Author's Note: Surprise chapter for my awesome readers who have been so supportive and kind during the entirety of Approaching Sun. You guys are my absolute favorite. And to my "guest" reviewers that I cannot respond to: I LOVE YOU.

Also, I will be adding the percentage of each chapter's completion onto my Fanfiction profile and will be updating it as a write. That way you guys will know just how far I have to complete before posting next.

For those who are interested, I have created a playlist for Approaching Sun. It is just a list of songs that inspire certain chapters. The theme songs for this particular chapter are "There's No Way," "Superhero," and "Enemies" by Lauv. Here is the link to the playlist: user/1235990355/playlist/7HmuyTgnSeuTNvhV9kytLw?si=SxBMwlj5SymNiVr1g1HvnA

P.S. I hope you guys are beginning to understand the story's title. I plan on explaining it fully later.

Pairing: SasuSaku

Chapter 21: Balance

They had returned to complete darkness. It was the first thing that Sasuke noticed as the two of them practically fell out of the purple portal. When Sasuke's feet hit the ground on the other side, he pulled Sakura to him as the two quickly tipped, causing Sasuke to land somewhat ungracefully on his back. Catching the brunt of their fall, Sasuke hissed.

It took the Uchiha a second to process that they had made it back into their own dimension, before he ended the jutsu and the spiraling door of his time-space technique collapsed upon itself. It was hard to see it because of the dimness around them, and Sasuke realized it must be either late night or early morning. The absence of feeling completely drained had Sasuke's attention immediately turning to the kunoichi, whom he still held tightly to his chest through their connected hands.

He could feel that she was breathing, which was a relief, and his alarm faded slightly when her chin brushed against his chest and he found himself staring into her conscious green eyes, somewhat visible in the dark. Sakura blinked hard and Sasuke could practically feel the black marks slipping from his body as they returned to her, untangling their joined hands and quickly receding up her chin, cheeks, and forehead.

Sasuke realized he was still clenching her hand even after the chakra stripes faded, and after a second, he came to his senses and released it immediately, moving his arm to support her back as he tried to sit up. In response, Sakura did some sort of scrambling motion to relieve him of her weight which had them both awkwardly fighting each other's moves to detangle themselves.

"Ah, I'm—" Sakura began in flustered rasp.

Suddenly embarrassed, Sasuke jerked back his hand and let go of her completely at the exact same moment that she tried to lurch away. This only resulted in Sakura falling over the side of his leg and landing onto her hands and knees.

"—Sorry," she breathed, not righting herself and remaining crouched as she caught her breath.

Sasuke berated himself for his actions next, but he was unable to conceal his concern. Grabbing her upper arm, he pulled her up and helped her settle against a tree. Because of the lack of light, Sasuke didn't move too far away from her so that he might still see her face.

The Uchiha knelt in front of her for a long minute before he asked genuinely, "Are you okay?"

She nodded.

"Why did you do that?" Sasuke asked quietly, still only a foot's distance away from her.

Still breathing hard, Sakura looked up to meet his eyes. She blinked at him innocently. "What?"

"Why did you do that?" he bit out, which caused the kunoichi to furrow her eyebrows together in reproach, not understanding his irate tone. Sasuke didn't even realize that there was anger bobbing on the surface of his worry, until the words were out of his mouth.

"I just wanted to help—" she began, but Sasuke interrupted her.

With that same edged tone, he said, "You tricked me."

"No—" she began, but in his anger, Sasuke kept talking.

He got closer to her face than he had originally intended to. "Is that what a partnership means to you? Surrendering yourself like that?" Sasuke knew it was a harsh accusation, and that Sakura had meant nothing negative by doing so. He was thoroughly impressed at her strength, but that didn't matter to him anymore. He had stopped evaluating others' worth by their power.

Before, he would have calculated how to use that power in the future. Sasuke would have thought something like "Better her than me" and told her not to let her fatigue keep them from moving forward. He couldn't help feeling like the him before as his body was currently experiencing the result of what Sakura had done at her own expense.

Not only had she completely bypassed his own chakra network and directly supplied his dojutsu with the chakra it needed, but the medic had also pumped his body so full of her own energy that it left Sasuke with more chakra than when he had teleported them to that forsaken realm to begin with. She had emptied herself so that he might be restored in all his strength.

A partnership didn't leave the other party at their worst. It left the Uchiha feeling like he had used her—like he had done with so many others. That was why he was hesitant to rely on her Strength of a Hundred seal to begin with.

"Sasuke," she began between gasps. "I'm sorry."

No, he thought. She needed to know exactly what he thought. "I have spent years taking from others and feeling absolutely nothing once they were reduced to the state that you are now in. Is that what you want to be to me?"

She continued to blink at him in the dark, and Sasuke realized something as he recalled what she had told him twice before: "I will help you get your revenge." That's who she thought he wanted her to be to him. The thought almost made him physically ill.

"That's not a partnership!" he hissed in her face and stood up. "That's not balance. You lied."

"Yes," she admitted. "If you put it like that, then I lied. But I did what I believed was best. I am fine, and I still have chakra. Transferring you that much chakra was because of what I did back at the tow—" but she stopped and her eyes widened as they focused on something past him.

Feeling the hairs suddenly stand on the back of his neck and arm, Sasuke turned, silent and aware that someone had just appeared at his back. When he spun, Sasuke effortlessly pulled his sword from its sheath and held it between himself and the enemy, all while wearing that signature glare of his.

Placing himself in front of his teammate, Sasuke pointed his blade at the multitude of shadowy figures that now stood scattered around them and between the trees. A million thoughts went through Sasuke's mind when he realized that there were several of them and he and Sakura were now completely surrounded.

One thought being that he felt like an amateur for not assessing their surroundings more closely. The second was that he needed to get Sakura out of here without ducking into a dimension this time. Sasuke didn't know how the enemy knew where they would appear, but he needed to deal with these strange ninja who were after them, once and for all. There were no more thoughts after that as he allowed himself to slip into a calm, fierce determination to kill each and every single one of them that so much as came near them.

But when a voice called out to them through the darkness, a bell of recognition rang throughout Sasuke's head that eased his alarm slightly. "Who are you?" the ninja called out with edged authority in his voice. "Tell us why you are here."

Sasuke's sharingan flashed in the ninja's direction, but Sasuke didn't lower his sword even when he approached, until he heard Sakura say his name: "Kankuro?"

Frowning, Sasuke lowered his blade. Because he and Sakura didn't use the previous door, Sasuke realized then that the teleportation must have brought them two hours west. They had practically tumbled out onto the border between the Lands of Wind and Rivers. How convenient. But why did they have to run into these guys so soon?

It was then that Sasuke recognized the ninja by the faint purple markings on his face and the shinobi symbol of Sunagakure on his forehead. When the puppet master came within a few feet of them, he raised his hand in silent communication for his companions. Kankuro smiled largely at them in recognition. "Ah. Uchiha and Sakura. We have been expecting you."

Still sitting on the ground, Sakura asked up at the approaching ninja, a smile spreading across her face. "You were expecting us?"

Kankuro nodded at them, confirming, "We got your message, Sasuke. As soon as we heard that the two of you were headed this way, we were sent to intercept you."

"The two of us?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," he explained with a knowing smile. "Along with Sasuke's letter, we received word from the Hokage that Konoha's most renowned medic might also be in company."

Sasuke couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the unexpected compliment, something fierce honing itself within.

"An escort for the Hokage's pupils is the least we can do," he finished despite Sasuke's glare. "Not to mention that you both played a part in saving the world."

"We thank you," Sakura replied with a blush. When she spoke, Sasuke and Kankuro both noticed that she did so breathlessly as the result of her weariness. She made to stand, and the puppet master instinctively reached out towards her with concern when she stumbled slightly. "Are you okay there?"

Before Kankuro could so much as offer her his help, Sasuke intercepted her himself. He didn't know why he did it, but the Uchiha quickly grabbed her elbow with his right hand and lifted it over his head as if it were the most casual thing for him to do. It took Sakura a blinking second to register that Sasuke was offering her assistance, but she quickly settled into his side.

"Long journey," she explained simply to the sand ninja, making quick eye contact with Sasuke before letting her gaze fall back on the puppet master.

Sasuke cleared his throat after Kankuro watched them silently for longer than a few seconds.

"We'll get you some refreshments as soon as we are back in Sunagakure," Kankuro promised. He turned then, motioning for a few ninja to come forward. Accepting their new orders as scouts, the unfamiliar ninja nodded and disappeared in the trees.

After a few conversations between shinobi, they were ready to make the remaining voyage towards Sunagakure. Even in the dark, Sasuke could glimpse flashes of Sakura's embarrassed flush as Sasuke supported her weight. He did his best to hide his own as his hand fisted into the clothing closest to her hip. He drew her nearer so that he supported most of her weight.

When her eyes grew wide, Sasuke offered her a one-word explanation that both reminded her of their unfinished dispute and assured her of its finish. "Balance."

Sasuke also hoped the word reached her in another way. He wanted to prove to her that he could be a partner that didn't solely take. He would carry the kunoichi the whole damn way if he had to.

…..

Sakura Haruno gazed out at the ripples of pink-glistened sand that rose into small dunes ahead of them. The sunrise at their caravan's backs practically highlighted the desert hills in such a way that the sight shaped Sakura's perceptions of beauty.

"Wow," Sakura exclaimed upon seeing the rosy scenery. She had only ever walked this path during mid-day when the sun was at its highest—and hottest—which always had Sakura grateful for her fortunate—and much cooler—upbringing in the Leaf. It was dumbfounding how the time of day had her reconsidering her dislike for the desert.

A small laughter brought Sakura back from her meditative appreciation, and she blinked when a younger kunoichi from the group—someone Sakura had never talked to before—walked up beside Sakura and remarked, "It matches your hair!"

"Oh," Sakura grinned at the ninja, reaching up to finger her hair with her free hand. "You think so?"

"Yes!" the girl exclaimed, "It reminded me of the sunrise as soon as I saw you! It's very beautiful!"

Sakura grinned shyly at the girl. The female ninja looked then at Sasuke with that same enthusiasm. "Yours is the opposite, because it looks like nightfall!" Sakura swore that Sasuke's uncaring attitude and blank expression is the reason she ran up to the front of the group soon after.

Kankuro, who was currently leading their company, called back, "If you like this, then you should see the desert during sunset."

"I'll have to make sure to see it while we are here!" she called out to him. Why she had never cared to see before, she didn't know. Most likely because every time she had been here prior, she had been incredibly preoccupied.

Sasuke, who had remained quiet for their entire trek, shuffled her weight on his shoulders to regain her attention because he was preparing to move forward again. When their feet slid a little bit in the sand, Sakura offered him an embarrassed grin.

"I think I am alright now, Sasuke," she admitted despite how much she was enjoying their tread. She thought back to all the times she offered Sasuke her support in the same way just to be next to him. That was such a long time ago. Sakura made to take back her arm, but Sasuke didn't release his hold on her side.

He only continued to move forward and said, "Anyone can see that you are dead on your feet. You'll only slow us down, so I guess I'm just going to have to drag you the whole way."

Sakura scowled at him. He certainly had a way to spoil the pleasant moments between them. But even when he turned his head, Sakura could see the small upturn of Sasuke's lips at her glower.

"Annoying?" she asked, testing the word on her lips. The word's connotation seemed to be changing in her mind the more that the two of them used it—which was very often. Unfortunately.

"Hn," he snorted in agreement. "Insufferable."

Thoroughly enjoying their small banter, Sakura replied with a closed-eyed grin, "Get used to it."

Sasuke didn't say anything to that. They fell back into a silence, so Sakura's eyes flashed back and forth for a second as she worked up the courage to take advantage of it. Everyone else in their escort was several paces ahead of them, so Sakura readdressed their tense conversation from earlier.

She sighed. "I have to admit something else to you."

Sasuke's expression completely changed as he eyed her apprehensively. "What?"

Sakura had tried to tell him this before Kankuro and the other Sand ninja approached them. Bringing it up now took twice the nerve. "While you were asleep back in Kaguya's tower, I went exploring the dimension by myself."

There was a silence. No answer. But before he could think of a response, she also blurted, "And what's worse, is that I might have—" She took a breath, "—even coaxed your body into a longer sleep . . ."

The Uchiha's black and purple eyes flashed at her then, and his feet faltered a step. "You did what?" he hissed.

Cringing guiltily, Sakura rubbed the back of her neck and dropped her eyes to the right. "I just wanted to prove to you that I could help. I didn't know that helping you sleep would keep you from waking up. Your body must have really needed the rest. I'm sorry."

Sakura knew that if his hand wasn't currently fisted into her side, it would have gone up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

After an annoyed sigh, Sasuke just tugged her closer, which she thought impossible until it happened. "If you want this . . . partnership to work, I have to be able to trust you. That was a very stupid thing to do and all you accomplish by doing things like that is making me regret bringing you."

Sakura blinked at that word "trust" and flinched inwardly at his words. The weight of them made her entire being feel heavy with disappointment. How could she explain her desire to prove to him that she could be useful? His earlier words came to mind: "Is that what you want to be to me?"

After along minute, Sasuke spoke again, his voice almost a whisper, "I know who you are. I know what you are capable of. I know your power. You can stop trying to prove to me that you aren't weak.

Her eyes widened at the comment, which was so completely unexpected. It was like Sasuke was suddenly talking to her for the first time—outright acknowledging her. It was what she had always wanted—to hear him say those words. Little did she know that she had already proven herself to him. She tucked his words, and the feelings with them, away in her heart.

Face blank from any expression, Sasuke said again, "While we travel together, we can 'rely on one another' as you call it. But there are guidelines."

Still somewhat elated at this sudden progress between them, Sakura nodded enthusiastically. "Anything."

"I have to trust you. So don't be stupid."

Sakura immediately frowned. What did she honestly expect?

"Also, no more stunts like earlier." In other words, he wanted to be balanced. He wanted it to be a fifty-fifty partnership. Symbiotic and equal.

That one, Sakura could agree to even though she still didn't regret what she did with her power earlier. When she thought about it, maybe that's how Sasuke wanted it to be because he considered her his equal now? Sakura wouldn't hold her breath on that one. She just smiled, looked ahead, and said, "Okay."

….

Sasuke should have added more guidelines to their agreement. And as he walked towards Sunagakure through that beautiful garnet desert with its look-a-like at his hip, he knew precisely what he needed to add.

No more of this, either.

But Sasuke didn't want to add that one.