but stronger, more understanding and warm that she had been years ago.
“I said,” the shinobi said, spitting out blood. “That Uchiha Sasuke is a traitor and a murderer and he deserves to die. He did not deserve to live and be-“
Before the man could even finish his sentence, Sakura landed a solid punch in his stomach that had him gasping and hacking.
“You have no right to say that you ass! You don’t know anything!” She cried, shaking him with every word. “You don’t know how much he’d suffered, how much pain he had to endure. How sad and alone he must’ve felt. How that loneliness turned into anger and hatred that was too much and you have no right to judge him!” She let go of his vest and he fell unceremoniously at the ground limp and bloody. “All of you people look at him with judging eyes, insulting him as if you have the right. As if you understand. He helped us win the war. Without him, you would all be dead now. How dare all of you!” she screamed in choked whisper, tears streaming down her face. “How dare you...” she repeated, rubbing her face furiously but the tears won’t stop falling.
Sasuke finally snapped out his stupor and slowly walked toward the crying girl (woman) his hand outstretched he placed at the top of her head. Gently rubbing it, he whispered
“Aa, stop crying now. It’s okay, they doesn’t matter.”
Slowly he wrapped his other arm around her shoulder and pushed him against his chest cradling her gently; he leaned his head against hers then said the words that would be forever special between the two of them, “Thank you.”
Her loud, resounding cries echoes around the village but Sasuke didn’t mind one bit as he held her against him.
fin.