"Sakura Haruno, my... my mom heard we're teammates now, and she wants me to invite you over for dinner!"
On the way back to the village from the training grounds, a certain black-haired kid scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Hey, no fair! I wanna treat Sakura to dinner too!"
Naruto, trailing behind, immediately started whining.
"Shut up, you dead-last! Don't you know first come, first served?"
Sasuke whipped around, snapping at him.
"What'd you say, you smug jerk? I..."
"Enough! That's it!"
Sakura smacked a hand on each of their heads, shutting them down.
"I'm a ninja—no such thing as being in too many places at once. So... I'm going to all of them!"
She threw together a quick seal. Smoke billowed out, clouding their vision.
When the dust cleared, three Sakuras stood there. No way to tell which was real.
Three clones: one hitting up the Uchiha place for dinner, one grabbing street food on South Street, and one heading home.
Master Sakura's time management? Flawless as always.
---
Ten minutes later, Uchiha District.
After the hawk faction's defection, a bunch of Uchiha had bailed on Konoha.
Some folks in the district quietly moved out too, scattering to other parts of the village.
That once-bustling little street? Now it felt kinda empty and sad.
"Did Teuchi Uncle and Teuchi Aunt move out too?"
Sakura trailed behind Sasuke, hands behind her head, sighing a bit.
"Their kid followed..." Sasuke bit his lip. "After that, they moved into the village proper."
"It's okay. As long as they're alive, there's still hope."
Sakura's green eyes half-closed, letting out a soft sound.
Like a contented, relieved sigh.
"Yeah... alive..."
Sasuke mumbled back, then clammed up.
---
Sasuke's house hadn't changed much from four years ago.
But the big place felt emptier without the people who should've been there. A touch of loneliness hung in the air.
"Where's Aunt Mikoto?"
Sakura kicked off her sandals and plopped down on the tatami mat like she owned the place.
She grabbed two teacups from the low table and waved them at Sasuke.
Her lively eyes basically said: Go on, pour me some tea.
"She's out shopping. And seriously, how are you this comfortable here?"
Sasuke grumbled, but his body was honest—he took the cups, grabbed tea bags, and headed to the kitchen.
As he came back with a tray, Uchiha Mikoto walked in the door.
"Sakura-chan!"
The beautiful woman with the grocery basket lit up when she saw her.
"I figured Sasuke'd be too shy to actually invite you!"
"Mom!"
Sasuke flinched, spilling hot tea and scalding his hand.
"Just kidding~ You two sit tight. Dinner'll be ready soon!"
Mikoto teased her son with a grin, humming as she headed to the kitchen.
Her hands moved like lightning—a feast was no big deal for an ex-ninja.
---
At the dinner table, Mikoto—who hadn't hosted guests in forever—poured herself a little sake for once.
She started spilling Sasuke's embarrassing stories and daily life bits to Sakura. Got worked up and even vented about how deserted the district was now, making even grocery runs a trek.
Sakura just listened quietly as Mikoto poured it all out—the everyday grind this woman kept up after losing her husband and with her eldest son defected.
THUD!
Sasuke's chair scraped back. He shot to his feet.
"I'm full!"
He bolted out the door.
"Oops... got a little carried away..."
Mikoto's face fell. She looked at Sakura apologetically.
"It's fine. I've been slacking on training and haven't come to check on you, Aunt Mikoto."
Sakura's Observation Haki picked up Sasuke running farther and farther—straight to the Uchiha training grounds.
She let out a breath and locked eyes with Mikoto, dead serious. "Aunt Mikoto, I ran into Itachi out there this time."
Mikoto's shoulders twitched at her son's name, but she didn't say a word.
"He's formed a rogue ninja band with the defected Uchiha. They're scraping by on missions."
"Aunt Mikoto, I..."
Sakura started, but Mikoto clamped a hand over her mouth—ready for it.
"You're such a sweet girl, Sakura. I've known about you and Fugaku for ages, so no need to bring it up!"
Tears glistened in Mikoto's eyes, but that steely resolve? Unbreakable.
—A woman is weak, but a mother is strong.
"For Sasuke, no matter what happens, I'll keep on living!"
"If you wanna help me out, just keep an eye on my boy. He's been pushing way too hard lately."
Mikoto sat back down, hands clasped in a begging pose.
Even retired for years, this former jonin could spot her son's changes a mile away.
"Alright, I'll go check on him!"
"Hehe, I love you most, Sakura! Be my daughter~"
"No way! Nyah nyah~"
---
Meanwhile, at the training grounds.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Sasuke gathered chakra and blasted out another scorching fireball.
The flames scorched the dirt, kicking up black smoke and blistering heat.
Blisters bubbled on his lips, sweat poured from the burns, but Sasuke kept refining chakra, over and over.
"Training like a maniac? Trying to wreck yourself?"
Sasuke looked up. There she was—Sakura, squatting on a tree branch in black ninja gear.
"It's you."
Sasuke said it cold, turning back to his chakra.
Whoosh!
A low hum ripped through space. Pink light flashed, and bam—Sasuke was pinned to the ground.
"Let me go!" He thrashed. "You get it—that guy, if I don't..."
SMACK!
Sakura let go just to deck him square in the face.
"First off: Don't make the people who love you worry!"
"Second: How're you gonna face Itachi when you're this weak and losing your cool?"
Sasuke's head spun from the punch. He gritted his teeth, voice rough and desperate, like he was on fire inside.
"Then tell me—what the hell should I do?!"
The clan's downfall. The cold stares from his people. The village shunning them.
It all traced back to that shame. He had to fix it himself!
It had to be him!
Me!
That stain would follow him forever!
"Ways to do it? Oh, plenty, bro. Plenty."
Sakura grinned silently. Her mind raced: Armament Haki Sasuke, Observation Haki Sasuke, Great Swordsman Sasuke, Devil Fruit Sasuke...
"But this hell... you think you can handle it?"
She clasped her hands under her chin. Her green eyes gleamed with dangerous light.
In front of her, the boy trembled. Swallowed hard.
Gulp~