The Return

Chapter 52

The Last Night

Sakura blushed as Sasuke gripped her hand when they re-entered the Kazakage's Tower for the reception. As they approached the hall though, he swiftly let go and smirked at her before opening the doors. His reluctance to express affection in front of others frustrated her sometimes. Despite his romantic side when they were alone, she considered how he almost seemed ashamed of their relationship in public. Originally, she thought he was simply shy, but that smirk on his face told her otherwise. She wondered what was really going on inside his head at this moment.

As they entered the shimmering dining hall, a long table in the back adorned with white and gold lay in wait as Temari and Shikamaru sat in total bliss, clasping one another's hands. Sakura smiled and went to join the other bridesmaids on Temari's side of the table, whilst Sasuke went to sit by Naruto.

"Hey, are you alright?" Ino asked as Sakura took a seat next to her.

She put on her brightest smile, determined not to overthink things right now. "I'm good, just tired. You can relate, right Hinata?"

Her friend smiled. "It can be pretty exhausting, admittedly. Still, you get used to it after a while."

"Just wait till you're in our position, Ino" Sakura teased.

"I'm sure I won't be half as bad as you, billboard brow."

"Want to bet, Ino pig? I bet you wouldn't last even one month without complaining!"

"At least I won't be eating sushi and syrup. Your cravings are totally disgusting!"

"I bet you'll come up with worse than that. Besides it's not so bad if you try it."

"Ugh, that's so gross!"

"Umm, quiet you two" Hinata mumbled nervously.

They turned to find all eyes on them. Shikamaru and Temari were standing in preparation for a toast.

Sakura and Ino shrunk into their seats, hoping to disappear. On the other side of the table, Sai gave a fake smile while Sasuke sighed and turned away.

"As I was saying" Temari cleared her throat. "Shikamaru and I are delighted that you all could join us. I know this wedding was a lot of work to pull off, but this will be my last night in the Sand. I wanted to go out with a bang." She smiled and took her husband's hand. "From today on, I am no longer Temari of the Sand. I am now, Temari of the Leaf. That said, I will always be a Sand sibling. I want to say a special thank you to my brothers, Kankuro and Lord Gaara for making this day so special." As she raised her glass, so did the crowd in a toast.

Shikamaru put a finger to her lips though. Raising his glass, he continued on from her speech. "Even though it's a drag to be going through all of this trouble, I also want to say thank you to everyone. I only wish our fathers could be here to see this day...and Asuma" he paused for a moment before continuing. "There is no one else I'd rather spend my life with. You make me want to be more outgoing, as hard as that is to believe. So, everyone please raise your glasses to the love of my life, Temari Nara." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

The crowd cheered and clinked their glasses. The other couples in the room exchanged glances, feeling the same way about their respective partners.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura as he raised his glass to his lips. She looked across at him with her startling green eyes, which shimmered in the glow of her sparkling cider. She turned away as their eyes met, though. He wondered why that was? Was it shyness? Sakura always did act nervous around him. He smirked to himself, remembering her flirting and affections back in their genin days. If only he hadn't been so consumed with revenge...maybe... He shook his head. He couldn't think like that now. Still, he wished he could relive those days sometimes.

As the night continued and the music started, Sasuke watched from the sidelines as Naruto, Sakura and the others danced the night away. They seemed so happy and contented, their movements appearing in slow motion as he took in the essence of the party. He still felt a little detached from the group even now. Despite being present at the reception, he wanted to let his friends have a worry-free evening while he looked on from the sidelines. Naruto tried to force him onto the dance floor a couple of times but he flatly refused.

"Sasuke?" Sakura's voice broke through his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" he sighed, sitting up. Glancing over at her though, he saw the concern in her eyes. "Sakura?" he replied. She looked pale and exhausted. Her pink hair clung to her face as it slowly fell out of its hairpiece.

"I don't get it, Sasuke. Are you ashamed of me or something? Or is it that you're still harboring guilt over your past?"

"What?" he looked at her, confused. What brought this on?

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, glancing back at the dancing crowd. Naruto was now leading a conga line through the hall.

She sighed. "It's just, you look so lonely over here by yourself. And whenever we're in public like this, you always seem so distant...like you're avoiding me. I know you're not the type of person who likes public displays of affection, but still. We're at a wedding. It's supposed to be a celebration of love, right?"

The dots connected in Sasuke's mind and he sighed. Good grief, she was a handful. Glancing at the crowd for a moment, he hesitated before grasping his wife's hands. "Perhaps I could have joined in a bit more, but dancing isn't really my thing per se. That aside, I'm sorry if you feel I've been neglecting you. In all honesty, I kind of enjoy teasing you sometimes...maybe a little too much" he smirked.

Sakura blushed at his expression, her hands felt like fire in his grasp.

"It brings me back to our genin days. You know...you haven't changed at all since then." He gazed into her eyes, trying to convey his affections in a way she would understand.

"W-what are you saying?" she stuttered, glancing up at him.

"I'm saying that after all this time, I still love you...just as I did back then."

Sakura gasped in recognition. She suddenly felt foolish for thinking her husband didn't care. He loved her more than she'd ever realized and for so long too. All those moments when he denied her affections...could he have been teasing her back then as well? She blushed, remembering little moments from their past. Sasuke was so nostalgic sometimes. Despite seeming cold and aloof, he often melted her heart with small comments and gestures he made.

Determined to bring happiness and joy into her husband's life too, she took the initiative and led him onto the dance floor. She chuckled as he looked awkward and clumsy amongst the crowd. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him and swayed softly to the music. Sasuke watched for a moment as she twirled and spun beautifully beside him. Sighing, he gave in and placed his hand on her waist glancing at her abdomen before gazing back into her eyes. He blushed awkwardly as the gentle tune continued. The only interruption was when Naruto clumsily stepped on his foot and the two of them began bickering once again. 

It was the final night before the last stage of their mission. Placing a hand on her abdomen and watching from the sidelines, Sakura took a deep breath. In just four short months, their journey would end. She longed for this moment to last forever and began dreading the day when their family would eventually have to part ways.