Warmth
6 in the morning.
At least that's what his internal clock was telling him. But with each passing day, the daylight was growing shorter and shorter to the point that he was waking up to complete darkness.
Sasuke opened his eyes to see the ceiling of his tent not bathed in the bright sunlight he so desired or the calm darkness, but something else. Something off. It took his sleep-induced, hazy mind some time to register what he was seeing. He continued to blink to clear up the blurriness of his eyes. Then it occurred to him.
Wait. Is that—
He rushed to stand up and, ignoring the dizziness from getting up too quickly, headed outside. The whole landscape changed to crystal white during the night. Disgruntled, Sasuke began to pack up his belongings and made haste to set out on the road again. It wasn't like he didn't expect snow—he was traveling in the northernmost country—but he wasn't expecting it. That fact was what bothered him. He was always aware of the weather; so much so that he could feel in atmosphere the raindrops forming before they fell to the earth. He could tell when a storm was brewing and when to head for shelter. It was a gift, he knew, and he was grateful for the gods who gave him such acute ability. But sometimes he wished to be surprised by a cool drizzle after a long period of drought, or a bright, sunny day after a nasty thunderstorm.
This unexpected snowstorm, however, was not pleasing at all. It meant that his plan to reach Kumogakure by tomorrow had to be changed. Sasuke looked at the cotton balls failing from the sky as he crunched his way through the forest. At this rate, he was going to run out of the provisions before reaching Kumo. He had to think fast. According to his memory, there was a village between him and Kumo that he could possibly reach by nightfall. But he had to hurry—the snow was falling heavier by the minute.
At least the snow-covered trees looked beautiful.
Being on the road for a year now—on this journey of redemption—helped Sasuke to finally see. The bright sunlight easing through the thick, green canopies of forests. The coolness brought by powerful ocean waves. The natural beauty the world offered and its sheer immenseness. He was also able to see the joy that came with life and just simply living. In the back of his mind he always knew he was missing out on something greater. But he couldn't afford to waste time thinking about such things, being driven by revenge and hatred. By the time he dove deep into the darkness, he successfully convinced himself that such a life was beyond him. His life had no meaning except to bring justice to those who caused his loved ones to suffer. However, in the deep recesses of his mind, his guilt crawled menacingly and devoured him, telling him that he didn't deserve such a life. Deserve to even live.
But—his thoughts carried on to streaks of yellow, pink, and silver.
While his own will flickered out, theirs stayed burning steadily over the years.
At the thought of them, Sasuke's heart ached with longing. Not now, he told himself. He blinked multiple times to clear his thoughts and sighed. Now the whiteness of the snow didn't seem so appealing anymore. Konoha during this time of the year would be colored with orange, red, and yellow.
He shook his head to get rid of the distracting memories, but a few slipped past his tight control.
Silky pink tresses under his chin.
Warm green eyes looking up at him.
Thin but strong arms wrapped around his body.
A poke to the forehead.
A loving smile.
A soft whisper.
"Come back soon, Sasuke-kun."
Finally.
Sasuke could see the village up ahead. It was small with only about a hundred citizens, but it had everything he needed. His face and hands were freezing cold and the thought of a warm place to stay urged his steps to quicken. Thankfully the villagers here looked upon him with favor after he assisted when the building collapsed after a particularly heavy snowstorm. As he passed through the gates, he walked briskly to the small inn when a figure came up to him from the right.
"Uchiha-san!"
Sasuke looked over and saw a young man he recognized, dressed in black winter clothes. "Akagi-san," he nodded in greeting, "please, call me Sasuke."
Akagi smiled, pleased that Sasuke remembered him. "Sasuke. Then you must call me Hansuke. Long time no see! You must be on your way to Kumo again, huh?"
"Yes. I thought I'd stop by to rest and restock on supplies."
Hansuke frowned. "Oh no, I just spoke with the innkeeper on my way here and the inn's completely full." Sasuke honestly didn't mind. Although it was disappointing, he could just set up his tent and sleep outside after buying the minimum he needed to last. But from the looks of it, Hansuke wasn't going to let Sasuke do so.
Suddenly his eyes lightened up, "I know! You can come and stay with my family!" Before Sasuke could even reject, Hansuke started to lead him towards the residential district. Sasuke's heart warmed at the caring gesture and although he didn't want to intrude, he couldn't deny that a warm house was better than a flimsy tent. He silently followed the man, the only sound coming from the crunching of the snow beneath their feet.
