Constellations

"You've grown up so much, little brother."

"My son... our legacy depends on you. Please, do not make the same mistakes we did in the past."

"I love you so much, my Sasuke. My heart fills with pride knowing that you're my son."

He opens his eyes and finds a blank white ceiling. His right arms moves to cover his eyes from the incoming moon light from the outside, and his ears cannot pick up any sound. The onsen he had found with Sakura does not seem to get a lot of customers, but it provides him with the serene silence he needs to gather up his thoughts.

Sasuke sits up on his futon, noticing that the room is empty except for him and another figure on his left side.

"You too, huh?" Naruto comments, his body lying flat on his futon while he looks up at his teammate.

Sasuke unsuccessfully tries to move his bangs from his forehead, noticing how long his hair has gotten. He glances at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, his mind still filled with the voices that sang to him in his sleep.

"You talked in your sleep, Sasuke," Naruto continues. "I've been having similar dreams. Ones where I hear voices and I answer back to them."

"Who's been talking to you?"

"Mom, Dad and Ero-sennin. I'm guessing you got your parents and your brother."

He closes his eyes for a few moments. Sasuke wonders how he ended up in this place, and his memory jogs back to the day before and how vulnerable he had felt in front of Sakura.

Sakura...

She must have gotten him ready for bed without his knowledge. Sasuke cannot remember if he was awake when she left the room, he can only feel the same wave of emotions that invaded him at Sakura's compassion. A large part of him is yearning for her presence in that moment, wishing that she had been the one to wake up next to.

"Why is it happening?"

Now that he looks back on it, Sasuke can recall his brother, mother and father talking to him on his sleep more than once. He does not know when it started, but he's felt the same sensation before. His ears do not recognize the sound of their voices; his eyes cannot register how they look like when they are in his dreams, but it feels like their chakra flows through his veins along with his.

"Dunno," Naruto answers, "maybe it has something to do with the Sage of Six Paths 'ttebayo." Sasuke looks at him questioningly. "Hear me out. We were able to communicate with Hagoromo even though he was dead. He was able to come to our subconsciousness, and even brought the dead Kage back to life for a bit."

"But why would he want our families to come back?" Sasuke's own question pains him in the chest. The idea of seeing his parents and Itachi again, it is something he's left in the past. They are long gone, but Sasuke cannot stop wondering if it is possible to just see them once more.

"The sage is too philosophical for me to understand," the blond throws his arms up in the air. "Ne, Sasuke, if you could talk to them again what would you say?"

It must be his mind hallucinating, Sasuke thinks. After the emotional roller coaster he had the day before, his dreams are probably searching every corner of his thoughts to find the answers he does not wish to know anymore. The Uchiha are dead, that is a reality he has to remind himself every day. If he were given a second chance with his parents and a third with Itachi, Sasuke does not know if he could face the living world again.

Sakura's face flashes through his head, as well as the promise he's made to himself.

There is too much to think about. These torn feelings are only going to confuse him, and Sasuke knows best not to dream of the dead.

"I..." he begins, "I don't know what I would say."

Naruto stands up from his futon and moves to sit near the sliding door leading to a garden. Sasuke follows suit. His eyes meet the clear starry skies, the complete opposite of Kumo's normal cloudy skies. He stares up in almost disbelief, without being able to remember the last time he saw the stars with such affinity, having to blink a couple of times to convince himself that it is real.

"The night. I can see it."

His blond best friend turns to him in question. "I guess Sakura-chan's healing is helping you," he chuckles.

Naruto cannot remember the last time he's seen Sasuke so serene. He knows that the Uchiha's mind is still confusing him, and has noticed how much time he spends with Sakura as if she was helping him find an answer to all their questions. He smiles to himself, thinking of how much his friends are growing along with him. Of how peaceful times are now, and that they are there for each other.

His mind travels thousands of miles until it reaches the gates of his birthplace. He imagines someone special may be sleeping in her bed safely, or awake gazing at the same constellations as him. How is she doing? Naruto wishes to send her something, anything to tell her that he's fine and that he is thinking of her. He hasn't thanked her enough for all her efforts during the war, and they did not even get a proper farewell before he departed in this infinite journey with his team.

"I would ask them if they've seen everything I've done," Sasuke says after a long moment of silence.

