I just got the idea for this fic randomly one day. It's canonish but I've thrown in different things in here as well. I've already written a couple of chapters but I wanted to see if people would actually be interested in reading this story. I'm not the best author by any means and my grammar... lol
So here it is. Please review on your thoughts :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
The bottom of her sandals hit the branches of the trees as she neared her destination. Home. Rays of sunlight lit her path as she continued forward. A cool blast of wind pushed her rosette hair back which kept the annoying little wisps out of her face.
To others, it may have seemed like simple air, but to her it signified change. The dreadful long, hot, and sunny days were about to be replaced with short and cool days with the fact that fall was fast approaching. It meant tasks would become more enjoyable. By tasks she meant missions to faraway lands that required traveling in immense heat.
The corners of her lips curved downwards as her legs leaped through the air. A day worth of traveling to get to her assigned mission for it to turn out how it did.
Lady Tsunade had given her the task of traveling to a remote village located miles away from the leaf. The pregnant wife of a farmer had fallen ill. Immediately concerned Sakura had ventured out as quickly as possible towards the farm which was near the outskirts of civilization. Unfortunately for her the details the letter contained, or lacked for that matter, meant that it could have been anything. That meant that the duration of the mission was undetermined.
Her mentor was a bit panicked at this since she needed Sakura back with the Five Kage Summit being that week.
It only took Sakura nine hours to get there traveling by foot. When she arrived she had accidentally walked by the farmer and his wife who were waiting for her by the entrance. She was a petite little thing who still had yet to show she was expecting. Her concerned husband explained that his wife could not keep anything down which caused her to throw up non stop. This prompted Sakura to ask how far along she was to which he explained she had missed her menstruation three weeks ago. He went on to explain how he was worried she could have gotten food poisoning since she had never thrown up to this degree.
After briefly analyzing her Sakura had concluded that it was just a pregnancy symptom and that his wife was perfectly fine and healthy. When she finished brewing some peppermint tea for her she recommended a menu of what she should be eating which consisted of ginger and lemon to help with the nausea.
The couple couldn't have been more grateful and invited Sakura to a home cooked meal as well as a place to stay for the night to which she didn't turn down. The whole time in their home she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
The next morning she was already on her way back and brushed off the feeling as being paranoid.
At the thought of food her stomach let out a low rumble. It had been a good six hours since she left the village and it would take her another three to reach the gate of the Leaf. If she took a quick thirty minute break right now she should make it back right before sundown.
Her arm reached out to grab the nearest tree branch to halt her movements. Applying chakra to the soles of her feet she leaped out and landed on the ground below her with a soft thud.
Sakura noticed a short tree stump and walked over to it, brushing off the leaves off the top, to take a seat. All she had with her was a backpack along with a small pouch that contained her ninja tools. The water from her canteen refreshed her body in the grueling sun. She didn't realize how parched her lips had been or how thirsty she was.
Setting the canteen aside she fetched inside her bag for the small bag that contained her ham sandwich. She was definitely a medic nin and not a cook.
When all she had was but a couple of bites left a sound could be heard nearby. It sounded like a muffled groan. Immediately she came to attention and rose to a standing position. Her senses were heightened.
The sound had sounded off towards the east so she shifted her body towards that direction. What could have made that noise? Her attention was focused on seeing if there were any chakra signatures nearby. There were none.
Just then another noise sounded. This time the noise turned into two distinctive words. Two words that she heard a lot when volunteering at the local hospital.
"Help me."
Without another second to waste Sakura's legs led her to the direction of the voice. A chill went down her spine as she ran forward causing a shiver to escape her body. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears as her breaths accelerated.
Her shoes ran out onto a gravel path in between the trees. The sight before her was utterly shocking making her blood run cold. She could not move. It was like she was glued to the spot. Emerald eyes widened as she took in the scene in front of her.
In the middle of the road was a gharry tilted towards its side. The front of it had broken off to what appeared to be a crash. If something had been pulling it the animals were long gone by now. Gravel crunched under her sandals as she took a tentative step forward. Long marks were found on the ground from the wheels leading up to the disaster. From the splintered pieces of wood littering the place she deduced that it must have hit something hard.
Glancing around she was bewildered when she saw nothing near that could hold the same amount of damage that the gharry had received.
A groan pulled her away from her thoughts which made her make her way around the accident located to the left of the cart.
She sucked in breath at the man sprawled before her on the ground. His body was in an awkward angle causing the disgruntled noises he was making.
Her knees met the earth below her as she knelt by the man beside her. A small pool of blood had trickled down from the man's mouth onto the sand and dirt. His breathing was coming out in long ragged breaths.
Immediately her senses kicked into gear as she noticed she only had a small amount of time before he succumbed to his injuries from blood loss.
As if sensing her presence the man's eyes fluttered open. Due to the way his eyes were dilated he was going in and out of consciousness. His eyes were making their way to close once more.
"No no. I need you awake. I need you here."
Her gentle voice called out to him as she placed her hands together over his wound. A soft green glow emitted from her hands as her chakra entered his system. She was terrified of him closing his eyes. Many times when her previous patients closed their eyes they would remain that way. It meant she failed to heal them in time.
Her voice must have reached him since his eyes opened wide revealing dark brown orbs that matched his dark brunette hair which stuck to his clammy pale skin. The man appeared to be important judging by the dark clothes that he was wearing. His age seemed to be around early thirties which was many years her senior.
A small smile crept on her face as she finally located the fracture. Her features scrunched up in concentration as she worked to get it fixed to stop his blood loss.
The man continued staring at her quietly as she worked. His lips parted open slightly as he gazed at her in complete wonder. His eyes never once left her face.
The twenty one year old medic removed her hands and the glow diminished. Her work here was finished.
"You are completely healed. Try not to move your head to much as you did suffer a minor concussion. Let me assist you in standing."
Sakura stood up gently brushing off the remaining sand off her black shorts before extending her arm out to him. She offered him a kind smile that caused her eyes to close and crinkles to form at the corners. This caused her to miss the faint small tint of pink that appeared on his cheeks.
Without wasting another second he clasped her hand and pulled himself up. His stance wobbled a bit since his blood loss altered his ability to walk as she knew it would. After regaining his balance he let go of her hand only to quickly extend it right back out to her.
"Hatsuo, Feudal lord of the land of frost. Thank you for your help….?"
"Haruno Sakura." She took his hand and firmly shook it. His eyes have never once left her which she was beginning to notice. "Do you remember what happened?"
He blinked slowly and tore his eyes away from her as he stared off into the distance trying to recall the events. "I was on my way to the village hidden in the leaf for the summit when out of nowhere I heard my driver shout for someone to get out of the road. I leaned my head out to look when I saw a person dressed in all black standing dead center of our path."
As he was remembering he slowly walked towards the front of the cart only to frown when realizing nothing was there.
"How strange. I'm certain we hit. If my driver and I hadn't leapt off when we did I'm sure our injuries would have been far worse. He thankfully was unharmed and went off towards the village to get some help."
Sakura took all of this information in. "A person dressed in all black you say?" She made her way towards the front where he was now standing. Out of the corner of her eye she saw something catch the sunlight causing it to shine. He must have noticed it as well for he bent down to pick it up.
Upon closer inspection they realized it was a small gold hoop earring. It blended in well with the gravel and sand that if the sun would not have been out they both would have surely missed it.
"Why would someone go out of their way to block my path? Do you think this might have been an assassination attempt or attack on my land?" He faced her. Sakura could start to see and feel the worry radiating off of his body.
"I don't believe it was an assassination attempt against you. If that had been the case then you would not be breathing right now. The way that I found you would have been the perfect opportunity to end it right then and there. An attack against your land might be a more plausible explanation." She then gestured to the earring. "At least now we have a small hint. That person has their ear pierced." There was still something that seemed really off about this whole situation.
"If you don't mind me asking, why were there no guards here for your safety? A Daimyō should always travel with protection."
The blood on his face turned bright red. He took the earring from his hand and quietly slipped it into his front jacket pocket. For a moment Sakura thought that he would not respond. He was still shifting around his pocket when he suddenly pulled out a small black box. Confusion lit up her features.
Hatsuo glanced around nervously before resting his gaze on her once more. "I usually do travel with about four guards, however, since I am currently in search of a bride I've left them behind. It is tradition that when we are in search of one that we don't have them by our side as it could mean a sign of weakness for not only me but for my land as well."
He opened the box to reveal a truly unique ring. The ring itself was gold but that wasn't what captured Sakura's attention. What really caught it was the fact that there were gold little wires sticking out in each direction. On the tip of each one was a different color stone. Definitely not something of her choosing.
"I thought I would have to look far and wide for her but I already found her. She is truly an angel." With that being said he removed the ring from its container.
"I'm glad you found one." Sakura gave him a small smile. Just as she was about to open her mouth to speak once more he reached for her hand. "What are you doing?" She gasped as he began to slip the ring on her finger.
He stopped and looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "I've found you. Without your healing back there I wouldn't have made it out alive. You definitely pass the test to be a fit wife for the Daimyō. Is there a problem?" He asked.
