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Bursting through the hospital doors in a disheveled state, earning cautious stares from everyone but Sasuke doesn’t care because the only thought on his mind is finding her . He needs to see her before it’s too late, if it’s not already.
The note Naruto sent him two days prior weighs heavy on his mind, informing him of the current situation.
Sasuke,
There’s no easy way to say this but I wanted to let you know Sakura-chan is sick and things aren’t looking good. Tsunade-baa-chan says she has a special disease and the chances of her making it at this stage is low, so she’s keeping her in the hospital.
If you’re able to, you might want to consider coming by the village, just in case.
Naruto
The last Uchiha didn’t know how long he stood there, blankly staring at the letter while processing its contents, before letting the piece of paper fall to the ground with his feet moving on their own accord in the direction of Konoha.
Looking around but seeing no one he recognizes, he quickly goes up to the front desk, asking, “which room is Haruno Sakura in?”
The receptionist looks at him wide-eyed. “Um r-room 304, b-but Tsunade-s–” he leaves before she could finish her sentence, hurrying to Sakura’s location. Sasuke feels Naruto flare his orange chakra, leading him where to go, having likely sensed his own since he didn’t bother to mask it.
Upon entering the third floor hallway, refusing to let fatigue catch up, he spots the blonde Uzumaki along with Ino and Sai standing outside of Sakura’s room. Naruto watches him curiously, however a hopeful grin grows across his face.
“I knew you’d come,” he says as Sasuke makes his way closer.
“What the hell is he doing here?” Ino demands to know, making no effort to hide her displeasure.
“I told him about Sakura-chan and –”
“Why would you do that? He’s the reason why she’s sick in the first place!” Sasuke doesn’t miss her words, wondering what she means and how he has anything to do with Sakura’s disease. It’s been just over two years since they’ve last seen each other, how could he have caused this to happen? Part of him wants to inquire more but now is not the time, first he needs to see her with his own eyes and then he can ask questions.
Seeing the number 304 a little further down the hall, he attempts to get closer but is blocked by Sai. “Move,” he tells the former Root member, activating his Sharingan in the process.
“As if we’re letting you see her,” Ino is now next to her boyfriend with her hands planted on her hips. “You’re only going to make things worse.”
“Ino, just calm down,” Naruto tells her.
“Don’t you dare tell me to calm down! Not when this bastard is responsible for my best friend dying,” she covers her mouth, choking down a sob. Sai puts his hands on her shoulders to help ease her anguish.
The sound of Sakura coughing causes them all to turn their attention to the closed door. Sasuke’s anxiety spikes from hearing the horrific noise from the room, his heart drumming so loud he can hear it in his ears and the air escaping his lungs. Clenching his fist and brushing past the couple, he makes it a few steps but not before Yamanaka grabs his arm.
“Hey! We’re not done here!”
“I think he’ll be able to help!” Naruto says, putting himself in between Ino and Sasuke. “No, I know he will!”
“How so? Did he grow a heart in the last few years? Or did you ask him to come so he’d finally put her out of her misery?”
Ripping his hand from her grasp the Uchiha spins around with the intent of finding out what exactly she keeps sprouting, however the door slams open.
“That’s enough!” The current Hokage steps out and shuts the door behind him. Kakashi regards them all wearily, his mask might conceal half of his face yet Sasuke can tell he’s irritated. “Naruto, Ino, Sai, the three of you have been here all day. Why don’t you all get something to eat and come back after you’ve gotten some rest,” he tells them calmly but the three of them know it’s a firm order.
Ino shoots Sasuke one last glare before leaving with Sai. Naruto puts his hand on his friend’s shoulder, giving him a tender squeeze and the tips of his lips curve up. “Don’t fret, Teme. She’ll be alright.” he says yet his upbeat tone falters a bit, revealing his hidden woe.
“You can deactivate your doujutsu,” Kakashi informs him, now that it’s only the two of them. “I’m not here to threaten you.” Sasuke does as he’s told, having forgotten it was still active. His nerves are still on edge with the only thing on his mind is seeing the one person he came all this way for, but luckily his former teacher has always been able to read him well enough. “I can tell you’re agitated so I’ll make this quick. Why are you here Sasuke?”
