Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to the author, Kishimoto Masashi.
Walking along a path next to a slim river, Naruto, Sai and Sakura were returning from a one-week mission in protecting a Fire Daimyo relative from bandits. The young relative with a princess syndrome left quite a terrible impression to the whole team as she kept calling them 'Whiskers', 'Apple', and 'Clay' throughout the entire journey. Since then, the blonde continued his temperament after the mission and it worsened with the constant callings from Sai.
"Naruto, it's about time to get over it?" Sakura asked.
"That's right. To think that a kid could get into your head, Dickless…."
"SHUT YOUR CRAP, SAI! THAT MIDGET IS NOTHING BUT A BRAT…!"
The sole kunoichi immediately smacked his head which actually threw his face flat on a tree for the 'noise' he has been creating for hours. With her fists together and her short hair surrounding like a halo, Sakura slowly approached Naruto with a simple smile "Another complaint, Naruto, and you'll be a day later from this very spot. UNDERSTAND?!" The blonde immediately shrank in fear in front of his former crush.
"Geez, which part did Hinata fall for you actually?!"
"Until now, Sakura-chan, you're still this scary dattebayo….."
While happily watching such scene between the two, a screech was heard from the sky which made Sai looked up to see a familiar hawk flying above them. Sai made a corresponding sound and the hawk with a messenger box attached around its body immediately landed on his left arm.
"Hanekawa?!" Sakura recognized one of Konoha's fastest messenger bird that moved to the Naruto's head in annoyance as Sai nonchalantly read the scroll over.
To Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Sai,
There is an unknown illness spreading across the country in the past week and it has affected the a quarter of the village, reducing our defence forces and supplies. Tsunade-sama has listed the symptoms in a separate paper and she deduced that we would need sanshuyu as part of the cure. We believe that it is located near to the location of your completed mission, I presume. In your next mission, Sakura will lead the team in gathering the medicinal plant and bringing them back with Naruto and Sai as support. We are in need of this medicine as soon as possible. Good luck.
From Hokage Hatake Kakashi.
Silence surrounded the three for a moment until Naruto spoke. "To think something like this is happening in Konoha…." "I hope everyone and Hinata are alright."
"Guys, let's go. We have no time to waste." said Sakura.
"But we don't know where exactly the plant…."
"No worries, Sai. There is only one place where sanshuyu is. If I'm not wrong, we could reach there before dusk."
"YOSHI! Let's move it then dattebayo!" The three dashed towards a distant mountain and finally reached there quicker than expected, before sunset.
In front of them was a rundown village with several farmland animals. One can tell that little improvement has been done in the village, even appearance-wise. The three shinobis were walking around with disbelief when several villagers slowly appeared at their sights and an elder approached them.
'Is there…anything we can do for you, young shinobis?'
Sakura spoke up first "Forgive us but our village is in need of the sanshuyu to overcome an unknown illness and I believe that it is growing around here. Is it true?"
"Yes. It's true but I'm afraid that you may be disappointed, young lady."
"Why is that, old man?" Naruto interrupted, without realizing Sakura's angry glare for his intrusion in the conversation.
"Only here grows the one and only sanshuyu and other rare medicinal plants. However, there are less and less of them due to the destruction caused by the previous wars and bandits stealing them. Even now, their numbers could barely heal a village even of our size due to the bad weather. I'm afraid to disappoint you, young lady."
Naruto and Sai expressed their disappointment but Sakura spoke with a voice of greater determination "It's alright. Could you show me the plants?"
The elder agreed and requested a female villager to lead Sakura to the location of the sanshuyu, leaving the two guys behind.
Naruto and Sai decided to follow other villagers to leave their bags and help the village with their restoration. As their guide brought them into a house which they said to host any lost travellers or a 'guesthouse', there are several mats laid out with curtains on the wall, acting as separators between the mats. One of them was notably occupied.
Sai asked their guide of the identity of the occupier.
"Ah, it is a fine young traveller who arrived here yesterday. Yah, he is a great help here. This man helped us constructing some of the houses here and taught self-defence moves to some of the boys here."
'Is that so? Em? Naruto?'
As he turned around, he found the blonde to be visibly shocked as the latter asked 'Can you tell me where exactly is this person?'
'Eh, if I'm not wrong, he is now in the mountain collecting food and herbs with the children and two elders there. What's wrong? Is he someone you know?"
"Ahh. Very well." Naruto smirked at a familiar object next to the mat as Sai confusingly looked at him.
Sakura disappointedly looked at the dying greenery in the dense forest where the sanshuyu is located. The medicinal plant was either yellow or dried up, though there were about less than ten healthy stems. Without hesitation, the medical ninja plucked the fragile plants out of their core and placed them carefully in her bag.
"Weird, to think that the weather could do such damage to the sanshuyu…." "Is there any other places we can find the sanshuyu?"
The female villager who guided her anxiously replied "Ehm.. well, there are rumours that there are more in the mountain right in front of us." She pointed towards the distant, yet close mountain with the top shrouded by dark clouds. "…. but it is too dangerous for us villagers to enter and there are monsters in there."
"Monsters?"
"Hai. Sometimes at night, we could hear weird noises and dark figures there. Also, people who entered there never come back."
With her curiosity ignoring the girl's pleads to stop, Sakura slowly walked around the large perimeter of the mountain, studying it carefully for any open entrance. She did in fact found it; a dark entrance well-hidden by long vines and green bushes. Before she could walk towards it, there was a familiar feeling that she always faced as a ninja; the feeling of being watched.
Turning around quickly with a kunai pointed at her target, Sakura was stopped at her tracks by a hand holding her armed hand in place. Strangely, the grip on her hand was firm, but not endangering. Instantly, she recognized the image in front of her emerald eyes. To her, time can never erase such image of fear yet of calmness. With enough will, she voiced out a single, once favoured word in the past.
"Sasuke-kun…."
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Hi readers! This is my first fanfiction after like 8 years, I think. Personally, I don't think my writing skills is good so hopefully you guys could get the message from the story. This story has been in my head after reading the Last spoilers (& yes, I'm one of those who is pissed off with the lack of other couples, especially Sasusaku!) & I decided to write my ideas out eventually...
Hope you guys enjoy it & please leave some reviews!^^ Thanks
P.S The sanshuyu mentioned in the story is a real plant, not made-up.