Sakura's eyes went wide as she took in the weight of his words. There was no way she could refuse a Daimyō. It would not only be frowned upon on her part but on her village as well. If Tsunade found out she displeased a feudal lord there will be hell to pay. Not only that but it could also start another war.
She looked down at the ground and began rubbing her foot on the sand below as she quickly thought of a solution. What would be a good enough reason to not accept his proposal? This was what she got for helping a random stranger in the middle of the woods.
If she were to say no because she was Tsunade's student that wouldn't work. If anything that would only make him want her more as she could be a valuable asset.
There had to be another way. There was no way she was going to marry without love. Love. That's it!
"I'm afraid I cannot as I'm already engaged to someone." There was a moment of silence on both ends. Did it work?
"To who?" Those two words shattered her calm composure to the point the she was rubbing away at the sand below her foot. Sand. Instantly a faint image of a certain redhead came into mind. It left as quickly as it came. Gaara of the sand. The fifth Kazekage of Suna. It had been a while since she last saw him. All of the feudal lords knew him and few bothered him.
Before she had a chance to stop herself she blurted out "Gaara."
"Of the sand?!" Hatsuo's voice rose a few levels out of shock and disbelief. Sakura gave a small nod of her head. It was too late to turn back now.
He closed the ring box rather abruptly before placing it back in his pocket. The eye contact she had felt never left her was gone as he looked at anywhere but her. "My congratulations. To be fair I never would see the day a woman would want to be his wife let alone even spare him a glance. What an odd one he is."
Something about the way he said that rubbed Sakura the wrong way. She didn't really know Gaara but he reminded her of a dear friend. Naruto. Both of them had a lot in common with how they were raised. When she was young she had mistakenly judged the blonde. Now she cared deeply for him and he considered said person to have been worthy of forgiveness and friendship. If Naruto did then so would she.
"Well alas, I guess it was not to be. Do you happen to know in which direction the village is in?" He asked her.
"Yes of course! I can show you the way." Together they walked towards the village in awkward silence. So much for making it back in three hours.
"How are you feeling?" Sakura asked without looking at him. It had been a pretty far walk. She expected to run into help that his driver had sent out but they encountered no one.
"Fine." Was his curt response just like all of his other responses had been during their journey. She had asked how the land of the frost was to which he merely replied with "Cold."
So much with trying to make conversation. She had the feeling that he was displeased with her. A feeling of dread fell upon her chest. Had she done the right thing? All of her life she had wanted to marry for love. Did he believe her lie? A little white lie couldn't hurt anybody…..right?
The village's gates soon appeared into view. The sun had since gone down and the coolness of the night caused her to release a small shiver. Her arms were bare so she rubbed her hands on them to try to produce warmth.
Hatsuo looked at her for the first time on the trip only to look quickly away. As if sensing her displeasure he pulled his own coat tighter around him causing the fur on his hood to nestle right under his ears.
Sakura was dumbfounded. It wasn't like she just saved his life or anything. Imagine if she had actually said yes to marrying him. If he kept on acting that way she doubted he would have any luck.
"There they are!"
A small group of people made their way towards them.
"Lord Hatsuo! Please forgive me!" A small man pushed through the crowd with brute force. "I lost my way to the village and only now arrived. I am so thankful that you are ok!" The way that his voice shook at the end meant that he was afraid. She would not be surprised if he was actually mean to his workers however, it was always unwise to judge a book by its cover. Just because he wasn't a gentleman didn't mean he treated his people wrong.
"I am fine thanks to Haruno." He gave a quick curt nod towards her direction.
"Huge thanks." The small man glanced towards her. Sakura just smiled at them.
"It was no trouble at all."
There were two Jonin who immediately began asking the pair a couple of questions concerning their eventful arrival. Hatsuo and his companion, who she realized was named Fuyuki, told them pretty much the same thing that they told her even showing them the earring that they found on the ground.
The Jonin put it in between his thumb and pointer finger to get a closer inspection.
"It's been a while since there were attacks on the paths leading to our village. This is definitely a first."
Since she considered it rude to eavesdrop Sakura decided it was time to go to her apartment and call it a day. She had promised to help Tsunade tomorrow. All Five Kages and Feudal Lords would attend the weeklong meetings to talk about trade, possible alliances, and other things.
With one last shiver she made her way home not paying attention to the longing look she received from Hatsuo.
A loud knocking sound sounded. Sakura groaned and pushed her face deeper into the softness of her pillow. The thumping continued even more loud and obnoxious then before.
