My combined entries for SS Blank-Period Week for 2022! I hope you enjoy them! :)

DAY 1: MOONLIGHT/"TSUKI GA KIREI, DESU NE?"

Strong strides carried him forwards, the moonlight guiding his path down the long and winding road, void of all walks of life apart from himself. That is, until he stumbled across a small flash of pink along the underbrush of one particular tree.

He paused, mismatched eyes scanning carefully before he settled them upon the feathery being who had captured his attention from afar. Sasuke slowly approached it, dried-up and lifeless leaves crunching underfoot before he stopped just inches away. He crouched down and silently observed as the small, winged creature's chest rose and fell in rapid succession. It seemed injured, but it wasn't the congealing blood on its exposed abdomen that had captured his full attention, but the rich color of its wings. Pink. Just like her.

"What happened to you," he whispered and that's when it's glazed gaze lifted up to meet his and a startling realization caused his thin, chapped lips to fall ajar and his own eyes to widen slightly. 'They're green. Just like hers.' He takes a few seconds to compose himself, swallowing before slowly reaching for the tiny creature.

It barely put up a fight as he held it in his gloved palm, it's back resting against his skin as it lay in a prone position. It seemed tired, weary, and fully prepared for its fate.

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly as a memory came to mind from a few months ago… twenty-three of them to be exact. It happened on a night, much like this—

"… you don't have to think about it too much, Sasuke-kun. You must feel it," the woman at his side whispered as she placed one of her hands upon his slightly disfigured stump. "Feel the skin knitting together," Sakura continued before a soft green glow emitted from her palm, seconds before the warmth of her chakra enveloping him and the now familiar phantom pains of his injury quickly evading his senses.

"Why do I need to learn this, when I have you," he teased and watched as her skin began to brighten to a pretty pink hue in the soft glow of the moonlight streaming in from his open windows, the curtain billowing slightly in the midnight breeze. She playfully smacked at his arm and admonished him with a "Sasuke-kun!", before slowly pulling her hands away. She placed her hands in her lap and fidgeted by his side, her gaze now downcast and forlorn.

He hated that expression on her the most.

"I won't always be with you…," she sighed, her gaze finally meeting his as a tired, sad smile graced her lips. "You will be leaving us soon… for your journey. I just want you to be prepared in case you get hurt while you're away from the village and need some immediate assistance until you can find a proper hospital, Sasuke-kun. I… I mean… it doesn't hurt to learn a little bit of medical jutsu."

He understood her concern and worry for his safety, he felt the same way about her. They had grown closer than ever over the last few months after the war and if he was being honest with himself… Sasuke really did wish that he could ask her to join him. But this was a journey for himself… to find himself… and he couldn't do that if he was distracting himself with having her by his side.

Maybe after he came back, they could travel together—

With Sasuke's newfound confidence in their ever-budding relationship, he reached around her with his free hand and wrapped it upon her shoulder, tugging her to him. She only tensed briefly, at the suddenness of his action, but quickly melted against him as she placed her cheek upon his right shoulder and let out a deep sigh. A sigh that was filled with so much emotion…

He placed his mouth on the top of her head briefly, before resting his cheek against it. They sat like that in silence for several minutes as he was unsure as to what to say to her. Finally, he settled on the one thing he knew that she would understand.

"Thank you, Sakura. For everything."

When he opened his eyes, the young fledgling was still in the same position as before, although its chest seemed to be growing weaker and weaker as each second ticked by, which worried him. Don't think about it, feel it. He allowed his mind to empty, his fingers began to tingle and then with a few short bursts, a soft, bright green glow began to ooze from his palm and surrounded the tiny creature fully.

He smiled to himself a little as he watched the open wound on its right breastbone begin to close up… and only a few minutes later, it jumped up, resting its feet on his thumb for a second to look at him as if to say thank you before taking off into the night.

