Chapter 1
Today is the day.
Naruto is finally coming home after five long months away. His diplomatic tour of the villages, his missions—S-ranked, of course—kept him away from Konoha for far too long. It’s strange, really. During the war, we were used to being apart, used to the long stretches of uncertainty, where every battle could be the last. But this is different. The war is over, and yet, I feel his absence more profoundly than ever.
The moment I catch myself thinking that, my gut twists. Because it’s not just his absence I feel. It’s something else—something that’s been gnawing at me in the quiet moments when I let my guard down. It’s the realization that something has always been missing. A piece of me that I never even acknowledged. And I think… no, I know… Naruto is that missing piece.
‘Took you long enough to figure that out.’
I inhale sharply, pushing down the voice in my head—the one that’s always there, lurking in the shadows of my mind. The one that doesn’t hold back, doesn’t sugarcoat things. My inner demon, my second self. She’s been particularly relentless lately.
I shake my head, shifting my focus. I saw Sasuke recently. It was supposed to mean something. It was supposed to stir something inside me. But when I looked at him, all I felt was...
Disgust? No.
Anger? No.
Fear?
Fear…
Not fear of him, exactly. More like fear of myself. Fear of how easily I could fall back into that old cycle—his words, his presence, the lingering pull of a past that was built more on a dream than reality. I don’t trust him. I don’t want to. I forgave him, but I can never trust him again. And I could never love him the way I once thought I did.
‘It was never love. You know that now.’
“SAKURA-CHAN!!”
The sound of his voice is like a shock to my system, snapping me out of my thoughts so suddenly that I actually flinch. He’s here.
I turn just in time to see him, and—
Oh.
Oh my god.
I feel my breath hitch as he steps forward, and the first thing I register is just how massive he is. I knew he was always a little taller than me, but this? This is different. He towers over me now, even more than Sasuke ever did. And his body—
Sweet Sage of the Six Paths.
He’s built like a damn war god. Bulked up beyond belief, and yet still somehow cut and lean. Those muscles ripple under his tight clothes, straining against fabric that clearly wasn’t made to accommodate this new, ridiculously powerful version of him. The way he moves—graceful, controlled, but heavy with something that wasn’t there before. Experience. Burdens. Weariness.
“Sorry, Naruto, I totally spaced out!” I say quickly, shaking my head and giving him the warmest smile I can manage. “I made sure to take time off to welcome you home.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I see it—the way he melts. Just slightly, just enough that it tugs at something deep inside me. His shoulders ease, his expression softens, and then he’s beaming at me, his signature, wide-toothed grin bright enough to momentarily chase away the exhaustion I see lingering in his eyes.
“Awh, Sakura-chan, you don’t know how much this means to me! Truly! You know, ever since I got so fast, I typically speed by everything to get from point A to point B, but when I sensed your chakra, I immediately slowed down, you gotta believe it! Dattebayo!”
He laughs, but I see it.
The way his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. The exhaustion dragging at the corners of his face. The weight in his posture, in his presence. My chest tightens.
“Naruto,” I say quietly, stepping closer. “When’s the last time you ate? Or drank anything?”
His expression shifts instantly, his guilt so obvious I don’t even need to hear his answer. He scratches the back of his head, looking anywhere but at me.
“I uh…”
“You idiot!” I snap, my temper flaring as I grab his ear and yank him down to my level. “You haven’t been eating or drinking? I know Kurama can keep you alive off chakra, but I swear to god! He can’t do it forever! You’re still human, you moron! Your body needs real food, real rest! How the hell are you supposed to function like this?!”
He flails, letting out a string of apologies, but I don’t let up. Not until I’ve peppered a few sharp slaps across his face, just enough to make my point. He winces, rubbing at his cheek, but he’s grinning again.
“I’m sorry, Sakura-chan! I don’t mean to worry you. Really! I know you’re super busy being the best medic in the entire village—no, the entire world! Dattebayo!”
I huff, crossing my arms, but my lips twitch despite myself. Damn him. Even now, he can’t help but throw in a compliment.
‘Adorable. Infuriatingly adorable.’
“You know who else probably missed you?” I ask, tilting my head.
His brow furrows as he thinks, genuinely contemplating it. “Uh…Honestly, Sakura-chan I didn’t think anyone missed me…Uh, maybe… Shikamaru? Choji? No, they wouldn’t—oh! Iruka-sensei?”
I roll my eyes. “No, you idiot. Teuchi-san. You know, the ramen guy you practically worship? Do you want to go grab a bowl? Treats on me, unless Kakashi-sensei needs you at the hokage office of course.”
Naruto’s entire face lights up. “You mean it, Sakura-chan?! But you hate ramen…”
I do. I really, really do.
‘Liar.’
Shut up.
“I’m sure,” I say instead. “Plus, I have some things I need to talk to you about.”
His expression sobers slightly, curiosity flickering across his face. But then it’s gone, replaced with an almost childlike excitement.
“Well then, come on! We gotta get there before it gets too busy!”
Before I can react, he grabs my wrist and practically drags me forward, his energy infectious, his warmth seeping into my skin where he touches me.
I let him.
Because for the first time in a long time, I feel… whole.