There was only one person who would cause such a loud ruckus at this time of day. The sun crept through her blinds causing a warm glow to surround her room. She stretched her muscles before walking to get the door. Whoever had the audacity to wake her up this early in the morning should be prepared to receive her in all her morning glory. Hairs sticking out in every which way as well as...she touched the side of her cheek. Was that drool?
She shrugged her shoulders and proceeded on her way. To no surprise her blonde haired teammate stood on the other side.
"GOOD MORNING Sakura!"
The loudness of his voice made her hair blow behind her in a comical way only making it worse. She definitely had tangles now.
"Naruto! It's to early in the morning for this." Naruto just laughed at her.
"It's never too early to get ramen. Want to join me?" At the mention of food her stomach let out a low growl. She had discarded her food yesterday to help Hatsuo.
"Fine. But you're paying." Sakura rolled her eyes when he shook the small green coin purse that resembled a frog.
"Believe it!"
She couldn't help but let out a low chuckle as she turned around to get changed for the day.
Naruto let out a burp so loud that anyone who was walking down the street surely heard it. He pushed his first bowl to the side and brought his second bowl closer to him. His chopsticks quickly went for the naruto at the very top.
Sakura looked down at her own bowl that was only partly eaten. She took the chopsticks and twirled the noodles around until it was completely wrapped before plopping it in her mouth deliciously. A loan groan escaped her lips as the rich warm flavors entered her taste buds.
She chewed on the noodles as she looked around the small shop. There were flyers taped on the board located to her right. She always liked to read what was going around in the village. The board especially helped to stay up to date after returning from long missions.
Most of them were about local events going on as well as a notice of the Five Kage Summit. There was a black and white flyer in the top right corner that caught her attention. The paper looked to be the oldest one there as the white was already fading into a yellowish color.
Have you seen me? It read. On it was a picture of a young girl. Her long brunette hair went straight down and was parted to the sides styled with a cute bang. Aimi Suzuki. According to the picture she was last seen about a month ago.
"Here he is." The loud voice startled her.
Her and Naruto both looked up in time to see Kankuro standing by the entrance to the stand. A lazy smile fell on his lips as he leaned back against the post. He looked the same with his purple face paint on as well as his choice of black clothing. The scrolls that contained his puppets were securely attached to his back.
"Hn." Came a soft voice off to the side. The person's face was covered by the flaps located at the entrance of the ramen stand. He ducked under until he was inside.
Sakura was left speechless as she came face to face with the fifth Kazekage of Suna. Gaara's expression was as stoic as ever. He had gotten a lot taller since the last time she saw him. His red hair was disheveled which revealed his tattoo. The burgundy coat he wore contained a small gourd attached at his hip.
"Gaara!" Naruto jumped up and nearly tackled him to the ground. To anyone else it would appear that Gaara was annoyed by Naruto's behavior but upon closer inspection you could see the soft warm touch that his teal eyes had before vanishing away.
"We thought we would say hello before making our way to the Hokage tower." Came Kankuro's rough voice.
The meeting! Sakura leapt out of the stool so fast she almost spilled the broth all over her.
"I have to go. Thank you for the meal Naruto!" Sakura smiled before walking off.
"You're going to the meeting as well?" The puppeteer asked. Sakura nodded with a small smile on her face. "Would you like to walk together?"
"Sure."
Sakura and Kankuro had a lead while Gaara stayed behind to finish talking with Naruto.
"I assume you got here well?" She casually asked. Was there only one attack last night?
"We did. We got here around noon. My brother decided to look for Naruto to catch up before we had to go in." The way he said it made Sakura take a quick look at him.
His mind appeared to be elsewhere. "Is something wrong?" She asked.
Kankuro glanced down at her before letting out a low chuckle. "Naruto wasn't quite the blonde that I've been looking forward to seeing."
The remaining walk had Sakura wondering what he could have possibly meant. By the time they reached the building Gaara had caught up to them.
"I hope Naruto didn't annoy you too much." She casually said.
He looked at her for half a second before shaking his head. "Not at all."
Kankuro held the door open for the both of them to walk through. There were people all lined up in the hallway casually talking. Most of them were lords and their advisers.
"Sakura?" Came a voice off to her side. She turned around and quickly wished she hadn't. Standing against the wall was Hatsuo and his companion Fuyuki.
She was glued in place as both men neared her. "Lord Kazekage." He added. Gaara stepped forward and stood next to her in order to properly greet them. The way he stood calm and poise was a sharp contrast to the quivering state she was currently in.
"Congratulations on your engagement again. Lord Kazekage, Haruno Sakura, you will definitely need to send me an invitation."