Sasuke stared at the back of his guide in thought. Hansuke was not much older than him but had a touch of innocence foreign to Sasuke. From spending some time with him after the rescue last year, Sasuke could tell Hansuke had eyes full of hope and dreams of a better world.
Like Naruto.
He only could wish that some of that optimism could rub off him with each of their encounter.
After walking in comfortable silence, Sasuke opened his mouth. "Thank you Hansuke."
Hansuke turned towards him with a bright smile. "Of course! It's the least I can do after you've helped us so much. Plus, we have another guest staying with us, so it's not a big deal!"
"A guest?"
"Yeah, my grandmother—you remember her, right? The one with the long white hair in braids? She's caught the nasty flu that's been going around and wouldn't get any better. It was bad—she couldn't get up to eat and the coughing wouldn't stop. But luckily a medical shinobi stopped by our village and has been helping everyone out. She had nowhere to stay so I invited her to stay with us." With the mention of the female shinobi, Hansuke's cheek slightly turned pink.
Definitely not because of the cold, Sasuke thought amusingly.
While speaking, they reached Hansuke's house and stepped in. The inside was simple but homely, hitting Sasuke's face with warmth and the smell of food immediately upon entering. Hansuke introduced his mother and Sasuke bowed respectfully. He explained that his father was off at Kumo on business and apologized for his absence. Sasuke was led to sit at the futon while Hansuke went to get him some tea. When he came back, he looked at Sasuke with a sheepish grin. "Sasuke, I'm sorry but my grandmother asks to see you. I tried to tell her that you need to settle in and rest first, but you know old people and their stubbornness."
Sasuke got up and followed Hansuke out the living room. "That's fine, I wanted to say my greetings anyway."
He followed Hansuke into a dimly lit room where the mentioned lady was resting in bed. There was a cloaked figure sitting in front of her placing a wet towel over the old lady's forehead. Sasuke walked closer towards the bed and bowed in respect.
The old lady on the bed shot her arm up in greeting. "Sasuke dear! I'm so glad you could visit!"
Sasuke took her hand in his and held it tightly. "Mitsuko-san, thank you for allowing me to stay with you for the time. I'm sorry to hear that you are unwell."
"Oh, don't worry about an old-timer like me. Especially since our guest is working miracles, I'll be up in no time!"
Hansuke spoke up from the doorway. "Yeah, she's been a godsend to our people!"
Sasuke turned his attention to the hooded figure who now moved towards the right side of the room to give them space while they conversed. Her chakra was masked, as all skilled shinobis would do when in public and traveling in unknown territories. But with the allied forces continuing their diplomacy from the war, most didn't find it important to practice these days.
Masked chakra AND healing all the villagers?
Interesting.
He couldn't see her face but could tell from her body language that she felt uncomfortable being there.
Why?
"Thank you for taking care of them."
She flinched, surprised at being addressed by Sasuke. She raised her head slightly, acknowledging that she heard his gratitude. "It's been my pleasure."
Her voice stroke a chord within him and his heart fluttered. But he dismissed the thought causing an ache in his chest.
It's not her.
She's back in Konoha, helping people there.
"You must be very skilled if you are able to treat all the villagers."
He could see her tense with his statement and hesitate to answer. "I…"
Sasuke assessed her discomfort and his heart sank at the realization.
She's afraid of me. She doesn't want to reveal anything about herself.
He felt like he was slapped with reality. He was too comfortable, being in the presence of people who didn't mind his presence; maybe even liked him. He liked the warmth it brought, but now he realized it was all an illusion. There were still many out there who couldn't forgive him. Who would cower when he passed by. Who would glare at him and quietly swear vengeance. He couldn't blame them—he of all people. But it was upsetting nonetheless to face that truth, and his thoughts were led into deep recesses of hopelessness and remorse.
He eyed her with caution—not for him but so he wouldn't offend her further. "Do you know who I am?"
"…Of course."
"Do I scare you?"
She seemed to be shocked by his abrupt question and cocked her head under the hood. "…Why would you scare me?"
"If you know me, then I don't have to explain myself."
Sasuke expected tense silence after his brusque statement but rather stiffened when suddenly laughter arose from under the hood.
He froze at the familiar jingle.
