156title: in the magic hour
by: whisperedsilvers
prompt: "Maybe you're the miracle I've been waiting for."
summary: It's not perfect, but everything is beautiful. —Minato/Sakura
iii. until the sun sets
"So, how does this whole Kur-er, furry tenant situation work, you know with," Sakura leans in to whisper to the Third, "Kushina-san?"
The Third looks bewildered at the term of endearment, but explains as simply as he can, "Kushina-chan is still in the Land of Fire, just not in the capital. She is still under Konoha jurisdiction, therefore cannot leave the village without shinobi, guards, and Jiraiya – being that he is a fūinjutsu master – so it's not out of our hands, but it's not the main concern since she isn't, technically, an active shinobi."
"There are ANBU guards shadowing her, aren't there?" Sakura says wryly.
"Her intended is the Daimyo's son, a little extra protection never hurt anyone."
"And what about the feelings that keep the furry tenant at bay?"
Hiruzen smiles, "Like almost everyone, Kushina has learned to love herself and that's the most important type of love."
.
"Lady Tsunade wants you to make sure that you get Danzo under wraps," Katsuyu tells her after a moment, she looks around the walls of her office in contemplation, "His removal would save a lot of headache, at least that it was the mistress tells me."
"And Orochimaru?" Sakura frowns, leaning into the back of her chair, "What am I supposed to do about him?"
"I can ask her," Katsuyu says simply, "He was her teammate before, and hasn't defected yet, correct?"
"Yes,"
The slug nods, "Unfortunately traveling to different time periods does take time," she titters, "It took three months to reach Lady Tsunade of my time and it took one month to reach here. There's a lag in the continuum, it's unavoidable."
"What if I use another seal?" she inquires thoughtfully, "Something to cut down the chakra usage."
"It wouldn't have any effect," Katsuyu responds, "It will just lower the chakra output."
"Have sensei look into it," she says, emerald orbs glinting at the picture frame on her desk, "If anyone could figure out how to lessen the time gap and increase efficiency, it would be Kakashi-sensei."
.
The message from Tsunade-sama comes across as almost anti-climactic. Time-travel differs by species, by chakra and most certainly the type of portal. Summoning jutsus are different than portals if she had to guess, the chakra output and the power behind them cannot compare to the sheer marvel that is the sharingan or rinnegan – but that's another issue altogether – and it comes almost half a year too late.
"Sakura-sensei," Obito is loud above her, "Why are you on the ground?"
"Are you okay, shishou?" Rin asks worriedly, she pats her back, her master's face still buried in the grass.
Shishou.
It's a wonderful and terrifying feeling.
Sakura never thought she'd have an apprentice, because she is still an apprentice, no matter what Tsunade-sama says. Tsunade-sama will always be her master, not even when she says that has Sakura has surpassed her. It's the principle of the matter, being the world's best medical ninja – in any time period – is a daunting thing.
"I'm thinking," she groans.
"With your face in the dirt?"
Even Kakashi sounds worried.
Sakura rolls over. She's been experimenting with styles lately. She's not a teenager anymore, miniskirts are cute and all, but she wants something that screams adult. Her skirt just isn't cutting it anymore, especially since it's the last piece of clothing she has left from six months ago and it's starting to fall apart.
She trades in the skirt for simple black shinobi pants, she tucks in the pants into her boots – the boots she would never trade for anything in this world – and it's a sleeveless red top that cuts right above the top of her ribs, mesh covers the expanse of her stomach down to her hips.
It's more form-fitting than her other clothes, but she likes the way it feels. The weightlessness of it all, the ease of it, and the lack of a lag.
Sakura decides to distract herself—them really, and asks, "Do you guys want to see the bingo book?"
Kakashi blinks, "You have one?"
"From my time? Yes?"
.
Minato finds his team snuggled up to Sakura underneath the wisteria tree of training ground seven. Rin's hair brushes the edge of Sakura's cheekbone, Obito's chin is resting on her shoulder and even Kakashi, who leans his head into the crook of Sakura's cheek and shoulder from behind Rin as they look into a—
"—bingo book?" Minato blurts out, though no one seems to hear them.
"Sakura-sensei, how—" Obito gapes and points to her picture, "Your bounty is more than Minato-sensei!"
Kakashi's eyes widen.
"Is it really that much?" she frowns, "There are people with much higher bounties."
"Sakura Haruno," Rin reads, "Age eighteen—"
"I'm twenty now," she interrupts.
