From the beginning, Sakura had always known she was the weakest link on her team. And in the beginning, she doesn’t mind. In her 12 year old mind, playing damsel in distress was much more romantic than three musketeers.
She rather enjoyed the way Kakashi gives her the easiest tasks and the way Naruto always tried to get on her good side. And she especially liked the way Sasuke paid extra attention to her as the girl he has to protect.
But she soon realizes that she is nothing but a liability.
Kakashi is exhausted after every skirmish. Naruto is beaten black and blue more often than not. And Sasuke is forced to embrace his darkest impulses just for survival.
And Sakura stands at the sidelines. Useless. Helpless. Not strong enough to join the fray. But too scared to lose anyone.
So she resolves to become someone they can rely on. Unfortunately, Sakura Haruno just is and always has been the most un-noteworthy member of team seven. No special bloodlines. No grand purpose. Just a girl in love.
Zero times hundred is still zero. And Sakura is only as strong as the sum of her parts. Just not hers.
So she emulates Ino’s stunning confidence. She gladly embraces Naruto’s endless optimism as her own. And she molds herself into the second coming of Tsunade.
At times, Sakura feels like a Frankenstein monster of the best traits of her compatriots. A cherry picked but forced amalgam of an ideal self she wishes she was. And more she borrows from others, the more she forgets if she was ever like this at all.
But it doesn’t matter as long as it will help bring Sasuke back. She will give up her body and her soul and her everything if it means he can be saved from his despair.
After all her love, the only thing she knows is hers and hers alone, was not enough for him to stay.
----
Since his return, Sakura finds herself spending more time with Sasuke. They are closer now. More than friends, but not quite lovers yet.
They share meals together, with and without the rest of their team. Night or day, Sasuke walks her home after her shifts. And to her surprise and absolute joy, he asks her to spar with him over and over again. Like she is finally is a worthy opponent rather than a burden.
They are sitting side by side after one of their sparring matches watching the setting sun. And even though they are more comfortable than they have been in years, Sakura can’t help but think that Sasuke is still keeping something from her.
It is the same squirming feeling she always feels when Sasuke leaves.
So even though she knows she is going to ruin the quiet peace they finally found she can’t help but ask, “How long are you planning to stay?”
Sasuke hums non-committedly, “Another week or two at most.”
“Oh.” Her heart clenches uneasily. Because once again her love wasn’t enough. That no matter what she does, she might never be enough.
“I wanted to leave sooner but there was a lot of paperwork on Kakashi’s part.”
Her head is spinning. “Oh, why’s that?”
Sakura had thought he is a little less lost now. That his suffering is easing bit by bit. She is too scared to ask when or if he is coming back this time.
“I requested to borrow Konoha’s best medic.” Sasuke tells her.
Sakura brain short circuits. She isn’t quite understand the intentions behind his words and looks at him slack jawed, so Sasuke continues.
“I think she would be an important asset at my side in uncharted territory.” He inches closer until his forehead touches hers. “And someone dependable in a crisis. I trust her to watch my back.”
Sakura swallows nervously. To her it almost, almost sounds like a proposal in not so many words.
Their lips are now too close to be friends and just a centimeter away from being lovers. He continues, “And didn’t I promise I’d take you with me next time?”
A/N: Thank you for reading! I wrote this kind of quickly so I apologize if the dialogue is clunky. Happy SSM19!
Sasuke Uchiha was not a morning person—far from it. Usually out of him and his two best friends, Sakura Haruno was the one always cheery and happy go lucky first thing in the morning. Today, he and her had a mission together and when Sakura missed their rendezvous, he was a bit concerned. She was always early, so instead of waiting he decided to go find her.
She lived in her own little apartment right in the heart of the village, which Sasuke reached in a short time. They weren’t quite behind schedule, because they’d planned to meet early, but Sasuke still needed to make sure she was alright. She could have gotten ill overnight, or anything.
Anytime he had to come by her place, he always went to her bedroom balcony, though he never let himself in. He knocked a few times and waited, because Sakura was a girl and there was always a chance that she might be getting dressed.
There was a fumble, a loud thud and then her signature ‘shannaro’ before she scrambled to the sliding glass door and pulled it open. Her hair was disheveled, green eyes telling him that she’d been sleeping. She looked flustered and even annoyed—with herself no doubt from over sleeping.
And she was wearing nothing but his shirt. Sasuke would have wondered how she managed to get one of his shirts—he knew it was his, one of his grey high collared shirts, undoubtedly branded with the uchiwa on the back—but, he was too taken by the fact that the shirt swallowed her petite body and yet looked oddly adorable on her. And those slender, creamy legs. Before he could understand what was happening, his ears were on fire and he was scowling at her.
How dare she make me feel like this.
“That’s my shirt.” He quipped, frustrated not by her having his shirt but by his reaction to her wearing it—seemingly without anything else.
Sakura clutched the shirt at her stomach and looked down, her whole body turning beet red as she realized what she was wearing. Her arms flailed around in her embarrassment and she squealed.
“Oh I just borrowed it and… and I like sleeping in it… oh my… okay, give me ten minutes!” She stepped back and slammed the door shut, leaving an annoyed Sasuke to wait for her.
She’d showered and dressed within those ten minutes and met him outside no later than that, bashfully handing over the shirt, neatly folded. “I’m sorry.” She kept her eyes on anything other than him but he quickly pushed her hands towards her own body.
“Keep it.” He muttered, not wanting to take it from her if she really liked sleeping in it and also secretly hoping he’d be able to catch her wearing it again one day.
