Chapter Forty-One: Warmth in The Midst of Cold

                                    

                                          


                          


                          


                          
December has passed by in a blur of snowfall and winter wonderland. The once lush green forest surrounding Konoha is now filled with white fluff of snowflakes as the trees shed their leaves and the forest floor is now covered in a few feet's worth of snow. Winter has touched the Land of Fire and January has arrived. But the cold wrath of winter seems to be trampled by the warmth being provided by each house in Konoha.
                          


                          


                          
"A new house?" Sasuke asked as he arranged some hidden weapons he purchased from Ten-Ten's weaponry shop. Sasuke was a bit surprise to see the kunoichi from Team Guy opened a shop jam-packed with weapons.
                          


                          


                          
Sakura nodded as she took a sip from her mug of cocoa. "After talking with Ino and Temari, I realized it would be great to loan a house."
                          


                          


                          
Sasuke did not quite understand the need for a new house. Sure, Sakura has a lot of savings from being a Doctor and Sasuke himself had quite a lot of money from missions and he almost forgot about his parents' money they left on his name as the only Uchiha successor. But to buy a new house? Do they really need one? Or Sakura was just being influenced by those two again? Considering how Ino and Sai are going to get married soon and Temari is going to marry into the Nara Clan, sure they needed a house of their own.
                          


                          


                          
"But, this apartment is big for the two-" Sasuke trailed off and briefly looked at Sakura's belly when the pinkette was not looking before he stare at Sakura. "-three of us," he finished and Sakura felt her cheeks heat up.
                          


                          


                          
True to Sasuke's words, the apartment that Sakura bought a few months after the war was quite spacious. But it doesn't feel right to not live in a house with the Uchiha Clan crest. Sakura wanted to push her argument but then stopped herself from doing so and just quietly finished her mug of cocoa while Sasuke tend on his weapons that he'll be bringing along for this journey.
                          


                          


                          
That's right. The journey, Sasuke agreed to bring Sakura but he doesn't intend to bring her along to different locations and far-away Villages if it requires him to go. Sasuke plan to make Sakura stay at one of Orochimaru's hideout where she can be safe from possible danger. But Sasuke himself doesn't even know if there's anything safe in any of that damned snake's hideout. Sasuke heard from Kakashi that his former master- as much as the Uchiha loathed the term, the former sannin did teach him quite a few things- Orochimaru had turn into a new leaf. Sasuke could have a hard time comprehending Kakashi's statement if he didn't witnessed it himself. During his journey of atonement, Orochimaru might've provided Sasuke help with a few things. So Sasuke judged that asking him for another help might not be bad.
                          


                          


                          
Setting the thought of that man aside, Sasuke looked at Sakura when she stood up to take the empty mug in the kitchen. He might have been dense but after a few scenarios like this, Sasuke is very well aware that Sakura really do wanted to loan a house but Sasuke just so happened to rebuke her and told her frankly that they do not need one.
                          


                          


                          
So with a sigh, Sasuke finished arranging his weapons and stood up, following the pinkette in the kitchen. Sakura was standing in front of the sink washing the dishes when Sasuke stood behind her. The pinkette was so deep in thoughts that she didn't sense him standing there until she felt his forehead on her shoulder, his hand pressed on the sink for support.