Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine.

On the Road to Redemption

By theClosetPoet7

Summary: Because she is always ten steps ahead or miles back, but never by his side. And in time, Sasuke realizes that he can adjust his stride to have Sakura where he wants her to be. Travel Arc.

She doesn't take no for an answer this time.

Uchiha Sasuke glances at his petite travel companion. She is approximately five feet behind him. Her ninja heels click softly on the ground beneath her and she pulls the hood of her cloak above her head as the wind blows fiercely on the leaves above them. She briefly meets his asymmetric eyes only to focus them on the road ahead again, a shy smile on her pink lips and a bit of red dusting her cheeks.

The avenger lets out a small sigh and focuses solely on his path. Her presence was not unwanted. In fact, it was one he had sorely missed for surely, after three years of being away from his village and never crossing paths with this fellow Sannin, he was eager for her company. And at the tender age of twenty, he would be lying if he said that he had not thought about what it would be like to have a female, this particular female, by his side.

But she isn't even within his peripheral vision, another fact he surprisingly does not like because for some reason, Haruno Sakura is putting a bit of distance between them. Who could he blame but himself though? Sixteen hours ago he had gotten up before the sun rose and had made his way out of the village without telling her his intentions. But like all those years ago, she meets him at the village gates.

"I'm coming with you."

He shot her down with a stern no, giving her the same reason he had when he first started this redemption journey. But she ignores him and follows him and for some reason, the action actually churns a foreign emotion in him that makes him feel relief upon her insistence.

In truth, he didn't want to say no.

.

.

.

Because for the past few days, he had admittedly thought about taking her with him.

She shines too brightly for him.

In his secluded darkness, Sakura shines too brightly.

Sasuke has always known that Haruno Sakura had a lot of potential since they were still genin. She did get the best grades when it came to written exams. And during their days in the academy, she studied diligently. A trait he had come to admire whenever he saw her name on the list of top students, right next to his. (Sometimes even before his when it came to a test). It wasn't her fault that she didn't come from a prestigious ninja clan. She had to work for what she has now. There were no shortcuts to becoming a Sannin for her. No bloodline limit, no Kyuubi's chakra. No. Aside from her natural control over her chakra, Sakura had to work twice as hard compared to her clan-borne comrades.

Which was why he found her constant need to seek his approval unnecessary. Because she has always had it. Maybe not at first. But she did have it earlier than most people think.

Honestly, he thinks that she is far too good for him.

As they pass through several villages, he feels eyes on his fair companion. Everyone seemed to be aware of who she was. Come to think of it, he doesn't know anyone else with Sakura's pink locks. Of course she would stand out. And of course she would leave an impression whenever she came upon strangers. Aside from her looks, she was a force to be reckoned with.

And her heart.

Her heart was too big for her own good.

It doesn't come as a shock to him that she would find time to put her medical prowess to good use. She is probably the best medical ninja at this time. He stares with affection as she sets up a small clinic and already has hundreds of sick individuals lining up to seek her care. He is mindful though of her chakra reserves and doesn't allow her to exert too much effort, tactfully requesting her patients to come back another time, especially when her eyes would look more tired than usual. (And she'd glare subtly at him too, but would thank him once she collapses onto her bed.)

He is proud of his teammate. Though she is more than that

Yes, Haruno Sakura shines too brightly.

And he doesn't mind standing under her shadow for some time.

.

.

.

"Is Sakura-san taken?"

The question swiftly dampens his mood. And Sasuke finds himself glaring into the axe he is currently holding. He turns to look at the man beside him. Kudo-san, the son of one of Sakura's patients, gazes intensely at his teammate with a blush on his cheeks. They were currently chopping up wood in preparation for the winter. He is thankful that he finally accepted the Fifth Hokage's offer of a left arm. It was easier to do chores with it. Kudo's father owned a small plantation in the Rock Village. When Sakura had treated the businessman's heart disease, the old man had provided them with his home space to accommodate the growing number of people who needed his teammate's healing.

Setsuna Kudo, as most men, immediately set his eyes on Sakura. Sasuke tries to fight the irritation, reminding himself that he doesn't need to be jealous.

