author's note: THIS IS IT. The final chapter. I have immense appreciation and gratitude for those of you who have revisited this story over the years and left encouraging reviews! Though I sincerely wish I could have given this tale the ending it deserved (I am so rusty and lost the tone of this fic), I hope some kind of ending is at least acceptable D; You've waited long enough—I hope you glean some closure from this last installment! I for one, an immensely happy to have finally finished (:

Operation: Nightingale

x.

Amity

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First, he felt pain. In the entirety of his shinobi career, Sasuke had obtained numerous injuries, many fatal, but none compared to the pain that burst through his veins, as if kunai were wreaking havoc on his nerves.

It was a cold that gripped him—a cold that managed to terrify him in a way that the Uchiha had never been terrified in his life. It was the kind of cold that spoke volumes of finality, that filled your soul as all the warmth left your body; the briefest warning before death took you. And though there were many times in his life that Sasuke had felt such a cold, he had never been so afraid to face it. For the first time in a long time there was something about this life that anchored him. He wanted to stay. He wasn't ready to go, wasn't ready to die.

The irony was not lost on him, and he might have scoffed at the way his destiny unfurled, but Sasuke was nothing if not resilient. Stubborn, his mind corrected.

He wasn't ready to go.

So he wouldn't.

Somewhere in the distant crevices of his mind he could feel her presence; she was springtime; she was warmth, rejuvenation—mint and cucumbers. Like a sunflower, he turned to her brightness, seeking her warmth, seeking her goodness. He imagined her hands on his leg, his middle, his chest, calloused and strong—How could I have ever thought she was a civilian?—offering wisps of fire on his skin, healing the damage on his body, on his soul. She was a miracle, his redemption, and it was all he could do to suppress the memories of their wanton affair.

When he opened his eyes, he saw only pastel pink; he breathed her scent—sweat and blood—and scowled. "Sakura." Unbidden, images of a bridge and endless mirrors came to mind. "You're heavy."

She jumped as if he had breathed life into her instead of the other way around. He could still feel the remnants of her chakra surging through his system.

Sakura lifted her head from his chest, fixing watery green eyes on his face.

Not for the first time, he was struck by her sheer adoration. But it was different from when they were children; this adoration was swathed in regret and trepidation—this woman had seen the world and the horrors it brought, the terrors he wrought, and still she looked at him as if...as if...

Sasuke tensed, unable to finish the thought.

In the back of his mind, he swore he could hear Naruto's taunt: Scaredy-cat.

With some effort, he reached up, catching her cheek in his—blood-splattered, unworthy—palm. The reality of the situation hung before them, a tangled tapestry smeared in blood and lies, heavy under the burden of deceit and destiny.

There was so much he wanted to say, so much he wanted to tell her, to atone for, but Sakura leaned into his hand in silent understanding.

"Sasuke-bastard!" The blond appeared from thin air, his fox mask sitting atop his head. "Just when I thought we'd finally be rid of you—"

"Naruto!" Sakura reprimanded, fixing her teammate with a glare. Sasuke's arm dropped.

"It was a joke," the blond diffused, palms raised as if in surrender. He approached, crouching down by the fallen Rogue Nin and grinned his trademark Naruto smile. "Ne, you look like shit."

Sasuke scoffed, grimacing as he propped himself up onto his elbows. "All this time and you're still an idiot. You're not supposed to remove your mask."

Sakura blanched as predictable banter followed. Outwardly, she was frustration incarnate. Inwardly, she could feel the jagged pieces of a history torn asunder slowly shift back into place. She didn't have the heart to step in and stop the nonsense bickering, not when hearing it, seeing their exchange as if from their Genin days, filled her with a lightness she could never have dreamed of. After everything they'd been through, the years of pain and suffering and loneliness, they could still continue on as if nothing had changed. Sakura had no words for such a moment, in truth, she had set aside all delusions that any sort of reunion would ever take place.

Both she and Naruto had grown and matured and though it wasn't without hardships, they managed to find solace. But here that impossibility was, happening right before her eyes.

It was Kakashi who intervened, appearing in a poof of smoke.

His single eye assessed the situation and he signaled for Sai to apprehend the fallen Kabuto.

"Sakura," he acknowledged. "Good work."

