Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto....


Silence hung in the air as the moon hung bright in the dark sky. The hallway's silence could freeze anyone on the spot. Everyone seemed asleep, but movement still lingered in the corridors of the Sanin's lair.

Undisturbed by the silence, someone walked amid the cold stone and darkness as if it was second nature. But just as quickly as you caught sight of movement, it disappeared behind closed doors.

---

Sasuke lay in his futon bed, presumably asleep. A lit torch still illuminated the far wall of his room, contrasting his section of darkness. The door stood in the middle as a passage into complete darkness.

His back was turned away from both the fire and door, he faced the wall. He heard his own breathing, his inhales and exhales. He could smell his own scent in the room, but there was also something else. Something that wasn't there before...

Dark eyes shot open, and before an eye could move, a kunai was against a neck with his body close to hers. Deep eyes stared into his crimson sharingan, only the slightest amount of tears evident.

The weight of his hand clicked the door shut. When she entered, she hadn't fully closed the door. He held the kunai against her pale neck with his other hand, his elbow barely touching the wooden door.

She was pressed up against the door, her head bent down, with her hair free.

His knee was bent against her thigh, further trapping her against two barriers. She just stood there...

"T-Tsukiko..."

She lifted her head, revealing both her dark eyes. Sasuke's eyes widened, was he seeing things?

There was a crack on her face, from bellow her right eye, down her cheek. Her eyes were so... empty...

Sasuke backed away, closing his red eyes, tossing the kunai across the room. Once he opened his eyes, they were onyx again, and it was just her, Tsukiko.

Her eyes were still glazed and empty, her hair was still down, but there was no crack on her cheek, nor any marks.

"... Sasuke..."

He heard himself breathing slightly heavier than before. He heard her voice.

She was still in her white sleeping kimono, barefoot. This would be the first time she had her hair down without it being tossed this way and that.

Without another word, Tsukiko walked into Sasuke, wrapping her arms around his neck. She rested her forehead against his shoulder, he didn't protest.

"Sorry... but... I couldn't stay down there... I couldn't..."

Her shoulders shook. Why was she always scared? A sigh left his lips as he pressed her towards him slightly more.

Was she just alone? Did that room really haunt her so? Or would there be a slight chance that she just wanted to see him? Have him hold her?

Sasuke looked down at her. Tsukiko's eyes were closed. Was it possible to sleep standing up?

She looked at peace, in his arms. Nothing would harm her, he would protect her... As best he could...

---

The next morning, when Sasuke awoke with the rising sun, she was gone... There was no trace of Tsukiko even entering his room that night. Had it been a dream?

The thought made his chest feel a tad heavier. Despite it, he removed himself from the sheets and gathered his materials for the day. It wasn't until he noticed something out of place in his room, on his dresser, that he stopped.

Sasuke walked up to the object. It wasn't there before... A petrified flower, a lily to be exact. White in color, with a fragile structure. He took it in his palm, examining it closer, it couldn't be bigger than a shiriken.

It wasn't a dream...

---

She felt a nudge in her side. Opening her eyes slightly, she found the room dimly lit by a single candle.

"Eh?"

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes gently of salt before meeting Sasuke's dark eyes.

"Get dressed, I'll be waiting outside your door."

"Where are we going?" She whispered, matching his volume.

"Out," he stated before sliding the door close. Now the only light was from the muffled candle on the other side of the paper thin wall.

Without another word, Tsukiko lit another small candle and pulled her bangs back.

'What would he want to show me at this hour?'

It had to be at least an hour before sunrise. Thinking that it wouldn't be more than a few minutes before she'd be back, Tsukiko just threw on an outer layer over her night kimono.

Tsukiko slid the door open slowly, peeking her head out the room. He was waiting half way down the aisle of rooms. Tsukiko fully moved out of the room, closing the door as quietly as possible before joining Sasuke on the path.

He was quite while walking. He was sure bent on thinking about something. She looked down at her hands before up at Sasuke once more. Tsukiko only knew once thing, she trusted him enough to not ask questions.

Sasuke led her out of the cave and into the woods surrounding the lair. The moon still stared high above the treetops. There was just enough light penetrated the branches in order to see. Well, maybe not enough to see...

An uprooted branch caught Tsukiko's foot, causing her to fall forward. Luckily, someone was there to catch her.

