A/N: It's been months but I have the next chapter ready to go! Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: All characters, places, things and any ideas used in this fiction belong to Masashi Kishimoto. While the plot idea and the names of towns used belong to Sorata Akizuki.
Ch 5- Reminisce
10 years ago...
His stomach grumbled.
Walking along the busy marketplace, he could smell the aroma of freshly baked bread. The street vendors excitedly held their items out on display, ushering those nearby to come and try their delicacies. The boy pouted rather sadly, turning away from them and instead facing his head towards the floor. His hands were shoved casually in his pockets when he turned the corner.
For all his life, he's been living like this. Crawling through the shadows, he would try his best to stay unnoticed. For the most part, he's rather clumsy at it. When a whole village hates you, it's hard to blend in. Shop owners would often kick him out of their shops if he ever dared to step foot inside. He's known to make people lose customers.
It's not his fault he was born this way.
His clothes were shaggy, covered in dust and dirt. The soles of his shoes were full of holes. His blonde hair, which he loved the most, is barely recognizable, with all the dirt covering it.
He looked up, searching for his first victim. He does this every afternoon, sneaking around and stealing people's money. It's how one manages to stay alive in this village. Not too far off stood an elderly woman who was out shopping for groceries. Looking at her pockets, he spotted just the thing he wanted. Without another word, he silently crept through the crowd of people, who were too busy entranced in their surroundings to notice a familiar boy walk past. He was only just a couple of feet away, preparing his hands to quickly grab it and run away. The woman was preoccupied with choosing what watermelon to buy.
The first thing he remembered upon placing his hand against the grip of their money bag was being forcibly pushed back. The boy lost his balance and found himself on the dirt floor covered in dust, although it was not the first time this had happened.
"Scram kid," it was another man who had supposedly come to the rescue as the woman now seemed terrified. A crowd began to form, one where people began to point at him.
It's happening again. He looked up from the corner of his eyes, hearing the hushed whisperings spreading around. He needed to get out of here, now.
"When will that boy ever quit."
"How is he still alive?"
The boy covered his ears as he pushed his way through the crowd, his eyes beginning to water and disappear within the air around him.
"Watch it young boy," someone harshly said when he elbowed someone to the side. He ignored him, running as fast as he could into the nearest back alleyway. His footsteps slowed once the voices vanished. He took a few steps, pausing to face the alley wall. Glancing around for a moment, he took a step closer, pushing back against the wall and walking through.
His home had been located inside the wall found in the back alleyway. One where barely anyone bothered to walk past. He found it about a year ago while trying to run away from some guards who were on duty that day. The door had been left ajar when he stumbled into the alleyway. And without another thought, he ran through and slammed the door behind him. He's been living here ever since.
He let out a nervous breath, strolling towards his bed which was a hammock, one he successfully stole from someone's front yard. His belongings, ones he took with him after his parents had passed away were placed neatly on a large rock beside his hammock. They were the only things that kept him from forgetting the events that took place that day, one that changed his life forever. Their screams echoed through his mind when the house was blazing as the fire rapidly spread throughout. He could scarcely remember what his mother had told him after they had pushed him safely out the window before a large plank fell over the open window, preventing them to escape. Their smiles had been engraved into his mind as his parents held each other tightly, too afraid to let go.
"Be happy… don't… explore the world… and… we love you, N-."
The sound of knocking from behind woke him from his trance. Wiping his tears, he turned to face the direction where the knocking came from. Did someone already manage to find his hiding location? But that made no sense, he was sure no one had been following him moments before entering through the walls. He nervously gulped, choosing to stare at the outline of the door. If he stayed put, maybe they'd walk off. It became quiet for a bit as the boy awkwardly stood in the middle of the room. He couldn't hear the person on the other end.
He contemplated, choosing to tip-toe his way over to the entrance. Soon enough, he realized the mistake he made as a second set of knocking emerged once more. This time louder than before.
Were they the villagers who wanted to punish him for trying to rob the woman? It's not his fault he lives off crumbs and in seclusion.
With no turning around, the boy walked up to the door, opening it all the way to come face to face with a pair of legs. He blinked, tilting his head up to catch sight of an old man he'd never come across in the village before. His white hair had been laid back in a ponytail and was wearing what appeared to be a red warrior suit. There seemed to be a metal headband placed along his forehead, where two red lines were painted going down his cheeks. A smile was etched along his face as their eyes met.
"Hey there kiddo."
The boy frowned, "do I know you?"
The old man looked taken aback by that comment, "Er, well, not quite. I spotted you from the marketplace. You were stealing that woman's money. Or, at least tried to but failed."
The boy remained silent, choosing that as a way to give the hint that he didn't want to talk. The old man took that as a queue to poke his head through the parted doors, looking around at his messy home.
"Hey!" The boy exclaimed unhappily, waving his hands around to block his line of sight. Although him being the age of 8, it's hard to do so. He noticed the gleam in the old man's eyes slowly vanishing to that of sympathy.
"You don't look like you're doing too well kid," He murmured.
"It's not like you have a choice when no one in the village likes you." The boy mumbled disappointedly.
The old man remained quiet for a moment, taking in what the boy had just revealed. He appeared to be in deep concentration, calmly staring off into the distance. There was a reason why he tracked the boy down.
He began clearing his throat, "would you like to join me?" he blurted out from the blue, resulting in the boy peeking up at his face.
"Really?" The boy excitedly said, only to pause, "wait. What would an old man like you want to take me in?" He asked while folding his arms angrily.
The old man laughed at his response, "Why of course. I could train you to better fend for yourself while all you need to do is keep me company."
Without hesitation, the boy eagerly nodded his head. Even though they had just met and he definitely should not be trusting strangers he just met, this was his only way of getting himself out from this miserable village. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance that he couldn't possibly let go of. If his parents were still alive, would they have allowed this?
"Do you have anything you want to bring with you?" The old man asked.
The boy, in response, turned to look at his belongings behind him. He didn't have much on him, barely none to begin with. Everything he'd ever owned perished from the fire all those years ago. The only things that did survive were the stuffed bear he received from his father and a photo that surprisingly was fully intact. The boy ran back inside and stuffed them into a small pillow case. After one final inspection to make sure he didn't leave anything behind, the boy ran back to where the old man was waiting expectantly by the end of the alleyway.
"In that case, let's get going."
"Right," the boy became ecstatic.
The old man moved to the side, allowing the boy to close the door behind him. A couple of seconds later, they were already walking down the alleyway in complete silence. While walking, the old man began speaking once more, "I forgot to ask but what's your name?"
"It's Naruto, sir."
The tall trees begin to emerge once more, with a few strands of flowers here and there. The atmosphere was eerily quiet. A bit too silent. Something felt off, Sakura thought as she slowed down to pause. She could've sworn she passed the gates a couple of minutes ago. Yet as she turned her head to glance behind, the only thing she saw were rows upon rows of pine trees standing still in the background. Although there was a pathway on which she stood, she noticed it spilt into two, leading in opposite directions.
Reality instantly dawned on her as realization struck.
She wasn't outside the palace walls yet.
The gates she just passed by could've possibly been the ones leading to the forest. The same one Suigetsu said it's only there for show, with no one exploring past here.
No. It had to be the forest located at the side of the castle. And if no one ventures past here, she had no way of knowing if someone will help locate the way back. Sakura tilted her head up to look at the top of the trees. With the number of leaves blocking the sky, she had a hard time spotting any indication of the castle. Which meant, she had to find the way back herself.
"Easy enough," Sakura exhaled, "how hard could it be to find the way back."
