Sakura sits in front of a parchment, the words glaring back at her with an intensity that matches her swirling emotions. She can hear the lively chatter of the streets below, mingling with the smells wafting in from the bakery downstairs; spices, warm bread, and something sweet that makes her stomach grumble.
Home, at last.
Taking a deep breath, she folds the letter she has addressed to Hana, following Kakashi's suggestion despite the fear that tightens her throat.
Get to know each other. After all, you'll be sharing lives.
To complicate matters further, the Hokage and the Elders now view her as a potential threat. At the looming possibilities of imprisonment or of her parents losing their bakery, frustration simmers just beneath the surface. Sakura buries her face in her hands, willing her racing thoughts to slow, but just as she begins to find some semblance of peace, her mother's sharp voice jolts her from it.
"Sakura! One of your teammates, Naruto," she says with a notable disdain, "is waiting for you in the kitchen. I have to go back downstairs. Can I trust you?"
"Of course!" Sakura calls back as she storms out of her room with barely contained curiosity.
Her heart thrums a little quicker when she meets Naruto's blue eyes. He looks unusually tense, hands clasped tightly over his knees, his lips forming a thin line.
"Naruto? I thought we had a team meeting in fifteen minutes," she prompts, trying to read his expression.
"We do," he replies quietly, scratching the back of his neck. "But, ugh... I think I owe you an explanation."
She blinks but offers no verbal response as she takes the seat opposite him.
"Sasuke already knows... We talked in Waves while you were unconscious. I meant to tell you, but when you woke up, you seemed so out of it that I thought I would wait before reaching out."
"How considerate," she replies, bewildered, when his voice falters. "Thank you. I feel better now."
"Great," he nods, shifting in his chair as he gathers his thoughts. "I'm sorry for what happened on the bridge. It won't happen again, I promise."
"I'm not following. What happened?" Sakura asks with a deepening frown.
Naruto runs a hand through his unruly hair, a desperate look in his eyes. "You don't remember?"
She shakes her head, prompting him to continue. He suddenly reaches out, gently flipping her palm up. She tenses at the touch but doesn't pull away, her gaze landing on the five crescent-shaped wounds marring the skin of her forearm.
"That's me. I'm the one who hurt you." His voice carries an overwhelming weight of regret.
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Sharing Lives | SasuSaku ✔️
Fanfiction[BOOK 1 OF THE SHARING SERIES] Two different worlds meet. Two existences collide. On the one hand, an orphan learns what love, friendship, and devotion mean. On the other, a young girl realizes the implication of being a civilian kunoichi in a worl...
