#scriptdiana

Finally, he’s home.

With lyrics from “All For You” by Seo Inguk and Jung Eunji 

It’s already been a few days since you haven’t called

Sakura stares at the phone in her hand. It was a foreign object to her almost and even though it’s been six months, she still wasn’t quite sure how it worked. Actually, that was a lie. She knew how it worked. She just didn’t have the courage to dial his number yet. She flips the phone cover up and stare at the screen as it stares back at her. The time reflects back and tells her it is almost 10 pm. In the corner of the screen, the date is shown. 

Do you know that it’s my birthday soon?

March 27. Her birthday was tomorrow. She stares at her phone again, willing it to ring. It doesn’t. Sakura sighs as she tosses the phone onto her bed. Sasuke had been back for almost a week now and she thought everything was fine between the two of them. They had converse a lot through letters and mail by hawk but since he had returned to the village, he became distant and cold. 

But time keeps ticking without concern

Sakura wasn’t sure what changed. She was sure she didn’t change. Did that mean he had? It worries her and bugs her and as she stares at the small clock on her dresser, she is only reminded of the time again. In the confinement of her bedroom with the lights off and just the light from the outside street lamp, she could feel the walls almost closing in on her. Tick, tick, tick went the second hand of her clock. A constant reminder that time will continue to go on without concern. Worry fills the pit of her stomach. 

Because I was more worried than annoyed

She gets up in the dark as she walks to her front door. Quickly, she makes up her mind as she slips her feet into her shoes. Throwing the door open, she runs out into the street. Without a moment’s hesitation, her steps echoes throughout the empty streets as she runs to the only place her heart knows right now.

I went to the entrance of your street without planning it

Coming to a slow stop, she finds herself standing outside of Sasuke’s apartment. Her emerald eyes just stares at the front door as she contemplates on whether to knock or just leave. So she just stands there for another five minutes with a hand raised about to knock but never really reaching to that point. 

Slowly, she lowers her hand and her back turns to leave. It was late. Sasuke was most likely asleep. She could try tomorrow morning. As she turns to walk back out into the street, she hears the door open behind her. 

“Sakura?”

Turning slowly to the sound of her name, she is both surprised and glad to see him. Sasuke stands at the door, seemingly with the same expression as her on his face. She didn’t know how to react. She wasn’t expecting to see him at all so she could only sort of gape at him. But when his face turns into a soft smile, her heart quickly melts into relief and that worrisome feeling in the pit of her stomach dissipates.

I didn’t think I’d see you but you greeted me with a smile

Sasuke didn’t know why he opened the door that night. He thought he heard movement outside his place but he didn’t care enough to bother to check it out. More so, he was staring at the clock in his kitchen and counting down the minutes. In just an hour, it would be Sakura’s birthday. 

Actually, I worried about this a lot

He should have contacted her earlier on in the week. But he didn’t. Coming back had made him realize how different things were in the village. It was difficult adjusting and even more difficult facing everyone and everything he had left behind for so long. 

The stares he get from the other villagers weren’t as bad as they used to be. Many are surprised to see him but they don’t look at him with fear like they used to. Still, everyone in town is a gossip and word of him staying for good spread throughout the village like wildfire. 

He didn’t care for the gossip or what people said. It was more of coming to terms with the fact that he was finally settling down. For so long, he had been traveling and was never in one place too long. He didn’t have a reason to stay in any place too long. 

Until now. 

Sasuke just stares at Sakura as she stares back at him. Finally, he breaks the stare and gives her a smile. He was happy to see her. He wanted to see her and the fact that she came to find him made him feel more at ease at what he was about to do. 

“I’m... sorry,” he starts. It was a good start. He had a lot to apologize for. He knew he wasn’t exactly Mr. Friendly with her when he first came back. “I didn’t treat you as nice as I should have.”