He slowly stood and watched as it rose higher and higher, seeming to head straight for the moon as it flew once more after its near-death experience. 'Thank you, Sakura…,' the lone Uchiha thought as his lips slowly twisted upwards into a small smirk. '…tsuki ga kirei, desu ne?'

With one final look at the bright orb floating high, he turned on his heels and continued with his trek through the forest, his destination set in motion a long time ago.

His destination… Konohagakure.

DAY 2: CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL/ "I WANT TO GROW OLD WITH YOU."

It was just a few hours later when the sun was just peaking over the horizon that he finally entered the quaint village of Konoha. It was just as he remembered it, (albeit a few new shops here or an upgrade to one there) Sasuke thought as he made his way down the empty street; the early morning hour was still a little too premature for most civilians… and even most shinobi… but he was fine with that.

He wasn't really one for being outright sociable, unlike his two teammates. He preferred it this way.

He made his way to the Hokage tower, ready to make his presence in the village known to Kakashi, (even though he was almost certain that the nin knew he was here already) before he went out searching for his friends. He neglected the stairs in favor of the window and as soon as he landed on its edge, a very familiar face turned in his direction. The knowing smile was hidden from view due to the permanent fixture upon his face, but the soft crinkling of the fabric was indication enough that it was there.

The silver haired Hokage stood from his chair and placed his hands in his pockets as he tilted his head to the side. "I was expecting you, Sasuke."

Sasuke greeted him with a firm nod. "Kakashi."

Several minutes later…

"So, is that it then, Kakashi," the Uchiha asked with a slight air of impatience.

"That's it," Kakashi agreed before placing the paperwork in his hands inside one of the empty folders on his desktop. "I guess you are free to go." Sasuke had just turned away, (ready to leave at this point) when he heard the older man clear his throat behind him. He rolled his mismatched eyes but respectfully turned to acknowledge him. Kakashi's little smile however, was unsettling. "You have heard about the new children's hospital, correct?" Sasuke nodded because he distinctly remembers a certain medical nin writing about it in some of her letters to him over the past few months.

The process of getting approved… the starting of building the structure… and even some of the children there (who remained anonymous for their safety).

"I believe Sakura was working the late shift there last night and should be getting off in the next… (he looked down at his watch) few minutes. If you want to meet her there, I am sure that she would be excited to see you again."

Sasuke only chose to nod briefly before walking out… this time deciding to take the stairs as he made his way to the children's hospital, following the flow of a very familiar and very welcoming chakra.

It only took the experienced shinobi five minutes to reach it and he decided to wait outside the doors for her, instead of barging in whilst she was supposed to be focusing on her job. He didn't even try to hide his chakra from her either for he knew there would be no point in it… Sakura would have known the second he stepped foot into the village… of that he was certain. The pinkette was more than likely already expecting him to be waiting outside for her.

Twenty minutes later and out she came, dressed in a white jacket… indicative of her position within the establishment. He silently observed as she chatted away with one of her colleagues, giggling slightly at something the other woman said before biding her farewell. Her bright and smiling face then turned towards him and just as he had suspected she had already known that he was here, waiting for her.

He took a small step forward and reached for her hand.

"Welcome home, Sasuke-kun."

He smiled. "I'm home, Sakura."

Later on, Sasuke found himself sitting across from Sakura at her kitchen table… although he wasn't exactly sure how they got to this point after leaving the hospital; he would be forced to admit that he had been just a little bit "distracted" by her if he had been asked about it later.

The bright morning sunlight was now streaming in through her window and the light played against her skin perfectly; the wayward strands of her messy bun sticking out against the harsh white color of the cabinets behind her head. One of her small hands was wrapped nice and tight around her steaming coffee mug, while the other rested in her lap and a pleasant smile was present on her lips, her eyes shining with the happiness that she felt from his unexpected return to the village. 'To her,' he thought. He wished he could live in this moment forever with her.

