Chapter Text
The shower and accompanying bath that Sakura takes that night are the best things she’s ever experienced in her life.
Period. No exceptions. Not even the time Sasuke said her shuriken aim was “not bad” back in the Academy.
Her parents had welcomed her home with fierce hugs and a warm dinner, making her feel so loved and safe and home that the cave began to feel like a bad dream, rather than her reality mere hours ago. Or however long it was (she should probably figure that out).
Or it did, until Sakura pulls off the hospital pajama pants to reveal the surgical scar on her left leg.
She gasps when she sees it, utterly taken aback. It stretches all of the way from the lateral side of her knee to her hip bone, the discolored, puckered skin almost a marquise shape and easily three inches wide at its thickest point. It’s enormous and deeply ugly and she hates it so much it makes her cry.
Whatever muscle relaxers they administered must be beginning to wear off too because her thigh is beginning to feel a little weird. Sakura ends up laying the packet of PT stretches out on a stool next to the bathtub so she can try some without having to get out. The packet is very thorough, with detailed explanations and diagrams for each movement, which is uplifting. It makes the whole chronic pain thing feel a little less debilitating.
Once clean, Sakura changes into the clothes her mom had packed for her (studiously avoiding looking at her leg) and heads downstairs to join her family for some much-needed relaxation time. It’s gearing up to be one of her favorite types of evenings; her mom works on a sewing project on the living room floor while her dad reads from one of his ancient poetry collection books, often reciting one aloud for them to hear. Sakura gets to curl up under his arm on the couch, reading her own book and snacking on persimmon slices and matcha. It’s cozy and perfect and as Sakura begins to doze off, she thinks to herself that it doesn’t matter where they are or what they’re doing, as long as she’s with her family, she’s home.
Sakura blinks, snorting into bleary awareness when her center of gravity moves. But the familiar smell of her father’s aftershave soothes her, and she realizes muzzily that he must be carrying her to her bedroom like he’s done a thousand times before. With a happy hum, she curls into his chest as they head up the stairs. Her left ear is pressed to his kosode, so even though the sound is faint, she can feel the steady and slow beat of his heart, sweeter than any lullaby.
Her papa tucks Sakura into bed, pulling the covers all of the way up to cover her ear the way he knows she likes. No sooner than she’s sufficiently cocooned in warmth do the furry, familiar weights of the ninken begin to descend upon her duvet. Bull flops lazily at the foot of the bed like he always does, while Bisuke circles a spot at least three times before laying down. She can hear her father chuckle as Pakkun noses his way under the covers, curling up next to her belly.
Sakura dreams.
She’s back in the cave, but completely alone this time. The basalt spears stretch high, so high above her head she feels like a bug amongst the rubble. The sand-man and ponytail-man are there, bodies as bloody and mutilated as she left them, but they’re not dead anymore.
They’re just…talking.
The voice of the sand-man is so wet and raspy that his words are indistinguishable, but he keeps speaking anyway, his voice like the drone of a throng of monks, layers and layers of wordless tones. That clear liquid is still sluicing down the ruined skin of his face, soaking the front of his gi like gruesome tears. Ponytail-man responds occasionally, and somehow Sakura feels like she understands the words but couldn’t repeat them if someone were to ask. His leg is still bleeding heavily, the pool of blood growing bigger and bigger and bigger.
Sakura can’t move, frozen where she sits against her stupid stone spear. The blood spreads until it reaches sand-man first, seeping into his pants, painting his legs a deep crimson. When he moves, the heavy, wet slap of soaked fabric echoes in the chamber, making her skin crawl. Then it reaches Sakura.
Her sandals first, then her ankles. The blood feels hot, almost boiling as it spreads up past her knees, and Sakura feels sick from the heavy smell of iron. When it reaches the vulnerable area of her hips and thighs, she tries to swipe at it with her hands, to move away, to cry out, anything but she’s utterly frozen, utterly helpless.
No no no no! She wants to scream, but nothing comes out.
The blood begins to squirm as if alive, creeping up her belly, soaking her haori. The sensation of it writhing, slimy and warm, turns her stomach. Gods please make it stop please please please!
It climbs and climbs, slithering up her throat, worming it’s way into her mouth and—
Sakura wakes with a gasp, shooting upright.
The cry that had been building in her throat comes out as a broken sob, and Sakura can do nothing but clutch at her duvet as her galloping heart thunders in her chest. The ninken faithfully try to console her, offering gentle headbutts and snouts pressed into her neck and hands.
The cold wetness of their snuffling noses is such a difference from the slithery, hot blood that she sobs now with relief as the vice-grip of the night terror begins to loosen on her mind.
”I’m,” she manages between gasps. “I’m okay. I’m okay.”
The reassurance is as much for her as it is for them.
The pink, flower-shaped digital clock on Sakura’s nightstand only reads just after 3AM, meaning she ought to at least try and catch a bit more sleep. Ugh.
Her sheets are soaked with sweat, and the fabric of her pajamas clings irritatingly to her skin. Sakura quickly changes into a fresh pair and pulls her duvet and pillow off of the bed, creating a ramshackle nest in the middle of her room. The ninken assemble into a true puppy-pile this time, and Sakura tucks her body into the furry nooks, seeking warmth.
“If it makes you feel any better,” comes Bull’s deep, guttural rumble. “Boss is keeping watch on your roof tonight.”
Sakura blinks, surprised. Kakashi-sensei? Why?
“He doesn’t have to do that,” she murmurs, for lack of a better response. To be abundantly clear, knowing her teacher is guarding her is more comforting than anything she could imagine, but…she doesn’t want to impose, either.
“It’s more for him than it is for you, pup,” Pakkun grumbles from his spot tucked up against her belly. “He’s gonna be antsy for a little while.”
“Oh.”
He probably feels guilty, she realizes. She never did actually tell him the whole ordeal wasn’t his fault. Really, it’s her fault. Though sensei would probably argue with her over that, too.
Unstoppable force meets immovable object, she muses. We could probably power the whole village with our combined guilt and anxiety.
The thought makes her smile to herself, and after a few minutes, Sakura falls into an uneasy sleep.
It takes four stops at four different supermarkets to allow Sakura to accumulate the supplies necessary for her apology plan.
Her parents accompany her to the first store, in addition to the ninken, and Mebuki is so impressed by the dogs’ ability to sniff out bargains that she requests their company for all future grocery runs. She even offers to craft them each a special dog bed in return, which is received with much excited yelping and barking. Kizashi springs for dango for everyone (including the ninken) and it is all around a very pleasant morning.
However, Sakura clears the shelves of her needed items at that location and is still short, so she bids her parents farewell and sets off to the next closest supermarket with eight furry companions in tow.
It’s only once she’s emptied the stock of the second and third store that the dogs begin to give her odd looks.
“Do you really need this many…?” Akino asks, the words a little muffled by the very full paper bag he’s got clamped in his teeth.
“Yup,” Sakura answers firmly, already making a brisk trot for the next store. “I’ve almost got enough!”
Indeed, the next supermarket provides enough of what she needs (or so she hopes) and with high spirits and fully-encumbered arms, Sakura heads for her team’s favorite bridge.
“Hmm,” Sakura hums, surveying her potential canvases. The bridge itself won’t do because other people need to walk on it, and her stuff might get in the way. She’d also like it to be a bit of a surprise, so arranging it all a little off the beaten path would be smart.
Ultimately, Sakura opts for a small outcropping of the nearby forest. There’s a little clearing in the middle that’s just perfect; plenty of space but the surrounding trees offer some decent cover.
She has the ninken dump the contents of all of the bags onto the ground and begins to assemble her masterpiece. It takes several minutes, a little finagling, and a few rounds of feedback from her canine friends to get it perfect.
But it is, indeed, perfect.
What is her masterpiece, you might ask?
‘I’m sorry :(‘ spelled out on the grass, the characters created by an alternating pattern of big, ripe tomatoes and cups of ramen. What better way to show people you care about them than with their favorite foods?
Sakura finishes just in time, too. It’s about five minutes until noon.
She gives the set-up a last once-over before nodding to herself. It will be the cherry on top of her apology sundae. Or something.
Excited, and more than a little nervous, Sakura heads back to the bridge at a jog. I sure hope they don’t run late today–
But her worries are unfounded, because there are two figures on the bridge, ones that she knows all too well.