“What do you mean?” he responds, furrowing his eyebrows. “I’m here for Sakura.”
“I gathered as much, but why did you decide to come?”
“Because I received a letter from the Dobe explaining she’s in the hospital and that I should come in case –” Sasuke pauses, unable to finish his sentence. The mere thought of Sakura not getting better makes his stomach twist and turn painfully – she has to get past this.
Dark eyes look him up and down as if they’ve only just noticed his unkempt appearance. “Where were you when you got Naruto’s letter?”
Lifting his shoulders up and down, he answers, “around the eastern part of the Land of Lightning.”
“You came all the way here in…”
“Two days.”
If Kakashi has any comment about how Sasuke managed to cut a four day journey in half, he keeps it to himself, steadily nodding his head. “I won’t lie; I’m hesitant to let you through because I don’t want to cause her any more distress. Now despite that, much like Naruto, I think you might be able to help in one way or the other.” The Hokage moves to the side and takes a few steps past his student. “Should her condition worsen; there’s a call button on her hospital bed that’ll inform Tsunade to immediately come over, and if you need me I’ll be in the waiting room.”
Sasuke stands in front of the room, taking a deep breath and mentally preparing himself. Tentatively, he opens the door and closes it behind him without saying a word.
Sakura is sitting up with her knees pulled up to her chest, mouth slightly ajar. “Sasuke-kun,” she says, looking somewhat relieved to see him.
“Ah,” he swallows thickly, feeling suffocated in her single room, like the walls are caving in around them. Beside her bed is a stool, where he takes a seat, along with a small trash bin with a few red flowers lying at the bottom.
A pair of bloodshot green eyes stare up at him with noticeable dark circles etched beneath them, contrasting the sickly pale color of her skin and dull pink hair. It’s becoming too much for him to bear, seeing her in this state, possibly suffering because of him. Again. Sasuke wishes to say something, anything , that might bring her some comfort but all the words stay lodged in his throat, refusing to come out.
“Naruto mentioned he wrote to you, but I wasn’t sure if you’d show up or not,” she admits. “I’m glad you did, although I’m sorry you had to cut your trip short because of me.”
“Don’t,” his voice is just above a whisper. His breathing becomes unsteady as he works to hold back tears threatening to fall from his watery eyes.
Another coughing fit strikes, lurching forward Sakura brings her hands to cover her mouth. Wanting to help in any way he can, Sasuke gently rubs her back with his lone hand. It didn’t sound good from the hall but hearing her up close, witnessing how much pain she's in is infinitely worse. After 30 seconds he’s about ready to press the call button Kakashi mentioned earlier but she, thankfully, stops before he does.
Sitting back down he notices something is now in the palms of her hands, something that wasn’t there before, drawing his brows together in confusion. “Sakura…?”
She shows him two red flowers, the same as the ones in the bin next to them, leaving him more bewildered. “They’re camellias,” she explains, dropping them with the others. “I always thought they suited you the best.”
“What’s going on?”
“Did no one tell you?” He shakes his head slowly. “I have, what’s known as, Hanahaki Disease.”
~ Four years ago ~
Sakura finds herself laying on one of the hospital beds located in the exam room on the first floor of the Hokage Tower, after suddenly coughing up a flower petal while talking with Tsunade.
She, along with the rest of the newly formed team 7, had finished giving the report following their mission to Tenchi Bridge, and their encounter with Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sasuke. Afterwards the Fifth Hokage asked her apprentice to stay behind to check how she was holding up but moments later the pinked haired kunoichi broke out into a coughing fit.
Honestly she knew someone had been wrong with her since leaving the hideout near Kusagakure, there has been a consistent sharp ache in her chest, however she chalked it up to stress. It’s no secret to everyone Sakura knows that she tends to overwork herself; add on the recent assignments to Suna, Kusa, trying to bring Sasuke home, all well storing her chakra reserves – she figures it’s starting to take a toll on her.