"Sakura-chan saved you! You're such a loser—"

"You still talk too much."

"Naruto, help Sai with Kabuto. Sakura, you got Sasuke? We need to take him to Konoha—"

The duo tensed at the insinuation. It was what she had wanted for so long, to bring Sasuke back, but it didn't sit right with her. She had sworn she would allow him to remain in Iron, she had promised to let him have his peace, his secret. "Kakashi-sensei, I—"

"He needs to heal," the silver-haired ANBU added, tilting his head. "And Iron is in no state for him to return to at the moment. Medics have been dispatched to aid the samurai."

Her mouth parted to protest, but Sasuke caught her hand, the motion so natural, so soft, that she stilled.

"It's OK," he said.

It was in his silence, in the warmth of his hand on hers, the ease with which he reached out to her even in front of her team, that she understood the gravity of what he was acquiescing to.

He would face Konoha, his past, his decisions. It was time to fully and properly atone.

.

.

A Peace Summit was held in Konoha to determine the next steps—leaders from every Hidden Village attended, deliberating the fate of the Land of Iron.

After Kabuto's death, the samurai that were under his control awoke from their catatonic states to the deaths of both their General and their Lord.

The integrated jutsu Kabuto used on the army was a technique he created, and Sakura reported all of her findings to Tsunade. His aim had been to take over the Land of Iron and further experiment with DNA manipulation. It seemed his latest studies revolved around chakra suppression and amplification—the repercussions of which Sakura could barely begin to comprehend and decipher. Kabuto's body was an amalgamation of previous hosts. Somehow, he had siphoned unique chakra from the best sources and utilized them in his own genetic make-up. Such a thing was unheard of, a bastardization of ninjutsu. Sakura resolved to understand just what he had done—the technique itself was declared Forbidden.

In the case of the real Tsukiko, it appeared it was one of Kabuto's minions that had found her and recovered her memories, bringing her to Iron to reveal the involvement of the Hidden Leaf, giving Iron reason to act against the village. All these years, Iron was biding their time under Watatsumi Susanoo and Mifune to wage a shinobi war.

The Summit led to new treaties for the Hidden Villages, this time including the once neutral Land of Iron, as well as a new Leader as voted by the Samurai: Uchiha Sasuke (a decision that earned a half-hearted remark from Suigestu—"Pfft, those bastards chose you? As if Iron wasn't somber enough, they elect the king of killjoys to lead.")

It took four days and hours of negotiating, but eventually agreements were reached.

The morning of the fifth day found the Uchiha walking towards the Konoha Gates, waiting for his second-in-command. The sun barely crested the horizon; he wasn't surprised that Suigetsu was late, but he was surprised to find Sakura sitting on the railing—no, not surprised. Happy.

He hadn't seen much of her after they arrived in Konoha, only seeing her speak in trials against the deceased Kabuto and speaking for the state of Iron. Endless council meetings kept him busy, and he could only surmise that her comprehensive report on her mission as well as Kabuto's findings swallowed her days. The darkness beneath her eyes said as much.

With no one around, he allowed a soft smile to slant the edge of his mouth as he slowed his pace, coming to stand before her.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye," she accused, though there was a distinct lack of ire in her voice.

Sasuke only detected resignation. Acceptance. Understanding.

She was always so good at those things, wasn't she?

Sakura cracked a tilted smile—Sasuke felt something in his chest constrict in the best possible way at the sight of it—and watched the Uchiha through guarded, disillusioned eyes. "So," she opened quietly, voice floating through the cautionary distance between them. It felt so strange to stand so far apart; it felt wrong and awkward. "Iron really is your new home, huh?"

Your new home.

Sasuke watched her lips form and mould around her words, taking in every last bit she was willing to give him because after all this time and all that he had been through, he was still so selfish. He couldn't stay in Konoha with her, but he would partake of her voice, of her kindness, of her smiles. He exhaled. "You're welcome to visit whenever you like."

She was silent, ignoring the crushing sensation in her stomach at his affirmation that he was going to remain in Iron.

"Or you could come with me," he whispered, voice dropping an octave. The implication was there. He no longer had a reason for her to come besides the fact that he wanted her there. She could stay with him. Be with him. For Sasuke, that was the closest he would come to recognizing and admitting whatever it was he felt for her.

