Chapter Text
Ino tapped her fingers on the countertop where she was standing, her eyes trained on the outside of the shop, watching absentmindly as the civilians walked back and forth in front of the glass of her flower shop, talking, laughing, big grins on their faces, all seemed to piss her off even more. It's been a couple days since she was rudely dropped back in the conpund of her home, half dazed and still sneering. Her nom had given her the raised eyebrow all the way to her room.
She had laid there, staring at the ceiling for a few hours straight, running the entire conversation over in her mind, trying to figure out if she had missed something. Sakura was certainly confident that what she was doing wasn't going to have any consequences, like her actions were superior. It ticked Ino off so damn much that she was struggling this bad to do something about it. The question is how she's going to do it, the people she was so sure would be on her side turned their backs on her. She needed to do something and she needed some time to figure out what.
The bell above the shop's doorway jingled as the door was pushed open, breaking Ino out of heri thoughts. She looked up to see the Hyuuga Clan leader standing in the middle of her flower shop, arms crossed over each other as the lapels of his kimono hid them from sight.
"Hyuuga-san." She greeted unsure what the man wanted with her this early in the morning.
"Can I help you with something?." She asked.
A smug smile graced over his lips as his eyes pinned her in place, Ino fought the urge to throw a vase at the man's head.
"Yes actually. " He said arrogantly.
"There is something you can certainly help me with."
□X□
Sakura's eyes peeled open as she felt another body settle itself down onto her left side, aged, knobbly fingers sifted through her hair lightly causing her entire body to go lax. Peeking an eye open Sakura looked up, breath catching in her throat at the face looking down at her. She scrambled to sit up, hands reaching out with a slight tremor to grasp the gnarly fingers in her own.
"...Chiyo-Sama." She said in a cooked whisper, eyes filling with the burn of tears. Could you even feel actual tears in a dream?.
The elderly lady chuckled at her silly emotion, patting her hand lightly.
"Sakura-Ka. It's been a long time." She smiled, the crow feet around her lips becoming more pronounced at the motion.
"I see you've been busy."
Sakura blinked back the burn, hands tightening on the much softer ones in her grasp.
"I...i was going through the archives in the Hokage tower when I found this Jutsu that brings back the soul of the dead." She said, if there was one person she could trust with her life and secrets it's this woman. Amongst the others that is.
"I took it. I know I shouldn't have, but something told me I would be needing it later on and I was right." She then told her how she found Hidan, learned all the secrets the Akatsuki was built on, cried her heart out before deciding to tell Kakashi, which ended up with her and Naruto along with Sai and Tenten helping her. Together they started bringing back the Akatsuki along with her teammates parents and friends. Sakura talked and talked until the tears she was holding back started flowing down her cheeks, Chiyo chuckling as she wiped them away.
"...And them they brought Sasori back for me on my birthday." She said with a slight hiccup.
"And now we're all living together."
Chiyo raised one of her eyebrows at that.
"Even you and my grandson?." There was a teasing glint in her eyes, though Sakura could still feel the way her ears flushed, the paleness of her skin making it obvious.
"...We're together now." She mumbled like a kid that was caught poking their hand in the cookie jar.
"I've had feeling for him ever since that fight, I found myself longing for that impatient bastard so much that I ended up visiting your husband, he told me stories from Sasori's childhood which made me fall for him even more." She sighed fondly.
"And when you found that jutsu, the first thing that ran through your mind was bringing him back, wasn't it." The smart, nosy old woman had the gaul to send her a snug look. Sakura fought the urge to bury her face in her hands and scream her lungs out.
"...It was there...among other things." She muttered, feeling the blush spread onto her cheeks.
"I was planning to bring him back last, but Naruto and the others beat me to it." Which wasn't a bad thing now that Sakura thought about it.
"I'm sure it was." Chiyo smiled.
"Too be honest, I had a feeling you two would fall for each other, the staring that was going on was enough to make even me sweat."
She watched, amused as Sakura's entire face exploded in red, s grin tugging at her lips.
The younger girl whined, giving into her desire to scream into her palms. The mortifying realization that she had showed her obvious attraction right in front of the man's grandmother left her itching to dig a hole and bury herself in it.
"Now, now, no need to be so embarrassed, there's nothing wrong in being attracted to each other." This damn old woman, her comments were not helping!
Sakura looked up to see Chiyo giving her a wink to which she promptly returned her face back into her hands, taking a couple deep inhales before she exhaled slowly, willing the damn blush to go away.
"Are there going to be great grandkids invovled?."
And the damn blush is back once again.
Sakura cleared her throat, trying to not just combust on the spot. She whined again as Chiyo squeezed her hand with a playful smile.
"I'm happy." She said with a content look settling over her features.
"I'm glad that troublmaking grandson of mine finally has someone who can give him the love and support he needs, someone who can give him what I couldn't give him." She sighed looking at Sakura with so much pride and fondness in her gaze, it made the edges of her vision blurry, she tried blinking it away, only to realize that her time here in this dreamscape was about to end. Chiyo seemed to sense the same thing as well seeing how she gave Sakura's hand one last strong squeeze.
"Be happy Sakura-Ka, and take care of that boy for me." She said, a gentle look on her face. Sakura blinked once, her conscious twitchibh to life groggily as she now blinked her eyes open to the inside of their bedroom, the window curtains blowing softly in the morning breeze, the ceiling fan above her head spinning lazily and the arm around her waist keeping her anchored to a warm chest.
She didn't realized she was crying until a sniffle left her, the man behind her immediately shifted into alert, his head raised up from where it was buried in the crook of her neck to blink a few times, getting used to the light.
"What's wrong?." He asked, voice sleep rough and deliciously gravely.
"Sakura?."
"Its nothing bad.," she said with another sniffle, raised a hand to wipe at her eyes, turning to lay in her back as he hovered above her, leaning on one elbow. He gave her a quirked eyebrow in return, his eyes were still clouded with sleep that made her want to squeeze him.
"What it it?." He asked, dropping his head to bury his nose between her breast, sighing softly as slender fingers started to cart through his hair.
"Your grandmother paid me a visit in my dream." He grunted in return, slipping his other arm around her waist.
"We were talking, she was teasing me about how she knew that we would have ended up together because we both couldn't take our eyes off each other when we first met.," Sakura laughed, her nose stuffy.
"She also called you a teoublemaker, I had to agree with her." That earned her a palm squeezing her hips, causing her to shiver.
"Then why were you crying?." He huffed out, rubbing his cheek on her shirt.
"Did she do something?."
Sakura smacked him behind the head gently.
"Don't be ridiculous. Chiyo-Sama wouldn't do anything of the sort to me. She helped me kick your ass, or did you forget?."
He snorted as he looked up at her through half lidded eyes.
"Still doesn't answer my question on why you were crying."
Sakura smiled.
"She told me to be happy and take care of you now that she's gone."
Sasori had the most offended look on his face at that, like he couldn't believe his nosy grandmother would say that, his left eyebrow twitching.
"I can take care of myself, who does that old witch think she is?."
This man. Sakura thought exasperatedly.
"Really, thats not what I remember the last time I left you, Deidara and Obito tog—" His lips came crashing down onto hers making a peel of laughter erupted from her, filling the air between them, he took her bottom lip between his teeth, tugging it lightly as he bit down. Sakura whined, smacking his shoulders to let her go already. He pulled back with a scowl in response to the fringe that instantly stretched across her face.
"Pot calling Kettle. " He mocked.
"Do I have to list all the things that tend to happen when the four of you are together.." He wrestled her limbs to his liking, wrapping her legs around his hips as he stood from the bed in one smooth motion even Kakashi would have been jealous.
"Who?." She yelped as she wrapped her arms around his neck, clamping her thighs around him tightly.
The bastard didnt even say he was going to manhandle her like a sack of rice.
"You and the brats who started this entire resurrection plan." He grunted, lopping his arms under her thighs to keep her up as he began walking towards the bathroom.
Sakura huffed out a small laugh. She wonders what Tenten, Naruto and Sai would have said if they heard him call them brats. They would have probably ganged up on him. He deserves it.
A bite to the side of her neck had her jerking out of her thoughts, slapping a hand over the stinging area and leveling the culprit with a glare.
"I told you to stop leaving marks there, you asshole, I keep having to wear damn turtlenecks! and it's hot out already!.".
"Then pay attention to me." He said simply..
Sakura felt a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. It was going to cost her more marks on her skin, but Sakura felt it was her right to call him out.
"You know, you call them brats but you're a brat yourself, can't even think without having my attention on you." She laughed out loud as his teeth sunk into the meat of her shoulder.
"I'm right! Don't even try to deny it.°
"You little..." Sasori snarled, kicking the bathroom door open.
"I'm going to make you pay for that."
She grinned right back at him, lifting her legs to cross her ankles behind him.
"Do your worst."
The bathroom door swung shut just as Sasori lunged forward with a growl.
□X□
Hanabi's eyes remained on the book she was reading, her other hand held a pair of chopsticks to which she was picking at a plate of meat filled dumplings. Movement to her side had her eyes snapping to the right of her, the hand holding the wooden chopsticks came down with a snap, embedding itself a few inches away from the hand sneaking it's way towards her plate.
Hanabi scowled at the smirking shark man, whose teeth glinted as he grinned at her.
"Come now, have you ever heard of the term, sharing is caring?."
"Share what?." She hissed.
"You just ate your own portion, leave mine alone."
"But you were taking so long, I thought I outta give you a hand eating it out."
"Kisame." Tenten called from inside the kitchen, interrupting their little spat.
"Leave the child alone, you had your own." The big blue man rolled his eyes, sending the smug looking kid a squinted eye look before leaning forward to whisper.
"I bet you would have shared with Sasuke, wouldn't you." He pulled back with a wicked grin and sauntered away as if he had just won some sort of game, leaving a sputtering, red faced Hanabi in his dust.
"W–what?!." She shrieked after him.
"No. I won't you damn idiot!."
"It's not good to lie, Hanabi-Chan~." He sang, hearing her growl behind him, Kisame counted that as a win.
Hanabi swore she was going to kill that bastard later, how dare he! What the hell did he mean that she wouldnt mind sharing with Sasuke? Did he want to die?. What the hell was he even implying? That she... she...liked that emo bastard?!..
A hand landed on top her head as Tenten came to sit next to her, the older girl had the most entertained expression on her face that made Hanabi want to hide.
"So?." Tenten started, watching as Hanabi twitched.
"What did the fish boy say to you that has you turning into a tomato?."
Hanabi dropped her face into her palms and sighed loudly, she was willing herself not to blush as she bit out what Kisame, the giant pain the ass, had said.
Tenten snickered, patting the girl on the head.
"Seems to me that you do like Sasuke." She bit her lip to keep in the laugh at the horrified look the poor girl shot her, pearly white eyes wide open, lips parted and all the color seeming to have been drained from her face.
"Huh?! How the hell did you end up with that conclusion?!." The poor thing wanted to melt into the ground right now, Tenten could tell.
"You always fight with him." Tenten pointed out, lips twitching.
"And you always make the first move to touch him, when he's in the same room, you always make sure his attention is on you. Do I need to keep going?."
Okay...maybe she did like that asshole..a teeny tiny bit, but she wasn't going the admit that, no way in hell.
"He's an annoying idiot, that's all." She said waving her hand frantically hoping Tenten would just let it go already.
Thankfully the older girl did, humming to herself as she leaned foeward to prop her elbow on the table and cradle her chin there, eyes glinting with interest.
