A.N: Still more character develepment. This chapter is a little angsty on Sakura's point of view but other then that I really enjoyed writting it. Um yea enjoy

Sakura- Wind

Orochimaru- Sea


The Salt Empire

"You've been to Venice before?" I asked as we walked through the tall grass that grew on unpopulated beaches. "I've only ever seen it in drawings," I said which was true because Venice was destroyed nearly thirty years ago the only thing left of it are paintings.

"Once when I was still a Genin," Orochimaru replied "my team was bringing a merchant safely back to his home and we passed through the city. The whole place is built right on the ocean you know."

"So I've heard," I said a little more loudly then my normal speaking voice because the ocean wind was so hard. "How do we get to Venice anyway? I don't see any ship yards," I yelled looking down the beach of endless white sand.

"We'll have to walk up this beach till we get to a spot closer to the Land of Water boarder then we can walk over the sea," he said his long black hair whipping around his face dancing effortlessly in the wind. His eyes small narrow slits so they wouldn't dry in the salty air. We walked silent for a long time or feet getting wet as the tide began to wash in. "You don't have to come you know…it might be dangerous."

"Ha!" I laughed humorlessly "Dangerous? You said this mission would be easy."

"It is," he replied "but Hidden Wave AMBU are always on patrol and we aren't seen as welcomed there. The Hidden Villages are very territorial and things have been getting worse."

"I know," I said with a long sigh "I think every shinobi knows that but some just don't like to think about it. I'm one of those ninja I guess." He watched me as I spoke and I was becoming unnerved because he'd kept staring at me even after I'd finished the last syllable. "What?"

"Hmm?" he asked as if he didn't know what I was talking about. How could he not know that he was freaking me out? I pressed my brows together annoyed. He blinked and looked away his head hung low so his bangs shadowed over his eyes. "Sorry…I know how my eyes look…I didn't me to…" he was tripping over his words and I could tell he was becoming frustrated with himself that he couldn't spit out a decent sentence.

I wanted to smirk mocking his weakness. I wanted to laugh at his self analytical behavior. I wanted everyone to know that the fearsome Orochimaru was just a shy little kid and couldn't get two words out of his mouth without looking awkward. I wanted to do all those horribly mean and childish things but I couldn't. I bit my lip hard enough to make it hurt badly as if punishing myself for being so mean.

"Hey don't worry about it," I said with an actual smile and the thought of helping Orochimaru rather then destroying him became more appealing once more.

"People say that I remind them of a predator when I stare at people," he sighed still looking to the ground "I'm sorry again…truly."

My smile became a grin. "Well don't girls usually like that?" I asked and he looked up with a skeptical glance. "Women love danger and excitement." I couldn't believe what I was saying and who I was saying this unbelievable words too. The world was completely flipped and no one seemed to notice. "That's why I'll go to Venice with you, because I'm a woman and women love adventure."

"Girls do like my looks actually," he said which caught me off guard but made me laugh. "But still I think they see me more as a shinobi who happens to look nice rather then want to get to know me. Fan girls are just really annoying but I don't like to be rude so I don't say anything to them."

My smile wavered but did not fall. "I hate to say it but I use to be one of those girls," I said still in a joking tone "I never really went out of my way to get to know the guy I liked. And then it was too late and he was gone and I still didn't know him even though I'd said I loved him." I had surprised myself that I'd said such personal things to the man…the boy I'd learn to hate. But for some odd reason Orochimaru was so easy to talk to.

"You're really not from the Hidden Leaf are you?" he asked but I wasn't surprised.

"Not the one you know of," I said.

"Far enough," he replied with a slight shrug and that ended that discussion.

The beach was long and I knew by my map that it might take us another day to get to a peninsula but neither of us seemed to mind. I enjoyed talking with Sakura and she seemed to like talking with me too.

At around noon we headed higher up the beach to have a quick lunch and rest before starting up again. Sakura still didn't have pants and she felt awkward trying to sit down while the skirt of her kimono tried to fly up because of the harsh wind which hadn't let up all day. I could feet tiny cuts in my face being whipped in the face with my own hair.

We sat down in the tall grass which held us in a little bowl as we sat down and pressed the grass under us down. I shrugged off my bag and looked through it. I only had rice balls but I'd only packed enough for one not knowing before hand that I'd have company. Still we each ate one but from now on we'd have to spit them in half or we wouldn't have enough food before we got to the Land of Water.

"I'll get you some better fitting clothing when we get to the nearest town," I said and she smiled thankfully. She didn't seem like the kind of girl to run around in kimonos all day weather they where for males or not. We bit into our rice balls at the same time. The soft and sticky rice tasted of salt and I wasn't sure if it was because the rice ball was salty or that salt had begun to build up in my own mouth. Either or I knew it wasn't good and I hoped we had enough fresh water for the rest of our travels.

"How much longer do you think till we can start moving over water?" she asked making me snap up from my thoughts. "Sorry I startled you didn't I?"

"It's okay," I said with a smile before looking through my bag again for my map. I opened it and studied for a few seconds. "We still have a long way but if we keep moving up this beach we'll get there faster then if we where more inland. I'd say we still have till noon tomorrow before we get there if we rest the night."

