A Beautiful Mess

iii

III.

Although you were biased I love your advice

Your comebacks they're quick

And probably have to do with your insecurities

- Jason Mraz, A Beautiful Mess

"So you're just leaving, huh?" Sakura quipped blandly as she leaned on one of the trees near the village gates.

Sasuke stopped in his tracks.

He turned to her, face blank and unreadable. "Sakura." The dark haired teen acknowledged politely.

She eyed him, surveying him for the first time since he defected from Konoha. Sakura was too busy defending herself from his attacks or, in the case of the war, from other people's attacks whenever they met so she never did find the time or the inclination to look at him straight in the eye or check him out.

She was rather preoccupied with more important things.

(Like avoiding death by his hand for one. Or healing her comrades' injuries for another.)

He was...thinner. Looked harder. Colder. Yet with that same aching grief and determination in his coal black eyes that Sakura sometimes glimpsed whenever she cared enough to stop shallowly appreciating his looks and truly look at who he was. He was wearier though. More troubled if that was even possible.

"Sasuke." She echoed in the same tone before laughing humorlessly. "You're just going to leave after-" Sakura waved her hand. "all that you've done."

Sasuke looked at her searchingly. He sighed before quirking his lips slightly as he surveyed her from top to bottom. "You've changed, Sakura."

"You say that as if it was a bad thing," Sakura said dryly. Sasuke opened his mouth to reply, but she continued. "At least I didn't look like a male stripper, you piece of turd." The pink-haired girl's lips curled into a slight sneer. "Who's idea was it to dress you in a fucking robe anyway? That shit's unpractical-"

Sasuke raised his brow. "Language, Haruno." He interrupted, faintly amused. "I'm not judging your...recent penchant for spandex." He smirked. "Don't bite my head off."

Sakura barked out a laugh. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "You caught me, Uchiha." She grinned widely. "Did Naruto knew of this?"

Sasuke nodded.

Sakura hummed consideringly. "Just like that?" She shook her head in wonder. "He didn't protest? I thought he would badger you more considering he spent years to get you back."

"He knows I needed the space," Sasuke replied looking away from her for a moment. "People needed the time to heal and forget. There were still some loose ends from the Great Ninja War. I'll be more useful," He grimaced before going back to his usual deadpan. "outside the village."

Sakura looked at the sky as silence ensued.

...She wondered why she was even doing this. It wasn't like the man would listen to her anyway. Looking at Sasuke's relaxed form, his mind was probably made up.

"It's just been a week, Sasuke. Why don't you stay for a bit?" Sakura asked quietly, unable to stop the words from leaving her lips. She sighed as the guy looked at her warily.

She hoped Sasuke wouldn't get the wrong idea.

His shoulders stiffened a bit. "Sakura-"

Sakura laughed. "Not for me or Naruto or Kakashi-sensei." She smiled genuinely. "Kami knows you wouldn't but-" She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath.