"… That guy over there. Isn't that the Hero of Konoha?"
"Hey, yeah— they say he left his village two months ago, right?"
"On a mission? A guy like that wouldn't turn rogue."
"He must be here to see Tsuchikage-sama. An important ninja like that."
"Didn't the rumors say he was traveling with someone?"
"That must be the other guy, huh? The one who attacked the Kage?"
"Ah. Uchiha Sasuke."
Sasuke grit his teeth around his chopsticks.
Iwagakure was one of the farthest Hidden Villages from the Leaf. But it seemed Kakashi hadn't been able to keep a lid on their departure any longer, and the news had managed to reach the furthest corners of the shinobi nations anyway.
"You know, I heard the Kyuubi jinchuuriki doesn't need to eat or sleep?"
"Eh? Really?"
"It's true! He lives off chakra alone, you know!"
"How is that possible?!"
On the stool next to him, Naruto sighed feelingly, "Are they serious, y'know?"
Sasuke shrugged, "People will think what they want to explain what they don't understand."
Shoving a wad of noodles into his mouth, Naruto grumbled around his mouthful, "But saying I don't need to eat? That's insane, right?"
"Best to let them assume what they will," Sasuke answered, "The truce might collapse entirely if they discover you're actually eighty percent ramen, at this point."
"Rude," Naruto mumbled, even as he continued to shovel the very same food down his gullet.
"I'm surprised Kakashi managed to keep your absence under the radar as long as he did," Sasuke admitted, "If some no name Iwa shinobi knows we're traveling together, all of Konoha is certainly aware by now."
"Does that bother you?" Naruto asked him as he chewed. After he'd swallowed, "They were going to figure it out eventually, weren't they?"
"I have a few concerns about it," Sasuke said, just as a strange looking bird landed on the counter before Naruto.
"Ah!" Naruto coughed, shoving his bowl away and reaching into his holster. He pulled out their blank scroll scroll, "Sai's ink birdy! It must be a letter from Konoha, ya know!"
Sasuke flinched. Communication from the village had been few and far between thus far, Kakashi seemingly content to let them go about their business undisturbed for the moment, so long as Sasuke kept up their timely reports. Though he couldn't help but think the timing of this communique a little too coincidental…
Naruto unfurled the scroll with a flourish. Sasuke watched in fascination as the little ink bird took flight again, only spin into a dive, colliding with the blank parchment. Instead of a splatter, the ink took on a mind of its own, slithering across the page, the words taking shape before their eyes.
"Hm," Naruto hummed as he looked over the first few lines, only to blanch and shove the scroll toward Sasuke, "It's for you, actually. From Sakura-chan."
Feeling the curiosity bleed from his expression, Sasuke pulled the scroll toward himself. He glanced at his friend, gaging his reaction to Sakura sending a message for Sasuke's eyes alone. Judging by the way Naruto returned to his meal with gusto, shouting at the chef for a second helping, he wasn't particularly bothered.
Sasuke couldn't muster such ease as he turned his attention to the letter. Why would she write to him, specifically?
Naruto, this letter is NOT FOR YOU. Give it to Sasuke-kun right away— I will know if you don't and you will pay. — Sakura
Sasuke-kun,
I hope you and Naruto are safe and well during your travels. I was quite surprised when the Hokage broke the news to us, that Naruto would be joining you on your journey. I suppose it must have seemed foolish of me, at the time, to offer you my company. I'm not angry that you accepted his presence rather than my own. I'm just trying to understand. It's been difficult for me, but that wasn't why I asked Sai to send this letter.
I've been thinking a lot about our talk. When you told me that you and Naruto suffered to overcome your differences the way you have. From where I am standing, I think I might know what you meant now. I know better than you how he tore himself apart over what happened between you two, when you left. Once, he told Kakashi and I that he thought he understood you, back then, when actually he didn't understand you at all. I just want to know, Sasuke-kun— do you feel like you understand him now? When you say you suffered, do you mean it the same way? Naruto has become an important person to me, and I feel I would be remiss as his friend if I didn't look out for him.
I hope the fact that he agreed to join you on this journey means what you said is true. I hope for that more than anything. I've had the chance to see Naruto's pain, over the years. The burden he carried, as the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki. The way loneliness shaped him as a person. I wish I had come to understand him in this way a long time ago. Perhaps then losing you wouldn't have affected him the way it did, and he could have been happier, all those years. But I didn't— none of us did. Even you. And we are all left with the outcomes of our actions, in much the same way you are.
What I'm trying to say is that I'm relying on you to look out for him now. From what Tsunade-sama has told me, your journey won't be an easy one. I hope you're up to the task, and that you find the answers you're looking for. But I also hope you remember to take care of yourself, if only for his sake. Naruto would move mountains for you, you must realize that. Please don't make him suffer anymore, because of the past. We both know he has no self-preservation skills to speak of. As his companion, you're on the hook to make sure he eats something other than ramen and doesn't charge headfirst over a cliff. We both know he'd probably survive it, with that hard head of his, but still. Maybe now you'll understand a little bit of my pain. Good luck with that, y'know!
And don't let him get in his head about every little thing. I hope you know him well enough by now to know what I mean.
That said, don't think I've forgiven the two of you for leaving me behind again. I told you that Tsunade-sama was not complacent in training her pupil. I suppose I still have work to do, in order to prove myself to you both. When you get back, I hope you are prepared to take me seriously for once- CHA!
You two better get all this reckless wanderlust out of your systems now. I won't be left behind again.
But for what it's worth, I'm glad you have each other. I'm glad neither of you are lonely anymore.
Stay out of trouble,
Sakura
P.S. Ino says Hi.
He set the letter down, turning its contents over in his mind.
Her words… hadn't been what he expected. And he was unexpectedly warmed by them. He really needed to stop underestimating their other teammate.
Glancing up, he found Naruto in an animated conversation with the stall proprietor. The pair of them laughing themselves into a fit as Naruto banged his fist against the counter, nearly upsetting his— third?— half eaten bowl of ramen. Sakura wouldn't be pleased.
Naruto noticed his gaze, turning to Sasuke with a grin, "Ne, what did Sakura-chan say? Why couldn't I read the letter, too?"
"Because she knows how nosy you are," Sasuke said, ripping her letter off the scroll and handing the remaining blank parchment back to his friend, "And it was personal business between her and I."
"Hmph," Naruto scowled, though it was tinged with amusement, "I see how it is. You two are conspiring about something, aren't you?"
"If by conspiring you mean plotting to get you to eat a vegetable at some point in your life, sure."
"I eat vegetables, ya know," Naruto hollered, looking outrageously offended, "They just gotta be cooked first— none of that raw garbage. Che, it figures Sakura-chan would write about that of all things. So boring."
Sasuke smiled to himself as his friend turned back to his bowl.
Yes, he really needed to stop underestimating Sakura.