The fact was not lost on Sakura. Her eyes—so damn green—widened at his offer, and the lopsided smile he adored softened. "I can't," she answered finally. "Not right now."

"I'll wait," Sasuke insisted.

Sakura shook her head, knowing first hand the pain of waiting. How unfair it was. "I can't ask you to do that."

"You've waited long enough," the Uchiha said with the ghost of a smile dancing across his lips. Long enough for him to come around. Long enough for him to grow up and mature and realize that she was exactly what he was looking for, exactly what he needed. His tone was reminiscent of their brief interludes, dark eyes speaking volumes of the shift in dynamic between them. Sasuke figured why the hell not and stepped closer, breathing in the scent of her, marveling at the way just being in her proximity made his blood rush. "It's the least I can do," he elaborated, reaching out a hand to tuck a strand of pink hair behind her ear. His gaze lingered on a freckle there, recalling kissing it, having allowed his tongue to trace the caves of her ear, and he closed his eyes at the memory of her moan when he did. "I'll wait," Sasuke alleged, his fingers moving into her hair, hand cupping the back of her head. The motion prompted her to step forward, off the rail, and he mirrored the movement, drawing her face up to him.

Sasuke doubted he'd ever become accustomed to the way her wide jade eyes would make his stomach knot, make the blood rush to places it really shouldn't, and he watched her throat tense as she held her breath—

"Oi, bastard!" An arm fell across his shoulders and the Uchiha tenses at the impact, fixing a glare at the intrusion. "You're going to try and run Iron Country, eh? Not bad, not bad. Iron's not nearly as big as Konoha, though. Did I mention I'm going to be Hokage?" Naruto said with that cheeky smile of his. "After all this is over, anyways," he added, waving a hand as if dismissing the imminent reconstruction efforts of both Iron and the shinobi alliances ahead.

Sasuke scowled, rising to the bait as he was wont to do. "I could still be a Kage of sorts."

Naruto only snorted. "If the elders approve, you'd be the Head. It's not the same."

The Uchiha opened his mouth to respond, but Sakura side-stepped the predictable spar and swung her arms about both men's necks, huddling together. The intent was sweet, but the force behind her action brought them all together quite hard and they bumped heads. Sakura closed her eyes and laughed as Naruto pouted; the smile was still in his bright eyes.

Sasuke watched the duo and allowed himself to smile. His eyes flickered behind the head of pink and caught a single dark gaze. Kakashi responded with an eye-crinkling grin and a half-hearted wave, happy that each of his students were able to find their own paths to happiness and peace.

.

.

Six months passed, with it came a time for rebuilding: trust as well as Iron Country territory. Under Sasuke's leadership, it thrived—the people respected him, honored him, and, allied with the other villages, reparations were quick. Suigestu commanded the samurai, but the Uchiha kept a very close eye on their training—"Hey, this is my job, now! Stick to your legislation, would ya?"—Too close an eye for Suigestu's liking.

Nine, whose real name was Daita, aided the real Tsukiko in healing the injured following the massive attack on Iron. She apprenticed under the civilian doctor and, after the men were healed, traveled with Tsukiko to learn more. Sakura was thrilled to find this out—the two frequently exchanged letters.

Sakura smiled at the thought—

"Haruno-sama!"

The medic didn't glance up from Daita's most recent update, brows furrowed in concentration even as a nurse barged into her office. Sakura stood over her desk, a mess of reports spread out. She allowed herself a short break from reviewing the the scrolls.

Under her watchful eyes, she scanned the documents and made note of the various results. Her sector—the Special Medic Division—had been created and implemented in Konoha Hospital. With her leadership, Konoha paved the way for new medical ninjutsu, and though there were many trials and errors, even Tsunade couldn't deny the progress they'd made in medical discoveries.

It was a hectic six months, but the work kept her busy—Distracted, her mind corrected—from noting the absence of a certain dark-haired Uchiha.

When he returned to Iron Country, he lasted four weeks before he returned to Konoha. The hawk he sent alerted her of his arrival, but that didn't stop her from nearly knocking him out her window when he appeared at her sill two days earlier than his message said.

His visits were few and far between, but she was always eager to see him. But it had been a particularly long absence this time around—seven weeks—and the Head Medic was feeling anxious.

