Birthday
“Happy birthday, Naruto.” The blond ninja’s eyes flickered with joy as his raven best friend slid a gift across the table to him. “Sakura wrapped it, I'm miserable at that stuff.”
Naruto gently pulled apart the wrapping paper and opened the small box revealing a small white cloth. He pulled it out and stared at it in confusion.
“While I was traveling, I happened to go back to the hideout where Madara kept Obito and I. It was among some of Obito’s few things. I gave the rest to Kakashi but Kiba and Akamaru confirmed that that cloth was part of your dad's Hokage robe.”
Naruto’s mouth fell slightly agape as Sakura’s heart beat with happiness at the moment. Naruto looked up at Sasuke with a look paralleled only by the way he looked at him when he finally came home a few months ago. Sakura couldn't help but liken the gazes.
The way he looks when he receives gifts from Sasuke.
“Th… Thank you, Sasuke.”
Both men's cheeks were lightly hued, reminding Sakura of the conversation she'd had with Sasuke back when he first returned. Even though Sakura’s feelings had long since started to wane for the Sharingan user, he wanted to be honest with her about the person he truly felt that way for. It didn't make Sakura feel bad or awkward, if anything, it was expected. She was happy as she heard the words. She hoped in that moment that the pair might achieve some level of happiness as a proper couple someday. Sasuke feared Naruto’s high position in the village mixed with the existing stigma would prove otherwise.
For that reason, Sasuke wished to keep his feelings secret and asked Sakura to comply. He wouldn't initiate anything. If Naruto was willing to take the risk, Sasuke would oblige, but after everything he'd put him through, he wouldn't allow himself to run it for him. Sakura knew the emotions weren't unrequited; she'd figured it for a while.
No one chases after something for that long unless they couldn't live without it. She remembered saying as they conversed. The statement elicited a rare smile of hope from the sole remaining Uchiha.
Naruto stared gleefully at all the gifts he’d received. A proper village celebration had happened for the young Hokage earlier in the day but he'd previously asked for a “Team 7 party” and collected the members of Team Kakashi, Sai and Yamato included, at his, still mostly empty apartment, for an isolated 22nd birthday celebration.
“If you four keep getting older, people are going to start being able to tell that I'm old.” Kakashi joked.
Sakura scoffed. “Hardly.”
“You wear your age well Kakashi-Sensei.” Naruto added.
That’s an understatement. Even though Kakashi had turned 36 himself just a month ago, he didn't appear to be much older than his ex-subordinates. In fact, had most of the world not known he was their teacher, the silver haired man probably could have passed for being the same age.
“Yeah, don't be so hard on yourself Senpai.” Yamato included.
Kakashi glanced at the bizarre man over folded arms. “You recently crossed over yourself didn't you Yamato?”
Crossed over? Opposite from Sakura’s general feelings about Kakashi being much older than he appeared, she was skeptical of Kakashi’s statement that suggested her filler-captain was only 30.
“Uh, Senpai…”
“You both have plenty of years of youth left, so don't fret on it.” Naruto smiled as he spoke.
“You definitely spent too much time with Gai-Sensei…” Sakura commented.
“He's right though.” The normally silent Sasuke butted in. “The Tsuchikage was in his 80s when he fought in the Fourth Ninja War so none of us can start being worried about our ages until then.”
Leave it up to Sasuke to find the most backwards way to quell the concerns. The numbers meant little to Sakura anyway. As, easily her best friend in the village, and the person with whom she spent a good 80% of her time, Kakashi’s age stopped mattering to her a long time ago.
“Did you have a good birthday baby Naruto?” Sakura teased the youngest of their group.
Naruto stuck his tongue out at her first before smiling brilliantly. Sakura could never bring herself to feel romantically about this man who was more like a (much) younger brother, but she’d be the first to admit he was handsome; the most when he smiled.
“Yeah, thanks everyone. The cake was delicious, who knew you were such a chef Sai.”
“If I didn't cook I didn't eat when I lived with Danzo… Uh, it's still true for Ino…”
Sakura had tasted his wife’s cooking before and knew he wasn't lying. She said a silent prayer for the man.