"I'd probably ask them the same," Naruto agrees.

Their past deeds are the complete opposite in spite of the final outcome. Fighting against the progenitor of chakra should override all of the wrongs Sasuke has committed during his youth, Naruto thinks, but it must still leave an eternal amount of guilt. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that he and his best friends are two of the strongest ninjas of their lifetimes, if not ever.

And that they get along, aside from their usual petty fights and competitive nature, is by and large one of the most important feats in Naruto's life. He has a brother now, a friend, someone who sees him as an equal.

His eyes return to the stars, thinking of the stories of gods and goddesses against ethereal powers. Of how those small dots are supposed to tell stories that go from generation to generation.

"Do you think we'll ever get a constellation?"

Naruto pays close attention to a set of stars that looks like two people joined by the arm. Sure, it takes a lot of creativity to come up with that image, but it makes a lot of sense for him to identify with it. They've gone through ups and downs together, fighting in this unfair world, losing and getting back everything they've ever valued. By being the reincarnation of two brothers, Naruto and Sasuke were destined to meet and fight, to become friends and make up.

There may be more perils in the future, and he will face them with the person he trusts the most in the world.

"Just as I thought," Sasuke adds, "you're still as stupid as ever."

Their second dinner at the Raikage's residence reminds Naruto a lot of the one they shared with the Mizukage. Endless selections of dishes keep coming to their table, all of them with some sort of traditional twist, including delicacies only found in the Land of Lightning. His blue eyes scan over the table until they finally find a wide selection of ramen, all of the equally appealing as they may be delicious.

His mouth starts to water, and whatever sort of converation he was carrying with Killer Bee is wiped out of his mind as his taste buds welcome a steamy, flavourful portion of his favourite noodles.

If this sort of dinner comes with the job of being Hokage, he is more convinced of attaining that position than ever before.

Kakashi and A are talking on his right side, while Sakura and C seem to be really invested in comparing their scientific research to fully appreciate the enormous feast in front of them. Killer Bee is just as concentrated on his food, grabbing things from every dish to satisfy his cravings. The only one who is too quiet -which, to Naruto, is a normal occurrence- is Sasuke sitting on his left side.

His best friend is picking on his food, too deep in thought to even pay attention to his surroundings. Naruto catches Sakura stealing glances over at their teammate, a worried look on her face, before turning to C to answer his questions. He knows how uncomfortable this must be for Sasuke; to be surrounded by a jinchuuriki he tried to kill and the Raikage, who sacrificed his own arm in their battle. Kumo in general seems a lot more unwelcoming towards his teammate, but Naruto is not going to let that get in the way of their journey.

He turns to start a conversation with Sasuke, but his words do not reach his mouth as he catches his teammate looking back at a laughing Sakura. It seems that C was telling her something that she found amusing, and Sasuke paid too much attention to her reaction.

This is probably the first time he has ever seen a jealous Sasuke. And it probably won't be the last. Naruto's heart may be miles away tucked in the Hyuuga compound, but he still does not fail to recognize how attractive Sakura is both physically or intellectually. Heck, he even remembered when he wanted to get a date with the girl! Now he gets to watch as his best friend goes through the ups and downs of loving someone like Sakura, much to his own amusement.

Well, this is supposed to be a team building journey after all. To Naruto's ears, nothing screams team building more than helping his two best friends get together.

On the other side of the table, Sakura is enjoying her colleague's company with a polite smile and the appropriate reactions to what they discuss. It may not be her best wish to continue spending the rest of the evening like she had the previous night. Sasuke was tucked away in his bed with Naruto keeping him company while she and Kakashi took the role of ambassadors in the Raikage's dinner table.

Tonight, though, the four of them are together and she finds herself stealing glances back at her teammates, feeling a lot more far away than she actually is. The topics to discuss with C may seem to go on forever, but they are reaching a point in which not much else hasn't already been discussed.

The dinner feels like it is going on for hours by the time that C offers her to take a walk in the gardens that decorate A's home. She dutifully accepts, knowing that keeping up her acquaintance with one of the Raikage's main people will help Kakashi's future diplomatic plans. Sakura does not even look back at the dinner table before getting up and following the older medic nin.

