Chapter Text
Minato woke up with that same hauntingly beautiful dream as always. Every single time he closes his eyes, he sees her, her beautiful smile, her looking at him with that sparkling eyes of determination, her confidence emanating off her. She was everything a man can ask for and he had her, he did but she just disappeared one day. And he never got to see her ever again.
It's been years since Minato has been actually whole as a person, ever since she left, she took a part of him with her and he doesn't even know if he'll ever see her again—No, he will see her again if it's the last thing he does in this dreary life of his.
Without her, he is nothing.
Deep inside of Minato, he knew that he would get to see her again because they have this connection that not even fate could cut. Even if Sakura left him, he knew that she would come back to him no matter what.
~~~~~
When Minato saw those beautiful pink locks and sparkling emerald eyes, he knew he found her again. Those eyes that were full of shock and guilt while looking at him.
He was sitting in his office at the Hokage tower signing stacks of paperworks on his desk when there was a sudden smoke that came out of nowhere and revealed a very familiar figure that he has been dreaming of ever since she left him that dreadful day.
She looked the exact same when she left him.
In a blink of an eye, his Anbu squad assigned for his safety, watching him everyday in the Hokage tower, suddenly appeared in front of him while surrounding the unknown pink haired kunoichi, deeming her a threat to their Hokage because of her abrupt appearance.
Sakura was instantly jolted to her fighting stance to defend herself if need be but she would prefer to not fight her fellow kins.
Minato finally found his voice after his initial shock of seeing her after years of yearning for her presence to come back and destroy all his nightmares and problems with just her loving touch.
“Stop” Minato said in an authoritative voice but there was a hint of anger if someone looked closely in his tone. Some of the anbus looked perplexed by his strange order so they looked at him with a questioning gaze, albeit them wearing masks that hinders to convey their expression, Minato knows what they're thinking and he doesn't care, he just wants to have his privacy with the woman he has been searching for his whole dreary life.
“Leave us” he demanded, leaving no room for questions or objections. Once all the anbus disappeared from the Hokage office, Minato didn't waste any time to seal the room with a protective barrier in order to have their privacy, forming his hands with different types of hand signs but too fast for a normal eye to decipher what he's doing.
All the while, both of them had yet to look away from each other, surprised aquamarine eyes boring straight to a somewhat panicked emerald green eyes. Showing one with determination while the other with guilty eyes.
When Minato was done casting the sealing jutsu, blocking any noise to seep through the walls, blocking the view from outside through the glass, and preventing anyone from entering the room no matter how hard they tried. That also applied from the inside. Sakura can’t escape him now, never again will he let her escape his hands.
Minato suddenly flashed right in front of Sakura with lightning speed and before she could do anything let alone step back from him, not knowing what he would do to her, he started engulfing her in a desperately tight hug. It feels like Minato had been longing for this hug ever since she disappeared so after a few seconds of registering what Minato is doing, Sakura returned the hug, hugging him less tightly than he is but that seemed to do something to Minato because his stiff body started to relax as if he's melting in her hold.
Minato couldn't help but hug her so tightly for all the lost time they endured, and to ensure that she's actually real and not just a figment of his imagination torturing him again and again every time he closes his eyes. He buried his face on the crook of her neck and inhaled, the scent of her cherry scent filling his senses once again. The scent that he missed for so long, he had been yearning for her scent to come back to him. It brings him so much peace by just inhaling her scent and hugging her like they're the only people in this world.
And for a moment, it felt like they were. With his seal blocking anyone from disturbing their beautiful moment.
As if they were lovers who got separated, that felt like an eternity, and finally got reunited with each other after the great war was over. One of them thinking that they would never get to see the other one again but they were proven wrong and they happily accepted their mistake to be with their loved one.
He had dreamt of this for so long, yet the real thing could never compare to his dreams and replacements. Sakura could never be replaced by anyone and he knows that with his whole heart.
After what felt like an eternity of hugging Sakura, Minato felt her shuffling and trying to get out of his tight grip. “Minato” she murmured under her breath with a hint of annoyance in her tone. But all Minato did was hug her tighter so she couldn't escape him. Never again.
Oh, how he had missed her saying his name with her beautiful delicate mouth and soft lips. Her beautiful voice echoing in the Hokage room, bouncing off the walls like a sweet melody to his deprived ears. Oh, how he had missed the feeling of her lips against his, tasting her deliciously with his needy tongue.
Sakura left out a huff and stopped struggling for freedom, making the man smile in satisfaction. Minato whispered in her ear “I missed you, Sa-ku-ra” he rolled her name carefully with his tongue, voice low in his throat, emphasizing each syllable slowly. He inhaled her scent again, loosening his grip on her but still holding her nonetheless.
They both know that if she really wants to get away from him, she could in a heartbeat with just her sheer strength and not including her chakra infused strength.
They looked at each other's eyes, showing so much complexed emotions in the depths of their eyes. Sakura was the one who broke eye contact and looked at the side “I’m sorry, Minato.” she muttered guiltily. Silence engulfed the room, “I had no choice—I had to leave.” She added, now looking at him with desperation for him to forgive her.
“It's okay, Sakura.” It isn't he brought his hand up to her hair and started caressing it to calm her down and he also missed playing with her pink locks for so long now. “I understand why you had to go.” He didn't he continued, gently playing with her pink locks now.
Blood red hair could never compare to this beautiful soft pink cotton candy hair right in front of him. Where Sakura’s hair reminds him of cherry blossoms, spring, love, and happiness. Kushina’s reminds him of blood, corpses, battle, wars, death, and anger.
Yes, red is the closest color to pink but it would never be the same. It will always remind him of different things. Where one is good and the other is bad. One reminds him of heaven and the other hell.
How could he ever love someone other than her?
Other than Sakura Haruno? The girl he met in extraordinary circumstances and memories that he could never forget even if he wanted to.
Nothing could compare to this. Everything else is just a lousy copy or replacement of her.
Her hair, her voice, her eyes, her personality, her strengths, her powers, everything about her could never be replaced.
Sakura Haruno is irreplaceable.
Sakura let out a breath she was holding, as her shoulders relaxed, relieved that Minato didn't hold a grudge towards her or worse—furious at her for leaving without saying goodbye to him, just disappearing as if she was never there to begin with.
“But now, you have no reason to leave me again, right?” Minato leaned closer to whisper in her ears again. “Sa-ku-ra” the low growl in his voice made Sskura shiver slightly from the sheer emotion she felt from Minato with just him saying her name like that.
“But–but you already have Kushina right?” Sakura answered, tilting her head up to look at him with a confused expression directed his way. Isn't he supposed to be happily married to Kushina and have Naruto as a symbol for their loving marriage?
Minato’s silence only confused Sakura even more. The only response she got was a small scoff from the man, his eyes, that were full of emotions just a moment ago, were now blank and devoid of any emotions she could decipher.
“And Naruto, Naruto’s here right?” Sakura continued asking Minato, wanting him to answer her questions.
Once again, Minato did not respond to her questions. He just cupped her face with her fingers with such delicate precision as if he was holding a fragile doll in his hands that he can't afford to break. He leaned closer to her face, their face only inches apart making them see each other's faces clearly and subtle micro expressions strikingly obvious to one another.
“Just focus on me and no one else.” He declared with an emotion Sakura can't seem to decipher, unwavering azure eyes gazing immensely with confused viridescent eyes.
Sakura doesn't know what to do, she's extremely confused with the situation. Minato is acting…unusual. Not answering her questions and acting all—possessive, for lack of a better word.
She can't say she “missed” him because quite frankly, she just saw him a few minutes ago, albeit him in his youth compared to now, he has certainly aged but he aged like fine wine, getting rid of the baby fat on his cheeks making his features more detailed and sharp, adding some wise wisdom from all his experience seep into his face that makes him look like a knowledgeable trustworthy Hokage.
The Minato standing before her is not the same Minato she left, that she knows for a fact. Something changed within him; she just can't say what it is yet but she can feel it. The first second they locked gaze with each other when she came back, she sensed something different. Different in a way that she knows would be trouble for her in the future.
But she doesn't know why Minato would cause trouble for her, maybe she's just seeing things and it's a side effect of coming back to her own timeline. Sakura evidently needs some rest, a good slumber in paradise would do her good, and using half of her chakra to travel back to her timeline really did tire her out.
It seemed that Minato saw the tire look in her eyes because he suddenly suggested for her to sleep in his room in the Hokage Tower. Sakura perked up at this, she didn't remember any rooms back when Tsunade shisou was the Hokage.
