Sakura was all smiles around the hospital the whole day. She's a cheerful woman, alright, but there was seemingly something so eminently special about that day that caused the pink-haired medic nin to be at the pinnacle of her emotions. There was no heavy workload, irritable workmate, nor delayed appointment that was intense enough to wipe away that dazzling smile plastered on her face.

The Rokudaime, as he observed during his routine checkup conducted by Sakura that morning, was certain that it has something to do with what he and Naruto had told her a week ago – the best news she had ever received in the past two or so years – for Sasuke was finally coming home. He was sure that his former kunoichi student has been waiting for this day, and so he decided to send her and Naruto to welcome the wandering ninja near the gates of Konoha by the time that she ends her shift at the hospital.

"Finally! It's about time teme comes home, 'ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed with his hands behind his head. If there was someone whose excitement could parallel with hers, it was surely their raven-haired teammate's best friend and rival. "I'm so excited I could give him a punch for not attending my wedding!" He laughed rather boisterously, earning an eye roll from his female teammate. "I'm sure you'll be over the moon once you see him again, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura's cheeks became as pink as her hair as she shoved him by the shoulder. "Shut up, Naruto!"

Naruto giggled. "Oh, did you know? Sasuke has finally requested to renovate the Uchiha compound last month. I wonder what his plans are." He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Sakura is smart enough to catch what he was thinking. This made her face turn even redder. She fiddled with her fingers as she mused about the possibilities. Of course, she has been wondering about Sasuke's plans after his return as well. And for the longest time, she has been pondering about what he meant when he told her that he'll see her when he's back after giving her forehead a tap that seemed to be affectionate, if she understood it right. Somehow, she has started to imagine the delight it would bring if she becomes a part of his plans, but she didn't want to assume too much.

"It might not mean anything, you know? At least, we could now say that he's finally ready to be back in that place." She smiled. "It's been difficult for him to accept his past, embrace the present, and move towards the future. But this could be his first step."

Naruto beamed back at her with awe. "You really love him, don't you?"

Sakura sighed and stared at the grassy road ahead of them. "More than words."

It wasn't too long until they started seeing a silhouette from afar. At that instant, Sakura's heart began to pound inside her chest.

This is it.

The wait is over.

She could finally welcome him home.

She bit her lower lip in anticipation, hands clutched together as if praying that time would speed up and rid them of the suspense they were feeling. Moments later, the very moment they've been waiting for finally arrived.

"Oi! Welcome home, tem—! Oh..." It was Naruto who spoke first.

Sakura, however, could only stare.

For Sasuke was now standing in front of them. And behind him, was a very pregnant redhead.

Naruto's eyes shifted back and forth between the two newcomers. For a split second, he narrowed his eyes but decided to brush it off and continue with his welcoming attitude. "Welcome, guys! Hey, Karin! Congratulations! About to bring another Uzumaki into the world, huh?"

"She's not an Uzumaki anymore." And those were the very first words that they heard from Sasuke after a good dose of more than two years.

If Sakura's heart didn't skip a beat earlier, right now, it seemed to have fully stopped beating. She's...not an...does he mean that...?

Karin blushed and pushed her glasses upwards, grinning from ear to ear at the guy beside her. "Sasuke's right."

"Oh." Naruto scratched the back of his head, discreetly giving Sasuke a "what the hell" look. "Uh, that's nice." Although he is the physical embodiment of the term extrovert, he seemed to have finally succumbed into the awkwardness of the situation. He spared a glance at Sakura who was silent the entire time, and for a moment, his fists clenched. This was not the way he imagined his bestfriend's return. "Well then, what are your plans now, Teme?"

Karin suddenly scooted closer to Sasuke and clung her arm to his. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. But I'm terribly exhausted right now. I might pass out anytime soon."

Sakura's breath hitched at the sight. And she could feel her hand tremble when she caught Sasuke's eyes widen abruptly, his expression borderline panic. She felt like a total intruder all of a sudden, with her heart constricting in a manner that felt so real, almost too tangible even.

Sasuke then turned to Naruto with his brows furrowed. "Naruto, is the Uchiha Compound finished?"

"Uh, yes. Captain Yamato and some of his men had finished it just last week," Naruto confirmed, blinking in confusion at the sudden change of topic. "Wait, since Karin's exhausted, and it seems like she's about to give birth any time soon, should we bring her to the hospital? Or find a place? Or maybe Sakura-chan here could check up on—?"

"No, she's staying at my place."

That's when all hell broke loose. Sakura was sure that she didn't hear anything else other than those six words but she clearly felt her heart shattering into pieces as if it fell onto the floor with a very loud thud. Her mind seemed to have shut down as she stared at the man that she has waited to come home after all these years.

Nonetheless, she knew that time that the longer he sees him, or hear anything else that he would say about Karin, the more that her heart would feel as though its cracked pieces are being stepped on.

Repeatedly.

Mercilessly.

Naruto on the other hand merely stood there with his lips parted, shifting his glance on each of the three people with him by the gates of their village.

Before her jinchuriki teammate even talked again, Sakura slowly mustered the energy and courage to speak, and then she cleared her throat. "I...I think I should go back to the hospital now for my second shift." She looked on the ground and uttered the words she has been waiting to tell the Uchiha: "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun..."

She clenched her fists. "...and Karin."

She then quickly turned and headed to the hospital passing through the roofs, ignoring how a startled Naruto repeatedly called her name.

Jumping from one roof to another, Sakura realized that tears have begun streaming down her cheeks. She tried so hard to get a grip even though her knees were already feeling quite wobly, trembling in pain that was not even physical. For years, she has looked forward to this day, but who would have thought that she'll finally reach this day only to be astounded with what seemed like a slap to her face?

Sasuke finally came home.

However...with someone else.

And worse, that someone else was already married, pregnant, and about to stay at his place.

She still hasn't heard Sasuke's elaborate story, but it appeared that he already mentioned enough. And she was hurt enough.

Is this all that she's gonna get after waiting for him all this time? She has never felt so betrayed. Until she realized that Sasuke just tapped her on the forehead and said that he'll see her soon. And now that he has seen her, maybe that's it. Why did she even believe that it could mean something more?

Brushing both her hands on her face to wipe her tears, she heaved a sigh and chose to set aside the incident when she reached the hospital. She wasn't supposed to return for a second shift, making Shizune curious about her sudden change of plans. But once Shizune saw the massive difference on her current countenance compared to the one she had that morning, she decided not to dare question Sakura's return anymore. Besides, she could use the help in finishing the research analysis they were told to present days from now. But she didn't expect Sakura to stay in the hospital up until past midnight just to work on that.

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© January 2019 AriannJS

Hey guys! It was honestly painful writing this😭 But stay tuned for the next parts! Let me know your thoughts and feelings about this fic! Your comments and reviews are welcome! Thanks & God bless! :)
– A