Chapter Text
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There was a playful knock on the clinic door, drawing Sakura’s attention from her last patient of the day. With the fairer weather, there had started to be an influx of tourists to Yoru. Shisui, Sasuke, Suigetsu, and Jugo had been busy patrolling the city. Kakashi and Yugao had taken advantage of the hot springs and their official vacation.
Sakura and Ino had been helping Nori in the clinic and making house calls and checking on the construction workers. The two Konoha kunoichi had also done inspections of the different businesses and restaurants to make sure there was not only decent first aid kits but fire extinguishers and fire dampening blankets. Sakura had worked with Tazuna to ensure the purity of the public waters and evaluated the waste management. Kakashi had been surprisingly helpful when it came to doing that evaluation. He might have been on vacation, but the Copy Ninja of the Leaf had a wealth of knowledge about infrastructure. He’d explained it that the best way to sow chaos and infiltrated was to slowly dismantle the infrastructure of a village — so one had to understand the intricacies of such a system. Master Tsunade had made it very clear that Kakashi was her intended successor as the next Hokage.
Sakura glanced at the clock and sighed, preparing herself for another patient. She’d really hoped to call it a day and catch up with the others. Ino and Nori had both left for the day about an hour ago. She still needed to prepare a few things for Master Tsunade’s arrival by the end of the week.
As she finished with the last of the bandages — because some wounds it was better to let heal naturally rather than force chakra to mend the condition at an accelerated rate— she looked over at the door. The irritation that had started to grow dissipated immediately. Standing just inside the clinic, Shisui leaned casually against the wall — his leather blindfold snuggly in place, thickly corded arms folded over his chest, and a faint smile on those plump lips with his strong jaw cutting a beautiful picture.
“Good evening, Chief Shisui,” Aoshi murmured, ducking his head slightly. “Thanks for your help, Doctor Sakura,” he said, turning his attention on her, his pale eyes bright with gratitude. “I think Megumi would like to come by in the morning.” He raised his bandaged arm and peered at the wrappings. “My sister agreed to watch the little ones.”
“That would be great!” Sakura smiled widely. Aoshi and Megumi Shinomori had settled into Yoru only a short while ago. Megumi was been a practicing doctor in a land far to the East and Aoshi had been a shinobi from a distant land. The leader of his village had passed away and the role was hereditary. The son that had taken over wasn’t exactly pleasant, so the Shinomori family had moved to the continent and upon passing through Yoru to visit the hot springs, had decided to stay.
“I’ll see you at your interview tomorrow,” Shisui added.
“Yes, Chief, I’ll see you at ten,” Aoshi agreed, wincing at Shisui’s words. A blind man using the verb ‘see’ often unsettled others. Aoshi left the clinic, leaving the couple alone.
“People don’t know how to react when the blind man says ‘I’ll see you’, you know,” Sakura mused, shaking her head. She began her ritual hand washing routine and then gathered her supplies to clean up for the evening. “What brings you to the clinic? I was planning to come to the tavern for dinner. I figure we’ll want a good night’s sleep with tomorrow’s visitors.”
“How do you feel about another exam?” Shisui asked, easily navigating the room, stepping around exam tables and avoiding corners. “The weather is nice and I was hoping maybe we could take a picnic dinner on a nice hill facing the western horizon.” He was suddenly in front of her, his hand casually on her hip as he loomed over her
“I’m all for enjoying a nice evening outside with you, Shisui,” Sakura said. “Won’t the others expect us for dinner though?” She sighed at the feel of his warm hand squeezing her hip. His other hand cupped the side of her face and she leaned her cheek against his palm briefly before pressing a kiss to it. It was amazing how such a strong, confident man was so tender and caring.
The smile that spread across Shisui’s lips at the simple action made her heart absolutely melt. “I told Kakashi we’d meet them in a couple of hours for drinks at the new bar. Uncle Banka needs some volunteers to try his mixed drinks. I volunteered us.”
Sakura laughed, imagining Shisui’s uncle trying his hand at running a bar. The older man had been more than happy to retire as part of the village’s small police force, now that Shisui had officially been declared chief. Ironically, most of the Yoru police force were technically rogue shinobi.
He rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Besides, I think Sasuke and Ino were going on a little walk together. Let’s give them some time.”
“Did you actually need an exam? Are you in pain?” Sakura asked, studying Shisui closely. “Or were you just trying to be clever?”
“Well, I was hoping you could evaluate my eye and clear me to watch the sunset.” Shisui flashed that irresistible smile of his. “I figure twilight would be a tolerable level of luminosity.”
“Luminosity?” Sakura chuckled. “You’ve been working on the right phrasing for this request, haven’t you?” It had only been a week and a half since the re-implantation of his lost eye. Every evening she’d done a chakra scan to evaluate the optic nerves and vessels. Every day it looked a bit better. It was almost perfect at this point. “Maybe fifteen minutes,” she agreed. To be fair, it was a feeling unlike any other to be seen by Shisui Uchiha. She’d only been observed by him for a few minutes over the last few days, but every one of those seconds she’d truly felt seen for the first time in her life.
Shisui’s smile spread even further. He dipped his head towards her at the perfect angle and kissed her softly on the lips. He maneuvered so well without his sight, what sort of trouble would Sakura find herself when he had all five of his senses at his disposal? Did anyone have a chance against Shisui Uchiha?
According to Kakashi, he was the strongest Uchiha of their generation. His moral code was without reproach. And Sakura loved him with every ounce of her being.
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Shisui knew he was being greedy. His crows had spotted Itachi near the outskirts of the village’s perimeter and he wasn’t alone. Aside from Kisame, there were two others — including the one that wore the one-eyed mask. He didn’t know what would have drawn the Akatsuki to his rural little piece of Heaven. Maybe they just wanted to enjoy the rejuvenating hot springs of Yoru? He doubted anything quite so benign. However, Shisui was determined to have at least one romantic evening with Sakura. Especially, since the Godaime had sent Sakura a message back through their shared summons that she’d be arriving in four days!
He considered Sakura his wife, but he wanted her to have a wedding. And that’s why he’d gotten the opinions of both Sasuke and Kakashi when it came to designing the ring he planned to use on his proposal to her that evening. And he wanted to see the expression on her face with the fading sun’s soft light illuminating her fair features.
Wedding bands weren’t a custom of Konoha, but they were a custom in Yoru. Shisui wanted to embrace the customs of his new home. Though, he probably should have asked Ino for her advice on the ring. Sasuke had been adamant that Sakura would want a golden band with a ruby. Kakashi was equally sure that she needed a silver band with an emerald. Shisui decided they were both wrong and chose a dark metallic band of durable tungsten with its antimicrobial properties that was nearly as dark as his midnight hair and an opal for the stone — his October birthstone. He liked the idea of the white stone catching fire. Honestly, the thought that combination suited both Sakura and himself the best.
The engagement ring felt like it was burning a hole in Shisui’s pants pocket. He’d only been able to use the vision of his return eyes for such a brief moment, he intended for those allotted fifteen minutes to be a memory he would revisit time and time again with the Sharingan’s ability to permanently ingrain the image in his mind.
He took a deep breath as Sakura’s soothing healing chakra raced through his own chakra network. It made him tingle from the top of his head to the tip of his toes. There was this little place in the woods, a grove that smelled of the most aromatic wildflowers that he wanted to bring Sakura to after the sunset. He had his flute tucked away into his shirt’s inner pocket and he’d play her a romantic song he remembered his parents would dance to when he’d been a young boy. Then, when she was wearing his ring, he wanted to lay her down amongst the carpet of flowers and have his way with her, worship every inch of her. He’d need more than fifteen minutes, but he’d try to milk every last second out of that precious time.
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They left the clinic, hand in hand. Shisui held his bo-staff like a walking stick as he led the way unerringly through the woods. He had a pack slung over his shoulder and she could smell the scent of fresh bread waifing towards her from within its contents.
“Patience, Sakura, I brought dinner,” Shisui said with a chuckle, squeezing her hand. “We’re almost there.”
“I missed lunch,” Sakura admitted. She took a deep breath and smiled at the sweet floral scent of the plethora of flowers. Trumpet vines in oranges and reds crawled along the thick tree trunks and wild hibiscus bloomed in vibrant colors. Pink hydrangeas and white azaleas scattered about the area. “Wow, this place is beautiful. Ino is going to love this place! I think you’ll really enjoy the view.”
“I’m sure I will,” Shisui murmured. He paused just outside the the trees onto a small clearing that was full of purple salvia, yellow dandelions, and white cosmos. It was on a hill, so the water ran off, keeping the area from being soggy from the recent rains.
He released Sakura’s hand and balancing his bo-staff against his shoulder swung his pack to his front to remove the contents. He shook out the blanket he’d packed with in, unrolling it and spreading it over the hill and then sat, laying his bo-staff lengthwise to his side and patting the spot next to him while angling his face towards Sakura. “Have a seat, please.”
A smile crossed his face absently when he felt Sakura join him on the blanket and he started to pull out the dinner he’d picked up for them from the tavern. It wasn’t too exciting — baked chicken, warm buttered rolls of bread, a bowl of mixed steamed vegetables and apple slices. However, when he revealed the bottle of chilled plum wine, Sakura whistled appreciatively.
He could still feel the sun’s warmth on his face and took a deep, calming breath. It was peaceful here. After so many years of turmoil, he appreciated quiet moments, especially in good company. “Why don’t you get started eating, I’d like to play a song for you.” Shisui pulled the flute out of his inner pocket.
“Oh!” Sakura breathed, before she laid her head against his shoulder. “I only heard you play that one night with your band. I’m afraid I was distracted that night.”
“Mm-hmm, I know. Itachi can be distracting,” Shisui agreed without a hint of jealousy, for truly, could he ever be jealous of his best friend? He was simply grateful they were both alive. In the life of a ninja, most came to a premature grave— he almost had and with the way Itachi’s lung disease had progressed he likely wouldn’t have survived the year without intervention. He pressed a chaste kiss to the top of Sakura’s head. “Go head and eat. I can’t play after I eat, so I’ll join you momentarily.”
“Oh, of course,” Sakura said, sitting up. The sound of her movements indicted she went for the sweet bread first and her hum of approval confirmed it.
Shisui arranged his fingers over the wooden flute’s holes and drew upon his childhood memory to play the sweet, romantic melody he remembered from his childhood. In his mind’s eye, he could picture his parents swaying together in the kitchen while he sat at the table watching them absently while coloring and drawing in his old sketchbook. His father had been injured in the war, so his movements had been limited. This song reminded Shisui of the good days, when he’d been at the Academy — he’d started at three years old — before he graduated at seven and was sent off to war himself. By the time he was eight years old, both his parents had died — his mother never recovered from a pneumonia and his father drank himself into oblivion. His father’s alcoholism was part of the reason Shisui never drank anything stronger than plum wine. He appreciated the weak, sweet flavor and knew that with Sakura’s love for sweet things it would be appreciated.
Without his vision, the music felt different. He could feel the melody in his bones. If Sakura’s sighing was any indication, she enjoyed it as well. He set his flute down and turned towards her and lifted the leather strip from over his eyes, keeping his missing right side eyelid closed, he slowly opened his left eye.
The first thing he noticed was the warm glow of the setting sun reflected upon Sakura’s pale features, the tear drops that had streaked down both her cheeks from his music, and the way her big, beautiful jade eyes were focused on his face with so much love for him that his breath hitched in his chest. A smile bloomed on his own lips. He gently cradled Sakura’s face and brushed away those tears with his thumbs. He leaned close to press his lips against hers and watched as her eyes fluttered closed, savoring every precious second.
Vaguely, he noticed the sun setting. He pulled back and felt his chest clench at the sight of that soft, happy smile on Sakura’s lips. “I have something for you.” He reluctantly released her face, but took her left hand in his while his free hand pulled out the ring he had tucked away into his pocket.
Sakura’s eyes widened at the sight. “Shisui,” she whispered, glancing at the ring before focusing back on his face.
“Sakura Haruno, I wish for you to officially become Sakura Uchiha, my partner in life and my wife by civil law, not just clan customs. In Yoru, my new home, it is custom to gift your intended with a ring to symbolize endless devotion to the other person. I know, living in Yoru isn’t something you would have envisioned. Maybe, one day, I can try to find peace in Konoha once more. I just want wherever I live, for you to live there with me. You have more responsibilities than I, as the Godaime’s apprentice and are a true asset to the Leaf. If I have to share you with Konoha, so be it. Just remember, I will be here waiting.” He bit his lower lip, feeling nervous about how she would react to his speech.
They hadn’t figured out the logistics of their being together and he knew she wouldn’t just give up the Leaf, but he also couldn’t just abandoned Yoru. He wasn’t sure he wanted to abandon the village that had brought him so much peace. Back in Konoha, his clan was gone and the man that had tried to murder him was the second most powerful person in the government. It would be walking into a death sentence with all of Root targeting him.
“Oh Shisui, it’s beautiful,” Sakura said glancing at the ring briefly, before she focused on his face. She ran the tips of her index and middle finger over his eyebrow. “I accept your second proposal as much as I accepted your first one, Husband.”
Shisui grinned and then slipped the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand. Then he braced his hand over the small of her back and laid her down on the blanket, hovering over her, staring down at her flushed features.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Sakura asked, breathless and looping her arms over his neck and pulling him closer.
“Ravenous,” Shisui agreed. He began to trail kisses along her jaw, nibbled her earlobe, pleased by the mewling noises she made as he continued down her throat, licking the dip between her collarbone. “You’re wearing too many clothes, Wife.”
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Sakura hugged her knees to her chest as she watched Shisui place his leather band back around his eyes after casting her one last lingering glance. He’d already put his pants back on, but left his shirt off and she didn’t mind ogling his impressive physique — those broad shoulders, the defined pecs, the prominent abdominals, and dark hairs that started just below his belly button than continued on to a part of him that she’d been worshiping only moments before.
“That was longer than fifteen minutes,” she scolded softly. Her lover might be known for being the fastest man alive on the field of battle, but under the covers, he was slow and methodical.
Shisui smiled, carding his fingers through his disheveled hair, doing little to improve the situation. “Worth every second.”
Sakura hummed her agreement. She’d be happy to apply an extra healing session. She was truly hungry now after their love making session. He had to be starving! The opal stone of the engagement ring winked at her in the sun’s fading light. “It’s like fire dancing.”
“Exactly why I chose it,” Shisui agreed. He took a bite out of the chicken, his posture relaxed and laying one of his arms across Sakura’s shoulders to hold her secured against his side.
“And because opal is your birthstone,” Sakura added.
Shisui turned his face towards her again, a smile on his lips. “You know my birthday?” He shrugged his thick, toned arms into the sleeves of his shirt.
“I may have asked,” Sakura admitted. “October nineteenth.” She wasn’t going to admit that she and Ino had done a complete analysis of their zodiac signs to check compatibility. She always thought Ino was ridiculous for such things, but when she read about how her Aries and his Libra complimented one another, well, she was a believer now. Their signs were opposites that balanced one another, especially with the innate calmness of a Libra coupled with the passion of an Aries.
“So, are we compatible? The Aries and the Libra?” Shisui teased, holding out a glass of plum wine for Sakura. “A little birdie of mine may have overheard part of a conversation between you and Ino.”
Sakura giggled, feeling embarrassed. “I think actions speak louder than words,” she murmured. She set aside the glass and leaning forward on her knees grabbed the front of his askew shirt, pulled him close and kissed him long and hard. Then she rocked back and fixed his shirt. “Let’s finish up and join our friends. It might not bother you, but I don’t like walking through the woods in the dark.”
“I could carry you,” Shisui offered.
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Shisui was feeling on top of the world as he and Sakura dropped off his bag at the apartment before visiting his uncle’s new bar. Their friends were already inside sitting around a couple of tables at Banka’s Bar. Sasuke’s old Hawk teammates were arranged around one table, while Kakashi and Yugao sat at the other table. Ino was sitting at the bar, elbows braced on the counter chatting amiably with Uncle Banka, Sasuke sitting quietly beside her.
“Took you long enough,” Sasuke greeted when Shisui joined him at the bar. “Chief,” he added belatedly.
“Sakura! It’s beautiful!” Ino squealed. “Though, personally, I’d have preferred an amethyst stone, but this opal is very nice. It looks like its on fire!”
“Tone it down, Ino!” Sakura laughed. “You sound like a pig!”
Shisui merely smiled as he listened as Sakura settled next to Ino and the two women started cooing over the engagement ring. “I would have preferred longer,” he admitted finally, accepting a cold glass of brew from his uncle unbidden.
“Congratulations, Nephew,” Banka murmured. “That’s my light ale, I know you’re never really off the clock.”
“Thanks, Uncle.” Shisui took a sip of the bitter beer and resisting the urge to grimace. He appreciated the effort, even if he wasn’t a fan of alcohol in general. He leaned back against the counter, facing the room at large, and turned towards Sasuke. “So, did I miss anything interesting?”
“Not really. Ino and Karin were comparing shampoo and conditioner products,” Sasuke explained with an audible grimace. “I assume things went well for you and Sakura considering my ears are still ringing from Ino’s squeal.”
