Chapter Text
“I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul.” - Pablo Neruda.
The dimly lit surroundings blurred his vision as he walked through the shadows. Visiting one of Orochimaru’s hideouts was not Sasuke Uchiha’s best choice, yet it could be the best place to find the clues he sought. With slow steps and his Sharingan activated, scanning for any threat, he realized the cave was abandoned. Still, it was there he would find the book.
He lit the torch, revealing rows of forbidden scrolls. What he needed was among them. Sasuke reached out toward the lined-up scrolls, cautious — these scrolls contained hidden jutsu. Then he saw one, yellowed with age, bearing a strange symbol, almost like a pentagram, sealed shut. He undid the seal himself.
Sasuke knew he needed to see it. Soon after, he would return home, make a brief stop in Konoha, see Sakura and Sarada, and maybe — just maybe — stay for a few days after so long.
Maybe train with Sarada.
Maybe see Sakura, finally.
“Tch.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head to pull himself out of those thoughts. He needed to focus. He opened the scroll. And from that moment on, everything changed.
His eyes widened, vision rippling as if everything around him swayed. His legs gave out, and the last thing he saw was a blinding light rushing toward him.
---
Collapsed. That’s how he found himself. The trees swayed with the wind as he stood up, feeling slightly dizzy. He needed to understand what had happened. The cave was gone, only the scroll lay beside him — that much his eyes could take in.
He was close to Konoha. He knew the location. He would head there as fast as possible. Something had happened. He had the impression that everything was the same… and yet, somehow different.
That was the same thought that struck him as he saw the facade of the Hidden Leaf. He slipped in as stealthily as he could. The houses and buildings looked the same, but the chakras felt slightly different. With ninja speed, he went straight to the Hokage’s office. Relief washed over him when he saw that, for now, everything seemed normal.
“Naruto.” He called out as he stepped into the Hokage’s office. He knew he would find him there, probably buried in paperwork, tangled in the village’s problems.
“Sasuke!!” Naruto’s blue eyes widened, his body toppling backward along with his chair in shock. “What the hell are you doing here!?”
“I was on a mission, searching for one of Orochimaru’s scrolls. When I opened it, I blacked out. Then I woke up a few miles from the village and decided to come here to see if something was going on. It felt like something had caught me.” Sasuke explained.
“It’s been a while since you showed up, teme.” Naruto said. “The village is fine, at least nothing alarming has happened, dattebayo.” He added with his usual mannerisms. “But I’m glad you’re back. Stop by the medical center to make sure nothing happened. Then we can grab some ramen before I head home. I promised to tuck Himawari into bed tonight.”
“Don’t worry, dobe.” Sasuke shrugged. “Sakura must be at the medical center right now, I’ll go see her.” He affirmed, his gaze fixed on his stunned friend.
“Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked, as if Sasuke had just grown two heads.
“Yes, dobe. Sakura should be there, unless she was sent on a mission?” Sasuke asked slowly, giving Naruto time to understand.
“Sasuke… Sakura-chan is in Suna.” Naruto said, looking at him as if he weren’t well.
“Suna? Was she sent on a mission?” Sasuke frowned. “Is Sarada in the village?” he pressed, watching Naruto fall silent.
“Sasuke… Sakura lives in Suna.” Naruto repeated. “For five years now. And… who is Sarada?”
“You’re insane, dobe.” Sasuke gave a humorless laugh. “Sakura is my wife — how could she have been living in Suna for five years? Sarada, Naruto, our daughter.” He shook his head.
“Teme, I don’t know what you’re talking about, dattebayo.” Naruto scratched his head, baffled. “You’d better go to the medical center for a check-up.”
“Naruto… I married Sakura years ago, far more than five. We have a daughter, we’ve been together ever since I returned to the village.” Sasuke said, trying to stay calm while beginning to piece it all together.
“Teme… you never came back to marry Sakura-chan.” Naruto replied, stepping closer, worried.
“No.” Sasuke denied instantly, already knowing exactly where he needed to go. This couldn’t be happening. Sakura was his wife. Sarada was his daughter. It was that damned scroll.
He had to leave. He had to go home. There, he would find his wife and his daughter. There, Sakura would be waiting to say “Tadaima.” to his “Okaeri.” That place was his life. That place was where he rebuilt his clan, where he shed his hatred.
That place was his family.
Sakura.
Sarada.
He ran as fast as he could to the Uchiha compound, Naruto’s voice echoing behind him, calling his name.
No.
No.
No.
Why was everything destroyed?
Why was everything empty?
He slid open the door and saw — no one.
Sakura.
It was his nightmare. Pain tore through his chest as he began to hyperventilate.
His nightmare.
That was all in his mind as the hazy darkness claimed him and the blinding light engulfed his vision once again.
---
Breathe. He needed to breathe. That was his body’s first thought as he tried to move. Everything felt far too comfortable. The scent of antiseptic filled his senses. He was in the hospital.
Slowly, he opened his eyes and confirmed — the Konoha medical center.
He shot upright, clutching his chest, the machine beside him beeping rapidly.
Sarada.
Sakura.
That was his first thought before a flash of pink hair stormed into the room, Sakura.
“Sakura.” Her name left his lips — sweet, as it only could be when spoken by him. He needed to confirm she was real.
“Sasuke-kun, I’m here.” She said, her green eyes meeting his, full of concern.
“Sakura, are you alright?” He asked with difficulty, watching her pour him some water. “Where’s Sarada?” he continued, desperate to know.
