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The fourth shinobi war was
finally over. People were settling back down in their villages, ready for the
prosperous time of peace to wash over them once more. Sasuke thought he would
have been grateful for a time like this, but although he was glad the war was
over, he wasn’t quite finished yet. There was no way to simply go back to the
life he’d had before, he couldn’t just have a house in the Leaf village and
live his life there. He’d considered it, had seriously given it thought but it
seemed hollow, like something was missing.
So here he was, touring the
world with a new perspective. For once there was no mission, no hidden agenda,
for once he could appreciate the beauty of a village. He wasn’t quite sure what
he was looking for, just something new,
something that would be the line where his new life started. He wanted
something that would mark the beginning of his life after the war, something
that he could hold onto when times seemed darkest, even if that something was
only a memory that would fade with time.
He’d been travelling a long
while now, but currently, he was in Kumogakure. His last visit here hadn’t been
on the best terms so even in this time of peace, he kept his wits about him. He
had to admit, the Village Hidden by Clouds was breathtaking, the mountain range
gave him a sense of comfort, and the mist of clouds gave the place an ethereal,
otherworldly look about it. It was fairly cold at this altitude, only further
stating its difference from the leaf village. The air was different too; thinner,
and somehow purer, untainted.
He allowed himself to walk further into the village, his head down to
avoid unwanted attention. He wasn’t afraid, but he wanted to be invisible on
this trip. This was his time to find himself again, and he didn’t want any
distractions.
Sunrise came and Sasuke watched
from his perch on the cliffs. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever
watched a sunrise, or if he had ever done. Already he felt like he was wasting
his time but he forced himself to sit still. The world wasn’t at war anymore,
he needed to learn to move at a slower pace, to live like everyone else. He
took a deep breath to calm himself, to settle the heart that was raring to go.
Taking another breath he noticed that something was different. The air that had
been clean and pure before was now accompanied by something else. His brow
furrowed as he focused on it. Some kind
of poison, a gas? Genjutsu?
“People aren’t usually bored
when they watch this sunrise.”
Sasuke whipped around, his eyes
focusing on the girl watching him. She had a soft teasing smile, her green eyes
bright and laughing.
“Mind if I sit with you?” She
asked him, seemingly unaffected by his terse nod. Who is she? Did someone send her here?
“Who do you work for?” He asked,
still standing. She had sat down on his ledge, kicking her feet as they dangled
over the edge.
“Currently no one.” She
answered, blinking up at him, “what about you?”
He didn’t answer her question,
firing off another one instead, “then why are you here?”
Damn it what was that smell!
“I’m travelling, decided it was high time I saw
the world and appreciated it for what it was. What about you, what brings you
here?”
He didn’t answer again and kept
his eyes trained on her. She laughed under her breath, but it was a sad laugh. Her
wavy white hair was illuminated by the sunrise, she brushed at it as strands
flew in her face, caught by a stray breeze. “The war really did a number on you
didn’t it?” Her voice was soft, like she felt every ounce of his pain and his
confusion. Still she kept her eyes fixed on the sunrise, even as he cautiously
sat down beside her.
This is what regular people do. And I can take her out if she turns out
to be a spy.
“I’m Yona.” She said, finally
turning and offering her hand to Sasuke.
He waited a moment, analyzing
her warm smile, and looking at the fit of her clothes for concealed weapons.
Then, he placed his hand in hers. Her hands were small, much smaller than his,
and calloused on her fingertips from years of training or work.
“I’m Sasuke.” He said, answering
one of her questions for the first time.
Strawberries, it smells like strawberries.
***
“So how long are you staying
here?” She asked. They were walking in the village, well, Sasuke was walking in the village. Yona was following him, walking next to him, talking to him. He
wasn’t quite sure why she was doing it but it was enough to put him on edge.
Why would she be following him around like this if she wasn’t hired by someone
to kill him? He shrugged in answer to her question, looking pointedly away from
her but keeping her in his peripheral vision in case she tried anything funny.
“So you’re wandering too then?
What a coincidence. In honour of this occasion I think we should get some
breakfast.”
Sasuke had to stop walking and
stare at her, “What are you doing?”
“Inviting you for breakfast?”
“Why are you following me?” He
needed to know, he couldn’t think of any logical reason for her to be there.
“I’m not following you, I’m
walking with you, there’s a
difference.” She cocked her head the tiniest bit to the side, “breakfast?”
Sasuke followed her into the
shop where she began to pour over the options. She was walking with him, side by side, as equals. No
wonder he hadn’t recognised it.
***
“Where do you think you’re going
to go next?” She asked him, sipping the tea she was cupping between her hands.
He shrugged, and she kept
chattering on.
“I was thinking of going to Sand
country, and just stop in all the villages along the way.”
“Hn.” Sasuke grunted, not really
listening, but slowly considering what she’d said, “do you know how far that
is?”
She shrugged, “I’ll find my way
somehow. I’ve not really got much else planned for the next year anyway.”
“You’re just going to wander?”
“Yeah, seems like fun. Wanna
come with me?”
A less dignified version of
Sasuke may have spluttered on his own tea, but he somehow managed to swallow
calmly. “What if I’m dangerous?” His dark eyes flickered over to hers,
“Then I’ll just have to knock
some sense into you.”
When the tea was finished, Yona
ran off to some ‘important meeting’, and Sasuke returned to the ledge to ponder
the strange girl.
Who was she, really? To be
wandering like him, there had to be some kind of backstory, someone she was
running from. Honestly, at this point he’d welcome any kind of explanation to
satiate his doubting untrusting self.
He had to find out more about
her, about why she was so welcoming. She seemed to know details about the war, had
she fought in it, did she know who he was? If so, why on earth would she
continue speaking with him, Let alone invite him to travel with her?
He needed to know more, so there
was really only one option when Yona found him there later, still sat on the
outcropping of rock.
“Let’s go.”
***
“Ah, this is nice isn’t it
Sasuke?”
Yona seemed to have picked up on
his reluctance to travel into the larger villages fairly quickly, and so had
subtly decided that their travels would consist of visiting the smaller
villages, ‘seeing a slice of the real everyday life’ was how she had phrased
it. Whatever she was thinking, Sasuke was grateful. He felt more at ease in the
outskirts where less people had a chance of recognising him. He needed to come
to terms with himself first before he was ready to face everyone else.
Yona, again, seemed to realise
that and didn’t ask him questions about himself. He’d asked about her once but
she’d replied “does it matter where I came from? Right now I’m here.” Then she’d
smiled that smile at him and he’d almost felt ashamed at prying into her life
when she’d granted him such trust. But he was dying to know, any glimpse into
her life, he’d take anything.
Slowly, he felt guilt creep into
his gut. What would she think of him if she knew who she was travelling with?
She was trusting him when he didn’t deserve it, she deserved to know.
“I’m a Uchiha.” He said,
breaking their silence as they walked. She turned her head in confusion but he
was still talking, “I’m originally from the Leaf village but I-”
She placed her finger on his
lips, and stepped closer to him. Only then did Sasuke realise that he’d stopped
walking. “I know.”
What? She knew? How, since when?
So many questions ran through his mind but he settled on “why didn’t you say
anything?” His lips brushed against the warm skin of her finger, and she slowly
dropped her hand to her side.
One side of her lips pulled up
in a small half smile, “because it doesn’t matter.” She turned and kept
walking, leaving Sasuke’s mind reeling before he realised she was leaving and
ran after her, slowing to her pace when he caught up. She still looked
cheerful, as if nothing had changed, and for her maybe it hadn’t. Sasuke,
however, was once again feeling like he was missing something. Life couldn’t be
that simple, nothing was ever that easy. He’d done things that he had to atone
for, he’d made mistakes with devastating consequences, even now he was still
running from those in the Leaf who wanted him to come home.