Sakura sort of laughs at this. “When have you ever?” she jokes. Despite her joking temperament and quiet laughter, Sasuke could tell that she was forcing a pretense. Deep down, she was still hurt and bothered and confused in general. It was uncanny how perceptive he had gotten just now. Perhaps it only works with Sakura. He usually doesn’t have much luck with other people.

“You’re right,” he agrees. “I kept my distance.”

An expression of confusion and sadness crosses Sakura’s face. “Why?” she asks softly.

Because I had nothing I could do for you

Taking a step forward, he closes the slight gap between the two of them as he stands directly in front of her. 

Because I have fallen for you. And I’m scared. 

Even though I lack so much and I don’t have much

He locks his eyes with hers. The words remain stuck in the back of his throat.

She stares up at him, her emerald eyes cloudy with confusion. But she takes a step closer towards him. Slowly, she holds out her hand as she takes his hand in hers. He didn’t realize how cold his hand was until he felt her warmth radiating from the palms of her two hands. 

“Did you know? Even when you don’t speak, your eyes say so much. Before, they used to be cold and hard as if you hated the world.” 

Slowly, she finds her words as she replies with certainty. “Stay by my side,” she whispers. “You don’t have to answer the reason why. Just stay by my side.” Her eyes brim with tears but she never breaks her gaze with his.

Will you still accept me?

Sasuke leans forward as his lips come just centimeters away from Sakura’s own. “Don’t let go,” he whispers.

Sakura,

While I know this is not the best way to say goodbye I can’t think of how else to tell you Let’s just say that I was never one to be good with words Leaving wasn’t an easy decision to make

You also were never an easy decision to begin with Only you were ever able to make me stop and question myself Undeniably, that was the most annoying thing about you 

Maybe that’s why I tried to push you away Away from you, away from friends, and away from Konoha Revenge was the only thing on my mind at the time Right now though... there’s something else on my mind You seem to come into my thoughts a lot these days...

Missing you will be the hardest thing ever Especially since that someone is you

-Sasuke

“Since when did I become Kakashi-sensei’s delivery girl?” Sakura murmurs as she stares at the scroll in her lap. She had only dropped by this seaside town to pick up a special order of medicinal herbs but when Kakashi had heard of her trip out, he had unloaded some packages on her to deliver. 

Sakura sighs as she stares out at the glittering blue sea before her. Whoever was supposed to meet her there was already more than half an hour late. She hears a slight movement behind her as someone clears their throat. 

“You’re late,” Sakura states. “I’ve been waiting for---” her words cut off as she sees who it is. “S-sasuke-kun?”

“Sakura.” He winces slightly as he makes his way around the bench where she was sitting. 

“You’re injured!” Sakura exclaims as her eyes scan his body for the injury.

“I’m fine,” he insists as he tugs his cloak closer around his body but Sakura was not one to be fooled by his words. She ignores his protests as she lifts up the cloak and sees a bloodstain forming near his abdominal area. 

“Is this why you were late?”

He doesn’t respond but she takes his silence as a yes. Slowly, she reaches her hand out as a soft glowing light emits from her hand as she begins to heal up his wound. 

“What happened?” she asks, her voice soft but filled with worry. 

“I tripped on the ground,” he answers.

Sakura couldn’t help but crack a slight smile at his joke, however bad it may be. She pulls out the scroll from behind her. “Kakashi-sensei sent this for you.”

Sasuke nods as he takes the scroll and opens it up to look at the contents.

“What does it say?” Sakura asks.

Sasuke doesn’t reply as he rolls the scroll back up. “Can you pass a message along back to Kakashi?”

“What is it?”

“I do.”

Sakura looks up at him quizzically but nods. “Okay, I’ll tell him that.”

Sasuke looks down at his wound as he sees that it has now disappeared as if it was never there to begin with. “Thank you.”

“How long can you stay here?” she asks.

“I have to go now. It takes another half a day to get to the next place.”