"What did I say about disrupting me at this hour, Hana-san?" Sakura answered, tone leaving no room for argument, eyes fixed on Daita's letter.

"Wow, Sakura. When'd you get such a stick up your ass? You're turning into Sasuke."

Her head snapped up. A sleet haired shinobi leaned with his elbow against the threshold of her office.

Suigetsu grinned, all pomp. "Long time no see, princess."

An easy smile stretched across her lips. "Suigetsu," she greeted with perhaps more affection than intended.

Before she could ask, he scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, yeah, he's here. Just went to go visit with the Hokage first. Thought I'd let you know. So, you free for lunch?"

"I have a lot of work to do…" she began, but the General scoffed.

"Are we really going to pretend you're not going to go jump into Sasuke's arms the moment he's free?"

Sakura had the grace to blush. Or was that anger? Suigetsu could never quite tell with her.

"Besides," he continued, the embodiment of nonchalance, "you'll need food for energy, ne?"

.

.

"I've got some news—Suigetsu? What happened to your eye?"

Suigetsu frowned, chewing and swallowing his portion of freshly grilled meat before gesturing a thumb towards the medic who sat across from him. "Your girlfriend."

Sasuke paused at the restaurant table, glancing over at his girlfriend who only offered a poignant grin. He arched a brow at her and she shrugged, scooting over in the booth so that he could slide in beside her.

"And she won't heal it!" Suigetsu whined, earning a scowl from the medic.

"He deserved it," she said.

No one argued.

"So what are you doing here, anyways? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Sasuke tilted his head, a crooked smirk playing at his mouth. "I wanted it to be a surprise," he revealed, resting a hand on her thigh beneath the table. "I was talking to Tsunade about introducing your Special Medic Division in Iron Country's hospital. If you want. To help, that is."

Across the way, Suigetsu coughed into his hand, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like that's it?

Sakura peered at him, but a warning glare from the Uchiha had Suigetsu suddenly very preoccupied with eating his food. Instead, she rounded on Sasuke: "I thought the country's funds weren't enough to spare the budget for the clinic?"

He shrugged. "I may have convinced some of the people that it'd be worth the investment. It helps that they have heard wild stories of the legendary Haruno Sakura."

A slow smile stretched her lips. "Legendary? And where did they hear such stories?"

Sugietsu smirked. "You're welcome. I bet you feel bad about my bruised eye now, don't'cha?"

"Not even a little bit," the medic deadpanned.

"So? What do you say?" Sasuke prompted.

Sakura grasped his hand, giving it a squeeze. "Of course I'll help."

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It wasn't until later that evening that Sakura realized what Suigetsu was hinting at over lunch.

After having dinner at Ichiraku with their friends—namely, Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, and Suigetsu (the latter pair exhibiting escalating flirtatious behavior the more they were around each other)—Sasuke stopped on their usual walk back to Sakura's apartment. He gave her hand a gentle tug and Sakura glanced back at him.

"What is it?" She began. "You don't have to leave yet, do you?"

Sasuke shook his head, tilting his head in the direction towards the Uchiha Complex. "I...want to—"

"Let's walk through the Uchiha Complex," she said, saving him from the awkward act of asking for something he wanted. Normally, the Uchiha would simply take. Or do. But he seemed particularly reticent that night, withdrawn in a way that was both bemusing and adorable at the same time.

Over the course of the previous six months, the many times Uchiha Sasuke visited his home village, he had never set foot on Uchiha ground. His hand in Sakura's was stiff, warm, as they strolled through the area. He was expecting overgrown weeds in the front yards, garbage littering the streets, or at the very least layers of dust and debris—but it was clean. As if it hadn't been desolate and abandoned for many decades.

"Oh, you can thank genin for that. D-Rank missions and what not," Sakura chirped.

He almost laughed at that fact. "I want to show you something," Sasuke announced, guiding her to his old home.

"Er, the genin only cleaned up the public streets—the house won't be—"

Whatever she was about to say fell into silence as they walked through a private gate and into his family's back garden. The grass was a brilliant green, flowers in full bloom. The pond was filled with water, the surface rippling from the koi swimming beneath. Everything was bright and filled with life, manicured as if someone had been taking special care of it all this time.