He leads her to the intricate garden, and Sakura looks in wonder as it lights up with fireflies floating from one shrub to another. Low trees hang their branches over a large pond where koi fish calmly swim. They walk up to the bridge that crosses the pond, where they can truly appreciate the night view of Kumogakure from its leader's residence.

Sakura thinks about how much beauty she's gotten to see in the world, and how much more it has to offer.

"I'm glad that you are doing this journey, Sakura-san," C says, leaning his elbows on the railing and looking at her.

She smiles. "Me too. This time off with my team has brought us a lot closer. There was a time when I thought that was impossible, but the three of us have grown and learned the importance of taking care of one another."

The lights from the other buildings in Kumogakure are accompanied by the faint sound of its residents walking down the street, socializing, living a life that could have never happened if it weren't for Team 7's combined efforts with the Shinobi Alliance. Sakura is truly proud of her boys and how far they've come. She looks up to the night sky, finding this to be her second night in Kumo where she can clearly see the stars.

"It's really interesting how your village is always surrounded mist, yet there are no signs of clouds tonight."

As if dismissing her attempt for another mundane topic of conversation, C presses on, "Your teammate Uzumaki Naruto is the one we can fully trust. Well," he adds, "you too, of course. And Hatake Kakashi is handling his future role accordingly."

And Sakura knows where this is going before he even finishes his sentence.

"However, Uchiha Sasuke is not to be trusted."

She frowns at that statement, all too familiar in defending Sasuke from those who have never tried to understand him. "I dare to disagree, C. I would trust him with my life if it were the case."

C raises an eyebrow, his whole demeanour shifting from a diplomat to another young man who looks at Sakura in disbelief. It makes her feel uneasy knowing how easy it would be to break the ties she has tried to build since her team's arrival in Kumo. She must choose her words carefully and not let personal feelings get in the way of inter-village relations. That is what she's been taught since her days at the Academy, to prioritize her village over everything else.

She may not have followed that principal all the time, but in this new era she needs to consider the responsibility that will officially fall on her shoulders when she returns to Konoha.

"Sakura, you're familiar with the crimes he has committed against all the countries. He is still considered a threat by some of us in spite of your recent efforts to demonstrate that he is a liability."

"With all due respect, he's proven himself to be the sort of liability this world needs. You do not know him as well as I do or Naruto does, and whatever opinion you hold may be based on a small fraction that you've seen of him. Sasuke-kun, he can be-"

Sakura does not find the time to finish expressing herself. As soon as she speaks those loud words, C lets out a low, sarcastic chuckle.

"And you may be just blinded by your interest in him. Have you ever thought about that? You never know when he may change his mind and decide to betray you for his own advantage."

She feels a stinging sensation in her chest, the flashback of that time rushing into her mind. That time when yes, Sasuke would have killed her and she would have done the same too. But too much has happened before and after that incident to let it overtake her emotions. Dammit, she is supposed to keep her feelings away from this!

"Honestly, what do you see in him? You'd be better off staying away from that threat."

However, before she can defend herself, her eyes find Sasuke standing on one end of the bridge. His stance is rigid, his jawline tense. He is looking at C with such a hostility that it could burn the medic nin to ashes.

C also notices him, his expression becoming just as stiff. "He would only use you," his words carry an ill-feeling. "Your village isn't safe with him."

Sasuke moves with speed lightning velocity, appearing behind C with a kunai dangerously close to the medic nin's neck. His eyes are swirling in red and purple, and Sakura has to act fast in order to calm him down. She immediately jumps behind Sasuke, forcing his hand to move away from C before he causes any damage, and remains in her position between the two shinobi.

C adopts a fighting stance, ready to start a duel, while Sasuke unsheathes his katana.

"See? He is a walking danger to this world."

"Don't go making fucking assumptions about me, you son of a bitch," Sasuke hisses. "You don't fucking know me."

C continues his taunting. "Then show me, pretty boy."

It is as though they both forget that Sakura is standing in between. When they lunge forward to attack one another, she manages to stop them by pushing her hands on their chests and sending them off in different directions. Sasuke and C cause a loud thud when they land on the ground, both far from the centre of the bridge overlooking the pond.

"STOP IT, YOU TWO!"

The Kumo medic nin is the first one to stand up, wiping dirt off his face with his forearm. He quickly walks back towards Sakura, grabbing her by the shoulders forcefully.

