Hey guys!! 😊👋 So the next chapter is going to be the last chapter in Recollection, but don't you fear! Part two will arrive soon plus a short story in less than a week! Be prepared its pretty mushy 😌

I think that's all for now, my dears. See you again soon!

-Kei~chan💗🍥

Chapter Sixteen:

How to Melt Snow

The coldness of fluffy snow is practically numbing. The only real warmth was coming from Sasuke's hand, which was tightly wrapped around mine. His cheeks were pale and nose bright red right on the tip. He looked like a perfect angel with coal eyes.

We were laying in the snow banks beside of the skating rink. It was late at night and after a wonderful dinner together, we just weren't ready to go just yet. So, with some careful deliberations, we decided to make some snow angels.

"Sasuke-kun?" I said, quietly.

"Hn?"

I was staring up at the beautiful star filled sky. With the skating rink closed and its lights turned off, the sky was clearly visible. It was breathtaking.

"Did you forgive your brother?" I almost mumbled.

He didn't answer at first, just continued to stare at the sky.

"Not at first," He answered. "I was angry, more so than I was before, and I just couldn't believe everything I was being told," Sasuke looked at me. "It was like I was having an identity crisis. I started to question everything. Who am I? What am I? What's a clan? What's a shinobi?" He shook his head. "After a lot of thinking, and a few deep minded conversations, I decided to forgive him. To take what he taught me and blessed me with, sacrificed for me even, and begin a new life filled with happiness and hope."

"And did you?" I questioned, pulling my scarf tighter around me.

"Yes," He smiled, his smooth lips curving upward. "I earned my friend's trust back, well most of them, got a fresh start, learned how to let people in, and I'm not looking back. It's my new motto in a strange way."

"That's good then," I smiled, and grasped his hand tighter. "I'm proud of you."

"Sakura?" He looked at me. "Did you ever stop loving me?"

"What?"

"Well, Ino told me that while I was gone you developed feelings for Naruto," He looked away, a little frustrated at expressing his concern.

"In short, no I never stopped loving you," I explained and after a few moments of thinking. "But in all honesty, I think I did develop feelings for Naruto. I don't think they were ever the type of feelings everyone thought they were. I think it was just like brotherly love. I mean, I never ever want Naruto to get hurt and all I want is for him to succeed. However, I can never see myself kissing Naruto or any kind of act in that sort of motion. I can see myself doing that with you, though," I smiled. "But I did question my feelings for you after you tried to kill me," I glanced at Sasuke. I knew it was still a touchy subject for him, but I knew its what he really wants to talk about. "I thought you were completely lost after that and I thought that I would never get my Sasuke back, but I did. I realized that with everything you were experiencing at the time kind of drove you to it and I understood that maybe I was doing too mu-"

"Don't ever say it was your fault," He scolded, looking at me. "That was never your fault. It was all me and I never had a right to put you in danger! I wish I could take it all back and out of all things I did, even killing my brother, that's the one moment I regret."

I was silent and stunned. I had never heard Sasuke's voice so full of hurt and anger. It literally hurt me to see him like that.

"Sasuke," I grabbed his face with my leather clothed hands. "Don't. Don't even think about regretting it. What you do is take that regret and turn it into a lesson to learn from. Don't ever regret anything and don't put me before your brother. I know how much he meant to you."

"But you mean a lot, too," He smiled, touching my hand still touching his face. "Looking back, I always felt alive when I was with you. I always felt the need to just protect you."

"Then don't loose that feeling," I rubbed my nose against his. "Keep it, it might come in handy some day. You never know."

He kissed my lips softly, warming them a bit. I pulled him closer to me, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Snuggling my face in as close to his ear as possible, I said, "Here's an idea; lets melt snow."

He laughed, "No problem, but first come here."

"What?" I scooted my body over closer to his.

"Smile," He said, lifting his phone up and snapping a photo of us. "There, now I have a beautiful background."

I giggled and laid my head on his shoulder. The photo was cute with me smiling and Sasuke kissing my forehead. The snow surrounding us and the light looked like it was produced from a fire. My hair flared out around us and lit the dim atmosphere.

"Now," Sasuke touched my cheek. "Teach me how to melt snow."

The house was dark by the time we got back inside. It felt amazing when I finally crawled into the bed. Sasuke shimmied out of his sweater, only wearing a thermal underneath, and crawled in beside me. I snuggled back into his chest and he rested his head on top of mine.

"Sasuke," I mumbled, half asleep. "I haven't told my dad about us yet."

"What?" He said, leaning his head up. "When are you going to?"

"I dunno," I confessed. "Sometime when I get back, I guess."

"Well, you can't just wait until I show up kissing you at your house, Sakura. You have to tell him," Sasuke paused, rubbing his fingers through his hair. "I think it's best you tell him as soon as possible. Especially if we're going to be in a serious relationship. I want your dad to not hate me."

"I know, I know," I sighed. "It's just . . . That's really difficult for me right now."

"What?" Sasuke jumped up. "Being in a serious relationship with me?"

"No," I shook my head. "Telling my dad. It's just sill a rough time for him right now with my mom's death still being hard and recent on him, ya know? I don't know how he would handle it at this point. I mean, I'm his little girl. I'm all he's got right now and I'm not sure how he would feel about me being in a relationship in general at this moment. Let alone with you," I sighed, depressingly. "You put me through a lot, Sasuke, and it was rough. My dad was so mad at how you had hurt me, you should of seen him. Now, with the loss of his wife, how do you think he would take his only child, and daughter, being with the boy who broke her heart years ago?"

He was silent.

"Sasuke?" I turned around. "I hope I didn't anger you."

"No," He touched my cheek. "But you are eventually telling him, right?"