"Jounin rank. S-Class kunoichi. Notable kills: Sasori of the Red Sand, Two out of the Seven Swordsmen's of the Mist, [redacted]—"
"Why does it say redacted?" Obito frowns, "Why is there a long line of black?"
"Ah," Sakura scratches the back of her head, "A lot of my kills aren't allowed to be released to the public. Sensitive information and all that, but it must be released now that se—er, the new Hokage came into power."
Rin continues, "Listed as a poison expert, genjutsu expert, chakra control is the ninety-nine percentile—" she inhales sharply, "Holy crap, shishou you're amazing."
Sakura laughs and pokes her cheek with a finger.
Obito continues for her, "Superhuman strength, taijutsu expert—"
"Taijutsu expert really is a stretch,"
"Experienced tactician and best medical ninja in the world," Kakashi stares at that for a moment and follows the next line, "Apprentice of the Slug Sanin, student of the copy-nin Kakashi Hatake—"
"Copy-nin?"
"Former Hokage's advisor, two terms. Teammates of the—"
"Okay, that's enough!" Sakura giggles nervously and snaps the book shut in haste, "Too much information isn't a good thing."
"You have a flee on sight stamp, Sakura-sensei," Obito's eyes glitter with tears, "You're so cool."
"I'm starting to feel a little left out, Obito," Minato almost pouts, he points at their dynamic, "How can you start team bonding without me?"
"Sakura-shishou was just showing us her bingo book," Rin defends her master.
"I heard, Rin-chan," he laughs.
"Am I in the bingo-book?" Kakashi wonders with dark eyes.
"Of course you are," Sakura snorts, "But you can't see it."
Kakashi whines, "Why?"
"Because,"
"Because why?"
"Because because," she chuckles when he sulks.
"Are your teammates dangerous?" Rin asks suddenly.
Sakura blinks and thinks about it, "My teammates are…" Obito leans in closer, "Are considered Gods."
Minato stares at her with incredulity and Obito topples over.
"Are they stronger than Minato-sensei?"
Sakura snorts, "Oh, no doubt."
"Impossible," Kakashi states flatly.
"Is it?" Sakura raises a brow, "They are your students."
He's thoughtful at that.
.
"Gods, huh?" Minato finds her grocery shopping, hands in his pocket as she picks up a bag of rice, and places it in her basket.
"Oh, you're still on about that?" Sakura is used to him finding her – sensors she thinks with a sigh – tosses him the basket and glowers when he catches the basket without flinching.
"Are they that powerful?"
She thinks it would be a horrible idea to let him know that her teammates are most likely Gods—she thinks of Indra and Ashura.
"Yes," Sakura says and grabs two boxes of tofu, "They are stronger than the Hokages put together."
"I suppose you can't tell me about them," he remarks, grabs her purse, and tucks it over his left shoulder, "The timeline and all that."
"You're learning," she teases and isn't sure if she's talking about him carrying her things – because her heart throbs at the consideration and the fact that it makes her feel all types of feminine doesn't help her one bit – or the concept of time.
Then she's brought back to the conversation she had with a few months ago, the one where he doesn't know how to talk to girls.
But if he dated Kushina, he has to know how to talk to girls.
So, maybe it's just her then.
"I can tell you that one of them is an Uchiha," she offers and places the boxes in the basket.
Minato makes a noise of interest.
"And the other?"
Sakura smiles at nothing in particular, "An idiot."
He pauses in the middle of the aisle, "What?"
"Maybe I'll tell you about him one day," she says and grabs a bundle of lettuce, "He's like my brother or a hyperactive toddler that I have to look after."
Sakura stops dead in her tracks.
Minato turns to look at her with those blue eyes of his and the blonde of his hair is spun gold underneath the sunlight.
She swallows because she didn't mean to say that out loud, hell, she didn't mean to even think about that because, because—
"Sakura?" Minato walks closer to her, he cups her cheek, slides his palm down to her neck and the back of his knuckles brush her throat. He asks with concern – his eyes are all starry and beautiful and fuck – he tilts his head, "Are you alright? You've gone pale."
"I'm fine," she says and smiles weakly, "Dehydrated, you know?"
—because she can see it.
She can see it, this life they could build, Naruto would be her's and that's—
—it's too much.
It's too much for her to seep in, to catalog the pieces and organize them bit by bit because she has no right, no authority to even think about this—like this.
Yes, Kushina is out of the picture, but it doesn't even help the turmoil that curls constantly in the dark depths of her mind.
Because Sakura has gotten too comfortable in this life and the fact that Minato becomes more and more like a constant piece of warmth in her life scares her in a way that not even Kaguya, could.
.
Sakura takes three days to freak about the inevitable. It takes her three days to come to her conclusions, sad and nerve-wracking as they may be, she needs this time to sort out herself. She has to be logical, she tells herself. She has to reason with her choices and the way they fit within the slots in her choices.
There is a more than likely chance, that Sakura will never get back to her time.
It's about time she's accepted that.
She needs to squash that hope, that maybe, maybe she can go back.
Sakura has to consider her thoughts, her feelings, and more importantly her sanity.
The world has decided that Indra and Asura's reincarnations would be Naruto and Sasuke, but Sakura would be what?
What should she be?
Time has brought her here if it is destiny – the Gods like to play with their mortals a little too much if she's being honest – but she would like a sign.
A sign that tells her, that yes, she's supposed to be here.
A sign that tells her that okay, you're fine and this is where you're meant to be.
.
That sign comes three days later.
"Destroy the Kannabi bridge," Those are the Hokage's words and they feel like an anvil dropping into her stomach. She's at the gates looking at her kids – yes they are her kids now – and no fucking God would take them from her.
They could ask Kaguya and her broken horn if they needed verification.
.
As they get closer and closer to the bridge, Sakura pulls Minato away from the team. But before she does that, she looks over at her students, and pulls the team into an earth box, "Sorry guys! Need to talk to your sensei for a bit."
The jutsu is derived from Yamato, but made with the earth; a defense.
"Is the box necessary!" Obito yells from the enclosure; it's shaped like a prison, but it keeps the people in the box from harm.
"Obito, you're stepping on my hand!" Kakashi yells.
"Stop moving!" Rin squeals.
To Sakura, forcing them into a box of protection eases her sanity and her nerves, knowing that there is an extra measure of protection for them, she can talk to Minato without jumping at every sound in the forest – the last time she heard a crack, she almost slammed a squirrel into Rin's face – and she pulls him by the vest deeper into the forest.
She tells him as soon as they stop, "You're going with them on the mission. I'll take the other one Hokage-sama gave you."
Minato's eyes narrow, "How do you know—" something shifts on his face and he straightens up. It makes taller, broader, wider, and Sakura almost steps back at the power he exudes in his stance and states flatly, "Something happens."
"Yes," Sakura says and then crosses his arms, "I can handle the frontlines. I have more than enough experience with war and diplomacy. You go with your team and handle it."
"Sakura the Hokage gave me the mission, not you," he presses with a frown and then orders, "You will go—"
Minato's voice is cut off, his shinobi flak vest bites into his Adam's apple, Sakura's hand tightens on the cloth, she yanks him closer to her face and hisses, "If you want to come back with your team alive, I suggest you heed my words, Minato."
A few months ago, Sakura would've rather died than threaten, talkback, or even attempt to fight the Fourth.
But time with him and his team has made her brave.
She doesn't know Minato as well as his students, but she isn't afraid of him anymore. She fears the safety of her sensei, her team, and her students more. She presses him a bit more, "Kakashi may be a Jounin, but he lacks the experience and talent to fight Madara Uchiha."
Minato stiffens to a posture that is nothing but unyielding.
Sakura leans in closer, jade orbs blazing in the sunlight, moonstones glimmer and waves reflect, "You are the only one that can match Madara's speed," she releases him and steps back, her temper getting the better of her, "I'll handle the front-lines, you take care of them."
She makes a move to disappear because she isn't sure. She doesn't know what she'll do if something happens to them if something happens to her team and—she won't think about it.
Minato grabs her hand and tugs her until she slams into his chest. He cups her cheek – he has this habit of running his thumb down her jawline – his eyes are of a violent storm, churning and unholy in its power; it holds her still and he hisses insistently, "You will stay safe Sakura."
He demands it.
Commands it.
Almost as if her demise is unspeakable—unthinkable.
She nods quickly, his grip tightens on her, and he pulls her close enough to have the wild strands of straw grace the edges of her pores.
"Safe, do you understand me?"
Sakura swallows and breathes a laugh. Pointing to her Yin seal, she answers weakly, "I can't die, remember?"
Minato's eyes narrow until they resemble starlight, he leans in, forehead against forehead, chest to chest, and heart to heart, and breathes, "That is not what I meant."
Sakura doesn't answer.
She pulls back, uses shunshin to disappear before she decides to do something stupid, like kiss him.
.
Sakura annihilates the battlefield and they call her a monster. Maybe she is. Maybe she's the monster when she literally destroys the bridge, maybe she's a monster when she wipes out the rest of Iwa's forces and maybe she's a monster when she pulls out pillars of pillars and tosses them at the nin who try to attack her comrades.
