Mio bambinos,
Hope you are all well c:
Edit: I forgot to mention that I'll be writing Utakata in my own terms. He appeared very briefly in NS (filler no less) and it has been such a long time, I don't remember his OC personality/characteristics. So, not knowing what he is like makes it easier for me when I'm creating his character.
I don't think many remember his character as well? Imo he was quite irrelevant in NS to be fair.
For the ones that remember his OC, you either adjust to it or find another story, I'm sorry c:
Matix1256: Like I said in my earlier chapters, I started this on a whim and had no initial plan. At first it was all SasuxSaku but as I started planning in Utakata, it kind of shifted. I'm all for SxS, but we'll have to see how it develops as Sasuke is out of the frame right now.
That being said, I want to know how readers are finding Utakata, is it too awkward, or do you like him? Make him less open?
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It was a fair, calm night, nevertheless moonless, with little to no wind stirring. A faint, dulcet, rhythmic flow of the river; a heavy resonance of the clashing waves that lightens, softens to a silken hush.
Sakura couldn't fall asleep, at all. Utakata now relocated to the tree stump in front of her. How could she fall unconscious in the presence of this man? She still couldn't trust him. She didn't know if he was sleeping, a slight haze in the air, obscuring her vision. The fire was holding onto the remanence of the dying wood. Sakura was tempted to soon rekindle it, to be consoled by its reassuring cackling blaze, and to fill in the excruciating silence…but opted against it, not wanting to risk any danger. She sighed, it will be a long night, and until the sun looks out from among the treetops in the morning, she will sit here, wide awake.
.
.
The early morning comes as an invitation for the two travellers to depart. In the misty morning, there are growing patches of blue, the sort of hue that is soft and bright at the same time. The air was cooler, the colours less vivid and the drops of rain begging to descend.
Utakata studied her features, shades of black planted underneath her emerald eyes.
''You did not sleep?''
Sakura was feeling groggy, especially after no sleep. His comments always had some jokingly playful connotation to it, as if he was making fun of her, teasing. Right now, she was tempted to rupture the slash across his chest.
She never replied, huffing as she walked to the edge of the vast river, unable to see much due to the mist. She contemplated her options: One. She could use her chakra and walk across; however, unlike the river, her chakra had limits, and in no time, she'd fall in. Two. She could walk along the riverbed, until she makes it round to the other side; again, they'd never know how long it'll take, not knowing how far out it stretched. Three…. That was it, there was no three. She couldn't think of any better solutions, she felt incapable, her dispiriting thoughts begging to consume her whole before she was interrupted.
''I can get us across.''
Facing him, her eyes beamed in response. ''What are you suggesting?'' she asked eagerly.
''A couple of hours. It will take us a couple of hours until we reach the island on the other side.
''So?''
''You cannot walk around the river, it'll take you over a day, unless you are fine with that.'' It was as if he knew what she was thinking. Frowning, shook her head in response.
''I'll create a water sphere and use it as a means of transportation.''
''That requires chakra.''
He smiles subtly, ''I have plenty.''
''What if we fall in the river?''
''You will be safe with me.''
She furrows her brows, eyeing him sceptically. It sounded rather… too good to be true. His chakra won't run out? What was he? Some extraordinary being? Running out of options herself, she decides to trust him this one time, she nods her head.
''If anything goes wrong, I'll kill you.''
In response, Utakata holds out his hand, gesturing Sakura to take hold of it. Hesitantly, she holds onto the tip of his cold fingers. He tugs her towards him, Sakura bumping against his chest. Clasping hold of her right hand, he whispers into her pink locks, ''Hold on.''
Sakura felt very awkward, not knowing what to do with herself, not wanting to physically touch him either. She's never been this close to any man before…unless she's killing or checking the chest of her patients. He mumbles something under his breath, summoning a water sphere. Providing no warning, it encircles them, floating them into the depths of the water. Startled, Sakura grabs hold of his shoulder for safety. He gently takes hold of her waist, steading her in her position.
''You good?''
Sakura didn't anticipate the shudders that ran through her body, blaming it on the close proximity, his heat radiating against her skin, a natural response from her body she supposed. She looks to her sides, examining the sea-life. It was a pure aesthetic scenery. The underwater as clear as a cloudless sky. An underwater paradise, a large, living and breathing structure consisting of unimaginable organisms that survived together in harmony.