“Uh–no thanks, Minato.” She knows talking to him so familiarly is somewhat disrespectful knowing the fact that he is now the Fourth Hokage and not the best friend she left just a few moments ago. “I’ll just sleep at home.” She added, rubbing her eyes, trying to keep herself awake.
“Nonesense, you look extremely tired, Sakura.” Minato put his hand back on her cheek, caressing it with his thumb soothingly while pointedly looking at her to indicate that he will no longer tolerate any more arguments and he expects her to follow her Hokage’s command.
Letting go of her cheek, he formed his hands in the necessary hand signs to release the protective barrier he casted to the room. He took Sakura’s hands and instantly flashed away to the said bedroom in the Hokage Tower without any warning. Luckily for Sakura, she was already used to his oh–so–sudden Hiraishins, that she didn't need any warning anymore.
With a spark of golden light, the two figures entered the bedroom. Looking around, it is indeed fit for a Hokage, with how the furniture and little trinkets are all designed with evident skill in craftsmanship and how the room itself is massive, fitting a sofa in the room. The walls are a soft golden color that isn't too much to the eyes, in fact it makes the room much more elegant.
The curtains are golden with embedded flowery designs, sunlight seeping through the beautiful bedroom. And the bed itself is a king sized canopy bed, engulfed with golden and silver intricate fabrics on each side of the high posts of the bed and golden silky sheets fit for a king, like Minato himself, making it look like it just came out of some fantasy novels that Sakura has stacked in her room.
The room looked well kept and cozy indicating that someone, Minato, has been here frequently, with the white robe hanging on a chair, a half lit pink candle that doesn't quite match the room’s aesthetic but still manages to blend in with the room, a glass half empty on the bedside table, and a book beside it, halfway read indicated by a Sakura bookmark peeking through with a beautiful Sakura pendant hanging in the air.
After a moment of silence, Minato broke the stillness “Do you like it?” he asked, tilting his head down to look at her while raising one of his brows up. His sky blue eyes glinted with hope that she would like his room. “Wow, Minato. You've really outdone yourself huh?” Sakura responded, her words laced with evident teasing, smirking up at him. Minato chuckled at that, missing their familiar banters and small talk about anything and everything, if Minato could have it his way, he would just want to spend the rest of his life talking to Sakura, she brings him so much peace and joy by just her presence alone.
“Go, rest. Sakura.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Without waiting for any response, Minato disappeared with just a flicker of golden light.
Sakura didn't mind, just turned to the bed and let her body fall on the massive mattress. And it did not disappoint, it felt heavenly. The mattress and silks was so soft to the touch, it could make a crying baby sleep peacefully. A few seconds after Sakura laid down on the bed, she was greeted with a much needed sleep.
Minato appeared back inside of his office, with a sense of urgency, he started to gather all the important papers on his desk that he needed to read and sign. After he had thoroughly checked that he had everything gathered, he flashed back immediately to the bedroom, where he left Sakura.
He saw her sleeping peacefully on his king sized bed, the sunlight illuminating her beautiful figure making her the center of attention when entering the room. It looked like she was in one of those fairytails where she was an ethereal sleeping princess, waiting for her knight and shining armor’s true loves kiss.
Minato snapped back from his thoughts, taking an unused chair and carrying it beside the bed so that he can be close to her as much as possible and so that he can keep an eye on her while he's working.
When he was sat beside her, he snapped his fingers with a loud click then two anbu’s appeared inside the room, on their knees bowing their heads at him, waiting for their Hokage’s orders.
These are his two most trusted Anbu’s—one of them being the captain of his platoon, the one wearing the weasel mask: Itachi Uchiha, a prodigy just like Minato himself, who had endured multiple obstacles but had proven himself time and time again that he was a prodigy for a reason, acquiring such wisdom at such a young age is truly impressive. Itachi Uchiha would prove to be a great Hokage someday.
And the one next to him, wearing a fox mask was none other than Shisui Uchiha himself. The man that could almost rival his speed if need be. He had also proven himself trustworthy of important missions, leading with a bright smile on his face which is unlike any other Uchiha Minato has seen.
With the two Uchihas, who work perfectly well with each other, he has no doubt that they will protect his little Cherry Blossom with their life.
No matter what.
