Hey everyone, sorry that i haven't update in like for FOREVER! i've had alot of things on my mind but now im getting it out by writing. Well here's chapter four, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto


Sakura was carrying a good pace; it's been an hour since she left Neji & TenTen. Aowen galloped across the plain; so far it's been all open plain with no trees in sight. Sakura wanted to reach the woods by night for cover. You didn't know what to expect at night. Sakura's pink locks flew behind her. Her gripped tighten on Aowen's reigns. Aowen was racing through the open plain and pretty soon cam upon trees. Sakura slowed down and came to a complete stop. She looked at the forest before her, the open plain met trees then turn into a dense forest.

Sakura pulled out her map and look before she spoke

"Well we are standing at the edge of the forest of illusions. We need to cross this forest to get to the trail of sorrow."

Sakura put the map back in her bag; she snapped the reigns and Aowen started forward. As they made their way on a worn path, Aowen begin to get restless. She began prancing around and tugging at the reigns impatiently.

"Whoa, Aowen calm girl."

Sakura tried to calm her down, but it was no use. Something was spooking Aowen bad.

"Hahahahaha"

Sakura heard a laugh and looked around

"Whose there, show yourself"

She yelled in panic

"Hahahahaha"

The laughter continued and kept getting closer. Sakura looked around her in panic and Aowen sensing Sakura's panic and uneasiness, shot forward. Sakura grabbed Aowen's reigns and yelled

"Faster Aowen"

Aowen galloped through the woods. The forest was getting denser as the path went on. It was getting more foggy and darker. Little light shone through the trees. Sakura looked to her left just in time to see something knock her off her horse. Sakura fell on her back and cried in pain. She struggled to get up but couldn't. The pain in her back was too much to handle and she blacked out.

Sakura woke up to the smell of stew. She turned her head and saw that she was in a house it looked like. Sakura struggled to get up but a hand stopped her before she could get up. Sakura, startled, followed the hand up to its owner's face. A girl, maybe old as Sakura, was looking at her. She had lavender hair and white eyes.

'Her eyes are white as snow. They look unreal but I've never seen eyes that color any where before… unless'

Sakura was brought back from her thoughts, by the smell of stew. She looked up towards the girl, who was holding out a small bowl of stew for her. Sakura sat up in an Indian style position and accepted the stew. While she ate, she stared at the girl. The girl was attending to the fire and turn to Sakura. She opened her mouth to speak but Sakura cut her off

"You're a nymph"

After she said that, the little house was silent. The girl slowly moved waking Sakura from her embarrassments. The girl sat by Sakura's bed on the floor

"Hey, come sit by me up here."

Sakura shifted to make room for her. The girl stared wide eyed at her

"I-I-I ca-a-n't t"

She stuttered. Sakura raised an eyebrow. The girl must have seen Sakura's confusion

"Forest nymphs are usually slaves. We are looked down on and we hide ourselves from mainlanders."

Sakura took this all in

"But that still doesn't tell me why you can't sit next to me"

The girl fidgeted and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Come on"

Sakura grabbed her by the arm and pulled her next to her. The girl was shocked, for she has never been asked to sit next to someone or even pulled to sit next to someone. Sakura begin to eat her stew and the girl watched her. Sakura finished and set the bowl on the little side table next to the bed. She looked at the girl

"What's your name?"

The girl looked at her nervously

"Hinata"

Sakura stared at the girl and flashed her a reassuring smile

"My name is Sakura, Sakura Haruno"

Hinata nodded ans said quietly

"So what brings you to Forest of Illusions?"

Sakura paused and brought a hand to her neck

"Someone stole my necklace and I'm going to get it back"

Hinata nodded and got up. She took Sakura's bowl and put it in the sink. Sakura looked around. The house was like a hut, it was small and cozy. There was a little door and two cots. In the middle was a fire. Sakura looked up and saw a little hole cut at the top. The hole was so the smoke could get out and not be stuck in here

"So do you know who stole it?"

Hinata's question pulled Sakura out of her exploring

"Wha"

"Your necklace, do you know who stole it?"

Sakura looked down. Her once perfect bun was now a wild style look. Her bangs covered her face. Hinata turned around and saw the girl sitting on the cot. The shadows danced across her appearance.

"Yes………."

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking……. Who was it?"

Sakura looked at Hinata, her face twisted into a scowl

"Sasuke Uchiha"

Hinata gasped, but kept quiet fore she didn't know what to say to Sakura. Sakura looked at her and smiled. She began to continue her exploration, but something caught her eye, it was the main branch Hyuuga hanging on her wall. Hinata followed Sakura's gaze and she to saw the symbol

"Um that's-"

"You're the Nymph princess that ran away aren't you?"

Sakura gazed at Hinata hard but held a soft look in her eyes. Hinata looked down and fidgeted

"Please don't tell anyone I'm here"

"Okay"

Sakura's answer shocked Hinata. Her head whipped up fast and she looked at Sakura shocked.

'Did she just say she wasn't going to tell anyone? But- But she'll get a reward from my father for turning me in and she can-'

Hinata's thoughts were cut short

"I don't want a reward Hinata. Personally I think if you wanted someone to know you're here then you would've done something by now. I know this because you said it out loud"

Hinata didn't know what to say, but she had a question

"How do you know that I'm the nymph princess?"