"You underestimate me Sasuke-kun, I'm hurt."
Sasuke's eyes widened incrementally when the hood was uncovered to reveal piercing emerald eyes and soft pink locks. He was taken aback at how stupid he was to assume she would be back in Konoha and not here, so far away.
But it's been three months since he last saw her. And she's allowed to do whatever she wants.
But why is she here? Of all places?
He observed her wholly and she looked…healthy. Her cheeks and nose were still rosy pink from the blasting cold she escaped from, yet her eyes exuded mirth and…and warmth staring back at him. Her hair grew longer, now going past her shoulders. She observed him with mild interest, seeming to gauge his reaction to her surprise.
Although he wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, let alone himself, he was glad to see her.
I…
God…he missed her.
Sasuke felt so strongly for the woman standing in front of him it startled him. Seeing her, like this, away from everything and everyone familiar, made his well-hidden emotions want to burst through their cage. He never struggled this much to face this woman, even when he was leaving her at home, albeit only for a short amount of time. He didn't perfectly understand, at least during that moment in his life, why seeing her face brought so much relief and a sense of peace. But he made sure she couldn't see it—he didn't want her to see it.
Not exactly.
Not yet.
I just want to…
Hansuke saw the two stare each other down and spoke up, breaking the silence. "Sasuke, Sakura-san, you guys know each other?"
But Sasuke didn't respond to the question and kept his gaze on her. "What are you doing here?"
He inwardly flinched at how rude and off-putting his question came out. But she didn't seem to mind his curt manner and smiled at his question. "Doing what I do best, of course. Healing the weak and injured."
"No. What are you doing here."
She chuckled at his insistence. "Am I not allowed to roam freely through the allied countries?"
Sasuke just stared at her, too afraid that his voice will betray his desires to just drag her into his arms. She stared back with amusement until finally she sighed and broke eye contact.
"Okay, okay. So, Naruto might've told me you were heading to Kumo and I happened to get a request to help with the influenza epidemic in and around the same area…so I thought, hey why not?"
Sasuke didn't answer and just looked at her. Sakura felt uneasy under his gaze and lowered her head slightly, eyes drooping low.
"Not convincing enough for you? It's the truth, though."
Sasuke closed his eyes tightly and squeezed the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh. This was an unexpected encounter—it threw him off. She always seemed to do so.
"Sorry, I really caught you off guard, huh? Don't worry—this was my last stop anyway. I'm heading out tomorrow."
Sasuke didn't say anything while Sakura picked up her pack up from the floor and faced Mitsuko in bed.
"The virus seems to have run its course. A few days of strict bedrest should get you back up on your feet. Don't do anything, Mitsuko-san, please, and ask your grandson to get things for you." She looked over teasingly at Hansuke still standing by the door, "He's a kind man—I think I can trust him to take care of you." Without facing Sasuke once, Sakura bid her farewells and headed out the room, most likely leaving to check on other sick villagers.
Sasuke stared at the spot she was just standing at and then finally came to when he heard the front door slammed shut by the snowy gust.
Wait.
No.
Don't leave.
Leaving behind an amused old lady in bed and a completely confused grandson, Sasuke flew out the house and found her walking away to the right.
"Sakura."
Sasuke hated the feeling of relief at finally being able to say her name and seeing her stop, still facing away from him. It seemed as if, with only a muttering of her name, Sakura understood his thoughts and feelings, because she quickly whipped her head around and looked at him with wide eyes.
He walked up slowly to her, his heartbeat slowing down to just a gentle thud.
He didn't know what to say.
No, he didn't know how to say.
His thoughts became scrambled as soon as he saw her lift her head from her hood.
Sakura, somehow always able to read his thoughts, smiled at the swirling emotions behind his mismatched eyes, his hair uncovering the Rinnegan in his haste to catch up to her. She placed her hand on his right cheek gently.
"Hi there."
I…
I just want to…
Without a word, Sasuke whipped his hand around her back and whisked her forward into him, holding her tightly. Sakura's laughter reached his ears from under his chin as she snaked her arms around him.
"I missed you too, Sasuke-kun."
.
.
.
.
.
The cold gusts of wind blew around them, bringing forth more white specks from neighboring trees and buildings. But neither of them felt the wintry chill with the steady warmth within their hearts.
"Tadaima, Sakura."
Thanks for reading!
Sillica