No, his world had never been
that simple, but Yona was one step closer to making it so.
***
“Sasuke? You ok?”
Sasuke lurched up, his blankets
tumbling around his waist and a kunai grasped tightly in his hand. Yona was at
his side, her face calm and tranquil as ever.
“Hey there, it’s ok. It was just
a dream.” The state of his blankets wrapped around his legs told him that he’d
been tossing and turning as he was wont to do when memories accursed him while
he slept. He was dimly aware of her loosening his grip on his weapon, and then
his eyes jerked to her as her fingers traces across his cheekbone. “You’re
freezing cold Sasuke.”
He could feel it, his skin
coated with a cold sweat, his bones shivering in a lame attempt to warm him
without results. He was well aware of how his gaze must look frantic, of how on
edge he was, the cycle of memories still running even in consciousness. One
after the other, slamming into him, forcing him to relive the things he’d done,
the things he regretted. He could feel them dragging him down, pulling at him,
tearing at him-
Yona pulled him down to her, cradling
his head against her chest and calmly stroking his hair. “Go back to sleep
Sasuke, I’m watching over you.”
Any other time he would have
felt like a child, curled up against her side like he was. But now all he could
focus on was her steady heartbeat and deep breaths. And even with no knowledge
of her actual ability to fight, he
fell asleep feeling the safest he could remember.
***
“You know what I want?”
“Hm? What would that be?” Sasuke
asked, knowing full well that she would continue on whether he asked or not.
“I want a night in a real bed. I
don’t care if it’s small, or cramped, or the most uncomfortable bed in the
world. I just want something that’s not the ground.”
Sasuke chuckled at her
complaining, “We could detour to that village to the west? We could get there
by nightfall at this rate.”
She turned to him, beaming. “Really?
I was just complaining for the sake of it.” But it was obvious by her excited
smile and the way her green eyes were wide and hopeful that this small comfort
was something she really wanted.
Sasuke felt the corner of his
lips twitch up, and then he was turning directions to head towards the nearby
village. “What are you waiting for?” He called behind him, not looking back at
her but knowing that she would soon be scampering after him the same way he had
once run after her.
“What do you mean there’s no
rooms?” They were at the last place in the village to book two beds, but their
search was apparently in vain.
“I’m sorry miss, but it’s
tourism season, we don’t have two rooms left.” Sasuke’s ears pricked up at
this, and he moved from his leaning post on the wall to stand beside Yona.
“So you have one room left?”
The man behind the counter
nodded, “yes, but it’s only a single bed, it’s a very small room.”
But it had a bed, and that was
good enough. “We’ll take it.”
They took the key and found
their room tucked away in the far corner of the building. The man was right,
this room looked more like a converted closet than a bedroom, but Sasuke still
saw Yona’s eyes light up at the sight of the bed tucked against the wall and
that was good enough for him. The room had a window that looked like it was
painted shut, but the pale moonlight filtered through.
Sasuke unrolled his mat on the
ground, taking up the rest of the floor space. Laying down, he saw Yona still
stood in the doorway, watching him.
“What?”
“You’re a good guy, you know
that right?”
Her random statement startled
him, and it was obvious she could tell. “Letting the lady take the bed, it’s
quite chivalrous of you.” She laughed, perching on the edge of the bed and
testing its softness. She looked at him again, “thank you Sasuke.”
There was an underlying voice to
her words, like there was a hidden double meaning there but Sasuke couldn’t figure
it out. Even as she lay on the bed and covered herself with the blanket he was
still pondering. She had been the one
to initiate everything, in his eyes, he had done nothing worthy of thanks.
He turned his head to look at
her. The light was dim but her hair was as visible as ever, even though her
vibrant green eyes were hidden behind smooth eyelids. He felt a stirring in his
gut as he looked at her properly, noting for once how pretty she actually was.