Tsunade requested, more like demanded , to run a quick check up just to make sure she didn’t catch anything during her time away and bring some peace of mind to both of them. Feeling the cooling chakra relieve a bit of the tension in her body made Sakura relax but the look of concern on the Hokage’s face tells a different story.
“When did you start feeling sick?” she asks again.
“While we were in Orochimaru’s hideout.”
“Right after he, Kabuto, and Sasuke left?” Sakura nods to confirm.
Retracing her hands, Tsuande pulls a chair over and sits down while her apprentice sits up. “What is it, Shishou?”
“I’ll be blunt,” the blonde sighs. “The reason why you’ve been feeling pain in your chest is because there are flowers growing inside your lungs and heart.”
Scrunching her eyebrows together, Sakura is more than confused by her diagnosis, having never heard of these symptoms before despite her many hours of research over the last few years.
“It’s called Hanahaki Disease,” Tsunade explains, the expression on her face growing more grim. “It’s not very common these days, in fact I’ve only met one other person with it during my lifetime but most of what I know is from textbooks. Hanahaki is caused by unrequited love, flowers grow in the body of the one afflicted because they don’t believe their affections are returned – which would explain the ache you’ve been experiencing in your chest recently,” she pauses for a moment before saying the final, most important part. “It’s fatal if left untreated.”
The pink haired kunoichi inhales sharply hearing all of this; she’s sick because she loves Sasuke and he doesn’t feel the same, not only that but she’s dying because of it. “But I’ve always known Sasuke-kun doesn’t feel the same way. Why is this happening now?”
“Not much is known about Hanahaki but it’s a little different for everyone, the kind of flowers growing inside of you for example, even how someone contracts it. If I had to guess it's because you saw him again after so long and he attacked your group.” Right, he fought back against them. Sasuke left, wanting nothing to do with them anymore, going as far to sever all of his former bonds including her. She means nothing to him, yet she still loves him after all this time.
Sakura rubs the spot just under her clavicle, wondering her options. “Is there a cure?”
“The first is when the person knows their love is returned. The second is a little more complicated but it’d be the quickest given the circumstances,” Sakura curiously tilts her head to the side. “I would perform a surgery to remove the flowers growing inside of you, however by doing this you would also forget about him.”
Neither of them sound favorable, in her opinion, given the current situation. With Sasuke refusing to return and still with the Snake sannin, getting him to fall in love with her is unlikely at the moment. But if Sakura forgets about him then she can’t help bring him back either.
Perhaps this is a sign from whatever kami is out there, saying she needs to finally move on, leave him in the past and stop dragging herself into his cold darkness when he has zero intentions of coming home. This idea doesn’t sit right with her, she thinks biting the inside of her cheek. Sakura promised to bring him back, to help save him, and isn’t going to let this disease stop her. Not until she knows he’s safe.
“How long do I have?”
“Since you only coughed up one petal you’re still in the early stages, I’d say. When those petals start becoming full flower heads is when it’s in the final phase. I’ve read where some people can last years before succumbing to Hanahaki.”
It’s a risk, a stupid risk, but Sakura can’t let this get in the way. “I want to wait, at least until Naruto and I can bring Sasuke back to Konoha.”
Taking a deep breath, Tsunade looks skeptical but nods once. “I can prescribe you some medication that’ll help ease the pain, however I need you to keep me updated on the progress of this disease. If you start coughing up flowers I’m immediately pulling you out of active duty and putting you in the hospital, understand?” She tells her sternly.
“Yes. I do have one request,” her mentor raises an eyebrow. “Can we keep this between us for now?
~ Present Day ~
“It wasn’t too bad in the beginning,” she says, staring at the bedsheets yet can feel Sasuke’s piercing gaze. “The medication Tsunade-shishou gave me helped a lot, and sometimes I’d get flare ups when thinking about you, how you were doing and where you were, at most I’d cough up a few petals at a time.”