“I’m fine, Sasuke-kun. Sarada is on a mission, calm down.” She replied, checking the chart in her hands. Her right hand brushed his forehead, pushing away damp strands of hair. She needed to infuse more chakra into him. “You suffered a complete chakra exhaustion. You were found near the village entrance by the patrol team.” She explained, worry filling her green eyes.
“What happened, Sasuke-kun?” she asked, seeing him break into a cold sweat.
“Sakura… I…” He began, meeting her gaze. “It was just a mission gone wrong, nothing more.” He said slowly, closing his eyes and surrendering to the delicate hands channeling chakra into him. He didn’t want to remember. He needed to stay sane.
Sakura chose silence. She knew Sasuke. For now, they would need to take things slowly. When he was ready, he would tell her. That was one more thing she would wait for. She would always wait. She was just… exhausted.
Maybe the distance between them was greater than she wanted to admit. She wanted to be his support, but she would wait. That was all she could do.
---
For Sasuke, being discharged from the hospital was the best news possible. He wanted to go home. He had been away for too long. The mission still left him unsteady. Realizing, even for a moment, that he could lose what he loved had stolen his breath.
He was on leave for a while. Sakura, as both wife and medic, was worried — he wasn’t cleared for missions until further notice.
It was already night. He was so exhausted he barely registered being home again. So long away had made him used to less welcoming places. His home overflowed with warmth and comfort. His family.
The hospital visits had been enough to make him crave solitude for a while. He needed to organize his thoughts. He needed to think. Maybe he needed to break down the distance he felt growing between him and Sakura. They had been together for years, and he loved her. How he loved her. But he didn’t know how to avoid pushing her away when he feared he could hurt her.
Apparently, the visits weren’t over. A voice echoed in his living room — or maybe the kitchen. He walked quietly across the tatami. He soon recognized the voice. Ino Yamanaka. He should have made some noise to announce himself, but something urged him to stay hidden. Instinct, maybe, warning him something was wrong.
“Forehead, honestly, I understand your history, but don’t you think the distance is hurting your relationship?” Ino’s curious voice asked. From the doorway, Sasuke could see her blonde hair contrasting against his wife’s pink.
He held his breath, masking his chakra, waiting for the reply. He almost smirked humorlessly at himself — doing something so… “Naruto.”
“Pig…” Sakura sighed. “Sometimes it feels like there’s only distance. But it’s Sasuke-kun. That’s just how he is…”
“You must love Sasuke a lot, Sakura. If it were Sai, I don’t know what would keep our marriage standing.” Ino said. “Just don’t let your trust in love falter. Without that, nothing can hold a relationship. I hope you’ll find your answers. Try talking to him. Maybe you’ll work things out — or end things cleanly.”
“I—”
Sasuke almost cursed himself when he knocked over a plant, the noise giving him away. Both women turned. He had to leave quickly. Nothing could be worse than being caught eavesdropping on his own wife.
Heart pounding, he dashed to the bedroom, lying down again.
Did Sakura doubt his love? Was she thinking of leaving him? What would he do?
His head spun with a thousand possibilities, each worse than the last. Would it end like in that terrible parallel reality where he had been trapped?
Talking about it would mean admitting he had overheard her private conversation. Should he wait?
Lose his wife?
There was only one solution. Speak with the most unlikely person — but the only one who might help. The Hokage. His idiot friend, Naruto.
---
It wasn’t the smartest idea. But beyond being his friend, Naruto knew Sakura almost as well as he did. Maybe by talking, he could find a subtle way to approach Sakura without sounding like he had been prying into her private thoughts.
Taking advantage of Sakura’s shift at the medical center wasn’t exactly the most honorable move, but it was the best timing. He was still recovering, and his attentive wife would be monitoring his every move.
So, moments after Uchiha Sakura left their home, he gave himself the chance for that conversation. He took a deep breath before stepping into the Seventh Hokage’s office. Asking Naruto for advice was far from the smartest idea — but there weren’t many others he could turn to.
“Dobe, I need some advice.” The words left his mouth reluctantly. Just remembering the last time he had walked into this office sent chills down his spine.
“Teme?” Naruto looked at him, worried, but quickly grinned. “Looks like you’ve finally decided to take the precious advice of your best friend, dattebayo.” He said, settling back into his chair, tossing aside some papers while keeping an eye on the door — in case Shikamaru barged in.
“I’m already starting to regret this.” Sasuke sighed, weighing his options. “Tch.” He sat down. “You’re all I’ve got.”
“Nani!?” Naruto pouted. “What do you want?”
“Sakura is thinking about leaving me.” Sasuke admitted, sighing, and explained what he had overheard from Ino Yamanaka.
“Impossible. Sakura-chan loves you, Sasuke.” Naruto shook his head firmly. “She wouldn’t leave you.” He declared. “You must have misunderstood, dattebayo.”
“Naruto, believe me. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t certain.”
That was when Naruto knew it was serious. Sasuke was here, asking for his advice. He would take it seriously.
“I… I can’t lose her, dobe.” Sasuke said, his fists clenching. “Not now. Not ever.”
“Seems like it’s really complicated, teme.” Naruto sighed. “In a relationship, words alone won’t fix things. You’ll have to act.” He thought for a moment. Then he smiled. “I’ll give you a foolproof solution.”
“A manual.” He said confidently.
“A manual?” Sasuke arched an eyebrow. “What manual?”
“The Manual on How Not to Lose a Wife, of course.” Naruto grinned like a cat, while Sasuke already felt a headache coming on.
“Hm.” He muttered. “That’s one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard, dobe.” He said, rolling his eyes.
“Trust me, teme.” Naruto replied with conviction. “It all begins with the first step…”