Chapter Text
It can’t be…
Sakura felt her stomach tighten. She stared out of the window, but saw nothing beyond the glass.
How long had it been?
The hand she raised instinctively to tuck away a loose strand of hair began to tremble. She turned towards the exit.
She kept moving, her heart beating harder with every step. Faster and faster, until, without even realising it, she broke into a run.
“Good morning, Sakura-chan!” someone called from behind her.
She didn’t answer. She didn’t even notice the person waving in greeting. Her breathing quickened, matching the rhythm of her footsteps. By the time she rushed into the Hokage Tower, the only thing she could hear was the pounding of her own heart.
The double doors to the office stood slightly ajar.
As she approached them, each step became slower.
Heavier.
Harder.
She stopped, unable to force her body to move even an inch. One trembling hand came to rest against the doorframe.
Through the narrow opening, she saw him.
Suddenly, a pair of dark eyes locked onto hers.
Sasuke stood on the other side of the office, his back turned towards the entrance. Only a second earlier, he had been looking out of the window at the lively streets below. There was no mistaking him for anyone else.
The moment she appeared on the other side of the door, his gaze had found her.
Sakura had no choice now.
She couldn’t retreat.
She couldn’t allow herself to show weakness again.
Gathering every last trace of courage she had, she pushed the office door open wider.
“Sakura-chan!” Naruto shouted.
He was sitting behind Kakashi’s desk with his hands clasped behind his head. Cheerful and carefree, as always.
Typical Naruto…
“Good morning, Naruto.”
Her gaze drifted hesitantly towards the window.
“Hello, Sasuke-kun… It’s been a long time since you were last here.”
Sakura tried to make her voice sound as natural as possible. Even so, a wave of heat swept through her body when she heard herself say his name aloud.
Sasuke remained silent.
But his eyes were still fixed on her.
“Sakura-chan, I’m glad you’re here. You probably have plenty to do as Konoha’s chief medic, but I need your help,” Naruto cut in.
Sasuke stood quietly, still watching her. His brows drew together slightly, as though he were analysing what he had just heard.
Sakura turned her attention to Naruto, needing a moment to breathe. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to force out a single word. She stepped closer and rested one hand lightly against the desk.
She needed something solid to hold on to.
“Oh, really? And how may I assist the esteemed deputy to the Sixth Hokage?” she asked, attempting a playful tone.
At the same time, she was painfully aware that the tension was probably written all over her face.
“There’s an empty flat opposite yours, isn’t there?” Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes. His expression became unusually focused as he tried to recall the details.
“Yes,” she replied. “Do you need somewhere to hide from your responsibilities?”
Under different circumstances, teasing Naruto came naturally to her. They had known each other for years, after all. But with Sasuke in the room, the atmosphere no longer felt as easy as it usually did.
Naruto probably had no idea how difficult it was for her to form every single word.
“They’d find me anyway!”
Naruto clutched his head theatrically and planted his elbows on the desk, knocking the Hokage’s hat to the floor in the process.
Sakura bent down instinctively to catch it.
The moment her fingers closed around the brim, she realised it had stopped in mid-air.
She looked up.
Sasuke was standing opposite her, holding the other side of the hat. He had caught it in a fraction of a second, even though only moments earlier he had been standing on the other side of the office.
Their eyes met.
Once again, Sakura felt the ground slip away beneath her feet.
Pull yourself together!
She clenched her hand, driving her nails into her palm. The sudden sting of pain cleared her mind and, for a moment, returned control of her body.
Sasuke released the hat.
But he didn’t step back.
Sakura placed it on the desk and turned towards Naruto, who appeared not to have noticed anything.
“Naruto! Be more careful. That is the honoured Hokage’s hat—the most important person in the entire village! Show some respect for tradition!”
She raised her voice the way she used to whenever she scolded the most unruly member of Team Seven.
“All right, Sakura-chan. I’ll be more careful,” Naruto replied with a broad grin.
“Anyway,” he continued, “Sasuke is going to be staying here for a while. He doesn’t have a place of his own after the reconstruction, so the village is assigning him a flat. I thought of the one opposite yours. That way, Sasuke will have someone he knows nearby!”
Naruto announced his plan at full volume, clearly proud of himself.
Sakura stood completely still.
Paralysed.
The stream of words pouring from Naruto’s mouth blurred into a single rush of noise.
Sasuke… is going to live… right across from me…
“Sakura-chan, what do you think?”
Naruto’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.
She had to answer. She had already been silent for too long. Another moment and Naruto would say something that would make the situation even more embarrassing.
“Of course… It’s a great idea,” she replied, struggling to keep her tone neutral.
In reality, she was completely overwhelmed. She couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Too many emotions at once.
After so long.
After months of silence.
After all those days spent missing him.
She walked home without looking where she was going, her eyes fixed on the ground as thoughts crowded her mind.
She still couldn’t believe he had returned.
Almost two years had passed since he left Konoha after the war. Much had changed during that time. The village had formed lasting alliances, the Allied Shinobi Forces had entered into a pact of cooperation, and Naruto had begun carrying out the Hokage’s duties whenever Kakashi was absent. He was preparing to become his successor.
He had achieved his dream…
Sakura stopped halfway across the bridge. Resting her hands against the railing, she looked towards the mountain bearing the faces of the Hokage.
And what about my dream? Do I… even have one anymore?
Her fingers tightened around the railing.
Ever since their days at the Academy, she had worked tirelessly to catch up with the others. Despite all her training, she lacked the physical strength inherited by the descendants of renowned clans. She possessed no hereditary techniques or unique abilities.
Instead, she relied on her sharp mind and exceptional chakra control.
Over time, she had developed her skills in medical ninjutsu. Even during the war, she had already been one of the finest medical-nin, standing alongside her mentor, Tsunade. Through determination and the strength of will she had learnt from Naruto, she had become one of the most important people in the village.
Her gaze settled on a rock protruding from the river below.
The water flowed slowly, but where it met the stone, the current curved around it, gradually carving a hollow into its surface. Even the hardest material would eventually break when faced with the force of an element, however gentle it appeared.
Or perhaps it was relentless persistence—like the water—that wore away at something which seemed indestructible.
Something like stone.
Sakura stared into the surface of the water as though it were a mirror. The wind stirred her hair gently.
She closed her eyes.
“Sakura-chan!”
A voice pulled her from her thoughts. She brushed the loose strands from her face and looked up.
“Hey, Choji. How are you?” she asked politely.
“I’m just heading out for lunch. Shikamaru and I are meeting at Ichiraku.”
Choji paused to place another handful of crisps into his mouth.
Some things never change…
A faint smile appeared on Sakura’s lips.
“Would you like to join us?” he asked cheerfully.
“Thank you,” she replied softly. “But I still have several reports to review. We’ve received a lot of new information from the other villages recently, and I don’t want to fall behind.”
“I understand. That sounds important. I won’t keep you.”
Choji took a step, then suddenly stopped.
“Oh, by the way—have you heard that Sasuke is apparently back in the village? Shikamaru said he’ll be staying for a while.”
Choji continued speaking with a smile, but only one name echoed through Sakura’s mind.
Even hearing someone else say it aloud sent a shiver through her body.
“Oh, really? I didn’t know.”
The lie came instinctively.
She felt guilty for it, but she didn’t want anyone to know how deeply his return had affected her.
“I wonder how he’s doing. I haven’t seen him in ages.” Choji shrugged. “I just hope he doesn’t cause any trouble for the village this time.”
At those words, Sakura’s breath caught.
Every memory returned at once.
Sasuke’s path of hatred had been permanently carved into Konoha’s history. It wasn’t something people could simply forget.
Only then did she realise she wasn’t the only one unsettled by his return. The villagers would continue to keep their distance from him for a long time.
Trust could not be rebuilt overnight.
“Don’t worry, Choji,” she said calmly. “Remember that Naruto trusts him. And all of us trust Naruto. He knows what he’s doing.”
She hesitated for a moment.
“We should trust Sasuke too. Everyone deserves a second chance eventually… don’t they?”
She could hear the uncertainty in her own voice.
Choji scratched the back of his head.
“Hmm. You’re right. There’s no point worrying about it before anything’s even happened.” He waved one hand dismissively.
“I should get going. See you around, Sakura-chan!”
Still crunching on another handful of crisps, Choji headed towards the village centre.
Sakura continued walking in silence, a quiet ache slowly filling her chest.
Their conversation had made her realise just how difficult it would be to return to those painful memories. She had always known this day would come.
That he would return.
But she had not been prepared to face the full force of her own feelings.
Part of her was happy that he had come back alive and unharmed. During his “journey of atonement”, as he had called it, he must have encountered countless dangerous situations.
Knowing Sasuke, he certainly hadn’t avoided them.
But another part of her…
Was afraid.
Afraid of what might happen.
Or that… nothing would happen at all.
By the time she reached her flat, dusk had begun to settle over the village.
She pressed down on the handle.
The door opened.
She hadn’t locked it when she left. She couldn’t even remember leaving the flat at all.
Slowly, she climbed the stairs and made her way towards the bedroom. She switched on the small lamp resting on the chest of drawers beside the entrance.
A photograph stood next to it.
The only one she had.
A photograph from their days as Team Seven.
She picked it up and gently traced her fingers across his image.
Maybe next time…
Those words had etched themselves into her memory.
Her heart tightened at the recollection. She closed her eyes, and a tear slipped from beneath her lashes.
Sakura sank to the floor, still holding the framed photograph in both hands. Resting her back against the bed, she pressed it to her chest.
I thought I would be stronger.
That I could walk past him without feeling anything.
That I had moved past it…
Her tears gave way to quiet sobs. She buried her face in her hands, letting go of the photograph.
The frame fell face down onto the floor.
Despite the short distance, the sharp crack of breaking glass cut through the room.
Sakura came back to herself.
She wiped away a tear and picked up the frame. Instinctively, she ran the tip of her finger over the fracture.
The glass had split across the photograph, cutting it in half.
“Ow…”
She hissed softly as the slight sting of pain finally reached her. She turned her left hand towards her face.
A thin line of blood ran from the tip of her ring finger.
For a moment, she simply stared at it in silence.
The cut wasn’t deep. Sakura could have healed it in a second.
But that small, physical pain brought her thoughts a moment of relief.