Chapter Text
The new founded team seven was standing at the gates of Konoha. Sakura waited there patiently with Sai and Naruto. It was a cloudless day but the sun wasn't burning hot on them. Sakura stood with her arms crossed beside Naruto who was crouching on the ground, Tapping his hand against his face in agitation.
"I wish they would hurry up!" Naruto complained for the eighth time.
He didn't have his usual black and orange shirt on, but a white tea with his usual black bottoms. Most shinobi didn't wear their headbands with their casual clothes but Naruto did. It made him look more mature especially since he no longer had his wild long hair; it instead was clipped shorter and neater to his head.
Sakura rolled her eyes but she silently agreed, she had so much to do and the day was burning away.
A Sigh passed her lips, "Sasuke's message said they would make it here today, hopefully they aren't too long."
Yes, you heard her correct. They. Team Taka and Sasuke were making their way to the village. The war conceded two years ago and they were now seeking asylum. With Orochimaru officially locked away and his hideouts disbanded, they were without home. Tsunade had agreed to let Sasuke back on strict terms and as great as it would be to have his skills as an addition to the leaf again, he would still be under watch and could only go out on missions with at least one of the members of team 7. The other members would have to go through the regular graduation requirements, including the chunin exams, to become leaf ninja. The elders objected this idea but Tsunade along with Kakashi threatened their position with the grievances Sasuke was technically owed from the village. The mere mention of the Uchiha and those old heads shut up immediately, afraid that one to many secrets would be let out.
They had already reconciled after the war, team seven had reunited and Sasuke's journey of atonement was also coming to a close. They were all here for his official return just like they were for his departure. He had initially stayed in the leaf, Sasuke and her had grown surprisingly close but then he had to leave again. So he had only been gone from the village another year but it felt like several. Sakura was going to join him on his most recent trip from the village but she had got caught up with work and couldn't go, so it seemed in exchange he took his old ex con teammates.
Did that sound bitter? Sakura inwardly shrugged her shoulders, she was on decent terms with his former team, they were okay people from what she knew. Well, besides their tendencies to enable Sasuke's darker habits which was a dark cloud between Naruto and her and their relationship with Taka.
Of course, Sasuke is in control of his own actions and should be blamed as such but still, it didn't feel as though they had his best interest at heart. Anyway, Sakura thought about her decision to stay a lot. She regretted not going but the work she had in the village was so important. In fact, critical to the future of the village, she hadn't told many people except Ino and Kakashi. There were many things in the works and she didn't want to spread too much since she was still at a stand still with the village elders. They were already able to begin construction of the building, actually the building was pretty close to done but they were running low on funding and now had to depend on more funds from the village.
The team of four were seen in the close distance merely a few dozen feet away. The entire group was pretty peculiar to her, Suigetsu who could morph his entire body into water and wielded master Zabuza's blade and Juugo. Sakura had only briefly met him but he was okay, strangely animal oriented too. The two were about the exact same since the last time she saw them, casual hair and outfit changes but still the same juvenile, flirty boy and stone cold man.
She saw Karin's figure slide over as they were walking, closer to Sasuke. She was always constantly glued to his side when she could. Trying to get closer to him, although, in the last year not so much. Sakura assumed because of the respect she had for Sasuke's relationship at the time but now she seemed to already dismissed the idea of Sakura and Sasuke together. In any case, Sakura couldn't be one to judge, although she wouldn't admit it, it was a little funny watching her freak Sasuke out every now and again. Sakura could relate to some degree but that type of behavior was long gone, a thing from her twelve year old self. There was nothing wrong with that Sakura, it was just time for her to grow up. She still held affection for Sasuke, she just wasn't as eager.
Anyways, her red hair was still strange and now the side that was bone straight was now clipped close to her head in a rocker girl sorta way. Her outfit still resembled the one she wore on Sasuke's team. Small shorts and a long sleeve shirt, exposing her belly, and glasses that made her face smaller in a cute way. It still left Sakura mystified that she was Naruto's distant family or something, in a long line of descendants. Naruto never broached the subject, and him and Karin were never in the same place long enough for it to ever be mentioned but it intrigued Sakura. I mean, coming from a small civilian family, there weren't any other relatives she had. So having a long lost cousin seemed so special to her.
