Set Post Ch.699, Blank Period.

Not necessary, but intended to be thought of as a continuation of "Home". Let me know if you liked it!

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

.

.

Soon is Now

.

.

"I know you're on the way to being the best medical ninja around, but just know that I'm not too far behind."

Sakura let out a playful chuckle at the boy with short jet black hair. Akira was both her friend and coworker at Konoha Hospital, and they had grown to be quite the closest pair of medical ninjas throughout the past few years. The two of them were walking side by side down the busy streets of the Leaf Village on a sunny, late afternoon. Somehow, they managed to find some time to take a lunch break. That is, before their duties would summon them back to the hospital.

"I have that book you wanted, if you'd like." The pink-haired girl offered, "You can come pick it up later tonight."

"Thanks, Sakura." The boy with pitch black eyes gave her a wide smile, "Though you'll regret it when I surpass you in the future."

Sakura clicked her tongue, but grinned at her friend's arrogant show. They've always teased eachother like this.

Akira's mouth eventually turned into a frown when he realized he was late for his shift. "Shoot, I have to get back now. I'll come by later, Sakura, but I can't guarantee it'll be light outside by the time I finish."

"That's fine. Don't kill anyone today." She grinned at her attempt at dark humor and waved goodbye as Akira turned around and jumped into a sprint towards the other direction.

It was pretty much like this everyday. She would get up early in the morning, way too early for any normal person to be awake, and make her way to the hospital. There she would run into Akira and they would walk the rest of the way inside until the two of them parted to tend to their own duties. After work, Ino would usually drag her out with the others before she gets a chance to rest at home. But during the times where she does manage to get away on her own, she would go home and cook herself a nice dinner, sort of like a treat to herself for making it through the day.

She had to keep herself busy and well-tended to somehow. Although she is a strong woman, there were nights that would take away her strength whenever her mind wandered to the person she'd been waiting to see for the past few years.

She really wished he would have let her come along with him during his journeys. But it was understandable. The amount of pain and regret he carries on his shoulders is foreign to anything she's ever experienced in her life. Even so, she wanted to share the pain with him.

It was going to be a long process. Probably a lifetime for him. But she wanted to be there.

It did occur to her that maybe he didn't want to come back to Konoha after all. Or maybe he wasn't ready to accept her feelings. Maybe he doesn't even think about it.

Perhaps he would rather start fresh someplace else, where he wouldn't have to see many of the villagers whisper at his mere presence. Unfortunately, some people aren't so forgiving.

But if Konoha wasn't his home,

And he didn't return her feelings after all,

..Then where does he belong?

"Sakura!"

The viridian-eyed girl turned around to see her best friend sitting in a dango shop along the busy street of the Leaf Village. The blonde was waving her arm frantically at her. It was sort of embarrassing.

Sakura responded with a more modest wave and walked over, using one of her arms to shield her face from the blazing sun that shone in her eyes.

She made herself comfortable sitting across from the blonde, reaching to steal a stick of strawberry dango from her friend's plate. Ino observed Sakura with her hands cupping the sides of her own face, propping her head up with elbows on the table.

After a few seconds, she cocked her head to the side, in a sort of mocking gesture. "Sakura, I would assume from your big forehead that you'd have the brain to realize Akira is in love with you."

"What? No!" Sakura exclaimed, almost choking on her dango. How absurd.

She stared as Ino raised an eyebrow at her, obviously questioning what she thought. The stupid pig had probably watched her and Akira laughing and talking earlier. Sakura let out a long sigh and shook her head in denial.

"He's just a friend, Ino. We've been friends since I started Medical School."

"I don't know." Ino doubted, "He looks pretty into you if you ask me."

"Well, I'm not asking you."

"Okay, Sakura." The blonde sighed, finally giving in to her best friend and reached to grab the stolen dango from her hands. "I guess Sasuke wouldn't be worried about it either."

Sakura froze, and she began to chew the piece of dango more slowly. "Yeah.." she smiled weakly, thoughts running once again about her long-distance lover.

"I guess not."

2:48AM

Sakura flipped the pages of her book mindlessly as she sat with her feet up on the couch, a pink blanket tossed over her legs.

It was nearly 3 in the morning, but like always, it was another restless night.

Her body had become adapted to these late hours despite how tired she was during the day. After she came home in the evening, she slipped on a large oversized minty sweater and brew herself a cup of coffee to make up for the caffeine she missed in the morning. Her house showed no signs of liveliness except for the ticking of her clock and the dim light beside her couch.

Akira should've been finishing up soon. She thought as she turned her head to look at the medical book she prepared on the coffee table for her friend. It was old and tattered, and she had it for almost her whole medical career.

She tried not to think too much tonight. Just as she turned off the light and attempted sleep, a soft knocking on her wooden door prompted her eyes to slowly open.

"Must be Akira.." Sakura pulled her blanket aside and gently planted her feet on the cold hardwood floor of her home. She walked her way to the door without bothering to stop and turn the lights back on.

After a click of the lock, she pulled the door half open and there stood Akira, who greeted her with a benevolent smile.

