Chapter Twenty-One_
"Moths and Morons"

Sasuke turned towards her, the snow beneath his feet making a crunch.
"Sakura," he said again, his hand finding hers—removing her hold on him. "I," he paused, his eyes fixated on the small hand now in his. His throat suddenly felt tight as he wrapped his fingers around her hand.
A wry laugh escaped his lips.
"It's getting cold and the snow's picking up. We should go inside."
"You're not going to tell me what's bothering you," said Sakura, a statement of fact—not a question or a plea because she knew him, he realized, she knows him.
"Come on," he said with...

Chapter Six
“Welcome”:

Freezing in shock along the dirt path into the village, Sakura couldn't help but gape.
She remembered the numerous underground bases she'd been through with Naruto when they'd been searching for Sasuke, but the sight before her was like nothing she could've imagined.
The village was set up in a valley, a snaking river cutting between it. The rolling grass hills acting as a natural barrier let Sakura get a good birds-eye view from where she stood. It was simply beautiful. The river winked back in the afternoon sunlight as the rice fields cascading down the opposite hill...

Chapter One:
Eventuality


"Sasuke, you bastard."
He knew the Hokage would do something like this. Whether she didn't believe his intentions or was simply in a sadistic mood, he wasn't sure. Either way, the sight of his former mentor unnerved him more then he believed it would.
"Kakashi," he said with the same acknowledging nod.
Perhaps, thought Sasuke as Kakashi smiled and led him towards the Hokage tower, I should just be thankful she didn't send Naruto.
He didn't let his eyes stray from the path before him. Nostalgia wasn't something at all pleasant for Sasuke. Instead, he focused on the matter...

Chapter Two-
Sacrificial Lion


Tsunade couldn't peel her eyes from the clock in her office, nor could she stop the incessant thrumming of her fingers against her desk. The fact that she was annoying herself because of Uchiha Sasuke pissed her off more than words could express. Perhaps if she maimed an entire forest with her bare hands that would get the feeling across? Regardless, she found the entire meeting this afternoon had been something akin to amusing.
Tsunade didn't know Sasuke all too well. Besides the time she healed him, she never talked to the boy. That was about seven years ago, and...

Chapter Forty-one_
"Normalcy" :

"I think we should go with a grayish blue," said Sakura as she looked at the paint samples she taped up on the kitchen wall.
"I don't know why you're still trying to make up your mind," said Sasuke, glaring over the rim of his coffee mug.
"Oh!" said Sakura. "Have you made a decision?"
"Yeah," said Sasuke, "we're not painting."
Sakura just rolled her eyes before turning back to the wall. "A pale yellow wouldn't look bad either, you know. Well, no, scratch that, yellow would clash with the countertops."
Sakura started plucking off all the yellow swatches on the wall as...

Hunter × Hunter (ハンター×ハンター Hantā Hantā?), is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi. The story focuses on a young boy named Gon, who discovers that his father, whom he was told was dead, is actually alive and well. He learns that his father, Ging, is a world-renowned Hunter: a licensed profession for those who specialize in fantastic pursuits such as locating rare or unidentified animal species, treasure hunting, surveying unexplored enclaves, or hunting down lawless individuals. Despite Ging having left his son with his relatives in order to...

Chapter Ten_
"Otokagure" :

Sakura was lying on her bed, the morning sun pouring in as she debated on getting up or just sleeping the day away. After all, it was her first day off and the next one wouldn't be for an entire month.
"Do I really want to waste it by sleeping all day?" she mumbled, rolling onto her side and letting her eyelids drop.
They flickered back open when she heard Sasuke's door close before he padded through the hallway—his footsteps disappearing on the stairs. Frowning, Sakura glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was eight. That was odd. Sasuke was normally gone before...

Chapter Three_
Goodbye


Sakura zipped up her bag before looking at her room. It was weird how it looked the same as always. That was to be expected, though. She'd only packed a week worth of clothes. When it came down to it, she could wash them or buy more. She'd asked Tsunade to send some medical texts to her later on in the week—other than that, she had nothing else she wished to take with her.
She slung the bag over her shoulder and plucked a folded piece of paper off her desk. Staring at it with a disgruntled frown, she mumbled, "Maybe Ino-pig was right. I really don't have a life."
Sighing,...