Without thinking, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "I want to grow old with you, Sakura."

DAY 3: HEALING JUTSU/ "IF YOU LEARN THIS TECHNIQUE, I'LL GIVE YOU A KISS."

A handful of weeks had actually passed since the incident in her kitchen and though it had been awkward afterwards at the time, he was rather thankful for his own "momentary lapse in competence" because it had inevitably led to their relationship expanding even further than it had before his prior, extended departure.

They would now sit openly and comfortably on her couch holding hands and briefly touching each other a little more intimately than they used to; in the privacy of her home of course, and away from prying eyes and nosy friends. This was a whole new experience for the both of them and the exploration was both an anxiety-riddled adventure but also an exhilarating one all at the same time.

The only thing that they hadn't done properly yet, was kiss.

But that was about to change.

Sakura stood next to him on an empty pier, the sun slowly descending on the distant horizon as her brows furrowed with complete concentration. He didn't want to distract her so he stood patiently by her side… waiting for her to begin their training. "Concentrate, Sakura," he finally said when it appeared as if she was going to give up. "You can do this." She nodded her head and closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath, before opening them once more.

The fire behind her orbs was nothing compared to the one growing in his lower belly. He watched her throat constrict with each slow breath that she took inwardly, watched as she puckered her lips and brought her hands up in front of her face… the sedate motion of the signs she weaved with them captured by the red and black swirling of his tomoe.

A minute ball of flames erupted from her mouth when she was finished… lighting up their surroundings briefly before being quickly extinguished when a harsh cough came from her lips instead. Sasuke placed a gentle palm on her back while she tried to catch her breath. "Why is this so hard for me to do, Sasuke-kun," she asked when she finally settled once more. Her face looked dejected and he felt a twisting in his gut. He hated seeing her upset. After a beat—

"It takes practice," he said simply. "I didn't get it right away either. Besides, you weren't born an Uchiha… so it doesn't come as naturally to you. You are doing much better than when we started this training though, Sakura. You should be proud of yourself in that regard."

She rolled her eyes playfully and smiled at him. "Thanks a lot, Sasuke-kun. Maybe someday I will be better at it than you." He smirked and shook his head.

"If you think you can… you need a lot more practice before that happens." He flicked her on the forehead, right on top of her seal, before taking a small step back. "Again…," he questioned with a slightly raised brow. Determination filled her viridescent orbs at his jab and then she nodded before turning towards the shimmering lake once more. After a few more failed attempts, and tips from Sasuke, she finally managed to produce a decent sized fireball.

"That one was better."

"But, not as good as yours…," she pouted and he stepped into her space slightly, his hand going up to cup her cheek. Her eyes grew significantly wider at this… for Sasuke was much bolder in his affection right now than he usually was when they were in a public setting. He bent and her heart began to pound and anticipation filled her completely. But just when she thought he was going to move in to kiss her, he planted his lips on the side of her cheek instead before moving them to brush against her ear.

In a soft and slightly husky voice he whispered, "I'll make a deal with you, Sakura. If you learn this technique… I'll give you a kiss." That was all the incentive she needed. Sakura mastered the technique just a week later.

DAY 4: SEPARATION/ "MAYBE IT'S BETTER IF I DIDN'T COME WITH YOU, SASUKE-KUN."

Even with their relationship seeming to be stronger than ever before, Sakura still couldn't let the past remain where it should be, in the past. After mastering the Uchiha fireball jutsu, (and finally getting a proper kiss from the stoic man) she began to feel the tentacles of doubt seep into her soul, weaving their way slowly around her heart and constricting it as the days leisurely pressed onward.

It wasn't until she found herself walking side by side with him one night, that the enormity of their differences made their presence known to her… causing her heart to clench painfully behind her ribcage. Sasuke detected the change in her right away and halted their forward momentum with a small tug of his hand on hers. He turned to face her, but she was too deep in her own thoughts to notice. Memories from the past week came flooding back, sending her heart spiraling even further.