Going back to the issue though.

Was Sakura taken?

When he thinks about it, he was hers. Even when she doesn't fully know it yet.

But did that mean that she was his though?

He swells with pride when she smiles at him.

Kudo-san looks at him with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Oho, so it's like that huh?"

The copper-haired admirer wraps an arm around Sasuke's neck and pulls him down. The avenger fights the urge to punch him for getting too close but nearly chokes when the other man teases him.

"Lucky you! You have no idea what I'd do to have the chance to get with that."

Sasuke starts to burn with rage at the offensive declaration and shrugs the hold on him. He contemplates about punching the asshole but decides against it.

Besides, she wouldn't like it.

His eyes lead him to Sakura again. She instantly feels his stare and turns to him with a big smile on her face and waves.

"Damn you lucky bastard you."

Kudo lets out a whine and grins while bending down to chop more wood.

Sasuke merely smirks at this and continues on with his task.

Later on that night, Sasuke asks his pink-haired teammate if she was indeed taken by him.

To which the young Sannin laughs timidly at and says.

"Wasn't I always?"

.

.

.

He feels their distance closing.

Team Taka likes her.

It made sense for his teammates to immediately have a fondness for Sakura. She is a kind girl. And her strength demanded one's respect. Three months after they left the gates of Konoha, Sasuke leads her through the Sound Village. He expected a hint of resentment in her as they walk the dark streets. But as always, she does not hesitate in reaching out to someone she thinks needs treatment.

Too kind.

She is too kind.

But when he guides her into Orochimaru's lair however, there is a hint of hesitation to her first step. To which he observes her with a bit of nervousness, though it isn't obvious. She shakes her head for a moment and steps in with courage. He almost smiles at her but they are instantly interrupted when a loud Suigetsu yells out a big "Yo!" and an ecstatic Karin latches onto his right arm. Juugo comes in and bows in greeting, being the only one to first notice Sakura's presence.

She smiles sincerely at his teammates and introduces herself. Sasuke sighs with relief when they act civil towards each other.

Until the peace is broken when Suigetsu questions the nature of their relationship and immediately concludes that they are sleeping together.

"I bet the sex is hot as hell!"

Sakura shuts him up by wiping his whole body out with half a serious punch to the face.

Karin is quick to approve of her actions and joins in the Suigetsu punching session with a sad smile on her person.

Sasuke looks on with a sweat drop and tries to contain his smirk at the view in front of him.

"I can see why you're with her. Sakura-san is amazing." Juugo steps in next to him while observing the scene with a sincere smile.

The dark Sannin slowly nods his head.

"Aa. She is."

He is in love with her.

Sasuke realizes the state he is in in the most unexpected way.

It happens when her fist collides with his face.

He is thrown a hundred meters away from where he once stood. And he passes by countless trees and other shrubbery before he finally crashes into a rock wall beside a river. As he shakes the confusion out of his head, his heart beats hard against his rib cage and he is overwhelmed with a feeling he had long since tried to ignore.

He is in love with Haruno Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun! Gomen! Gomen! I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun!"

It took mere seconds for her to reach his side and her hands immediately glow green over his right cheek. His face is probably deformed as of the moment. It should hurt like hell. But he can't feel it. All he can feel is this overflow of emotions and he has no idea how to stop it. He is cursed under her spell now. He knows there is no going back. Sakura's hands are shaking as she mends back torn skin and fixes broken cheekbones.

"I was just... I didn't... I wasn't prepared for what you were about to do Sasuke-kun. I'm so sorry for punching you. I didn't think you would... I didn't think that you would try to kiss me."

He is speechless, still in awe with his realization. In a matter of minutes, his face is as good as new. Sakura cups his cheeks in her hands and turns it side to side to study him for further damage. Sasuke's eyes are clouded with admiration at how even more beautiful she looks up close. Then, he lets out an uncharacteristic chuckle. Sakura is stunned at the action.

Her hands fall limply to her sides as she stares at him in astonishment. He lets out another chuckle, bangs covering his face.

Her silence is all that meets his quiet laughter. Then her shoulders start to shake and her tears begin fall.