“Well, Sakura and I have an early mission so we should probably head home and get some rest.” Kakashi informed as though Naruto wasn't the one who gave the orders.
Sakura worked at a clinic she owned in town and didn't often go on missions but she and Kakashi were the only ones Naruto trusted to deal with international conflicts the same way he would, so occasionally he’d call her out.
“Do you want me to clean your dishes first, Naruto?” Sakura asked sweetly.
Naruto was plain hopeless at caring for himself in normal ways like cooking and cleaning. Were it not for Sakura’s intervening, the village leader would live in a pigsty and on a pure diet of instant ramen.
“I'll do it Sakura, you can go.” Sasuke replied simply.
“I can do it you know.” Naruto grumbled.
“No you can't.” The other five said in unison, dragging a blush out of Naruto.
“Let's go too then, Sai.” Yamato added.
“Yeah, married life has a curfew.” Sai smiled cheerfully.
Everyone stopped moving as a realization simultaneously settled over them. Two men in their 30s, the strongest and most beautiful kunoichi in all the five great nations, the survived of the historically attractive and powerful Uchiha clan and the great hero Hokage of the leaf are all here but this severely ordinary guy was the only one of them married; the only one even close. The irony tagged even thick-headed Naruto as he shot a look of mired confusion at the man.
“...what?” Sai questioned, smiling awkwardly.
“Nothing.” Sakura replied.
On the way out, Sakura was giving Sasuke care instructions for Naruto, much like a mother would a father about their child. “...and take the rest of the cake home with you or throw it away, otherwise he’ll wake up in the middle of the night and eat it and then he’ll be sick all day tomorrow.”
Sasuke closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Sakura could nearly hear ‘idiot’ in the gruff. “Got it.”
“See ya, Sasuke.” Sakura peered into the apartment. “Bye Naruto!” She called in.
“Bye Saku--” There was a loud crash followed by the sound of smashing dishes.
“We said he couldn't do the dishes, so naturally, he tried to carry them all to the sink at once.” Kakashi guessed, though there was no doubt of the accuracy.
Sasuke groaned as he looked over his shoulder.
“Go. See ya tomorrow.” Sakura waved and started away from the apartment, followed by Kakashi. They could hear the pair of men arguing indistinguishably as they walked away.
“Sakura.” Kakashi started as they walked quietly towards her house.
“Hm?”
“Are you okay?”
Confusion. “Huh?” She glanced over at the masked man but he was starting forward rigidly.
“I mean, with Sasuke…?”
“Um…” Sakura struggled with the question. She didn't want to reveal too much about the truths Sasuke shared with her, but she also completely lacked the ability to lie to Kakashi. “Everything’s fine, Kakashi.” He’d asked her to stop referring to him as ‘Sensei’ long ago.
The cool autumn wind whipped around them as Kakashi side-eyed her. “Really?”
Now it was Sakura who was avoiding eye-contact. “Yeah. I think I stopped feeling, that way, about Sasuke somewhere around when he tried to kill me.”
Kakashi, likely the only one who could understand her crude joke, chuckled lightly. “That's understandable.”
“I'm glad he's back, but mostly for Naruto.”
“Not for you?”
“Well, I mean…” Sakura couldn't quite put her feelings into words.
“I'm sorry, I'm just being nosy.”
Silence fell on the conversation until they reached Sakura’s home.
“See ya bright and early.”
“Yeah…”
“Uh, seriously, sorry I asked. I guess… I was just worried about you.”
Sakura’s heart skipped which she vehemently ignored. “I’m fine. Well, no, I'm slightly afraid I'm going to end up like Lady Tsunade, but with Sasuke and me, I'm happy he's home. As a friend, it'll be nice to have him around again.”
Kakashi smiled, or what Sakura could only assume was a smile under his mask. “You won't.”
“Huh?”
“End up like Tsunade.” ‘End up’ referring to drunk, single, and childless.
“Thanks.” Sakura responded skeptically.
“You can always talk to me you know, even about this stuff.” Seriousness returned to Kakashi’s face.
Sakura smiled. “I know.”
Kakashi nodded satisfied and turned, waving a lazy hand. “Don't be late.”
Sakura shook her head at the irony. You're one to talk.