"I called in a favor to Naruto," Sasuke said with a shrug in response to her questioning glance. "I...wanted something of my family to still be here. Something beautiful."

Sakura released his hand, walking along the flat stone path through the winding flowers. "Why?" She breathed, reaching to touch the petals.

"Here."

What? The medic blinked. Was that an appropriate answer to her earlier question? Did she miss something? She turned to face him, an amused question on her tongue, only to find him standing right behind her, holding something out.

"Your...shirt?" It was folded up and small in his hands, but there was no mistaking the navy shirt he wore as a Genin.

Sasuke met her gaze, unwavering and steadfast. In his expression, Sakura saw all that had transpired between them—the crackling tension, the feel of his hands on her face, her waist, her thighs, the heat of his body seeping through fabric and burning her from the inside—and managed to crack a crooked, teasing smile. Uchiha Sasuke was a bomb of unsuppressed sexual energy that she took care to diffuse. And he was looking at her in that way, with those eyes.

"I have plenty of your shirts, or have you forgotten?"

He scoffed at the implication that he might forget that he had left numerous articles of clothing with her (and why those shirts might be left in her possession in the first place). "Those don't have this on them." Sasuke tilted his chin down.

Bemused, the medic followed his gaze until her eyes rested on the Uchiha fan.

From somewhere behind them, Naruto whispered: "Did you do it yet, bastard?"

Sakura frowned. "Do what?"

In the beat of silence, the Uchiha glared in the general direction of Naruto's voice.

"Sasuke…" His name was an exhale, falling delicately from her lips, slow and languid.

Understanding dawned on her face and Sasuke swore it was the most exquisite thing he had ever seen. He was grateful for her intellect, for her ability to see underneath the underneath.

Her hand, both delicate and strong, took the shirt from him, holding it tightly to her chest, his clan's sigil peeking from between her fingers.

"Is that a yes?" He clarified.

Sakura grinned. "You haven't asked me anything." Her eyes shone. She was teasing him.

Sasuke scowled—the woman would be the death of him. Collecting himself because he had rehearsed this plenty of times, he caught her face between his hands, stepping close, so close that she could feel each puff of his breaths along the bridge of her nose. When he spoke, his voice was the low, deep timbre he knew was enough to undo her. "Sakura," he murmured, fingers disappearing into her hair. "Wear the Uchiha crest."

"Why would I do a thing like that?"

Was she toying with him? Annoying woman. "Because I want you to be an Uchiha. I want you to be mine." The Uchiha growled in a way that made heat coil in her gut.

Sakura's already fragile resolve cracked. "I was always yours, Sasuke-kun—"

He swallowed her words, mouth slanting over hers at the declaration.

Sakura abandoned all pretenses and secured her arm about his neck, pulling him closer, wishing she could open up her chest so that he might climb in.

The only thing that registered in Sasuke's mind was the living fire that was in his grasp; Sakura blazed and writhed, consuming him in a way that only she had ever managed—his hands quickly traversed the length of her, settling at her waist and lifting her up to press her against the side of a nearby tree, welcoming her legs as they wrapped around his middle.

"Hey, hey, hey—this isn't what—there are people here—!" But Naruto's protests went ignored.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "We should leave them to their privacy."

"I wanted to congratulate them—!"

"Er...let them congratulate each other, first."

The conversation registered in some distant part of his mind, but Sasuke could not be bothered to separate from his medic and acknowledge the presence of the others. Not when she blazed at his fingertips and set his soul aflame, not when the conflagration that was her touch, her kiss, her moan, devoured him whole. Though she claimed she had always belonged to him, though they had been together in the most intimate of ways many (many) times before, she was—or would be—officially his. Uchiha Sakura. His Sakura.

.

.

"To Sakura-chan, a real-life saint for putting up with Sasuke-bastard's ass!"

A collection of Here here's echoed in response.

"And to the Bastard—the luckiest asshole there is to land a girl like Sakura-chan!"

A particularly loud Here here came from the Uchiha's second-in-command.

Sasuke couldn't deny the truth in those drunken words, not when his medic sat in his lap, donned in a dress with slits up the sides that showcased strong kunoichi legs. One of her legs was crossed over the other, and his hand rested on her knee, absently drumming against her skin in a way that distracted them both.