She turned around and began walking down the same path she came from just seconds prior. The forest, Sakura noted seemed to be the same both back and front. She took a look at her surroundings while strolling past, there weren't many creatures around. Only a pair of crows were seated by a nearby branch, who seemed to find enough time to glare down at her.
"Meow"
Sakura nearly jumped in shock upon the sudden feeling that something was being rubbed against her ankle. She looked down to find an orange cat who sat down in front of her, licking its furry paws quietly. It seemed as though she wasn't the only person lost. Sakura knelt down and began to pet the cat,
"Why hello there." She murmured as the cat began to purr, "aren't you a pretty little thing."
A few moments later the cat began walking away from her, instead choosing to continue on her way along the laid-out grass. Sakura stood up, eyeing the cat who seemed to wander off with no specific destination. Its orange and white tail, excitedly moved back and forth as each paw moved on its own rhythm. Entranced by the rather odd cat, she began to follow it, deep within the vast outline of trees surrounding them. It seemed as though it was walking towards some sort of clearing, spotting a brightly lit area just far ahead, one where the cat had already reached. Once she walked past the tree trunks, Sakura exhaled in shock at what lay in front of her.
A small yet cozy fountain lay intact along the middle of the clearing. The sun, which was about past the treelines shone light onto it, causing the water sprouting out to dazzle immensely. A dirt path had been constructed so that it led all around the fountain. Sakura took a step closer, spotting the cat perched along the sidelines, dipping down to take a sip of water. Unconsciously, she ended up seating herself right beside the cat, lightly patting its rough yet hairy fur. She tilted her head to the sky, noticing the sun slowly vanishing past the treelines, resulting in the shadows creeping in. The cat strolled over and seated itself on her lap, causing Sakura's head to jerk downwards. The little furball had closed its eyes to take a nap. Although this cat has no troubles at all, Sakura on the other hand kept her eyes glued on the trees. She was slowly accepting her defeat on finding the way out. It seems the palace has much more past the walls than what she initially imagined.
'At least I have company for the night' Sakura thought, turning her attention back to the now dozed-off cat. She rested her back against the side of the fountain, as sleep began overtaking her mind.
The rustling of nearby shrubs alerted Sakura that someone was nearby. On high alert, she opened her eyes and slowly began to scan her surroundings, while using the limited amount of sunlight. No one should be out here in these woods when barely anyone uses it.
Unless… it's the assassin from before.
Sakura could feel the cold sweat dripping down her face as she quietly moved the cat off her lap. She didn't know who it was but she needed to find out. Sakura got off the fountain while staring straight ahead at where the noise originated from.
"Who's there?" She cried aloud, "you better identify yourself."
The movement in the shrubs had ceased the moment she spoke. Sakura narrowed her eyes to better focus on that area. Although nothing seemed amiss, she heard the wind howling past her ears, moving the nearby leaves. Everything beyond the trees felt the same as when she had first arrived. Luckily, it was still daylight out, so it wasn't hard to scan her surroundings. Sakura took a few steps forward, while every so often taking a glance behind her. When she turned her head back around, Sakura froze in her tracks at what she spotted in front of her.
A boy had emerged from within the bushes, covered in leaves and twigs. He seemed unfazed as he swivelled his blonde hair with his hand to shake out the debris. He had on a white cloak, and near his belt was a small dagger hanging in place. He casually took a small amount of steps forward while looking around the clearing with his sky-blue eyes. In response, Sakura took tandem hesitant steps back when his eyes landed on her. There's no denying it, he really is that assassin and he's going to kill her.
"I wasn't expecting to find you this far in the forest." He began laughing while scratching the back of his head tiredly.
Sakura stared at him dumbfounded. Was she hearing him right? Could it be this wasn't who she thinks it is?
"What do you mean?"
The boy's hand which rested on the back of his head halted, "you are Sakura, right?" he questioned.
He clearly seemed to know her but she's never seen him before. Sakura walked a bit closer to where he stood, "Yes, that would be me but, do I know you?"
