Journey to the second relic site begins here.
Chapter LXXIV
Deep within the forest, danger will spring,
A song of slaughter the enemy sings,
Hunting down those chosen by Fate,
An intent to maim and agitate,
With pointed spears begins a wild chase,
A frenzied battle, a desperate race.
The sun was rising. Sasuke rested his head back against the windowsill frame, watching as the sky illuminated with beautiful pastel shades of rosy pink and pale orange, a glorious canvas holding the promise of hope that accompanied the dawning of a new day. He had to grudgingly admit that witnessing sunrise on the surface was an altogether different experience to the event which occurred in Elysium's vibrant skies.
Naruto and Sakura were both sound asleep, but the blissful escape afforded by slumber, for Sasuke, was a luxury that had often eluded him ever since the days of his ascension to the Underworld's throne. At most he was able to close his eyes for a few, fleeting minutes - before they were once again compelled to open by the turbulence of his thoughts, or the incessant callings of his duties. He remembered the days before the war, where he'd been able to sleep often, peacefully, without a worry or care in the world. Of falling asleep in his mother's loving arms, or crawling into his brother's room and bed as an infant god, whenever he hadn't wanted to sleep in such large quarters all alone. Itachi had always held him close back then, allowing him to snuggle into his reassuring, comforting warmth.
Those days seemed like they belonged to a distant dream. Then Itachi had quickly grown up, and sleep had become just as much a rarity for him as it now was for Sasuke. Sasuke hadn't understood, back then, why his brother remained awake in solitude in the latest hours of the night. He hadn't understood much about anything at all, really, in his youthful naivety.
Thoughts of Itachi gnawed away at his mind. Minato had stated that he had not been the one to place the seal upon Sakura. Who, then? The image he had glimpsed from Ino's memories haunted him, of Itachi and Shisui standing over Kore's dying body. Was Itachi responsible for it? Or had Shisui done it? Had they both acted together? Was that even possible? They would have had to have left the battle-field. How would Cronus have ever allowed it? They had been his prized fighters. His strongest assets. It didn't make any sense.
"The same eye that cast it. If you possess it, you will be able to unlock it."
Sasuke's mind raced with urgency, trying to patch together all the scraps of information he had gathered over the course of time. He remembered the jars containing Sharingan eyeballs in Orochimaru's lair, empty containers bearing his brother and Shisui's names. The fact they had seemingly left the battlefield according to Ino's recollections and been there with Kore at the time of her death. Minato had said eye, not eyes. That implied either Shisui's or Itachi's - not both. Whose was it? How could he know for sure?
Sasuke's eyebrows drew together. If, in theory, either one of them had been the one to place the seal upon Sakura, did that suggest, then, that their eyes were also required to unlock it? Had Minato literally meant the actual eye, or merely that it had to be another Mangekyou Sharingan or the Rinnegan? But how was it even possible that he could have intended it literally? Shisui and Itachi were both dead. There were no remains of them left anywhere. Their bodies had long since perished with the rest of the Uchiha clan.
Frustration clawed away at his chest, leaving him feeling restless and discontent. It was a nonsensical riddle that seemed impossible to solve, sending him in an endlessly clueless loop to which there was no clear answer. He had risked everything to gain the means to activate the Rinnegan. That had to be the way to unlock it, or at the very least, to see the seal, and figure out the correct course of action required to remove it.
His dark gaze turned away from the picturesque view beyond the window's glass panes, flicking onto Sakura's slumbering form. She'd mumbled his name in sleep again, in such a peculiar manner, that his immediate instinct had been to find out why - and to silence her before Naruto the idiot happened to wake up and overhear her. And so he had used his governance over sleep to tap into her dream - only to be overcome with shock at what he had witnessed transpiring in the realm of her subconsciousness.
He'd seen her in a club not dissimilar to the seedy place they'd visited the previous evening, dancing in the middle of a mass of people - and swaying in time to her movements behind her had been none other than himself. His hands gripping her waist. Tendrils of shadows from his fingertips coiling over her body. It was a vision he had been stunned to find existed in her mind. His fickle heart, so foolishly, had been set instantly pounding within his chest - and a wave of confusion had crashed over him.
Why would she dream of such an outrageous, intimate thing? When she had made it so abundantly clear how she felt about him when they'd last parted? It made no manner of sense in his mind. He tried to pass it off as Sakura being overwhelmed. And yet he knew better, given his command over the element of sleep, that often dreams were an expression of one's innermost desires.
He struggled to accept that there could be any possibility that she felt anything other than resentment, and the hated pity her mother had claimed she harboured for him. After all that he had done to Sakura, the way he had damned her and the repercussions of his actions on the cycle of her rebirth, he dared not even think that she would, or could, view him in any other way than in a negative light. Even despite her insistence that she had not faked anything, he knew she had still done everything with an ulterior motive lodged in the back of her mind - an ultimate goal to leave the Underworld and betray him. She had only allowed him to kiss her last, with the intent to poison him.
And yet, the dream she'd had of him cradling her close, his lips brushing over her ears, her neck, had been sensual, at complete odds with anything she had said to him in upset, any other actions she'd taken. He didn't understand it. He didn't like how it unsettled him so much. How it had made his heart quicken, how it caused such unease within the pits of his stomach.
He dragged his eyes away, back to the sky, now magnificently strewn with the flaming golden orange of the sun. It changed nothing, he told himself resolutely. It didn't matter what she saw. Nothing changed the reality of their circumstances. He was painfully aware that simply speaking to Sakura out loud would mean there was a danger that Orochimaru would choose to listen in.
His hand moved to grip his right forearm, fully conscious of the serpent's damned curse seal.
No slip-ups. He had already come to terms with the fact and long since accepted that she would never forgive him after all that he had done. There was no way she would ever want the one who had doomed her to a lightless place with no regard for her opinion in the matter.
He wasn't about to waver in his resolve. He couldn't afford to risk her safety anymore than his actions already had. He couldn't afford to show any weaknesses.
Sakura stifled a yawn as she stroked her hair-brush through her tresses, smoothing down any strands that had been crinkled by sleep. She had only managed to grab roughly four hours of shut-eye, which she knew was nowhere near enough. It had been a thoroughly uncomfortable night of sleep, for more reasons than one, and she was already missing the warm security and familiarity of her own bed.
They'd washed and tumble-dried all their clothes over night, sparing them the need to unpack any of their substitute outfits, but Sakura guessed they wouldn't be able to do so as easily once they got out onto the road. They'd been fortunate to be able to rest at Kakashi's place. Who knew where they would end up sleeping the following night?
Tying her hair back into a messy double-dutch braid ponytail, Sakura secured her earrings and exited the bathroom.
"Morning, Sakura-chan," Naruto mumbled sleepily, rubbing at his bleary eyes. No doubt Kakashi had had to drag him up.
"Morning," she greeted, stepping aside to let him use the bathroom next.
She glanced down at her phone, finding new messages from her mother and Ino. Kakashi had already called the others upon their return from the club to update them of their progress, and Sakura had spoken to her mother to reassure her of her well-being the previous night. The messages she opened from her mother now asked her to take care of herself, and to make sure she ate and slept well.
Smiling to herself, Sakura answered with a simple: I will. Love you x
Then she opened up a message from Ino.
Ino-Pig - [07:22]
Foreheeeeaad. Hi. How's it going with Sasuke? P.S. I miss your Billboard Brow. It's so boring without you. xoxo
Sakura frowned.
Morning. He's a jerk, she typed back. P.S. I miss your Pig-Face, too x
Ino-Pig - [07:46]
Why? Is he being a dick to you? OMG. I'll kick his ass, hot or not.
He's being rude to everyone.Sakura reported. Naruto has it the worst. I feel horrible for him.
Ino-Pig - [07:47]
I mean, that's not surprising is it? I guess his social skills haven't improved over the centuries, huh?
Ino-Pig - [07:47]
Just remember what I told you. Work it! Maybe he's being a jerk because he's sexually frustrated. LOL. Trust the Love Expert.
Ino! Sakura typed furiously back. Stop that. Anyway, she confided by text, something super embarrassing happened. I had a dream. He was in it. And I think he knows. Kill me now.
Ino-Pig - [07:48]
Huh? A dream? You're dreaming about him? What the hell, Forehead?! Details!
We had to go into a nightclub yesterday, and I dreamed that he was with me in a nightclub, she replied vaguely. Just my brain being crazy, but when I woke up, he was sitting there and he was just staring at me, and I wanted to die, Ino. Sakura felt her cheeks burn afresh at the memory of those intense eyes settling onto her face in the darkness.
Ino-Pig - [07:49]
How would he know? You mean he like, what? Looked into your dream? Can he even do that?
He inherited all his clan's abilities, Sakura wrote back. He can command sleep, as well as death. So yeah. If he wanted.
Ino-Pig - [07:50]
What a jerk! That's a total violation of privacy! Why would he do that? Did you say his name or something?
Sakura bit her lower lip. She didn't know for sure. But she must have. Something must have alerted him, and caused him to check in on her. She knew he would never waste his time or energy doing so just for the sake of it. That wasn't Sasuke's style.
I don't know, but it was super embarrassing. Being around him is just so awkward now. I don't even know how to talk to him. He won't even say a word to me. He just ignores me, and acts like he never kidnapped me to the Underworld, and it makes me so mad, Ino!
Ino-Pig - [07:51]
Don't you dare give up. You're going to beat this stuck-up, sexy jerk at his own game! Give it time. If you want any tips on getting his attention, I've got a few I could share...
Bye Ino! Sakura quickly terminated the chat before it could venture down any further embarrassing routes. Love you! Gotta go!
She slipped her cell into her pocket and wandered into the kitchen, where Kakashi was taking out some eggs, ready to cook up breakfast.
"Morning, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura smiled.
"Sakura. Sleep well?" her mentor asked.
"I slept okay…" Sakura answered politely. "Can I help you with breakfast?"
"You can cut the fruit up," Kakashi nodded at the selection of fruits on the counter. Bananas, apples, strawberries and grapes. "And make the tea, if you like. Knives and forks are in that third drawer. Bowls in the counter above your head."
Sakura nodded and set to work.
The sound of a chair scraping back against the tiled floor drew Sakura's gaze to the kitchen table. Sasuke had just sat down on one end, fully dressed and ready to go. She felt her heart leap to her throat, as the memory of the inappropriate dream came flooding back to her once again. Sasuke's dark eyes flicked up to her and she quickly averted her face, feeling heat instantly ignite in her cheeks.
He knew, she realised in dismay, sensing his gaze lingering on her, the heaviness of his weighted stare unmistakeable. By the heavens, she'd probably said something in sleep, and he had to have heard it. There could be no other reason why he had looked so surprised and confused. She gulped, feeling her heart thundering within her chest, only to agitatedly realise that he could probably sense that, too. There was no escaping the way her body betrayed her - everything seemed to fall under his damned domain.
What was wrong with her? Ino had told her to keep her cool. She was failing. Miserably!
"Morning, Sasuke," Kakashi greeted him, not expecting any form of response. "Did you sleep at all?"
He was right in his assumption. The death deity remained silent and opened up the quest map Kakashi had placed on the table. He busied himself with studying it intently.
Kakashi sighed quietly to himself. He presumed the silence confirmed that Sasuke hadn't slept a minute.
Sakura took out some plates and bowls, along with knives and forks, and walked over to the table. Feeling like her face was on fire, she laid the cutlery out. To her immense relief, Sasuke didn't look at her again; he was too busy examining the route Kakashi had marked out onto the parchment.
Naruto strolled in, pulled back a chair opposite Sasuke's, and exclaimed brightly, "Morning, everyone!" Scratching at his whiskered cheek, he inquired, "What's for breakfast, Kakashi-sensei? Smells good, and I'm starving, dattebayo!"
Sakura set down the bowl of sliced fruit and began to serve the tea, as Kakashi placed sunny-side up eggs on each of their plates.
"Eat up everyone," he invited, taking a seat beside Sakura. "We have a long journey ahead of us."
"Are you going to eat?" Naruto tried to say casually. Sakura met his gaze briefly, reading the hope to see their teacher's face written clearly in his expressive sapphire eyes.
"I already did," Kakashi offered.
Naruto whinged, "Aw, man! When are we ever gonna see your face, Kakashi-sensei?"
"And ruin centuries-worth of suspense?" Kakashi responded in amusement.
Naruto grumbled and began to dig into his breakfast.
"Sasuke. Would you mind if I turned the map this way?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke drew his hand back wordlessly and allowed him to do so.
Sakura took a sip of her tea, feeling it warm her throat soothingly. Her eyes slid onto Sasuke, who had made no move to touch his plate and was still looking down at the scroll. She recalled that he had eaten on multiple occasions in the Underworld. He'd had an entire, sprawling banqueting table full of a ridiculously huge variety of foods, constantly laid out for consumption. Did their humble offering not suffice, or meet his lofty standards?
"The remaining relic sites are in the Land of Wind, Land of Earth and Land of Lightning. This is Wind Country," Kakashi indicated, tapping a finger over the map. "The place that's marked here is near Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand Village."
Sakura chewed on a mouthful of fried egg as she peered down at the map.
"How far is it?" she asked.
"It's roughly a three day-long journey. We'll take this route through the forests on the outskirts of Konoha," he drew a line with his finger from their present location, to the intended path. "It'll become obvious when we draw closer. The geographical terrain becomes more arid in Wind Country."
Sasuke eyed his plate. Kakashi had placed some fried tomatoes onto it. He silently picked a slice up and ate it. Deities consumed food out of habit, not necessity - and he wasn't particularly hungry - but he never refused tomatoes.
Sakura noticed when he took another slice of tomato off his plate. Did he like them? It was such a normal food, such an unexpectedly innocent taste to have. That was something she hadn't known about him. Then she reasoned that there was probably so much more she didn't know, particularly when it came to things he liked. There didn't seem to be much in the world that he didn't hate.
His dark eyes caught her staring, and blinked expressionlessly at her, raising a dark eyebrow that silently communicated, yes? Sakura felt a blush creep into her cheeks. She then remembered the dream again, and flushed a deeper shade of scarlet. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole.
"Sakura-chan, can you pass me some salt?" Naruto held out his hand.
Sakura did so, and her friend blinked, squinting at her face as he took the dispenser from her.
"Huh? You okay, Sakura-chan?"
"Huh?" Sakura blinked at him. "I'm fine."
"You sure?" Clueless Naruto peered at her more closely. "You look kinda... pink."
Shut up, you idiot! She internally seethed to herself, feeling even more mortified when Kakashi's gaze shifted up to examine her. Of all the tactless people to exist in the world, Naruto had to take the top spot.
"I-I'm fine," she managed to bite out. "The tea is just- warm."
Sasuke released a quiet, derisive snort at her blatant lie, and closed his eyes, sitting back with his arms folded across his chest, prompting Naruto to look confusedly back and forth between the two.
"..." Kakashi's gaze slipped onto Sasuke. He then turned his attention back to the route he'd been pointing out. "We'll probably have to set up camp in the forests for two days. There's a river that runs nearby here," he tapped an index finger again, "so we should be able to catch fresh fish for food."
"Do you think the monsters will get much more difficult, the further we go?" Naruto questioned, as he chewed thoughtfully on a piece of bread.
Kakashi rolled up the scroll, and sighed. "No doubt," he replied.
Thirty minutes later, they gathered all their supplies and set off. The journey to the forest was pleasant, and Sakura found she enjoyed the liberating feeling of the breeze blowing against her face as Naruto smoothly steered the motorcycle. They made several service stops to stretch their legs, eat food and take comfort breaks along the way before continuing onwards, eventually taking a route that led directly into the heart of richly verdant forests. The further in they went, the more remote it became and the less vehicles they began to encounter.
They eventually came to a stop shortly before sunset, when Kakashi led them off the main road entirely and into the forest floor itself. They parked their bikes up against some trees, carefully concealed from the highway, and dismounted.
"Alright," he informed them. "There are no motels nearby, so we're going to stop here for the night."
They trudged through the thicket and shortly arrived at a clearing.
"Is this a good spot?" Sakura gestured, spying some large logs strewn around that they could drag around a campfire and sit on.
"Aah," Kakashi nodded. They set their backpacks down and Sakura zipped hers open to fish out a blanket and some plastic cutlery that her mother had packed for her.
Her stomach growled. They hadn't eaten in a couple of hours, and she was starving.
"Naruto," Kakashi glanced at the sun god. "Can you sense any streams nearby?"
Naruto lifted his hands and engaged Sage Mode. "Yeah! About ten minutes in that direction, dattebayo!" He pointed behind them.
"Alright. Lead the way. Let's go and catch some fish. Sakura. Can you and Sasuke get a fire going?"
"Sure thing, Kakashi-sensei," she nodded, and immediately set about gathering tinder for the fire as Naruto and Kakashi set off toward the river.
Sakura collected small twigs, dry leaves and grass and anything else suitable she could find around them, placing it into a careful pile in the middle of the clearing. Then she dragged one of the fallen logs close to it. Sasuke, who had been standing by in silence, finally moved to wordlessly pull across another. Sakura turned away to check the chakra crystals she had equipped - when the sound of a fire bursting to life made her glance back to find that Sasuke had already ignited the kindling and taken a seat on the log he'd pulled up. He unstrapped Kusanagi from his back, propped it up against the log beside him, and sat staring into the flames.