Sakura seemed to think over what I had said before nodding. I knew she was planning something or at lest had been planning something and was now rethinking it. Once again I ignored this unknown because I liked having her around. I wanted to believe she liked me too. I wanted so badly for her to like me for what I am and not just because she thought I was handsome or not just because I was a good ninja. That was secondary to her getting to know me and me getting to know her.

Sure she was pretty I had to say every bit of her was very pretty. I should know I saw her naked. But that didn't matter to me if she didn't have a nice mind and it seemed Sakura had that too because she was a good conversationalist and knew what she was talking about at all times. This girl was the whole package having the looks and the mind to get any man she wanted.

How did my train of thought become so derailed?

Orochimaru seemed deep in thought but I knew he wasn't thinking about the map which he'd been staring at blankly for the past minute. I took another bite of the salty rice ball. I really didn't know what I did to have made him open up so much. Yesterday he had been so locked away and today he was a social butterfly. Sorry for using such cliché terms it hurts me just as much as it hurts you.

"Orochimaru-san," I said and he looked up finally "do you think I could have a few minutes to myself?"

"Um sure," he said "I'll call you back when I'm ready to leave."

"Thanks," I said and smiled quickly before getting up and going down to the beach. Now that I'd unlocked his emotions perhaps I should let mine go too. So I did and slumped down in the sand the water lapping my leg. I tilted back my head up and closed my eyes to protect them from the beating sun. And I screamed.

From our resting spot I could feel Orochimaru's snakelike eyes on me probably wondering what was wrong with me. Yet he didn't come over and I was thankful for that because I needed this time for self pity.

I screamed again and again into the wind until my throat was sore and scratched with salt. It felt so good to just let myself go.

I thought about everyone as I screamed. I thought about my crazy mixed emotions I had for Sasuke and about how much I missed Naruto and even Sai. Though it had only been a day and a half I'd been away from them it felt like decades. I missed Konoha my Konoha and I missed the smell of ramen that fallowed Naruto where ever he went. Naruto I think I miss him the most.

I thought about the boy behind me and I mourned for him too because he had no friends and he had no future and he had been so kind to me this whole time but I still hate him with a deep passion. I hate him for no reason too other then the fact that one day he will lose himself his real self and he will become something that isn't him.

Tears burned down my face. More salt to add to this place. A kingdom made only from salt and ruled by the hundreds of thousands of grains of salt. Millions of pounds that mix with the water making it undrinkable. Hundreds of yards of salt that makes up this beach. The salty tears made my cheek raw but I didn't care it felt good to cry.

It felt like forever before I felt Orochimaru's hand on my shoulder. I wanted to shiver the recoil but I didn't. I just looked up and him and into those golden fire lit eyes. Those damn eyes that made me keep hating him even though he was going out of his way to take care of me.

"Are you alright?" he asked though I was clearly not alright. But for modesty's sake he asked me anyway just because he wanted to be kind.

"I'll be okay," I said hoarsely "but I don't think I'll be able to talk with you for a little while."

"I don't mind silence," he said and handed me a canteen of water. I accepted the offering and he sat down in the sand beside me. In silence.

The silence was calm and warm even though the load cold wind was hitting us square in the face. I drank from the canteen. The water was stagnate and tasted metallic but it eased my sore throat. I was grateful someone had found me in the woods because if he hadn't I'd still be there naked and lonely. I would have probably gone to Konoha hoping my friends would help me to the hospital thinking I was still in my world.

I was so thankful that it was Orochimaru who found me rather then Jiraiya though he was a good guy I knew he wouldn't have helped my situation. I couldn't believe I was so happy to have Orochimaru being around even though at the same time I hated him with every cell in my being. Every inch hated just as much as they liked him.

It was so hard for me to tell the difference between the Orochimaru that was my enemy and the Orochimaru that was my friend. It was like I was blind and unable to tell the difference between day and night.

Soon we where walking. I don't even recall getting up or Orochimaru saying anything about us having to keep walking. All I knew was that one minute we where sitting on the beach and the next we where walking toward our goal.

I'd been talking but I knew Sakura wasn't hearing me but I talked anyway. I talked about things that didn't really matter and I talked about the mission and I talked about how interesting her hair color was. But I knew she hadn't heard a word I'd said. She was so caught up in her own little world that if I'd proposed marriage to her then and there on the beach she would have blinked at me and ask me to repeat what I'd just said.

Actually it was kind of amusing when I'd catch her attention for a second or two then watch her eyes go far away as she though about something completely different to what I'd just said. I wasn't annoyed at her there was no need to be. She'd come around and go back to being her chatty self. Really I was cheerful and worried for her at the same time which made my stomach tingle.

So many odd emotions this girl made me feel and the way she manipulated me so effortlessly made me feel slightly used but really more excited. Even now as she paid no mind to me she was making me feel and un- feel and re-feel many different things. Just the way she moved made me interested. I couldn't be bored with her around even if she was ignoring me.

All I could do was talk about mindless things that didn't matter.

All I could do was listen to the sound of the wind and of my own voice.

And all I could do was feel.


A.N: I love this chapter lots of discription! Anyways please reveiw because I love what you have to say!