She noticed the way his eyes gleamed brightly as if no one's asked him a question like this before. "Oh, that's right we haven't met," He clapped his hands in excitement, "The name's Naruto, believe it! What I really like eating is instant ramen and fishcakes, mainly the ones they serve in the marketplace. Hmmm, and what I really hate would be anything scary. I'm not up for ghost stories. And-"
Sakura, clearly annoyed by his nonstop gibberish cut him off, "Alright…Naruto, you can stop talking now. A name will do." She was able to let her guard down as she noticed how energetic and outgoing he was. From the way he spoke, Sakura respired a sigh of relief, 'he can't be the assassin' she thought.
Naruto sighed rather sadly, "right, sorry. People do tell me how much I talk a lot."
Sakura eyed him for a moment, deciding to change the topic, "Nevermind that. I presume you're here for a reason, correct?"
Naruto nodded his head in response, "I was sent here to come look for a pink-haired girl and lead them to the exit."
"By who exactly?" Sakura asked in response. No one had seen which way she ran off after her encounter with Sasuke. As a matter of fact, no one was around near that area either. Which means the only person who could have predicted this was-
"Sasuke," Naruto revealed.
"Who are you?"
The boy who was now flat on the ground nervously stared back at the tip of the sword, which was directed right at his chin. He decided to remain silent when Sasuke moved the sharp end closer with no remorse whatsoever. The boy's eyes wandered to where he stood as realization struck his features,
"You?" He exclaimed aloud, causing Sasuke to flinch in response. He decided to remain silent, as he removed the sword from the boy's face and continued to stare the boy down. He was confused by the way the boy reacted as if they somehow knew each other.
"A name will do," was all he muttered as he watched the boy stand up.
The blonde-haired boy began scratching the back of his head as he thought of something.
"...you don't remember me?"
Sasuke immediately snapped his head towards the boy, who now seemed to have a confused look on his face. The comment took him off guard, when did he ever meet this boy?
"Am I supposed to?" He asked.
The boy blinked a couple of times, as a smile appeared on his face, "you're lying."
Sasuke scoffed at that, "If I really did remember you I would have known."
He knew, from the moment he spotted the boy that he seemed recognizable. Although he couldn't understand where he's seen him from. The boy's familiar blonde hair and his light blue eyes were something that he's seen before. Many times to be precise. Sasuke tipped his head to the side annoyingly, just who is this mysterious boy that is standing in front of him?
The boy noticed the way Sasuke remained quiet, "alright alright, clearly you're having a hard time remembering. I'll tell you who I am, just put that sword away." He pointed out to where Sasuke held it tightly by his side.
Sasuke hesitated, sighing in defeat as he quietly sheathed his sword back into his hilt, right by his belt. He then turned his full attention to the boy as he raised a brow waiting for a response. The boy now stood across from him with a serious expression. Seconds later when Sasuke didn't make a single comment, the boy sighed in defeat,
"Come on, you really don't remember me?" He whined disappointedly. When Sasuke remained quiet, the boy continued,
"Ya know, we used to play a lot when we were younger? We met in the marketplace?"
Sasuke leaned against the nearest tree trunk, staring off into the distance to better ponder on the question. There's no denying it, only one person fits the description but, it wouldn't make sense. Itachi had claimed he ran away one day without explaining the reason why. They both have similar distinct features as well, blonde hair, light blue eyes... If he were fully honest, Sasuke thought he had perished long after running away, which explained why he hasn't replied to any of the letters sent the moment Sasuke heard about his disappearance.
Sasuke gradually shifted his attention back to the perplexed boy waiting for a response, his eyes wavering in slight agitation.
"I thought you…" Sasuke was at a loss for words, was it really that same boy all those years ago? But the last time they had seen each other was 8 years ago when the two were ten years old. It's no wonder he couldn't recognize him, he changed so much the last time they met. "Itachi informed me that you chose to run away, but I knew it wasn't something you'd do. So I sent many letters to you but received no reply." He added.