Sakura looked away. Kakashi and Naruto wouldn't be back for another twenty minutes at least. She definitely didn't want to sit in stifled, awkward silence with Sasuke until then. She glanced up at the waning light of the sky and decided to get up and inspect the immediate area around them. At the very least, she could be useful and collect more twigs and logs to ensure the fire kept going overnight. Since Sasuke clearly had no intention of helping any further, she figured it was best to just get on with the task herself.
Grabbing a spare plastic bag she'd picked up from one of the service stations they'd stopped at, she informed Sasuke of her intention, receiving nothing but stony silence in response. As she had expected. Rolling her eyes, she drifted away and set about collecting more tinder.
She walked around trees, admiring the spring's greenery around them. A sense of awe filled her. To think that life itself flourished because of her, because of the powers she held dormant within her. She spotted pretty bluebells and various other forest flowers growing on the unkept, grassy ground.
Glancing back behind her, she could see the clearing and the warm glow of the fire. She'd wandered quite a distance away, but so long as she didn't lose sight of it completely, she knew she would be fine. Bending down to pick another pile of dry leaves, her eyes then caught sight of something bright red growing in a cluster beneath the shade of a silver-birch tree.
She drew closer, and crouched down curiously. It looked like a type of fruit, like some hybrid variant between a strawberry and a raspberry, attached to thorned, delicate vines. She had never seen anything quite like it. Picking one of the fruits, she lifted it to her nose, surprised when she was overwhelmed with the sweetest aroma, so overpowering that for a brief moment, she felt lightheaded. What on earth was it? Maybe Kakashi would know?
She drew a napkin from her jacket pocket and collected a handful of the berries. There was no harm in taking any back to check, surely? They'd not packed any fruit, and she definitely needed vitamins and minerals to keep her immune system strong.
Her fingers accidentally squished one of the berries, staining her flesh bright red. The desire to lick the shiny residue was overwhelming. Sakura hesitated. She didn't know what the fruit was. What if it was poisonous? But how could something venomous smell so wonderful? She shook her head, resisting the urge, and carried on gathering more. As she crouched along, she discovered more clusters of the berry.
The ripe fruit's juice was now running down her fingers, making them sticky. As Sakura finished plucking the last few from the ground, she heard a rustling and saw a squirrel bound suddenly across the grass in front of her, causing her to prick her finger on a thorn, distracted.
"Ouch!" She automatically lifted the injured digit to her mouth to stem the flow of blood - only to freeze in horror when sweetness exploded onto her tongue, mixed with tangy copper. The finger she'd pricked had been full of fruit nectar. It didn't taste poisonous. It tasted delicious - and yet her heart drummed as she waited for something - anything - to happen.
It's fine, she reassured herself. Even if it's not edible, Sasuke's with me. I only tasted a bit. Nothing's going to happen.
But even as she tried to calm her worries, she could feel a strange giddiness starting to overtake her senses. Her heart began to quicken. Her thoughts began to grow sluggish. The world around her suddenly seemed to grow vivid, even as her sense of hearing dulled. Sakura reached out in alarm when she swayed unsteadily on her feet, leaning against the trunk of a tree as she fought to regulate her breathing. She could feel her skin growing cold and clammy, as she distantly registered that she had gotten herself into some trouble.
I need to… healing chakra… was the final, coherent thought that ran through her foggy mind, before her eyes glazed over entirely.
Sasuke lifted his head, his eyes shifting in the direction that Sakura had ventured in to collect more firewood. That had been over ten minutes prior and the last streaks of daylight were quickly evaporating from the darkening sky. He estimated that Naruto and Kakashi would only be away for about five or so minutes longer at most.
What was she doing? How much tinder was she gathering? No sooner had the irked thought crossed his mind, he glimpsed movement between the trees far ahead, and spotted her familiar, pale-blossom hair. She was heading back toward camp. Satisfied that she was safe and well, his gaze returned to studying the steadily-burning flames.
The crushing of leaves soon alerted him to her arrival. He listened, absently, to her trudging movements - when it suddenly occurred to him that her footsteps seemed oddly slow. As if she were dragging herself along with great difficulty. Her boots came within his lowered field of vision, causing him to blink and glance up, wondering why she was walking straight up to him-
Only to tense when Sakura reached him and collapsed straight onto her knees right before him. The carrier bag full of the tinder she had gone to collect slipped from her arm, as did the crimson-stained napkin in her right hand. It fell to the floor, spilling peculiar looking berries.
"Sakura...?" he started with uncertainty, bewildered by the vacant look on her face, his body immediately on edge. Was she having an attack? Her breaths, he noted, were escaping her lips in shallow, erratic bursts.
Lips that were stained an odd shade of scarlet.
Sasuke's eyes darted back to the berries in the discarded napkin on the ground, before rising back to her lips. Understanding dawned upon him. What had the foolish girl done? He couldn't believe it; he hadn't even left her unsupervised for more than a couple of minutes!
"What have you-?" he began to seethe, only to break off when he realised, with alarm, how frighteningly glazed her apple-green irises were. A sure indication of her intoxication with a fruit she should never have ingested. His heart lurched in his chest when she leaned forward, her fingers digging into his knees, bereft of all autonomy over her own thoughts and actions. Spurned only by the raging instinct of delirious lust that the dangerous fruit brought to surface within the bloodstream.
His hands closed around her shoulders as she pushed forward, dark eyes widening when her face drew closer to his - far too close - her plump lips parted invitingly, openly seeking his. His gaze fixed onto them, and he swallowed thickly, mortified, hyper aware of her proximity - as well as the sickening realisation that Kakashi and Naruto could rejoin them at any moment - and angrily held her back at arm's length.
When he met resistance, when her hands began to creep upwards and slid onto his thighs, he gritted his teeth.
"Stop," he hissed to her in a harsh whisper, and rose to his feet, yanking her upwards to stand with him, gripping her upper arms tightly.
Her hands lifted to his chest, tugged at the upturned collar of his jacket as she tried, once more, to draw his face down to hers.
"Stop it," he repeated, his heart hammering so hard within his chest that it physically shook his entire body with its frenzied force. There was nothing but senseless lust in her eyes, the kind of mindlessly longing look he had never even dreamed she would ever direct at him - and yet the unimaginable cruelty of it right then was not lost on him.
She pulled at him, tempting him to join her in the madness that had overcome her. Her breaths were now rapid gasps, her eyes full of a wild, peculiar light.
For a horrifying split-second, Sasuke found himself thinking how easy it would be. To let her pull him into her. How it would feel, to have those soft lips moving against his, without venom, without threat, without lies...
He had told himself he would be unaffected by Sakura. That he would be careful to ensure that he remained in absolute and utter control of all situations pertaining to her. But faced with her, looking up at him with yearning as she was then - even knowing it wasn't real - Sasuke felt his entire body betray his iron-will as his breathing grew more laborious, and an unfamiliar heat assaulted his cheeks. He had been caught off-guard by her entirely, in the way he had completely forgotten she was capable of doing to him - and that fact only served to make him even angrier.
He was no delusional fool. She did not want him, he knew - it was the hallucinogenic effects of the fruit that compelled her to act in such an uncharacteristic way. And yet his heart still raced from the hungry look in her eyes, and yet, and yet, his gaze was still ensnared for a moment by her lips, drawing ever closer to his-
With great effort, he pushed her firmly back, trying to restore sanity-restoring space between them, attempted to disentangle her hands from their hold on him - only for Sakura to abruptly shove at him with a surprising burst of strength, causing Sasuke to quickly swivel on his feet to avoid tripping over the log he'd been seated upon. The sudden motion caused him to lose his footing and topple backward.
"...!" He landed roughly on the grass, and Sakura fell on top of him, leaving him momentarily winded, trapping him under her, caged between her arms. She then pressed her palms down against his chest and angled her head, ravenous for his lips once more, and Sasuke's eyes widened. For a horrifying second, his entire body froze.
His heart lodged itself into his throat when he heard the distant sound of Naruto's voice calling Sakura's name. It jolted him back into action, as panic crested within him. They were coming back. He had to do something to disable her!
Quick as a striking rattlesnake, he threw her off him and gracefully flipped their positions, rolling over to pin her wrists above her head as he hovered over her. His eyes locked onto hers, and bled to crimson, the Sharingan spinning hypnotically, blazing in its intensity as it bore into her vivid-emerald irises.
"You," he ground out, his hold tightening around her wrists, "are not yourself."
She released a stifled gasp, as he enforced instant sleep upon her, his command so powerful, so desperate, that she immediately grew still beneath him. Sasuke released a ragged breath, immense relief flooding through the tension in his body, before quickly moving to sit her up against the log. He then drew back and perched rigidly upon the log on the opposite side of the fire, gripping Kusanagi tightly in one hand, the other holding onto the napkin containing the berries she had dropped. He glowered at her, willing his thundering pulse to settle, disturbed by just how much the incident had affected him.