Nudging her, she looks up at his hazel eyes. Realising his towering height for a second time, he was at least a head taller than her. ''Oh, yes, I'm fine.'' They held their gaze, Sakura looking away first feeling flustered.
''Isn't this romantic?''
She looked up at him in absolute disbelief. Just when she thought he was normal, at least, as normal he can get.
''If this is your idea of romantic, then you need to go out more.'' She deadpanned.
''Then what is?''
Again, Sakura didn't know what to say. Why was he so good at rendering her speechless? She's never been in a relationship before, a few of her male staff members confessing to her, only for her to turn them down, prioritising her job. After Sasuke, there was no one she had a crush on, no-one that gave her butterflies in her stomach. Sasuke…which led her thoughts to Naruto and everyone else. She wonders how he and everyone else was doing back home.
Growl.
Before she could even formulate her thoughts for an answer, her stomach beat her to it. It's been over two days since she had a solid meal. She had emergency snacks but refuses to eat it unless she's in a life-threatening situation. A snort echoed the sphere. Sakura gave a soft punch to his stomach, earning a very dramatic response from Utakata as he grasped his abdomen. Almost forgetting about his injuries, Sakura gave mumbles of apologies.
.
.
It was a particularly warm afternoon, the sun gleaming in Konoha, but a certain blonde could not recuperate the energy. Tsunade stormed through the Hokage's office, slamming her fists onto the desk.
''Where is she!?''
Kakashi looked up, greeting Tsunade with a smile. ''Nice to see you too, it's been long.''
''Hatake…'' She didn't have the patience to return his joking manner.
''If you're talking about Sakura, she has already left for Kirigakure.''
''and you let her?''
''Tsunade, give her some credit, she is your student.''
''And she is yours.''
Without hesitation, Kakashi replied confidently, ''I trust my student.''
There was a pause in the air, a heavy tension lingering. It wasn't that she was doubting her abilities, it was that damn Water Land she was worried about, the whole village was a disaster, no order and no system, just utter chaos. There were too many issues she could run into.
''If her mission becomes prolonged, we will intervene, for now we need to maintain the village.''
Her chestnut eyes burning with resoluteness, she pledged, ''Of course we will intervene, as her mentor I will not let anything happen to her.''
.
.
A couple of hours in and she wanted to sit, to bend, anything to soothe her aching knees. ''Why is this so small.'' Bringing his gaze to her, he answers, ''because I like us being so close.''
She didn't even bother to retort or smile, waiting for the genuine answer. ''Fine, the smaller it is, the more chakra I can save. I know you were sceptical earlier, extra measure.'' Satisfied with the reply, she nodded her head in acknowledgement.
She squinted her eyes, barely making out the outlines of islands roots underwater. She smiles in delight pointing at the direction, ''we're close!'' The sphere wobbling due to her sudden movements, Sakura quickly grasps onto the waist of his yukata. He looks down at her, raising an eyebrow.
''Just say you want to touch me.''
''What? No! I was taken aback from the wobble, it won't burse, will it?''
''I mean, if you want it to.''
''No, thank you.''
Finally nearing the island, the sphere emerged from the water, softly docking on land. Situated on the outskirts of the village, they made their way in.
Utakata followed her a few inches from behind, watching over her head, for something, anything. Anything that may be deemed as a threat. He knew once you're in the territory of the Land of Water nothing is safe, no-one is safe. He wasn't sure what Konoha was like, but he assumed it was more orderly and controlled.
This was the first village she landed on in the Land of Water, a little village, but still a village.
And it was devastating. The town itself looked ghastly, mundane. With its gloomy wooden rooftops, poorly harboured walls and foggy surroundings, it had a bleak atmosphere.
Walking down the village, she noticed the number of homeless people, their expressions void of emotion, as if they walked through hell itself and returned. Their body present but their mind long drifted. And to make matters worse, majority of them were children. They looked scrawny, nothing but bones and skeletons, with a single touch they looked like they'd shatter into fragments.
''Mozuku Island.''
She looked up at Utakata in confusion.
''The island's name. As you can see it has no future. Soon enough, the population will die, the island will be left uninhabited. But this remains to be seen.'' He stated this as a matter of fact, as if it's their predestined future. But what about these kids? They still had a life to live, a future to experience, and to rip it from them… it didn't sit well with Sakura.