Usually he was distracted by her words or that ever-present smile, or even the
scent of strawberries that seemed to follow her everywhere.
He closed his eyes but her
sleeping face stayed in his mind, and his thoughts were of her as he drifted
off to sleep.
***
Suna wasn’t quite what Yona
expected. Originally she’d picked the destination because it was the furthest
from where she had been at the time, and it was the trip there that had excited
her. Now that they were here, Yona had to admit she was a little disappointed.
Sasuke had agreed at the beginning that he would escort her to Suna, they’d
never really talked about what would happen once they got here. So although she
wanted to look at the sights and the monuments, Sasuke was always by her side,
forcing her to return to the fact that she didn’t want him to leave. She was
well aware of how her view of him had changed from the day they had embarked
together, and knew that it made everything much more complicated, because she’d
received no signs from Sasuke that he felt the same, not that he was an easy
person to read when he wanted to hide something.
Sasuke, unknown to her, was
having the same dilemma. Now that he’d fulfilled the task she’d asked of him
would she expect him to leave? Was he to go back to wandering aimlessly,
searching for something. He wasn’t even sure what he’d been looking for,
because at that moment there was nothing else he needed.
They were wandering around Suna, avoiding the topic that loomed between
them. Sasuke was on edge, this was the biggest village they’d been in and he
feared that something was waiting for him, something dangerous. So when he saw
a large group of ninja approaching from ahead, he sidestepped quickly and
pulled Yona with him into an alleyway.
Listening quietly he heard footsteps quicken into a run, and he knew
they’d seen him. Grasping Yona’s hand he ran, ducking in shadows and making
random turns, finally pulling her into an abandoned shop. She stumbled into
him, and was quickly silenced by the finger he placed on her lips. He didn’t hear
anything, but was still cautious. His life had trained him for these kind of
scenarios and led by his instincts he pulled Yona further into the store until
they were pressed behind the shop counter against the back wall.
This store obviously hadn’t been used in a long time, the mirrors on the
wall had a thin layer of dust, but only enough that the reflection was muted.
He could still see that Yona was staring at him from behind, and then he became
overly conscious that his hand still clasped hers. Quickly he tried to take it
back, but her fingers tightened around his, keeping their hands entwined.
Still watching her through the mirror, he saw her free hand reach up
slowly and stroke along his jaw, turning his face to her.
“You ok?” She asked, her voice soft.
He glanced towards the door of the shop, then back to her, “I thought I saw…”
“No one’s coming for you.” She said, knowing where his thoughts were, “You’re
safe here.” She was quiet for a moment, as if debating what to say next or if
she should say it, “safe with me.”
And the hesitant way her eyes met his, how her fingers tightened shyly around
his, Sasuke couldn’t help himself from dipping down and pressing his lips
lightly to hers. Neither of them moved, touching only at their hands and lips,
but feeling a shiver run through their entire bodies.
When Sasuke pulled away, he didn’t move far, and an impish grin was
playing on his lips. Yona’s eyes were open wide as her mind raced from the
simple touch. But then Sasuke was reclaiming her lips, his hand releasing hers
to cup her face, thumbs pressing under her jaw to angle her face up to meet
him. He kissed her again, and again, each touch firmer and more confident than
the last, until he felt her lips part under him as an invitation. Brazenly, his
tongue darted out to touch hers, twirling around it as he felt her respond in
kind. His hands locked under her thighs and lifted her onto the counter, more
comfortable kissing her now that she was his height.
Yona wrapped her legs around his waist, burying her hands in his hair as
if this was a dream and she feared it would disappear at any moment. But this wasn’t
a dream, it couldn’t be, there was no way a dream would feel as good as this. A
dream wouldn’t be able to replicate the warmth she felt as his body pressed
against hers, or the surprising softness of his unyielding lips as they
smothered her own, or the burning heat of his hands as they dipped under her
shirt and splayed over her lower back.
She
tightened her legs, bringing their bodies even closer, an excited shock running
to her core when she felt a hardness pressing against her. Her hands drifted to
his shirt, tugging at the hem and Sasuke jerked it off in seconds, dropping it
on the floor beside him. He crushed his body back to hers, and rolled his hips
experimentally into her. She wasn’t expecting it, which was probably why she couldn’t
stop any of the moan from leaving her lips. Her cheeks blossomed red at the
sound, she’d never imagined she was capable of producing such an erotic sound. But Sasuke only grinned
and grew harder, continuing to roll their hips together as he felt her growing
hotter and hotter, knowing she was getting wetter for him.
Yona felt his hands at her waist and lifted her arms, quickly getting rid
of the burdening dress she was wearing, leaving her in just a skimp of cloth
covering her core. She met his eyes, and felt another delicious shiver run
through her at the fire that was blazing there. She watched his lips part in a
thankful sigh as she finally touched him, smoothing her hands over his chest,
tracing over his muscles, and then letting her hands dip further south. She was
still watching his face, and she saw his adam’s apple bob as her hand slunk
into his waistband, grasping at the hardened length underneath. She could feel
herself burning as she stroked him, knowing that she had done this to him. He buried his face in her neck, sucking
and biting at the skin there. His hands came up and latched onto her breasts,
squeezing the flesh and pinching her nipples between his fingers. Every suck,
and every twist of his fingers timed with her strokes, and she found herself
stroking him harder and faster, feeling him respond.
He was groaning softly against her neck, “Fuck, Yona, stop – I’m gonna-”
His hand wrapped around hers, stopping any movement between them. His breathing
was laboured and his eyes closed shut, as if it had taken a great deal of
effort to stop her.
“You didn’t really seem like you wanted me to stop.” Yona teased,
pressing a light kiss against his collarbone, squeezing him lightly in her hand.
His hips bucked involuntarily into her, but he just chuckled, leaning forward
and nipping at her ear. His breath was hot against her skin, but nothing
compared to the words he whispered, “I don’t think we’re anywhere near being
finished yet.”
He squeezed her hand, and she couldn’t help but look down and fix her
eyes on the sight below her. His hand wrapped around her own, slowly guiding
her up and down his shaft, teasing her. His lips nibbled at the shell of her
ear, lowering to kiss the skin before asking, “do you?”
She shook her head immediately, even though it was obvious that neither
of them had plans of stopping. Sasuke removed her hand from him, almost
regretfully, and bent down to pick up his shirt. He lay it on the counter
behind Yona, smoothing it out and then moved back to his original place between
her thighs. “For later.” He promised, an almost devilish look in his eyes. He
hooked his hands in his pants (which had been shoved down to his thighs) and
removed the last of his clothing, his eyes locking on the last piece of
clothing between the two of them. Yona watched as his hands moved, almost
reverently, to smooth over the skin of her thighs, slowly moving upwards. But
he didn’t her panties off as she had expected, at the last second his hand
ducked to her core and pressed two fingers against her clothed opening.
Sasuke grinned, and Yona blushed knowing that it was the knowledge of
how wet she was that made him do so. His two fingers trailed up, brushing
against her clit in the journey to the band. “Up.” She followed the command,
lifting herself up as he slid the cloth off, and then they were finally both
bare to one another.
Yona brought him to her, crushing their lips together as his hand
resumed its position, delicately tracing her outer lips, lightly flicking at
her hardened clit. It was only when her his began to buck up against him that
he relented, sinking his fingers knuckle deep in her and curling them back, his
thumb pressing hard in circle motions against her clit. The burning heat in her
lower gut was rising, her moans growing louder and louder even as Sasuke
smothered them. Her back was arching, breasts pressing against his chest, hands
once again fisted in his hair as he dominated her mouth.
“Yona I-” The words caught in his throat but she got the message as his
hand was removed and his length pressed against her, coating it in her juices
as he slid it along her. Her legs wrapping around his waist was enough of an
answer for him, and he sank into her blazing heat, feeling her walls tighten
around him.
Yona pulled lightly at his hair, her body readjusting to the intrusion.
Not able to stand still any longer Sasuke pushed her back to rest on her hands,
leaving her breasts open and vulnerable. His lips fastened around one bud and
felt the vibration of a moan in her chest. His tongue flicked and prodded at
her, sucking each standing nipple until they glistened with his saliva and each
breast was dotted with his marks. Her head was thrown back, the sucking feeling
almost relaxing, a drastic contrast to the sharp pleasure she received when
Sasuke drew his hips back slowly and hammered them back in. He was fully
sheathed within her, she could feel every inch of him. He circled his hips
slowly, then repeated the slow draw out and thrust back in. This repeated, and
he could feel her breasts jostling against his chest as he briefly claimed her
lips once more. “Lie down.” He murmured.
Yona lowered herself to the counter, feeling his shirt beneath her. His
scent surrounded her, that familiar sense from their time of travelling
together. Who knew that when she stumbled upon him watching that sunset that it
would lead to this? His hands clasped around her waist as he straightened up,
and his next thrust was accompanied by him pulling her hips down to meet him. She
didn’t even try to stop the moan, or the next as he continued thrusting into
her. She attempted to move her hips with his but his hands directed her every
move, all she could do was lay there and admire the sight above her, and drown
in the pleasure he was giving her.
She’d always thought he had the look of a hand-chiseled statue, but he’d
never looked so perfect as he did now. Now, with his head tilted back and his
lips parted, with his eyes closed and sweat trickling down his temple, he
looked perfectly divine.
The raging fire that he had kindled before was back in full force,
rising and twisting within her. She found herself throwing her head back and
whispering his name like a mantra on her lips, like a plea. Her hands,
desperate for anything to ground herself, gripped the other side of the counter
above her, and it was the look on Sasuke’s face as he saw her lying beneath him
like that, that was what set her coiling insides spasming and tightening around
him, was what caused her whisper to become a long drawn out cry. And Sasuke,
seeing her unravel beneath him quickened his thrusts, prolonging her pleasure
and hastening his own, only too soon falling into her, completely satisfied.
“So, it’s safe to say I’m not leaving anytime soon then.”
***
4 years later, the Rookie 9
stood at the village gates. It was something none of them dared hope for, and
all of them, even Naruto, kept silent for fear of jinxing the situation. Scouts
had returned earlier that day, they hadn’t even been looking for anything, it
had just been a random patrol of the nearby woods. But they knew they had
brought back had thrown the Hidden Leaf Village into limbo.
Sasuke was on his way.
And he wasn’t alone.
The news had set the village on
edge, and had rushed the Rookie 9 to the gates to await his arrival.
Even as the sun wandered higher
in the sky, none of them spoke, they barely even dared to move. Not until they
all saw the familiar black hair of their once-comrade emerging from the trees.
Beside him was a woman, with white hair and striking green eyes. In the woman’s
arms was a sleeping toddler.
Together, the three walked to
the gates, stopping short of entering the village. Naruto moved forward in
disbelief, his eyes wide and unblinking. “Sasuke?” He questioned, as if the man
before him was some form of mirage. His hand landed on the man’s shoulder, and
only when he had proof that he was real did Naruto dare to ask, “What are you
doing here?”
Sasuke shuffled awkwardly,
glancing at the ground and rubbing the back of his neck. He cast a grateful
glance at Yona when she gripped his nervous hand with her own and smiled encouragingly
at him. He looked back to Naruto, “I’ve come home.”
It was safe to say that Naruto
was overjoyed that his friend had returned, and for Naruto a celebration meant
a trip to Ichiraku ramen, which is where the group ended up. Only then, when
everyone had scavenged chairs and was seated together did Sasuke introduce his
two companions. “I’d like you all to meet Yona, my wife, and Sarada, our child.”