He had resolved to shut her out. To keep her at arm's length. To control his emotions, to feel nothing. What had just happened?
He lifted the fruit to his nose and immediately jerked it away, wincing at the overbearingly sweet, heady aroma. He didn't know what it was. Some surface treachery, no doubt, but what was it doing in plain sight where hapless mortals could come across it, he wondered?
Whatever it was, she would sleep its effects off. It was regrettable that he'd been forced to knock her out before she had been able to take supper, but that couldn't be helped. It was her own stupid fault. What had she been thinking, eating something unknown she found on a forest floor? His hands clenched into fists. She was so reckless. So frustrating. So… so absolutely and utterly annoying-
"We're back!" Naruto exclaimed, holding up a net containing three fish he'd caught from the river. Kakashi held another net with five others. "Alright, Sakura-chan, you made a- eh?" he broke off, tilting his head in confusion at the sight of his friend slumped unconscious against the log. His blue eyes then widened, and immediately turned accusingly onto Sasuke, who had managed to compose himself again just in time to direct an indifferent look back.
"What the hell did you do to Sakura-chan?" he demanded angrily.
Kakashi crouched down beside her, touching her gently on the shoulder. He could see that she was out cold. He twisted his head and regarded Sasuke questioningly.
"Sasuke…?"
Sasuke tossed the bundled napkin at him. Kakashi caught it, unfolded it and looked down at the fruit.
"Ah…" he commented awkwardly. "Where did you find this?"
"Huh? What's that, 'ttebayo?" Naruto squinted down at it.
"A hallucinogenic berry, known as the Scarlet Cinnabar, named after a mineral in the earth. It's poisonous. Sasuke, what happened? How much did she eat?"
"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, alarmed. "You were meant to be watching her, you asshole!"
"Watch her collect firewood?" Sasuke sneered back mockingly. Sakura hardly needed her hand held at every opportunity, contrary to what her surface morons believed. Although, given what had just transpired, he began to wonder whether he had been mistaken about that.
"Shut up, Sasuke! What happens if she eats it? Will she be okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto worried.
"As long as she didn't have too much, she should be fine," Kakashi said. "It affects people in different ways, really. Was she showing any signs of intoxication? Delirium?"
Sakura had most definitely been delirious enough to attempt to kiss him. Sasuke's teeth clenched together, both at the memory of her proximity, and in displeasure at the stress and discomfort of it all. "She'll sleep it off," he stated dismissively.
"Sleep it off?!" Naruto echoed incredulously, from his position kneeling beside Sakura's prone form. "How the hell did you even let her eat it, you bastard?!"
Sasuke's eyes glinted with hostility. Kakashi saw the warning signs and raised his hands. "That's enough. If Sasuke says Sakura is fine, then we'll just wait for her to wake up. Let's get this cooked and save her a portion. Naruto."
Naruto glared at Sasuke, who pointedly went back to ignoring him.
"Naruto!" Kakashi's voice interjected again.
Naruto dragged his eyes unhappily away from Sasuke, and handed Kakashi his fishing net.
Sakura awoke to a starlit sky and the sound and warmth of a crackling fire. Her head felt groggy and heavy, and an unpleasant wave of nausea washed over her. She blinked and stirred, trying to recall what had happened - when Naruto's face hovered over her, concern etched clearly onto his features.
"Sakura-chan?" he blinked wide eyes at her. "Are you alright?"
Sakura lifted a hand to her throbbing head. "Ugh…" she groaned, becoming aware of the fact that she was tucked into her sleeping bag. She felt absolutely awful, sick to the pits of her stomach.
"Let her have a sip of ambrosia," Kakashi's voice drifted to her ears. "It should help soothe any lingering side-effects from the berries."
The berries. Recollection slammed into Sakura and she bolted upright into a sitting position.
"Whoa!" Naruto reached out and caught her by her shoulders when she swayed unsteadily to the side. "Easy there, Sakura-chan!"
The berries. She had accidentally placed the finger she'd pricked on thorns into her mouth and tasted the residue of the fruits she'd categorically intended not to eat before checking their safety with Kakashi. Then she remembered her body becoming progressively paralysed, an intense dizziness overcoming her - and then being powerless to command her own movements. She remembered dragging herself back toward camp, her eyes settling on Sasuke, sitting before the fire. She'd walked right up to him, unable to do anything but watch, through terrified eyes, as her body had acted of its own design and will. She had been helpless to stop it, every nerve and muscle wrestled beyond her control.
She felt her face flush deeply in shame as her eyes darted across the fire, finding Sasuke's dark, smouldering gaze observing her over the flames. Shadows danced across his chiselled features. His face betrayed nothing of his thoughts toward the actions she had taken.
Sakura had never been so grateful for the cloak of darkness concealing the furnace roaring in her cheeks. Her heart slammed against her rib-cage. She had tried to kiss him. She recalled his incredulous surprise, his tight grip on her wrists, the way he had fought to push her resolutely away.
Humiliated beyond measure, she lowered her gaze to the ground, wishing, once more, that a hole would open up and swallow her into the blissfulness of oblivion. She had never felt so embarrassed. What he had to think of her! First the dream - and now the fruit? Were the Fates laughing at her? Were they determined to make her a joke in his eyes?
"What happened, Sakura-chan?" Naruto was still staring at her in concern.
"I-" Sakura could feel everyone watching her, but it was the weight of Sasuke's heavy gaze that was causing her the most distress. "I just came across these berries, and was picking them, when I pricked my finger on a thorn and put it in my mouth without thinking. I felt- weird after that."
Her gaze darted anxiously back to Sasuke, relieved to find that his eyes had slipped away upon receiving her explanation.
"You're lucky you didn't eat anymore," Kakashi informed her. "Those are poisonous Scarlet Cinnabar berries. Take a sip of ambrosia. It should fix you up."
Sakura accepted the flask Naruto had fished out of her backpack, and immediately felt the golden brew work its soothing magic. Her head cleared, and although the queasiness remained, she found that she could blessedly move again without the world spinning around her.
"We saved you some food, Sakura-chan," Naruto handed her the portion they'd set aside, wrapped in foil. Sakura, realising that she was starving, gratefully accepted it and ate in silence, her pulse never ceasing in its agitated rhythm. She felt the senseless need to explain herself to Sasuke. To apologise for her mortifying, stupor-induced actions.
A rustle of movement alerted her to him rising from his seat. Without a word, he turned away and ventured into the forest.
"Hey!" Naruto called after him. "Where're you going? Sasuke!"
He received no response. As Sakura ate the final mouthful of bread and fish, she bit her lower lip, at war with herself. Ought she follow Sasuke? To try, once again, to speak with him?
She didn't move, however, instead turned her eyes to the fire, feeling them burning with frustration.
"Naruto," Kakashi said. "Leave him be."
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto turned his head to their mentor in protest. "We can't carry on with him being that way!"
"Give him some space, Naruto," Kakashi advised. "This isn't an easy sentence for him to serve, considering."
"Considering what?" Naruto argued. "My dad told him that bastard Cronus is our common enemy. We were forced to go to war with his clan. Why can't he just accept that?"
Why, indeed? Kakashi thought to himself. But the question hung heavily in the air, unanswered and unanswerable.
Sasuke stabbed Kusanagi's tip into the muddy earth by the river's edge, trying to rein in the chaotic turmoil of his thoughts and emotions, livid with himself. He needed to focus. Orochimaru could look in, listen in, at any moment. Anything could be relayed back to Cronus, and Sasuke couldn't afford to be caught unawares as he had been.
He inwardly cursed being unable to leave the party he'd been bound by blood to assist. He needed to go back home. To have a moment to breathe, to think, away from anyone's watching eyes and ears. Back to the Kingdom where everything answered to him, was under his control.
How could it be, he thought to himself, closing his eyes briefly as he fought to impose absolute order on his feelings, that after eight months apart, she still had the effortless ability to catch him unawares? Why hadn't he sent her to sleep the instant he'd known what had happened to her? Why was he still so weak?
The sound of footsteps crunching over leaves caused him to tense as his eyes opened once more. What did the idiotic members of the so-called 'Team Seven' fail to understand about his very obvious desire not to interact with any of them?
"I thought you'd be here," Kakashi's voice addressed him. Sasuke didn't look up from his position, seated upon a large boulder overlooking the tranquil, rippling water. In his peripheral vision, he glimpsed Kakashi taking a seat on another across from him. They sat in silence for a long while, listening to the soothing sound of flowing water and the swaying of the tree boughs in the breeze high above them.
