Chapter 41

She finished humming the tune before gathering up the papers and restoring them back in the box, she prepared herself to leave the household, her cheerful mood dissipated into a somber one, the box of music giving her heap of things to think about.

It wasn't until much later in the evening that Sakura finally found herself home at the doorstep, opening the door and wandering in wearily. Setting her bag down by the door, she kicked off her shoes and entered her house. About to plod up the stairs and go to bed, despite it being only around nine in the evening, she was halted by a call.

"Sakura?" she heard her mother call, "Is that you?"

Stopping and turning about, she walked into the kitchen instead, finding her mother sitting at the table, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in her hands.

"My word!" her mother exclaimed, looking shocked at her daughter's appearance, "I hardly recognized you Sakura! It seems like ages since I last saw you!"

"Ha, ha," Sakura replied dryly, sitting down at the table with a sigh.

"Long day at work?" her mother asked concernedly but Sakura just shook her head, "Need some hot chocolate?"

She looked up at her mother, and smiled half-heartedly, "Actually, I think I'd rather enjoy that."

Her mother nodded and stood. Taking a mug from the cupboard she went and poured some hot water into it from the kettle and reached for the container of hot chocolate mix.

"I've hardly seen you the last couple days, Sakura," her mother said warmly, dumping a spoonful of the mix into the mug, "What has kept you so busy up at the hospital lately?"

Sakura felt like she had had the wind knocked out of her—she had forgotten to tell her family all about Sasuke! Not that she cared what her brother thought about it, or felt that her father was around enough to concern him with it, but she had forgotten to tell her mother. She folded her arms on the table and dropped her head down in them, groaning loudly at her own absentmindedness.

"Um, Mom?" she began, her words muffled from her face buried in her arms, "Do you remember Uchiha Sasuke?"

Her mother's confused reply came from somewhere nearby as there was the slight 'thunk' of the mug being set before her, "That boy that you were head-over-heels for? Yes, I remember. Didn't he leave the village?"

Sakura sat up and pulled her hot chocolate closer to her. "Yeah, he did," she replied in a preoccupied manner, "This is kinda a secret, but three days ago, he was found in terrible condition and brought back here."

"Oh dear," her mother murmured quietly. Whether it was because of Sasuke's condition, or if she was concerned about how her daughter was taking the matter, Sakura didn't know.

"Yeah, well…" Sakura stirred her hot chocolate slowly, waiting for it to cool so that she could drink it without burning herself, "He's been blinded…and I offered to rehabilitate him."

Her mother took a sip of hot chocolate, peering at her daughter perceptively, "I see."

"So that's what I've been doing for the past couple days," she continued without being asked, "It's fairly routine, and it can be fun sometimes, though he is still as stubborn as he was as a kid."

"Well, as long as he's not treating you badly, I guess I'm alright with the state of affairs," her mother said after a moment, "How do you feel about the situation? You seem to have lost a bit of your usual pep."

"I'm still peppy, Mom," Sakura smiled faintly, using her mother's description of her personality, "You just see me when I've come home exhausted from chakra expenditure. But don't worry about me, I'm happy with what I'm doing right now, I don't think there is any more of a satisfying job than helping someone you care about. I feel I am where I should be."

Her mother was silent for a moment, seeming deep in thought, "Sakura, I know I told you many times that even though you care about someone so much, things don't always work out. Things may have turned in your favor, but—"

"I know," Sakura replied, staring at the steaming mug of chocolate liquid, "I know he doesn't return any feelings that I've ever had for him, so I'm just trying to be helpful. I promised him that I would do my best to be…"

"I'll just be glad when this is over," her mother sighed with relief, "After all, isn't he a criminal?"

"Tsunade-sama is going to lighten his sentence if he gives us information—so far he's been cooperative," Sakura replied, daring to take a sip from the mug her mother had set out for her, "My hopes is that he will be cooperative enough so that he will be pardoned; as far as I know, he hasn't done anything to betray Konoha other than seeking power from our enemy."

From over the rim of her glass, Sakura saw her mother purse her lips in disapproval—Sakura's mother had a deep loyalty towards the village and disapproved of any doings that would harm the inhabitants. Also Sakura felt that she could have perhaps stated Sasuke's quest for Orochimaru's power in a better manner.

Sakura rested her mug back down on the table, "As for when it's over…"

"Mmm-hmmm?" her mother narrowed her eyes, realizing that Sakura was going to tell her something that she would most likely be unhappy to hear.

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