"… I just don't get it," she overheard a young woman say to her friend as they strolled around the market, shopping for a variety of unknown trinkets on this Sunday morning. "I just don't know what he even sees in her."

"I agree," the friend said as her lips twisted and her nose scrunched. "She isn't even that pretty."

"I mean, maybe it's because she is "strong" or "exotic" or something," the first woman stated as she placed a small, circular bowl back on the tabletop in front of her. The two women looked at each other and then laughed.

The second one rolled her eyes. "Exotic, how? Maybe it's the hair."

"Pink isn't even that pretty of a color…," the first said with a small huff. Wait, did they say pink? The only person she knew of with pink hair was… herself. Could they be talking about her? Before she could contemplate any further, the second woman spoke again.

"And strong, how? So what if she "broke the ground in the war." What shinobi couldn't do that? It's not like it's that impressive of a feat if I'm being honest. Sasuke-kun could do so much better than her."

'So, they are talking about me…'

"I hope he realizes it before it's too late. Can you imagine the babies they would have? She isn't even from a known clan. She couldn't possibly do anything but soil his genes. I feel sorry for Sasuke-kun really…," the first woman spoke with an exaggerated sigh. "I mean, he must feel obligated to be with her given the fact that she's been so desperate for his attention since the beginning, since their academy days. She follows him around like a desperate puppy. It's rather disgusting actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah, haven't you heard? Sakura—"

But Sakura didn't wait to hear more, after that… she ran.

She hadn't even noticed when Sasuke had moved closer and was calling out to her desperately… until he did so for the fourth time with his lone hand squeezing hers a little bit more firmly than before. Sakura tried to blink her hot tears away quickly, but couldn't, not before he had noticed them as she swiftly turned her head away. Her dulled eyes were now downcast and his lips twisted into a frown. "What's wrong," he asked her again and this time, she answered.

"I can't do it."

"You can't do what?"

She looked at him then, pain in her eyes as she pulled her hand free from his. "I can't do this anymore, Sasuke-kun."

She watched as his throat bobbed slowly, his eyes flashing with an unknown emotion before his expression went from expressive, to blank. "What are you saying, Sakura."

"Maybe it's better if I didn't come with you, Sasuke-kun."

There were several long moments of silence that passed between them before he spoke again and when he did, his tone was slightly clipped and filled with repressed irritation and frustration. Sakura couldn't really blame him though… because she was the one hurting him this time. But it was for his own good… or so she thought. "Do you not love me anymore?"

She couldn't respond (not honestly) so she kept her mouth firmly shut with her lips twisting and her tears continuing to fall. When she didn't answer, he continued. "Do you… not understand my feelings by now?" She shook her head and a small sob escaped her throat before she placed a hand over her lips.

"I've heard people talking…," his fist clenched at this, "and it got me thinking that I'm not like you, Sasuke-kun. I don't come from a well-known clan. Hell, my parents aren't even shinobi. I'm nobody… I can't give you anything. I can't do anything for you that can't be done by someone better and you deserved better than me."

"You're so annoying, Sa-ku-ra," he hissed and her vibrant, emerald eyes widened at this comment, while he used her momentary lapse in any form of conscious thought to step into her personal space and use his arm to drag her close, until she was pressed against his chest. "I really don't give a damn about anyone else. All I want… is to be with you. I thought that you understood, when I told you that I wanted to grow old with you."

She let out a shaky, nervous laugh and her hands lifted to grasp onto the front of his cloak. "I… when I heard those women earlier, I just thought that you would want someone who could give you everything that I couldn't. A name… a status." The Uchiha shook his head and silenced her with a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

"I don't care about status or names. I only care for you," he whispered before dragging his mouth down her cheek and jaw before bringing it back up to plant a passionate kiss on her lips. Sakura went slack against him then… with a small gasp… and felt the twist of his lips as he pulled her closer to his chest, deepening their kiss as the moonlight bathed them in a soft, everlasting glow; a familiar bench full of sad memories sat alone in the background, ready to make new and happier ones for the young, blossoming couple.