"Sasuke. The war was a tragedy on both sides. I know that everything you cared for was taken from you - but Naruto, also, lost his parents and home. And… he lost a friend in you. Even so, he never gave up hope that you'd both make amends one day. He holds onto that hope, even now."
"Did you come all this way to sprout sentimental rubbish to me?" Sasuke questioned icily. As far as he was concerned, Naruto had only ever been a thorn in his side. He couldn't recall ever being his friend.
Kakashi sighed. "Have you forgotten that you'd both planned to peacefully avert the war together? To stop any lives being lost other than punishing the perpetrator in Madara?" He tried patiently again. "What went wrong, Sasuke? You never did meet Naruto at your agreed location."
Sasuke was silent. Once again, frustration swelled within him. He didn't know what Kakashi was talking about. He had no memory of trying to meet Naruto, or wanting to stop any war. He'd marched out with the rest of his clan, as per Cronus's orders-
The thought suddenly whirred to a stop. Cronus.
Had Cronus been the one to manipulate his memories? To make him forget? About seemingly working to prevent a war - and therefore about Kore, too? He certainly didn't put it past Madara to stoop to such low measures, especially given his handling of Obito as his puppet, and the manipulation and general brainwashing of the rest of their clan in order to carry out his bidding. His eyebrows furrowed together.
It certainly would have fit right into Cronus's designs, to have Sasuke conveniently forget such details. So as to ensure his full cooperation.
"Sasuke," Kakashi was going on. "Whatever issues you both have, you and Naruto can settle your differences after we complete these trials. They're set to get more challenging from this point onwards. The only way we can make it is by working together as a team. You charged into our first battle without sharing your strategies, leaving us exposed to making errors. And we did make them. If you have a plan, you should communicate it to the rest of us. It'll save us chakra and effort, working in tandem. I know that you know better than this."
Sasuke blinked. So his old teacher had come to him to lecture him on the importance of working with others? A contemptuous sneer played upon his lips. He knew what team-work was. He hadn't sought out solitude only to have the privacy of his thoughts invaded by such patronising words.
"Are you done?" he questioned impertinently, his hollow tone ringing with open boredom.
Kakashi regarded him for a moment, before turning his gaze back to the water. He released another weary, quiet sigh.
"I'm not asking you to like us, or to forget everything that's happened," he finished. "I'm asking you to work with us to get the job done and to trust in our strengths in battle - and to lend us yours. After this is all over and we unseal our powers - whatever else we may discover along the way on this quest - the decision of what you choose to do following that is all yours."
Sasuke was silent at that. He remained in place, lost in thought by the river's edge, even long after Kakashi had left and returned to camp.
Sakura struggled to sleep again that night. She tossed and turned, uncomfortable in her sleeping bag, feeling twigs and stones digging into her back despite the padding beneath her. Kakashi and Naruto had also settled down to rest, and she could hear Naruto already snoring away. She listened enviously to the sound. If only she had the ability to sleep so quickly and easily.
She rolled onto her side, and peeked over the edge of the cover. Sasuke, who had returned after over an hour in solitude, sat upon the log. Kusanagi was propped up against it by his side as he gazed into the fire. Anytime it seemed to flicker and weaken, he maintained it, keeping it burning strongly throughout the night.
Sakura turned restlessly onto her back once more, staring up at the twinkling night sky in frustration. If only she could sleep. She needed to rest, so desperately.
A few seconds later, she felt her eyelids grow heavy and before she knew it, had fallen into the blissful arms of slumber.
Sasuke, who had induced sleep upon her after noticing her discomfort, looked back to the flames.
They awoke early next morning to a clear blue sky. After eating a simple breakfast to keep them going until their next stop, Sakura collected their bowls and set off with Naruto to wash them by the stream. They then returned, gathered their supplies and continued along their way.
The second leg of their three day trip was uneventful and passed by without much incident as they navigated the open roads, moving ever-closer to their intended destination. Whenever they came to a stop, they fell into a quickly-established routine; Naruto glared at Sasuke, who ignored him along with the rest of them. Naruto tried to draw Sasuke into conversation, only to be ignored once again. Sakura felt terrible for him, and her anger was only kept in check by the embarrassment she felt following the berry incident.
When they made a brief stop to refuel their vehicles along the way, and Naruto and Kakashi ventured into the petrol shop to pay and purchase fresh supplies, Sakura was unable to stand her unbearable discomfort anymore, and glanced behind her at where Sasuke sat on his motorcycle, arms folded across his chest, looking nonchalant, regal and every inch the biker bad-boy.
"Sasuke," she blurted out, deeply embarrassed. "I'm really sorry about the berries. I didn't mean to- I mean I would have never-" she fumbled with her words, flustered.
His eyes didn't even move to acknowledge her. He continued to stare coolly ahead.
"Forget it," he quipped shortly, sparing her the need to explain any further. He knew full well she would never have initiated such actions under normal circumstances. But hearing her verbally confirm it caused his expression to darken morosely.
"But I just wanted to say that I feel terrible about it, and I'm sorry if it made you feel uncomfortable." Heart thumping, she added. "It was an accident. I'm sorry. And... I wanted to say thank you."
Sasuke blinked at that. He hadn't been expecting any sort of gratitude.
"For?" he intoned flatly.
"For-" she faltered. "Stopping me."
He hadn't taken advantage of her intoxicated state. He'd instead done the responsible, honourable thing and rendered her unconscious to stop her from making a further fool of herself - and had chosen not to tell Kakashi or Naruto about her humiliating behaviour, too.
"..." His eyes did then flick onto her face - momentarily - only to slip away again when Naruto and Kakashi returned to them.
Sakura released a quiet breath of relief. At least, this time, he'd listened to her and allowed her to express her regret, which she took to mean he accepted her apology. She felt much better after getting the embarrassing issue off her chest, and turned her face away from him. Oblivious to the way the death deity's gaze slid back onto her, for a brief moment, before they set off on the road once more.
That night, they set up camp in another forest. Once again, Sasuke slipped away from them to spend time in his own company. And once again, Sakura considered following him - only to decide against it. Instead she remained in place, sitting by the fire, listening to Naruto and Kakashi's tales about the glory days of Olympus. About a life she had no memory of living.
A life in which she and Sasuke had been together.
On the morning of the third day of their journey, the sky was a stormy, ominous grey. Sakura zipped up her backpack and slung it onto her shoulders. She wasn't looking forward to travelling in the rain.
As Kakashi put out the fire, a whistling sound travelled through the air. Something embedded with an audible twang deeply into the trunk of the tree inches away from Naruto's head. He blinked and glanced up in surprise.
"Huh?" He stared for a moment in confusion, before realising what it was. The end of an arrow. "Hey, what the heck-?"
"Look out!" Kakashi warned, when a rain of arrows suddenly descended upon them, forcing them to take cover behind the trees.
Sakura twisted her head, trying to glimpse what was attacking them without any warning. "What's going on? Kakashi-sensei?"
The sound of pounding hooves rapidly approaching alerted them to an incoming threat. Sakura's eyes widened when she spotted familiar creatures leaping through the undergrowth. Men with long brown, braided hair, strongly-built upper torsos clad in armour, and necks adorned with beaded necklaces were heading straight toward them. Metallic gauntlets were clasped around their wrists and in their hands were bows and arrows, pointed spears, and whistling, rotating chains. Strapped at their waists were swords and clubs. They released shrill battle cries as the lower halves of their bodies, fashioned into the form of powerful horses, propelled them forward.
"Eh?! C-Centaurs?" Naruto identified. "But we're not even at the relic site, -ttebayo?!"
"Orochimaru," Kakashi murmured, instantly meeting Sasuke's gaze in understanding. "He can track us through Sasuke's curse seal, and must have sent them to stall us. No doubt he's figured out what we're doing and relayed it back to Cronus."
Sakura's heart picked up pace as her fight or flight instinct kicked in, realising that they now had to expect to fight outside of relic locations, too.
A look of determination settled over Naruto's features. He knocked his fists together. "That creep can send all the freaky monsters he likes, we'll take them all down!"
"We can't let them surround us. Let's force them to scatter. Run!" Kakashi instructed.
They took off and raced through the thicket, separating in different directions. Sakura summoned a shield of earth to cover herself, gulping when she heard sharp arrows indent into it. A centaur veered in toward her, and she grabbed her sword, directing strength and speed boosting chakra into her body. She ducked as the creature reached her, twirling a club menacingly in his hand. It struck her earthy-shield, causing it to fissure deeply.
Sakura swung her sword at the centaur's front legs. He growled in pain as he tore past her, blood dripping from the slicing wound she'd delivered. As the centaur turned back to charge at her again, she threw herself out the way, barely avoiding a hefty blow to the head - only for another of the creatures to notice her, and gallop straight toward her. Sakura turned and bolted away, weaving in and out of the trees. Green and brown streaked past her as she raced to lead the creatures away from the rest of her team, hoping that the others were faring alright.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice called out behind her. "They're trying to surround us, this way!"