Sakura shifted in her cot and laid on her side, her head propped up by her arm

"I know from the wanted posters hanging around the village I was staying in. Underneath was your description and a reward your father place for finding you"

Hinata sat on the edge of Sakura's cot

"Oh……"

Sakura shifted again to make room for her

"So I got a question"

Hinata looked at her

"What the hell was that thing that knocked me off my horse?"

Hinata laughed and Sakura shot her a glare

"That thing was my leopard, Shadow"

As if one cue a giant leopard pushed past the cloth that was blocking the door and made her way over to her mistress.

"Shadow, this is Sakura"

Sakura put out her hand for shadow to sniff. Shadow took it, sniffed it and the licked it to show sign of affection. Sakura laughed and then rubbed her behind her ears

"Shadow helps me keep watch of whose coming. If anyone gets to close to my hut or if Shadow thinks they are dangerous she will knock them off their horse and kill them"

Sakura dropped her hand and watch Shadow walk over to the fire and lay down by it.

"No, there was something else"

Hinata shot her a questioning gaze

"I heard laughing, like it was mocking me or something"

Shadow growled and bared her fangs at Sakura

"SHADOW!"

Hinata shouted, the leopard stopped and laid back down trying not to upset her mistress. Sakura shot her a questioning gaze this time. Hinata took a deep breath

"That thing that was laughing is what people call Shape shifters. Shape shifters always come out at night and lead the people trying to get through the forest to their deaths. They manipulate them and call out to them. They generally shift into something from your past, something that you miss, hate or even loved. Sakura it is important that when you travel, you don't follow their voices and keep going"

Sakura nodded soaking all this new information in.

"So anyways when are you leaving? The Uchiha place is two weeks away by horse"

"We are leaving tomorrow at dawn"

Hinata looked at Sakura like she was crazy

"Um I thought you said we for a minute"

Sakura looked at Hinata with a smirk on her face

"I did and I don't mean Shadow and I"

Sakura rolled over, ending the discussion. Hinata looked at her with her mouth open but smiled

'It will be my first time going out since I ran away…. I can't believe I made a new friend!"

Hinata went to the cot across the room and laid down. She slept with a smile on her face and dreamt about tomorrow. But what she didn't know that she would be traveling with an angel and that was going to be one of her problems they would face together.

Hinata woke to up to Shadow licking her face. She giggled and pushed her away. She looked over to Sakura's cot and found it empty. She stood up and looked around, her dresser has been gone through and the cabinets also have to. Hinata heard noises from outside and crawled out of the hut. The first thing when she stood up was she got clothes thrown at her. She caught them awkwardly; she looked up to see Sakura smiling

"Go change, I already packed everything for our journey. I found your horse out back and saddle her up."

Hinata smiled and nodded. She crawled back into her hut and changed. She put out the fire and cleaned up the hut. When she was done she stood up and looked around. Everything was in its place and then she crawled back out with Shadow behind her.

Sakura was already on top of Aowen but facing away from her. Sakura leaned forward to pet Aowen and Hinata saw bandages on her back all wrapped up. Hinata didn't say anything though

'She'll tell me when she's ready"

Hinata looked over to her horse, Snow. Hinata named her that because she was white. Hinata jumped up and got comfortable.

"Alright, I'm ready"

Sakura nodded and snap Aowen's reigns and bolted off. Hinata took one glance back at her little hut, then she to snap Snow's reigns and chased after Sakura. Shadow ran besides Snow. Sakura slowed down a little for Hinata to catch up.

"How long till we get out of the forest?"

Hinata looked at Sakura

"About two hours"

Sakura nodded and went deeper into the forest with Hinata right behind her.

Two hours later a black horse, a white horse and a leopard stood at the edge of the forest.

"Alright let's have lunch here before we go on the Trail of Sorrows".

Sakura slid off Aowen with ease and Hinata sort of fell off. They found a large rock with two logs on both sides. Hinata and Sakura looked at each other and shrugged.

"Looks like someone dragged these logs here"

Hinata pointed out the grass that was slightly press down giving the impression that the logs were moved. Sakura went to Aowen and grabbed something wrapped in cloth. She walked over where Hinata sat the laid it on the rock. She unwrapped the cloth to reveal a bread and cheese.

"It's not much, but it's all I had and I wanted to save the food from your hut when we go in the mountains"

Hinata shook her head

"It's good"

They ate quietly and started out to the open plains which led to the mountains.

"Do you know of any villages from here to the mountains?"

Hinata had that deep thought look on her face

"I don't think- wait!"

Hinata ran and grabbed a scroll sticking out of Sakura's bag. She brought it over and laid it down on the rock and pointed to a spot that said no place existed there.

"Here"

Sakura looked down confused

"Hinata are you sure? I mean there is nothing there"

Hinata nodded

"Yes"

She said confidently

Sakura nodded and shook if off, getting the bread crumbs off.

"Well then my lady, let's go"

Sakura had a playful look on her face while smiling when she said that. Hinata looked shocked but smiled when she saw Sakura was joking

"Alright"

Sakura and Hinata got on their horse and galloped into the open fields. Being led by Shadow and both deep in thoughts of what lays ahead


Hope you liked it

~CrestedStar20