Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. And I don't own Wyatt's protective shield, tee-hee. Charmed owned it.

-

-

Chapter Three: Cherry Blossom

-

-

Sasuke was standing in the middle of the garden. He frowned as he looked at his surroundings. A single sweat ran down from the side of his forehead.

'This looks eerie familiar.' He thought as he kept on looking for nothing in particular.

Onyx eyes dilated as it started to get darker until he couldn't see a single thing.

He jumped a little when he felt a hand grab his own as he heard a crying noise coming from a woman. Then he could suddenly see his mother lying on the floor beside his dead father, she were bloodied and wounded as tears ran down her once kind and cheerful face.

"Sasuke, help us…"

Sasuke's eyes started to water. "Mother…"

"Sasuke…"

Then the scene faded and it was changed then he was already standing next to the raging water fall and Itachi was standing in front of him with a kunai that he stabbed in front of Sasuke's chest.

"The weak dies and the strong survives…" Itachi whispered before he pushed Sasuke to the raging water fall.

As he fell to the water and it finally engulfed him, only one sentence remained to Sasuke.

"The weak dies…"

"The weak dies…"

The weak dies!

---

Sasuke sat up from his bed as he panted and sweated. "Damn you, Itachi! I'm gonna kill you!" he growled.

Since he witnessed the death of his parents, Sasuke started to have those same haunting dreams.

When he noticed that it was already afternoon and nobody was around, he stood from his bed and walked out to his own verandah. He took a deep breath of fresh air as it greeted him. This was the first time he stepped out of his room after a week of confinement since even though he was already cured and out of danger, his chakra was still weak. And the fact that after he was cured by Sakura, his body longed for a long time of rest.

That was why his meeting with the elders was cancelled last week.

From his perched at the fourth floor of the mansion, Sasuke could see some farmers not too far away farming their lands and planting some plants. Some of the dama's were gathering fruits.

By looking at his surroundings, he could tell that the mansion he was at was a little bit far from its village, he could tell that the mansion was made on higher grounds since he could also see the busy village from where he was, though the inside ground of the mansion were like a small village also on itself.

Seeing this peaceful land, he couldn't help but to long for his once peaceful life with his whole clan, when his brother hadn't gotten mad on the head yet.

Sasuke sighed before he brusquely brushed his eyes to prevent the water in his eyes to fall.

When his hands went back to the railings, he gripped it tightly as his face became emotionless. "I swear I'll have my revenge, I'll kill Itachi!"

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked down and he saw Sakura smiling back at him, she was on top of a white mare, her hair was being flown by the wind. She was wearing a satin emerald pantaloon and a matching pair of haltered top, and just like a week ago every time he saw her, she was wearing an elbow length gloves the same color as her clothes with a single bangle-bracelet on her right hand. Sasuke smirked when he noticed Sakura's elf-like shoes.

"So, you wanna come with me?" Sakura asked loudly since he was four floors up.

"Why?"

Sakura shrugged. "Because I could tell that you're already bored up there." Though except that, Sakura would want Sasuke to feel really at home and comfortable around them. And even though he was not telling anything, she could tell that he's carrying a burden in his heart and the least she could do is to give him something to cheer up for…at least she'd try. Not to mention that she felt something special for him the very first time she saw him almost lifeless on the lake. "And I could tell that any longer of your stay there, you'll already rot." She grinned.

"Hn." Sasuke went inside to grab his weapons. When that night happened, he swore that he'll never be caught off guard again. And when he got back at the verandah, he started to climbed and jumped over the railings.

"Hey, don't you dare----"

Sakura sighed as she stared at Sasuke who landed perfectly on the ground. "…..jump…" she finished lamely, before she glared at him. "I can't believe you!"

He just looked at her blankly.

But not minding his silence, Sakura ranted on, "You could have been injured, or worse killed! And doesn't it occur to you that it's only been a week when you're almost near dying." She looked at him worriedly.

"But I'm fine." He said as he walked towards her.

Sakura was not blind not to notice that as each day passed, Sasuke was changing. He was becoming colder and silent. And she bet that maybe he was only putting up with her was because she was the one who saved his life.

She shook her head and pasted a bright smile as he stopped right next to the horse she was riding. But despite those changes, she promised to herself that she would stay by his side and she'd support him as long as he allowed her.

And silence means yes, right?

Anyway, even though if someday he won't allow her to stay by his side anymore, that doesn't mean she'd listen to him, ne?

"Ready?" Sakura smiled as she patted the place behind her since she was the one holding the reign at the front.

"Where are we going?"

"Just around." She shrugged. "Hop on already."

He silently climbed on the mare, Sakura blushed as she felt Sasuke's warm body at her back.

"So, Sasuke-kun, what do you think of my clothes today?" she asked excitedly.

"Fine."

She pouted. "Is that all you can say?"

He shrugged, "They're all the same anyway."

"Huh?" she glowered.

"They all fitted you fine."

Then she brightened again. A single compliment from Sasuke, even how blunt and simple, could make her day.

Sakura frowned as she looked down then blushed when she felt and saw Sasuke's arms slipped to her waist, his arms brushing the bare skin of her waist.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Then she saw his hands held the reign before he shook her hands out of the reign as it fell automatically on the space between her spread legs. Then she felt Sasuke's right hand held her waist tighter as he adjusted her body to his, Sakura's hands then held on Sasuke's arm.

"Since you invited me out of my room, it's just right if I would rein the horse, ne?" he whispered to her ear.

Sakura shivered as she squirmed slightly on her place. "H-hai."

Sasuke pulled the reign, the horse howled as it lifted its front hooves in the air before it ran fast. Sakura shrieked as she automatically shifted her body and hugged Sasuke's waist tightly.

"S-Sasuke-kuuun!"

"Hai?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Slow down, onegai!"

"But you agreed that I'll lead the reign." He said before he let the horse ran faster.

Sakura could do nothing but to shrieked and hold tighter to Sasuke.

When they reached the farmer's fields, the farmer's bowed respectfully as they passed. Sakura gave some haste wave as the horse continued to run faster. After a second, only the dirt from the hooves was left behind.

"You're crazy! Did you hit your head somewhere!" Sakura half-shrieked half-laughed, enjoying the fast ride more. Yes, she knew how to ride a horse but that doesn't mean that she could let the horse ran as fast like what Sasuke was doing, that was why it was her first time experiencing riding a horse running so fast, she even thought that maybe they were faster than the wind.

Sasuke just shrugged as he lightly sniffed her hair. "Maybe from the falls, who knows…" he silently mumbled as his left arm freed Sakura's waist for a while as he took some strands in front of Sakura's face and tuck it back under her ears before his arm went back around Sakura's waist.

Sakura heard what he said but she didn't push, she just listens, and by hearing some small sentences from him, she could puzzle them all together later.

"Besides," Sasuke started again. "Scared that I would let you fall?"

Sakura slowly looked at his direction, twisting her head and body in an awkward position. She saw him looked down at her for a while before looking back straight at the field. She smiled and sighed, "Iie, I trust you that you wouldn't let me fall, Sasuke-kun…" she said solemnly, almost like a prayer before she slowly and unsurely lifted her face a little as her lips lightly gave Sasuke's chin a kiss. He kept his face straight but Sakura saw his adam's apple moved and gulped as she felt his arm tightened more about her.

"Arigato."

"For what?"

"For believing and trusting me at the time when I felt so unworthy." He muttered as his eyes hardened. "I felt so worthless, I didn't even try to save my family…"

Sakura kept silent. She didn't want to say anything because she didn't know the whole ordeal and she's afraid she might say something stupid and inappropriate. And she can't have that when Sasuke was starting to reveal his story piece by piece.

She held him with reassurance and kissed his clenched jaw lightly before resting her head on his chest.