Gripping the bedding, Sakura sucks in air as she prepares to tell the rest. “Things took a turn after the kage summit in the Land of Iron, however,” she pauses, swallowing as she recalls the painful memories of that day. “I’ll spare you the unpleasant details, but from then on it’s been handfuls of camellia petals coming up at once,” she confesses.
Glancing at him from the corner of her eyes she can see the serious expression painted across his features, his lower lip caught between his teeth – a subtle hint of his worry slipping through the typical mask of indifference. This is exactly why she didn’t want to tell anyone until she had to.
“Kakashi-sensei found out around that time, not long before the war,” Sakura continues. “He caught me in the aftermath of a fit and demanded to know what was going on. Until I was admitted to the hospital only he and Shishou knew of my condition. It’s already been four years, “ she adds. “I guess my time is close to running out.”
“Stop,” Sasuke says in a soft, low voice. “Don’t say that.”
“It’s alright Sasuke-kun,” she spots his hand resting atop her bed, wondering if she should reach out to grab it in hopes of her touch easing some of his stress or if it would make him more tense than he already is. In the end she does nothing. “I’ve made peace with it. Part of the reason why I didn’t want to say anything to you earlier is because I didn’t want you to feel forced to fall in love with me when, at most, you only see me as a friend.”
He opens his mouth, as if he’s about to say something, but closes it before any words come out. A light dusting of pink begins to show, spreading over both of his cheeks, and for the first time since he entered her room Sakura takes a good look at his appearance. The dark bags under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept in days, how untidy his clothes are, as if he just ran a marathon. It makes her wonder what Sasuke was doing before receiving Naruto’s letter, assuming he must have been somewhat close by to get here as quickly as he did.
Since leaving his journey of atonement the thought of getting the surgery to remove the flowers lingered in the back of her mind. As time went on and months of not hearing from him passed, the possibility of having it done became more tangible. Sasuke was off traveling and no one knew if he’d ever come back or if their paths would cross again, never knowing the truth. Yet Sakura didn’t ask Tsunade, convincing herself to wait a little longer each time. Although it's not too late, she could still go through with the surgery if she wants.
Sasuke’s lips part like he’s going to speak, however the door opens before he gets the chance, with Tsunade walking into the room. Honey-colored eyes move back and forth between the pair in an unamused manner, making Sasuke’s posture noticeably stiffen, clutching a clipboard in one of her hands.
“I heard you were here, Uchiha,” her tone drips with disdain. “You need to leave.”
He turns his attention back to Sakura, silently pleading to stay longer. “Does he have to?” She asks.
“If he wants he can come back later, but I need to run some tests, and we need to have a private conversation.”
This time Sakura doesn’t hesitate to reach out and hold his hand, “you should get some rest, Sasuke-kun. Then after you can come back. I’ll still be here,” she smiles, hoping it’ll be enough to convince him and it seems to have worked. He holds her gaze for a moment more before getting up and walking out the door, but not before muttering his intention of returning.
The cool breeze drifts through the summer air while Sasuke passes time atop the hospital roof, not wanting to stray too far from her.
He had considered eating some of his leftover rations in the meantime, before he would be allowed to see Sakura again, but didn’t have the appetite after hearing of her condition so he waits and watches the villagers return home after their long day or go out for the night.
She suffers from loving you, he recalls his former mentor once saying, after he so cruelly rejected her affection once again and put her in a genjutsu. Only back then Sasuke had no clue how true those words were.
Thinking back he wonders what he could have done differently, if he had made his feelings known before Sakura got to his point or if this could’ve somehow been avoided altogether.
Was it so hard to write a simple lettering saying that he missed her and thought of her often on his journey? Or made it clear that he had every desire of one day being with her but he needed to clear his head and cleanse himself of his sins first?
Would any of it have made a difference, considering the disease is based on whether or not she believes his love to be true?
Before learning the truth of his brother’s sacrifice, it wasn’t a matter of if he and Sakura would end up together but when .
There was no one else he ever considered an intimate relationship with; Sakura sees every part of him and accepts them. Only after the thoughts of revenge began to fade Sasuke gradually began to let those feelings back in.
Yet now that he’s ready to be with her Sasuke finds himself hesitating once again. Does he know how to love someone? All he’s ever been good at is taking what little he has and ripping it to shreds, and perhaps no amount of soul searching or redemption will ever change that. He’s too broken to properly love a person like Sakura.
“Hey!” he hears Naruto open the door to the roof and approach from behind. “I thought you’d still be with Sakura-chan, but when I saw baa-chan leave her room you weren’t there. I think she gave her some medicine, cause when I peeked in she was asleep,” he adds. “Whaddya doing up here?” Sasuke doesn’t give a verbal response, only shrugging his shoulders. “Well, did you tell her?”
Swallowing the lump in his throat he replies with a simple, “no.”
Naruto comes up to his side, grabbing his shoulder to forcibly face him. “Why not?”
Because loving me has brought her nothing but pain. “I…will convince her to have the surgery instead.”
“What?!” the blonde's mouth hangs agape. “Why??” he questions again.
“It’s better this way,” Sasuke responds, not making eye contact and feeling his palm become sweaty. “She can move on and won’t have to be tied down to me anymore.” Sakura can live her life with no memories of him. She can fall in love with someone more deserving, who will never purposefully break her heart the way he has in the past.
“What about you?” Naruto asks.
“I’ll leave the village again so she won’t have to see me,” disappearing from her life for good
His friend lets out a tired sigh, running a hand down his face. “I know you better than that, Sasuke,” he says, almost pleadingly. “You think you’ll be satisfied with staying away as long as she’s alive and happy, but deep down you won’t be. You’re in love with her, I could tell when we were kids that you had strong feelings for her.”
Wanting to refute his claim however, part of Sasuke knows there is some truth to Naruto’s words. He’s an Uchiha, of course he won’t be satisfied with watching from the sidelines but this isn’t the time for him to be selfish either. This is a chance for her to start fresh.
“Besides, who’s to say you won’t end up with Hanahaki just like Sakura-chan? Then what will you do?”
Sasuke hadn’t thought about that. Having always been on the receiving end of her affection, there is a chance he could end up with it next if her feelings were to dissipate and leave his love now unrequited.
“I know you think having the flowers removed is the best option for her, but you can cure her by just being honest too; with Sakura-chan and yourself. You both want to be with each other and I want to see my two best friends happy,” is the last thing he says before leaving Sasuke on the rooftop, alone to ponder.
It’s nightfall by the time he goes back inside the hospital, heading towards Sakura’s room. No one tries to stop him, though he doesn’t bother to mask his chakra anymore. If Tsunade, or anyone else, has a problem with him being there then they can try to stop him but he’s not going to leave Sakura by herself unless she tells him to and even then he probably wouldn’t listen.
Quietly, he enters her room and walks over to her bedside. As Naruto said, she’s sleeping peacefully, breathing rhythmically. He glances to the trash bin and notes it’s fuller than last time, making his heart sink to the pit of his stomach.
Taking a seat in the same chair as before Sasuke gingerly takes hold of her hand, closest to him, brushing his thumb against the top. The internal battle between doing what he thinks is right and finally giving into his desire has yet to yield since his conversation with the blonde shinobi.
After his long journey with minimal rest, he senses his fatigue catching up. Closing his eyes for a few moments won’t hurt, he decides, now that he’s back at Sakura’s side again.
Sakura stirs from her dreamless sleep, hearing birds chirping and opening her eyes to find the room still somewhat dark, although that’ll change in another hour or so. The newer medicine Tsunade gives her helps slow the flower growth, to ensure the roots won’t cause her to suffocate while resting, and never fails to knock her right out.
Recalling their conversation from the day before, the former Hokage informed her that she’ll lose her battle with Hanahaki within the next day or two and needs to make a decision; of having the flowers surgically removed or riding out the rest of this disease. Sakura is aware of what the right choice should be – the one everyone wants her to make – and yet she can’t fathom the idea of going through with it.
It’s crazy, she knows, to willingly give up her life when she could go on living. Hardly anything about her daily life would need to change; but a life without Sasuke, having all of her memories of him gone, doesn’t sit right with her.
