Four years later, Sakura knows she's still too young to be thinking things like happily ever after and our own house and especially clan restoration, but that doesn't stop her from trying. And between hospital shifts and when Sasuke's just come back from a mission, she runs out to meet him at the Konohagakure gates. The first time it happened, she decided she wanted to fulfill a fantasy she'd had since her genin days and attempted to leap into his arms, briefly (but disastrously) forgetting that he only had one.

Nowadays she just hugs him, thinking that even though he's all sweaty, sometimes bloody, and usually pretty gross in general, she'll never, ever get enough of this. He presses a kiss to her charmingly large forehead (another fantasy she'd always daydreamed about in the academy) and calls her annoying when she giggles like a kid. Sasuke's pretty sure nothing else is going to get in the way of their happiness, not even…

"Sakura."

"I can't believe you!"

"Sakura, I have to. I told you already, I have to see the shinobi world for myself. This is important."

"Sasuke-kun, you promised! You promised you'd never leave me! Don't you dare fucking do this to me again, because it'll be the last time—"

"So come with me."

Sakura blinks.

He's floated the idea of it out before, them traveling the world together so he can understand more about the world of shinobi and war and bonds and Itachi. But she's always been mild in her rejections, saying home is Konoha, and she has responsibilities here, and he has never pressed the matter. She didn't realize just how necessary it was for him until now.

"How long?" she asks, gulping.

"Not that long. Eight months, maybe. I bet you've had longer missions."

"I'll have to ask Kaka-sensei about it. And Tsunade-shishou for leave from the hospital. And this is going to kill Naruto."

The Copy Ninja has been Hokage for long enough now, but she still calls him sensei, because Kakashi-sama sounds pretty silly when considering a man who procrastinates on reading mission reports in favor of Icha Icha Tactics, which he's read at least a thousand times by now.

"So do it," he says, cupping her chin in his hand.

Pretty soon, she's packing her bags (well, just the one bag) along with him. The night before they head out, the two of them get together with Naruto in Sasuke's apartment, and everyone proceeds to get thoroughly inebriated. When Naruto begins to cry, Sasuke rolls his eyes and heads to his bedroom.

"I'm going to sleep. See you later, dobe," he says.

"I'll miss you, Sasuke, teme!" the jinchuuriki blurts out. "Come back to me in one piece! And you too, Sakura-chan, promise me you'll be careful."

"Of course," she says, laughing, even though she's crying at the sight of his tears. She pulls him into a bear hug. "Take good care of Hinata. It's only for a little while. We'll be back before you even know we've been gone."

Hours later, at the crack of dawn, they leave, and a teary-eyed and quite hungover Naruto waves them goodbye.

"Sasuke, teme." Naruto's face is suddenly sober. Sakura has just left to use the restroom, so he pulls the Uchiha closer, and for once, Sasuke lets him. "I want to share something important with you. Ero-sennin told it to me a long time ago: 'Wherever someone is thinking of you, that is the place you can call home.' Remember, okay?"

So even though they are staying on the top floor of a strange, musty inn several days away from Konoha, a place he is finally (painfully) starting to think of as home again, when he throws open the door, he calls out, "Sakura, tadaima!"