On The Same Path [SasuxSaku]

Chapter 11: A Sky Full of Stars

~ Sasuke's POV

Sasuke wasn't used to escort missions anymore, so he felt a little directionless after reaching Suna. He was also well aware of why Kakashi had assigned him to this mission, but he still wasn't accustomed to having nothing to do.

Staying at a lodge was a luxury he neither expected nor had grown used to during the years of his exile. Sure, if it were his apartment in Konoha, he wouldn't mind sleeping in a bed. But if he was honest with himself, sleeping alone in a room made him feel uneasy.

Sleeping under a tree beneath the open sky made him feel closer to nature, as though he wasn't truly alone in the company of stray animals and the stars above.

He was also bothered by the fact that Sakura and he hadn't even been given the option of staying in the same room. It was understandable that it would be considered inappropriate, but it wasn't as though there was anything inappropriate about it.

His mother and father had shared a room...

The thought surfaced unexpectedly, and Sasuke frowned slightly.

Sasuke brushed those thoughts aside, though he wasn't entirely sure why his mind always drifted to his family whenever Sakura was involved.

Team 7 was family.

But Sakura...

Sakura was different.

She wasn't just someone from his past or a bond he had fought to preserve. She was someone he could picture in his future.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

She had been constantly on his mind ever since he returned to Konoha. Sure, she crossed his mind from time to time before, but over the last few days, the amount of time he had spent thinking about her was maddening.

The next step....

He needed to do something about it; otherwise, he was going to go crazy.

Kakashi was right. Sakura wouldn't do anything until he stepped up and made her feel comfortable.

He could sense it—how uncomfortable she was around him, as though she was afraid she might say or do something wrong and scare him away.

He also needed to take her on a proper date. Maybe once they returned to Konoha.

He wasn't sure how busy Sakura would be during her time in Suna, and he knew she never let anything interfere with her work—not even him. And he really admired that about her.

Nothing and no one could sway Sakura when she was in work mode.

Sasuke smiled in his sleep.

His mind inadvertently drifted back to their time on that bench—to Sakura munching on her onigiri and the moment he had removed that stray grain of rice near her lips.

She didn't seem to mind it. He wondered if she would have minded if he had touched her lips. He wondered if...

***

Sasuke hadn't slept well, so he was ready for the day before sunrise.

He decided he would check in with the Suna ANBU team to better understand the post-war situation on this side of the world.

But before he could head out, there was a knock at the door.

Half-expecting it to be Sakura, he promptly opened the door, but it was a receptionist holding a note for him.

He wasn't even sure why he was frustrated that Sakura couldn't come herself for such a small request. He understood that her time was valuable and that she was busy, but he could have escorted her to the medical center.