Sakura nods as she watches Sasuke stand up to go. He turns around one last time to give her a soft gaze. “I’m glad I got to see you even for just a little bit.”

She smiles back at him. “Me too.” 

Then he was gone in a blink.

“Sensei, you knew and didn’t tell me?”

Kakashi turns around in his seat as he sees his former student staring down at him. He smiles. “Yo, you came back faster than expected.”

“Sasuke-kun couldn’t stay long.”

Kakashi shakes his head. “A pity.”

“He wanted to pass a message along to you. He said ‘I do’.”

Kakashi grins. “Thank you, Sakura.”

“That’s it? You’re not going to tell me more?” Sakura questions.

“It’s top secret,” Kakashi states as he says nothing more but the grin never leaves his face.

Sasuke leans back against a tree as he unrolls the scroll and looks at it again for a second time. 

Sasuke, here is the medicine you’ve requested. Hope you like it. 

When Sasuke opened his eyes to the stream of daylight coming into his room, he immediately sensed that something was different about today. The person opening up the curtains was a blonde woman instead of the usual pink-haired doctor he was used to seeing each day. 

“You’re awake, Sasuke-kun.” He glances at her direction and it takes a momentary pause before he fully recognizes Ino without her full set of makeup on.

“Where’s Sakura?” he immediately questions.

“The hospital is understaffed so many of our patients today are in dire need of our top medic’s expertise,” Ino explains as she picks up a clipboard at the edge of his bed and begins to read through the details.

“You don’t look so good.” He could see the bags underneath Ino’s eyes. 

Ino gave a haggard smile. “Thanks for the compliment. I, at least, was able to catch a couple hours of zzz’s here and there. It’s Sakura that I’m worried about. I’m pretty sure she pulled several all nighters in the emergency room tending to the severely injured.”

“Where is she now?”

Ino glances at the clock. “If she’s a stickler like she always is, then hopefully on her 15 minute break to at least eat something for lunch.”

“You’re only giving her 15 minutes for lunch?” His words come out sharp as if he was scolding her.

He slips something into the palm of her hand and she stares at it curiously. It was a small pendant with no chain or hook. She turns it over it her hand to examine it in close detail. He had handed her a pendant of the Uchiha crest.

Sasuke clears his throat as he stuffs his mittened hands back into the pockets of his coat. “You can keep it... or throw it away... or keep it,” he mutters.

“You already said the last part earlier,” she tells him as she smiles and plays with the pendant and rolls it around in her palm.

He rocks back and forth on the balls of his feet as he glances up at the sky before answering her. “Just giving you options.”

Sakura nods as she pockets the pendant. Sasuke watches carefully as he lowers his scarf from his face. “Are you accepting the responsibility in keeping that?”

“You didn’t say there were strings attached,” Sakura retorts.

He scoffs. “Of course there are strings.”

She smiles as she strokes her chin. “It couldn’t be something corny like ‘spending the rest of my life with you’ could it?”

Sasuke bites his lip as he brings a mittened hand to hide his already reddening face. Quickly, he reaches into Sakura’s pocket in an attempt to get the pendant back. It proved to be difficult with just mittens on, however, and Sakura immediately reacts as she hops back and grabs his wrist at the same time. “Give it back to me,” he orders. “It’s too corny. I can’t do it.”

She laughs as she fights him off. "Come on, you can say it!”

“No.” He was always a stubborn one. He sits down on the bench behind them as he crosses his leg and looks away. Expressing himself outwardly was always difficult for him. 

“I love it, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura smiles as she comes to sit down beside him.

“Good, ‘cause there’s only one of that in the entire world.”

Sakura nods as she clutches the pendant tightly in her hand. She leans her head against his shoulder as she opens up her palm to admire the pendant again in the light. “Yes,” she says.

“Yes to what?” he asks as he turns to her.

“To spending the rest of my life with you. I thought I would just put it out there so you would know in case you didn’t.”

