A/N: Sorry about the late update but here's chapter 3 ready to go! Just a heads up the point of view will change halfway through the story.

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 3 - The Start of Something New

It's been a couple of days since settling into their new home. Both of them have already placed all their belongings in and set up the furniture to their liking. The great thing about this place was that everything they needed was located right outside. From doing a little hunting a while back, they took note of the things being sold by different vendors, such as a vendor that sold groceries.

With only a couple days left before the exam, Sakura and Ino took a trip down to the library and borrowed a few books as a way to further prepare themselves. Although there was only a limited amount of books to look through, Sakura felt that she needed to expand her knowledge by observing some in real life.

It was early in the morning, with the two quietly eating their breakfast laid out in front of them, containing plain egg and toast. Sakura, sitting across from Ino at the dining table, places her fork neatly against the plate. Determined on what to do for the day, she looks up at Ino while clearing her throat to grab her attention.

"I think we should head out and see if we can find any herbs to look over," Sakura suggests.

"Oh?" Ino questions, taking the last bite of her bread before placing her cutlery beside the plate.

"What about the books? Isn't that good enough?"

Sakura looks down at the table. The books did contain much information which she wouldn't mind looking over a bit more. However, just looking at words upon words might not be enough to pass that exam. And besides, it's the exam for becoming royal pharmacists at that, which is a once-in-a-lifetime deal. There's no knowing the types of questions they may be asked.

"I don't think looking at words would prepare us. It's best if we take a walk outside and look for some ourselves." Sakura replied back. She took a glance at Ino, noticing her taking a moment to process everything.

"Hmm, I think I'll stay home for today. I want to take the time to look through the books a bit more."

Sakura, looking defeated, slowly stands up from where she was seated, "that's fine, I'll walk around on my own and let you know if I find anything interesting." She says, grabbing Ino's plate at the same time.

Ino smiles up, "I'll be sure to do the same with my findings as well," Ino says, watching Sakura place the plates by the sink. Without another thought, Sakura makes her way to her room, where she changes her clothes into something more suitable for the outdoor weather, throwing on a short pink dress with a pair of black sandals. Once finished, she made her way out, noticing Ino to be nowhere in sight. Not paying her any heed, Sakura throws on her cape, making sure to hide any pink locks of hair and exits the room with a bag strapped over her shoulders, walking down the narrow steps to the main lobby.

The lobby seemed empty as usual, with the same old woman standing behind the desk to her right. Finding said woman staring up at her, Sakura gives her a warm smile in return. After living here for some days, both she and the woman have come to good terms, often conversing with one another from time to time. Since she knows more about the place than Sakura, she always has the best suggestions on places to visit. She was even the one who suggested visiting the library to prepare for the exam.

"Where are you off to this early in the morning?" The woman cheerfully asks, looking up from her pile of work.

Sakura makes her way over, "I'm going to head out for a bit. Decided to prepare for the exam while analyzing actual herbs rather than looking at pictures." Sakura reveals.

The woman could be seen pondering over that for a bit, thinking of whether there were any places in mind Sakura could potentially visit. When she couldn't think of one, the woman slowly took her glasses off, placing them by the corner.

"I usually have someplace for you to visit but," she paused as an idea struck her, "maybe," she says with determined eyes, looking back up at Sakura, "you can try to revisit those pharmacies I told you about. Ask them if they could possibly let you look at some."

Sakura takes in this information slowly. It's true she could try doing that but, many pharmacies she's been to weren't as nice as she hoped for, with many denying any service whatsoever because they looked like a bunch of kids. Because the woman looked so determined with her idea, she didn't want to let her hopes down.

"I'll try to visit some," Sakura says, before quickly adding on, "but thank you for the idea."

"I'm always here to give any suggestions needed." The woman replies.

Sakura waves goodbye to the woman, as she opens the door leading out to the busy streets. It was a typical sunny day, with vendors here and there selling many goods to passersby. The streets weren't as crowded as Sakura thought they would be, making it a lot easier to navigate. Strolling down the steps, she slowly walked by the vendors, while eyeing what they were selling. Some were seen selling baked goods such as baked potatoes while others were selling jewellery.

Sakura gradually comes to a halt, eying a specific vendor just down the street. She could tell right away what they were selling, with a wide assortment of herbs displayed throughout their stand. Surprisingly enough, it was quite empty, which is typical for stands like these since there aren't many interested in herbs.

The man must've noticed her staring, as he then waves her over to check them out. Sakura eyes him for a bit, unsure if she should approach the man, 'It's better than visiting those pharmacy locations.' Without another thought, she makes her way over, getting a better view of the variety of herbs, noticing some she's never seen before. She picks the one with a yellow flower situated on a green, leafy herb.

"Ah, you have a keen eye for herbs," the man behind the stand blurts out.

Sakura continues to analyse the herb, "Yes, well I have basic knowledge on them." she says while focusing her attention on the assortment of herbs. She takes note of the few noticeable features of the plant, storing it for later as she then places it back where she got it.

"Is there something in particular you're looking for? I saw you eyeing the cart from back there." The man asks after watching Sakura browse through the many herbs as if trying to find something specific.

"Oh, no not really," Sakura says, picking up echinacea from the side, "just wanted to familiarise myself with the native herbs here in Clarines." Not that it was a lie, she was technically wanting to further her knowledge on herbs she hasn't come across yet.

"Well, if you'd like, there's an island not far from here that has many herbs like these," he says, causing Sakura's ears to perk up.

'An island full of herbs? That might be what I'm looking for' Sakura quickly places the herb in her hand back where she found it and turns to the man, "How can I get there?"

"I usually charge people for information like this," he says, causing Sakura to lose hope in finding it, "but, seeing how you must really need it, I'll give it for free."

Sakura questingly looks up at him, watching as he motions for her to come closer. Not thinking too much of it, she leans a bit closer.

"There's a boat right down at the port that leaves every hour or so, it'll take you to Narui island." He whispers, leaning back onto his stool.

"And I'll find herbs there right?" Sakura asks, thinking it was too good to be true.

The man nods his head, "why of course. Where else do you think I'd be getting mine from?"

Observing his facial features, he didn't seem as though he'd be lying. And besides, where else could he possibly be getting these herbs from. It was too good to be true. Not wanting to waste any time, she quickly thanked him for the information. While turning around the man quickly stops her, causing Sakura to turn back around to regard him once more.

"Here, take this." the man says, handing her a specific herb she recognized right away.

"It's a calendula, but why…?"

"You may need it at the island," was all the man said.

Sakura hesitantly takes the herb and thanks him before turning around and disappearing into the crowd. She looks down at the herb in hand, looking over it carefully. From what she remembers, calendula is used primarily to treat cuts or wounds, but it requires heating it up for a bit before applying it to the bruise. But she knows for sure that she's never gotten a cut in a while unless the island itself has many tripping hazards. Could it be that the island was a dangerous place for someone like her to go?

But on the other hand, she's running out of time and needs to find herbs to study. Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts, she determinedly looks up in front of her, "I'm not scared of anything," she says, increasing her speed to make it to the port faster.

After a couple of minutes of walking, she finally made it to the port, noticing many boats stationed nearby. The sound of seagulls could be heard from above, as the strong smell of rotting fish and seafoam met her nose, causing her to gag as a reflex.

"Reminder to self, make sure to stay away from ports," Sakura says, covering her nose and making her way through the crowd of passersby. There were many individuals running around with goods in their hands, hoping to sell them to anyone nearby. While others could be seen trying to sell anything they had on their boats. Sakura watched as people were seen raising their hands, hoping to purchase something. From where she was standing, it looked to be the different kinds of fish caught from their trip to sea. Too busy looking to her right, she didn't realise someone shoved a fish a few inches in front of her.

"Would you like to buy a fish?" The boy asks.

Sakura let out a yelp, quickly dodging it in time. "No thanks, I'm good," Sakura exclaims. Without turning around, she quickly runs as fast as she could, while holding onto the hood of her cape to make sure it doesn't fall. Once she was far enough away from those eager sellers, she takes a sigh of relief, slowing her pace.

Right in front, she noticed the crowd separated into three distinct lines, all leading up to a specific boat which seemed it was going to depart in a bit. Thinking back to what the man from the stand said, her eyes widened, realising he never told her which boat to take. Which meant the only way to find out, was to ask someone in the line.

Not knowing who to approach, Sakura shyly walked up to the nearest person, "Um excuse me," when they never turned around, she tried clearing her throat, "Hello?"

Luckily, the woman heard her, turning her head to notice Sakura awkwardly smiling while holding her hood.

"Would you happen to know which boat departs for Narui Island?" Sakura asks, hoping they'd know.

Said woman turned her attention to the line located at the far end, "The line over there should take you there," she says.

The women didn't give Sakura a chance to say thank you, as the line began moving, with the woman quickly following behind, leaving Sakura stranded in one spot. Without thinking too much of it, she hastily runs over to the line indicated by that woman, noticing people were already boarding. Once she joined up with the line, she followed behind, and soon enough ended up on the boat.

Walking up to the front, Sakura grabs onto the railing while looking out at the sea, "Woah" she exclaims. It's been ages since she's last been on a boat, looking down to notice the sea causing the boat to slowly rock back and forth. A slight breeze passes by, causing the hood hiding her hair to move back slightly, before Sakura grabs hold of the rim, quickly pulling it back up once more. Taking a quick peek around to make sure no one noticed, Sakura makes her way to an empty seat by the front, taking a seat and looking out at the landscape.

A couple hours later, the outline of the island began to come into view. Sakura watched in complete awe, getting out of her seat to get a better view. She took note of the many trees harbouring the island with not much open space. The entire island itself was full of greenery, with many plants and wildlife seen from where she was leaning from the rail. There are definitely going to be herbs on this island, although there was an open area to the side, which looked like a beach. What shocked her was how empty it looked from the outside, there wasn't anything that looked dangerous. So why did the man from before make it look as though it was?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the sound of someone whistling from behind could be heard, followed by, "please exit the ship if your stop is Narui Island."

Not wanting to miss her stop, Sakura ran over to where she left her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and sprinting down the long, narrow bridge which connected the ship to the island floor. She began to realize how bare the island was in comparison to Clarine's port. There weren't any children or vendors running around trying to get people to buy their things. As a matter of fact, it was completely empty.

The horn of the ship could be heard from behind, indicating its leave. When Sakura turned around to see how many got off, she was surprised at how few people remained. Turning back around to observe the island once more, nothing seemed off about it, except for how dark it looked past the trees. Although that's quite normal for places like forests, maybe not many choose to venture out here willingly.

Not paying it much thought, Sakura watches as a few of the visitors began walking toward the only pathway leading into the forest, with some casually conversing with one another. Not wanting to become lost, she decides to follow behind, hoping she'd come across herbs on the way.

Along the dirt path, the only thing that could be seen surrounding it were the tall, yet still trees. It's like no one resided on this island for the past year. But what confused her were how people still choose to visit this lonesome island. Maybe they were here for the same reason she was, to prepare for the royal pharmacist exam.

Too busy emersed in scanning her nearby surroundings for any signs of herbs, she didn't notice someone was following from behind until they decided to speak up.

"Excuse me," a soft voice from behind says.

Sakura stops dead in her track, pausing for a bit before swirling around to see who it was. It looked to be a young boy, around the same age as her. He has short brown hair going past his ears, noticing his light brown eyes and a gleeful smile etched on his face. He was sure dressed for the sun, wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of blue shorts. Sakura stares back at the boy, unsure of why he called out to her.

Taking the hint, he continues, "I haven't seen you around here before… are you looking for something specific?"

Sakura's heart starts beating rapidly, slowly registering what he asked. Her mind began to fill up with yearning questions. Was she not supposed to be here? Did that man falsely lead her somewhere she wasn't supposed to be? Her throat began to dry up, too nervous to reply.

The boy must've noticed her freighted look, as he then apologetically says, "I don't mean to scare you or anything. It's just you seem lost and I know my way around…" casually scratching the back of his neck nervously, "I thought I might help you around."

"Oh" was the only reply that came out of her mouth. When the words registered in her mind, she took a quick sigh of relief, realizing he only wanted to help. It might be a good idea to ask for help rather than follow behind the small group of people. She takes a quick glance behind, noticing them to be nowhere in sight, which leaves her with the only option left.

"Yeah, that would be wonderful." Sakura smiles, "Could you point out where I could find medicinal herbs here?"

The boy looks as though she said the most wonderful thing in the world, as he became all excited, gleefully asking, "Are you also taking the royal pharmacist exam as well?"

"Yeah, I am!" Sakura replies, surprised to find another person taking the exam. It's not every day you get to run into people studying to be pharmacists.

"Really? I am as well," The boy happily looks up at her, "You see I just finished examining some herbs myself here on this island, and you looked as though you were here to do the same."

Sakura nods her head in agreement, "I was, it's just I haven't been to this island before and heard they have many around."

"Yeah, they do." The boy reaches over to his bag, pulling out an old parchment of some sort before fervently handing it over to Sakura. She eyes him for a bit, unsure of whether she should take it or not. Not wanting to make him disappointed, she slowly takes the rolled-up paper from him, unravelling the parchment.

Once opened, she gaped in surprise at the neatly laid-out map of what seemed to be Narui Island. Scanning it more closely, she could see small X's with the names of the different herbs labelled on different parts of the map. Realizing what it was, she quickly tried handing it back to the boy, only he shook his head, "you might find it helpful. Besides I'm done looking around here, so I won't be needing it anymore."

Sakura slowly placed the map in her bag, stunned as to how a random stranger gave her something like that. And they're also competing in the exam, so there was no reason for them to help out a candidate, it'll only end up lessening their chances of passing.

"Thank you, for the map." She begins to say, as an idea pops into her mind, "would you like to join me? It'll be nice to get insight from others." It's better to have company than to walk around alone.

The boy sadly shook his head, "I wish I could stay and help out but, I have to get home now." He sighs, adding, "Best of luck at the exam. I hope to see you there though." He waves his hand in goodbye, with Sakura waving back, watching as he ran down the path before disappearing out of sight.

Once he was gone, Sakura pulls out the map once more. It was lucky she ran into someone like him who was kind enough to give her a map of the island, with all the different herbs labelled out too. Who knows what could've happened if she ended up idly following behind that group of people, which she still has no clue where they were headed off.

"Let's see…" Sakura mumbles to herself, looking for the closest location containing different herbs. Not too far off, she found a place containing a couple of different kinds of herbs just off the path. Sakura looks up from the map, before looking down to make sure it was the right way. Confirming it to be the case, she turns around and begins to confidently walk off the path, onto the soft, green grass surrounding the nearby trees.

The inner parts of the dense forest weren't too dark, with some parts allowing a bit of sunlight through, permitting navigating around easier. The nice thing was the eerie yet quiet atmosphere surrounding her, with the only noise coming from the sandals rustling the grass. A few steps in, she spotted a flock of yellow not too far off. From where she was standing it looked to be Tansy, which is used to relieve stomach problems. Just to be sure, she looked back onto the map, confirming her speculations.

She makes her way towards the tansies that were growing where just enough sunlight reached their petals, allowing them to grow without any problems. Sakura excitedly looks down at the plants, happy at being able to find some. it's been a while since she last got to take some, she missed the feeling of getting to hold them and grinding them up into medicine for people to use. They may even end up being helpful along the way too.

Sakura pulls out a small notebook, one that she uses to take notes of the different herbs she's come across so far. The notebook used to be her grandmother's, who utilized it back in her old days when she was studying to be a pharmacist. It was one of the last things she left with her before passing away. Sakura thought it would be nice to fill it up for her, knowing that her knowledge could be passed on to others.

Once she finalized the last bit of notes, she placed the notebook to the side, kneeling down to get a better look at the Tansy. Many of them contained small, yellow buds standing out from their green stems. It's what allows them to be unique from other nearby plants. It might be a good idea to take some home and show them to Ino, she might find them somewhat helpful too. Sakura removes the strap of her bag from her shoulder, reaching in to pull out the only knife brought to dig up herbs. Determined to bring it home, she begins to dig up a few closest to her.

Busy immersed in trying to dig up the herb, Sakura felt a light touch near her right shoulder causing her to flinch. Last she remembered no one else was around except for her, did someone manage to follow behind without her knowing? She contemplates before turning around ever so slightly to see who it was only to gasp in surprise.

The sound of a clock ticking could be heard, with the only other sound of a pen being mindlessly scribbled over the many laid-out documents. It's been hours since he started doing his tasks, the pile barely ever changed with it being added with more sheets of paper. He knew for sure he'd be in his office for a while. However most of the time, he pays that no heed; If his brother can do it, so can he.

His hand, holding the pen paused over the sheet of paper in front of him, before dropping it onto the table as he placed the same hand onto his now throbbing forehead. It felt as though his forehead was going to explode any minute now. Although this feeling isn't new since he'd get them often when pulling an all-nighter trying to finish scanning over last-minute documents. The one in front of him was given by someone who requested it needed attendance as soon as possible. Even still, something as simple as tiredness didn't affect him one bit, as he's become used to it now.

That is, he has to if he want's to be acknowledged by someone.

Too busy entranced in his thoughts, he didn't realize someone barged into his office. Not bothering to look and see who it was, he removed his hand and picked up the pen to resume studying the documents laid out in front of him.

Suigetsu scowled down at Sasuke, taking note of how long he's been cooped up in that desk of his. Ever since they came back from Tanbarun, he hasn't left his office once, even though he was already aware of the type of workaholic he was, never bothering to leave until every last bit of task was completed. If only he knew something called taking breaks, he'd have fewer headaches and maybe become elated, which clearly isn't anytime soon with that face of his.

"You know, you should try getting some fresh air once in a while to ease your mind." Suigetsu suggests, casually walking over to his desk. He could see the many piles of paper scattered across his desk, watching him scribble something before moving on to the next document.

"You know, it's best to knock before deciding to barge into one's office," Sasuke deadpans, reaching over to grab something from the side of his desk.

Suigetsu places the book back down, unfazed by his usual, emotionless reply, crossing his arms together. "Hey, I'm only giving you a suggestion." When Sasuke didn't reply, Suigetsu sighs, "you've been sitting here all day now, I think these documents can be tended to later."

When Sasuke still didn't budge from his seat, Suigetsu walked around his desk and placed his hand over the page that was about to be signed. This caught his attention as Sasuke quietly places his pen down and looks up at Suigetsu's smug expression.

"What?" Sasuke demands, not wanting to waste any time.

"Take a walk outside, just for a bit." Suigetsu asks. When Sasuke continued to glare up at him, as a sign saying, 'You really think imma listen to you?' Suigetsu sighed in annoyance, before an idea struck his mind.

"Why don't you visit Sakura while taking a walk?" clearly that got his attention as he quirked an eyebrow at that. There's no reason to bother with checking how they're doing when they barely ever talked. So why should he bother to go down there and see how they're fairing so far?

Sasuke takes a deep breath, trying to ease his anger, "Look, I see what you're trying to do here but, it was only a one-time thing. Why should I bother with checking in on them anyway? They're probably doing fine as is..." slowly trailing off at the last sentence, a thought pops in mind. If he leaves now, maybe that moron would stop bothering him.

Taking that as a sign of defeat, Suigetsu gapes in surprise as he notices Sasuke getting up from where he was seated, and walking over to the other side of the room. He reaches over and grabs his coat, throwing it over himself. When Sasuke didn't bother to say where he was headed, Suigetsu opens his mouth to question him only, Sasuke beat him to it.

"I'll be out for a bit." was all he said before slamming the door shut.

Suigetsu blinks realizing what that meant, before falling into a fit of laughter.

"That moron."

It's been a while since he's last ventured out into the streets of Clarines.

Even though he's been living here all his life now, and watches over the political affairs of this town, he never seemed worthy enough to bother with exploring the streets. His job as a prince requires to tend to the piles of paperwork needed to be filled out. And besides, with his brother out attending a meeting in some other country, it's his job as the second prince to take the responsibility of completing all tasks required by him.

After their parent's passed away, the immediate successor to the throne fell into his brother's hand. Sasuke was envious at first, angry as to why someone like him would take on that role. However, he soon realized the many achievements his brother has received. Not only that but after a couple of days of following him around the castle when he was younger, the way he portrayed himself to others during meetings as well as conversing with other important figures in the social circle, his views on his brother quickly changed, wanting to prove to his brother how great of a prince he is. He wanted to be that person to help support him in whatever way he could. The only way he could think of is doing what his brother asked him to do, which was to fill out the documents laid out in front of him. Hence the reason why he barely leaves his office.

He doesn't want to let his brother down.

The streets were quiet, Sasuke noted watching a couple kids running around with a kite in hand, with some laughing or playing around. It reminded him of the time when he was around 7 when he used to sneak out at night to walk around the streets. He ended up making a friend with who he often enjoyed playing around with the way these kids were. Except for the fact he disappeared one day, never bothering to leave a letter or message to let him know of his whereabouts. After that, he stopped going out and talked with fewer people. instead, he began to listen to his brother more and kept to himself, without showing an ounce of emotion.

Since he was the one who warned him of something like this occurring.

Shaking his head, he soon realized he was standing right outside the apartment building he dropped them off a couple days ago. Looking up at the building, he hesitated, contemplating whether or not he should go inside. It would be weird if he were to randomly show up and check how they're doing.

Sasuke looked the other way, placing his hands in his pocket in defeat. No that would seem suspicious, there's no way they'd believe something like that. Looking up at the sky, he soon realized it was getting dark soon, with the sun slowly disappearing from the horizon. It's best he came another day, they're probably getting ready for dinner now.

Taking a sigh of relief, Sasuke turned around to walk back towards the castle only to pause in place as someone called for him from behind.

"Sasuke?"

Turning around, he realized where that source came from. It was that annoying blonde-haired girl from back at the cottage. Although he hardly remembered what her name was, he decided to remain quiet and stared back at her, waiting for her to say what she needed.

Thankfully, she took the hint, "Sorry, I didn't mean to call you by your first name…" she says, looking flustered, before changing topic, "what are you doing here this late in the afternoon?"

Sasuke pulled his coat closer, already wanting to head back, "Just passing by," was all he could muster, with the silence taking over. As the silence dragged on, he took that as a queue to take his leave, turning around and taking a couple steps further away from the building.

"Wait!"

The sound of running footsteps was heard from behind, pausing once more to turn back around. The blonde-haired awkwardly looked up before turning her attention to the side. Sasuke could tell right away she wanted to say something, but couldn't muster the courage to.

Not having the patience to wait any longer, Sasuke sighed in annoyance, "if you have something to say, say it."

"Have you possibly seen Sakura anywhere?" She blurts out, causing Sasuke to flinch.

This clearly piqued his interest as his annoyance quickly diminished. "What do you mean by that?"

Turning to face him once more, she continues, "well she headed out in the morning to study some herbs but hasn't come back yet and I'm starting to worry, she's usually back around this time though."

Sasuke begins to process this information. If she had gone out during the morning to study herbs and hasn't returned, there's only one place she'd gone to. A sudden thought pops to mind, last he's heard, rumours have been going around of people going missing on that island, resulting in fewer people visiting that area.

"Narui Island," He mumbles to himself, not realizing Ino picked up on it.

He watched as her eyes widened in disbelief, "An island?you mean she's been kidnapped?" Causing her to start hyperventilating and whispering to herself, "I knew I shouldn't have made her go alone, what am I going to do."

Annoyed by her talking nonstop, he quickly says, "I'll see if I can find her."

Ino looks up with teary eyes, "you would?"

If Sasuke were to be honest, he just wanted to get away from her chattering, it's like she never knows when to keep quiet. Sasuke nods his head, "I'll see what I find," before turning around and walking towards the direction of the port. Not too far off he hears her yell, "Thank you," causing a smirk to appear on his face.

You owe me big time.

It didn't take long to reach Narui island. Luckily, since it was dark out, not many people were taking the boat. That or people rarely visit the island. Once the island came to view, Sasuke looked up to notice the darkly lit forests surrounding the only open space, which was where the ship was parked by. The odd thing was the fact that not many people were around. Is this island not as popular as the rumours say?

Hopping off the rim of the boat, Sasuke paused in place, looking around to spot the only pathway leading further in the mountain. Due to it being the middle of the night, Sasuke found it hard to navigate through the forest, since barely any light gets through its thick branches. Luckily, the ship itself had many lamps lit up, to allow easier navigation, to which he runs back to grab one.

Lamp in hand, he hesitates by the front of the path, carefully analyzing his surroundings. It'll be bad if he got jumped on without prior warning. His hand reaches down to his side, making sure his sword was safely secured in case of any emergencies that call for it. He slowly closes his eyes, scarcely hearing the rustling of the trees and the sound of birds perched nearby. When he felt the coast was clear, opens his eyes while taking a step forward, hearing the soft crunch of his shoes digging into the dirt, before ascending the mountain.

If Sakura were to come here, she'd definitely go somewhere that had herbs nearby. The dirt path, as Sasuke noted didn't contain much evidence of footprints, which made it hard to discern whether anyone passed by at all.

Could she have gone off the path after spotting something?

The bright, orange light from the lantern could be seen being reflected off the nearby trees, allowing better vision a couple meters beyond the path. From time to time, he'd point the lantern towards the forest surrounding him, hoping to get any indication of someone passing by. From the looks of it, he quickly discerned the fact that no many were around today, making it harder for him to spot anything nearby.

A soft crunch could be heard, with what sounded like footsteps coming closer. Sasuke stopped where he was walking, turning towards the direction the sound came from. Even though the sound was quite faint, he could tell right away it was a person approaching his direction. Not taking any chances, he unsheathes his sword from it's casing while holding the lantern in front of him, preparing himself in case it was a random intruder.

The outline of a body began to come into view, as Sasuke tried squinting to get a better look. His eyes widened as he noticed another body beside them, although it was rather small, meaning it must be a child of some sort. Was it a lost family trying to find their way out of the forest? If that's the case, there's no point in standing around and waiting for them to emerge, he'd just end up wasting more time.

Taking that as a cue to carry on, Sasuke turns around to face the pathway once more, continuing his way up the path. A couple steps in, he slowed down to a stop as he heard someone from behind him call out his name. The voice sounded oddly familiar.

"Sasuke?"

Turning around to see who it was, his eyes widen at what stood a couple of meteres down the path.

"Sakura?"

He looked to the side to spot a child beside her, which he's never seen before. It could be a sibling of some sort which Sakura never bothered introducing back in Tanbarun. She must've read his thoughts as she quickly exclaimed, "This was only a child I found in the forest. He scraped his knee pretty badly so I took the time to provide treatment for him."

Sasuke takes a few steps closer to get a better look at the child. It looked to be a boy around 5 years old, with black hair and brown eyes. His clothes were somewhat mangy, with dirt covering the majority of his face and hands. He looked to be holding some sort of stuffed bear in his hands. The boy must've felt him staring, awkwardly running behind Sakura to hide.

"He must be a bit shy…" Sakura awkwardly says, turning around to kneel down in front of the child, "Do you know where you live?" she asks. The boy whispers something in her ear, not wanting Sasuke to eavesdrop. Sakura slowly nods her head in understanding, replying with, "I see… well you better get going then, you don't want your parents to be worried sick."

Unsure of what their conversation was about, Sasuke watched as the boy nods his head, waving goodbye to Sakura with a smile before running past him up the mountain.

"Should you let the child go off on his own?" Sasuke asked, watching the boy disappear deep into the mountains.

Sakura stands up from where she was kneeling, turning around to face Sasuke once more, "He told me his family resides on this mountain. I'm sure he knows his way around."

They become quiet for a bit, unsure of what to say next. It's been a while since Sakura talked to him, and him being a part of royalty makes it a whole lot worse.

"So… what brings you down here to Narui Island?" Sakura blurts out, curious as to why someone like him bothered with coming down here.

Sasuke stares back at Sakura for a bit, confused as to how she didn't realize how late it was outside, before sighing, "your friend told me you hadn't gone home yet. So I decided to investigate for a bit."

Sakura raised her eyebrow at that statement, she wasn't expecting someone like him to bother with checking up on her, since he doesn't look like the caring type.

"Shouldn't you be busy, since you're a prince?"

When Sasuke didn't reply back right away, she began elaborating, "you know like signing documents, shaking people's hands, trying to run a whole kingdom?"

Truth be told, he really shouldn't have come here. He did have a lot of papers to sign and even had an appointment with someone around this time. All he wanted to do was get away from Suigetsu, since he wouldn't stop pestering him to take a break. So how did he end up here in the first place…

"You owe me one by the way," Sasuke reveals, causing Sakura to gape up at him.

"Wha-"

"I mean, since I am a busy prince, you should at least return the favour."

Sasuke watches in amusement as Sakura turns her face the other way, blocking any facial expressions she was making.

"Fine," Sakura grumbles, continuing to look straight ahead.

Realizing how late it was getting, Sasuke says, "We should probably head back then," ending the conversation while turning around to walk back down the mountain. He wanted to get home as soon as possible since he knew Suigetsu and Karin would be waiting by the entrance with an angry expression. And with the amount of work he still needed to get through. He didn't hear a reply from Sakura but the sound of quiet footsteps behind indicated her following behind, with her ending up walking alongside him.

The walk down the mountain was quiet, which didn't bother Sasuke at all. He prefers walking in silence since it allows him to organize his thoughts and focus more on his surroundings. The only sounds that could be heard were their own footsteps hitting against the dirt pathway.

The entrance from which he came through could be spotted just up ahead, meaning they weren't that far in the forest. Continuing on walking, the path changed from dirt to sand, with his feet sinking into the ground below with every step he took. Looking around, he didn't even realize there was a beach nearby. Not paying it much thought, he casually makes his way over to the ship docked not too far away, with the only thought of getting out of here.

The sound of Sakura's footsteps slowed down, which meant she was distracted by something. It's like she keeps getting distracted by every little thing around her. Sasuke took a deep breath, calming his nerves before turning around to find her staring out towards the sea.

"Can we walk by the beach for a bit?" Sakura randomly blurts out. Sasuke pauses to stare down at her with a questioning look. Instead of giving him a reply, she casually strolls along the shoreline, watching the waves crash over with some extending past her sandals. Sasuke, having nothing else better to do follows alongside her.

Sakura turns her head to the side, observing the still yet calm ocean which lay peacefully still. It's been years since she's been somewhere this calm yet somewhat beautiful. Back in Tanbarun, she never found the right time to ever go down to the beach nearby. With the pharmacy always being busy and other errands needed tending to, it must've slipped her mind to make room in her hectic schedule.

Sakura closes her eyes, taking a deep breath in to remember this new feeling. "The last time I came somewhere like this was with my parents," Sakura randomly blurts out, continuing to stare straight ahead. Sasuke, taken aback by her sudden comment, tilts his head her way. He wasn't expecting her to talk about her past this quickly. When she didn't bother saying anything else, he asked, "And?"

A smile creeps onto her face, looking high up at the sky, "It was when we decided to go camping one day. During the evening, we decided to sleep under the stars which, now that I think about it, I don't regret." She paused, before pointing to a specific star above, as Sasuke turned his attention to a specific constellation.

"You see that constellation over there? My mother used to tell me that whenever I'm lost, I should use that star as a compass to find my way home. Neat, huh?"

While Sakura continued to gaze up, Sasuke looked back down at Sakura, taking note of how at peace she looked under the moonlight, while staring up at the sky. He then notices the moonlight being reflected off her emerald eyes, before suddenly catching sight of a single teardrop rolling down her cheek. Not realizing what he was doing, his arm reached out, carefully wiping it over with a single finger.

Sakura's head moved to turn her direction his way, only to close her eyes as a small, cold breeze swept over, causing her hood to fall down, revealing her strawberry-coloured hair. Realizing how cold it became, Sasuke takes a moment to remove his coat, reaching over to place it around Sakura's shoulder. They stood still, continuing to stare back at one another, unsure of when to break the silence.

Sakura, pulling the jacket closer to her, quickly mumbled, "Sorry," while wiping the back of her hand against her face to get rid of her tears, "My parents passed away a while ago, yet I still tend to tear up talking about things like this."

"My parents too passed away," Sasuke reveals, resulting in Sakura flinching. Not waiting for a reply, he continues, "they passed away awhile ago, although my brother wouldn't tell me how. He only handed me a letter given to me by my mother before she died."

The letter which Sasuke received was given to him a day after they both died, so he wasn't able to get clarification from them. Seven-year-old him had tucked it away into his drawer to look at whenever he felt down.

Sakura, unsure of how to respond, says, "I'm sorry for your loss."

Sasuke slowly shakes his head, "I was young back then so, it did affect me quite a bit. But, my brother was there to help me through it all. Besides, the feeling's mutual."

It became quiet once more, with the two preferring the still atmosphere than continue talking. Sasuke, realizing how late it was, decides to break the silence, "We should head back now. Your friend's probably worried sick about you."

Sakura pauses, before bursting out into laughter. Sasuke, unsure of why she was laughing, scowls down at her.

"You-" she tried speaking in between laughing, clenched her stomach to hold it in, "have you seriously forgotten her name?"

"Well-" It's true that he forgot her name, but there was no point in remembering it to begin with. When Sakura finally calmed down somewhat, she then said, "I'll let you ask her when we get back." Only to receive a glare from Sasuke. She didn't bother waiting for a response as she turned around and began walking towards where the ship was situated.

Sasuke blinked, unsure of what just occurred. Except, a smile slowly crept along his face, one that he barely shows. No one's ever gotten him to smile like that. The last time he remembers smiling was at his own brother, who complimented his swordsmanship. An odd feeling began to emerge from the pit of his stomach. What was it about her that made her different? It was like she made it easy for him to talk about his past, one he didn't like sharing.

His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Sakura was almost nearing the ship, hesitating before running to catch up to her.

Maybe he should start opening up to others.

What he failed to notice were a pair of blue eyes, hidden behind a nearby tree, carefully watching their every move. While occasionally took notes in a notebook he brought along with him. A sinister smile remained hidden in his facial expression, slowly fading away into the darkness once he had what he needed.

Authors Note: And that concludes chapter 3, with about 8k words. I deeply apologize for updating pretty late but I do hope you enjoyed it nonetheless and hope to release the next chapter soon. See you guys in the next update!