She wanted to become stronger for herself, of course, but also so she could one day help and protect him and Naruto. She started the mental health clinic to aid children like him, who have gone through so much. He’s her teammate, someone she considers a close friend, and loves with her whole heart.
Attempting to sit up is when she notices him sound asleep at her side, head laying on the mattress and his lone hand clutching one of hers. He must’ve really been tired, she assumes, considering he chose here of all places to relax.
Camellias – so strong in the face of adversity, blooming in the coldness of winter, yet represent such a burning passion. They definitely remind her of Sasuke, with all he’s had to endure and his desires to become stronger.
With her free hand Sakura brushes some dark locks off of his forehead, hoping she doesn’t accidently wake him and for a moment she thinks he does after murmuring her name. Sasuke squeezes her hand with a sorrowful expression, “please, don’t leave me.” Jade eyes widen after the words leave his lips, but when he makes no more movement she realizes he’s still sleeping – or rather having a nightmare. Continuing to run her fingers through his hair and soon his face looks calmer.
The familiar feelings start to inch its way up her throat, Sakura realizes the medicine's effects have already worn off and tries to swallow it back down but to no avail. Reaching for the bin, awaking Sasuke when she forcibly rips her hand away, camellias start coming up for the final time.
He’s jolted awake by the sudden retraction of Sakura’s hand, hearing the horrific sound of retching and coughing coming from her once she has the bin nestled in front of her. Without a second thought Sasuke joins her on the bed, sitting and facing her, rubbing his hand on her shoulder. Please don’t let this be it, his inner voice begs.
This is likely only a fraction of what she’s had to endure while he was away; on his quest for vengeance, to become stronger, acting like she didn’t mean anything to him, to his short imprisonment, and redemption journey. All the while she somehow never grew to resent him, never stopped loving him, fully aware of her fate if she avoids getting the roots removed. He can’t criticize her for if he were in this situation because Sasuke is now certain he’d make the same choice. A love so powerful and unconditional that you’re willing to be consumed by it – face death just to hold onto it.
However he has the chance to keep that from happening, save her life as she’s done for him many times in the past.
Recalling what Kakashi said the day prior, he once again locates the call button and reaches to press it; however, much like yesterday, Sakura weakly wraps her fingers around his wrist to stop him from doing so. She says and does nothing for a moment, the only sound in the room now is her labored breathing, before placing the bin back on the ground. A layer of sweat coats her skin and eyes remain downcast, yet he reads the look of defeat written in her glum expression which causes something within to crack.
Noticing the bit of blood and saliva on her lips and chin, Sasuke takes off his black cloak and uses it to wipe her face off, letting the heavy silence linger till she breaks it.
“You don’t have to stay,” she says softly once he’s finished and tosses his cloak onto the floor for the time being.
Sasuke shakes his head, stating, “I’m not leaving you.”
Sakura turns her head slightly away, towards the window. “I don’t want you to see me like this.” The hidden meaning of her sentence doesn’t go unnoticed by him – of not wanting him to witness her final moments – but he chooses to ignore her.
He tries to reply calmly yet his voice carries a serrated edge, “I’m not going anywhere until you’re better.”
“Sasuke…” Sakura doesn’t need to finish, both aware that she’s not going to get better unless he does something soon.
The way she calls his name, flush of her cheeks, soft smile, how her emerald eyes would sparkle when she was happy or the look of determination when focused – he thought about them all even during his coldest nights. No matter how far he strayed, she remained firmly etched in his soul.
Feeling so overwhelmed with the idea of losing the one he loves, of Sakura no longer being a constant bond in his life. The dam holding all of his emotions at bay cracks to the point of breaking, letting tears begin to leak out.
“I care about you.”
“I know you do, Sasuke-kun, which is why I don’t want you to blame yourself when this is over. This was never your fault so you shouldn’t –”
“No, I mean I – I’m –” he wants to make her understand but the words elude the tip of his tongue. Instead of outright telling her, Sasuke takes her wrist and presses the palm of her hand to the left side of his chest and holds his overtop, letting her feel the thunderous beats of the storm brewing inside.