Sakura's eyes finally turned to Sasuke, so much had changed between them and yet, not so much. Her heart still belonged to him and he returned those feelings. There was so much that laid between them untouched but far from crumbling. His hair swept over his left eye, not quite long enough to cover the entire side of his face, but still longer than the last time she saw him.
Sakura's eyes trailed to the space in between Sasuke and Karin, or the lack thereof. Their arms gently brushed each other with every step and a chill went through Sakura's body. Sakura wouldn't say she was the jealous type but she wasn't lost on the feeling building in her chest. They hadn't even reached them yet and Sakura was beginning to not feel up to this. Sasuke wasn't the type to allow so much touch from another person he wasn't close enough with. Her mind pooled together many reasons and explanations none of which she liked so much, none of which explained such familiarity.
Sakura's eyes narrowed, she didn't want to be presumptuous and her and Sasuke were technically not together as of right now so even if it were the case, which Sakura hoped not, was it in her right to be angry?
Sasuke and his team stopped before them and awkwardness filled the air. The old versus The new, Leaf versus Rogue, it couldn't have gotten more awkward than this. The only thing the two team had in common was Sasuke, who in turn stood there with his hands in his pockets staring past them. Sakura inwardly rolled her eyes, he'd be the best to break the ice between them but of course he would avoid that at all cost; Still so socially awkward.
Suigetsu threw a wink her way giving her a hello but Sakura's eyes were elsewhere, the edge of Karin's hand touched against the back of Sasuke's. His hand twitched slightly but other than that he gave no sign of moving away or feeling uncomfortable. Something unsightly swirled through Sakura's belly.
Letting a bright smile fall on her face, moving past the current unfolding news being displayed in front of her, "Welcome to the Leaf Village, and welcome back Sasuke." She said as she nodded towards them, "We all already know each other, so we don't need to bother with introductions."
All Sasuke gave was a subtle nod, so she kept going.
"We've set up a house unit for you guys, you're required to live there for the first few months and then you can go to the hokage to request other living arrangements if you no longer find those accommodations enough." She explained.
"Really? we still have to live together" Suigetsu whined, an exhausted frown touching his face as his arms crossed lazily. "Sasuke you could even get us separate housing, I thought this was your old home?"
"It isn't any different than what we usually do, Suigetsu." Juugo responded, his voice as plain as a sentence in a boring book.
"Its temporary for now, just until you're accustomed to the village." Sakura assured, her head tilting with a smile.
Naruto's eyes widened with excitement, "Oh and it's right next to the ramen shop! So it'll be easier to get to Ichiraku before its too busy. "
"Ichiraku? " Suigetsu repeated the name with confusion. "What's that?"
"Only the best ramen shop in the village, you have to have it!" Naruto practically drooled just thinking about it. "Next time you guys have to come, Sasuke's treat."
Suigetsu's smile lengthened at that, "Oh yeah, that sounds great! "
Sasuke's eyes squinted, clearly disagreeing but Naruto already moved on, asking Suigetsu and jugo what their favorite types of ramen and toppings were.
Sakura looked over at Sai who mouthed the words, 'Running late'
Her hands clasped in front of her, ending the very important conversation about ramen.
" We should probably get you guys--" Sakura's words faltered but she quickly recovered. "We should get you all to Tsunade."
What caught Sakura off guard? Karin, who was looking as Sasuke. He didn't acknowledge her but Sakura felt like she understood. Something between the two had changed, something that made Karin's advances almost normal. It wasn't Karin though, no. From what Sakura knew of the team that was normal. It was Sasuke, maybe he was playing it up for her but he clearly wasn't as bothered by her as he used to be. No subtle shift of annoyance in his brow or closing of his fist aching to have his comfortable personal space. Sakura couldn't have been thinking too much into it right? But what if she was?
Sakura licked the bottom of her lip, not wanting to make things weird and question Sasuke here. Apart of Sakura couldn't help herself, she gave Sasuke a questioning gaze, briefly looking in between him and Karin then back at him. Sasuke avoided her her gaze completely and she saw the muscles in his jaw tighten.
Turning to Naruto with a smile, hoping she looked normal. But she felt her brows rise and her body tense painfully, Her temper was flaring and she couldn't stop the opening and closing of her fist. Sakura tried hard to get her anger in check for a while now, but every now and again she just needed to smash something.
Naruto cleared his throat, if Naruto understood the look in Sakura's eye and the vein that popped on the side of her forehead he knew she was angry. He didn't know what made her that mad in the time they were standing here but she was clearly done, "Well Sasuke, now that you're finally back, you up for a little sparing."
"I'm always up for beating you dobe." Sasuke took a slight step forward, never able to back down from a fight with the idiot.
"What was that? How about you back up your stupid words." Naruto drew closer to him.
"Lead the way then." Sasuke said, all but ready to follow the blonde boy.
Naruto got all of two steps before he was grabbed by the collar of his shirt and flung backwards a few feet. He hit the ground in a heap of orange and dust.
She knew she shouldn't have tried to leave it up to Naruto. Her arms crossed in front of her, almost tempted to knock some sense in the young kyuubi. "Naruto, will *actually* be taking you guys to the Hokage's office, or did you forget that Naruto?"
The blond boy glanced up at Sakura and gulped, her eyes practically ablaze with a deadly strained smile on her face. "R-right, of course I didn't forget! I would have taken them after." Naruto rambled, his hands nursing his back. "Besides its just paperwork."
Sakura just glared at him and to her left she heard Sasuke mumble something about Naruto being an idiot but Sakura wasn't letting him off the hook either. She sent him the same withering glare, "And you, to get so easily riled up, really?"
Sasuke's eyes closed and the tips of his ears turned pink as he sighed silently. Clearly embarrassed at getting so easily carried away and scolded by Sakura.
Sakura looked up and realized she had an audience, she had let her temper get the best of her but if anything the group looked impressed at how quickly she diffused them.
Suigetsu laughed at the scene in front of them, "There must be one on every team."
"What do you mean by that?" Karin glared at him, her voice back to its usual roughness. "You wouldn't feel nearly half the pain you do if you weren't such a blubbering idiot."
"Sounds about right you---"
"Enough Suigetsu." Sasuke warned.
Suigetsu rolled his eyes, "Man ever since you and Karin started ho--"
"Suigetsu." Sasuke's voice sharpened, and his eye held a glimpse of that dangerous red. His eye flicked over to her before looking away quickly but Sakura had caught it, for some reason Sasuke tried to stop Suigetsu from speaking but why? If it was the truth then why not just say it, to spare her the details? Please, its not like she wouldn't have found out. She looked up at Sasuke and he didn't look her way, in fact he deliberately ignored her, again.
She blinked and pushed a strained smile on her face, the reality of what that meant was crashing down on her and her chest felt tight. "A-Anyways, I have been away long enough. I'll take my leave and get going. Sai will be giving you a tour after you meet with the Hokage." Sakura told the group. "I have other important matters to attend to."
"Wait, you're not going to Granny Tsunade with us?" Naruto asked.
Sakura shook her head firmly, "I have to get back to the hospital, this already took a lot of time out of my day."
Well all of that was half truth, she wasn't exactly needed at the hospital. She wasn't suppose to be there today at all but she wanted to finish up a few things. Now she was going back because being so close to Sasuke and his *girlfriend*, it seemed, was too hard for her at the moment.
Naruto didn't say anything else but he clearly knew something was wrong. All his previous goofing off was gone and he tried to make contact with Sakura's eyes.
But Sakura dodged him, turning towards the group, announcing her departure" Again, Welcome you guys, I really hope you can find a home here with us."
Sakura left and didn't look back, she could feel their eyes on her back as she walked away. Well, one pair of eyes, but Sakura forced herself not to look back at him. She was mad and he was at fault, so all she did was straighten her back and continued on her way.