Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
They took to the road the next day, much to the family's disappointment and heavy insistence in staying longer. The goodbyes were harder than Sakura had expected they would be, much to her surprise; although little time had passed since their introduction, she felt as though she had bonded so closely to them that they might as well have known each other for years.
("Please visit soon, sweetheart—I cannot bear the thought of us growing distant with time. You must come back when you can," Natsumi had said, squeezing her hands around their own. "And I hope you will continue to take care of each other just as well as you have so far.")
Tears prickled at her eyes when they turned to trek the path leading back into the forest, but no one would ever know except Sasuke. She felt his hand fleetingly brush her own, as if to comfort, and couldn't help but to smile at him for this, reassuring him that she was fine. The gentle gleam in his gaze told her that he knew, he just didn't like to see her cry.
Within hours, the quiet intimacy that had dominated their travels before had returned now that they found themselves alone again. Sakura felt that it was twice in strength, no doubt intensified by the tender night they shared on the Hawanakis' front porch. She could only hope it would continue to deepen with time.
Weeks went by, and Sasuke seemed bolder in his affections somehow, discernibly growing ever more accepting of the nature of their relationship, if only little by little. Smiles came more easily, and the moments where his hand found hers appeared to grow more frequent the more time came along. Sasuke was content with her, transparently so, and there was no end to the happiness Sakura felt with this.
And then there were the kisses: impulsive brushes of his mouth to hers, each one taking her entirely by surprise, and each one entirely initiated by him; a chaste peck stolen behind a rock boulder, a light, warm caress offered within the shadows of thick trees, a tender kiss swept on her brow in the refuge of their tent.
Her heart would race with every one of them, green eyes fluttering to look at him dazedly, her skin still tingling from his touch. She'd marvel in the moment, let it settle in, before ever-so-sweetly, she'd smile, wide and sparkling, mustering in it all of the love she held for him. He could never seem to keep their gazes locked afterwards, as if embarrassed about his total loss of control over his own impulsivity, but he would always reach to twine some of his fingers with her own, if only for a few lingering seconds. Enough to let her know that it meant a great deal to him when they were like this—that he wasn't just seeking to quell a need for physical contact.
(and although she knew that he knew she'd never think of it this way, that touches like these always meant more to sasuke than for anyone else she'd come to know, she understood the need to reassure her, to constantly establish what she meant to him. he never wanted to leave her wondering, to fall back into this game of push and pull they had trapped themselves in when they were teenagers. she deserved to know where they stood—always.)
Eventually, Sasuke would pull away from her, mismatched eyes full of a peculiar tenderness, and lips quirked subtly at the corners in that way that made her heart skip a beat, and they would turn back to whatever they had been doing before, the atmosphere twice as warm as it was. And every time, they would never talk about it, because they knew they didn't need to.
(everything always spoken in the silence, the actions, the looks—like always. this, she suspected, would likely never change.)
"I was looking for you," she heard him say, then, breaking her thoughts from reverie.
Looking up from her place on a lonely market's bench, Sakura smiled, patting the spot next to her. He didn't hesitate to take it.
"Yeah, sorry, Sasuke-kun," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "I was going to wait for you to get back so we could grab something to eat, but when I looked out the window I saw the herbalist lady from the other day. And well…" Her smile grew cheeky, and she gestured to the bag at her side, stocked full of herbs and plants that had evidently captured her interest. "You know how I get."
He nodded. "Find anything new?"
Shaking her head, she hummed a sound of negation. "No, I don't think so," she said. Then, she paused, and slightly frowned. "Well, maybe? There's this one that I'm not sure if I've worked with yet. I'll have to see what Izumi-san says about it when she packs up her stand for the day. She says it should be around three."
He blinked. "You're going to hang out with the herbalist woman?"
Sakura's eyes lessened, smile fading to something more apologetic. "Yeah, I promised we'd get some tea together so we could talk," she said softly. She tilted her head, and looked at him attentively. "I hope you don't mind, I just—it's not every day I meet someone who knows as much about herbs as Chiyo-sama did."
Sasuke shook his head. "Why would I mind? When I asked you to come with me, it wasn't so you would blindly follow me everywhere, Sakura." He paused here, and she almost let herself smile at the meaning held behind those words. Then, he went on, his voice much gentler, "You don't have to ask for my permission when you find something you want to do."
I want you to be happy.
Warmth spreading to her heart, Sakura looked ahead once more and smiled, leaning on the palms of her hands. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun," she said. "It means a lot. And I promise I'll try to be back for dinner, all right?"
Nodding again, Sasuke stood from his seat, and shifted to face her again, slipping his hand in his pocket. "I'll work on packing more provisions, then," he said. "We should be able to cross into the Land of Wind tomorrow, and I've heard the weather's not very travel-friendly this year. We'll need to be prepared if we don't want to reach Suna half-dead."
She laughed lightly. "I'm sure we'll manage," she jibed, winking teasingly. "But thank you."
With a final nod, Sasuke said, "I'll see you in a few hours, then," before turning on the heels of his feet and heading down the market street.
.
.
Her meeting with Izumi ended up lasting just a little over three hours, much to Sakura's surprise. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so caught up in conversation about medical art where time flew by so quickly, and the mere thought had her grinning widely in the entirety of her trek back to the inn she rented with Sasuke. Much of their chat still recurring in her mind, she couldn't help but to wonder if Tsunade-shishou and Shizune-san had already come to know of it all.
Maybe I should write them a letter, she mused, tucking the old, medical volume Izumi had gifted her closer to her chest. There was a chance they already knew, but it couldn't hurt to reach out; she missed them both a lot, lately.
Her stomach grumbled, then, and she let herself smile, giggling lightly. I'll write them after dinner, she decided, climbing up the steps of the small building and ushering inside. And maybe Naruto as well.
"Good evening, Misaki-san!" she greeted, spotting the young secretary at the service desk. "Is Sasuke-kun in, yet?"
The sweet-eyed woman smiled shyly. "Hello, Sakura-san. He just got in about twenty minutes ago, I believe. Will you two be at the festival tonight?"
Sakura shook her head. "Actually, we can't," she said, offering an apologetic smile. "We're leaving for Suna in the morning, so we'll be having an early night."
Misaki's gaze lessened, as if disappointed. "We'll be sad to see you leave us so soon. Will you come back, someday?"
"In a few months, probably. Maybe a bit more. I'll be sure to ask Sasuke-kun, yeah?" Her voice softened then, to something kinder and more appreciative. "I don't think he would mind. You and your father have been very kind to us."
This seemed to please Misaki, judging by the way her eyes crinkled. "I'm glad to hear it."
Sakura tilted her head, and smiled wider. "Well, I'm famished, so I better go. Hopefully Sasuke-kun picked something up. But you and your family have fun at the festival, okay?"
Misaki giggled and thanked her, before bidding her good night, prompting Sakura to make her way to the room she shared with Sasuke.
When she opened the door, her eyes instantly drew themselves to the shoes tucked neatly to the side. Smiling softly, she pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and toed off her own sandals.
"Sasuke-kun, I'm back!"
It only took half a moment before he arrived, nodding with his usual acknowledgment. "How was it?"
Sakura seemed to practically melt at the question. "So much fun," she gushed. "I've learned a bunch today, and Izumi-san even gave me this book that I can't wait to dive into." She lightly jerked the weighty tome in her arms, smiling widely. "Did you know some herbs can be perfected into poisons that induce muteness and deafness for up to two months? Izumi-san said back in the day, they used it as a technique to drive their captives to spill information because they thought they'd permanently lost their functions. It didn't always work great though, so they stopped using it."
Sasuke's brows raised, and he cocked his head, lips twitching lightly. "I'm sure that would work on Naruto."
Her eyes widened. "Sasuke-kun!" she scolded, laughing lightly. "Don't be so mean! It would be so cruel."
Snorting, he rolled his eyes and shoved his hand into his pocket. "Don't pretend he wasn't the first one you thought about if you had to test this on anyone," he said, wrinkling his nose in distaste.
No doubt, he was probably thinking about how annoying Naruto could be when he talked too much, but somehow, Sakura knew that if the opportunity ever arose, Sasuke would never even seriously think to do it. No matter how much he denied it, she knew he enjoyed Naruto's company.
(in some ways, naruto and sasuke were closer than she and him would likely ever be in their lifetime. naruto understood sasuke like the back of his hand, probably even knew him better than she did. even his bond with kakashi was unique. but in that same way, she and sasuke shared something that he could never find with anybody else that he was close to. they all had their grip on him, in their own ways. they all shared their different places in his heart. but, sakura knew, they were all equally important to him.)
"Did not," she finally replied, crossing her arms. Then, she smiled. "…It was actually that lady from the market."
His brows raised again. "The one who sells dango every Friday and yells at all the teenagers hanging around?"
"That's the one."
"Tch." Mulling his lips, Sasuke looked away and muttered, "Yeah, she wins."
The vague annoyance to his tone had her bursting with laughter. Half of Konoha wasn't fond of the ex-Mist shinobi that had moved to Konoha shortly after the war, but Sasuke had always expressed a particularly blatant dislike for the old crone. For someone who wasn't overtly fond of the loud teenagers that more often than not roamed the market streets, it spoke a lot about the kind of person she was.
"I just picked up dinner by the way," he said, slightly tilting his head towards the kitchen. "It should still be warm."
Her stomach growled at the mention, and she tried not to blush at that. She hoped Sasuke wouldn't notice, or that if he did, he would be kind enough not to point it out.
"Oh! Good, because I'm starving, and I was hoping you had," she said, smiling.
There was that barely perceptible twitch to his mouth again, likely finding amusement in her embarrassment to her own hunger. Still, there was no teasing mention of it as he spoke, "Come on," and started down the small hallway leading to their inn's tiny kitchen. Sakura could only be grateful.
When they stepped into the room, however, she almost stopped herself short at the sight of wide array of bags.
Blinking, Sakura said, "You got a lot of provisions, Sasuke-kun."
To her surprise, Sasuke shook his head and merely stepped forward, moving to unpack all the contents. "They're not provisions—those are in the bedroom. This is dinner."
Her mouth dropped. "What?"
When he merely shrugged, she made her way to the table, peering into the bags with still-wide eyes. "This is… a lot of food," she finally said, glancing at him oddly. Had he been just as starving?
Even there, this many meals seemed nonsensical; from all the boxes splayed out and those she'd looked into, she'd distinguished miso soup, steamed vegetables, tempura, umeboshi onigri, sunomono, nikujaga, tonkatsu, okaka onigri… and even her favorite dessert, syrup-coated anko dumplings.
This much food would last them for days—even a full week.
Sasuke shrugged again. "It's a gift from the man we helped out yesterday. He bumped into me when I was in the market earlier. Turns out he owns a restaurant, and he wanted to give us something to thank us for what we did for him. So he offered to cook a dinner for us."
"A few dinners you mean," Sakura mumbled, still marveling at the food. Everything seemed so good—especially the onigri. "I don't think we could eat all this, even with Naruto here."
Humming in agreement, Sasuke said, "It'll last us for a few days then."
In the desert? she mused. She doubted it but, maybe—if they found something that could withstand the heat well enough.
"Hopefully it doesn't spoil," she said. "I'd hate for this to go to waste."
"We'll try to be careful."
Smiling, Sakura nodded and whispered a soft thanks, before feeling her stomach grumble once more. Eager, she reached for the box of umeboshi onigri, omitting the idea of plates as she took one in hand. She was just quick enough to see a smile slipping to his mouth before it just as quickly disappeared.
"What?" she asked, feeling her cheeks flush. Had she seemed too impatient?
He made a vague sound, mismatched eyes strangely full of quiet mirth that made her heart flop. "Nothing," he said, opening a box that she distinctly suspected contained the okaka onigri, before taking one in hand. "He just wasn't going to make those at first. I asked him to."
That surprised her. "You did?"
His features softened. "They're your favorite, aren't they?"
Sakura's mouth parted lightly, heart stumbling in its beat. How had he known that? Had Naruto told him? No, even Naruto didn't know that. Even when they were young, she was certain she hadn't let it slip. Nobody except her parents knew that her favorite meal consisted of nothing but umeboshi onigri.
Voice nearly all too soft, she asked him, "How did you know umeboshi was my favorite, Sasuke-kun? I never told you that."
His gaze seemed to gain a more serious edge then, growing wearier. Almost sadder.
"…I never ignored you half as much as you thought I did when we were young, Sakura," he murmured. "As much as I tried, I never could."
Though she could hear the tinge of self-shame in his words, the way he berated himself for letting her believe he'd never paid special attention to her, they still had her heart swelling with incredible warmth; the revelation that perhaps his feelings had always kind of been rooted somewhere in their youth sending unconditional love swelling in her veins and pushing her to want to—
Unable to help herself, Sakura took the two steps separating them and impulsively grabbed his collar, holding him gently as she pushed herself up to her toes and kissed him. It was sudden, enough to have him stiffen and to have her cheeks flushing madly, but she kept her mouth to his anyway, moving with light, shy pressures.
The dull sound of something hitting the floor had her pulling away, blushing furiously.
"S-Sorry," she whispered, voice shaky and heart pounding. She couldn't bear to even try and meet his gaze after such a bold move, so she looked down instead. Belatedly, she noticed that it was the rice ball he'd been holding that had dropped to the floor. That made her heart race even harder.
When his lone hand touched her waist, then, so tentatively, she nearly trembled. They were still so new to this that it was still unsure between them, still a bit too dizzying—especially with such an undefined bond.
"…For what?" he said, then, his breath fanning against her cheek. It felt entirely too intimate, in that way that she was quickly growing to adore.
"I don't want to push you," she mumbled, eyes slipping shut. His breath was so warm. "I know this whole thing has just been so—slow. I just…"
His hand gripped her tighter then, breaking her thoughts and cutting her words short. "You don't have to be sorry."
He kissed her again before she could think about what that meant.
.
.
Hey, Naruto!
I'm so sorry that I never sent a letter, or never told any of you that I was going away with Sasuke-kun. It was never my intention to leave just like that, but it was just unexpected you see. You know I'm not like that. I think shishou was mad at me, though, because her letter this morning was a bit sharp, but I don't blame her. I must have caused so much trouble at the hospital. But I think you understand why I did what I did.
These months have been so great though, I can hardly believe it. How long has it been since I left? Three months? More? I can't even remember anymore. I just know that I don't regret a single thing with this decision. Everything's so beautiful out here, and the world is so big. There's so much to see, so much to learn. I even met someone who knows more about poisons and ancient medical jutsu than Chiyo-sama, Tsunade-shishou and Shizune-san combined! At least, I think so! I'm so thrilled!
Sasuke-kun and I are leaving for Suna in the morning. It's gonna be nice to see the Kazekage-sama and Kankuro. I bet Temari misses them. Have I missed the wedding yet? I hope not. Sasuke-kun would probably be happy if he did, though. I don't think he likes weddings. (Can you imagine him wearing a montsuki and hakamas? Hehehe! So weird!)
I think you'll be glad to know he's been treating me well since we left. Things have actually kind of been really… incredible lately. It's so different to be traveling with him like this. He seems so happy (yes, Naruto, happy!) and at peace on these roads, and though I admit sometimes that worries me, I think that he's learning to forgive himself enough to one day be just as happy and at peace in Konoha. With all my heart, I hope that he will.
I really miss you, Naruto. And Kakashi, and shishou, and Shizune-san, and Ino-pig, and my parents! But it's the kind of 'I miss you' that doesn't hurt much, you know? I'm just so happy here. And I'm not lonely. It's quiet and peaceful and just so amazing. It's going to be so wonderful to be back home, but for now, just wait a little longer, okay? Please let the others know. I promise to visit soon. I'm just so, so happy being with Sasuke-kun. I think I grow to love him more and more with every day. Things are getting kind of perfect.
With love,
Sakura
.
.
.
Sasuke's sources, as it turned out, could never have been more right when it came to the traveling conditions in the Land of Wind's regions. Although they'd known for already half their lives that traveling to Suna was never a pleasant experience, Sakura couldn't seem to remember the temperature having ever been quite so murderous.
The first day resulted in the pair of them suffering from heat exhaustion, while the second and third were spent trying not to dry heave into the sand. They spent their fourth traveling in much later hours of the day, but when even that resulted in miserable sweatiness, they finally decided to only carry out their journey overnight. Nighttime in the deserts were cold, sometimes freezing even, but Sakura much preferred it over the feverish heat they'd been dealing with in the days before; if she felt chilly, she only had to wrap herself in a blanket.
They slept during the day—a surprisingly easy task even in such scorching weather—and moved in the coolness of the night, the hunt for food thankfully unneeded with their surplus of carefully conserved meals. Sakura had been glad that not much of the food had been spoiled since they had left, their strategic placements having successfully saved them from the torrid climate. But, of course, such food could only be kept for so long, even with the right care.
Fortunately, they reached Suna's entrance just as their provisions started running low again.
"Finally," she breathed, wiping the sweat from her brow. They'd been so eager to reach the village when they grew near it at dawn that they had taken to traveling past their usual time lapse, and Sakura was feeling the exhaustion already. "I was just starting to regret the idea of coming here. Getting to Suna has honestly never felt more miserable."
She could see a few of the guard shinobi gesturing a few miles ahead, pointing, shading their view and turning to each other in what could only be surprise; it spoke much about how few visitors they'd had lately—if any. Sakura wondered if on foot travels to Suna were deemed too hazardous even for shinobi since these obvious temperature rises.
Catching movement from the corner of her eye, she turned to look at the man beside her, feeling her heart quicken as she watched him run his hand through his hair, a long exhale escaping from his lips. His eyes were hooded, forehead equally damp with perspiration, a clear display that fatigue was quickly getting to him as well.
They needed to get away from the sun and this heat, and soon.
"I've been through many deserts in these past few years," he said, in what was almost a mumble. Sakura knew it wasn't because of any real sleepiness. "There must have been a heatwave since then, because it's never been like this."
"Then we better get inside before this gets worse," Sakura said, green eyes more solemn. "Don't want a repeat of our first few days on our way here, do we?"
He responded with nothing but a tired nod, adjusting the strap of his bag before he stepped forward, starting his way to Suna's main opening. She followed after him quickly, a smile pulling to her lips as a few guards started heading their way, seemingly concerned.
The smile only grew when their faces flashed with recognition, confirming her still-standing legendary stature to Suna's inhabitants. Ever since she had saved Kankuro and defeated the renowned Akatsuki puppet-master, Sasori, she had been particularly highly regarded by the village. The admiration had only grown following her contribution in the war, especially with her part in sealing the chakra goddess, Kaguya.
It felt good to know she was still just as well-loved as before.
"Sakura-san!" a tall, dark haired shinobi greeted, lips split wide open and cheeks flushed. "We weren't aware that you were coming! We'll be sure to inform Kazekage-sama right away." Smiling wider, the man gestured to the shadowed fissure serving as the village's entrance, urging her forward in haste. "But please, come in quickly, this is no time to be out right now—the temperature is quite dangerous at this hour."
Eyes crinkling kindly, Sakura merely agreed and let the three ninjas guide them both through the passageway, feeling her body visibly relax as they walked into the shadows and allowed the heat to waft off, soothing her senses and easing the lightheadedness of her mind. Sighing heavily, she smiled wider and stretched her limbs, before peering at Sasuke with twinkling eyes.
"Gods, it feels so nice," she said, teasingly nudging his arm. "Right, Sasuke-kun?"
The smile slipped, however, when she noticed the strange expression marring his face, shoulders inexplicably stiff.
"Sasuke-kun?"
Seemingly shaken out of his thoughts, she watched him blink a few times before he turned to look at her, eyes losing their disquieted edge. She wondered why he seemed a bit off.
Her brows drew together softly. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Sasuke was silent for a moment, before he looked ahead again and murmured, "I'm fine."
Somehow, she knew that wasn't quite the truth. He was hiding something.
Perturbed by this sudden change of composure that she was sure had nothing to do with the heat, Sakura began to grow confused, nearly unable to reciprocate the smiles given by those around her as they greeted her with delight in Suna's streets. Her thoughts became preoccupied, green eyes not quite focused.
But just as they neared the Kazekage's tower, it was then that understanding dawned to her—it was then that she saw it. The looks.
Every shinobi looked at Sasuke like he was unwelcome, like he was the enemy. Although it had often happened for people to be quite stiff with Sasuke, this was the first time she had seen such transparent animosity directed at him.
Her heart clenched. She hadn't felt hurt like this in a long while.
I just. I don't have anything to say in my defense. It's been three months. I wanted to update, I really did. I just had the most awful writer's block, and on top of that I fell ill for three full weeks and spent most of my time sleeping. Not to mention the release of Pokemon Go! That game has been owning my life.
Thankfully, I just got my groove back a few days ago, and started writing again for this story. I will continue to do so as long as my inspiration high goes on, which hopefully will allow me to advance far enough with this story. I don't think it'll last me till the end, but who knows. I really did miss this story, and I really do still love it so much.
It still floors me how well-received this story is. I won't give up on it, I promise!
Hope you enjoyed! Things are really about to get super rocky with them in the next few chapters, but there will be some good things too! I won't just let a downward spiral of angst take over, no worries haha.
Until next time!
DeepPoeticGirl