The day Sasuke returns to the village is a day that, frankly, no one but Naruto thought would ever come.
But it does.
Years and years had passed, but, here and now, that moment is suddenly here, unfolding before the Leaf's very eyes. Before Kakashi's eyes.
He wants to squeeze Sakura's hand but she's not here, she's there at the front of the crowd with Naruto and the rest. Sasuke is being led in by chains, those of which whom know him best being fully aware of the fact that this is no more than a show of good will on his part; a rather pathetic way to show the entirety of the Leaf that he is no longer a threat. It's a silly comfort, if not outright ridiculous, but it seems to put the villagers and onlookers at ease.
Sakura and Naruto are at the forefront, and there are words being said but Kakashi is too focused on calming himself down to pay attention to what they are.
Sakura steps closer first, then Naruto as the two envelop their long lost team member in a crushing hug.
Anger bubbles inside of Kakashi, something akin to rage; how could she do that? How could she possibly forgive him so easily when he had done so much to hurt her? His thoughts go back to finding her in that cave, alone and left for dead at the hands of his former student. Sasuke Uchiha. Though he doesn't doubt that Orochimaru had a hand in the young woman's treatment, Sasuke would have still been the main perpetrator.
Anger, hate, confusion, and regret play in his heart in a cycling rotation, vicious and unrelenting. But he also feels respect and admiration for Sakura's innate ability to forgive, to allow fresh starts for those who were willing to turn the page to a new chapter in their lives. Kakashi had never quite had that in him; he held onto the past too much.
Sakura and Naruto pull away, tears in their eyes and grief in their voices as they welcome their third squad member home, but there is only a slight flicker of emotion behind Sasuke's expression. They lead him to the Hokage's Headquarters to be addressed and Kakashi does not follow, instead opting to return to his apartment and hope that the woman he has grown to love comes back.
~*~
It's nightfall when she returns.
Pakkun is by his side on the couch, his primary source of comfort throughout the day as she slips off her shoes and steps foot into what has basically become their home at this point, and Kakashi is so distraught and downtrodden that he doesn't even think to greet her. He's prepared for this moment since the day they'd decided to engage in this...relationship. And he had decided even way back then that he would cherish the love and time they'd spent together while it lasted.
Because of course Sasuke would come back at some point, and Sakura's unconditional love for him would be renewed, and what they had would be over. It was a quiet fear which he kept in the recesses of his mind, which he had taken care not to share with her for fear of what her answer versus the actual truth would be. He was fully prepared for her rejection, as well as his heartbreak.
At least, that is what he's told himself for the past four years.
Now, looking up at her from his place on the couch, he's never been so scared in his life.
"Kakashi? What are you still doing up? You should be resting."
Pakkun riggles from his grasp and silently hops off the couch to give the two some privacy, but Kakashi misses the comfort the little pug gives him instantly; now he's all alone with his dread.
He is silent as she approaches him, her green eyes probing for what could be wrong. But he stares at her, and she at him, and slowly a dawning look washes over her face. She was always one of the better ones when it came to reading him, and now that they'd been together a few years, she wasn't just good; she was an expert.
She doesn't waste a single second as she rushes to his side in reassurance, wrapping her arms around him and burying his head beneath her chin as she squeezes him tight. The gesture lasts about a minute before she pulls away and bends down to look him squarely in the eye, and he can detect no hint whatsoever of a lie in her burning irises.
"It's always been you, Kakashi. It's always. Been. You."
Relief floods him, and suddenly he can't hold her tightly enough.
Now, they can finally move on.
The both of them.
Together.