Sakura is a monster when she uses her strength of a hundred and heals her comrades.
They look at her in awe, in disgust, and in horror.
Monsters are called monsters when their power is too great to comprehend.
Sakura can bring life in one hand and she can destroy it with the other.
.
Obito doesn't die much to her relief. Kakashi doesn't have the sharingan and Rin is still kicking, but her students are damaged, badly, and her seal is still activated. So she heals until the bruises on Obito's face disappear and Kakashi's grimace softens into something easier.
There is a terror in Kakashi's eyes, she notes and realizes the teammates who abandon their teammates are trash speech has happened—though with her crashing the timeline and all that, she's surprised it hasn't happened sooner.
Good.
Once the healing session is over, Minato grabs her by the biceps and pulls her until she's in his personal space and exhales, "Tell me everything."
And she does.
.
"Keep an eye on her," Sakura says once they stop for camp, she stands next to him watching their students fight over the last fish, "If Madara doesn't show up in this mission, it's in the next."
"Is he really alive?"
"The man destroyed your entire team once," she tells him and her eyes glint with all the diamonds in the world, "Don't let it happen again."
.
Minato corners Madara when he tries to kidnap Rin. The battle is a secret, it's held quietly in the corners of Konoha and it's deadly because there is no mercy when the lives of his students, his village, and his friends are threatened.
Sakura is the one who finds Minato after the battle.
War-torn and bleeding.
She moves to heal him.
He moves to hug her.
And Sakura finds the pieces of herself she lost in the fire.
.
The war ends today and the treaty ends with peace instead of conflict.
They call her the pink monster and it's Jiraiya – who she meets again; briefly – who says that it makes her sound like she's a part of some type of orgy.
But it is Minato who beats her to the punch.
.
Sakura plans and plans, but it's Minato that does the heavy lifting. She loops him in when she decides to, but keeps him out when he gets to close. It's a constant push and pull, it makes her dizzy sometimes, but if she's stuck in this time period, she might as well fix some shit.
"Sakura-chan," Mikoto walks towards her with a bag of groceries, a boy who resembles – the squeal she lets out when she sees baby Itachi comes from the fangirl side of that she can't seem to escape – Sasuke and how a tortured man came from such a cute child is just beyond her.
"Mikoto-chan," she greets and looks over to the small boy with a curious expression, "And who is this?"
"This is my son, Itachi," Mikoto smiles, places a hand on his head, "He turned five the other day."
"Itachi-chan," Sakura doesn't care that his face twists at the pet-name, because fuck the world he's still a child, "Are you helping your kaa-chan shop?"
"Yes, Sakura-san," he nods dutifully.
Mikoto whispers into her ear, "Do you have time to give me a checkup later?"
Itachi's ears perk up but he remains silent.
Sakura nods, "I can come in the evening, if that's alright?"
"Tsume-chan invited us out for dinner," Mikoto tells her, "I'll meet you at the hospital after lunch."
"She's not taking us to that place," her nose wrinkles in disgust, "Is she?"
She laughs, "Your guess is good as mine," she pats her son's head, "I'll see you later."
Sakura waves at Itachi, who waves back and asks his mother, "Are you feeling alright, kaa-chan."
She bites back a hysterical giggle.
Innocence should always be protected, Sakura-chan, Kakashi had told her one day, it's their smiles and their peace that we fight for.
So Sakura plans and plans.
Because if Sasuke is conceived then she needs to act.
Soon.
.
"To Mikoto," Yoshino cheers with her cup full of sake, "And baby number two."
Mikoto grins and drinks her tea.
"Two kids, huh?" Tsume rubs her face, "How do you feel about that?"
"I think it's nice Itachi will have a sibling," she says, "He's always so lonely."
"Maybe you should join him in one of the clubs," Sakura comments, "The special shinobi clans so he can interact with kids his own age. It's good for his development, I assume that as an Uchiha he's taking on a lot of missions."
She winces inwardly at her tact.
Mikoto asks curiously, "How did you know that?"
"Obito?" she says his name like a question.
The Uchiha matriarch's shoulders drop, "Well, yes. Obito-kun does worry about him. Itachi's cousin, Shisui, plays with him a lot. Maybe he can take an art class."
Yoshino giggles, "He's adorable."
Hikari smiles into her cup of sake and leans into the couch.
An hour passes by before Sakura almost chokes on a snag of seaweed, "Wait—you're all married?"
"Hiashi and I got married almost a year ago," Hikari points out – of course, this Hinata's mother, she has Hanabi's nose – and shrugs, "Yoshino-chan married Shikaku-kun eight months ago."
"I got married three years ago," Tsume boasts.
"It looks like you're the only single one, Sakura-chan!" Yoshino laughs.
"And all the good men are taken," the Inuzuka clan head snickers, "Well except one."
"Do I even want to know?" Sakura inquires dryly and downs another glass.
"Minato Namikaze is single and a little birdy told me that he's more than just interested in you," Mikoto points out slyly.
And only Sakura can choke on air, "I'm going to kill Shikaku."
She giggles.
"He was heartbroken when Kushina left him," Hikari says after a moment, "But he understood that restoring her village to what it once was is important to her."
"And besides," Yoshino decides to add in, before they can get into all that, "I've never seen Minato look at her like that."
"…like what?"
Mikoto elucidates and obsidian eyes shimmer, "Like the sun."
Sakura thinks she's wrong.
Minato is the sun.
And Sakura is the earth, steady on her feet, but lost in his brilliance.
.
Somehow, hours later, when the sunsets, Sakura can't remember how many cups of sake she's had, but it is a karaoke tavern and Tsume did bar off a certain section of the establishment for them. She's singing on the counter with Yoshino and Hikari laughs with Mikoto at the corner of the table.
Sakura's hair is much longer than she's used to, it hits mid-back, it reminds her of her genin days and it slaps her in the face when she dances on the counter with Yoshino at back and Tsume in front. She misses Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, but she adores Yoshino, Tsume, Mikoto, and Hikari.
The life she lives can only bring her happiness if she wants it to, so when Tsume pours her another cup.
She drinks.
She drinks and taps cheers with Yoshino.
Then she switches the song and the three of them belt the lyrics in laughter and screams.
Because she wants to live and not survive.
.
Minato is more than exasperated when Shikaku, Hiashi, and Fugaku drags him to the karaoke bar. He's halfway into his new book, the one that Jiraiya-sama just finished writing, and Junko still hasn't gone on her mission.
The Nara's only explanation is, "If we have to break up a bar fight, I want the Yellow Flash scaring off all prospective males."
Fugaku snorts, "He also wants you to protect him from Yoshino's fist if she decides to get violent."
"I still don't understand why I have to go with you to pick up your wives," he frowns because Icha Icha calls for him.
"Because Sakura-san is there," Hisashi's eyes crackle with chakra, "And I'm sure you want to get there before the bar opens up for the regulars."
And Minato flashes through the streets like lightning.
.
Fugaku opens the door to the karaoke bar and flashes his badge to the bouncer. He leads them to another secluded part of the bar, a room with dark curtains. Shikaku parts the curtains and groans when he sees the room. Hiashi almost winces at the wobbly pour Hikari gives Tsume.
Mikoto is giggling in a corner – Fugaku exhales in relief and goes to her – and the rest of the girls are at the bar and giggling on the countertop.
Minato is wary of Sakura's boots, they are high and the muscles of her legs – thankfully – are hidden by dark shinobi pants, he isn't sure how he would feel if she wore a skirt that the entire bar could look up towards.
Then the bass drops.
Yoshino grabs Sakura by the hips and Sakura grabs Tsume's shoulders and they sing and dance without a care in the world.
.
It's dark now, the lights flash and they jump on the counter. The beat is in her face, the lights are gorgeous and she's so warm. Tsume laughs at something and screams into her mic. Sakura isn't singing anymore, just dancing and swaying her long hair. Yoshino holds onto Sakura, a giggling mess, but her eyes twinkle in the dark of the room.
But then Yoshino's gone and green eyes blink. Hiashi and Hikari need both of their hands to yank Tsume from the counter. Wanting to see where her friend has gone, Sakura twists too fast, she's toppling, falling—
—and Minato catches her.
.
"What are you doing here?" Sakura's equilibrium is lop-sided, she wants to metabolize the alcohol, but she likes the buzz it gives her.
"Shikaku dragged me," he says, his arm is tight around her hips, even as she stumbles, and it feels like he's trying to bring her closer into him—until he can swallow her whole.
"Ah,"
"And I couldn't find you," Minato says quickly.
"You were looking for me?"
"Wanted a spar,"
"Hm,"
"You know," Minato starts off, blue eyes stare at her, "You're quiet when you're drunk."
"I am not drunk,"
"You're stumbling—"
"Fine, I'm tipsy," Sakura rolls her eyes.
"—and you have a habit of falling off tables," his eyes twinkle.
