Chapter Sixteen: Red Riding Hood and Recreations

Present Day

"Hey Sakura!" Came the loud cry of a yellow haired friend.

Sakura paused in her trek for the portal. She turned in the direction of the call and saw Naruto running towards her with his arms waving around excitedly. She gave him a smile and a wave as she watched him run up to her. He came to a stop in a breathy hunch as the cloud of dust settled along his path.

"Hey Naruto what's up?"

Naruto straightened and gave her a quizzical look. "Where are you headed?"

Sakura pointed down the path that led to the portal as if it was plain as day. "I was just headed down for the day." Naruto gave her a puzzled look and suddenly she felt as if he knew what she was truly up to.

"Today?" he asked in indignation. Then a dawning expression came to his face. "Did you forget?" He suddenly asked is disbelief.

Sakura paused in thought. Forget? Forget what? Suddenly dawned on her.

Today was the celebration of the celestial drink. A holiday of sorts within the heavenly realm that celebrated the creation of their kind. During the day, the blessed spent the entire sun's time in the sky within the heavens, feasting, putting on festivities, and in the evening was a more reverent and spiritual mass. When it was over, the reveling began again. This time with stronger drinks and in some extremes, the partaking of certain herbs.

It was as Kakashi liked to say, they were angels, not saints.

Traditionally her and Naruto has always spent the day together. They would begin first thing in the morning by exploring the decorations and looking where the best foods and competitions would be. By high noon they were completely full and still stuffing their faces with as much delicious food the heavens could provide. It was one of her favorite celebrations and it only occurred once every one hundred years.

"You forgot!" Naruto added when he noticed the look on her face. Her face crumpled, telling him that he was correct. He gaped at her. "How could you forget! It's one of your favorite day of the century!"

Sakura ran a hand over her face. "I know!" she exclaimed. "I am sorry. I just...forgot," she finished lamely.

Naruto looked her over. "Are you feeling okay? Is something going on," he pried inquisitively. "You haven't been yourself lately. Always distracted and on edge. Now you're forgetting this!"

Sakura shook her head almost no quickly. "N-no. Everything's fine, I just…" she drifted off, not sure what to tell him.

It was not even necessarily that she wanted to keep the truth from him. But she was truly at a loss as to how to explain what she was doing. What was she doing?!

She had completely lost her mind, it was the only way to explain it. She was on her way down to earth, to the spot where Sasuke had told her to meet him. And she had to be crazy for going through with it. It was one thing to run into him, but to willingly go somewhere, knowing he would be there, knowing what he was...she had to be insane. It was the only explanation.

He took a step closer. "Sakura," he said, making eye contact. "You can talk to me. You can tell me anything...you know that...right?"

She stared back at him and for a moment she almost gave in. But she knew he wouldn't let her go alone. She almost asked him to come with her, but she immediately threw that possibility out the window. From what little she knew of Naruto's and Sasuke's past, she was convinced the result of such a reunion would be just short of apocalyptic.

"It's fine...I'm fine," she corrected. "I am just…" There was nothing she could say. No explanation.

She should stay. Stay and spend the day with Naruto in celebration and safe companionship. But then what of Sasuke? Would he be angry? Would he seek her out again? How do you reschedule an appointment with a darkling prince? The answer, you don't. Intuition told Sakura that, being stood up, would not bode well with Sasuke.

"I am sorry Naruto," she began. "But I just have to check on Sai today."

"I thought he got the job, won't he be at work all day?"

Yes. "I know but I just want to check on him," she argued. "I promise it won't be all day. I just want to make sure he got there and then I will be back. I be gone only the morning but then I will come back and then we can celebrate as always. You can have all the best eats picked out and listed for me to try."

"So a little recon work aye," he said with a sly grin. "Okay then, I will come with you! Then we hit the food. Hey!" he exclaimed. "We could ever get some ramen while we are down there! I keep telling Tsunade she needs to implement it in the ceremonial menu," he rambled thoughtfully with a finger on his chin.

"No!" Sakura all but yelled, startling Naruto from his fantasy. She cleared her throat when Naruto looked at her as if she had grown a third eye. "No," she repeated more calmly. "I think I should just go by myself. I don't want him to feel overwhelmed if he notices that a bunch of people are checking on him."

Naruto gave her a suspicious look. "Okay...then I guess I will see you this afternoon," he said, his voice holding disappointment.

Sakura nodded then started for the portal again, doing her best to make it look like she was not running away.

"If you aren't back in time for the duel relay I am hunting you down! This year is the year we finally beat Guy and Lee!" He yelled after her, to which she turned back to him and gave him a promising grin.

Naruto watched her disappear and remained long after she had gone. Something was not right...

"Why aren't you at the festival stuffing your face with the best sweets and delicacies that the heavens can offer?" Naruto turned around to look at Kakashi who was walking towards him. His one visible eye lazily grazed the area. "And where is Sakura? The two of you have been inseparable on this day since the first time you dragged her to her first celebration. Shouldn't you two be stuffing your selves sick before the ceremonial feast tonight? Gluttony at its finest."

Naruto frowned and looked back to the portal. He stared at the milky swirling void then turned back to Kakashi. The silver haired seraph was giving him a deep in thought look.

"I think something is wrong with Sakura," Naruto admitted.

Immediately Kakashi's lazy posture stiffened and straightened. "What kind of trouble? Where is she?" He asked, his voice holding authoritative alarm.

"She went to the ground."

Kakashi's attention went to the portal and narrowed. "Did she mention where she was going?"

"She said she was going to check on Sai and that she would be back before the afternoon...but something just doesn't feel right." He looked to Kakashi who was still staring at the portal. "Naruto," he instructed. "I need you to go to the festival and pretend everything is fine. Make sure Tsunade is unaware of Sakura's whereabouts until she can get back. Understood?"

"We're covering for her?" Naruto asked in confusion, before adding, "And you want me to lie to Tsunade?! Do you have any idea what she will do to me if she catches me?"

"For now, yes, while we can possibly still help her on our own," he instructed, ignoring the blondes worries about being eviscerated by the beautiful, but not so gentle and understanding supreme leader. "Make sure Sakura feels like you don't suspect anything when she comes back," Kakashi added, giving him a pointed look.

"Okay...What are you going to do?" Naruto added.

Kakashi looked back to the portal. "Recon."

"And if it's bad? Then what?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. "We dig her out of the hole she has dug for herself." With that, Kakashi began striding to the portal.

From the roof of an abandoned warehouse, Sasuke looked down at the pacing woman on the wharf. He had arrived before her and decided to wait for her arrival before he made an appearance. He would never admit it verbally, but he had been slightly nervous as he waited. In the short time between his arrival and her appearance, doubt had weaseled its way into his mind. But this had been a test he had set for her. A test to see if she would come to him.

And she had passed.

Ten minutes ago she had arrived and Sasuke delayed his descent to the ground to take a moment to observe her and form a plan. Before he had been so preoccupied with just finding her, that he had neglected to come up with a plan of action. He was still not completely knowledgeable in what he was working with. The mortal knowledge of reincarnation was a patchwork of truth, whimsical idealism, and falsehood. However he was not keen on returning to the underworld's library and the heavens archives where out of the question. It would be easy enough to slip into his home realm and go undetected to the library but he had a suspicion the documents he would find the most helpful would not be in the basic section. The higher, more detailed knowledge would be in a place that would make not running into familiar faces much more complicated. Itachi was a much avid reader of deep knowledge.

With resources limited, he decided trial and error was his best method at the moment. He had contemplated using his Sharingan but he was not keen with messing with or forcing her mind. Mostly because he was too afraid of damaging her and also, because he doubted it would work. She had been resistant before, therefore the chances of her having the same ability was high. Unless perhaps she willfully let him us it. He needed to gain her trust more before he tried anything that extreme. He needed to draw her in, not scare her off. The knowledge of what she did and did not know of his world was still unknown. She could know to fear his ability, or know nothing at all.

It was for these reasons that he came up with his plan. He would start simple. Put her in situations that would be familiar and possibly jog her memory. Already he had seen that she was sensitive to things that would have been familiar. He had seen it in her eyes at the in the park and again he was certain there had been something there the last time he had been with her.

He looked down at her pacing form. It wasn't ideal. It would be slow progress. But until he could fully understand what he was working with he needed to be patient. And he could be patient. At least he hoped he could. After hundreds of years, it was difficult not to run full force at something you had been chasing after when it was finally in sight.

She paced back and forth across the boardwalk, her hand coming up to ruffle her short hair in agitation to her conflicted feelings. She was lying to her friends, she was forgetting things that were important. She paused at the railing, letting out a groan as she let her head fall onto the grainy wood surface.

"I should just go back," she said to herself. "I should just check on Sai and go back."

"Go back where?"

Sakura startled at the sudden deep voice that vibrated in her right ear. With it, came the smell of burning embers and sandalwood that stimulated her senses. She moved to turn around, but she found herself trapped and unable to move in the small space that Sasuke had left between his arms, his body, and the dock railing. She heard him chuckle, his chest vibrating against her back in a not so unfamiliar way. And then he pulled away, taking a step to her side to casually pose himself against the railing.

As she slowly calmed her nerves from the unnatural ability he had to sneak so closely to her, Sakura took a moment and looked him up and down. He wore dark blue jeans and a plain black t-shirt. It was not exactly what she expected the prince of the underworld to wear, but the simplicity suited him.

"Um...nowhere?" Sakura finally managed to squeak out.

The corner of his mouth curled. "Hn."

Silence fell between them, making Sakura fidgety, unsure of what to do or say next. He had asked her to come to her, which she had done. But now she realized she had no idea what to do next. Where they going to talk? Where they going to go somewhere? Was he going to do something to her?

"Why did you want me to come here today?" She asked, hoping to take away some of the mystery of why she was her and what he was so interested in her.

"You seem to be thinking I am the reason we are here but yet-" he cocked his head to the side- "it was you who was wanting answers to you questions." He leaned forward and straightened his head to mirror his face directly with hers. "So what are these answers you seek, little mortal?"

Sakura stared back at him, her mind at a loss. Yes she wanted answers, she had so many conflicting feelings and emotions that, for some reason, were stirred by his presence. There had always been a mystery in her life but she had never felt a driving need for the knowledge of the unknown. That is, until she lay eyes on him that fateful night. It was like something within her had been awakened from a dormant state. Now, after an unknown length of hibernation, it was hungry. But how do you transform feelings into questions?

"How do you know Naruto?" It was risky, she wasn't sure if she should ask, but she was curious to know his perspective. It could possibly leave her something more to glean from.

Sasuke's face tightened at the name. "He was what some may call a friend-" the word sounded bitter and sarcastic- "but he broke a promise, a promise that had dire consequences and therefore I no longer associate with him. I don't associate with any seraphim if I can help it."

Sakura's brows drew together. "Why? Aren't you lonely?...or bored?"

Sasuke smiled dryly. "How could I be bored with such-" he reached out and tugged on a short stand of her hair- "fascinating mortals before me?"

Sakura dared not move as he continued to roll her hair between his fingers. "But don't you get tired of being among those who do not understand your abilities and past? You can't blend in very well when you don't age. You would be constantly moving and changing the people you know. You wouldn't ever have the opportunity to form friendships or bonds with others."

"Friendship and relationships are an overrated need of mortals. And besides, why would I need to blend in when there are mortals like you who know of my existence." He paused for a moment. "Would you be my friend? Would you bond with me?"

Sakura shifted slightly. His offer seemed much deeper than what he innocently let on. The word 'bond' had a heavyweight to it. As if what he was asking from her was beyond what a normal friendship would be.

When she failed to respond he raised his brows in expectation. Immediately Sakura knew she was not going to get away without responding to his question. "I would never deprive a person in need of a connection," she answered.

His eyes flickered back and forth between hers before he let out a hum. It was a neutral sound that gave no indication if he accepted the answer or not. "Can I ask you a question now?" She paused, then slowly dipped her head in a nod. "How do you know Naruto?"

Sakura swallowed. This was an answer she wasn't sure how to give. Lying wasn't an option because she had a feeling he would know, and secondly, because she didn't want to.

"He has been by my side for as long as I can remember. He helped me in ways that no one else could. He gave me a bond in which I could rely on when I had nothing else to hold onto."

She spoke with fondness and passion. All of it was truth. When she had woken after the destruction of the last place where seraphim permanently dwelt in the mortal realm, she had been alone. She had no memories, no faces, no names, no one to call upon. Everything was wrong. The air was sweeter and the world was brighter. Even her body had felt wrong a foreign to her. Tsunade had explained it was because she had most likely never been to the seraphim realm, as her parents had come from the small community of seraphim that resided in the earth, connected to the heavens by the blessed waters of the mountain.

It had been the most alienating and terrifying experience of her life. And Naruto had been there for her. He had been there for her, offering something, someone, for her to attach herself to. It was almost eerie how easily they had formed their bond. It was so natural.

However, looking back, it almost seemed like nothing now. Not when she compared it to the strange familiarity that was with Sasuke. What happened between her and Naruto had been like water being poured into a cup, natural and clean. But whatever was going on between herself and Sasuke was much more complicated. It wasn't a simple falling into place. It was a twisted pull into a tangled web. The more she tried to resist, the more tangled she seemed to become.

She looked up at him. If she didn't know any better, she would think she was seeing jealousy in his face. "I know him how any other mortal would know of a seraph," she added with a white lie, "he guided me when I needed guidance."

Sasuke let out an indignant snort, the sharpness that had come with jealousy dissipating. "Somehow I fail to believe you needed guidance."

"What makes you say that?" She questioned.

He gave her an wolfish grin. "Because if you did need moral guidance, I don't think you would be wandering from the main streets to meet with me if your soul was at stake."

Sakura suddenly felt as if she were in one of the stories Sai read in the fairy tale book she had given him. The one with the wolf that is trying to persuade the little girl to stray off the path. With his predatory demeanor, Sasuke was the wolf and she was the girl, his prey. In the story, the girl, what was her name? Something about a red cape her grandmother had made here? Suddenly the details of a mortal fairy tale seemed crucial within her mind. Hood, something about hood. Red hood? Riding hood? Ah yes that was it, red riding hood.

The remembrance seemed to bring a short calmness to her until she realized, red riding hood never wandered off the path. She had gone straight to her grandmother's house where the wolf followed and swallowed her whole. But the woodsman had found the house and saved both red riding hood and the grandmother. Sakura thought for a moment, who was the woodsman in her story? Naruto? Kakashi? The grandmother would be Sai, that was where she had been headed to wasn't it? Or at least where she was supposed to be headed to.

The nervousness that had been fluctuating within her since she had met him suddenly spiked and put her mind at high alarm. In the story, Red Riding Hood had stayed on the path, she had not given in to the wolf's enticement, she had gone straight to her grandmother's house. Sakura had not. She had already wandered off the path and diverted from the original story plot. In this version, would the woodsman still find her?

Shit. Sasuke thought to himself as he saw the fear in her face. He was just playing with her, trying to make her nervous but he had pushed her too far. This was what he had been worried about.

Instantly he leaned himself back, trying to give her a feeling of safety with his space. "I'm not here to steer you away," Sasuke quickly said, to which Sakura, after awhile seemed to believe. But she was still tense. She didn't feel comfortable alone with him, he could read in her face and the way her body was held spoke volumes. "Would you like to go somewhere else?" he offered. "Somewhere more public?" He added when she seemed to did indeed want to leave, but leave alone.

Slowly, hesitantly, she nodded. "The park," she answered. "I want to go to the park where you found me."

Sasuke nodded and extended his hand. "The park it is."

She didn't take his hand, but he expected it. Instead they walked side by side to the bus stop. All the while, Sakura seemed to keep a certain spacing between them. Sasuke was not fond of it but he was done pressing the boundaries for today. He needed her to trust him. He needed her to come to him.

Sakura returned just in time to participate in the race. And as always, they lost. It had been a close call but in the end, Guy and Lee had beaten them. Naruto had wailed about cheating and claiming he wanted a rematch but after the suggestion of grabbing a bite to eat, the loss was quickly forgotten.

Sakura was relieved. Everything seemed as normal. Naruto had not even questioned about Sai and everyone else had seemed to not even notice her absence during the first half of the day. And what a day it had been.

I had not turned out as expected. Instead of answers, Sasuke had offered her more stories. But unlike the last story he had told her, these ones she had already known. They were the stories that every seraph knows. How they came to be, the banishment of Indra, the curse of hatred. She knew them all but yet today it was as if she were hearing them for the first time.

She had only ever heard them told from the perspective of the blessed. Never had she heard nor considered what these stories would be like from a demons perspective. For example, the tale of the two brothers, Indra and Ashura, one of her favorites, was far from the colorful tale that Tsunade had always recited it. It had always been lathered it with triumph and glory. With Ashura being painted as the young valiant warrior that defeated the treacherous dragon in their peaceful garden home. But Sasuke's version was not as brightly colored and celebrated. She had found it sad and lonely. No longer was Indra was a monster to be defeated but someone who sacrificed his home for the good of all.

Her happy fairy tales had been stained with a darker light. Making her wonder if the divide between blessed and fallen really was as black and white as she had thought. Where demons truly evil? Was Sasuke truly evil? Or was he just misunderstood?

It had been fascinating and Sasuke had earned himself a captivated listener as he told her each tale as they wandered the park. Soon the noon day sun was stretching over them and Sakura had announced she had to be on her way. She could tell Sasuke was hesitant to allow this, but to her surprise he made no protest. However before she left, he asked her to meet him again, this time in two days.

Kakashi waited outside the apartment building with his nose stuck in the ever present, orange bound book. The occasional pedestrian walked by or tenant entered or exited the building but they each went unnoticed to the seraph. In a different age he would have been noticed himself but mortals were too busy to even take notice of his presence, all too preoccupied with getting to their destinations or surfing their mobiles. Kakashi loved it. It had always been a bother when social etiquette was a part of melting in with humans. Now the more one minded their business, the better. It was wonderful.

It was not until a particular set of feet appeared unnaturally close to him, that he looked up from his book to see Sai standing in front of him, far closer than most people would. Kakashi made a mental note to talk to Sakura about educating the mortal about personal space and keeping it. However it was but an afterthought as he had more important things to address.

He snapped his book shut. "Yo," he said, with a lazy salute.

Sai's vacant face stared back at him. "Hello, may I inquire why you are outside my place of residence?"

"Did Sakura check in on you today?" Kakashi asked.

Sai gave him a confused look. "No," he replied, causing a sinking feeling within Kakashi. "She said I was to be alone today. Is she in danger?"

Kakashi frowned, in any other situation he would be impressed with the genuine concern within Sai's voice. Sakura was correct in reporting his improvement. However, Sai's automatic reaction that Sakura was not okay worried him. As a person of analytical facts, Sai would only come up with that conclusion if he had enough evidence to indicate such things.

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted truthfully. "Have you noticed anything odd about her? Her habits or maybe even something she has mentioned?" The grim expression that passed over Sai's face did nothing to settle Kakashi's nerves. "What happened?" He said more seriously.

"There is a person of you kind that has been showing up lately. I think he is a demon, given the temptation I felt when I was around him," Sai explained.

"What did he look like?" Kakashi quickly asked, as his mind began to whirl with panic.

"Dark hair, pale…" Sai drifted off. "I cannot say much more. It was his aura that was more impressionable than his appearance. At first I thought he might be trying to influence me. I kept seeing him nearly everywhere I went for nearly a week straight. He never approach but it was hard to not notice him, not when you instinctively want to do his bidding. When Sakura and I were in the park a while back was the first time he approached.

"Sakura sent me away before he came too close. She even used her influence to make sure I left immediately, but not before I saw him approach her fully. They were alone and I think they talked for some time as it was nearly an hour later when she returned to my apartment to check on me. I asked her about it but she said she handled whatever it was.

"At the time I assumed he had been targeting me and that she had somehow ran him off, because for awhile I did not see him again. Until just a few days ago. He approached me."

"What did he want?" Kakashi pushed.

"He wanted to know about Sakura. How I knew her, where she lived, things like that."

"And what did you tell him?" Kakashi asked.

"I told him what I tell everyone. That she is my mentor and we have known each other for a few years. He claimed he was her friend, but he didn't even know where she lived. Said they go back from a long time ago…"

"Anything else?" Kakashi pushed.

Sai thought for a moment, his face pulling into a look of hard thought. It softened when it seemed he had remembered something. "Yes," he exclaimed. "His name. He said his name was...Sasuke."

Kakashi's heart was beating hard with his chest as his mind buzzed. So it had happened. Kakashi thought to himself, just before the rise of anger submerged. Why had she not told him any of this. Did she not realize who he was? Have they run into each other more than once? What has he told her? Or more important what has she told him?

"Did I do something wrong?"

Sai's question caused Kakashi to look up and see the worry stricken face of the once emotionless boy. Yes, Sakura had done well with him. However he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Automatically he turned around and began to walk away without a word.

The fresh herbs from the stall at the farmers market brought a calming clarity with its earthy smell. Sakura wandered down the street it was set up on, pausing every once in awhile to pick up a trinket or look at a piece of art on display.

Sasuke watched from a short distance, walking along with her as she moved from stall to stall. A farmers market was no rarity, especially for a person who lived in this area of the city where food was all organic and gluten free. Yet she eagerly took in everything with great enthusiasm, as if fascinated by not just the environment and trinkets being sold, but the people. She talked with everyone, charming them with her small talk so well that they all offered her free samples and trinkets as gifts. It was as if they were drawn to her and affected by here. Their moods, having been soured by the hot heat and busy work, instantly brightened and improved with her presence. He would find it strange had he himself had not already experienced it. He knew that feeling of being drawn to her and he knew that inability to stay ornery with her around.

He couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight. He had brought her here because it was the closest thing he could find in New York that compared to a Greek market from the tenth century. As she moved onto another vendor, who was selling something that made Sasuke wonder if there was any other ingredients besides sugar, Sasuke glanced around the busy street.

He watched a young college frat boy eyeball Sakura's backside and began walking in their direction. Immediately Sasuke shifted to shield Sakura, who was too preoccupied with speaking to the vendor to notice. Crossing his arms across his chest, Sasuke flashed a dark look at the guy the moment he met his eye. Immediately the student took a hard turn and moved down the street in the opposite direction.

As he walked away, Sasuke glared at his back, tempted to set it aflame. He didn't like the thoughts and emotions he had sensed within the guy. It seemed that even though the earth had aged two thousand years, mortals had not changed one bit.

"Here try this," Sakura said behind him, tugging on his arm to get him to turn around.

With his mood dampened by the mortal man, Sasuke kept his eyes sharp as he caught sight of another man looking in their direction. Perhaps it was a mistake to take her somewhere public. "I don't like sweet," he said, his tone coming out gruff with his spoiled mood.

From the corner of his eye he caught a flash of pink as Sakura came around to his front. Instinctually he was tempted to pull her back around him but he was stopped when she shoved something into his face. "I know that, that's why I got you this instead. It's fried green tomato, trust me, you will like it."

At her words, Sasuke stared at her as he registered what she had said. For a moment she seemed to hesitate in her earlier boldness and confidence in his dietary preferences. But the smell hit his nostrils and his eyes automatically lowered to the offering she held before him.

Neatly wrapped in newspaper, were three crispy looking slices of tomato. The seasoning and freshness of the ingredients made his mouth water.

Seeing his appetite triggered, Sakura pulled one of them free and lifted it up to his mouth. "Try it," she encouraged with a sweet smile.

Sasuke was above being hand fed in the middle of a street and flooded with mortals. However, when a mouth watering offering was being offered from such delectable hands, there was no denying it. He opened his mouth partially and Sakura took advantage and pushed the food into his mouth. He opened wider before taking a bite, savoring the crispy outer layer then the fresh flavor of the tomato. As soon as he swallowed Sakura pushed the food to his lips again. Automatically his mouth opened and she shoved the entire remainder into his mouth, giving out a mischievously giggle. Sasuke tried to scowl but his mouth was too full and it would only serve to worsen the undignified look.

Grabbing his hand, she placed the remaining tomatoes into his hand before giving him a smile and turning back around. He lagged for a moment before beginning to follow behind as her small body parted their way through the growing crowd. While munched and savored the last of his food, his mind obsessed and pondered, his eyes never leaving the rosette hair that swayed in front of her.

They walked along one of the more quiet streets. As they strode side by side, Sakura finished looking at all the treasures she had accumulated from the market and looked to the side at Sasuke. He had been oddly quiet, for a person already of few words. As she took in his face she could tell he was deep in thought. His face was pinched and his brow was furrowed so much Sakura was tempted to reach up and smooth the creases it caused on his forehead.

"You've been awfully quiet," she commentated her thoughts.

Sasuke said nothing in return as he continued walking with his hands in his pockets and eyes focused on the cracked pavement. Sakura frowned at the lack of response. She couldn't help but wonder if she had said something or done something to make him angry. Perhaps he had not tolerated her stuffing his mouth with tomatoes as much she had thought.

Sasuke came to a sudden stop and turned to face her. "How did you know that?"

Sakura stared back at him blankly. "...what?"

"How did you know that I didn't like sweet things and that I would like the tomatoes?"

Sakura continued to stare at him. Was that what was bothering him? Her knowledge of is food preferences? And then she considered his question and realized what he was asking. How did she know he didn't like sweets? And why did she know he would like the fried tomatoes? A food she herself disliked.

"Um...lucky guess?" She said with a nervous chuckle and a shrug.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. Not as if he were angry, but as if he were deeply considering something. "You remembered...didn't you?"

Sakura's brow quirked. Remember? Did he tell her this in their earlier meetings? Even as flustered and nervous she had been during those times, she knew he had not. She let out a nervous laugh, the intense look he seemed to easily muster setting her nerves on edge. It was as if everything in the world was riding on why she knew he liked tomatoes. She opened her mouth to say something that would ease the weight but Sasuke beat her to it.

"Sakura, do you believe in reincarnation?"

"What?" She asked, perplexed by the change in subject.

"Reincarnation, the belief that people are rebo—"

"I know what it is," she quickly filled. "I just don't understand what that had to do–"

He grabbed her shoulders delicately and leaned closer. "You wanted to know why I know you? It's because we met before Sakura." Her name flowed from his lips with a tone that went behind her capacity to interpret. Want, desire, longing, urgency. It was all there. "A long time ago you lived another life, and perhaps many others after and maybe before, but in one of them you and I met."

Sakura stared at him, her words failing her as he looked at her with so much hope. As if his life depended on convincing her of this.

Her mind whirled around until it suddenly settled on something he had told her the first time they met on the boardwalk. The story that sounded like it belonged in a book of tragic myths. At the time she had a suspicion that Sasuke had been the demon and she had wondered who the woman could be. And now, if her assumption was right, she believed he thought that she was a reincarnation of that mortal girl.

The instability of his mind suddenly came into question. She had always heard the rumors of the prince that had gone mad but from her interaction he had always seemed stable. Unnerving and dangerous but not quite so unstable.

She swallowed thickly. "I don't believe in it," she answered. "People are born and die once...only once," she emphasized.

Her answer seemed to not be the right one. The disappointment the shone was quickly masked by a sharp smile. "Mortals have always been so fickle with their beliefs. But trust me Sakura. It's real."

She shook her head. "I know what you are thinking...but..."

His face twisted in what she could only assume was frustration. "I know you feel it Sakura. That connection, that pull. You feel drawn to me like we are tied and tethered to each other."

Sakura did everything she could to not let the gasp of surprise escape her lips. It was true, she had felt something. She had noticed it early on however she had thought it was intrigue. Over the course of the frequent meeting up, she had become more and more aware of it. But all this time, she had not realized that he felt it too. And she knew he was not lying, no one could describe it so understably unless they had experienced it themselves.

However there was one flaw in his logic. She was no mortal woman. She was a seraph, like him. But he didn't know that. She suddenly felt the urge to tell him that but something within her told her that would be a terrible mistake. And this time, she listened to that voice.

She took a step back from his grip. "I am sorry...I-I should go," she stammered as she backed away.

Panic flashed in his eyes. "Wait," he said quickly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean–" he swore under his breath as he turned around and ran a hand through his hair. Turning back to her, he gave her a pleading look. "Please don't go."

Sakura stilled as she looked at his face. Pain. There was so much pain in his face that she felt herself feeling it. As a healer, she wanted to relieve that pain. She wanted to take it away from him, bare it for him. But her powers were useless for this kind of pain.

She wasn't sure how long ago he had lost that mortal girl, but it was obvious he was still grieving for her. She wondered just how long it had been. Decades, centuries, millennia? Even the shortest was too long to be in such agony.

She couldn't heal him, but maybe she could help him. Help him accept his loss. Then, maybe he could move on from that pain and in a way, be healed. Though she knew there were some kinds of wounds were even their scars left pain. This was one of them.

She took another step back. "I am going to go," she said carefully, then began to turn, only to pause for a moment. "When might I find you at the docks again?"

Sasuke could not put words to the kind of relief that question brought him. He had fucked up, he had thought he fucked it all up. Pushed her too far. It was just...she had remembered something. Somehow, someway, she had remembered something about him. For awhile he had thought recreating experiences from their past was not getting anywhere, but now…

He gave her a small smile. "Can I see you tomorrow?" It was perhaps too hopeful but then again, he didn't want to give her too much time to think. If he did, she might not come back.

But then she nodded. She said nothing else but to Sasuke that nod was enough. He knew his Sakura. His Sakura kept her promises, she kept her word. She was good and wholesome. And at this moment, she was turning away from him and walking to the bus stop. But that did not matter. It did not matter because tomorrow, tomorrow he would see her again.

He would see his Sakura.

A/N Everyone's excitement just got me fired up and writing. Hoping it will continue and I will try to get something posted soon. 2020 has proven so far to be a good year but with a lot of changes. January just got really crazy but I will do my best! Hopefully you all caught and understood why the last chapter was needed before this. As far as next the next chapter we will be staying in the present time.

***Also important note, looking into the future I am considering the possibility of moving up the rating for this story. Most likely to a soft M so if anyone is opposed let me know.

I have noticed a comments and I have gotten a couple PMs on both sites that I post this about sharing and drawing. The answer is YES! Feel free to share about this story on your blogs and I would be honored if my art inspired yours just let me know when you post so I can check it out and support you ;)