Sakura intakes a sharp breath, gaze tentatively lifting to meet him and witnessing the wet streaks he makes no effort to stop from rolling down his cheeks. Her mouth parts briefly before she closes it again, letting him continue on.
With the tremors running through his body refuse to calm, he leans forward to rest his forehead against hers, bathing in her presence. “I was going to tell you to have the flowers removed because I didn’t want you to suffer because of me anymore, but I don’t want you to forget either.” Sasuke lets out a shaky exhale, closing his eyes, and leans into her. “I do return your affection.” He can no longer go without her warmth any more, having been deprived for so long. The grip on her hand strengthens, "my heart belongs to you.”
A minute passes as they both let the moment sink in but then he feels Sakura’s posture stiffen and she hastily pulls away from him. He scans her face for any sign something might be wrong and for a moment he thinks that his confession didn’t work until she says, “the pain in my chest is gone.” She presses the call button for Tsunade to come in but in the meantime she wraps her arms around his neck. “Thank you,” he hears her mumble.
Returning her gesture Sasuke embraces Sakura, holding her tightly against him. “I should be the one to say that,” he tells her. “Thank you for never giving up on me.”
Tsunade slams the door open, staring intensely at the pair. “What’s going on?”
Honey eyes flicker to him before bouncing back to her student, her expression remains neutral and unreadable, listening to her student recount what just transpired between them in the room. Then she nods once.
“Why don’t you and I go to the labs and run some tests just to be sure.” Fully intending to join them, the Uchiha stands up, however the former Hokage sends him another glare. “You can wait here.” She says her next words a little more tenderly, “don’t worry, we won’t be gone too long.”
Alone with his thoughts there isn’t a doubt in his mind that questions rather or not he made the right decision; Sasuke knows he did. They can love and be with each other freely, with an opportunity to start fresh, move forward and begin again, relearn each other as who they currently are now.
Sakura is finally allowed to return home after staying in the hospital an extra week to make sure all of the flowers have left her system, either the same way they usually do or by withering away, with no chance of them growing back. Walking down the entryway and into the main room of her apartment she can’t help but feel it looks cleaner than when she was last inside causing her to smirk fondly as she hears the front door shut and an extra pair of feet pad their way to her.
When he wasn’t by her side during the recovery process, which was rare if he wasn’t, Sakura insisted Sasuke stay in her apartment so he’d have access to a kitchen to prepare meals and a bed to sleep in. Although by the looks of the folded blanket and pillow on her couch, it seems he never actually used the bed.
During the time she waited to be discharged Sasuke told her stories from his journey, the beautiful places she hopes to one day see for herself should she be so lucky to travel outside of the village for leisure. In return Sakura spoke of her accomplishments during the last few years and caught him up to speed on some of the latest gossip within their friend group, the latter being something she isn’t sure if he necessarily cared for yet still listened intently anyway and offered an occasional ‘hn’ and ‘ah’.
Feeling his palm rest on the small of her back, Sakura arches her head to gaze up at him. Another thing she noticed about Sasuke is how freely he touches her now compared to when they were younger, often reaching out to hold her hand. “Are you hungry?” he asks. “I can make you something to eat.”
“Hmm,” she hums. “I could use some food, but I’ll make it.”
“Sakura, you should rest.”
“I’ve been resting for two weeks, Sasuke-kun,” she reminds him with a light chuckle. “How about we make lunch together?”
Once they’ve finished their meal, still sitting at the small table in her kitchen, Sakura asks the questions that’s been weighing on her mind. “When are you leaving again?” Scrunching his eyebrows together, Sasuke looks at her with confusion, leaving her to elaborate. “You cut your journey short just to come see me, don’t you want to finish your travels?”
“Ah,” he says after a moment of thought. “I would like that but for now I want to stay here, with you if that’s alright.” She can’t help but notice his complexion become more rosy as he voices his request. “Maybe then you’d like to come with me?”
Sakura feels her own face grow flush. “I would love to,” she tells him. “And of course you can stay here. My home is your home.”