“She allowed me to take off my blindfold, so I’ll be reliving this evening for years to come.” Shisui smiled faintly at the memory. “How did your assignment go? Did you talk to my mom?”
“Yeah,” Sasuke snorted. “I fulfilled my assignment. Your mother and I went to the tailor. I picked out the material for your formal wear. It’s as close to the dark blue color as I can remember. I’m sure Ino will help Sakura design something complimentary.”
“Good,” Shisui said with a nod. “Great.” He felt a warm fire in his belly as he envisioned exchanging vows in front of friends and family with the forest in the background at sunset.
“Hey, Honey,” Sakura purred. He felt her move beside him and tuck her arm through his. “Let’s join Kakashi-sensei and Yugao-senpai. I want to finalize our game plan for when Master Tsunade shows up in a few days.” She leaned past him, her breasts pressed against his arm in a way that made Shisui want to call it a night and retire to their apartment — social graces be damned. The only thing stopping him — was knowing it would hurt his uncle’s feelings. “Come on, Sasuke. You were always good at strategizing,” she added.
“Ah, sure,” Sasuke agreed. He picked up his discarded beer and snatched the one from Shisui. “I’ll just drop these off with Suigetsu. He drinks like a fish.”
“How about some plain water, Uncle?” Shisui turned his attention to his bartending uncle. “I need to stay alert, if you don’t mind.”
“Waters are coming up. I’ll deliver a pitcher to the table as well as some glasses.” Banka wiped up the condensation from the bar counter with the rag on his belt and then worked on filling up a pitcher while they abandoned the counter.
Shisui let Sakura lead him to the table and he took the space between her and Kakashi. Sakura leaned over him to show Kakashi and Yugao her ring. “Shisui did very good.”
“Uh huh, he certainly did,” Yugao agreed. “Shisui has always been a charmer. He’s always so thoughtful and considerate.”
Shisui felt his cheeks heat up with the praise as he felt the older woman’s attention. He barely remembered Yugao from his Anbu days. She was only a few months older than him. Most of his memories of her were from his few years at the Academy. What he remember in his last year in Konoha was catching her eyeing his backside. She hadn’t exactly been shy about voicing her appreciation.
“Hmm, he has always been a very deliberate person,” Kakashi agreed. “It’s nice, Sakura. Have you thought about who might walk you down the aisle? I know your parents passed a few months after the invasion a few years ago. I would be honored if you would consider me.”
“I think I should do it,” Sasuke interrupted.
“No, it should definitely be Kakashi-sensei,” Ino protested. “I’ll obviously be the Maid of Honor and Sasuke you’ll be the Best Man, so you’ll be escorting me down the aisle.”
“Does there even need to be an aisle?” Sakura asked quietly.
“Yes!” Chorused Ino, Sasuke, Kakashi, and Yugao.
Shisui laughed at their friends’ enthusiasm. Though, he hadn’t realized Sakura had lost her parents. The only invasion he knew of was when Orochimaru had invaded Konoha a few years back during the Chunin Exams that resulted in the Third’s death. Why hadn’t Sakura mentioned it?
“Oh, well, I would love to have you escort me, Kakashi,” Sakura said quietly. “We’re family.”
“Mah, Sakura-chan, you’re going to make me blush,” Kakashi mumbled. “Though, I’ll probably have to share the privilege with Naruto.”
“We can figure those details out later, for now, we need to figure out how to ease Master Tsunade into the dark history of Konoha. I’m thinking we should use sake, lots of sake,” Sakura suggested.
“I’m not sure, Sakura. I think sober would be the best way to deal with this kind of information,” Shisui protested. He thanked his uncle when he dropped off the pitcher of water. He poured himself a glass and downed it greedily. His mind wandered to the previous conversation. It would make sense for Sasuke to be his Best Man, but part of him really wanted it to be Itachi. But then again, he’d be sharing himself and his wife with Itachi, did he really need to share the limelight on his wedding ceremony?
“I don’t know,” Yugao mused. “Lady Tsunade is generally more agreeable after she’s had half a bottle of sake.”
On the border of Yoru, Shisui’s crows noticed a disturbance. Seeming to appear out of no where, several cloaked figures — black with red clouds — seemed to teleport right at the check point.
Before he could say anything else, Shisui stiffened. “The Akatsuki is on the border. There are five of them.”
The elite shinobi at his table were all immediately alert.
Sakura’s warm hand was gentle on his arm.
Itachi was back, much sooner than anticipated. He was not alone.
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