"Low blow, Minato," she huffs, "Low blow."
"At least let me carry you,"
"Do you want me to get sick?"
.
Sakura wakes up to Minato's face. She's not hungover – because she wasn't drunk – but there's something strange about it. She feels like she's been stuffed inside of a cloud, chewed up and spat out. She's in her bed and she's wearing all her clothes – sans her boots but that's a different story – and Minato is inches from her face.
The blanket covers her shoulders, the sun is behind her, but the lake of gold doesn't leave her pillows.
He's still sleeping.
She wants to question her life choices, but instead, she sighs, closes her eyes, and goes back to sleep.
.
Minato opens his eyes when he's sure Sakura is asleep.
His fingers brush the side of her face.
She doesn't stir.
.
Sakura wakes up an hour and a half later to the smell of miso soup and something that smells like rice. She rises up and rubs her eyes tiredly. Kakashi better not be in her kitchen, she still hasn't gotten the burn marks off her stove. Stumbling out of bed, she makes her way to the kitchen and is amazed to see a traditional Japanese breakfast on her table.
There are two bowls of rice, bowls of steaming miso with tofu and green onions, rolled omelets, and what looks like grilled salmon. Minato grabs a pot of tea and puts it on the table.
He's wearing her yellow-colored apron which is dotted with sunflowers and red hearts.
She raises a brow in amusement at this domestic side of him, "Nice apron."
Minato grins, "It goes with my hair."
Sakura takes a seat and he pours her a cup of tea. He waits until she takes a bite out of her meal before following her. Twisting her chopsticks in her fish, she chews slowly, "Is there anything you can't do?"
He thinks about it for a moment, "I can't sing."
Sakura's ears burn, "How long were you there?"
"At the bar? Fifteen minutes."
She brings the cup of her tea to her mouth and swallows, "I see."
"I couldn't tell if you were screaming or singing," he smiles sweetly.
She fucking hates him.
"Both," she hides her mortification by sipping her soup.
Sakura doesn't ask him why he stays with her this time, and she most certainly doesn't ask why he was in her bed.
She doesn't think she's ready for the answer.
.
"Remember," Sakura fix the edges of her hair with quick fingers, "Smile even when he's not being funny. If you can get him to buy you a stick of dango, consider that a success."
"But what if he doesn't?" Rin plays with the edge of her skirt.
"He will," she promises and then hands her a tube of lip gloss, "Remember, shoulders back, a smile and a tilt of the head. Confident but not too much. Smile, but no teeth. A quirk of the lips."
Rin nods determinedly.
"Alright, up to it," Sakura pats her on the shoulder and takes a seat at a nearby teashop —a teashop where the rest of her team waits for her, and she could already taste the trouble.
"What's Rin-chan doing?" Obito asks curiously, he sits next to Kakashi and watches his female teammate walk up to the dango stand.
Sakura winces, "Training,"
"What kind of training involves dango?" Kakashi inquires wryly.
"The one that requires persuasion,"
Kakashi tilts his head, "Persuasion?"
Minato's eyes snap towards her and he echoes, "Persuasion."
Sakura rolls her eyes, "Were you planning on teaching her Minato?"
The idea of Minato seducing anyone puts a bad taste in her mouth. The idea that his stupid blonde head in between a woman's neck, hands on her skin, the ocean of his eyes swallowing the—nope. Not going down this road.
Because Minato knows that persuasion is another word for seduction.
.
"She's twelve, Sakura," Minato tells her once Rin comes back with a grin and a stick of dango. They leave the kids at the teashop and head for the weapons store.
"Seduction doesn't have to be sexual, Minato," Sakura rolls her eyes, "It can be just that. Getting information with attacking. It's better she learns the basics now, just in case."
Minato's hand blocks her path, it slams on the side of the wooden beam and he asks, "In case what?"
She looks at him, "In case you're not there, in case Kakashi and Obito aren't there. In case she's being sent on one of those missions. She needs to be able to take care of herself. She needs to be prepared—"
"Prepared for what," Minato leans into her closer, anger brushes him and he refuses to go down Sakura's line of thought. He hisses, "Prepared for—"
"You can't protect her forever, Minato," Sakura levels him with a look, "You're going to have to give Kakashi and Obito the talk soon. Especially Kakashi, when he joins the ranks and puberty starts to hit. We can't shield them forever. The Hokage will want—"
"I will be Hokage—"
"You don't know that—"
"—but you do," Minato drops.
Sakura steps back, "You of all people know that when you become a shinobi, your body is not yours, it is the Hokage's and the village's."