"Yes, just give me like a week or two and I promise you that you'll defiantly be coming over for dinner," I smiled and kissed him. "Trust me, I don't think I can hide my feelings for you from people for long."

"Just do it as soon as possible," He yawned, closing his night eyes from the world. Pulling me in closer, he whispered, "Because I don't date girls without daddy's approval."

"Uh," I slapped his shoulder. "Shut up!"

He laughed, "Okay. Now lets go to sleep. Goodnight, Sakura."

"Goodnight, Sasuke," I smiled, nestling in to him. "See you in the morning."

"Wait, wait, wait," Naruto put up his hand. "So you mean to tell me they're that a tomato is a fruit?"

"Yes," I nodded, picking up a piece of bacon. "Not a vegetable."

We were at the cafe across from the skating rink, eating breakfast there for the last time. Sasuke was picking through his plate, Kakahi was taking bites in between his reading, Naruto was ordering a second plate, Bukio had joined us with just a tea, and Sai and I were fixing to argue.

"But how come its not a vegetable?" Sai questioned.

"It's just not," I said, sure of myself. "I mean think about, they grow on vines. What other vegetable does that?"

"Peppers," He nodded. "And don't onions."

"Peppers grow on bushes not vines and onions bloom individually in the ground," I corrected him. "Besides its backed by science, the chemicals and vitamins are relatively the same."

"I see," Sai spoke emptily. "Okay."

I laughed.

"I hope you all had a pleasant time here," Bukio smiled. "And I implore you to come visit us again soon."

"As long as no one tries to take my heart, will do," Naruto winked with a smile spread across his face. "So what will you do now?"

"Same thing I always have, manage the welcome center, but this time I have guards," She laughed. "And I'll make sure to have them around at all times."

"Sounds like a flawless plan," I commented. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," She admitted. "My doctor has me on some vitamins right now and wants me to do some physical therapy on my arms from where they were cut."

I nodded and took a drink of my orange juice.

"What are we going to do when we get back?" Naruto asked. "It'll be weird to be without you guys again."

"I don't know," Kakashi answered. "Whatever Lady Tsunade tells us to do I suppose."

"That sucks," Naruto mumbled. "Will never see each other."

"I have to get back to patients," I told him. "They're probably mad that I left with no warning."

"How many do you have now?" Sai asked.

"I have thirty full time patients and over fifty walk ins," I smiled. "I'm doing pretty good."

"I think I'm going to start another mission," Sai informed. "I'm pretty sure I'm being shipped off to the Sand village to help with building repairs."

"That's cool," Naruto said. "Garra's pretty great."

"What about you, Sasuke?" Kakashi asked. "What are they going to have you do?"

"Finish getting my rank back," He replied, bleakly. "Then from there become an ANBU, I guess."

"Is Sakura the only ANBU?" Bukio asked.

"No, Kakashi and Sai are, too," I informed her. "Naruto and Sasuke just aren't."

"Oh," She nodded. "I never became and ANBU, I barely became a Genin. Fighting just wasn't my style, but I guess I've learned my lesson from that these last few weeks."

"Just take up some Kung Fu," Naruto said. "It'll solve your problem and give you a little bit more of a background."

"Thanks," She laughed. "I might just do that."

"Well," Kakashi tucked his book away. "We should get going, our bus arrives soon."

We all rose from our seats and gave Bukio a final goodbye. She waved us off from the welcome center as we were hauled back up the chair lifts. The snow was beginning to fall as we arrived at the depot.

I stopped and looked back over the mountain, down the chairlift where Sasuke and I first began to come together.

"It's a little sad we're leaving," Sasuke commented, touching my arm. "This is the place we finally came together at and here we are abandoning it."

"We're not abandoning it, silly," I laughed. "We are just moving on to bigger and better things for us."

"Come on you guys!" Naruto yelled from the bus. "Or we're leaving you!"

I laughed and pulled Sasuke's hand. We boarded the bus with a familiar face driving it.

"Welcome back," He greeted us. "I see you finished your investigation."

"Yeah," I laughed, as Sasuke pulled me further onto the bus. "It's nice to see you, again, ??"

"Toki," His perfect teeth showed. "My name is Toki."

"Nice to meet you, again, Toki," I smiled. "Thanks for taking us outta here."

He nodded and shut the doors.

We were all huddled in the bus; Sasuke and I tucked together in the backseat talking, Sai doodling near the middle of the bus, and Naruto was setting with Kakashi probably just annoying him. The ride was a lot more fun on the way back and so was the long travel back. We didn't stop once and made it back in two days.

"Welcome back!" Tsunade greeted us, as we made our way into her office. "How'd you enjoy the snow?"

"Oh, it was fun and deadly!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger at her. "You sent us out to die!"

"I risk that every time I send anybody on a mission, Naruto," She narrowed her eyes. "I assume your team has figured out their priorities?"

"Presumably," Kakashi smiled. "They all seemed to get along very well."

"Including," She pointed to Sasuke and I. "I want them to get along again."

"Oh, yes," Kakashi nodded. "Excellently."

I blushed and looked away.

"Good," She smiled. "Now go home, rest up then presume your regular roles until further notice. Dismissed."

"Hey, granny!" Naruto yelled, as all of us but him left. "This ain't over!"

I shut the door on him.

"Well," Kakashi said. "I will be departing now. To my house I go! See ya around."

"Bye." Sai and I said.

"See you around, you two." Sai smiled, a he walked away.

"Where are you going?" I asked Sasuke.

"I don't know," Sasuke mumbled. "Back to Naruto's to unpack I guess. What about you?"

"Home and dinner with my dad," I smiled. "Do you want to do something tomorrow after I get off work?"

"Hn," Sasuke put his arms around me. "Definitely."

I smiled, as I leaned up on my tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips. Probably one of the best homecoming gifts I've ever received.