DAY 5: INSECURITIES/ "EVEN IF YOU TURN BACK TIME, I'M STILL GONNA LOVE YOU THIS MUCH."

It was his turn to feel the strings of insecurity warp around his life-sustaining muscle when Sasuke became witness to a young man approaching Sakura the very next afternoon.

He had come to bring her lunch and ask her out to dinner that evening, but was stopped in his tracks (with bento box in hand) as he watched her co-worker walk confidently up to her side. She turned to him and gave him a warm smile, as was customary for the kind woman, and said something that he couldn't quite hear from his position down the hall.

His hand clenched around the fabric surrounding the small box when he saw the other man place a hand on the small of her back, but was delighted seconds later when Sakura moved away from his touch. Her face grew serious as she began to talk in rapid succession and then her pink brows knitted together in the middle of her forehead when the guy began to move his hands in a frantic motion, his tone in hushed whispers. She placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to say something else when she noticed him out of the corner of her eye.

Her expression immediately changed (softening) and the other guy turned to see what had captured her attention. He frowned as Sasuke advanced and moved to grasp her by the arm, halting her as she took a step towards Sasuke. The pinkette jerked her arm free though and began to yell loudly, her anger and chakra spiking significantly when she turned her blazing fury onto the other male.

"… AND ANOTHER THING…"

"Sakura," Sasuke called and she stopped her tirade to look at him. He indicated with his head for her to follow and she willingly did so, after giving the guy one final furious look.

Thirty minutes later…

"Thank you again for lunch, Sasuke-kun. It was delicious," Sakura said as she dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. He only nodded as he took their trash and threw it away in the can beside her office door. "I didn't expect you to come today. You didn't say anything when you dropped me off last night."

"I got done with training early today," he said as he moved to the large, picture window behind her desk… looking out across the horizon at the ever-expanding village. Things sure had changed since his arrival, just a few weeks ago. Sakura moved to stand behind him… her arms tentatively wrapping around his waist as she leaned against him and rested her head on his back. Sasuke moved his hand up to grasp her arm gently, not pushing her away but allowing Sakura to know that he was open and accepting of her affections… a stark contrast to their past interactions when they were both still immature and adolescent Genin.

She spoke up after a minute of contented silence. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?" The Uchiha turned to her and sighed as he pulled her against his chest.

"I was thinking after your shift we could go and grab some dinner." She tensed and leaned back; her eyes wide.

"Like… like a…"

"Date," Sasuke finished for her with a slightly raised brow. When she only nodded, he chuckled. "Yeah… like a date." He was making fun of her a little, but she didn't care as her expression changed from one of absolute shock, to one of pure excitement.

"Yes, I would love to!"

"Hn," he hummed with a small smirk, before giving her a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. She tightened her arms around him and giggled, the sound like music to his very soul. He felt his chest constricting and the need to convey his feelings suddenly urgent. "Sakura," he spoke up softly to grab her attention, and when he had it, "Even if you turn back time, I'm still gonna love you this much."

The insecurities and fears of rejection from his statement soon vanished when Sakura leaned up on her toes to kiss him, her hands cupping his jaw as she slowly pulled away to give him a gentle smile. "I know." It was his turn to smile and although it wasn't as big as hers… it was still one that was born from his affections, and only meant for her eyes.

"I'll see you tonight?"

"Yes, I'll see you soon, Sasuke-kun."

DAY 6: FOLKLORE/ "I KNOW PLACES WE WON'T BE FOUND."

It was at exactly seven o'clock when Sasuke showed up at her doorstep, giving her just enough time after work to get a quick shower in and change her clothes. Sakura greeted him in kind and locked her door, before following him down the desolate streets, their shoulders and fingertips grazing as they walked closely together, side by side.