Minato looks at her with eyes of salt and seas, and he promises, "It won't be like that forever."
"Shinobi are tools, Minato," Sakura says suddenly, and she is reminded of Naruto's innocuous ideals and desires, "Remember that."
.
It's been a few days since Minato and Sakura's sort-of fight. It's been a long time coming, she thinks. She is eight months into this new dynamic, the time period if she needs to clarify. There has been all sorts of tension between the two of them. Their students pick up on that, but she needs some space—they need some space.
It's a prelude of some sort.
The calm before the storm.
A week full of rotations, impromptu training lessons with Rin, and Danzo decides to make his mark.
.
With Root settling into the ground, Danzo creates his guard dogs and sets spies across the area. Orochimaru is one of them. She informs the Hokage of her distrust, her thoughts and he agrees to a meeting—a confrontation at least because if there is one thing Sakura is good at, it's earning trust and respect.
Danzo is his friend, but if Sakura – his unofficial shinobi – sees something he doesn't see, it's only proper that he follow up with it.
But Sakura doesn't wait for the rat to leave its hole, she sets the trap and hopes Minato picks up the pieces.
.
With a low-level wind jutsu, the cloth and bandages fall from the Danzo's body and the entire room can hear Fugaku's audible gasp. With the Uchiha patriarch in full on shock, the revulsion that sweeps through Minato is almost as blinding as his fury.
Hiruzen drops his pipe in and barks, "Danzo! What have you done?"
"Protecting Konoha as I've always done," the humiliation burns more than his anger.
No one stops the Uchiha clan leader from tackling the elder onto the floor. Chakra humming in the air like a live thing. Minato gives it a few minutes before he grabs Fugaku and yanks him back, "These are war crimes, Fugaku."
"A trial," The Third Hokage announces with a cracked voice, "Danzo Shimura you will be trialed and punished by right of the Uchiha clan."
"Daisuke," Fugaku's eyes bleed red and Shisui's father – that's what Mikoto called him before – stands next to him. "We will rip out the sharingan, one by one, burn it, and only then will our family members rest."
Daisuke's sharingan flickers to hell-red and advances towards Shimura, "Yes, Fugaku-sama."
Sakura's eyes leave Danzo once his screams start and narrow them at Orochimaru.
It's a message, one that Minato sees.
I'm coming for you next.
.
Orochimaru defects the next day.
And Sakura doesn't have it in herself to tell the Hokage: I told you so.
.
Danzo's trial begins when Sakura is instructed to leave with a team of shinobi to take out the rest of Danzo's underground, illegal, and immoral agents who have been running amuck since his fall. Minato isn't included in the team, much to everyone's surprise.
"I need you here, for the trial and to stand with Fugaku," Hiruzen tells him that day, "I need you to show the village a united front. Show them this is the village, where we live, breathe, sweat, bleed, and die together. Show them unanimity."
If Minato wants to be Hokage, he has to step out of the field – into paperwork, in an office – and deal with the problems within the village.
He wants to protest because Sakura would be leaving the village without him and she hasn't left the village without him—ever.
"I'll be fine," Sakura pinches Obito's cheeks, ruffles Kakashi's hair, and gives Rin a hug. "Seriously, you guys. It's fine. It's only a month!"
"A month without you!" Obito cries out, embarrassment seems to fly over his head, "Who is going to protect me from Kakashi's dogs?"
"Rin?" she chuckles.
"You're a terrible ninja," Kakashi snorts and then hisses when Rin whacks the back of his head.
"Be nice, Kakashi!"
"You've corrupted my students, Sakura," Minato materializes next to her, the post of the gate rests against her back and she turns her head.
"It's the best type of corruption," she sniffs.
He chuckles.
"How many people are on your team?" Rin asks.
"Ten," Sakura answers, "Shikaku-san is leading."
"I heard he put you second-in-command," Kakashi chimes in.
"I think Yoshino-chan told him to," she snorts and crosses her arms, "Because I'm the only medic on the team. If they want to come back alive, they have no choice but to listen to me."
Rin beams at her shishou.
"But how are you doing, Minato-sensei?" Obito leans in with a sympathetic expression, "Chouza-sensei told us."
Minato scowls at nothing in particular.
"What are you talking about?" she frowns.
"Minato-sensei's ex-girlfriend sent him a wedding invitation," Kakashi drops the bomb and the world underneath her feet shifts.
"What?" she blinks, her ears have gone fuzzy, but the scene doesn't change, "She did what?"
