The End

July 19:00 p.m.

———Sasuke quickly approached the familiar gates into The Hidden Leaf Village. He was nervous to be back in the village. It'd been a while since he'd been here, but the air carried a sense of familiarity that helped calm his nerves.

Once he made it into the village, he immediately headed to the Hokage tower to find Naruto. If what Naruto said was true, then it would be best to see him as soon as possible....

Naruto was looking over some important papers with Shikamaru when suddenly, the door to his office opened. The two looked up and saw Sasuke who swiftly approached them, clearly concerned about the letter he'd received.

"Welcome back, Sasuke. It's nice seeing you." Naruto said as he sat back in his chair and grinned softly.

"Is it true..?" Sasuke asked, his tone laced in frustration. Unlike Naruto, Sasuke was more worried about the possibility of a new threat arising.

Naruto sighed as his grin faded. Of course, Sasuke wanted to skip the small talk. "Yea...yea, it is." he said before turning to Shikamaru. "Can you bring in the documents?"

Shikamaru nodded and exited the room. As he walked away, a heavy silence filled the room. The severity of the situation was really starting to hit Sasuke; the peace that they'd all fought for may just come to an end......

After Shikamaru returned with the documents, the three discussed what was found and the concerns that came with this information.

Naruto requested for Sasuke to further investigate the matter. However, there were a few requirements that Sasuke would have to follow to ensure that his investigation would not fail...

These requirements filled Sasuke's heart with dread...but how he felt wasn't important...this job had to be done and he was the only one who could do it. Sasuke reluctantly agreed to take on this task.

But before Sasuke could leave, Naruto made a second request...

"Before you go..." Naruto said as he stood up and walked over to Sasuke, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Go see Sakura. Just in case."

Sasuke stared at Naruto, his body trembling, but his face unreadable. "How would I tell her..." he asked.

"Just say it. She's grown a lot since you've last seen her. If you tell her straight up, she'll understand." Naruto gave Sasuke a reassuring smile, patting his back. He didn't want his friend to be riddled with unnecessary worry.

"Ok..." Sasuke sighed. Would she really be able to handle it..?

—July 110:40 p.m.—

Sakura was about to get in bed when she heard a knock at her front door. Who could possibly be here at this time of night?

When Sakura answered the door, she felt her whole body freeze upon seeing the man standing on the other side of it.

"S-Sasuke..?" her voice quivered. She couldn't believe that he was here...and so suddenly.

Sasuke's blank expression saddened once he saw his wife and heard her voice for the first time in nearly five years. "Sakura..." he responded quietly.

"What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked as excitement slowly built up within her. Despite Sakura's best attempts to hide her excitement, a soft smile appeared on her face.

Seeing Sakura fail to contain her emotions managed to make Sasuke smirk. "Sorry...I should've told you." he said, looking into her bright green eyes. He couldn't look away from them as he found comfort in her gaze.

Sakura blushed and her heart began to beat faster. Nothing could compare to the way that Sasuke looked at her. "Well I'm glad you're here now. Welcome home, Sasuke." she said sweetly before inviting him inside....

"So...you haven't told me what brings you here." Sakura was hoping that he'd decided to stay in the village with her and Sarada but she knew it was unlikely.

Sasuke frowned a little and looked away from her. He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her why he'd come by yet.

"Can I see Sarada?" he asked shyly, wanting to avoid answering Sakura but also wanting to see his daughter.

Sakura smiled happily and took Sasuke's hand. She knew he was trying to distract her but she realized that she shouldn't bombard him with questions so soon. "Of course you can!" she said enthusiastically before bringing Sasuke to Sarada's room....

Slowly, Sakura opened the door to Sarada's bedroom. Sarada was peacefully sleeping in her little bed, unaware of her dad's presence. Sasuke and Sakura stood at the doorway and watched her.

Seeing Sarada, Sasuke felt his body tense up. She'd gotten so much bigger since he last saw her. So much of her life — her development — went by so quickly...and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't bring himself to get any closer to her, so he just stared at her and admired her from afar.