"Good morning to you too." Sakura said, opening the door all the way.

"I thought you'd still be awake." Akira responded, inviting himself in when she stood to the side of the entrance.

"Long evening shift?"

"Yeah. Crazy as usual."

"This is the reading you wanted." Sakura walked over to the coffee table and picked up the heavy, hardcover book. She turned around and saw that Akira was making his way towards her, further into the house.

"Here." Sakura stretched her arms and held the book out to him. Once he was in front of her, Akira paused and stared at it blankly for a moment, leaving Sakura in question.

"..Akira?"

The black-haired boy snapped out of his trance and slowly took the book from her hands. She watched him carefully.

Something was up.

"I'm here to tell you something, Sakura." Akira placed the book back down on the table, looking up to initiate a strong gaze with the viridian-eyed girl.

He slowly began to walk closer to her, which started to make her uncomfortable as he got closer and closer with every step. She found herself being forced to walk backwards as he was within half an arms reach. A sense of urgency rushed through her when she discovered herself being pressed against the kitchen counter, surrounded by his arms on either side of her.

"Akira-"

"I'm in love with you."

Sakura paused in awe. Dammit, Ino. She thought to herself. She should've believed her best friend.

He continued. "I want to protect you forever, Sakura. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Immediately, she looked Akira in the eye, his dark obsidian eyes staring into her soul and watching her every move. She opened her pursed lips. "We can't, Akira."

He looked as if he had already expected this answer, but he remained unphased.

"Is it because of Sasuke?" Akira searched the pink-haired girls face for a reaction, even though he already knew. Sakura's eyes remained confident and she held her gaze. He didn't give up there.

"Uchiha Sasuke won't be coming back so soon. Everybody knows that, and I sure as hell hope you do."

She felt herself flinch at Akira's words. Anger began to well up inside of her.

"He will come back." Sakura darted, spitting her words out like fire. "Don't act like you know him."

"And do you know him?" He urged, receiving a sudden painful look from the pink-haired girl. "If you did, then why has it been years and he still hasn't paid a visit to see you? How many times have you written a letter to him, with no response back?"

Her chest felt another stab, and for a second she wondered how much of it was true. She hasn't heard back from the raven-haired boy at all ever since she last sent him a letter. No word. Hell, did he even bother reading it?

All of a sudden, warm tears began building up in her eyes as she bit the bottom of her lip to hold herself together. She began to doubt herself. She thought about the last time they've seen eachother, when he gave her a poke on the forehead that was a symbol of his affection towards her. It wasn't like her to be so vulnerable like this, but she needed some closure.

"I'll see you soon." His words rang inside her head, vivid as if it was yesterday.

Was he really not going to come back for her like he said he would?

Akira noticed her sudden change in emotion and gave himself a slight rewarding smile from the corner of his lips. "He's a fighter, Sakura. An avenger will always be an avenger. He'll keep on leaving and he won't take care of you the way I can." At this point, Akira leans in and shifts his head to the side of her neck, right underneath her jawline. She could feel his breathing on her neck and it was making her skin crawl.

Sakura tightens her clutch on the kitchen counter beneath her fingers. She felt her head starting to pound and her vision was beginning to blur. What little sense she had left in herself, Akira took it away.

Though Sasuke had been gone for so long, she believed in him. She was confident that at the end of his journeys, he would come home to see her with the soft smile he once gave her before.

But despite that, she didn't know why she felt so conquered at the moment. Her hands reached up and slowly placed themselves on top of Akira's chest. Just as she was about to push him away from her personal space, she suddenly felt a strong presence inside the room, one that sent shivers up her spine.

She knew this chakra better than anyone else.

It seems that Akira had already noticed it, as she could feel him tense up immediately. She watched him from the corner of her eye as his head slowly lifted itself up from her neck and his eyes shifted to the dark of the living room.

"T-That.."

Feeling her pulse starting to race, Sakura slowly maneuvered her head to the other side of Akira, anticipating what he was seeing but ready to confirm what she already thought.

She looked over her own shoulder and her eyes widened as they met with a pair of bright crimson orbs glaring at the two of them from the darkness of her living room. The only source of light was from the moon shining through her window which briefly outlined a tall silhouette; the rest of the figure remained a mystery being concealed in the dark. But it was already clear as to who it was.

Akira stiffened. Immediately, he released his positioning around Sakura and scrambled for balance, struggling to find words. "U-Uchiha Sasuke."

The dark figure started to move. A large cloak swayed as small movements were taken towards the two of them.

But in a split second, he was standing right in between her and Akira, zeroing in on him with murderous intent in his eyes.

It's him. Sakura thought to herself as she felt her knees becoming weak. He's standing right in front of me.

She would have lost her balance if it weren't for a strong arm quickly reaching to support her waist. She grasped the counter with one of her hands in an attempt to help herself.

Sasuke's gaze flickered over to the pink-haired girl in his arm. Although she still hasn't looked up to make eye contact with him, his eyes were narrowed and intent on her.

"Is this what happens when I'm away? You have men coming into your house trying to get with you?"