Sakura laughed, downing her sake before setting down the cup and turning fully to face the dark-haired Uchiha. His face was flushed, whether it was from the alcohol, the heat, or the way her ass deliciously moved against him, no one could say. Likely all three. She looped her arms about his neck, touching her forehead against his, her curtain of pastel hair obscuring them from the rest of the world. "I'm the lucky one, I think," she whispered.

Their comrades had come out to celebrate the engagement, congratulating the duo that everyone believed was long-ago doomed.

The new Lord of Iron Country and his General were required to take their leave early the next morning, but that didn't stop them from properly celebrating the engagement with Sakura and Sasuke's closest friends (ie: most of the Konoha Shinobi).

Celebrations became reminiscing, wherein Naruto regaled their friends with tales of Team Seven and listed Sasuke's endless short-comings. When the Uchiha attempted to stand from his seat to rise to the blond's bait, Sakura excused them both, citing an early morning as a reason for leaving.

The pair barely made it through her front door before she pounced on him, immediately tearing his shirt from his frame.

At Sasuke's insistence that the door was not locked, Sakura scoffed, kicking off her shoes. "As if that bothers you," she had answered.

Sasuke relished that look in her eyes, the one that dared him, the one that challenged him, the one that spoke volumes of the things that transpired back in the Land of Iron.

Neither party got much sleep.

Morning arrived too soon, casting them in glowing sunshine. Sakura traced along the planes of his arm, having already committed to memory every dip and rise of his build, cataloguing every scar that marred his skin, every bruise and scratch she bestowed upon him. It was impossible to lie there in his arms and not think of the history that led them to where they were—the series of events set up in a way to have them end up together against all odds.

When they said goodbye at the Konoha gates, it was harder than all the previous times.

How could Sasuke leave behind the woman dressed in his old genin shirt? The Uchiha symbol fit directly between her shoulder blades, the shirt a tad bit short and revealing her taut middle as they walked. Hair disheveled in his family crest and a pair of training shorts, looking at him with an expression of undisclosed love, the dark haired Uchiha exhaled, resting his forehead against hers. His hands found her waist, fingers grazing the skin there, sending trills of fire up along her spine.

"I'll visit Iron soon," Sakura opened. "With plans to implement the special medic ops."

How could he say goodbye to this woman who had been such an integral part of his life, who had been always there, a fierce presence, his definition of love and acceptance, his salvation? To this woman who had just declared herself his the night before? The woman who would be the mother of his children? The woman who bore his clan's symbol on her back with pride? The woman who lit his very being on fire in a way that would make the Uchiha proud?

"No."

"No?" Sakura repeated, leaning away to study his face.

What she saw was something she doubted she would ever see in full: happiness.

"What kind of Lord would leave his betrothed so soon?"

"An asshole," Suigetsu answered from behind him, casually waiting by one of the gate's pillars.

Sasuke grinned. "Aa."

"But, Iron—"

"Suigetsu. You're in charge while I'm gone. Try your best not to ruin the country until I get back."

The second-in-command saluted and, with a cheeky, (or mocking) "Aye-aye Lord Uchiha," disappeared.

Sakura arched a skeptical brow. "Do you really think that's a good idea?"

His arms tightened about her and he gave her that look, the one that reminded her of clandestine nights and covert dalliances. "What's the point of having a second-in-command if not for things like this?"

"Then let's get back to bed," she said, pulling away. Sakura extended her hand to him and he took it, no hesitation, no thought on the matter at all.

As they walked back into Konoha, with her skilled, calloused hand in his, Sasuke knew that he was exactly where he belonged.

.

.

The End.

author's notes: And there it is! I can't express how happy I am to have been able to complete this story, despite how long it took. Looking back and rereading, there are definitely things I'd change, but I'll leave it as is because, truth be told, I am not in the same place emotionally and mentally as I was when I first started this, and to dismantle it and attempt to rewrite parts will likely end in it reading disjointed.

As is, I feel like it's quite evident that I took over-long breaks lol, but I've had this ending plotted out for so long I couldn't just let it sit in unfinished limbo, even if it does feel rushed now.

Endless gratitude to all of you who have taken the time to leave a review and let me know what you think! I will always appreciate feedback and support (: