Purely Fanficy

SASUSAKU - DAFFODILS

So this fanfic features between the time of Sasuke leaving for his Journey of Redemption, and the marriage of Naruto with Hinata. To all those SasuSaku fans- be hearty! Cause despite being one of the ships with the least screen-time in Shippuden, it is, and always will be the most beautiful, romantic and noble of all of them.

 Sakura switched on the light and swung down her workbag and coat on the chair. Wearily moving through the clutter that defined her single roomed apartment, she reached for the sink to splash water on her face. Looking up, wryly at the sight in the mirror, she could see a girl, less like a woman, who seemed so deprived of sleep that her blood-shot eyes would beat Yamato in his own game. A 5 year younger Sakura would have screeched and fainted, more embarrassed than scared at the sight of her puffy face. The present Sakura merely sighed and touched her slightly bruised lip with a carelessly cut finger.

 She was proud of herself, proud of how she looked. While the other Kunoichis were just chilling about and thinking about familial futures, Sakura was making a name for herself as top medic-nin, second only to her Sensei Tsunade. Sakura hoped to top the list soon and all possible lanes to her future seemed bright. 

She worked in the mornings as a reconnaissance jonin, bringing in the injured and safeguarding the weak as battle raged betweeen the Hokage ad the bandits by the borders of Konoha. When first aid turned to be futile she turned into the best doctor anyone could ask for, zipping through the many beds, hair piled up and out of the way, consoling, healing, helping and fighting throughout the day.

 The present Sakura didn't care about her clothes getting dirty, or her (what was there) make-up being smudged away by blood and grime. Ino tutted at the sight of her friend - a girl who had it all, but walled it away, while her best friend and the others fanned and crooned over the soon-to-be-married Hyuga. Sometimes, when her friends would come to visit her, Sakura would wave 'Hi' and 'Good - Bye' in the same motion, hurrying to the next person with a blood bag linked to her own arm for transfusion purposes. 

"She could have had familial thoughts too", all of Konoha 12 thought, "But she still pines away." Kakashi was proud, no doubt, but even he, without his Sharingan, could see that Sakura was just trying to bury her sorrows and hopes in her work.

Which was why she got off the job early, if an hour before midnight still counted. As she wiped herself and changed out of her work clothes for a once-in-a-month shower, she could hear the raucous sounds from Naruto's engagement party. Almost everyone who was someone was invited, from Ichiraku to Kakashi (who left early). All of them were there except...

She sighed as the water hit her, thoughts elsewhere. He had left saying that he would take her with him another time. Another time. Would there even be one? Is he ever coming back? He didn't have anything to come back for and Sakura wasn't going to fool herself again that she might be a reason for him to return. She was past that. But that tap on the forehead, the most precious thing she ever had of him, that wasn't fake, was it? 

"Ugh", she thought mentally scolding herself for returning to her old fancies. She was perfectly happy like this. She had her parents, friends and teachers who were her family. She didn't need anyone else. Naruto was there to support her, so were Kakashi and Ino. But would they be there always?

She stepped out of the shower, thinking about the tender looks that Naruto and Hinata shared. Pure, so pure that it wrecked her heart every time she snuck  a peek. She pulled on her nightclothes while drying her hair, dragging her mind from love and solace to her work and life. She looked down at her supplies and then at the glowing moon. She would have to get more soon. Her chakra reserves did manage to stop the flow, but she couldn't do that for everyone. Kakashi was already scolding her for exhausting herself. And she wasn't going to... wait. What was that?