“Sasuke, Naruto, good morning,” Sakura greets, smoothing down her shirt a little reflexively as she approaches. As her haori is temporarily out of commission, the paint-stained henohenomoheji shirt paired with her spare set of spandex shorts was Sakura’s choice this morning. In retrospect, the genin kinda wishes she chose something a little less shabby. At least her hair is tied back in her usual Noguchi-homage half ponytail, which helps strengthen her nerves.
“Oh! Er, good morning, Sakura-chan,” Naruto returns, in a burst of initial excitement that quickly dims into awkwardness. Sasuke gives her a brief nod and nothing else.
Sakura swallows, trying not to let the chilly reception tank her mood. It’s showtime.
Walking up to face her boys, Sakura bends into a deep bow. “Naruto, Sasuke, I want to apologize to you both,” she begins, before straightening.
The looks on their faces are of surprise and a little wariness, which isn’t ideal but something Sakura can work with. Beginning to sign her words as well, Sakura continues, “You both brought up very valid points yesterday, and I dismissed them carelessly in the wake of my own anger and fear.”
Now she looks to her black-haired teammate. “Sasuke, you’re right that my behavior doesn’t allow for trust. If I had to constantly worry about one of you trying to take every blow or make the sacrifice play, it would be incredibly distracting in addition to being upsetting. It’s not fair that I expected you to deal with that, especially since I made the decision without talking to anyone first. Going forward, I will do my best to communicate better with the team, and to not take on the responsibility for more danger than I should.”
Then she turns to the blond. “Naruto, you made an important distinction yesterday, that our team is not the village. And you’re right. I don’t exist in a vacuum, and my actions impact the people around me the most. Sweeping my choices under the rug of ‘village protocol’ was an accurate reflection of my intentions but that doesn’t mean they weren’t hurtful or even dangerous. From now on, I will try my hardest to honor my duty to this village but from within the framework of our team’s values, instead of the other way around.”
Sakura faces them both once more, hands clenched into fists at her sides. “I…I do love Konoha. I think we’re a good village. But there are things that need to change. And I think our team could change them, some day.”
She bends into a deep bow once more. “I am sorry for what I did. Please allow me to remain on Team Seven so we can become strong together, strong enough to lead Konoha into a better future!”
Sakura is met with silence for a few long moments. Well, that’s not promising, she thinks to herself.
She lingers in her bow before beginning to straighten, peeking up with one eye clenched shut as if expecting a physical blow.
And indeed, what she finds is stunning, though not in a bad way.
Naruto is clearly choking back tears, his cheeks red, while Sasuke stares at her with determination writ large on his face.
“Sakura-chan,” Naruto says, but it comes out more like Zagura-jan from the crying. “Apology accepted! Let’s be on Team Seven together forever!”
Sakura takes that as her cue, and on impulse she rushes forward to grab the blond in a hug. They squeeze each other tight for a moment.
Then she steps back so she can grip him by the shoulders. “Naruto,” she says fiercely. “I don’t just believe you’re going to become hokage. I’m gonna help make it happen.”
“H-heck yeah!”
“I agree.”
Sakura startles at the unexpected comment, and turns to face Sasuke. His cheeks are reddened slightly, and his gaze cuts away, but his hands begin to shape familiar signs.
“When nobody is being dumb, we make a good team,” he signs. “There are things I want to change, too. I bet we could do it.”
Sakura’s smile is surprised and delighted, and she nods eagerly. On impulse, she holds out her pinky to the two boys. “Let’s swear on it!”
Naruto’s pinky hooks around hers without hesitation, which is expected, but to her complete surprise and delight, Sasuke’s hand joins as well. The tangle of pinkies dips once before they disengage, and Sakura steps back with a newfound feeling of excitement and hope.
Then, she remembers her masterpiece.
“Oh! There’s one more thing,” she says, and beckons the boys to follow her. “I have a surprise for you guys.”
Naruto and Sasuke’s expressions are curious and dubious, respectively, but they both trail after her readily enough. The trio makes the short trek into the forested outcropping, and Sakura finds herself almost skipping with glee. Now for the cherry on top!