Sasuke feels a brief moment of panic upon seeing her cry but stops when he sees the big smile on her face.

"I never thought I'd be able to see you laugh like this again..."

She is crying in happiness and he finds himself falling harder for her. She is crying for him.

He is in love.

He seats himself up and puts a hand to her cheek. His left leg is bent, the right one rests on the ground. Sakura is kneeling between them, letting out small hiccups as she furiously wipes her tears away.

Uchiha Sasuke smiles widely at Haruno Sakura for the first time since he left her with a simple poke on her forehead. Then he leans in closer, breathing in the same air as her. She pauses for a bit and lifts her eyes to him. Emerald green, stares at mismatched onyx and purple. He could feel her cheeks warm. Probably as warm as his is.

"May I?"

He asks for her permission in the softest voice he has ever heard himself use.

A dainty hand comes up to touch his calloused one against her cheek, and slowly, the young medic nods in affirmation.

Sasuke tilts his head and gently touches his lips to hers.

It was everything molded into one thing. The simple act of being each other's first kiss.

(Well aside from when both their mouths made contact with Naruto's. Crap, even now the dobe was forcing his way in their moment.)

They separate and his woman laughs shyly.

"You were thinking of Naruto too weren't you?"

This nearly ruins the mood but it is perfect. She is perfect.

His hand snakes to the back of her neck and pulls her to him.

"That didn't count."

He closes their distance again and cements their union.

It was only a kiss.

But it was so much more than that.

.

.

.

Today, they are only inches apart.

He wants her.

The feeling catches him deep in his gut.

He wants Haruno Sakura.

Actually, hasn't a part of him always wanted her? It was a consistent thought whenever her name came up. The desire to have her by his side. The desire to protect her. The desire to somehow claim her as his. (Because as she said; Wasn't she always?) These desires have never been a constant part of his thoughts before. But they are haunting him consistently now. Whenever she is a few feet ahead of him, with her pretty ass swinging back and forth as she walks on those heels (He deems them as too high for a ninja, but kami, did they make her look hot as hell, and they didn't seem to bother her too. And they most definitely didn't hinder her ability to punch giant craters into the ground).

He wants her.

And it is a feeling he doesn't wish to have but has to deal with. How can he focus on redeeming himself in this life when she made him want to do things, sinful things, with her?

His eyes lead him to her swaying hips again and he clears his throat when he finds her looking at him.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"There's an onsen nearby. I think you'll like it."

The light in her eyes is instantaneous. She jumps with excitement at the thought of sleeping in a bed this time. He smirks at her childlike antics. They had been travelling together for thirteen months now and not once has she complained about their usual sleeping arrangements. She deserves to be pampered once in a while.

.

.

.

His Adam's apple bobs up and down at the sight in front of him. Sakura fumbles shyly with her robe as she waits for his answer. He stares at her, ears ringing at the sentence she just uttered. In truth, it wasn't really a sentence. She was unable to finish it. But it was a suggestion.

"Sasuke-kun, do you want to...?"

She averts her eyes from his and locks her gaze on the ground.

Sasuke swallows a bit of saliva again and walks towards her.

The kiss he gives her is sweet and passionate as he pours his emotions into their lip-lock. They had done it too many times to count now. Kissing. And a little bit more when they occasionally found themselves in too much heat, hesitant but curious hands shyly exploring each other. But they had not done more than that. And he never asked her for more than that.

But now...

She was offering herself to him.

And he couldn't for the life of him find any reason to stop their inevitable union. Sakura was his endgame. And he wanted her. Kami how he wanted her.

At first they are awkward with each other. Both cautious in not pushing the other too far. She lets out gasps that encourage him to continue his ministrations. A hand on her breast, and another between her legs. Sasuke feels his whole body burn as he worships hers. She does the same to him too. Her tongue tastes his neck, and she slowly memorizes his sculpted abdominals with her fingers. He blushes when her hand drifts a bit lower than they both expected.

It turns to a complete blur from then on. But he remembers.

