Disclaimer
I do NOT claim to own Naruto.
Sasuke saw Sai catch up to them, keeping a safe distance from the large animal himself and Sakura were both riding on. They eventually came to an abrupt stop as they looked over a rocky gulch. Sai approached them and gave Sakura a 'You better be kidding me' look.
"Ready for some rock climbing?" Sakura asked sounding a bit to giddy for what she was implying they were about to do.
"You've done this before right?" Sai replied.
"Many times." Sakura assured before turning to Sasuke. "When we go down, the easiest way to stay on and not fall to your death is to hang on to his mane and lean back as far as you can." She said as she loosened the reins as far as they would go and grabbed a fist full of the animals mane herself.
"Sheton, now." She told the horse as she leaned back, and the animal made a giant leap off the edge and started scaling down at an alarming pace.
'Has she lost her mind!' was the one coherent thought Sasuke had as he leaned back and held on for dear life.
They suddenly reached the bottom with a scraping clop of hard hooves hitting stone. Sai caught up to them and he looked a bit frazzled.
"Well, we're half way to the outskirts of my property." Sakura cheered as she grinned down at Sai, who merely shook his head in disbelief.
"Wow Sakura" he mumbled lowly.
"Fun, right?!" The petite woman asked. Sai just stared at her in disbelief.
"Right?" she asked again, this time leaning around Sasuke to see his face. Said man just raised an eyebrow and "Tch"ed.
"Sakura, sometimes you scare me." Sai admitted, hoping that was the right term to explain the feeling he got when he saw them leap off the cliff.
"Oh, come on! Are you a Shinobi or not?" Sakura asked teasingly.
"'I' used the tactful method of using chakra to maneuver down, while you just went Hi-Ho-Silver… I'd consider that risky behavior on your part Sakura." Sai explained calmly.
"You were worried?" She asked softly.
"Is that what that feeling was?" Sai asked.
"I'm sorry Sai." Sakura said gently as she swung her leg off Sheton's back and walked over to Sai.
"You're getting better at identifying your emotions at least." She pepped patting his shoulder lightly.
"Thank you." Sai replied, not really sure what to say. Sakura hummed lightly in reply, and pointed towards a path that led to a meadow.
"Lets get going." She said and took the lead.
Hours passed as they made their way deeper into the wilderness. It was a beautiful place. The trail they were walking on was surrounded by vast meadows with groves of trees scattered around. Patches of wildflowers stood randomly amongst the grass. The scent of Eucalyptus and Cypress hung in the air.
Despite feeling sour about being captured and forced into his current situation, Sasuke felt a foreign sense of calm wash over him as he scanned his surrounding. Watching a few deer move through the trees, listening to the birds call melodically to each other. His attention turned down to the rose-hair colored woman walking right beside him. She walked with a slight bounce in her step as she smiled gently into the wind blowing her hair to and fro. Try as he might, he could not bring himself to hate her. He was livid that she and the other leaf Shinobi foiled his plans and took him hostage, but for some unknown reason he just could not find it in himself to hate her. There was once a time when he had cared deeply for this familiar woman, but he had cut thought ties long ago…..hadn't he?
They eventually came to what looked like a small dried up waterfall covered in moss and vines.
"Up there?" Sai asked
"Ah." Sakura replied as Sheton came to stand behind her, nosing her neck. She laughed lightly and leaned into the paint horses nuzzling, but as soon as she took a step to the moss covered waterfall, he took a mouthful of her shirt and yanked her back gently.
"Sheton?" Sakura asked, confused as he let her go, and stepped in front of her so she was facing his back.
"I'm fine, I'll walk on my own." She said as she patted the animals back and turned to walk around him, only to be interrupted as the animal flicked his head, in a irritated manner.
"Sheton… I said I'm fine." She said, surprised at her animal's behavior.
"Sakura?" Sai questioned.
Sakura ignored him, and tried again to get around Sheton, in which he sat back on his haunches in a small rear, but bringing himself down with such force it shook the earth, swishing his tail in finality.
"You're bleeding." Came Sasuke's voice from above her where he sat on the agitated horse's back. She locked eyes with him in a accusing manner mouthing the words, 'Thanks a lot!' in a sarcastic manner.
"Sakura." Sai said walking up to her and lifting her shirt enough to expose her lower abdomen, revealing a ragged gash, disappearing into the waistband of her skorts.
"I was under the impression you healed this days ago… Why didn't you?"
"I healed all my bigger wounds, I wanted to conserve on chakra in case we ran into trouble. It's nothing..." She replied plain and simple.
"Get on the horse, and heal yourself." Sai ordered, slipping into his emotionless mask.
Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere by arguing she "humph"ed and swung herself up behind Sasuke, using his hips as leverage before grabbing the reins and fisting her hands in Sheton's mane.
"Lean forward" she said to Sasuke as she pressed herself into his back. "Up Sheton." Sakura spoke as the beast lunged forward, clearing the waterfall with ease and continued to trot on into the foliage of flora, now covered in a thick mist. They descended downward into the cold fog until the sound of Sheton's hooves on water and stone echoed in their ears.
"Sakura, Where are you?" Sai's voice cut through the silence.
"216° south west from the top of the water fall. There's a hill that you will have to slide down, We're in a small stream bed, it's about ankle deep." Sakura's voice answered.
"We're nearing the barrier, stay close to me... It's easy to loose your way in this place." She continued when Sai was at her side again.
"Got it." he replied as they continued forward for another 30 minutes. They halted when they came face to face with a moss covered rock formation.
"Here we are." Sakura informed.
"A rock wall?" Sai asked
"It's part of the barrier." She replied and Sheton sidestepped over so Sakura could place her hand against the surface of the moss. Her arm glowed a dark yellow color before she took her hand back.
"Now we just walk through." Sakura said as Sheton did just that. Sai watched as they disappeared from sight, before he to walked through the wall.
On the other side of the barrier was a completely new ecosystem, as a humid breeze went through them, a barrage of different smells hit their noses.
"Sakura... What is this place...?" Sai asked, not taking his eyes of the new sights in front of him.
"It's my special place." Sakura answered serenely. Sasuke looked back to observe her face for a moment. Her eyes were half lidded, shoulders relaxed, and breathing deep. She looked content and peaceful... Happy.
"No one will find you here... This place is untraceable." Sai broke the silence.
"If I don't want to be found, I wont be, until I choose to be." Sakura said smiling down at Sai. "We should find a place to camp, the sun is going down. We won't be able to reach the cottage till tomorrow." She continued urging Sheton forward into a small tree grove.
A.N.
I just might have a strange sense of humor. Some people don't get my jokes. ^.^' So don't hesitate to ask if you don't understand anything. Someone expressed concern about the pairing of this story, and let me assure you that it is, and always will be SasuSaku. They are my one and only OTP.
Please feel free to point out any spelling mistakes I may have made.
Again, please review, so I'll know if I should continue posting new chapters of this story, thank you!