"How can someone as intelligent as you find the need to protect him, Sakura!? You're bringing yourself and your worth down by sticking to someone like Uchiha Sasuke!"

She finds herself frozen in her place after that gesture. Oh no, not now, not again, please, her mind begs. She does not like the way he roughly shakes her, as if he was trying to make her see how crazy her intentions are. However, she is thrown back into another time when someone took over her this way and the panic and flashbacks rush back into her.

"Don't you fucking dare talk to her like that!" she can hear Sasuke's voice roar. "Don't touch her!"

C's arms are pulled away from her shoulders with enormous strength, forcing him to land back on the ground. She then realizes that it was her the one who pushed him away.

Keep it together, Sakura.

Keep. It. Together!

Sasuke continues to yell things at the medic nin, which become blurry sounds to her ears and she does not even consider how this may affect the small friendship that she and Kakashi have been building with Kumo.

Her knees touch the cold, wood panels that make up the bridge once all of her senses return to her consciousness. C is far gone at this point, his chakra signature nowhere to be found. He must have gone home, or back to the dining room to report Sasuke's misbehaviour to A. It is then that she feels her teammate's hand on her back.

She shrugs it off with a harsh gesture, choosing to stand up by herself.

"Sakura-"

"No," she cuts in, and this is the first time she's ever talked to him in such a harsh tone. "Don't touch me."

Sakura can already sense the irritation radiating from her teammate. Why, why now? Why does she have to be reminded of her darkest memories at this point, when everything was going so well?

"But he was-"

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Whatever comes out of her mouth does not sound like her own voice. Sakura turns towards Sasuke, taking in how vulnerable he looks with shock painted across his face. Her breathing is still heavy. Her mind has tried to mend and suppress all of those emotions that lead her to have these sorts of attacks. She hold son to her forehead with one hand as the other rests on her hip.

She needs out. Out of this garden. Out of Sasuke's view.

"You can go around defending me," he interrupts her thought, "but when I want to return the favour you don't let me!"

This vulnerable Sakura in front of him is closing off. She is putting up the same walls he's had throughout his life, the ones he is gradually trying to break down.

Why must this happen now? He loves her so much that it hurts him to see her like this, and this is probably how she's felt about him.

"I don't -I can't- I do it because I care about you, Sasuke-kun!" she says, feeling everything going around in circles. "But you need to understand this about me, Sasuke-kun, I am still afraid. I can't forget what's happened to me back in the war, and I need to get out. I need to get out of here before- before it happens again and-"

Sasuke does not get to listen to her finishing her sentence. She begins to walk past him, her arms wrapped around her torso and her back curved, making her look helpless. He is left behind dumbfounded, unsure of where his teammate's reaction may have come from.

He was only trying to help her. He does not give a single shit about what people say about him, knowing that there will always be comments wherever he goes. But the way that Sakura reacted when C grabbed her by the shoulders triggered a warning in his mind. It was as if she was recollecting memories from the war, the exact same moment in which he could not protect her.

And, naturally, he had to step in before it affected Sakura too much. But his intentions backfired, causing his chagrin to increase along with his confusion. They are supposed to help one another, but he finds himself at a loss at trying to help her forget.

Sasuke punches the railing on the bridge in frustration. Loving Sakura proves to be much more challenging than he'd first thought.

And he wonders if this is how she felt throughout all those years during his absence in her life.

Hi everyone! No, this story is NOT abandoned, woohoo! Sorry for the late update, but the plot bunny was hopping towards King of Gods after my eventful trip to the Atacama desert.

Thank you so much for all your support! I don't know how much longer this fanfic will be, but expect less than 20 chapters. The ending of this one was a bit confusing intentionally, and more will be explain in the next installment. There are a lot of raw emotions between Sakura and Sasuke, both of them struggling with their own pain and their wish to live with a peaceful state of mind.

The portion on stars was inspired by the Gemini constellation. If Naruto and Sasuke were to have one, I think that they would fit in with Gemini as a nod to all those panels of them holding their fingers together as children. Also, what's that about dead people talking to them in their sleep!? Crazy, right? We'll see what happens with that.

Leave your thoughts and comment in a review! I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say :)

Sincerely,

MSM