“Then yes too.”

“Yes to what?” she asks him back.

“Yes, I love you.”

Sakura seems surprised at his words but a huge smile spreads across her face. “I thought you didn’t like saying corny stuff?” she teases as she pokes him in the arm, clearly both pleased and prodding him for more.

“I don’t. But I thought I would just put it out there so you would know in case you didn’t.”

“Sasuke---”

Sakura’s head turns as she whirls around to see who was outside her balcony. “Oh, Naruto...” her voice drops in disappointment when she sees who it was. “You know I have a door, right?”

“I didn’t want to wake up Sarada. Can I come in?” Naruto asks.

Sakura walks to the balcony door as she opens it all the way for him. 

“What were you doing in the dark?” Naruto asks. He doesn’t make any effort to go inside as he stays perched on the balcony sill. 

“Looking at the moon,” she answers as she now begins to stare up at the night sky. “How is he?”

Naruto smiles. “Same as always. He’s a man of few words.” Naruto falls silent and Sakura could tell that he was trying to word his next sentence. “Sasuke wanted to give you a message. He wanted to tell you he’s sorry... for everything.”

Sakura nods as she absent-mindedly continues to stare out at the moon in the sky.

“Sakura-chan... I’m sorry too,” Naruto continues.

“For what?”

“As Hokage... I can’t help but feel like this is my fault. Keeping your family separated. For keeping him from you. From Konoha. From Sarada.”

Sakura closes her eyes. “Don’t be. He’s fighting for us. To protect me. Konoha. Sarada. I would do the same in a heartbeat if I could. But I’m not Sasuke-kun. Only he can do what is needed to be done. I’m every bit proud of him and who he is today.”

Naruto keeps silent but a smile slowly spreads across his face.  “How is Sarada doing?” he asks.

“She misses him. We both do. I can tell she has so much she wants to know about him. She keeps quiet though, just like her father, but I can see it in her eyes.”

Naruto nods as he looks up at the moon also. “I should get going. It’s late and...”

Sakura nods. “Your family is waiting for you. Good night Naruto.”

“Good night, Sakura-chan.” And with that said, he was gone in a poof.

“I miss you too.” As soon as Naruto’s clone was gone, she sees Sasuke appear on their balcony.

She shakes her head at him and gives a small chuckle. “What was the point of giving Naruto a message to pass on to me if you were going to come here yourself?” she asks.

Sasuke looks up at the night sky. “You can only send so much in a message. Some things are better off said yourself.”

“Like what?”

“Like this.” He pulls Sakura in as he leaves a soft kiss on her forehead.

Sakura could feel her face growing slightly flushed as she returns his kiss with a hug. “Those aren’t words,” she murmurs against his chest.

“I’m a man of few words.”

She only smiles as she gives him a tighter hug. 

After a moment of silence of just the two of them hugging, Sasuke speaks up again. “I have to go now.”

“I know,” Sakura answers.

“Tell Sarada...”

Sakura pulls away from him as she looks up at his face. “Tell her what?”

He smiles as he pokes Sakura gently on the forehead. “This.” And then he too was gone with the night.

Sakura had been unusually quiet today. Or maybe it was just that she seemed lost in thought today. He wouldn’t say more so than usual though. For the past week since they started to travel together, she had been seemingly lost in her own thoughts as if she was carefully thinking over what she was going to say next. 

He watches from the corner of his eye as she starts to peel an apple in her hands. Maybe he was thinking too much about it. He begins to lower his gaze back down to his book but in that split moment, he senses it-- the break in Sakura’s concentration. His eyes return back to her as he sees her cut herself with the knife in her hands. It almost takes Sakura a full two seconds later before she realizes it. She really was spacing out.

Suddenly, he feels quite frustrated as he puts his book aside on the ground and stands up. He watches as a drop of blood drips down to the apple in her hand. The sight seems to snap her back to reality as she drops the apple and lets it roll down to around her feet. A second later, she begins to heal her wound with her chakra. It was frustrating to him to see such carelessness from her. 

