Chapter Text
It is universally known that a single man, heir to an impressive fortune and born into an influential clan, has to be looking for a wife. It does not matter what the man himself might think or feel, as soon as he is back to the village of his birth still single, all mothers will wonder how to make him their daughter’s husband.
“Oh, Kisashi!” Mebuki hurried into the living room. “Have you heard who’s back in Konoha?”
Haruno Kisashi said he didn’t.
“Uzumaki Naruto.” she announced. “I’ve just heard everything from Inojin.”
Kisashi didn’t say a word.
“Don’t you want to know what she told me?” Mebuki said, impatiently.
“Yes darling, go on.”
“Inojin said Naruto rescued Uchiha Sasuke and is finally back to the village for good. He finally gets to live in that beautiful house his parents left for him. Did you know he had never stepped foot in it before? He found out he was the late Hokage’s son and left for the Uchiha boy the same night, poor thing.”
“How long was he on his mission, really?”
“Five years. Five years and he is still very single and very rich. This might be rather fortunate for Sakura, huh?”
“What do you mean? Wasn’t Sakura rightfully angry at him after he left for Sasuke without her?”
“Kisashi, my dear” Mebuki sat beside him on the sofa. “, don’t be so naive. Uzumaki Naruto was in love with our girl for years. She’s had plenty of time to forgive him, especially because he was just trying to protect her. Oh, they could get married…”
“Do you really think Uzumaki Naruto thinks of marriage?”
“He was in love with Sakura, my dear. It is very likely he still is… she should be one of the first to visit him.”
“Good luck with that. When has Sakura ever forgiven anyone? You should go visit him if you like, unless you think he might fall for you. The two of you look like sisters, after all.”
Mebuki blushed. “No need to tease me. If I look like Sakura’s sister it has got to be an older, much older one. You should speak to Sakura about visiting him.”
“Oh, I don’t want to do that.”
“Think of how this is a great opportunity for your daughter. No mother with a clan title is foolish enough to ignore that he is an Uzumaki and will surely get their girls to visit. Sakura, for once, has an advantage: they trained together. Everyone knew how infatuated he was with her since childhood!”
“Maybe I’ll tell her to visit every single man in the village then. Hell, isn’t the Uchiha boy now the heir to absolutely everything of his clan? Talk about fortune and title…”
Mebuki couldn’t take that sarcastic suggestion lightly. She stood up as fast as a kunai could be thrown.
“Take her to see every man, even married ones, if you’d like, but do not encourage her to visit Uchiha Sasuke. No amount of fortune could forgive treason. Or how he hurt our girl when he left. You must focus, my dear, Sakura is so much prettier and smarter than any girl in this village… it would be a shame to see her settle for less.”
Kisashi chuckled. “Oh my, if only Yamanaka Inojin knew the things you say about her daughter.”
“You know I mean no harm to them.” Mebuki let out a smile, but it soon faded. “Sakura listens to you, dear. Please consider it.”
Kisashi didn’t respond, but Mebuki was content with that: he was surely at least thinking about it.
And thinking he was. Haruno Kisashi was rather displeased when the side of his wife he never particularly liked, the gossipy and obtuse side, seemed to grow exponentially once her one and only mission became to find a suitable husband for their daughter. It was old-fashioned in a way that belittled all the achievements and work Sakura had done all by herself, against all odds.
But the world could be cruel for the clan-less. Especially clan-less women. He had no doubt Sakura could do things on her own, but if life could be a whole lot easier for her, wouldn’t he wish that for his girl? Besides, if at least speaking to Sakura could shut Mebuki up, wasn’t it worth a try?
Haruno Sakura was one of the first people in Konoha to see both Naruto and Sasuke. She was working at the hospital when they arrived and went for a quick check up after a few days of travelling back. Sakura saw them at the end of one of the many hallways she usually stomps around, rushing, without looking around. There they were, looking like two ghosts. She turned around immediately and hid in the storage room for hours, convincing herself no one would desperately need her at three in the morning.
She thought a little time alone would give her clarity, but it seemed like the sun was coming up, shining outside the tiny little window, a few minutes after she sat on the ground. All she could really think about was how she spent about 3 of the 5 years the two were gone thinking about this very moment every single day. And they came back when she didn’t daydream about it anymore.
They had to surprise her, right?
At six in the morning, she fled the hospital. She knew perfectly well they were no longer there, but she was still too skittish to risk seeing them again. Her father had no way to predict how bad her mood was once she was home and he decided to talk about Uzumaki Naruto while she ate breakfast, chewing slowly out of exhaustion. She simply got up, went to her room and fell asleep. Didn’t even answer her dad.
Sakura woke up a few hours later. Even when she had all nighter shifts she still hated to wake up in the afternoon. She lazily walked to the living room and as soon as she noticed her mother was sewing back together a tear in one of Sakura’s old dresses, she knew her dad had reported back to his wife.
“Is that my dress?” she asked.
“Yes. God forbid your best dress isn't full of holes…” her mother responded, bitterly.
“I don’t think it would be appropriate to wear that to visit Naruto.” Sakura teased, as the dress was meant for events like parties or galas. As if any of them had ever been invited to a gala. Sakura wasn’t even sure what that word meant exactly.
Mebuki glared at her daughter. “I’d rather you wear this and visit him than not at all.”
“My dear, you are so impatient.” Sakura only then noticed her father sitting on the armchair. “He just got here.”
“I don’t find it polite to wait to welcome someone. I know a few people who are not willing to wait.” Sakura yawned and stepped into the kitchen to serve herself a cup of tea. “Honestly, Sakura, must you yawn so dramatically?”
“I’m tired.” Sakura said simply. “And dad is right, I’ll get to talk to Naruto eventually. Ino has a party in 15 days, he’ll definitely be there.”
Sakura always knew that as soon as Naruto was back, she would at least talk to him. And as the time went on, years and years passed and he still wasn’t back in Konoha, she was forced to at least understand why he went without her. Of course she could survive it all, she heard all the stories and although terrifying she had confidence in her training. But Naruto was always a gentleman, it was in his nature to want to protect her, to want to protect anyone.
Still, she needed to make him understand how humiliating it had felt to be left behind without even being asked.
Her mom seemed pleased, but not enough. “If you already intend on talking to him, why don’t you visit him? 15 days is so long…”
“Mom, it might be a race among the women who have any romantic interest in him, but I don't.” Sakura heard her father chuckle silently as she watched her mother roll her eyes.
“Aren’t you the least bit curious? I am wondering how he’s looking…”
“Oh, I’ve seen him.”
“You have?”
Sakura almost laughed at her mom, letting the dress fall to her lap. She wouldn't have been able to hold it in if she had noticed her dads eyes looking up at the two of them, distracted from his book for the first time today. “They were both at the hospital for a routine checkup. Naruto looks eerily similar. Sasuke…”
Sakura hesitated. Her silence was interrupted.
“And you didn’t talk to him? Oh, I swear, you…”