The genin turns and walks backwards for the last remainder of the journey so she can witness the looks on her teammates’ faces when they see her genius idea. Once the trees thin into the clearing, she makes a grand sweeping gesture and says, “Ta-da!”
Silence.
Sakura blinks, surprised by the looks of confusion and uncertainty on the boys’ faces. She was sure that Naruto at least would react with excitement, given his obsession with ramen. What gives…?
“Er, Sakura-shan,” Naruto says uncertainly and points just over her shoulder. “Is that…supposed to be happening?”
“Huh?” Sakura whirls, and then lets out a cry of surprised rage at the scene before her.
Tanuki!
Indeed, five tanuki badgers are currently in the process of completely destroying her creation.
It’s a disaster. Tomatoes strewn about with bites taken out of them, ramen cups torn open and the dried noodles broken and gnawed on, the words long, long gone.
The tanuki pay Sakura’s fury absolutely no mind and continue munching on the remnants of her hard work. She watches one take a single bite out of a big, beautiful tomato before tossing it over its shoulder and that snaps her out of her stunned daze.
Sakura lets out a wordless battle cry and rushes the small crowd of beasts. Four of the five scatter with a cacophony of chitters and squeaks, but one holds its ground.
Sakura skids to a halt, hands raised as she squares up with the tanuki. She can see now it’s bigger than the others were, and has a brutal scar in the place of one eye. It’s also wearing a necklace of large round beads and magatama, almost like a rosary.
He must be the boss, she surmises. Then, wait, are these regular tanuki…?
There’s a beat, before the tanuki makes a break for it. Sakura tries to head him off, but the badger feints and spins, deftly dodging her grasping hands. Then it lunges, surprising her so much she stumbles backwards with a squeak.
Her guard breached, Sakura tries to regain her balance while the tanuki scrambles up her front, little claws digging for purchase in her shirt and skin. He then uses her forehead like a launchpad, kicking off with all four paws. The force of the jump knocks Sakura onto her butt, and she goes down with a yelp.
There’s the distinct sound of a creature disappearing into the underbrush, and then…silence.
Dazed, Sakura can only stare at the mess in front of her. What…what just happened?
The silence continues for another few seconds before Naruto’s loud guffaws shatter it. Sakura looks over her shoulder to see the blond in stitches, almost brought to his knees by how hard he’s laughing. She’s about to make an effort at explaining and rescuing her dignity (unlikely, but what the hell) but another sight makes her freeze.
Is that…could it be…?
Sasuke is looking away, one hand fisted in front of his mouth. Much more importantly, however, is the minute shaking of his shoulders, the way his eyes are narrowed with genuine amusem*nt.
Sakura’s bad ear and Naruto’s loud cackles make it impossible to hear him, so Sakura instinctively channels a little bit of chakra to her auditory system. The result is still so quiet it’s almost inaudible, but it’s there, and it’s real.
Sasuke is laughing.
The sound turns Sakura’s world on its head. Oh my god. Sasuke is actually laughing.
Unbidden, a snort finds its way out of her own mouth, followed by a poorly-restrained giggle. The joy that lights up in Sakura’s chest is so warm and bright and all-encompassing that she too collapses into helpless peals of laughter. It chases away the lingering anxiety in her chest, warming the parts of her that had been icy with fear ever since her fight with her teammates. She laughs and laughs and laughs.
Several long moments pass, filled with nothing but the sound of Team Seven’s mirth. Eventually, as the giggles begin to die down, another presence makes itself known.
“If you all are done terrorizing local fauna and plotting to overthrow the current government, there’s someone who’d like to speak to you.”
Sakura startles as Naruto squawks, “Kakashi-sensei!” And sure enough, the silver-haired jōnin descends from a nearby tree, landing with barely a tremble of the grass blades beneath his sandals.
But Sakura is way more focused on something else. “Sensei, your hair!”
Sure enough, it would appear as though their teacher took her suggestion and got the other side of his head shaved, leaving the top and back longer and shaggy as before. It makes him look a little edgy, and dare she say it…cool.
“Well, I figured I’d be lop-sided if I left it. Maybe even start walking at an angle,” he says with a shrug. “Could make combat tricky.”
Sakura snorts, though she’s internally quite delighted. That Kakashi-sensei thought high enough of her opinion to heed her suggestion…even if it was a whim, it makes her happy. Maybe her place on this team isn’t so tenuous after all.