"I know! It's so mean," Rin sighs and then pats her sensei's shoulder in comfort, "It will be okay sensei—"
"—she sent you an invite? To her wedding?" Sakura can't wrap her mind around this, "Why?"
"What do you mean why," Kakashi scoffs, "He's still friends with her even though—"
"That's enough, Kakashi," Minato snaps, frustration keen on his brows.
Kakashi closes his mouth shut and looks at Obito in disbelief.
Sakura blinks at the irritation heady in his tone, "Are you going to go?"
"Should I?"
She steps back at the change in tone, "I—I don't know. Did you end on good terms?"
Minato shrugs, "Sort of. We still write messages to each other, every other month. But I don't know."
"What would you do, Sakura-sensei?" Rin demands her input.
Sakura thinks about it, "Well if it was me and Sas—" she coughs and Minato's eyes narrow at the name, "I wouldn't go. Just because. I mean there are other factors you have to consider."
"Like what?" he presses.
Sakura shrugs, "Well if you've met someone new and you're way happier with them then you were with your ex, my best friend used to call it the flame thrower. It's to rub in their face that the new person you're with is better looking and just an upgrade than your previous partner. It's petty, but it's revenge," then she tilts her head, "Then there's the other part where you genuinely are happy with the person you are with now and want to thank your ex for breaking up with you."
"They both sound petty," Kakashi interjects.
"Yes, but only one will make you feel good in the end, and isn't that what matters the most?"
.
Sakura nods at her mission teammates and runs back to her students, "Shikaku-san is taking point, so I have to go."
"Bye sensei," the three of them, even Kakashi – she wants to tease him so badly but she feels like she might end up choking on her own hysterical giggle – hugs her and it warms her from the inside out.
Minato looks at them with a small smile.
She swallows her nerves and faces him, "I—"
Minato brings her into his arms, arms locked around her waist, face buried in her neck and he squeezes her sweetly. "I've known you almost an entire year and you think a wave will make me worry less?"
Sakura smiles into his hair, "You were the one that didn't know how to talk to me for two months."
"I am an excellent student, can't you tell?" he chuckles.
"Funny, that makes two of us," she breathes.
Minato pulls back, cups her cheeks with both hands and for one heart-pounding moment—she thinks he's going to kiss her.
But he tells her instead, "I'm not going to that wedding. I haven't even opened the invitation."
"Okay?" she doesn't know why he tells her this.
Minato tells her with heaven-blue eyes, "Come back to me."
And it's the way he says it.
Come back to me.
His thumb runs down her jawline and she forgets the world when she drowns in him.
"Come back to me," he repeats and he pins her with nothing but the weight of the sea.
She takes refuge in those eyes of his, oceans that keep her safe and swallow her whole.
Come back for me.
.
The mission, inevitably, goes sideways.
ROOT has training mechanisms and strategies that have her and the shinobi she goes with, spinning. It takes more than a month to remove the saplings. It takes ninety days of fighting, hunting, and scouting. They take them out, fortunately, everyone is healed and healthy.
But it's Sakura who falls unconscious after sealing her comrade's last wound.
.
Shikaku is the one that brings her into the hospital. The Hokage is notified, the medics are running into the lobby, sealing off the room and he doesn't need to breathe to know that Minato is waiting in the ER.
"What happened?" Minato's voice borders on rough, loud, as he demands answers.
"I don't know," he hisses, shoulder dislocated, but he soldiers forward, "She collapsed after healing Chouza."
"Tsunade-chan won't be here until dusk," The Hokage makes his entrance, he frowns when he sees Sakura flat on the stretcher and places his hands at the sides.
Inoichi blinks, "Tsunade-hime is coming back—?"
"Later," Minato bites, his fingers brush down her jaw to her neck, two fingers sliding down her throat praying for a pulse. When he finds one, he sighs, presses her hand to his forehead, and ignores the looks of disbelief the nin in the room give him, "She's steady but slow."
The Hokage decides to act, "Where are the medics, surely they can—"
"Why are you all so loud?" Sakura groans, her free hand rubs her forehead, and then she opens her eyes, "It's just chakra exhaustion."
Minato stares down at her, the ocean is nothing but a storm, dark and heavy. He drops to his knees, hard bone against marble, and repeats the words, hoping that the threat to his sanity folds back, his voice is thick, hitching with raindrops, "Chakra exhaustion?"
She swallows and then squeezes his hand, "I'm fine."
He sighs in relief; it's a wet sound, heavy on the bones, and exhausts the soul, "Thank God."
Minato leans down, cups her face, and kisses her.
.
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