She turned toward him and followed the route he was taking, narrowly escaping whipping chains that shot out to ensnare her. A centaur crashed to the floor in front of her, felled by Sasuke, whose dark eyes met hers briefly before he moved to take out another. More arrows flew past her head, their tips burying into the fresh muddy barrier she'd summoned at her back to protect herself like the shell of a turtle. An unseen tree root caused her to stumble and lose her footing, but before she could fall crashing to the ground, a hand caught her arm, yanking her upright again.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice was above her head. "I've got you-"
They both cried out in surprise when four centaurs burst out from the cluster of trees around them. Naruto protectively pushed her aside and immediately dropped low to bodily tackle one of the horse-men, knocking him off balance, before he slammed a ball of Rasengan into the centaur's chest. Another of the creatures stabbed down at Sakura with a spear. She parried the blow with her sword, but his companion had already slipped behind her and raised a spiked flail.
A devastating bolt of lightning impaled the centaur straight through the chest, halting him in his attempt to harm her. Blood foamed at the creature's open-mouth. His body violently convulsed as dangerous volts of electricity were pumped into him and he toppled onto the ground, continuing to twitch.
A gasping Sakura glanced up to find Chidori screeching in Sasuke's palm. Once more, he had watched her back.
Naruto stabbed his twin blades into the underbelly of a centaur, before rolling to avoid the descending club of the next. Sakura dropped low and drove upwards with her sword into the hide of another, who released a whinnying sound of pain. She gasped when a spear missed her shoulder by inches - before it was broken cleanly in two by Sasuke, who blurred into existence between her and her assailant. He caught the centaur's descending wrist in one hand and sliced ruthlessly upwards with Kusanagi with the other, severing the horse-man's limb at the elbow. The centaur cried out in agony. Sasuke swiftly spun and stabbed his sword up into another centaur's chest, pushing against him with his foot to wrench out the blade, before summoning Chidori Nagashi.
Sakura crouched low and watched, with bated breath, as screaming tendrils of icy-electricity snaked outwards, clipping multiple horse-men, forcing them to retreat.
Kakashi, who was moving ahead of them, followed up with a lightning cutter attack at another cluster of centaurs. They scattered, circling to regroup.
Fresh arrows descended upon Team Seven. Sakura pushed herself back up onto her feet and they continued to run, dodging left and right in an attempt to avoid being pierced by the raining weapons.
"How many has that bastard sent after us?!" Naruto yelled.
Sakura tossed a wild glance back over her shoulder. They were increasing in number!
"Enough to try to exhaust us of chakra!" Kakashi answered back. Telepathically, he instructed, 'Everyone, to the trees! We can take them out from higher ground and see how many we're up against!'
"You got it!" Naruto nodded. Grabbing Sakura's arm, he yanked her close and fluidly propelled them both up to the tree-tops. As they touched down, they saw Sasuke alight opposite them. Kakashi joined him, and they looked to the forest ground below, watching as an endless swarm of horse-men circled around the trees, searching for them. Sakura's horrified wide eyes counted fifty at least - and more were galloping to join them.
"That bastard's cloning all kinds of creatures," Naruto hissed, openly outraged.
"We can't just leave them all here," Kakashi stated. "We need to take them out."
"Sasuke!" Naruto called across to the death deity. "Just finish them with one of your fireballs!"
"No!" Sakura immediately rejected. "You'll cause a forest fire! There're living things here, Naruto!"
"How are we gonna take out so many at once then?" Naruto demanded. "Without going down there again?"
Sasuke blinked, and turned his eyes up to the stormy sky. The weather, he could see, was in his favour. Lifting his fingers to his lips, he inhaled and shot a blast of Katon up into the heavens. The size of the blaze caused the centaurs to look up, spotting them hiding behind the leafy canopies. They pointed angrily up at them, and howled, nocking fresh arrows to their bows.
"Sasuke! What the hell did you do that for?!" Naruto demanded. "Now they've seen us- watch out!"
Naruto grabbed Sakura and jumped to the neighbouring branch to avoid another onslaught of deadly arrows.
Sasuke wordlessly lifted his sword, just as a flash of lightning illuminated the sky. Sakura's breath caught in her throat, as lightning struck down, hitting Kusanagi's tip like a storm mast, charging it with incredible electrical energy.
"Kirin," Kakashi recognised, impressed at Sasuke's choice of attack. Rather than using his own chakra supply, he was channelling the natural energy available in the statically charged sky, molding it with his own chakra control in the form of a devastating, debilitating and wide-ranging attack.
Sasuke then lowered his blade, pointing it straight toward the centaurs below. Crippling lightning followed his command and descended upon them, blinding, scattering outwards. There was no escape, as the creatures screamed and writhed in agony, burned to a crisp to the bone. The unpleasant stench of toasted fur filled the air, drifting up from the scene of the massacre. Thick smoke enveloped the forest floor below, and a ferocious fire began to break out.
The heavens split open with rain, but the fire quickly began raging out of control, the previously dry grass readily catching alight.
Sakura gasped in concern. They couldn't let it spread! She immediately channelled the water orb in her arm-brace and summoned a flood, draining the entire crystal of its contents in one go. It cascaded down, extinguishing the worst of the flames.
"Naruto!" she exclaimed. "We need to put out the rest. Take us back down!"
Naruto wordlessly did as she asked.
"Wait for Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-" he started, but Sakura was already running anxiously through the thick smoke. Coughing, she equipped a new water orb into the brace, desperate to put out any more of the flames, hopping over fallen, motionless centaur bodies in her haste to reduce the damage the trees and grass had taken. She had just turned to put out another igniting fire - when a centaur who had somehow managed to survive Kirin leapt through the smoke, straight toward her, his spear aimed lethally toward her left side.
Sakura spun around, far too late, her cry of alarm catching in her throat, helpless to move aside in time to evade being impaled by the weapon - when a dark blur of movement intercepted, blocking the spear's attack at the final second. Sasuke summoned a flurry of shadows to blind the creature before stabbing his blade mercilessly through the centaur's throat. The creature struggled to draw a final, gurgling breath, before slumping to the side, dead. Sasuke kicked it aside in disgust - before spinning around abruptly to glare at her.
All around them, the rain began to fall more heavily.
"What are you doing?" he demanded.
Sakura blinked, caught off guard by the intensity of his displeasure and clear disapproval.
"I was-" she sputtered, gesturing around them. "I'm putting out the fires-"
"You nearly got stabbed," he snapped back irately.
She gaped at him for a second, before anger roared to life within her, and she retorted defensively, "I didn't see him-!"
"Why?" he seethed, relentless and reprimanding. "Because you're being careless."
She bristled at his cutting criticism. She was trying so hard - and all he had to say were disparaging words? It stung. It hurt. She hated that it did. "You can't just set fire to the forest and expect me to do nothing, Sasuke! Things live here- the trees and-!"
"That's not my problem," he hissed back. "You are, and throwing yourself into danger is no different to being useless."
His words were akin to a physical slap. Sakura's hands clenched into furious fists. "Wha-!" she began to splutter, her pride and dignity wounded by the harshness of his statement. Why was he so annoyed? Nothing had happened!
"I'm just trying to help!" Scowling at him, she hastily wiped the rain out of her eyes and demanded, "What's your problem, Sasuke?!"
His eyes glinted menacing crimson. "You," he bit out unkindly. "You're reckless."
Sakura's lips parted in dismayed astonishment. He had said something similar to her a long time ago in his Kingdom, she was sure. Before she could think to formulate any other response, however, Sasuke was shoved bodily backward and away from her by a visibly irate Naruto.
"Sasuke!" The sun deity stepped between them, shielding Sakura from the withering intensity of the death deity's displeased glower. "Don't you talk to Sakura-chan like that! I swear I'll kick your ass!" He jabbed a finger into Sasuke's chest.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the infringement on his personal space and in a sudden movement that was almost too quick for the eye to perceive, caught hold of Naruto's wrist in a vice-like grip. He jerked downwards, flipping Naruto onto the forest floor, and followed up by twisting his arm painfully behind his back, sneering down at the sun god in contempt.
"You- you bastard!" Naruto snarled angrily in pain, and kicked back at Sasuke's legs. When the death deity easily evaded the blow, Naruto yelled in frustration, tore his arm violently out of Sasuke's hold, and launched himself bodily at him.
Sakura's eyes widened in horror. Her heart leapt into her throat. What she had feared and dreaded would happen was happening. "Stop!" she cried, as Sasuke charged his blade with lightning energy, and made to attack her friend with clear murderous intent. "Sasuke!"
Glowing chakra strings whizzed through the air, wrapping rapidly around Naruto's leg and Sasuke's arms, binding them both, before yanking them forcibly apart.
"Gwaaah!" Naruto yelled, as he was hoisted upwards. Both he and Sasuke were suspended from the boughs of trees, Naruto upside down by an ankle, Sasuke precariously to the side with both his arms locked uselessly against him, as Kakashi drew up beside Sakura, and looked up at them, his lone-eye drooping with exasperation.
"Well," he sighed lightly. "It's nice to see you both wasting chakra fighting each other, despite knowing that we have absolutely none to waste..."
Sasuke gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing crimson. He struggled against his bindings, but the awkward angle at which he was suspended meant he couldn't gain the leverage or stability required to break loose on his own.
"Kakashi," he commanded, visibly livid. "Put me down."
"Wh-why am I up here?!" Naruto howled. "Kakashi-sensei! That asshole started it, -ttebayo! Sakura-chan! Tell him! Sasuke was being rude to you, again! It wasn't me! It's all his fault!"
"Shut up,"Sasuke snarled back at him.
"You shut up!" Naruto yelled back.
Sakura's disbelieving eyes darted between the two in despair. She had expected animosity on their journey, but not to this toxic extent. It was stifling. It was impossible to comprehend how they were going to conceivably survive seventeen more days in such a deplorable state, without Naruto and Sasuke tearing each other to absolute shreds.
"Since you're both just hanging there," Kakashi answered calmly, disregarding their bickering entirely, "let's go over the definition of 'team-work'".
"Khn," Sasuke growled in irritation, glowering hatefully down at his old teacher.
"I know what that is," Naruto flailed in mid-air. "It's him!" He pointed angrily at the death deity. "Kakashi-sensei, put me down! If anyone's messing up our team, it's that jerk!"
To Sakura's astonishment, Kakashi took a book out of his pocket, and proceeded to read it, seemingly not minding that the pages were getting wet. He waited, until Naruto's noisy protests finally died down, before mildly addressing Sakura.
"Sakura. Can you give us the definition of 'team-work'?"
Sakura folded her arms. She tossed a disgruntled glance at Sasuke, who was glaring daggers at her again.
"Not calling your team-mates 'useless'," she jibed - only to gasp when she felt chakra strings wind around her arms, immediately suspending her in a manner that was similar to Sasuke's.
"Kakashi-sensei!" she exclaimed in shock. "Wha-?! I didn't do anything-! It was Sasuke!"
She gaped when Sasuke angled a barely perceptible, infuriatingly smug smirk at her, as if he found amusement in the fact that she hadn't escaped reprimand either - before the expression walled off and he turned a surly glare back to the masked deity.
"That's petty, and not right either," Kakashi chastised. "Team-work means working together in a group on a common cause or action, assisting one another in an effective and efficient manner." He turned his eye up to the sky as the rain continued to fall around them. "An effective and efficient manner," he repeated thoughtfully. "And what do we have here? An inefficient, in-effective manner, in-team bickering, childish, immature behaviour."
"It's not us!" Naruto and Sakura chorused.
"It's all of you," Kakashi admonished. "Naruto. Your issues with Sasuke can be resolved at a later date, once you regain your powers and can then proceed to fight each other to your hearts' content. Sasuke. Whatever issues you have with me, can be resolved in a similar fashion - though I can't honestly recall what wrong I have done to you, other than follow my King, in the same manner you followed yours into war. Sakura." He cast a tired glance at the rose-haired young woman. "Whatever unresolved… issues... you and Sasuke have, can also be addressed - at a later point. We all need to put our conflicts behind us in battle and work together on achieving our common goal. Otherwise, not only will we fail in this mission, knowing now that the enemy watches us - but we might also not all survive it, if Madara catches us off guard."
"But sensei-" Naruto tried to interject. Kakashi held up a halting, silencing palm.
"The more chakra we waste outside of combat squabbling with one another, the more ambrosia we risk wasting on refuelling. The more energy we expend, the more we need to rest in order to recover our supply. The more time we waste, arguing or fighting, the slower our progress, the more opportunities we afford our enemy to make their move and catch us unawares between locations. Is any of this sinking in…? Am I making myself clear enough...?"
Naruto and Sakura sulked glumly at the ground. Sasuke glared resentfully.
"When we face enemies much stronger than anything we've encountered so far, we'll need to pull together and work efficiently. If you can't learn to communicate enough to do that at the very least - just for the next seventeen days - then we're as good as done for. We may as well turn back and go home right now, and let Madara wreak whatever chaos he likes on the surface and the Underworld. Or," he continued brightly, as if a fabulous idea had just occurred to him, "we can learn to at least tolerate one other, learn how best to synchronize our attacks to maximise battle potential through sparring whenever we take breaks, and then, after we're done retrieving all the relics, you can all go back to fighting, screaming, insulting, yelling at each other… I promise I won't even think to waste any of my energy on intervening. Watching you is quite exhausting enough…"
Sakura stared guiltily at the ground, as a tense silence filled the air. Finally, she supplied, "I understand, Kakashi-sensei."
"I get it, too," Naruto added sullenly.
"I'm going to release you all now," Kakashi informed them. "And we're going to go back to our motorbikes, and carry on with our journey, before we encounter anything else that slows us down. Thanks to our delay, we'll be travelling in wet clothing. You'll have to put up with it until we can next afford to stop."
They said nothing to that, and true to his word, Kakashi lowered them all gently to the ground. Removing his chakra strings, Naruto rubbed at the back of his blond head, and grumbled reluctantly, "Hey, Sasuke, I'm sorry for-"
"Not interested," Sasuke cut in coldly, and stepped right past him without another word or glance back at any of them.
Sakura and Naruto stared after him unhappily, miserably drenched in rain. They glanced pointedly at Kakashi, who sighed heavily and shook his head, and together, they headed back toward their vehicles.
As they journeyed onwards, the landscape gradually shifted around them, changing from the tranquil green forests on Konoha's outermost borders, to semi-arid, mountainous ranges the closer they drew to Wind Country. Sakura wondered if the name had anything to do with the fresh breeze that blew all around them as they finally spied a sign in the road indicating that they were close to entering the territory.
Luckily they encountered no further enemy attacks along their way. The mood of the team had deteriorated even further following Naruto and Sasuke's brief scuffle, even despite the lecture Kakashi had given to them. Frosty was the only word Sakura had to describe it.
The semi-arid scenery blended to desert terrain, a barren land save for the irregular scattering of acacia and mojave trees and woeful sprouts of dry grass. Gargantuan, rocky mountains bereft of any greenery loomed ahead of them like stony titans, and the air temperature began to creep up around them. The wind blew golden sand across the road, almost concealing it entirely from view.
It was late-afternoon when they finally drove under a large rocky underpass and through the towering entrance gates leading into the heart of Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand Village, a large town nestled within a protective shield of enclosing mountains. Parking and locking their bikes upon arrival at a designated station, Team Seven found themselves in a sandy town whose residents shielded their heads and faces from the heat of the sun with scarves and other protective clothing. Despite the harsh terrain, the village was bustling with life and movement and was heavily populated. Market stalls full of colourful fruits and a wide range of other foods and spices, richly woven-rugs, curious trinkets and ornaments lined the streets.
"It sure is warm here, 'ttebayo," Naruto shrugged off his orange jacket. Sakura found irony in the statement, given that he was the sun deity himself.
The village residents passing them cast curious looks their way, noting them to be obvious tourists in their choice of clothing. Sakura removed her jacket, tying it around her waist. If this was Sunagakure's spring weather, she couldn't imagine what it would be like at the peak of summer.
"Let's refill our bottles with cold water," Kakashi informed them, gesturing to a nearby store. He was clearly familiar with the town, which didn't surprise Sakura, given that he was an immortal who'd had more than enough millenia to explore the whole world if he'd wished. "And we can leave our bags in safe lockers. We should take only what we absolutely need for this mission; ambrosia, water, food rations and weapons. The desert located on the map can only be reached by foot, so we'll need to travel light."
They took a comfort stop at a nearby hotel, and the kind owner allowed them entry into a spare stock-room to change their clothing. Sakura swapped her jeans and leather jacket for a white tank-top and green-khaki shorts. She tied a black, light cardigan around her waist and scraped her hair back into a messy bun. Making sure to pack enough spare chakra orbs into a lighter drawstring bag she'd purchased from a stall, she gathered the rest of her essentials - money, her phone, some food, her supply of ambrosia and water, then stashed the remainder of her unneeded belongings away in the designated locker they'd rented out. Kakashi, who had changed into a dark grey vest and dark green bermuda shorts, locked their compartment and then they stepped back out into the hazy, early evening sunshine.