“Looks the same to me,” Naruto squints at him critically. “But who cares! Sensei, who wants to see us?”
Sensei just gives them a guileless eye-smile. “Come with me and find out.”
Then he seems to pause for a moment. “Well, clean that up first. Team Seven doesn’t litter.”
“Kimura-san!”
Sakura forgets all propriety and rushes forward towards the woman, who is sitting upright in a veritable throne of pillows on a fancy-looking medical bed.
“Haruno-san, I am so very happy to see you,” Kimura-san greets, taking Sakura’s outreaching hands into her own and holding them close. “Welcome home.”
Sakura feels tears well up for like the billionth time in the last two days, which is annoying but she’s gonna focus on the positives right now. For example, that Kimura-san and her baby are okay! It’s a delightful surprise, and Sakura thinks she can forgive sensei for not preparing them.
Indeed, Kakashi-sensei had led the genin members of his team wordlessly into the village, past the bustling downtown area and towards the quieter, wealthier neighborhood that Sakura isn’t very familiar with. They followed him like the obedient ducklings they are, down a few winding streets of low-seated walls and pleasingly-trimmed sakura trees until they stopped at a large, elegant and traditional-looking home. Sakura had felt deeply out of place in her ratty T-shirt and not a whisper of makeup or hair product to be seen.
But that hardly matters now because Kimura-san is here and safe and smiling at her.
“You’re really okay, Kimura-san?” Sakura asks, clutching Kimura-san’s hands tightly. “You and the baby?”
“Right as rain,” she answers with a happy smile. “And I think after everything, you are more than welcome to call me Nobuko.”
Sakura grins, elated, and can’t help but hop up and down with excitement. “And you can call me Sakura!”
Nobuko returns her smile before glancing over her shoulder. “And this is Yoshida Yuu, my fiancé.”
Sakura startles, somehow having completely missed the fact that there is a whole human man standing on the other side of the bed. What was it that sensei said about shinobi and situational awareness…?
Whatever.
He’s handsome in a fine way, high cheekbones and a slender jaw. Kind green eyes. His shiny black hair is pulled into a low ponytail, and his clothes, while simple and traditional, are clearly very well made and expensive.
“I am honored to meet the shinobi who saved Nobuko,” the man says, addressing her whole team as he dips his chin in deference. “I cannot thank your team enough for bringing her back to me safely.”
Sakura flaps her hands, unaccustomed to such direct gratitude. “It’s no problem—"
But he’s not finished. “And you, Haruno-kun, have my deepest gratitude. Without your courage and sacrifice, I fear she would have been lost to me forever.”
He bends into a deep bow, stunning Sakura so much that she just stares with a slack jaw.
This… this man is the cousin of the actual Fire Daimyo and thus literal royalty. And he just bowed to her like she was the important one.
Sakura returns the bow, suddenly flustered. “I’m just happy that everyone made it out okay!”
Then something occurs to her, and she gasps. “Wait—fiancé!?”
Nobuko giggles at her awed excitement, before nodding a little shyly. “As soon as we were reunited, he asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes!”
Sakura squeals. Married!! To her quasi-princely boyfriend! After a daring rescue! It really is something out of a fairytale!
“Congratulations, Nobuko!” She says, tears (of joy this time, thankfully) gathering in her eyes. “Will you be moving to Konoha, then? Or the capital, I guess?”
A strange expression flits over Nobuko’s face, though it doesn’t seem negative in nature.
“It’s…well, I’m not sure,” Nobuko answers, before turning to look up at her fiancé.
“Since Yuu abdicated his position as a senior aid to the daimyo in order to get engaged to me, we were originally planning to move back to eastern Fire, perhaps Tsurui, to start a homestead, but–”
“Abdicate? Why?” Sakura interjects, unable to help her curiosity.
This time, Yoshida-sama is the one who answers. “Some terrible archaic traditions about marriage and noble heritage. But none of that matters to me, as long as I can be with Nobuko.” He bends to drop a sweet kiss on the crown of the woman’s head.
Sakura all but swoons while Naruto makes a blech! noise somewhere behind her. She ignores him.
