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He looked furious, extremely furious. So frantic in his strides, his grubby face flushed red, baring his crooked teeth. Of course he'd be infuriated. Sakura treated them like rodents, pushing them to chase her around like rats, then ultimately losing her.

However, in Sakura's favour, there were only a few of them left, a couple at most with two archers.

The two of them stood up. Dusting her knees, she situated herself front of her companion. He glanced down at her hand behind her back, ushering him to go away. He raised an eyebrow at it, clasping it with his right hand, halting her movements. She shook him off, side-glancing him.

''I thought you wanted to hold hands.''

Seriously? At a time like this? ''What? No. You run. I'll deal with this.''

Ignoring her command, he stood next to her, merely entertained by her evident irritation. He found it amusing, almost cute at her attempt of trying to play hero.

''Don't you think it'll be quicker with the two of us?''

''You're crippled.''

''So are you.''

''I'm in a better shape than you. Do you even know how to fight?''

The boss wasting no time, he sends the remaining men charging towards them. She lets them come, a readying stance with her last two burrowed daggers. They lunged at her, swinging. She backed up, clashing against their dagger, serving a swift high kick against the bandits head.

Another bandit's pocketknife barely skimming her cloak as she ducks in time, sweeping him off his feet. She crushes his ankles, intending to disable him from coming back for another round. He shrieks in anguish, collapsing at the throbbing pain. She battles through them with ease, a few of them craftier than others.

A wave of fluttering navy obscured her view, everything seemingly in slow motion as she made eye contact with him. His almond sharp hazel eyes, beautiful and mesmerising, yet somewhat lifeless, full of void.

A playfulness lighting his eyes briefly as he turned his back to her. It fleeting ever so quickly that Sakura thought she saw wrong. As he turned, he swipes away a flying arrow, sending it straight back to the archer, impaling him. Sakura was taken aback; his elegance as he whirled, such as a flow of a current. His movement so very light, almost as if he was gliding.

The boss was getting agitated, the tall male blocking his view of the girl. ''Who the hell is he?!'' He snatched the bow and arrow from the last archer, violently pushing him out of the way, aiming it for the yukata's back.

Sakura pushed him out of the way, directly charging for the leader. This was it. She wasn't having any of this absurdity anymore; she had more important matters to attend to, people to save. She swatted every charging arrow with her dagger, sprinting left right to throw him off.

She leapt at him with full force, feet gliding through the air. He clunched her ankles, swinging her by the foot, her back slamming against a tree. He grabbed for her wounded shoulder, squeezing it with such pressure it ruptured the wound again, tainting the bandage red. Sakura gritted her teeth, grabbing onto his arm, one hand against his wrist, the other alongside his bulky arm. With the brutal strength she could muster, she snapped his elbow, the bone popping out awkwardly. The scream deafening against her ears.

Glimmering against her eyes, almost blinding her, a kunai appeared before Sakura. The male standing behind the leader, holding it underneath his chin, against his throat. His hazel eyes held her fast, glinting maliciously, no hint of amusement. Her mouth bone dry, Sakura held his gaze quizzically, surely he wasn't going to...

And before she knew it, he slashed the neck, giving no time for the man to react, the blood spluttering over Sakura's face and her eyes flinching in response. The yukata male dropped to the ground with a thud at her feet, silence engulfing the area. It happened ever so quickly, in the twinkling of an eye. Sakura blinked and she was already met with an open flesh.

They just stood there. Sakura unable to process the situation. She knew it, he was much more dangerous than he was letting out to be. He stepped closer, brushing aside the blood on her face with his thumb, his finger feeling hot against her cold, soft skin.

Quickly recovering from the initial shock, Sakura breathed, ''Who are you?''

He gave a subtle smile. Okay so, she wasn't playing hero, she could actually fight.

''Utakata.''

He simply watches her straighten up from her slouched position, wiping down her blooded face. His eyes follow her as she tenses on her reopened wound. If she notices his gaze, she doesn't comment on it. Why? Because she wasn't sure what to say, or where to begin. This whole situation apparently puzzling for the girl.

''You're injured.''

She presents him a sarcastic smile, 'no shit' plastered over her face. ''I'm fine.''

He raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it.

''Listen, you don't have any right to speak, a few of these injuries were rendered by you.'' Sakura pointing at her neck, discoloration of red and purple covering it like a collar. Oxygen-rich blood newly pooled underneath the skin, begging to burst. Utakata eyed her neck, now he was truly confused. He doesn't remember ever confronting her; heck, they barely met. But she doesn't look like she was lying. He doesn't say anything, but hands her the blooded kunai from earlier.

Stepping closer, she wipes the drench kunai on his yukata. ''That's for slashing him in front of me.'' She brushes by him, collecting any spare daggers and kunais, since she used a number of hers earlier today. She tossed the hood back over her head commencing her journey.

''Where are you heading?'' He follows a few feet behind her, retracing her steps. She never replies for a long while. He couldn't know she was infiltrating a village, she didn't know where he was from or who he was, or what he was capable of.

''On a mission that's none of your concern.''

'She was a kunoichi? I mean that much was evident, based on how she fought.' ''I'll come with you.''

She paused in her tracks, the man earning a perplexed expression from the rosette. Without a second thought, she replied,

''No.''

''If I remember correctly, you said you already have something to attend to in this direction.'' She didn't need him tagging along. She felt that if he follows her…this journey will double in length.

He gave her a small smile. ''Yeah, I have something else to attend to now.'' Whatever it was, she doesn't want to know, doesn't need to know, refuses to know.

''Whatever, just don't hinder me.''

They were now at the boarder of Uzushiogakure. The sky was darkening, and she needed a place to rest; however, civilisation wasn't close until she reaches the other end of the misty river. She concluded it was safer to deal with it in broad daylight.

''I think it's best we stay in the protection of the forest.''

Sakura never replied to his comment, her silence being her acknowledgement. She eyed around looking for some comfortable stump to rest on. She opts for a random stump, dropping down sighing in relief. She grabs for a few sturdy oak twigs by her feet, summoning the most basic katon jutsu that she learnt from the academy. A small fire ablaze, not too strong to gain attention, but enough to keep them warm. She felt a budge next to her and notices him positioning himself comfortably next to her.

He grabbed hold of her backpack, pulling out a new fresh set of bandage. Untwirling it, he faces her.

''Take it off.''

''What.''

''Your cloak, take it off.''

''I don't need to change it now; I'll do it tomorrow once I'm fully recharged.''

''Why wait when I'm here? You'll infect yourself, its an opened wound, aren't you a doctor, or are you a fraud?'' He ended his sentence with a cheeky smirk. He barely knew her, and he was pushing her buttons; however, he wasn't entirely wrong, it'll infect sooner or later. Sighing discernibly, Sakura slid off her cloak, revealing her 'should've been porcelain complexion' arm, now bathed in streaks of red.

He commenced untying the bandage. Light, soft touches caressed her skin, he felt like velvet, soft velvet. The same fingers that spilled blood earlier, that was aggressive and brutal, now supposedly delicate. His skin was hot against hers, sending the back of her hair to stand up. Her trance-like state interrupted by his hoarse voice.

''You know katon?''

''Just the basics, we learnt it back at the Kono-.'' She bit her tongue, glancing up at him, the fire reflecting his hazel eyes. A light smile, he knew what he did, and she fell for his silly manipulation game. Ok, it wasn't manipulation, it was plain stupidity on her part.

''Okay, so I'm from Konoha, so what?''

He raised his unoccupied hand in defence, ''I didn't say anything.''

He wiped down the wet and crusted blood away. His scent of musk washing over her nostrils yet again. The continuation of his smooth and slow movements, almost deliberately savouring every shred of warmth amongst them. He studied her face, watching her internal struggle to stay awake, probably because of him, she was still extremely wary. He released a barely noticeable smile at the fact.

''So, what's your name?''

She hesitates before saying anything, biting her tongue again.

''Sakura.''

He scoffed jokingly.

''What's funny?''

''Nothing, just… couldn't choose a name any more obvious.''

With a light smile, she snorts, not entirely disagreeing with him.

''So, you do know how to smile.'' He lightly utters, but not silent enough for Sakura to miss it. Before she could respond, he pats the shoulder finished. She looks down, now realising his utterly sloppy job of bandaging, and here he was talking like he was a professional first aider.

''You suck at this.''

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Please bear with any mistakes you see, I don't have any beta readers, and there's only so many times I can re-read a chapter.

I sometimes re-read it 5+, then notice more mistakes when I post it and think how did I even miss those?

Thanks for reading though.

Ciao

-Grape