Prompt #3 for GaaSaku month!

When he first became Kazekage, there were rumors that he was haunted by his past.
Why else would their leader be so quiet, and stare off into space for extensive periods of time? There were even rumors that he could sleep, just chose not to because that's when dreams of blood and murder flooded his mind again.

They had no idea they were right.

Well, not haunted in the ways they thought he was, but he was haunted...and it was nights like this that it became very apparent.

Sakura had gone out on a mission at his request. He hated doing it, he hated asking her to risk her life to save those of his shinobi.
Hell, if he had his way, he would keep her locked in the house, safe from the outside world.
But as the Kazekage, he wasn't allowed to be selfish.
It was her duty as a shinobi to accept such missions without question. He trusted her to take care of herself, but as the days went on without her around, he began to question his decision.

If she died out there, it would be all his fault. He had given her the mission. He was the one that sent her out to the wolves without him by her side...

And that is what haunted him every night when he returned home...her absence, the responsibility that hung on his shoulders like a yoke, the knowledge that it was ultimately his decision that risked her life every second she was gone.

Her clothes were still hanging in their closet, her shampoo and soap still stood untouched in the shower. Her smell still lingered on her pillow and clung to the sheets.
Every corner he turned in the house flooded his mind with memories of them.

Of course, he couldn't tell anyone how he was feeling.
He was expected to remain poised and uncaring that he had sent the one person he cared about the most in the world to her possible death. "Set the example." Baki had said.
When Temari would ask how he was doing, he answered with a quick and final "fine."
She would throw him a sympathetic look and then exit as quickly as she could.

Every night that he stayed up and waited for her to return home only brought him more anxiety. She should have returned home by now. It took every ounce of self control he had to not go out there himself and drag her back home.

It wasn't until he started resigning himself to living alone for the rest of his life did he hear the front door open.
Putting down his scrolls immediately, he all but ran to the front door.
There she stood, dirty and completely exhausted...the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
She smiled at him as she threw her supply bag to the floor and closed the door behind her. She all but fell into him when she gave him a hug.

Scooping her up immediately, he walked toward the bathroom and started to run a bath for her.

"I smell that bad, huh?" she half-heartedly teased as she slid to the floor.

Testing the water with his wrist, he plugged the tub and sat down on the floor with her as they waited for the tub to fill.
They sat in silence for a while, until she started with the mission details, "We were able to successfully infiltrate the camp. It was rough at first, but thanks to all of the med..."

He held up his hand to stop her, "Sakura, in the office I care about the mission. In this house, I care about you."

Smiling back at him she said, "I'm fine. Nothing a hot bath and a good nights sleep won't fix."

Nodding he responded, "Then that's exactly what you'll get."

"I missed you," she said as she scooted closer to him.
Pulling her as close to him as possible, they sat in silence once again.
Holding her close, knowing and feeling that she was home and safe seemed to melt his built up anxiety away.

'Haunted' they claim, they have no idea what they're talking about.