Said boy appeared dumbfounded by his comment, "I didn't run away to be exact. Jiraiya had some sort of secret job assigned to me and it took longer than expected to complete," he awkwardly began to scratch his head, "I had anticipated Jiraiya to at least give you some specifics regarding where I went off to."
Sasuke watched as the boy strolled over to the nearest log, choosing to sit on it for a moment. Sasuke took this as his chance to continue interrogating him,
"And the letters?" Sasuke questioned.
"I'm not sure what letters you're referring to. I hadn't received any from where I was residing."
Sasuke blinked, thinking for a moment as an answer came to mind. The only other person who knew where Naruto had gone was Jiraiya, and perhaps his brother too. Which meant the person he'd been asking to deliver his message must have been intercepted by Jiraiya who most certainly burned it or threw it away. He was surely going to have a word with him when he's back.
He paused momentarily when the boy blurted out, "that girl who was here a moment ago, the one with the unique pink hair? You don't think I scared her away right? Maybe I should apologise to her, I was only doing the job given to me-"
"Naruto."
Sasuke paused to fold his arms together against his chest and stared right at Naruto as a smile slowly formed along his facial features, "I have a request."
The sun was now laying low beneath the tree lines, creating shadows along the dirt pathway. Although it was getting dark out, there was still enough light to recognize the outline of the path that lay in front of them. Sakura thought over what Naruto had just revealed. It appeared the two used to be friends but because of the different duties each had, it resulted in them spending less time with one another. But what really got her perplexed was his request.
"What was Sasuke's request?"
Naruto, who was walking a couple steps ahead of her, immediately replied, "to work for him under the shadows. That and I were to come find you and lead you to the front gates."
Sakura exhaled in annoyance, "so you mean to tell me he had predicted I was going to be lost the moment I ran away?"
Naruto nodded his head, "pretty much," he said while placing his hands against the back of his head only something caused him to pause in place. Sakura, noticing him stopping, also paused in response. In the speed of light Naruto has turned around and bowed apologetically, "I want to deeply apologise for the way I acted a couple hours before. I was only following the orders given to me by the higher ups and didn't know you were acquainted with Sasuke. Had I known I-"
"It's alright," Sakura replied earnestly. Even though they had just met, she felt as if they've become closer, in a way something like friends. She knew deep down that he was only following the orders given to him, that's his job. He had no control over his own actions, it's how one makes a living around here. So why should she not forgive him. Besides, he appeared to be a caring person who wouldn't have done that for the fun of it.
Naruto glanced up with a confused look, "but I literally tried to kill you."
"It's true I became scared when I found out someone was trying to assassinate me but I believe everyone should have second chances. Besides, your apology seemed genuine and I don't want to rudely deny your sincere actions. That's not how I was raised to act."
Naruto did as he was told by changing topics, "So your names Sakura?"
"Yup that would be me alright. Sakura Haruno" She replied cheerfully.
Naruto tilted his head to the side, looking at the surroundings behind her, "your name matches your hair." he pointed towards his head, indicating her own.
Sakura eyed him for a moment, taking in his compliment before breaking into a fit of laughter, "I'm sorry you sounded quite serious when you said that. Where's your cheery mood gone?" She slapped her hand against his shoulder, hearing a soft groan in response.
Naruto began rubbing his hand against the now bruising shoulder, "How does a small person like you have such strong punches?"
Sakura just smiled proudly, "lets say it runs in the family."
A couple seconds later the two became quiet once more, choosing to stroll the rest of the way in complete silence. They had already passed the side of the castle and were now approaching the fountain. Sakura looked at Naruto from the corner of her eyes. He seemed quite cheerful for an assassin, Sakura began wondering what type of life he led prior to all this. But she's glad to have met someone like him, it's nice getting to talk with people like him.
"I can see you looking ya know?" Naruto blurred out. Sakura quickly diverted her gaze back to what lay in front of her, hoping he'd choose to change topics. Luckily he did as he quietly mumbled, "Hey… is it alright for me to ask about your family?"
Sakura flinched, not expecting him to ask a question like that. In response, she held her hands together against her back and stared off into the distance, "they're all dead."
Naruto snapped his head to stare at her, not expecting an answer like that from her. So she also lost her parents at a young age. Unlike him, He noted how at peace she appeared to be, as if choosing to not dwell on the past and looking forward to the future. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get himself to move on from his past. His lifetime promise was to find out how that fire started and figure out who was behind it. But with Sakura, she appeared as though she accepted what happened with hers and moved on.
He became dumbfounded on how to reply.
"Sorry I brought that up," Naruto began saying, his hands easing against his sides, "you sounded happy when you said family."
Sakura turned to look at him, while continuing to walk past the fountain, "I'm used to getting questions like this all the time. Don't sweat it."
A moment of silence ensued, one where neither had the courage to speak up, that is until Naruto blurted out, "I guess that's one thing we have in common."
"Which is…?" She questioned with a curious look.
A smile etched itself along his features as he turned to look at her once more, "I also lost my family at a young age, just like you."
Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief, not expecting someone like him to also be an orphan. Since he's always in such a cheery mood, she had thought nothing of how tragic his past could have been. Studying his expression, she couldn't quite grasp the swirl of emotions he had displayed, bittersweet maybe? Sakura hesitantly reached her hands out, "I don't think-" she paused when Naruto began waving his hand excitedly, "Oi, Teme!" He exclaimed.
She blinked in response, retreating her hand from view. 'How could one's mood change so quickly?' Sakura thought to herself watching as the atmosphere went from depressing to cheery all over again.
Sakura turned to where he was looking and spotted him. Sasuke stood leaning against the main gates with his arms folded against his chest. He appeared to be in deep thought until Naruto had yelled out to him. When he spotted the two approach, Sasuke casually began strolling their way.
"I see you were able to find her with no problem," Sasuke began saying.
"Hehe wasn't that hard when the person in question has pink hair," Naruto pointed out.
Sasuke turned to look at Sakura, noting how deep in thought she was she hadn't uttered a single word. Had something occurred while the two were in the forest? Surely Naruto wouldn't have done something stupid, although he is known to be quite an idiot. When he turned to look at Naruto to quietly mouth what happened, all he received was him shrugging, "I only asked about her family and in response, had told her I was in the same boat."
Sasuke had the sudden urge to slap his hand across his face but remained still. He should've at least warned him not to bring up any questions about her family. No wonder she's in such a daze.
"You idiot, you weren't supposed to bring up her family," Sasuke uttered. Naruto started waving his hands in denial, "I was only trying to make light talk. Besides, you never told me anything about this."
Sasuke sighed in annoyance, "Of course I woudn't because-"
"It's fine." Sakura said nonchalantly, resulting in the two to look her way, "he was only curious and I had given him my response."
She paused for a moment, continuing, "Truthfully, I was just thinking over what Naruto had revealed, how his parents had also passed away… I guess you could say all three of us have one thing in common now."
Naruto and Sasuke looked at one another, confused about her statement. Naruto was fhe first to speak up, "Hey, you're right!" He wrapped his arm around either side of theirs as a hug, "that makes us friends then," he chirped happily. Sakura giggled in response while Sasuke released his arm from Nauruto's grasp, "whatever this is you can count me out," he retorted.
Naruto, knowing who Sasuke was, turned to Sakura, "don't worry about him, he's too embarrassed to admit to it."
"Am not." Sasuke yelled back.
"Are too," Naruto replied, sticking out his tongue to tease him. Clearly it worked as Sasuke continued to glare back.
Sakura watched the two argue back and forth, resembling that of two children fighting. When was the last time she's had this much fun? Of course not counting the times with Ino that is.
Sakura paused as a thought popped up. Ino. How long has it been since she's come here to the palace? She better get back before Ino starts giving her another lecture on staying out late.
Without waiting for the two to stop arguing, Sakura raised her voice over theirs, "it was nice getting the chance to be at the palace but I have to go back to Ino." Sakura exclaimed apologetically while turning to run past the gates.
Sne paused by the front of the gate, realizing she forgot to add something, "And thank you for everything. For helping me out back there." She pointed out.
"Do you want Naruto to accompany you?" Sasuke asked. Naruto nodded his head without thinking, pausing when the words fully registered, "wait what?!" He snapped his head towards Sasuke, only he completely ignored his glare.
"That's alright, I'll be fine on my own," Sakura said. As she ran off she added, "see you guys tomorrow!"
As Sakura continued to run down the dirt path, she could still hear the two bickering in the background, slowly minimizing until the words got lost in the wind.
The town appeared livelier than usual, with the streets packed with people pushing their way through the crowds. May merchants were out as business was at its peak. From the looks of it, it may be because of the upcoming exam for Royal pharmacists coming up in a bit.
Sakura and Ino were seated in the backside of the carrige, carrying many others who, just like them, also had the intentions of taking the exam. The ride was filled with chatting and comments by participants with some doing last minute studying. They however were the opposite, choosing to have small talk instead.
"I'm so nervous," Ino groaned.
Sakura on the other hand was quite excited for the exams. She wasn't even able to sleep a wink last night because of it. "As long as we both studied we'll definitely pass," Sakura exclaimed excitedly.
Ino sighed in response, "that's because your good at writing exams. Meanwhile I can't even think properly when I'm under pressure."
Sakura turned to look at her pale face, "just…." She tried finding some sort of encouraging words to say, but couldn't think of anything.
"Let's both do our best. Even if we don't get picked or only one gets picked, let's promise we won't go in by ourselves. It's either both of us or none at all."
Ino nodded her head in agreement, "I promise."
A couple minutes later the carrige had pulled over beside the entrance leading into the castle. Sakura looked up at the palace when they approached the large gates.
'Still same as usual,' Sakura thought while the small group of people made their way past. Usually the guards on duty would have checked our IDs but since it is exam day, most guards have been stationed elsewhere, probably somewhere closer to the exam rooms.
It appeared the rather large group slowly began to disperse towards opposite directions, based on what specific exam they were planning on taking, either herbalist and pharmacist.
"Well, I guess it's time for us to part ways." Ino began saying when she also noticed the separated groups, "Let's both do our best."
Sakura hummed in agreement waving goodbye before diverging towards opposite directions. Ino going right for herbalist and Sakura going left for pharmacist.
Walking closer to the large group of people, she noted they had been stationed in a small courtyard, one she hadn't seen before. The flooring was made of cobblestone and in front of her was a smaller building that wasn't connected to the main palace. There was even another fountain stationed by the middle, with a couple people here and there resting against it. Sakura paused when her eyes landed on a specific someone.
"Hey it's you again," Sakura exclaimed happily while walking up towards him. Said boy looked up from what he was studying and instantly perked up, "I didn't expect to actually run into you here," the boy replied to which Sakura said, "yeah I spotted you from back there," she pointed behind where she was originally standing, "you prepped for the exam?" she asked.
The boy closed the book he was reading, "yup, doesn't seem too bad…" he paused to look up at her, "on second thought I'm afraid we haven't introduced ourselves."
"The names Sakura."
"Ohta."
Before either could reply, someone from behind began to talk, "last call for those taking the Royal pharmacist exams please enter through these doors!"
Sakura turned to Ohta, "well, shall we?"
A/N: Hey again, just wanted to let you guys know that updates will be slower than usual but I'll definitely be working on the story. Due to exams and school work, it has reduced the amount of time I usually spend on this. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out soon!