She knew that she can't do anything yet but to assure him, but she can't help but to feel agitated and awkward, she can't help but think that maybe Sasuke was only allowing her to kissed and hugged him because he was deep in thoughts and mourning, and that he only allowed her to come close because of needed comfort.

But what would happen when he finished his mourning? Would he turn away from her?

She sighed before she move her head away from his chest as her hands un-latched their hold on Sasuke's waist. She felt sadder when Sasuke didn't say anything or even react. It was like he was so passive he didn't care what was being done and un-done around him.

Sakura shook the sad thoughts out of her mind for a while. This is the time to be happy because she's very close to Sasuke, that's why she has to be happy for the time being.

Then her mind darkened again at her new thoughts, 'What if this is the only time I'll be able to be close to Sasuke-kun?'

She breathe some fresh air before totally forgetting her worries as she re-arrange herself once more as she sat properly again. She never caught the questioning look Sasuke gave her.

000000

They reached the flower fields; different birds and butterflies flew about, flowers and trees were swaying with the wind as the mare galloped about, and when Sasuke pulled the reign to make it stop its hooves were raised once again before it settled down.

Sasuke jumped down from the mare before he held Sakura by the waist and help her down on the ground.

Sasuke studied the surrounding as if recalling something while Sakura chase after the birds and butterflies and once and a while she would pick some flowers and threw it playfully in the air.

She was twirling around when she noticed that Sasuke was missing. She couldn't see him when seconds ago he was just standing not far away from her.

"Sasuke-kun?" she called worriedly.

--

While Sakura was playing on the field like a child, Sasuke looked about the place when he heard the sound of flowing water. Without second thoughts, he followed the sound.

And now, he was standing in front of the lake where Sakura found him, he could still see some of his dry blood on the rock.

'So, the falls back at Konoha is connected to this lake…' he thought as he stared at the lake. 'But before, the fall doesn't seem like it was connected to a place like this one. What we knew was that it was connected straight to a river.' He analyzed. 'It only means that this village is really enchanted.'

While he was thinking, Sasuke didn't notice that he was walking farther away from where Sakura was as he followed the lake backwards, from where he came from or from where the stream of water lead him to.

-

Sakura started to worry when Sasuke was not responding to her call. 'What if he's injured again?' she thought as she started to enter the forest.

-

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A young runaway ninja?" a man's voice taunted before adding as he saw Sasuke's head protector. "…from Konoha, I see…"

Sasuke blinked before he narrowed his eyes. 'Damn! I'm being careless again! And I let my guard down!' he crouched a little, taking his own fighting position as he prepared himself to fight.

As he was walking, he didn't noticed that he was already out of the Mystic's Valley's protected land and veil.

He scanned the area and he saw three men, the one talking to him was the muscular of the three, the other one was fragile looking with white cloak, and the third one looked like a lunatic.

In his point of view, they were an odd bunch.

But none the less, he activated his sharingan, his eyes never leaving them as he glared at them coldly.

"Ah…what a rare surprise…" the muscular man cackled. "This fight could be interesting."

"And we could sell him to a market. He's rare indeed!" lunatic one said as he licked the dagger he was holding.

Sasuke grasped his kunai, anticipating the fight.

The two men started to attack and Sasuke was about to attack when he was suddenly thrown hard on the ground. Small cuts started to appear on his arms.

His eyes wild as he scanned the area, then he realized that the fragile man was nowhere to be found. Then his eyes widened as he coughed blood when someone kicked him hard on his stomach a few times until his grasped on the kunai loosened. He could hear the two men laughing…and they were laughing at him!

"The kid was not worth fighting with!" the muscular man said. "He even activated those red eyes of his for nothing! How pitiful!"

Sasuke clenched his fist. He was about to get up when someone kicked him again from behind. He was being kicked back and forth when the lunatic looking guy joined the other unseen one. They were not allowing him to get his bearing back.

Since he was still a bit weak from his ordeal a week ago and he was still on the verge of healing, his full strength was still not back yet.

He started to hate himself.

