#ssm21d11

[queen-serena]

[airashisakura]

For @ssskmonth Prompt used: Safe and Sound

Present

A/N: Major spoilers warnings for those who don’t follow Boruto Manga. After chapter 55 events.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

FFN | AO3

When a bunch of papers settled on Sakura’s desk, she realized she had been slacking off work more than she should have. The last few days had been too exhausting. Although she had been relieved when both Naruto and Sasuke had returned to the village, her heart clenched with the thought that if she had accompanied them, the situation wouldn’t have gotten so dire.

The last time Sasuke had come back injured and Naruto was brought back by kids, she had been determined to be there to protect them the next time. But that hadn’t been the case when Isshiki infiltrated Konoha, and an emergency was declared. She knew at the time of emergency, her role as medic nin was a greater priority than fighting in the battlefield. Still, the fact that they had left without her still stung her.

Why was she the one who was always left behind?

These days felt akin to the days she had trained under Tsunade — being left out by her teammates, unable to help them or make a difference. Always waiting for them to return then, waiting for them to recover now.

She sipped her coffee, before glancing at the clock and starting to go through the file of one of her teammates (her inner self blurted out Hokage-sama). She looked through the examination report she had run in the morning on Naruto. Naruto had protested, but she was adamant about it. Some things never really changed, she realized.

Although she was relieved that the reports stated that Naruto was fine, she knew her friend was struggling emotionally. Kurama had been there with him for a long time, and separating from him had left a big dent on his soul. Not to mention the issues with his son had been bothering him. She had overheard their conversation when Sasuke was at the hospital, and she had known him long enough to figure out the tone of his speech.

Closing the file, she realized it was about time she should go home. But before that, she reminded herself that she needed to make a quick visit to Tenten’s shop.

*****

When she reached her house, she found Sarada splayed on the couch with a book lying open on her chest. A gentle smile spread on Sakura’s face seeing her sleeping, but it faded when she realized she had been out for the whole day on her daughter’s birthday. She covered Sarada with a blanket, realizing it was too late to wake her up to give her birthday present. She took off her glasses and kissed her forehead, murmuring an apology.

Sighing, she walked to her room and was greeted by the sight of Sasuke sleeping — his head, resting on the headboard with an open scroll lying on his lap. She leaned against the door, taking a moment to observe him. He looked the same as he had that morning — tired and defeated.

The last time he had come back to her with serious injuries, she had thought nothing could be worse than that. She had hoped this time that she would welcome him back, but when things didn’t go as she anticipated, she couldn’t feel but feel angry that she was left behind.

She was spiralling deep into her redundant thoughts when she heard Sasuke saying, “Welcome back.”

She blinked, shaking her thoughts off because she couldn’t change what was done, and whispered back, “I’m home.”

“Is your eye giving you any trouble?” she asked, walking towards him.

Sasuke shrugged, “A little.”

She knew he was having a hard time, but he wouldn't admit like his sixteen year self. Some things never changed, she realized again.

“Did you eat?” Sakura asked as she started examining his left eye.

“Aah,” Sasuke smiled.

Sakura's heart warmed up seeing him smile. “Did something happen?” she asked.

“Sarada…" Sasuke sighed in relief as Sakura's chakra flowed through his eye. "She has really grown up,” Sasuke admitted.

Sakura admitted the same, smiling, but her features were still sad.

“Sakura?”

She looked towards Sasuke — a man she had known long enough, yet he looked so different to her now.

She lied, “Nothing. I feel bad because I couldn’t give her any time today. I wanted to make her favourite dishes.”

Sakura checked his other eye as she went on, “It’s just that she always treasures the little things. Once around her birthday, you had sent a letter, and…”

For a moment, she paused, pretending she was concentrating on checking his vision, but her inner self was daunted by the realization that she had been alone there too — raising Sarada all by herself.

“... and she had treasured it so much. I bet she still has it,” she tried to laugh it off though.

Before she could excuse herself, Sasuke held her wrist. Sakura didn't avoid Sasuke's gaze like she had done in the hospital. She flinched on realizing how immature it was to project the bitterness of being left behind on him like that.

They didn't say anything for a minute and savoured the silence between them.

However, when her vision blurred with tears, Sakura averted her gaze, and she let out her insecurity. “'I'm scared, Sasuke-kun.”

Scared because I’m used to you always coming back sound and safe to me.

She cupped Sasuke's cheeks, tenderly tracing them, as she whispered almost like a prayer, “Always come back safely to me.”