It had been pretty obvious what
the relations were between the three, but hearing Sasuke say it out loud seemed
to hammer the shock home, as eyes darted to Yona’s left hand where her ring
lay, to the toddler in her arms, to Sasuke’s black hair that he had undoubtedly
passed to his daughter. Congratulations were passed around, but one person couldn’t
yet find it in herself to say anything. Sakura moved to sit next to Yona.
“You must be Sakura,” Yona said,
anticipating why the woman had changed seats, “Sasuke’s told me all about you.”
Sakura was shocked, any words
she’d planned to say were lost. “He has?”
Yona nodded, smiling, “he says you’re
an excellent kunoichi, with some of the most talented chakra control he’s ever
seen.” Yona paused to brush hair away from Sarada’s eyes. “And he says you are
a good friend. From everything he’s told me I must agree, he is lucky to have
had someone like you on his team.”
Sakura blinked quickly, brushing
back the faint itching that meant tears were on the way. Quickly changing the
topic, she looked at the stirring toddler who was slowly blinking her eyes
open. As soon as she saw Sakura she cuddled closer to her mother. Yona laughed,
“don’t be shy darling, this is auntie Sakura.”
Sarada’s big dark eyes blinked
slowly at her mother before turning to Sakura, who greeted her. With her chubby
little hand, Sarada reached out to run her fingers through Sakura’s pink hair, “pretty.”
Both women laughed at the child’s
actions, and any remaining uncomfortable air between them dissolved.
“So what’s he like?”
Yona and Saukra turned to the
new voice. Kiba was leaning towards them, his canine eyes mischievous, “what’s
Sasuke like as a dad?”
The question quieted the group,
who all looked at Yona for an answer. Out of the corner of her eye she could
see her husband’s gaze, and she knew that if he ever blushed he would be doing
so now. “He was adorable actually.” She looked fondly at Sasuke whose eyes were
clearly begging her to stop her story now to save his manly pride.
“He was so nervous. He kept
running around, picking things up and then putting them back down, he wouldn’t rest
for a second. He was constantly cooking in case I wanted any food. You should
have seen the amount of time he spent with medical nin, asking every single
question he could think of, he’s probably qualified to deliver a baby now.” The
group laughed at her tale, but Sasuke was deliberately looking at the ceiling
as if he found it to be the most interesting thing around.
“I was not nervous.” He rebutted, “I was being prepared. There’s a difference.”
Yona pat his knee affectionately,
“of course there is.”
Sasuke huffed, reaching to take
Sarada out of her arms, “I’m finished eating so I’ll hold her.” Yona reached
over to get her meal, but Sakura wasn’t watching that. She was watching the way
Sasuke held Sarada, breathing in that ‘baby smell’ like he was some old woman.
She was watching the way Yona leaned against him when she returned, and the
kiss Sasuke placed on her forehead. Lastly, she was watching the slight smile
on Sasuke face, and expression she had never seen before. Even though he may
have smiled a bit in their times as rookies, he had never looked as content as
he did now surrounded by his little family. It was that small smile, probably
not even noticeable unless you knew him well, that made her decision for her.
Sasuke was finally happy and this woman was the reason, and that was enough to
make Sakura welcome her with open arms.
Sasuke, of course, wasn’t paying
attention to any of this. His mind was on the way Yona was chatting with his old
teammates, and how she was laughing at Naruto’s over-exaggerated stories and
Sakura’s chastising. Holding his little girl, Sasuke bent down and kissed the
top of her head, one of his favourite things to do for a very specific reason.
Sarada looked a lot like him, and anyone looking at the family would be hard
placed to find any of Yona’s features in their child. But perhaps Sasuke’s
favourite part of Yona had been passed to their daughter, something like a
secret that only he knew, he wasn’t even aware if his wife was aware of it.
Sarada, like Yona, smelled like
strawberries.