When they got to their destination, Sasuke grabbed a table for them and held her chair out for her to sit in first causing a deep blush to form on her cheeks, before taking the seat across from hers. The waitress came a few seconds later and took their orders, before leaving them to talk amongst themselves. The conversation started out normally, both of them asking how the rest of the other's day went… and so on… before transforming into talk of their travels, Sakura being the one to initiate things.

"So, when do you think we will leave?"

Her hands were steepled in front of her and her chin was resting on the tops while her elbows held firm on the table. He looked at her for a minute, meeting her intense gaze as he tried to come up with a decent time frame that would be acceptable for them both. Finally, Sasuke settled on, "I was thinking in a week or two, if that works for you."

She seemed to contemplate his answer before nodding. "I think it will be fine. Lady Tsunade said she would take over for me for a while and she's going to be in town tomorrow." Their dinner came just then and they thanked the waitress, before Sakura let out a sigh. "I can't wait to travel with you, Sasuke-kun! I've never actually done anything like it… for leisure and I've heard so much different folklore that I want to see if they are true or not."

He smirked at her enthusiasm before placing a spoonful of his soup into his mouth, after the heat of the broth soothed his throat, he cleared it. "I know places we won't be found," he teased with a slightly deeper tone to his voice, causing his partner to freeze with her spoon midway to her mouth. He let his lips lift up slightly to the side and watched with great satisfaction as Sakura's cheeks heated up to a bright deep shade of burgundy, the desired outcome.

He enjoyed seeing her so flustered, especially lately. The rest of their evening was fairly uneventful and it was soon arranged that they would leave in two weeks time.

DAY 7: SPARRING MATCH/ FREE PROMPT

It was the evening before their departure…for an unknown and unscheduled length of time… and Sakura was feeling slightly itchy in her own skin. She needed an outlet for her growing disquiet and so she glanced over at Sasuke as he sharpened his Kusanagi, biting at her lower lip.

Sensing her unease, Sasuke glanced up from his task to look at her. He didn't have to ask her what was wrong, he knew her well enough by now to be able to put the pieces together and come up with a conclusion of his own. "Want to spar," he asked her after a short pause and she nodded her head in agreement.

A few minutes later they found themselves at the training grounds where it all began… those many years ago. "You need to widen your stance," Sasuke criticized her, but only teasingly as he was trying to lighten her mood. He shuffled forward swiftly and the pinkette blocked his high kick with her left forearm, giving him a disgruntled huff in place of a verbal response while her eyes narrowed further.

Small beads of sweat were dripping precariously from her temples and down the length of her spine, sending shivers up and down it as she concentrated on her next sequence of attacks. She observed that Sasuke also seemed to be breaking a sweat, much to her delight and she smirked to herself before launching herself forward with a sharp battle cry.

Her foot flew forward before she twisted her hip, sending it crashing to the ground beside him and breaking the earth before splitting it outwards from the point of her left heel in several different directions. Sakura bent down quickly and grabbed one of the loose boulders before chucking it at his head with a growl. He evaded it easily and countered with a few swift flicks of his wrist, effectively sending a number of kunai careening in her direction. She leaped backwards, landing on her palm, before twisting once again and using her now chakra-infused foot to deflect one of the serrated projectiles, sending it flying into another (and then another) until they all scattered across the ground between them.

"That was a decent attempt, Sakura," Sasuke said with an air of teasing. "But, how will you counter this one?"

She watched as his visible eye slowly shifted, the tilt of his head shielding his rinnegan from her forward gaze… black swiftly transitioning into a captivating mixture of both black and red. The swirling pattern of his signature tomoe began to leisurely twist and she felt her mind go groggy for a brief moment as he pulled her into a genjutsu.

It was dark and quiet in this unfamiliar place.