Naruto had exchanged his clothes for a loose, white cotton T-shirt and patterned orange shorts that grazed his knees in length. A white scarf was tied around his head. His twin swords were strapped onto his back and his ambrosia canister was clipped onto the belt at his waist. Sasuke wore a sleeveless black top, which show-cased his toned, smoothly-muscled arms, and baggy black pants. His forearms were wrapped in bandages, keeping the curse mark out of sight. He carried nothing but his ambrosia, supplies' satchel and Kusanagi with him.
Stopping by a market-stall, Kakashi showed the merchant the map and asked for directions. They then followed the seller's instructions, heading toward another exit on the far-eastern side of the village.
"How do people live out here under such harsh conditions?" Sakura asked, as they made the lengthy trek across town.
"Sunagakure is built around a central oasis," Kakashi explained. "It's what makes the village habitable. You can see there are hardly any trees about. The people here rely heavily on trade with other nations."
"They seem to be happy," Naruto remarked.
Indeed they did. Sakura's eyes spotted running, laughing, gloriously tanned children who seemed unbothered by the warmth of the air. It was a lively place and the denizens seemed hospitable and friendly. She turned her gaze up to look at the electricity masts, tall buildings and watch-towers constructed from sandy-looking slabs of stone. It was different to Konoha; it seemed more old-fashioned and less modern, more simplistic in its way of life.
She checked her phone. They still had signal and reception, which was a good sign, but she supposed that was about to change if they were going to venture out into the desert. She quickly replied to a few messages from her mother, Hinata, Shikamaru and Ino, before slipping her phone back into the snug pocket at her hip.
"Looks like this is the exit," Kakashi remarked. "It'll lead us out to the desert."
"Tourists?" A heavily-tanned man who wore a hood to protect his head from the sun questioned. He was standing by some camels that were available to rent. "Where are you from?"
"Konoha," Kakashi replied.
"Ah. Good place," the man nodded, smiling at them. "Nice people. I have friends there. Are you going out to the desert, today? I recommend taking camels as transport. The terrain is harsh and difficult to navigate on foot."
"Are there any water areas outside?" Sakura asked, thinking practically. "Anywhere we can refill bottles?"
"How long are you intending to stay out there for?" The man's eyebrows lifted at her.
"We're heading here," Kakashi indicated on the map he unrolled.
The man's eyes widened. "Ah. That's the Demon Desert. It's reputed to be a dangerous place. Strange creatures have reportedly been sighted there over the years - although nobody has ever encountered one or confirmed this. What business have you in that area? It's closed off. You're not allowed to enter it."
"It's been recommended," Kakashi answered vaguely. "By a friend."
"..." Sasuke shot him a stealthy, surreptitious glance. Recommended? By a friend? He resisted the urge to snort at that.
"Well, it's about an hour or so out if you take the camels. Continue straight ahead, and you'll arrive at a sign-post. You can see it from the outside, but as I said, you can't enter it. There are some trees about which you can seek shade under. The water areas are sparse, but they should still be available. They only fully dry out in summer. Will you be hiring some of my majestic beasts?"
"We'll take four, thank you," Kakashi nodded. They didn't know what they would encounter in the open, and he factored in potentially having to send any one of the animals back due to unforeseen danger.
"Can they find their way back if we have no further need for them?" He questioned the merchant.
"Of course. They are highly intelligent creatures." The merchant looked bemused. "Why would you send them back, though?"
Kakashi didn't elaborate further. They paid for the hire and mounted their animals. The gate-keeper opened the tall, brightly coloured red doors for them and they rode out into the desert.
"You okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto glanced back at Sakura, who was clinging tightly onto her reins.
She offered a nod. The camel made her wobble precariously from side to side with its unfamiliar gait, but it wasn't long before she grew accustomed to it. Kakashi led the way, consulting their map since they'd fallen out of signal range and were unable to use their phones to navigate.
They travelled for a while in silence, until Naruto called back to Sakura, "Hey, Sakura-chan. Wanna race?"
"Huh?" Sakura lifted her head from where she had been watching the sand sinking under the camel's feet.
"Let's race. Kakashi-sensei says we're just continuing straight ahead. It'll be fun, -ttebayo!"
Riding a camel wasn't too different to riding a horse, Sakura found - just much bumpier. The thought made her think fleetingly of Eos, and she felt a nostalgic twinge in her chest. She missed the horse.
"Okay," she agreed. "Up to the second tree ahead?"
"You got it!" Naruto grinned. Then, pausing, he added, "Sasuke? You in? Or afraid you'll lose?"
Sasuke didn't take the bait, and responded with stifling silence. Naruto shrugged, and he and Sakura proceeded to urge their camels to pick up pace. Sakura squealed as her mount lurched forward, sending her swaying unsteadily to the side. By the time they'd reached the tree, she was laughing loudly. She had lost, but it didn't matter. They'd had fun.
Kakashi and a scowling Sasuke caught up to them and they all stood beneath the shelter of the large acacia tree.
"Enough of that," Kakashi told them. "Don't wear the poor animals out before we've arrived."
They continued onward, eventually passing a shallow hole of water surrounded by a cluster of desert shrubs. They allowed their camels to drink, and hydrated themselves before continuing on.
After what seemed to Sakura to be ages, they finally arrived at the Demon Desert sign-post. It was fenced off, with multiple warning signs cautioning against proceeding any further, and consisted of an endless sea of dusty, blowing sand that spanned onward farther than the eye could see. On the horizon, rocky mountains loomed.
Danger: Sinking Sand, Sakura read nervously.
Dismounting from their camels, they left the animals safely beneath the shade of another tree near the huge, fenced off area. Nobody was around guarding the perilous location in the middle of the desert. Kakashi channelled a stream of lightning and cut through the fence.
"Ready?" he looked back at his charges, who nodded. They then slipped through the opening he'd created, forced to continue on foot. Sakura was grateful when the sun began its slow descent in the sky, providing welcome relief from its punishing rays.
"So how do we know where the relic site is?" she asked, as they navigated over uneven dunes. She felt the sand sink under her feet, shifting beneath her weight, and anxiously wondered where, exactly, the sinking section was.
"This place looks empty," Naruto agreed, squinting around them.
"The area is huge. There may be ruins of some sort up ahead somewhere. Let's keep moving," Kakashi answered patiently.
They continued onwards, and it seemed to Sakura that they walked endlessly with no change in scenery around them. The sand blew into their faces, over their clothes, into their hair. She wiped at her lips, removing irritating, grainy particles. On and on they went, until Sakura drew to a stop, her legs hurting from travelling over such uneven, unsteady ground.
Sasuke, who had been walking just behind her, halted also, wordlessly waiting to see why she had stopped.
"Are we going the right way?" she asked, growing ever more frustrated. Surely they'd been walking around already for forty minutes at least, with nothing to show for it? Her legs were starting to cramp, and she had already sipped on enough water that her bottle was half-empty.
"There's no way to tell," Kakashi mused. "This area is large, as I said, and the map only indicates the desert itself."
"So you mean we could be walking for another day and not find anything?" Sakura complained. "Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry, I'm going to need a break-"
"There has to be something here," Naruto walked ahead, looking in all directions. "My dad would never give us a location without it being- huh?" He looked down. The sand beneath his feet was rapidly sinking. "Eh?!" He jumped back, but it was already too late.
His footfalls had started an unstoppable chain reaction, causing the whole area around them to give way, leading to a landslide of sand and dust that sent them all sliding down below toward a gaping black hole that opened up in the ground before their very eyes. They heard an inhuman roar echo about the air, but all they could see was cascading, rolling sand.
"What is that?!" Sakura cried in alarm. She was helpless to stop herself from being dragged further toward the sandy vortex, helpless to stop the velocity at which her body was tumbling toward the frightening unknown.
"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Kakashi yelled, as they were sucked in and plunged through the opening, tumbling into darkness.
They landed in cool water, an unexpected shock to the system. Sakura went under, and felt a burst of panic as the force of the waves upon impact pushed her forcibly downwards. She then felt hands grab at her and haul her out onto solid ground once more. A hand cupped the back of her head, steadying it, protecting her skull from hitting against rock. She blinked dazedly and looked up into Sasuke's face, coughing and spluttering, just as Naruto and Kakashi dragged themselves onto dry ground beside them.
The menacing growl reverberated through the air again, sounding much closer. Sakura sat upright, and their eyes turned toward the source of the dreadful sound - just as a pair of gargantuan monsters slipped out of the shadows around them.
They possessed the body and tail of a golden lion, the mighty wings of a brown eagle - and to Sakura's horror, the face of human women.
"Sphinxes," Kakashi murmured, as Team Seven once again prepared for battle.
Author's Note
Next chapter will feature lots of combat sequences so it may take a while to upload. Rest assured I'll be working on it as fast as I can. I hope you enjoyed all the SS interaction in this one! Please do leave feedback, I'd love to know your thoughts. See you next update!