“You should be careful. Even if you can heal yourself, I rather you stay uninjured,” he finds himself speaking without realizing it as he picks up the apple from the floor.

“Sorry,” Sakura mumbles. “I was thinking...” she trails off as she takes the apple from his hand. Her apology was different from her usual bubbly persona. There was something bothering her.

“Thinking about what?” There it is again. He was asking more than he thought he would.

“About... us.” 

Finding a person was more difficult than she would have imagined. Especially if that person was Uchiha Sasuke. It’s been two months now and she was still nowhere close to figuring out where on earth Sasuke could be by now in his travels. Sakura was beginning to think that she may have been too hasty when she made the decision to leave Konoha on her own in search of him.

Sakura walks slowly through the new town she just arrived at. She was short on supplies and money at this point. She takes out a small pouch from her bag as she checks the inside contents. With a frown, she sighs. She needed to start making money fast. Throughout her travels, she had stopped to help those in need of medical treatment. Often, she refused their money and instead only accepted food or lodging. 

‘Then how can you be low on money?’ the little voice in the back of her mind asks. Sakura sighs again as she lowers her head. The hood of her cloak falls over her eyes as she walks glumly towards a food stall. “Because I accidentally destroyed the town hall,” she mumbles. She hadn’t mean to but at the last town she was at, she had saw a group of thugs bothering a young woman and without thinking, she charged in and gave them all a good beating and effectively destroying part of the town hall in the process. Luckily, no one else was injured. Although the mayor told her not to worry about it, she ended up feeling guilty and helped foot the bill for repairs. 

“Look, is that the person?”

“Mm, from... Konoha? Was it?”

Sakura’s ears perk up as she hears a group of women whispering and gossiping to each other near the food stalls. Were they talking about her? Did news of her destroying the town hall travel to this town so fast? Was she going to be kicked out of here before she even find a place to stay?

She pulls the hood of her cloak even lower as she tries to hide all traces of her pink hair to keep it from showing. Then she begins to scold herself. She wasn’t a fugitive. Why should she be scared? Yet, she did feel slightly ashamed for her reckless temperament that brought her to this mess in the first place. If the town was this gossipy about her, it would make it harder for her to dig up information on Sasuke. 

She approached the food stall as her eyes glanced at the food for sale. Her mouth was salivating by now and quickly, she sticks out a hand to point out the item she wanted. “One yakisoba bun, please,” she orders. As the stall owner wraps up her bun, Sakura opens up her small money pouch again as she gingerly takes out the coins inside. 

Before she could pay, someone from behind her drops some coins in the hand of the stall owner and takes the wrapped bun. 

“Hey, that’s supposed to be mine!” Sakura shouts as she whirls around to see who dared try to steal her bun away.

She only gapes when she sees who it was. She blinks once and then brings two hands to rub her eyes to double check that her vision hadn’t gone bad.

“Here.” 

The yakisoba bun was now in front of her face. She takes it in stunned silence. “Thank you,” she says in disbelief. 

A murmur of whispers get louder as the group of gossiping women continue to chatter on the side. “It’s him, right?”

“Yes, Uchiha Sasuke, isn’t it?”

Sakura turns to look the women for a moment but they seem to pay no attention to her. So they weren’t talking about her after all. She turns back to look at the man who was now walking away from her. It is him. It really is.

She runs towards him, her feet practically leaping off the ground, her two hands still clutched on the yakisoba bun he gave her. The hood of her cloak flies back behind her to reveal her pink hair as her tresses dance in the wind. 

The man stops in his footsteps as he turns back and looks at her. She stops when he stops and for a moment, they stare at each other. Then he directs a small smile at her and she smiles back. 

She had been looking at all the wrong places. She didn’t need to find him. He had found her.