When he buries himself inside her and he waits for the pain to ease, Haruno Sakura tells him that she loves him for the third time in her life and Uchiha Sasuke lets her know that he feels the same. He presses her hands to her side and links their fingers.

Too much.

He is feeling too much.

His hips move on their own and he is rewarded by her delicious moan.

As he thrusts into the love of his life and feels a kind of pleasure he has never felt before, Sasuke allows his eyes to drift to where they are joined. And all he can feel is love for this woman.

Only love.

He etches the memory of her gasps and their hurried breaths into his head. And he allows himself this vulnerability.

That night, he gives Sakura his everything. That night, there is nothing separating them as he merges his soul with hers.

Sasuke wants to ask her.

And he is going to.

When he sees his hawk hovering above them, the dark-haired nin smiles in relief. He offers his right arm and the bird lands smoothly on it. It gently drops a small package onto Sasuke's left hand.

He lifts a brow at the small note attached to the hawk's leg and wastes no time in opening it.

"You better ask her properly Teme! I had to go through several traps in your compound to get this for you. But I did it. Because I'm awesome."

He lets out an indifferent "hn" at Naruto's letter but quickly writes a word of thanks for accomplishing the task he had requested.

He pockets the ring when Sakura skips to his side, almost catching him off guard.

"What does Naruto want this time?" She cocks her head to the right and waits for his answer.

He shrugs and attaches the piece of paper to the hawk then lets it go.

"Mou! Is this another one of your sacred bromance codes again? Should I be jealous Sasuke-kun?"

He smirks at her and starts walking. The wanderer takes a few steps away from the hokage's apprentice but turns to regard her with an unreadable expression on.

Then, he offers his hand to hers.

She blinks at the gesture. And a smile slowly makes its way to her lips as Sakura happily slips her hand into his.

Uchiha Sasuke smiles back at her and holds her hand firmly.

He'll ask her when they get to the next village.

She is a couple of paces behind him at first, but it doesn't take long for her to be where he wants her to be. Haruno, No, Uchiha Sakura closes their distance and walks beside him.

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.

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fin

AN: This is my take on the blank period. It makes me so happy to know that they really did travel together before having Sarada. Hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I loved writing it!

I edited some parts of this story just because I felt like it. And I had more to say about the anti-Sakura fandom.)

Random musings: I noticed that there is a lot of hate for Haruno Sakura. The reason of which, I honestly don't understand. Sure she was annoying at first (Just the part wherein she was insensitive to Naruto's situation.) But she changed a lot, especially when she acknowledged the fact that she had to train harder.

She probably had the most character development in my opinion. Even during the bell test, she was able to understand (with Sasuke's help) how a team should be (even when it was against the rules Kakashi gave them.)

But seriously, way before she asked Tsunade to train her, I think she had already matured a lot. I would like to point out the start of the Chuunin exam arc as an example, specifically the first test. (Remember that she was the only one who could answer the test without cheating? Awesome girl.) At the time, they were given an all or nothing question. If they wanted to hear the tenth question but couldn't answer it then they will never rise a rank. Sakura was confident that she could but she was willing to forego answering the tenth question to save Naruto from staying a Genin forever (assuming that he was really putting in a big risk for his team even if he had written nothing on his paper).

And she was most sincere in her feelings towards Sasuke.

Anyway, I can go on and on about how awesome Sakura is as a character (I haven't even gotten started with when she became Chuunin). But haters gotta hate I guess. I just really wanna punch those people who say that she was a completely useless character. Come on, she's responsible for a lot of the characters being alive at this point (Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Hinata, Shikamaru to name a few), especially after the war. Anyway. Sakura is queen. (drops mic)

P.S. By the way, I'm not sure if anyone reads these author's notes, let alone the postscript. But, I would like to praise bleu-et rose as a tumblr user. Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the use of this website so I don't make notes or anything. However, her page is one of the reasons why I never forget about SasuSaku. There are so many awesome points raised there and the fan-art are simply beautiful. Anyway, if one of my readers knows her, or browses through her site, or better yet, if Giannina happens to pass through one my stories, then I would just like to say "You are awesome! and Thank you!"

R&R

Eat, Breathe, Love and Think SasuSaku