However, it wasn't in her jurisdiction to deal with another land's struggle, especially outside of the Land of Fire. She stops in her tracks, Utakata stopping suite. She walks over to two small girls, looking no older than 12. Frightened, they back up onto the wall. Kneeling to their heighted level, Sakura gently asks, ''Where are your parents?''
Their face frozen in a glassy stare of horror, their eyes began whelling with water. Sakura slowly extends her hand to the younger girl, tenderly brushing her rough knotted brown hair. A heartful warming smile, she continued, ''Are you siblings?'' The older one nodding in reply. For a second time, she repeated, ''where are your parents?''
Clasping her younger sister's ears, in an attempt to block her hearing, she started, ''T-they sold us off, for money…''
Was Sakura hearing this correctly? Sold? Their children? For money? She looked up to Utakata, noticing him looking indifferent. He could see it in her eyes, 'we have to do something.' He dragged her up by her elbow, pulling her away from the kids.
''Whatever you are thinking, no.''
She grunted. ''We have to. I know it's not in my jurisdiction-.'' She glances back at the kids, then looking back at him, grasping his arm, and tugging it, she resumed. ''-but I need to do something, even if it's just helping a few people.''
Tugging her arm back in response, he replies, ''You are right, it is not in your jurisdiction, so you should stop here.''
She calls him name with a plea, ''Utakata.'' It wasn't fair with the way she calls him, it rolled off her tongue like honey, her voice as soft and murmurous as wings, like an evening thrush. He sighed in defeat, dropping her arm. ''Fine, but do not go over the limit.''
She smiled, jogging back to the two kids. She crouched down, the conversation inaudible to Utakata as he watches her from afar, eyeing his surrounding for anything suspicious. She brushes out the knots from their hair, wiping down their murky features. Overall, they looked generally healthy, just a bit malnourished. Their physical health will heal long before they are able to heal their brain, their mental health in jeopardy. Trauma is that way, being abandoned by their own flesh and blood, after all.
To make matters worse, they were scarcely dressed, nothing but dirty cotton shirt dresses with old sandals. In this damp climate? They'd become ill in no time. She unhooked her cloak, wrapping it around the two girls.
She rummaged through her bag, handing the bananas and rice balls she was saving for an emergency. ''Here. Go eat this somewhere secluded.'' She gave them a warm hug, ushering them to depart.
Sakura walked back to Utakata.
''Wish you would hug me like that too.''
She elbowed him on the arm, signalling him to continue walking.
''Are you fine without your cloak?''
''I'll be fine, they needed it more than I did.''
They stopped in front of a hostelry. Opening the half-broken door, they walked up to the receptionist. She was blankly gazing off into the distance, fiddling with her pen. She looked terribly exhausted, the lights in her eyes completely dim.
''Can I have a room for the night?'' Sakura asked, jolting the woman from her thoughts.
''For two?
''No-''
''Yes-''
Sakura snapped her neck to look at Utakata with bewilderment.
''What. We need to be efficient here.'' He side stepped her giving her no room to argue, placing the money on the counter.
''Where'd you get that?''
''The dead bandits.'' The receptionist's head shot up, almost snapping it. A true look of horror washed over her feature. With the lady paralysed in the spot, Utakata took the key from her shaking fingers, heading off and with Sakura following suite.
The building only had two floors, so it didn't take long to arrive to the room. It looked as if no one had been there for centuries; the glim corridor light flickering on and off, dust had built up into a thick carpet, covering the floor. A vase on the hallway table contained dead flowers that would turn to dust at the slightest touch. Sakura didn't think the room would be any different.
And so it wasn't. It was worse than the first room she had. The air was cold and damp. Cobwebs covered almost every inched of the ceiling and mould lined the walls. In the far-left corner sat a small bed, only enough for one, a door on the other side containing an extremely tiny washroom. A rusty round carpet and a jammed window. It looked more like a storage room than a bedroom.
With everything that was taking place, Sakura never noticed how much her body ached, random spots stinging from cuts and grazes, her shoulder still quite sore. She was tired, especially having no sleep yesterday.
She drops onto the floor, bringing out her painkillers from her bag. 'These civilians need it more than I do.' She knew she didn't have enough, so she crushed them into powder, pouring it into a water-filled container the room had provided.
Kicking off his shoes and falling onto the bed, he asks, ''What are you doing?''
''I'm diluting the painkillers, so I can double its quantity for the villagers.''
''You know that is not enough to go around, right?
''I know, but I'll prioritise the sickest.''
He wasn't sure why she had so much passion for people she didn't know. Was that a trait that came along with being a doctor? He doesn't think he would ever risk something for someone he didn't know. Maybe because he had no-one to care for, or that cared for him. He glanced at her. Did she count? She did treat him with no reasoning attached. She discontinued his pondering mind with her voice.
''Utakata, I'm going to treat a few, I'll be back soon.''
He nodded and was met with a peaceful silence.
.
.
Tap, tap, tap. Silence. Tap, tap, tap. Silence. Unable to keep his feet from fidgeting, he sighed in frustration.
'Why the hell was she taking so long?'
It had been a couple of hours, the sun already beseeching to lower itself. He was waiting for her to return, and he was starting to believe she won't. He shouldn't really care but he had been accustomed to her presence. He was unsure as to why he was relaxed around her, maybe because she was so easy to tease or that she was a literal open book. The thought of something terrible happening to her left a bitter taste in his mouth, especially knowing that he could have done something about it. He stood up deciding this was long enough for her little expedition.
.
.
She trotted up the flight of stairs, exhausted. She didn't expect to help that many people, a few dozen at least. She wasn't planning to use her chakra either, but some cases needed attending to. She brought her attention to the hotel room, opening the door.
Hand on the knob, she fell forward as the door swung open. In a daze, she looked up and was met with a startled Utakata. She regained her footing, closing the door behind her, Utakata stepping back to give her space.
''Is this your idea of soon?''
She replied with a confused look. He knew very well what she went to do.
''I told you, I went to treat people-.''
''Do you realise how long you were gone for?''
She wasn't exactly following the time, she was gone for a bit; even so, she was unsure as to why he was so agitated.
Nevertheless, he was correct, he knew this land better than she did, and for her to wonder not knowing what she could have encountered was daft. Still, she felt he was underestimating her abilities.
''You're right, I'm sorry. But I feel that you're over exaggerating.''
He sighed, as long as she was fine. ''How did it go?''
She beamed in response, kicking off her shoes. ''It was great.'' She walked to the washroom, changing into her only pair of shorts and t-shirt she brought along. ''I helped quite a few of people. I wish I could do more, but I'm limited.'' Sakura walked back to the bed, dropping onto it. Her eyes drifted to his spoiled bandaged chest; she cringes.
She takes hold of his warm hand, pulling him to sit on the bed next to her, and he allows her to do so.
''You are moving a little too fast, I'm shy.''
She scoffed. ''Don't make me beat you.''
He falls onto the bed, sinking the mattress.
''Take it off.''
''What.''
''The yukata, take it off.'' Standing up to retrieve some items, she sneers as she ended her sentences, the scenario feeling all a bit too familiar.
He pulls the yukata from his shoulder, letting it sit around his waist. His eyes are on her as she walks back to the bed, holding a wet cloth and some fresh bandages. She settles against him, mimicking his posture; one leg folded on the bed, brushing against his leg, and one hanging off the bed.
Her eyes glazed over his chest.
She couldn't help noticing his broad and toned upper body, he had visible scars scattered around his body, as if someone played with him like a chalk board. Every scar telling a story of its own. She looks away, suddenly feeling like her eyes were lingering unnecessarily. She inched closer, her arms circling his waist as she attempts to untie the knot. His face nuzzled into her hair; breathing into her neck. She smelt so sweet, like rose apples.
She slowly sweeps off the bandage, allowing it to fall onto the ground. She winces as she notices the injury. She wasn't sure how he managed to tolerate the pain. It was covered with grotesque purple and red tender ripped flesh, areas swollen and bruised. The scabs must have ripped at some point.
She glazed her fingers over the the wounds lightly. 'It must have hurt.' She gently dabs the drenched cotton over the wound, trickles of water slipping down their thighs.
Filling in the silence, he asks, ''why are you doing this''
She halted, locking with his gaze of uncertainty, then back down to his chest.
''Because you would do the same for me.''
She sounded so confident. Would he? How would she know that? She doesn't even know him.
''You wouldn't be saying that if you knew what I was.''
''What are you?''
…
''The 6 tails.''
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Omg, there was no good place to end this, it went up to 3,400+ words. I didn't want to bore you guys.
Thanks for reading.
Ciao
-Grape