"Okay. I'll let it slide for now." Hanabi whined at her words and Tenten dutifully ignored her attempts to make her stop.
"How about you help me do a little match making?."
That had the younger girl stopping short, eyeing the brown haired woman wearily.
"What mischief are you up too now?." She deadpanned, Tenten let out a sharp bark of laughter, shoulders shaking.
She ruffled Hanabi's hair with a snicker.
"You, young lady, are going to help me set your cousin up with Gaara."
"Ohhhh." Hanabi's eyes lit up at that, already forgetting about all the teasing she endured, this was about her cousin, there was no way she was missing out this, she shot Tenten a grin so wide it made her cheeks hurt.
"What's the plan? I'm all ears."
Tenten smiled, leaning forward.
"Well. I was thinking....." The two dissolved into whispers and giggles soon after.
□X□
When Hinata opened the door to Sakura's apartment after knocking, she nearly ran back out the damn building. There was the same red haired man standing in the middle of Sakura's kitchen, shirtless with a very obvious bitemark on his shoulder blade. He paused when the door opened, only turning his head to look at her with dark amber eyes, nodding once in greeting before he turned back to whatever he was doing.
"Good morning." She said quietly, placing the small basket of pastries Naruto had asked her to pick up for Sakura.
"Mmn." The man hummed chopsticks clicking against the sides of tbe frying pan be was standing in front of.
"Oh, Hinata!." Sakura smiled as she came into view, dressed lightly in a pair of shorts and a loose shirt that was stretched around the neck, must be Sai or Naruto's.
"Fancy seeing you he— oh! Is that pastries?." The pink haired woman rushed over to her a big smile on her face, it made her look like an excited kid again. However, this close, Hinata was able to see the various bitemarks that littered the skin around Sakura's neck and a few peeking out from along her shoulders. Hinata felt her face flush at the sight, for all the years she had known Sakura, this was a first time for both of them, dating that is.
Sakura noticed her red face and laughed at her outright, making no move to cover up her marks, instead she opted to hug Hinata, which in turn made the poor girl even more red.
"Did you have breakfast yet?." Sakura asked pulling away, she grabbed Hinata's hand and tugged her along to the table.
"No.... I didnt have time t—."
"Great!." Sakura said cutting her off as she turned to face the kitchen.
"Sasori, can you make a plate for Hinata as well?." She waited for the responding grunt before turning back to Hinata with a smile.
Sasori? Where did she hear that name before? Hinata furrowed her eyebrows. She knew she heard that name before, she just couldn't remember wh—."
"He's the one Chiyo-Sama and I fought. Her grandson." Sakura said breaking her out of her thoughts, Hinata blinked surprised eyes at her, how did Sakura know what she was thinking?.
"Its written all over your face." Sakura said with a small snicker.
"He's the one we defeated to get information on Sasuke." Both girls looked up at the offending grunt that came from the kitchen. Sakura shaking her head with a laugh.
"And he's also the one I fell in love with."
"Oh." Hinata said softly, lips slightly parted, blinking rapidly.
".... I thought it was Sasuke."
There was a disgruntled sound that came from the kitchen.
"That brat." Sasori said, using his Chakra threads to levitate their breakfast to the table, despite hjs grumpiness, he placed the bowls down gently.
"Does not deserve my flower." He levitates the tea next before coming to take a place next to Sakura, grabbing a pair of chopsticks as he began to ear, feeding Sakura between bites, Hinata found this really sweet.
"So? How come you were the one to bring over the goodies." Sakura asked after swallowing her bite of food.
"Did Naruto ask you?."
"Yes." Hinata said taking a bite of her own share, it was really good.
"But I had something to tell you as well."
Sakura paused in her chewing to give Hinata her full attention. The Hyuuga woman took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She looked up at the two opposite her, not knowing how well they were going to take this news, but she had to tell them. She made a promise after all.
"This morning, I saw my father go into Ino's flower shop."