Sakura noticed the troubled look in Sasuke's eyes and sighed. Wanting to dissolve any regrets he might've been feeling, Sakura held his hand tightly and leaned against his arm.

"Sarada has been doing a lot better lately. She doesn't ask about you too much anymore." Sakura said, "And she's even started to make friends now."

"Tell me more about her..." Sasuke said, tightening his grip on Sakura's hand. Nothing could make up for the time he'd lost with Sarada but learning more about her would be able to put him at ease for now....

Sakura proceeded to fill Sasuke in on Sarada's life and told him more about what she's like. She was still very young but she was already very smart and motivated just like her father. And even though she was a well behaved and polite child, she could sometimes be a bit feisty like her mother.

Sarada hadn't been enrolled into the ninja academy yet but she was already practicing her taijutsu with the help of Sakura. She was eager to become a ninja and one day, she wanted to be Hokage.

And despite Sarada spending most of her time learning from her mother, she's been able to make a few new friends throughout the village.

Just as Sasuke hoped for, Sarada is living the life that he has always wanted for her since the day she was born. Sasuke was sure that Sakura would help Sarada achieve great things in the future and make better choices than he did when he was young. There was no doubt in Sasuke's mind that could break his belief in his wife.

—

After talking about Sarada for a while, Sasuke and Sakura exited her room, closing the door behind them.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke. She examined the familiar details of his face thoroughly. Staring at Sasuke was one of her most favorite things to do...even now that they're married.

"Um...Sasuke..?" Sakura asked shyly, blush rushing to her cheeks.

"Hm?" Sasuke responded. Given the look on her face, Sasuke had an idea of what she was going to say next.

Sakura looked to the side with tightened lips. "Do you think we can...you know..." her voice trembled slightly. Due to how long it's been since she last seen Sasuke, Sakura felt a little embarrassed to ask this of him.

Sasuke chuckled and a soft smile emerged on his lips. It was cute whenever Sakura would get shy. And the fact that she only got shy when it came to him made it even cuter.

Hearing him chuckle, Sakura crossed her arms as she looked at him nervously. "Don't laugh at me. Can we or not..?" she asked, clearly still embarrassed.

Sasuke sighed lightly but his smile remained. He took her hand as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Sorry but not tonight. Let's just talk." he said sweetly.

Sakura held his hand tight and sighed. She was partially disappointed but she also didn't mind talking. It'd been a while since they spoke in person so Sakura would be happy either way.

"It's fine." she said as she rolled her eyes playfully. "What do you want to talk about?" Sakura, still holding Sasuke's hand, led him back to the living room where they both sat on the couch.

Sasuke stared at Sakura for a moment. He wanted to tell her why he was here, but the sweet, innocent look on her face made it hard for him to do so.

The longer he gazed at her, the more he remembered all of the time they'd spent together. Their time at the ninja academy...their missions as genin...her visits to the prison...the months they'd spent traveling...

Their relationship was far from perfect and the affection he'd received from Sakura over the course of their lives was not deserved. But even so, Sakura still chose to love someone who had no love to give to her.

All of these years, Sasuke tormented her emotionally and physically. Whether he meant to or not, he always found himself hurting her in the end.

Sasuke's expression saddened as he sighed. Tonight, he'd be hurting her once more...

Sakura could tell by the look in his eyes that something was wrong. She felt nerves build up in her core and couldn't shake the feeling that Sasuke had bad news to give her.

Wanting to ignore the anxiety, Sakura smiled weakly and decided to lead the conversation since Sasuke wasn't going to. "The children's clinic is doing well if you want to hear about that..?" she asked quietly.

Noticing the slight shift in Sakura's demeanor, Sasuke realized that she caught on to his worries. Not good...

"Sure..." he said under his breath as he shyly broke eye contact with Sakura.

Sasuke looking away from Sakura only furthered her suspicions that something was up. However, not willing to ruin her time with him, Sakura didn't address it.

Instead, she told Sasuke all about her work at the hospital and clinic. She told him about the patients that she'd gotten to know and what it was like working with them.