It looked like Sasuke was searching her face for an answer, although it was probably a rhetorical question. However, Sakura's mouth remained speechless, still trying to process what was happening all at once.

Finally, she turned her head to look at the Uchiha in the eyes. A wave of emotion rushed through her as her vision became adjusted to his dark figure. She could make out his strong jawline and his tall stature. She could also see that his hair was slightly longer than before, but it was still much like his old self.

"W-Where did you.." Akira continued to stutter, afraid to make any slight movements. He quivered in fear at the sight of the murderous man in front of him and what he might do. He knew he had touched what clearly belonged to him.

Sasuke's eyes quickly darted from observing his woman to the coward in front of him.

"What were you thinking of doing to her?"

"T-That's none of your business, Uchiha." Akira shuffled a step back when Sasuke released the girl in his arm and took a step forward.

The Uchiha leaned in on Akira, almost like an animal about to kill its prey. His right hand slowly reached and placed itself on the handle of his katana as he slid out the base with his thumb.

"You gave me quite a show on my first night back."

Akira remained frozen, reluctant to make any movements as the raven-haired boy closed in on the side of his face.

"But you don't ever try anything with what belongs to me."

Immediately, he had Akira in a cold sweat and walking backwards before he made a run towards the door. He banged his side on the counter as he exited the kitchen. Sakura's heart skipped a little thinking of the possibility that Sasuke could have admitted to being a couple with her just now.

The two lovers stood in silence for a few moments before she spoke.

"Sasuke-kun.." Sakura started, still unsure of what to say. "When did you-"

"Who was that?" He asked as he made his way to turn on the light, ignoring her confusion. He spoke nonchalantly except for the slight sternness in his voice that gave away his concern.

"A friend of mine from the hospital.." Sakura's eyed widened, her cheeks flushing slightly pink as she recalled the awkward situation Sasuke had just witnessed between her and Akira. Shit. "Don't get the wrong idea."

Sasuke didn't seem to like her reaction. He narrowed his eyes at her. "I don't have any ideas."

His as-a-matter-of-fact tone earned a scowl from the pink-haired girl. One second he was protecting her and the next he was acting like he hardly cared.

"Then what if I said I liked him?" She asked, testing the waters.

"I didn't think you'd be that of an unfaithful person." The onyx-eyed boy replies, and she was unsure if he was accusing her of something or if he was just speaking hypothetically.

But she could tell from the look on his face that he wasn't content with the amount of information being given to him. She sighed and started again,

"I work with him at the hospital. We've been on the same medical team since the beginning of my practices."

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I don't like these new friends you're making."

"They're not all like that, Sasuke-kun."

In the midst of thought, the Uchiha's eyes wandered and rested on top of the pink-haired girls clothing. His eyebrows furrowed when he noticed her oversized shirt was too short, barely covering her thighs, exposing her creamy white skin.

Seeing her like that, no wonder she has all these random guys thinking they can get cozy with her when he's not around.

He walked back so that he was now near her again, standing in front of her face-to-face.

"Are you fooling around with people?" He shot, a barely detectable fierceness in his voice.

"No!" Sakura exclaimed, anger beginning to stir inside of her. She was offended as to how easily that came out of his mouth. What kind of a question is that? For a man of few words, he had a lot to say right now. "What are you doing here, Sasuke? Did you come back just to accuse me of infidelity?"

The Uchiha stared at her, dumbfounded, as if it wasn't obvious enough. "I came to see you."

After years, you come out of nowhere and question my loyalty. Sakura thought, pursing her lips. She felt herself at a loss for words, and decided to change the subject.

"We should go see Naruto." Sakura stated flatly, clearly still bothered as she placed a hand on his strong shoulder and gently maneuver him away from her path towards the door. "I'm sure he's wondering-"

"I'm staying right here." Sasuke's arm reaches out in front of her and grabs the side of her waist, causing her to recoil a little from the interruption of her walk. He blocked her path as the two of them stood side-by-side facing in opposite directions. "..Where I can see you. Just like I said."

She began to feel her heart race once more. She had a mix of emotions right now, somewhere in the midst of being pissed off, relieved, and happy.

The raven-haired boy took note of her expression and closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh. He tugs her on the waist so that the two of them now stood face to face with close proximity. Their eyes lingered on eachother for a moment and she noticed that his crimson orbs were now back to normal.

She didn't care if he was a fighter, an avenger or whatnot.

He came back for her, didn't he?

Sakura's face turned soft again, and she searched his gaze for a few seconds before speaking.

"I'm glad you're here."

Sasuke loosens his tenseness and responds by releasing his arm from her waist and letting his hand cup the back of her hair. He gave her a little pull and lowered his head down to plant his lips on the top of her forehead where her bangs started.

He kissed her hair and let his lips linger against her head as he took in her flowery scent. It reminded him of home. It reminded him of where he belonged.

She could feel him murmur from underneath her skin as he spoke softly with reassurance.

"I'm home, Sakura."

Sakura's lips formed into a gentle smile, placing a hand on his warm chest that coddled against her front and letting him pull her closer.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."