“You two will guard this room no matter what and by extension—her.” He commanded with a controlled voice, keeping in mind that there was a sleeping beauty beside him. “Do not let any unauthorized people come near her at all costs.” Minato continued, knowing that Sakura doesn't really need any protection from anyone because she is a strong Kunoichi where she proved to him at the very start of their encounter. But Minato can't help but worry, now that he has more power, he will use as much of his ability to protect her and watch over her no matter what.
“And if she wakes up and I’m not here, see to it that you notify me immediately.” He added, needing to bask in her attention for all the lost time.
“Understood?” He stated. The two anbus, still kneeling before him, nodded their head twice. “Good. You may go now.” He cocked his head to the side and picked up his papers to go through.
The two anbus disappeared from sight, leaving the room for the two figures to rest in the peaceful silence.
Minato knew they were outside doing their newly assigned mission dutifully. So he resumed doing his work, eyes wandering to the sleeping form on the bed quite often. He admits his mind is distracted and can't quite focus on his work solely but he can still do his job, albeit slower than usual. He gives himself a pass because it has been literally years since he has seen his Sakura. His Sakura that knows him and shares all those special memories with him that he would always treasure in his heart.
When Minato had read and signed most of the stacks of papers he brought, he suddenly felt a familiar huge chakra energy coming specifically his way. And he knew exactly why.
With not a moment to spare, the door bursted open with a loud thud as the door slammed against the golden wall. Appearing in such a disheveled and frantic state, with wide azure eyes appearing as saucers frantically scanning every inch of the room until it landed on the person sleeping peacefully on the bed.
Behind the intruder, the two anbu’s looked distraught but didn't do anything to stop the intruder, as per their Hokage’s instructions: only authorized and trustworthy people are allowed to be near Sakura Haruno, and surely the Hokage’s son is undoubtedly allowed to see his best friend after she had gone missing for three whole years.
It seems that all the ruckus made, Sakura was still deep in her slumber, only scrunching her face from the loud thuds but it didn't seem to wake her up.
The said intruder—Naruto Uzumaki—didn't waste any time and practically bolted straight to the sleeping beauty on the bed, not paying any attention to his father, the Fourth Hokage, beside the sleeping woman.
Naruto’s heart was frantically beating like a thunderous storm. He started scanning her whole body for any signs of injuries but he came out with none. Good. Naruto could finally breathe again, inhaling deeply smelling the sweet cherry scent that he had missed for so long. All the weight on his shoulders were suddenly lifted, seemingly lifted by big strong loving hands—Sakura-chan’s hands no doubt.
Naruto had sensed Sakura-chan’s chakra the second she stepped foot back in the village. This made him frantically search where his beloved Sakura-chan could possibly be. He only felt it for one measly second then suddenly it disappeared again, as if something or someone is hiding his beloved from him but Naruto Uzumaki would not have that.
He practically teleported himself by using shunshin no jutsu at an extremely fast pace, not bothering to excuse himself from the civilians that he passed by—or rather bump into, only caring about one thing: to find his beloved Sakura-chan.
His first destination was the village gate, in an attempt to make reason that she could have possibly went back from a long, confidential, arduous mission for the Hokage that even he, the son of the fourth Hokage, does not know even a hint of where she is or what she is doing that is taking so long outside the village. But alas, when Naruto got to the village gate, looking frantically at every single corner of the place, even asking Kotetsu and Izumo, the guards of the village gates, if they had seen anything out of the ordinary but they had seen no such thing.
Then, the next place he went to was none other than Sakura's house, where he had admittedly stayed and slept there on nights where missing her became so unbearable and suffocating to just breathe the village air that was missing her enchanting scent.
In the first year she had gone missing, her clothes still smelled like her, her bed still exudes her warmth, albeit only phantoms of it. When Naruto was there, he could still delude himself that Sakura-chan was just in another room getting dressed, watching tv and hearing her laughter echo through the walls while he’s preparing breakfast for the both of them, reading her medical notes, or something so ordinary that Naruto didn't get to appreciate until it was too late and only his vivid imagination repeats itself again and again, deluding himself that Sakura-chan is still here, by his side.
But when the second and third years came, Sakura’s warmth was no longer felt, instead every time he opened the door to her house he was greeted with nothing but a cold, gloomy atmosphere. Her scent no longer clings to the fabrics that she frequently used, her laughs only a whisper through the walls, her smile buried through the depths of darkness of her vacant, sombre, desolate room where once was a vibrant, flourishingly, radiant room.
Luckily is it though? for him, Sakura had a lot of perfumes that were inside her vanity closet. Naruto started spraying it on her clothes and her bed, inhaling the sweet scent of it, imagining he's actually hugging her instead of a piece of fabric in his hands. There's one particular perfume that he saves for special occasions because it was his and Sakura’s favorite, he uses it when he physically can’t function like a normal human being anymore, missing every single part of her, desperately wanting her to come back, hopelessly begging Kami or any higher being out there to hear his desperate pleas and give him back his beloved Cherry Blossom.
On sleepless nights, he wanders to every single corner of her house, imagining the mundane tasks they always get to do. Honestly, he thinks that for the past three years that Sakura was gone, he made himself live in her home, taking care of her plants and cleaning every speck of dust that he could see, thinking that–hopefully when Sakura comes back, she would come back to a spotless house as if she never went missing for three years to begin with.
Sakura’s home has become his home.
So when he practically teleported himself to her—their home and saw that nothing was amiss, he still couldn't sense her chakra but he still went and looked at every nook and cranny inside the house, hoping that she would just appear right in front of him with her bright beautiful smile. Naruto knew he didn't imagined the spike of chakra that he sensed for only a second, he might be desperate and a little out of it but he knew what he felt and it was no imagination but a real feeling.
Yet again, he left empty handed, no sign of his Sakura-chan in sight.
When Naruto felt like crumbling down on Sakura’s bed, he felt it again but this time it didn't disappear, making him know exactly where she is.
At the heart of Konoha Village, the Hokage Tower, where his father is supposed to be.
Now that he knows he's not imagining things, he won't let this opportunity disappear from the grasp of his hands again. One second, he was inside the bedroom of his beloved; the next, he was running towards the Hokage’s bedchambers, passing by the anbus guarding the door with no problem.
All he could think about is his Sakura-chan. That he could finally see her again after three torturous years without her.
He bolted right towards her sleeping form, wanting to cradle her for eternity. After leaving him without any goodbyes, he never wanted to feel so alone again. He would never make her leave him again. But he stopped himself from disturbing her slumber, knowing that she might get angry at him for ruining her beauty sleep. Just thinking about her berate him makes the corners of his lips tug upwards.
He couldn't believe his Sakura-chan was finally here with him again. Safe and sound, peacefully sleeping as if nothing ever happened. As if she never disappeared on him for three torturous long years. Hoping every second that she would come back to him and say that this was all just an elaborate prank she conducted to mess with him, but the joke never came.
Without thinking, he took off his shoes and got on the massive bed, careful of not rousing the sleeping beauty. Naruto just wants to be near her as much as he possibly could, and the bed is big enough for at least four people so two would definitely be alright. He settled his head on his arms, laying sideways so that he could just look at her lovingly with so much longing and yearning from just his deep ocean blue eyes.
Naruto reaches out his hand to her face so that he can fix the strands of stray pink hairs settling themselves on top of her face. As he did, he also caressed her face, tracing from where the side of her eyes are located to her cheeks and down until he is cupping her cheeks, moving his thumb from side to side, feeling her soft velvety skin that he had missed and longed for, for three whole torturous years without her.
But now that she has come back into his life, he will never ever lose her again.
Naruto tried to stop his urges to envelope her into an excruciatingly tight hug because he didn't want to wake her up. As much as he wanted answers from her and his father, he also just wanted to look at her for eternity while she's resting.
If heaven was real then Uzumaki Naruto is sure that this is heaven.
Sakura Haruno is his heaven.
Failing to stop his urges, he enveloped Sakura in a somewhat gentle but desperate hug where he buried his head on her chest, inhaling her sweet cherry scent. Naruto finally let loose of himself and started crying, at first it was just small tears dropping on his cheeks but then when he finally got to hold Sakura in his hands, he couldn't help but cry a river that his Sakura-chan is finally here with him again.
Minato silently watched his son cry his heart out to their beloved. His heart ached from the scene in front of him. Knowing that both of them loved their beloved cherry blossom, he knew challenges would arise sooner than later. But for now, he’d let his son have his moment with their beautiful cherry blossom.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous of his son hugging her as if his life depended on it.
~~~
With Sakura deep in her dreamscape, she didn't notice the figures watching her sleep peacefully, one locked in a tight embrace with her and the other sitting beside the bed, gaze locked solely on her, as if, if they looked anywhere else, she would disappear from their grasp once again.