Sasuke, without looking at her, listened closely. The things that Sakura had told him about her work made him proud to have her as his wife. And the sound of her voice filled his heart with warmth....

Having a lot on her mind regarding her patients, Sakura spent the next hour talking nonstop.

—July 21:30 a.m.—

Although she enjoyed talking about her work, Sakura realized just how much she was talking about herself. And the more she realized it, the more she wanted to know why Sasuke was here.

Sakura stopped talking and began playing with her fingers as she pondered how to ask him why he was here.

After a few seconds of silence, Sasuke turned to Sakura worryingly. Why did she go quiet..? But just as Sasuke opened his mouth to speak, Sakura beat him to it.

With a serious look on her face, she turned to look at him. "Why did you come see me..." she asked in a low, quiet tone.

Sasuke sharply inhaled and his jaw tightened. He was afraid that she'd ask that. As he slowly turned away from her, he felt Sakura place her hand over his shoulder, managing to stop him from looking away.

"Just tell me, Sasuke." Sakura said as she gave him a soft smile.

A long silence fell upon the two before Sasuke found the courage to speak: "Naruto has a mission for me..." he started. But the moment he said that, Sakura's smile faded and her eyes widened slightly.

Seeing the negative reaction that she had from just that sentence alone made Sasuke feel horrible. His throat felt dry and his eyes began drifting around the room as he found himself struggling to keep eye contact with her. He couldn't stand to face her as he broke her heart yet again.

"I'm going to disappear for a while..." he continued, "You won't...hear from me...for a while."

Without even looking at her, Sasuke could tell that Sakura was trying hard not to break down. Suddenly, he felt her hand leave his shoulder and slide down to his hand where she held onto him tightly.

He turned to Sakura, expecting to see her crying, but instead, he was met with a blank look. Despite the lack of expression on her face, the look in her eyes was intense. Sasuke could tell that she was desperately trying to suppress her emotions. Something that he does all the time...

Were his mannerisms rubbing off on her? "Sakura..." he said quietly as he gripped onto her hand.

"What..?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly.

It was obvious that she was on the brink of tears and it hurt Sasuke to know that she was holding it in. "You're allowed to cry." he said in a breathy tone.

Sakura grinned weakly before slowly leaning closer to Sasuke and hugging him. "N-Not tonight..." Sakura responded. She could feel herself getting choked up when she spoke.

Sasuke wrapped his arm around her and held her close. He held her tight, squeezing her between his arm and body. They both desperately needed a hug.

Then, Sasuke heard a whimper from Sakura, and soon enough, she was crying. Feeling the tension leave her body as she began to cry in his arm, Sasuke couldn't have felt worse....

After a couple of minutes, Sakura's tears lessened as she backed away from Sasuke. She wiped away her tears before looking at him somewhat sadly.

"I'm sorry, Sakura..." Sasuke said. "I wish things could be different...but I need to keep you and Sarada safe."

Sakura sighed. She knew this...she always had. It didn't make her pain any less but she knew what she signed up for when she married Sasuke.

A faint smile slowly appeared on her face and she nodded slowly. "Don't be sorry. I understand..." she said.

"Will you be ok..?" Sasuke asked, concerned for her wellbeing.

For a moment, Sakura remained silent as she searched her mind for an answer to give him. That's when she remembered something one of her patients told her...

Sakura's faint smile turned into a warm one. "Can I tell you something that I learned from one of the kids at the clinic?" she asked.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. The sudden shift in her mood intrigued him. "Hm?"

"She told me that the most valuable thing a person can leave behind are the memories we've made with them." Sakura said sweetly.

What Sakura said made sense but at the same time, Sasuke wasn't completely sure what to make of that statement. Not knowing how to respond, he stared at her blankly.

Realizing that she might've confused him, Sakura chuckled lightly. "What I'm trying to say is...don't feel bad that you can't be here with me. The time we've spent together over the years is enough to keep me going."

Sasuke hated how optimistic Sakura could be...but only because he couldn't relate to that mindset. Regardless, it did make him happy to see her smile and in a better mood.