“However, right after I submitted my intent to abdicate to his highness the daimyo, some…matters came to light,” the man continues, one hand settling on Nobuko’s back.
Now, it is Kakashi-sensei who interjects. “Investigators were sent to the mill after Abe vanished, and found the late Abe-oji-san’s will,” he says, arms crossed in front of him. “Turns out he left everything to Kimura-san, here. She is now the rightful owner–and has been, this whole time–of the largest steel mill in Fire.”
Sakura gapes. “Whoa!”
Yoshida-sama’s expression becomes a little sardonic. “Interestingly, my family informed me soon after that they have decided to adopt a more progressive stance on marriage and that they would happily welcome Nobuko and our child into the family.”
Sakura’s stomach churns with the realization. “...ah.”
“Ah, indeed,” he agrees. “Evidently, wealth is an acceptable substitute for blood.”
Sakura…isn’t sure how she feels about that. Both from the perspective of their marriage only being accepted because of Nobuko’s sudden wealth and the fact that the largest steel mill in Konoha will become an asset of the daimyo’s family. As if they didn’t have enough power and money already.
“Huh,” she eventually says in a hopefully neutral tone of voice. “Well, it’s stupid they were going to disown you for that, but I’m glad it worked out in the end.”
Yoshida-sama looks troubled. “Yes, I suppose.”
At the very least, his concern is reassuring. It makes Sakura feel like she can trust his love for Nobuko is real.
“So…you’ll live in Tetsugawa instead?” She wonders. Where does Yoshida live, anyway? As a senior aid to the daimyo, he must reside in the capital, she muses.
“At least temporarily,” Nobuko answers. “That… man all but gutted the infrastructure of the mill, and I’ll need to spend some dedicated time getting everything back up to code again while training my replacement at the same time.”
Sakura nods, that all makes sense. She’s very glad to hear the pollution issues will get fixed up. But there is one thing…
“Does that mean you’ll have to live separately?” she asks, suddenly anxious at the prospect. “Since Yoshida-sama is still working for the daimyo?”
“Yeah, yeah! Aren’t you worried about that creepy dude showing up and making trouble?” Naruto adds, voicing Sakura's remaining thoughts before she can.
Yoshida-sama’s smile is sharper this time. “I will be wherever Nobuko is. Daichi is understanding of that.”
Sakura is confused for a moment about who he may be referring to, before it strikes her that the freaking daimyo’s name is Yoshida Daichi. And this man just used his first name, and so casually! Suddenly, the status of the man in front of her feels way more daunting. Sakura fidgets with her hair.
“One distinct benefit of having my family’s support of our marriage,” Yoshida-sama continues, “Is access to their exceptional protection detail. We will be well-guarded. Also, you may call me Yuu.”
Sakura’s belly swoops with relief. “That’s great…uh, Yuu…sama.”
“Speaking of marriage,” Nobuko pipes up, her words brimming with excitement. “I’d like to formally invite you all to the wedding.”
Sakura gasps, any and all nobility- and weapons market monopoly-related concerns evaporating instantly. “Really?!”
“Of course!” Nobuko laughs. “You saved my life. I would be honored to have your team attend.”
Sakura squeals, hopping up and down with glee. A wedding! A royal wedding! She whirls on her team. “We’ll be there, right?!”
Naruto is nodding, appearing a combination of confused but excited. Sasuke’s expression is one of curiosity, but he also nods. Kakashi-sensei just looks bored.
She turns back to Nobuko, nodding firmly. “We’ll be there.”
Team Seven spends a little while longer visiting Nobuko, chatting about this and that. Sakura can’t help herself and keeps directing the conversation back to the wedding by way of asking questions. She’s just so excited! She’s never been to a wedding before, let alone a fancy one!
As it turns out, the wedding will be happening quite soon—it needs to, before the baby is born. Just two months away, in fact. The exchanging of vows and sharing of sake cups will take place in a secluded shrine outside of Konoha, near to one of the daimyo’s vacation estates. The ceremony will be relatively small, with just the daimyo’s family, the clan heads of Konoha, and a few other special guests as part of the procession (along with the bride and groom, of course).
Conversely, the reception—to be held in Konoha the following day—will be massive, a huge bash with high-ranked attendees from all over the world.
“It is unusual for the mere cousin of the daimyo to receive such an honor,” Yuu-sama explains to a wide-eyed Team Seven. “But my cousin is very shrewd. I believe the event will serve as something of a preamble to the chūnin exams, wherein many foreign aristocrats will already be in Fire country.”
Sakura blinks, nodding, though she's unsure how that could relate to any shrewdness. She doesn’t remember much about those exams—Iruka-sensei had mentioned them in passing during the academy—other than that Hidden Villages take turns hosting them and that they’re one of the ways to progress from genin to chūnin rank.
Kakashi-sensei makes a noise of understanding. “Ah. A chance for the Land of Fire to show off her riches, before demonstrating her power,” he murmurs.
Yuu-sama nods. “An ostentatious display at the exams would look frivolous, but truly there is no greater opportunity for the extreme and superfluous flaunting of wealth than a wedding, no?”
Sakura watches as her sensei nods, before he sighs, abruptly looking a little exhausted. Something about this conversation has vexed him, and Sakura can only wonder what.
At that moment, Nobuko lets out a jaw-cracking yawn, and Kakashi-sensei apparently takes that as the cue to leave. He claps his hands once and announces that they really ought to be going. And while Sakura wishes she could stay longer and chat more, they really should allow the exhausted mother-to-be to sleep.
Nobuko and Sakura hug no fewer than three times before Team Seven finally takes their leave.
“Thank you again, for everything,” the woman says sincerely. “I’m looking forward to seeing you all again soon!”
Yuu-sama sees them all of the way to the front gate of the estate, graciously waving off the attendants who seem a little confused by him taking on such an endeavor.
Before they can depart, Yuu-sama beckons Sakura to him briefly. Curious, she steps close, finding herself startled by how intently he’s regarding her.
“Haruno-kun,” he murmurs, going so far as to kneel in the dirt so they may be eye-level. “One last time, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your actions in Tetsugawa. They saved the love of my life and my unborn child.”
Sakura flushes pink at the sincere praise, but he continues to speak before she can begin demuring.
“I am indebted to you in a way I cannot hope to ever truly repay,” Yuu-sama says quietly. “But please, If you need anything—and I mean anything—please contact me and I will do my utmost to see the request completed. Alright?”
Sakura can scarcely bring herself to nod, but manages it. “Alright.”
He returns the nod, before standing to his full height. His attention shifts, and his next words appear to be addressing her whole team.
“I shall send details regarding the wedding ceremony once I have them,” he announces with a nod. “Watch for my hawk, Shigemori. He has a silver cuff stamped with the Yoshida crest.”
And then he’s gone.
The four of them stare at the closed gate for a few long moments before Naruto shrugs and heads back down the road they came from. Sasuke, never one to be left in the dust, hurries after him. A speed-walking competition ensues.
Sakura and Kakashi-sensei follow at a more sedate pace.
“I’ve never been to a wedding before,” Sakura comments idly.
“Me either.”
Sakura squints up at him. “Really?” she says skeptically. “Your hair tells me that you’re definitely old enough to have friends who got married. Maybe even divorced and remarried.”
A total lie, especially given sensei’s new haircut and outfit update. He looks young and even kinda cool. But she can’t let him know that, it’s the principle of the thing!
He gives her a mild glare and bops the back of her head with his knuckles. “I’m twenty-six.”
Sakura snickers, though internally she’s reeling at the revelation. Twenty-six?! But he’s so mature and experienced and cool and…well, gray!
“Maybe I’ll start calling you Kakashi-oji-san,” she muses instead of voicing any of those embarrassing thoughts.
“Brat,” Kakashi-sensei-grumbles, and scruffs her by the back of her shirt so he can shake her like a puppy.
“You better not mess with me,” Sakura warns, swallowing her giggles to kick out at him from her dangling position. “I’ve got a favor I can call in with the bigwigs now!”
He catches both ankles in one hand, leaving her strung up like a fresh-caught marlin. Okay well that backfired.
“I’m shaking in my boots,” Kakashi-sensei deadpans.
“You don’t even wear boots,” Sakura retorts, before twisting one leg so she can pinch some of sensei’s arm between her big and second toe, and hard. Because, y’know. Also no boots.
“Gah!” sensei cries, releasing both of her ankles. “So mean to your beloved teacher!” He sounds aghast, and lets go of her shirt too.
Sakura lands lightly on her feet and sticks her tongue out at him. Then a little impulsively, she says, “You looked kinda worried for a sec earlier, when we were talking to Nobuko. What was that about?”
He freezes briefly before his body language loosens. “Can’t get anything past you, huh,” Kakashi-sensei mutters, apparently rhetorically. He rubs the back of his neck, gaze shifting up and off as if in thought.
“Sensei…?”
“This whole…courageous rescue, fancy wedding situation,” he says, waving a hand to indicate all that has transpired over the last several days. “It’s not exactly going to help with keeping a lid on your reputation.”
Sakura swallows, her stomach turning to ice. “Oh.”
“On the other hand, you’ve got some pretty good friends in some pretty high places, now,” he adds, sounding thoughtful. “That’s nothing to sniff at. In the end, I’d say it comes out as a net positive, actually.”
Sakura sighs with relief. “That’s good–”
But sensei isn’t finished, and his expression darkens with consternation again. “Although technically, there is a small but non-zero chance you could end up in a bingo book, since you tangled with those nuke-nin.”
Tangled is an awfully cute way of rephrasing murder, Sakura thinks numbly.
But who cares about that?! Sakura is way, way more concerned with—
“B-buh-bingo book?!”
Sakura shifts, curling up tighter and pulling her duvet up and over her ears. Hm. Nope, still not right.
She rolls over onto her other side and adopts a half-splayed position. Still no good.
She lies flat on her stomach. Nope. Then on her back, fingers interlaced on her belly. Also no.
Sakura …Sakura just can’t sleep!
Apparently the compounded excitement of the day (and there was a lot, thank you) wasn’t enough to drain Sakura of her jittery energy. Jumpy and restless, all she can do is toss and turn in her big fluffy bed.
Shiba and Bull, her ninken guests for the night, gave up on dealing with her fussing a while ago and are simply snoring away on her floor. Sakura eyes them enviously, wishing desperately that she too could be snoozing away. She’s so, so tired, but it seems like no matter how many mugs of cozy tea she drinks or how many pages she reads of the world’s most boring book on types of wood-rot…sleep just will not come.
Her body feels…odd. Not painful, but just a little bit uncomfortable, like when the sleeve of your shirt gets wadded up in your jacket sleeve when you pull it on. Even her gums feel weird, almost tender. Some kind of tooth infection? But that would be more obvious, wouldn’t it?
To make matters worse, Sakura must have accidentally used way too much detergent when she last cleaned her bedding because the smell of floral soap is almost overwhelming. It makes her head feel too tight and her skin feel too small, with every overblown sensation like sandpaper against the back of her brain. This is awful.
It’s only once the genin figures out how to dull her sense of smell with chakra that she’s able to relax, grateful that she’d had some practice with sense reduction back in the cave. The trick is enough to nudge Sakura past the precipice of wakefulness, and she falls into an uneasy sleep.
Of course, Sakura wakes again and again, irritated into consciousness by the restlessness of her legs and the onslaught of detergent-smell. Her longest sleeping spell is but two hours, and it is rudely ended by the insistent blaring of her alarm.
“At least I didn’t have any nightmares,” Sakura grumbles. Her mouth feels fuzzy and thick from sleep, the words slurring together. She rubs her jaw and clambers out of bed. I probably never even got close to REM sleep.
On top of that, Sakura’s temples and jaw feel tight, like she spent the whole night clenching her teeth. The insides of her cheeks even feel a little raw, in addition to the still-sensitive gums. Sakura runs her tongue experimentally over the soft tissue of her cheek to probe for more damage and then freezes.
What…what was that?
Hesitantly, Sakura pokes closer to the front of her mouth this time. There’s…something missing. In fact, there are several things missing. She uses her fingers to check this time, certain it must be her imagination, but…no.
Sakura makes a mad dash to the bathroom, her heart galloping. What? What is happening?!
Sakura braces herself on the edge of the sink so she can lean into the mirror, and with a shuddering breath, pulls her lips back to reveal her teeth.
And then Sakura screams.