Sakura's breath hitched in the back of her throat, while her stomach rolled and she felt as if she was going to pass out for a split second, before her vision suddenly came back.

Sakura was in a beautiful meadow, surrounded by the ever impressive, ever stunning, Sakura trees (of all shapes and sizes) while a cool summer breeze washed over skin. She looked down to see herself dressed in an unfamiliar white, silky gown that reached just below her knees. She wore no shoes and her hair was long enough to be fixed into a tight braid, with a few wayward strands hanging next to her jaw on either side of her face. Though she felt slightly giddy at this new setting, she also knew that this wasn't real and so her lips had soon pulled down and into a frown.

"Damn you, Sasuke-kun! This isn't funny! You know I can easily escape your genjutsu." She lifted her hands to show the insufferable Uchiha just how easily his silly little "magic trick" can be reversed, when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind. His familiar woodsy scent washes over her as he leans down to rest his chin on her shoulder. Her body had soon relaxed against him and she closed her eyes with a sigh. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"This isn't funny, Sasuke-kun."

"I didn't say that it was," he whispered, leaning back to kiss the side of her neck tenderly. Sakura lifted her hands up to grasp his arms by the wrist before her eyes swiftly opened. 'Wait, does he have—'

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Hm?" He seemed a little distracted and continued to kiss her with the utmost affection. She knew what he was trying to do and needed to get out of this genjutsu fast before he won their sparring match, but before that he had to answer a few questions.

"Umm, don't take this the wrong way," she started in a shy voice, "but why do you have two arms?" His body froze for a second behind her before he squeezed gently.

"I thought you would… like me better, if I…"

"I like you the way that you are. I like you for you, Sasuke-

kun. The real you," she insisted as she turned in his arms. Her left hand landed on his arm, traveling up to the small junction where the real Sasuke's arm would have ended and gave him a sincere smile and a gentle squeeze. "Don't change yourself for me, not even here. Okay."

He smiled back… soft and so small that if you didn't know him like she did, you might not even have seen it. "Okay."

"Now…," she whispered before leaning up, her lips just an inch away from his as her eyes became lidded. "Why did you bring me here?"

"This is one of the places I told you about…," he breathed out hotly against her mouth as both of his arms remained wrapped securely around her waist. "A place we won't be found." Her mind recalled that night with great fondness.

"You couldn't show me later, during our travels. Maybe it won't be as special now that I've seen it this way…," she teased as she tilted her head to the side.

"Either way, it's mesmerizing isn't it."

"Not nearly enough…," she whispered, distracting him with her closeness as she brought her hands up between them slowly. "… for me to do this. Release!"

In two seconds, the call meadow around her dispelled and she went slowly tumbling back into reality.

Sakura gasped for breath while her senses came back to life, mere seconds before Sasuke made a move to grab for her. She was able to swiftly dodge and as soon as his arm moved past her right-hand side, she reached out to grab hold of his wrist, before swiftly flipping him onto his back.

The Uchiha hit the ground with a loud thud and low grunt, before she moved to straddle his hips, securing her victory with a kunai to his throat. She smirked down at him as she leaned forwards, her face now just inches from his, just as things were in his 'little fantasy'. They were both panting… and it wasn't just due to the exhaustion from their spar… it was so much more than that.

"How was that for a decent attempt, Uchiha," she scoffed before pressing the blade more firmly against his throat.

"Not bad, Haruno," his smirk was disarming, giving him the split second he needed to turn the tables on her, and soon she found that she was the one lying on her back with him straddling her hips, but unsure as to how they got into this position in the first place. She blinked up at him with wide eyes. "But I think you could use a little more training. Are you ready for more?"

She used all of her strength to gather her chakra into her legs, ready to throw him off as she gave her companion a wicked smirk of her own. "Absolutely."

Author's Notes:

If any of these sound like your own writing or another you have read I apologize but I didn't copy anyone's work. This is entirely my own writing.