14: One
Sakura understood why it took Sasuke so long to come home. At that point, they could immediately point to any direction and head that way without worrying about a set schedule. That was the taste of freedom that they both could enjoy together.
They silently walked together while the nightfall slowly descended upon them. They headed south - away from the small town by the sea and into a new direction this time. The weather was favorable to sleep outside, so they didn't feel compelled to set up camp immediately. Keeping to herself, she could not help but steal glances at him as they walked. She could feel her face slightly burning at the mere sight of him in front of her.
By the time they stopped walking, they unanimously picked a camping spot by a river stream, while they could only see each other's outline in the darkness. Despite hiding his left eye behind copious amounts of hair, it still emitted a faint ominous dark purple glow.
Sasuke's eyes were now well adjusted to the darkness to the point that he had a good spatial awareness around him. Even though he knew exactly where his travel companion was standing, he could not make out what her facial expression was. He figured she was tired - but she never uttered a word of complaint.
The night was not cold enough to cause discomfort, but a fire was a nice idea either way. Sakura set her belongings by a tree and then she gathered some dry leaves, branches and some other flammable materials for their campfire. Looking up, she searched for Sasuke in the darkness and she could not find him immediately - he was probably giving the area a quick scout. She touched the ground with her fingertips and she could only detect him in the vicinity. Once she sensed that he was returning, she called out, "Sasuke, it's ready for the fire please," she chuckled happily.
He pointed his head where he heard her calling from. "Ah right," he replied smirking - he knew well what she was referencing to. Back in the day during the chunin exams, he was busy pestering Naruto when she called out for him to light up the campfire. It seemed like an eternity had passed between now and then, and there were several things that hadn't changed about him. It was still funny to pester Naruto, while he never thought it through that he did have a sense of duty and protection towards her. Now that he had traveled alone and his mind was cleared of everything that had plagued him for years, it was much more obvious who his priority was now.
Two weeks after the beginning of their mission, they reached southernmost tip of the continent and decided to head west towards the Land of Fire. They weren't in a rush to go anywhere in particular until the week they were supposed to resume their mission. At their fastest pace, a couple of days' worth of travel was comparable to a week at a slower pace.
Despite being so comfortable with each other's presence, in public, they refrained from holding hands and being acknowledged as a couple. They never truly discussed it, and they never had to since their mutual understanding went beyond words. They preferred it that way since it was their form of avoiding unwelcome attention. Sasuke was extremely private about his feelings and Sakura respected it.
He always practiced in the morning and afternoon while Sakura supported him with extra chakra. By then she had grown accustomed with the great exertion and she would rarely faint. Interestingly enough, helping him also allowed her to increase her chakra expenditure she had lost over long hours on paperwork at the hospital.
One morning after their daily routine, Sasuke finally understood why he had been stuck for a long time in one dimension where it was completely dark. All he knew so far was that there were six dimensions where Kaguya had easily shifted during the war, and the main dimension allowed Sasuke to reach the other five using less chakra. His mistake was trying to reach one of the other five dimensions without going through the main one, and his overconfidence once again got the best of him. He had incorrectly performed the technique just before his eyes once again needed recharging, and in the end, his body wasn't in either place.
By repeatedly opening portals to all six dimensions, he was able to understand which ones required more chakra and which ones required less. Trying to categorize them by name, the best names he could come up with were physical characteristics of each apart from the main connecting dimension: Lava, Ice, Sand, Gravity, and Acid.
He had been in almost all of them during the war, but he didn't dare to venture in the acid dimension. What could live and survive there anyway? He had seen the results of it on Sakura's arm - the second-degree chemical burn she experienced instantly darkened her skin. Sasuke thought out loud while grabbing his chin, "Would there be more out there apart from these six?"
"Huh?" Sakura was preparing miso soup for lunch and was surprised at his calm remark. She knew that he was trying to make sense of how useful this technique could be and it was important that he was taking everything one step at a time.
"Nothing," Sasuke dismissed his own thoughts while bringing his attention back to Sakura. "You should put those tomatoes in that," he said while pointing to the neat pile of fruits and vegetables that they had placed in their campsite.
She hesitated to answer him at first, she was unsure of how it would taste. Adding tomatoes to the soup could potentially ruin it, but on the bright side, she would be adding a healthy ingredient in. She was a doctor after all… and naturally, she had to defend healthy eating.
"Alright," she bit her lip trying to hold back her laugh while trying to shield her face with her hair. She reached to the pile of fruits and vegetables they had earned a few days before after helping some villagers, and she was surprised when Sasuke only picked tomatoes when there were lots of other options...
After inspecting all of the tomatoes she noticed some of them had begun to go bad but were still edible for the most part. "Too bad the rest of these tomatoes went bad, they are extremely soft now. I think we might have to get rid of them," she grabbed one and poked the side of it. She selected a couple of tomatoes who only needed to be slightly cleaned and she cut it in small pieces while leaving the refuse aside. "Do you want me to add the tomatoes before or after I pull it out of the fire?"
"After please," he replied without thinking twice. "Keeps the flavor."
Once she pulled the soup pot off the fire, she added the tomato pieces into the miso soup and handed him a bowl. She decided to give his invention a try while she served herself one as well...it could taste good after all.
He was halfway done his soup by the time he noticed that she had just begun to take the first sip. He knew that she didn't seem too excited about the odd addition to the lunch, but either way, it was for his sake. He noticed that she seemed to have no problem drinking the soup since it was out of a makeshift bowl. The only problem was how was she going to eat the tomatoes pieces left behind since miso soup was eaten without spoons anyway.
Sakura tried to tilt the bowl towards her face and the tomatoes never budged from their spot. "Come on," she said with a hint of frustration in her voice. She knew he was watching her reaction from the corner of his eye, and she was beginning to feel impatient with her unsuccessful attempt. She tried giving the bowl one last hit in the back when the tomatoes flopped all over her face.
She picked the tomatoes off her face, but she couldn't feel annoyed in the least bit once Sasuke began laughing beside her. He wasn't exactly laughing at her, he was laughing because he was just simply happy.
Grabbing a tomato off the pile they were bringing with them, Sakura stared at it with a mischievous look on her face before she squished it in her hands. "SHANNAROOOO," she tossed it towards Sasuke who was still busy laughing.
With his guard completely down, the tomato hit Sasuke on the side of the head and Sakura began to giggle immediately. He wasn't sure what she had tossed at him at first, but once he brought his hand to touch his head he felt a wet glob slowly slide down his head. Stunned, he felt the whole thing begin dripping off his head before he grabbed it and finally realized what she had thrown at him. In revenge, he threw the destroyed tomato back at her. If she wanted a war, she got herself one.
"No!" noticing the incoming attack, she ran behind a tree while she could still observe his reaction. Meanwhile, Sasuke calmly took the chance to wash the tomato off his hair before he took the chance to grab extra ammunition. His hand was big enough to hold a few tomatoes at a time, and if he protected the perimeter around the ammunition, he could have much more at his disposal.
He got up and slowly began to walk towards where she had run off. Seeing that he was closing in made her giggle while almost missing her steps as she ran away. He tried to seize the opportunity by attacking her while she ran away.
"Come back here," he tried to sound innocent while he activated his Sharingan as soon as she dodged one of the projectiles aimed at her.
"No cheating," she yelled out laughing the moment she noticed he was very serious about getting a solid hit on her. She wasn't going to make it any easier for him by allowing him to use his Sharingan - she hated losing as much as everyone else. She could tell that the way he was trying to pursue her also protected the camp's perimeter...she would have to be really smart about sneaking back to grab more ammunition.
The wooded area allowed their game to go on for a while, while she made herself undetectable before she chose a spot to hide in. She could feel his presence at first until she noticed that he had also made himself undetectable. She brought her hands up to her lips, trying to hold her breath and laughter in. She knew she was going to get showered in tomato juice if he found her.
Once she regained her composure, she tried to sharpen her senses to feel any alterations in the environment around her. The wind blew softly around her but she noticed nothing different. She brought her ear against the ground and she could feel faint steps that were almost undetectable approaching her. She could not afford to come out of her spot - Sasuke was at a great advantage.
Sasuke knew she had run off in a certain direction before she hid her chakra signature. He did the same in response, hoping that she would surrender. He walked slowly while he scanned all of his surroundings. He was the predator, she was the prey.
Stepping very carefully out of her hiding spot, Sakura began to circle back to the camp, while making sure that it was safe to do so. With each step, she made sure she avoided any dry leaves or fallen branches - it would definitely give her position away. When she was almost at the camp perimeter, she noticed that she had stepped over a thin line that was barely visible to the naked eye. She wasn't expecting him to have set any traps around, but the thin line was definitely going to give her position away. "Damn," she swore under her breath.
She felt his chakra signature flare up the moment she set her foot back down. He was coming back fast, and she had to react accordingly.
He knew exactly where she was. He had put down some traps around the camp that would warn him the moment she tried to head back. It was just a waiting game for him. When he reached the spot where she had stepped on his trap, he noticed her gathering speed to make her escape.
Trying to predict her direction without the Sharingan, he aimed and tossed a tomato just ahead of her and right after he gestured a jutsu with his free hand. She would definitely have to make a choice whether to go left or right.
Sakura sensed that he had thrown something in her direction. Half turning around, she noticed the tomato projectile just before it struck her. She reached out and grabbed it, tossing it back at him immediately, when she noticed that a second tomato was hidden right behind the first one. Her body was in an awkward position midair and she didn't have any time to react, she placed her arms defensively around her face seconds before she got hit.
He was not expecting her to escape his double tomato jutsu so fast since he wanted to hit her at least one more time. He grinned with satisfaction when at least half of his plan worked when she disappeared in a cloud of smoke and a log appeared instead.
At once, she reappeared right behind him and she tried to tackle to get the last tomato out of him. The momentum of her attack and his surprise made them both awkwardly crash against each other where they rolled a few meters down a hill. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her to shield her from the ground.
Still holding her protectively, he ended up with his back against the bare ground once they stopped rolling. Stunned and trying to understand what had just happened, they both laughed in unison until they were out of breath. The laughter and the physical closeness gave way to something much deeper that they had been harboring for each other.
Her cheek was still against his chest when she propped herself up to look at him. There was a wolflike sharpness behind his eyes this time - it was something that they could no longer hold from each other. He had noticed her way before they left the village, how she walked and moved a certain way. When she walked by him, a soft scent would linger. He knew he couldn't mix his personal feelings with the mission, but once that was put on hold, the dynamic between them did change. It was just...her...there with him...and not a single worry in the world.
He had to push his building anxiety away while letting his instincts take over when he gently rolled her off of him and laid his body against hers. Kiss me, she thought tilting her chin up with anticipation while all she could hear was his shallow breath. Their lips met immediately with a passion and intensity they had never experienced before, while her hands clutched his hair keeping him locked against her.
She enjoyed feeling his weight against her, while a shiver ran through her body and settled at her core. Her hands hungered for more and she pried his shirt off in one movement, while he broke the kiss and buried his face in her hair with a low growl in his throat. His eyes were shut tight while all his senses were heightened. The soft scent that came off her hair and skin was slowly driving him to the edge.
He could no longer hold back and he began to unbutton her dress in response. Three buttons stood just below her collarbone and were pried open easily. Once her dress came off, she shrugged it off while she continued kissing him. Slowly, he unfastened the bindings that eventually rolled off her body. At no moment she showed any hesitation or anxiety for that moment...she had made up her mind long ago. His hands became acquainted with the curves of her body...and at each spot he touched, her reaction was different.
She lightly nipped his shoulder before she took the initiative to remove the rest of his clothes. As she slowly helped him off his clothes, she would touch a different spot, kiss a different place. Her tongue trailed on his defined abdomen and his chest, and back to his neck.
The small break from each other wasn't enough to wane their desire. In a natural reflex, her legs wrapped around him with a rhythm of its own while it encouraged him even more.
For a few seconds he stared at her and she looked back at him. They were going to take a big step in their lives at that moment. It wasn't just the act itself - it also meant their future together. He held no desire to be with anyone else but her.
He once again buried his face in her hair and gave her neck a soft kiss when he began lowering himself on her. The initial pain made a soft gasp escape her lips, while she ran her fingers through his hair - clasping it tightly. He held himself still while he waited for her body's response. It took all of his will to do so before he continued moving again.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, kneading her smooth skin under his touch. She quivered under him and arched her back in response, while pressed into him. Her nails began to dig in his back and make red patterns on his skin. With his mouth, he began to explore her body. From her neck, he slowly went down, nipping and kissing along the way, while he felt amused at her reaction. Of all the things they had done so far, this seemed to make her the shiest. She bit the back of her hand and had her eyes shut tight, while he continued to tease her. The only sound that came from her mouth was her shaky breath.
The first beads of sweat began to gather on the sides of his temple and lower back while he maintained a steady pattern. His lips trailed on the side of her neck until he found her earlobe. The tickling sensation was mixed with one of pleasure. In response, she shut her eyes and the steady build-up made her body stiffer and stiffer until she could no longer hold on to reality, letting herself go. He could feel her body squeezing around him for several waves before she froze completely. Her reaction took him by surprise which he could no longer hold the pent-up pressure and energy within. He increased his momentum for one last time before his body began to tingle, his muscles contracted and his mind went numb.
She was still immobile under him, when he reached up and grazed his fingertips against the side of her lips, cheek and her forehead. She lightly moaned in response, and a small smile escaped his lips before he rolled off of her and dozed off.
It was mid-afternoon when Sakura woke up with Sasuke's prying kisses against her neck. When she opened her eyes, she noticed he had covered her with his travel cape. She turned around and through her half-closed lids, she saw a serious look on his face. A pleasurable spasm ran through her pelvis and she surrendered herself to him again.
The sun was just beginning to set when he covered her shoulders with his travel cloak and they walked back to their camp. They both desperately needed to get cleaned up -
By the time they reached their camp, the fire had already gone out and only red glowing embers could be seen amongst the grey dust. Sakura didn't feel as awkward being around him while being naked when her mind brought her vivid flashbacks of that afternoon...
The cold water from the river soon brought her an uncomfortable shiver forcing her to get out of the water.
Farther off from their camp, Sasuke had gone ahead and washed off quickly as well. The water was too cold for a long soak and he didn't want to wait long enough to get accustomed to the temperature. Stepping out of the water, he dried himself quickly and got dressed before he glanced back towards the camp and saw Sakura grinning about something. He wondered what that was all about, but in a way, he felt as if he knew the answer.