However, when Sakura saw the struggle in his eye, she apologized for what she had said.

Sasuke leaned forward against Sakura's torso. Sasuke thought about his resolve. He didn't want to back off from his resolve even if that hurted Sakura because he was Itachi's brother after all — like his brother, he would bear the pain of his loved ones but would hesitate to show it.

Sakura held him close to her body, clutching at his overgrown hair. She had married a man who put his duty first. Moreover, she was a shinobi herself, and she knew what she was asking was unfair. She just couldn't match the picture of her that always thanked him for his sacrifices, and her current self who lamented because she was afraid that in spite of his promise to return back to her, one day he wouldn't.

When they part, Sakura wipes her tears away, and Sasuke says, “Sakura, can you bring me a paper and pen?”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, but she did what Sasuke asked for.

She handed him those and sat down, looking in amazement while Sasuke tried to scribble something. After a few attempts, Sasuke’s vision finally adjusted, and Sakura read while he wrote.

Dear Sarada, You’re the light of my life.

Happy Birthday!

Sakura almost smiled, but she didn’t when she saw Sasuke frowning.

He scribbled something again and handed it to Sakura. Sakura read it now and smiled cheerfully after days. And for the first time after so many days, Sasuke felt like he was home. The bright smile on his wife's face was enough to assure him of that.

Dear Sarada, You’re the light of my our life.

Happy Birthday!

She rolled the paper carefully, saying, “We will give her in the morning.”

Sasuke nodded. Perhaps now he could understand what Itachi had felt. Now he finally realized that Itachi never regretted his decision, because he wanted Sasuke to shine. He was wrong when he thought that what he had lost had all been in vain. The little girl who brought so much light into his life thirteen years ago now had a bright future ahead of her.

fin

Credits: Thanks to @something-like-air for beta-ing and my constant source of motivation while writing this :)

[kishillaa]

SSM21 Day 11: Safe and Sound

This promt is the continuation of my SSM21 Day 10 promt.

***

"He was killed?"

"Yeah."

"Who did?"

"Some Konoha girl."

Snorted, "Didn't think Sasori would be defeated by a female."

"I wouldn't look past that. She is the Fifth Hokage's apprentice. Sakura Haruno if I'm not mistaken."

"I haven't heard about her."

"Meh, she's young. Anyway, I heard Sasori's henchmen is after her. She was able to create antidote for his famous poison. They went rage and wanted to kill her."

"Of course they will be. His poison is what kept them strong all this while."

"True. But I don't think they know though. The Konoha people."

"Sasori do works in secret. No one exactly knew he has a group of his own. If you weren't one of 'em before, we wouldn't have known either."

"Sneaky one, I must say."

-

The conversation Sasuke had accidentally heard during one of his mission for Orochimaru played in his mind.

There is only one female with pink hair in the village he left behind.

Sakura.

Sasuke was panting rather heavily, as he looks over the mess before him. A few of older men laying on the forest floor, at the brink of their death after the ever so furious Sasuke Uchiha, knocked them out of their breath, killing each and everyone of them.

It's been 2 years, and knowing the pink haired ex teammate of his were in danger, that she isn't aware of, knicked him off making he went reckless and find the pursuer at the boarder of the Konoha village. He was lucky he found them first, or else he might be the one laying on the ground, waiting for death calling for him.

He was furious, more to himself than anyone else. He had severed the bond, he was sure of it. But why, just at the mention of the pink hair konoha kunoichi made him do things he doesn't want to, things he should not necessarily do. Sure, they have started exchange letters by his summon, but he still doesn't want to have anything to do with her for now, until his goal is fulfilled.

Sasuke let out a defeated sigh, before he move away from Sasori's henchmen.

As if has the mind of their own, his legs and body makes it way through the forest towards Konoha hidden village. He quickly move to the top of the building when he reached the village at midnight.

From where he is locating, he can see that Sakura's window is widely open as if inviting him in.

Without further ado, he move using the roof and hop onto an electrical post to have a better view into Sakura's room.

He can clearly saw Sakura's sleeping figure as she sleeps with only her head peaking out of the blanket while the other part of the body was covered under it.

She looks distress, rather than calm in her sleep made Sasuke couldn't help but go closer and got into her room.

As if sensing Sasuke's presence, Sakura's head tilted to his direction.

Sasuke hold his breath and wait to see her reaction. When she didn't make any move after that, Sasuke let out a relief sigh.

He moves closer, standing beside her bed looking down at her trouble looking sleeping figure. Slowly, Sasuke sit himself on her tiled floor and stare at her sleeping face.

And then, "S–Sasuke - k-kun."

It was so faint, he almost couldn't hear it but of course he knew she was saying his name.

"P-please dont go." She mumurs again.

-

Sakura blinks, and when she did it for third time, she sees Sasuke. It isn't really Sasuke she knew though. Sasuke she remembered from her dream doesn't look as matured as this, and he usually wear a dark blue shirt that he often wore during their genin days. Sakura quickly dismiss the widen eyes Sasuke, thinking that its another dream.

Sakura groans, as she stretched out a little.

"You're up."

That voice makes her stop mid stretching, as her head snap to her side. "Sasuke-kun!"

She sat up so quick that her head went buzzed with dizziness. She hold it and wince, "Oww."

"Slow down." He said, somehow amused.

At that voice, she look at him. Biting her lips as tears of happiness and longing pooled in her eyes, she lunged herself at the Uchiha, bringing him into her embrace.

She was crying, that was obvious, "I missed you so much." She said in between her sobs, tightening her hold on him, afraid that he's going to leave her too soon.

"I should go back now." Sasuke said.

"I know. Ju–just let me hug you a second." She heard him sigh before he complies and circle his own hands around her. One of his hand is lowering her head to under his chin as he sniffs her hair.

"Your hair smell different, again." He mumbles.

"No, not really. I'm still using the same shampoo, but I just got back from the hospital few hours ago so the smell must've mixed with antiseptic or something." And then she cries harder, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you're coming, if I do I would've shower and wash my hair with that shampoo you like so much, but I just went out of a 24-hour shift and I was just so god damn tired, and one of my patients just died, and I could've save him, but I couldn't." And now she is crying with a whole different reason.

When finally, finally, her cries subsided, Sasuke spoke, "I don't mind. And I don't like them so much. It was just pleasant than this one." She likes how he purposefully left the dead patient out as he runs his fingers through her unruly hair. It always soothe and calmed her when he did, and he knew that.

She whines again, saying something she thought as I could've smell way better than this. Liking the way his hand combing her hair. A wave of nostalgia hit her like a tsunami as their secret moment as genin plays in her mind, if possible, she tighten her hands around him even more. She was just so glad Sasuke isn't one to complain simple stuff like that.

When they were in their kind-of-dating relationship, Sasuke has always sniff on her hair, he once revealed that he likes her smell, it was floral green shampoo which smell minty rain forest. She unfortunately had to change her shampoo to a coconut with vanilla scented shampoo when Pakkun said he use the same one. It traumatised her to use the same shampoo as a dog.

"It's still your smell." He heard him say as he breaths in her scent again causing the heat move up to her face. She pulls away gently to look him in the eye.

Before she utters a single word, Sasuke spoke, "You were hunt by Sasori's henchmen."

Sakura's eyes widen at the news, "What? How do you know?"

Sakura watch as his shoulder moves up and down slowly, "I have my source."

"From Orochimaru?"

Sasuke shakes his head, "No. They didn't even know Sasori was dead."

She nodded, feeling relieved, if Orochimaru knew, their chances went lower to zero to put up to their idea in finding his hideout, "Good. I have to be careful, then."

"There's no need. I killed them all."

This time, Sakura's eyes widen again in surprised, "What?"

"You heard me."

"I know, but why?"

He rolls his eyes and scoff, "Because who else is going to clean the Uchiha compound if you're dead." he deadpan.

The sarcasm lacing through the sentence was so loud that Sakura has to laugh, "You're such a dork, Sasuke-kun."

"Hn." Was his smart boring response.

"Do you have any injuries? I can heal you."

"Just small cuts hear and there. I'll be fine." But Sakura insist.

"Please, let me show off my improved skills while you're away."

And show off she did.

"You're good."

Sakura beamed, with small blush covering her cheeks, "I've learnt from the best."

"That's good, then. I can't seems to regret leaving you now that you're able to heal and kill at the same time."

"Sasuke-kun, don't say that. I will always wanted you stay. It feels so lonely when I sat at the dock few weeks after your departure, that I had to stop going."

Sasuke didn't voice out anything after that as they sit in silence.

"Thank you for coming tonight,"

Sasuke shrugs, "Just want to make sure you're safe and sound."

Sakura's teeth sunk into her lower lips as a sob makes it way out of her throat, he's saying goodbye. Without very much of a warning, Sakura cup Sasuke's cheeks, angle her head and capture his lips with hers.

Her tears cascade down her cheeks at the nostalgic way Sasuke went rigid at her sudden attack before he kiss her with just the same intensity. His lips is still as soft as she remembered, he's still a little bit stiff at the beginning of their kiss, and still so furiously good as they went by.

When they pull apart, both were breathing so hard as their forehead attached, "I love you, Sasuke-kun. I still do. Always do."

"I know," He said, and then, "Thank you, Sakura." All she can feels is a soft peck on her forehead while her eyes focus on the whirling of tomoe of Sasuke's sharingan, bringing her to a deep slumber.

[xlalalandx]

Day 11: Safe & Sound - ssskmonth

Source: Ep. 23 from Boruto

[pinkhairedlily]

Freedom

Prompts: Crossover, Distant, Safe and Sound | A03 link here | Connect with me on Twitter. Happy SS Month everyone! 🌸🍅🥗 @ssskmonth

Some confused drabble on Gundam Seed crossover with SS, referencing the scene where Lacus Clyne saved Kira Yamato from his fight with Athrun Zala. Technical notes at the end of the post!

The clanging of metals, the smell of burning wires, the endless beeping of the monitor, and the sickening slash of Justice’s sword through his cockpit. He remembered being exposed to the open air, hearing the waves of a nearby ocean, and seeing Naruto’s face in a Zaft uniform – his face constricted in extreme anger and hatred. He thought this was what he deserved for killing Hyuuga Neji, but he was caught in a crossfire and war was a matter of survival.

Then there was the explosion.

No matter which way one saw it, he should have been dead. Naruto’s Justice detonated after the blonde ejected out of safety. His stomach was bleeding out from a debris when they clashed into one of the PLANT’s areas. He should have been dead, but instead, he woke up to the gentle singing of a familiar voice.

Sakura Haruno, the famed icon and face of PLANT and the only child of the leader of Haruno Faction which was the primary peacekeeping force and bridge between the Zaft Forces and Earth Alliance. Long pink, wavy hair framed the sides of his face and tickled the bandages on his skin while striking green eyes try to follow the movement of his pupils. Some months ago, he rescued her while she drifted in space inside an escape pod, her escort having been mistakenly struck by Earth Alliance as an offensive party. Some months ago, he amicably returned her safely to her fiancé, Naruto, in a covert operation. Some months ago, he met her and got to know her kindness. And now, he was bound to receive it again.

“Sasuke? Can you hear me?” Her hands gently brushed the fringes away from his face. How long has he been out? Somewhere, he heard the waves go up against the same shore. “You can sleep, if you want. Sleep for as long as you want. I’ll be here.”

-------------------------------

What was this place? It seemed devoid of war – pristine shores, blue sea, the quiet rustling of palm leaves, the warm sunshine. So far off from the neutral colony he grew up in – of the sudden attack and open fire from the skies, so far off from the open space where galaxy belts have been littered with gundam debris and frozen bodies.

She found him on the edge of the ocean, the waves lapping his wrinkled bare toes. He has been here for hours. She made her way to his side, followed by a small pink circular shape hopping across the sand.

“Haro! Haro! Haro!” The robot cried out after its owner; Sakura spun around and caught Naruto’s creation between her hands, nuzzling it as if it was her pet.

Sasuke hesitated for a while – she was a Coordinator after all, conceived with the most superior genes, and he was too, he was but he hated their kind all the same. The same kind who saw themselves far above the Naturals to the extent that they would wage war and kill.

“How tiring, isn’t it?” Sakura suddenly asked out of the blue, her green eyes arresting him in all their sincerity. “The senseless fighting when there is good in everyone.”

“That’s not true,” he rebutted…which was stupid because he hadn’t thanked her yet for saving him.

“Naruto is a good person even when you were kids, isn’t that right?” The circular robot was wriggling in her hands and she let it go, only for it to almost fall to the water and to its electrifying death if not for Sasuke’s quick hands.

“You also have some good in you,” she said with a smile. She took the fussy robot from his hands and went back to their family mansion.

-------------------------------

Sasuke found himself drifting in and out of his own consciousness; he would always fall into a daydream, the collage of the civilian ship ejecting from their mother ship and getting struck by a missile keep replaying in front of him. Screams would often escape him, even during daylight, but the touch of her hands steadied him, and her green eyes would reel him back to safe ground.

He would allow himself to lean further into her skin, liking the warmth a little too much, but torn all the same. She was his childhood friend’s fiancé, and he stole too many precious people away from him already.

It was effective, the way she led him in walks along the shore, her hand in his, and haro following closely behind, filling in the gaps of silences with his automated voice. When the robot finally stopped chirping to recharge, she would let go of his hand and hum a random song. He might have heard it before, in a far away moment and now unfamiliar moment of peace, when he was still a student and led a normal life.

“I killed Neji,” he blurted out, unaware of the consequences, but possibly to rile her up, to make her angry at him, to make it easier to go away.

Sakura brought her loose strands to the side of her shoulder, braiding the length of it while averting her gaze from him. “When I was fifteen, the Zaft Forces struck the civilian plane my mom was in. She accompanied my father to a diplomatic meeting with the Orb Union while I was here in PLANT. But I caught a fever and I asked for her despite being surrounded by nurses. I really missed her that time, you see. So she went on board the earliest civilian plane in Panama. Unfortunately, it was also the day the Earth Forces skirmished with Zaft and a stray missile hit their engine. That put a metaphorical dent as well in the diplomatic discussions.” She returned her attention to him, her pink hair unfinished and already coming undone. “We all suffered deaths, one way or the other, and each loss only breeds hatred if the cycle isn’t broken.”

“And how do you propose to do that?”

“Kindness,” Sakura extended her hand to him, and he subconsciously reached out to accept it.

-------------------------------

“Sakura-chan!”

Sasuke avoided the throng of kids that suddenly surrounded Sakura. He found himself standing beside Sai, the reverend who pulled him from the wreckage some weeks ago.

“They’re Naturals, if you’re wondering,” Sai said. “Rescued and fostered here under a neutrality agreement.”

“Savior’s complex?” Sasuke asked, still defensive about the matter.

“Just common moral decency.” The reverend had this mysterious smile etched forever on his face, and while Sasuke learned to read people, he could never read him accurately.

When the orphanage visit calmed down, and they were left alone with biscuits and tea on the gazebo overlooking the ocean, Sakura received the video message transmitted through Haro. She instinctively angled her body so whoever was on the other side won’t see him.

“Ms. Haruno,” a voice started. “We caught wind of some news.”

Sakura nodded, a cue to continue.

“It’s Operation Spitbreak. The real target is the Alaska HQ.”

Sasuke hitched a breath – if he recalled correctly, his mother ship Archangel intended to refuel there and stock on supplies. All the big guns were in Panama, strategizing for the penultimate and inevitable battle. So why Alaska?

Ah, they were the remaining big ship with the firepower that could match them.

Sakura noticed the change in his countenance, and she immediately ended the call after a quick word of thanks. Arms engulfed him in a gentle hug. “I guess it’s time.”

His arms wrapped around her waist tentatively. “I want to stay a little bit longer in this place where everything is safe and sound.”

“Not for long.” She tightened her hold on him. “Not for long, Sasuke.”

He did the same, trying to savor her fleeting presence in his embrace.

-------------------------------

That night, she and Sai led him to a facility under the Haruno family mansion. The steel doors opened after the usual biometrics – iris scan, hand print, and voice recognition. The sight astounded him when the lights started to come on. The gundam was bigger than his previous, Strike, and visually had more missiles and armaments.

Sai handed him a paper bag containing his new mobile suit. “It’s X10A Freedom Gundam, one of the two newest developments of Zaft. You’ll find that it’s much more lighter compared to previous models with faster mobility stats, and more devastating firepower. But you’ll be all right, you have the seed of the coordinator after all. What a dream it would be to see it used for coexistence.” He didn’t wait for Sasuke’s reply and quietly moved away to give the two privacy.

“Isn’t this too much?” Sasuke asked her. She hasn’t even asked him whether his views of the world have changed.

“I believe you’ll do the right thing.” Sakura leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Come back to me safely?”

Sasuke held her gaze, sincere in the uttering of his next words. “I will.”

TECHNICAL NOTES

GUNDAM – General Purpose Utility Non-Discontinuity Augmentation Maneuvering Weapon System

Coordinators – genetically enhanced human beings; improved traits e.g. faster learning, stronger bodies, more honed talents

Naturals – naturally born human being which did not undergo genetic modifications

Earth Forces/Earth Alliance – predominantly Natural

ZAFT – Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty; PLANT’s national army, members comprised fully of coordinators

PLANT – space colonies

Orb Union – nation composed of neutral territories located east of New Guinea

Music used for this writing: Mizu no Akashi | Fields of Hope