Before Sasuke could respond to her, Sakura spoke again: "Sasuke...could we stay up and watch the sun rise together..? Since this will be our last night together." she asked nervously.

Sasuke grinned slightly. "That sounds nice, Sakura." he said.

Sakura nodded happily in agreement before standing up. "I have the perfect place to watch the sun rise from." she said as she held a hand out for Sasuke.

Sasuke took her hand and stood up before she led him to the roof of the house....

Once they were on the roof, they found a flat area to sit at. Sakura sat on top of Sasuke — her back leaning against his chest and his arm wrapped around her waist.

The two stared into the distance at the starry, night sky...just like they used to do when they traveled the world together.

And just like when they were traveling, the two remained completely silent. Not because they had nothing to say, but because the silence between them spoke volumes.

The amount of love that they had for each other filled the air around them. The feel of their bodies pressing together gave them comfort. And as if they could read each other's minds, the two knew exactly how they were feeling and what they were thinking about each other in the moment.

It was the most peaceful and comforting moment that either of them had in years...

—July 26:00 a.m.—

The end of Sasuke and Sakura's time together was approaching as the sun rose from the horizon. Sakura wasn't ready for Sasuke to go but knowing him, he was probably ready to leave already.

As if on queue, Sasuke sighed. "Sakura..." he said softly.

"I know..." she said sadly before getting off of Sasuke.

The two stood up and faced each other. They both had the same, longing look in their eyes. Neither of them were fully ready for this moment.

Seeing Sasuke standing in front of her for the last time, Sakura felt a new wave of strong emotions hit her hard and she began crying. But this time, she was able to smile through her tears as she wiped them away.

"You know I-I love y-you...right?" she cried, "I a-always have a-a-and always will..!"

"I love you too, Sakura..." Sasuke said as he helped her wipe her tears. "I hope you know how much you mean to me." he added.

Sakura nodded as she took Sasuke's hand and held it. "I...I do." she said as she caught her breath.

She then held back the rest of her tears, wanting to be able to see Sasuke's face clearly. Sakura placed her free hand on his cheek and held it there.

"When you leave...don't you ever forget about me. And please stay alive...I need you to return to us one day. Promise me that you will..." she said.

Without answering her, Sasuke leaned in and pressed his lips against hers — softly, yet passionately.

Sakura kissed him back as she pulled him in closer, deepening their kiss.

They stayed like this for a while before Sasuke managed to break away from the kiss. He stared into her eyes before examining her face, and eventually, her body. He was going to miss her badly.

The way he looked at her made Sakura feel nervous. She shyly smiled and looked down as blush covered her face. "Do you...do you promise to come back..?"

Sasuke's gaze returned to her face and he sighed. He wasn't sure if and when he'd complete his mission. He couldn't tell her that; she'd just feel worse.

But he'd be lying if he promised to return. And given how well Sakura knew him, Sasuke knows that she'd catch him in a lie immediately.

So instead, Sasuke decided to gift her something that he knew she'd appreciate...

Sasuke raised two fingers and poked Sakura's forehead, causing her to look up at him.

When Sakura looked up, she looked into his eyes. The moment their eyes met, Sakura felt herself blink...

And suddenly, she was standing in the garden where she and Sasuke had gotten married. But this time, it was just the two of them alone.

How was she here? Why was she here?

Slowly, as Sakura collected her thoughts, she came to a realization. Was she in a...

Sasuke interrupted her thoughts when he spoke. "You're in a genjutsu." he said calmly.

Just as she thought. "But why?" she asked curiously.

"Before I go...I want to tell you my vows..." he said as he held Sakura's hand.

Sakura's eyes widened, seeping with curiosity and excitement. After six whole years, she'd finally get to hear Sasuke's vows. Everything that occupied her mind up until this point has now been pushed to the back of her mind. "Go ahead..." she said sweetly.

Seeing the way Sakura's eyes lit up made Sasuke smirk. The way Sakura looked at him would never get old.

