In his travels, there were those less appreciative of the help from one with a name as tarnished as his, but occasionally there would be those that showed gratitude, uncaring of his sordid history. His assistance in a far off settlement fell into the latter.
Sasuke was grateful for the rations the village people imparted, but one kindly old woman, sitting at her vendor, caught the way his eyes roamed curious over the merchandise ; and before he could even say anything she allowed him to take one of her pieces without payment.
"I have no use for something like this. I can't accept."
"Please, keep it. You may not need it, but perhaps there is a woman waiting for you, back home, that you would like to see wear it."
He looks down at the piece in question. True enough, he had no need for a hairpin endowed with floral designs. They are white flowers that look familiar to him, but their name escapes him. It looked like something that could be worn at a festival. Come to think of it, it was spring time, wasn't it? There was someone that made him think of.
Sasuke continued on his journey, keeping the trinket in his possession... well beyond the spring...
When he made it home, there was none out and about beyond usual shinobi keeping watch. They'd see him make a deliberate path into the heart of the village, to a specific home. He could see the lights on, at the first floor, but Sasuke didn't feel he had any right to turn up at the family doorstep. So his attention raised to the second floor, where the light wasn't on.
She must have been working late. That was fine with him.
In a single bound he was stood on the roof, prying open the window to Sakura's dark room. There, at the sill, a dresser leaned. And he knew it was hers, from an old photograph of team 7. His eyes softened at its visage, before turning to pull something from his pocket.
He thumbed open the box, to confirm the hairpin remained where he left it. It had been so long since he received it. Well past her birthday. Even now, he couldn't make it in time simply for the spring. But he didn't hold onto this for anything other than her birthday, lateness be damned.
Would she even have use for it? Her hair changed all the time, was it long enough to hold a hairpin? He didn't even know what she looked like any more, but the way he felt remained the same. And he felt like seeing her wear it. So it found its place on her dresser, along with a brief note.
'I couldn't make it for your birthday. I'll see you next time. - サスケ'
By the time she would return home, Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.
... if he had no intentions to be spotted, why not send this at a more opportune time with his hawk? Well...
Just because he couldn't be seen, didn't mean he wasn't watching.
[ FASHIONABLY LATE BIRTHDAY ASK FROM BLANK PERIOD SASUKE :) ]
It was a normal day, like usual. With the war over now, with Kakashi as the Hokage and Naruto undergoing Hokage training, Sakura plans to focus on the hospital and the children’s therapy center, especially the latter. The work is tiresome, but fulfilling. Ino is still quietly worried as ever about her workaholic tendencies, reminding Sakura to do self-care, which Sakura never seems to do.
Today, Sakura gets held up helping overlook an emergency transplant, so hence why she’s going home late. Even with Shizune-senpai helping out, the procedure still took some time, lasting several hours into the night, and Sakura sighs as she walks home by herself, exhausted, wishing that time could turn back to her birthday that passed months ago. Ino had practically dragged her outside the moment their shifts ended, fully intent on treating her to a big birthday meal with their friends. There was much laughter and mirth, plenty of jokes and food and birthday wishes being passed around, and everything was so stress-free …
After finally making it home, Sakura goes to her room, stretching, then she sees something unfamiliar on her dresser when she turns on her light. A box? She doesn’t remember buying anything, and so, she goes over to curiously inspect it. There’s also a piece of paper. She takes it and reads it——
'I couldn't make it for your birthday. I'll see you next time. - サスケ'
She gawks at the note, wondering if it’s a dream. Taking the box, Sakura immediately opens it and feels convinced by now that it is a dream. A dream, a genjutsu.
Because it’s the prettiest hairpin she’s ever seen.
During her birthday, Sakura remembers feeling very melancholic. Even though almost all of her friends and acquaintances and even her parents wished her warm happy birthday greetings, even though she was genuinely thankful for each and every one of them——a part of her still felt sad that Sasuke-kun wasn’t back to do the same. She wasn’t surprised by it. Not at all … but it did hurt her a little bit since that was the first birthday she could have ever since he came back home, back to Konoha. She tried to not let it get to her; she knew he was busy. Her birthday is not relevant towards a trip of redemption, after all, so she didn’t expect to hear from him. He was away and she didn’t actually mention that it was her birthday. Everyone else had remembered it.
She takes the pin out, staring between it and the note again. He remembers my birthday. He said he’ll see me next time. Sasuke-kun is going to come back for me.
The last thought makes her feel inexplicably giddy, her heart fluttering tremendously. She hurries to her mirror and notices that she’s already grinning silly, a happy blush on her cheeks. A little embarrassed, Sakura still eagerly brushes some of her behind her right ear, gently inserting the gift to pin it back. It shimmers under her room lights. It looks pretty. She feels pretty. She is so glad that she moved out of her parent’s home because she’s going to wear it until it’s time for bed!
Looking at his note again, she smiles widely and her eyes crinkle with affection, fondness that has built up over the years, and brings it to her chest, as if passing a hug. I’ll wait for you. I'll wait as long as it takes.