Hate his pathetic 'strength'.

He felt someone pulled his hair backwards and he ended up lying on the ground, then he saw the fragile man unveiled himself from his white cloak.

"You see, I have the ability to be invisible." He said as he sat next to Sasuke.

"Hn…this guy looked so cute, it would be a waste to just sell him to the market." Lunatic said as he grasped Sasuke's hair harder.

Sasuke hated and was disgusted at his predicament.

'Great! A perverted bounty-hunters-wanna-be's!' he thought hatefully.

"You're right." Fragile man said as his hands caressed Sasuke's right arm. "He's so cute we could dress him as a girl…"

'A perverted psycho! So damn great!' he thought disgustedly as he struggled and fought.

"How about I slice his skin a bit?" lunatic said as he started to raised his knife. "A scar on his left cheek, what do you think?"

Fragile grinned wickedly while muscular watched not too far away with amusement. It was always like this, it was fun to let their prey feel like they could defeat them and in the end they would end up being broken.

Lunatic was about to struck when Sakura appeared from the nearby forest.

"Sasuke-kun!" she shrieked. She started to run towards him, not caring about the three psychotic men. Irritation surfaced as she saw two of them near Sasuke.

"Sakura." Sasuke's eyes dilated. He was more nervous at what they could do to Sakura than what they were planning to do to him later. "Go!"

But she never listened, she kept on coming forward.

The three men looked at her hungrily, especially when they saw her exotic clothing.

"Hmm…it's been a while since I played with a cute girl. And she's in a costume too!" muscular said, lust in his eyes.

The other two agreed as they stood and ignored Sasuke as they started to plot what to do with the pink-haired beauty after they caught her.

"It would be fun seeing you girlfriend being played by us, ne?" lunatic taunted Sasuke as he gave him a hard kick once again.

Sasuke coughed as he clenched his jaw, his one arm clutching his stomach.

Sakura threw herself about Sasuke.

The men started to approach her.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw them almost near and closing about them.

They were about to grabbed Sakura to be taken away from Sasuke when a bright blue orb surrounded them, protecting them from harm.

The three men were thrown hard on different places.

"Kuso!" lunatic said as he stood and charged.

Sakura didn't bother about them as she started to heal Sasuke's wounds.

Lunatic stuck his dagger on the orb-barrier, he was electrocuted and then burned and turned to ashes. The wind blew his remaining ashes away and apart.

The two remaining men's eyes widened in fear as they panicked before they ran away.

The orb disappeared.

Sakura was about to heal Sasuke's other wounds when he swapped her hands away.

"What was that about?" he said in a low tone.

Sakura shifted before answering, "It's a protective shield."

"Another power from the Mystic Valley…" Sasuke said sarcastically.

"Why are you acting this way, Sasuke-kun?" She asked with a worried frown. "And I didn't just suddenly have this kind of power, I learned it."

"And you didn't bother to tell me! While I was so worried they might hurt you!" he glared at her as he stood up.

Sakura sighed, she clasped her hands together nervously as she stood also. "I didn't think that I have to tell everyone about it, only me and my sensei's knew about this and they only appear when I'm in possible danger."

Sasuke nodded bitterly. "For the second time, you saved me….I'm always making a fool of myself. Always the worthless one." His jaw clenched. "I hate it!" then his expression turned cold again. "I'll be stronger."

Sakura just bit her lip, Sasuke was walking back to the path of the Mystic Valley when Sakura spoke. "Please let me heal your wounds…"

Sasuke just looked at her for a second before he continued walking without a word, until she could no longer see him.

A single tear trickled down her cheek. 'As if what happened earlier was only a dream…' she wiped her eye then started to follow the path he took. 'Sasuke-kun…'

00000000

To Mimi the ninja, sweet cherryblossom1, Tataiha, anime59, Lone Sakura, Reiyuka Yumikoto, thank you all very much.

And about the age: Sakura is 16 and Sasuke is 16 turning 17, you'll see.

Here's chapter three.