"I've not always made the best decisions...but marrying you is the only decision that I'm proud to have made." he said sincerely, "You were always the light of my life...even when I didn't realize it. You're the only one who's deserving of the Uchiha name. When I'm gone, you'll be the one to represent the clan. You'll be the one to raise the future of our clan. I wouldn't want it any other way. My only regret is not letting you in sooner. The day you stop loving me is the day that I lose myself...you're everything I could ever want and need, Sakura."

Sakura could feel her heart beat faster and faster as Sasuke spoke. He'd never said anything this heartfelt before. Blush appeared on her cheeks and she smiled sweetly as tears formed in her eyes. "Do you really mean that?" she asked.

He stared at Sakura lovingly, trying to express just how passionately he feels for her. "Every word." Sasuke responded in a low tone.

Sakura pulled him in and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Sasuke." she said happily.

"You don't have to thank me." he said as he placed his hand on her head. Sasuke didn't believe he deserved thanks after everything he's done; he wished Sakura felt the same.

"Well I want to thank you." she chuckled before backing away. "But...why did you have to tell me here..?" she asked curiously.

Sasuke smirked, somewhat mischievously, and leaned close to her face, leaving just an inch of space between them. "To redo our wedding night..." he whispered heavily.

Sakura's body tensed up as chills went up her spine. Redo their wedding night...? Not knowing how to respond, she stared at him in shock, trying to control her breathing.

Flustering Sakura always amused Sasuke. He chuckled lightly before moving away from her. "Don't worry...I'll take it easier on you this time~" he teased.

Sakura looked away shyly and tried to hide her smile. "I would like that...a lot..." she said nervously....

—July 26:10 a.m.—

After putting Sakura into a genjutsu, Sasuke carried her into her room and laid her on the bed. Sasuke desperately wanted to get in bed with her and forget all about his mission, but he knew he couldn't.

He took one last look at her before turning around and leaving the room. When he entered the hallway, he found something unexpected...

Sarada was standing in the hallway. She had clearly just woken up. But when she noticed Sasuke, her eyes open up as she walks towards him.

Sasuke, nervous, froze as she approached him. Seeing her awake was a lot different from watching her sleep.

Once she was in front of him, Sarada looked up at him, her eyes sweet and innocent. "Are you my dad?" she asked curiously.

Hearing her speak for the first time and hearing this question sent a sudden sadness through Sasuke's body. His jaw tightened and his throat felt dry.

Tears swelled in his eyes as he kneeled down on one knee and hugged Sarada tightly. She was his family...something that he created...but he has to leave her behind. It just isn't fair.

Before Sarada could react, Sasuke backed away from her and analyzed her face. She looked almost identical to him. At least Sakura has a 'mini Sasuke' just like she asked for all those years ago.

Sasuke grinned faintly before putting Sarada into a genjutsu, causing her to fall in his arms. He didn't want her to remember that she'd seen him so he decided to make their last moment into a sweet dream.

Sasuke carried her into Sakura's bedroom and laid her down next to her mother. Sakura, who was still in the genjutsu was now smiling softly. Sasuke grinned upon knowing that she was having a good time.

But now, it was time for him to leave. Sasuke wasn't sure when he could return but he knew that he'd be counting the days until he could reunite with his family again.

He watched Sakura and Sarada for a minute before heading off on a new journey.

The second Sasuke stepped foot outside of the village, he already began to miss his wife and daughter...———

This is the end of the chapter and I'm genuinely ending the story here! I didn't really intend for the story to continue after the wedding so there's probably an obvious decline in the quality of the stories writing. I'm not going to lie, I was super uninspired past the point of the wedding so these last few chapters — especially this one in particular — are my least favorites and honestly, I don't count them as being canon in this fanfic😭...

I'm extremely sorry about this chapter specifically. I genuinely was really giving up on this one so it turned out to be absolutely horrendous. But I hope you guys understand the type of vibe and storyline that I was trying to go for with this.😅

I'll probably make a separate short story about Sarada's upbringing instead of including it in this story. It'll be a continuation of "Patient Love" but instead of it being a SasuSaku fanfic, it'll just focus on Sarada's childhood after the events of this story took place so look out for that!

Thank you for reading! And once again, I apologize for how garbage this chapter was!😭