'Sasuke...'

Tsukiko never hit the ground. He had grabbed by the forearm and, with his other arm, wrapped around her torso. Sasuke heard her gasp while in his arms. It was not unlike before, a night ago, when he found her in his room. But it still felt like the first time he had been close to her. It still felt new...

"Watch your step, *you don't know what's out here."

Her eyes widened as she clutched the sleeve of Sasuke's shirt a bit tighter.

"Careful, you don't know what's out here at night."*

Were they really that alike? If she hadn't caught herself early, tears might have fallen. But the point is, they didn't. They never left her eyes.

Sasuke still hadn't released her. He still wanted to make sure she could stand before forcing her to. But like he would really force Tsukiko to do anything. And would he really push her away? Did he want her close?

Tsukiko seemed to nod to herself before standing upright. She hoped that his fate wouldn't wind up like her fathers. At least, she hoped it could change for the better...

She allowed her left hand to fall to her side, once more; but her left hand fell into a connection with his. Lightly, she wrapped them around him. His gripped a bit tighter before continuing to walk through the forest.

'He doesn't mind...'

Tsukiko stared at her and his hands, together. He was leading her. Around uprooted trees, holes, and danger. She was safe with Sasuke.

Her eyes closed momentarily, 'I trust him...' But how much? Could she trust him to hold her heart? Keep it?

After five more minutes of walking at Sasuke's pace, the couple entered a small clearing. Large trees surrounded the perimeter of it shoots of grass covered the inter area. Flower buds dotted the area as well. The moon still hung lazily in the sky, watching them.

She took a good look around. Why had he brought her to a clearing?

Sasuke moved a few paces into the center, she followed. There was some, small, presence here. Small... There was nothing in sight, but tsukiko knew better than to solely rely on sight. Was she to ask?

"I found this place yesterday while training. I didn't know what it was until sunset when the flowers started to open up." He turned to face her, stopping in the middle of the grass. She halted too. "Can you feel it?"

A familiar chakra signature began to grow. Sasuke's chakra...

She noticed the flower buds slowly begin to open, revealing a white flower with long petals. She looked around her, spiraling outward, the buds began opening. All revealing snow white petals.

Tsukiko's hand held in her gasp as a transparent being began floating around in the air. What were they?

Faintly, she saw Sasuke's chakra swirl around his form. She couldn't deny it made him seem... heavenly... Was he causing this.

As his chakra signal became more evident, so did the shape of the floating beings. The were small, winged creatures. You could really only make out their wings. Two wings... There must have been a hundred of them. All around the clearing.

One was hovering close to her fist, on her chest. Dancing around her. Her eyes shifted to Sasuke, who just stood in the center, watching her with a bored, yet sharp, expression.

Hesitantly, Tsukiko lifter her hand, palm down to the creature. It handed on her index finger, lighter than a feather. The moonlight seemed to reflect off the wings, making it glow.

They brought a smile to Tsukiko's lips.

Sasuke formed a small smile, looking more like a smirk. She hadn't smiled in a while. It brought a light feeling in his chest... somewhere...

"Sasuke," she called in a light voice, "where are we? What are these... creatures?"

Her eyes hadn't moved from the single creature perched on her finger. The light smile hadn't left.

"This is a small graveyard, apparently. They used to be butterflies. When you release chakra, you can almost revive them while the moons out. At first I thought it was a genjutsu, but it's just a trick of light."

"So they're not real?" her tone was light, the information hadn't effected her.

"They once were," he caught one in his hand, enclosing it with his fingers, gently before walking over to Tsukiko. "Doesn't mean they're any less free," he offered her the ghost.

Her light smile solidified. "Thank you Sasuke..."

He stared at her. Tsukiko's hair was down. It was long, reaching her waist. The moon reflected on her smile. She was glowing. It was a trick of the light, as were the butterflies; but it didn't make her any less... beautiful...?

For the first time, she wore white. All white... She wasn't in mourning. She looked... happy.

Her lips were parted, with a crack of white between. They were... tempting... Unconsciously, they were coming closer to him. Or, he was coming closer to her...

Almost... Maybe they almost touched, but a pesky butterfly just had to intervene. Tsukiko omitted a small laugh as a butterfly landed on nose. Its small feet tickling her nose and wings impairing her vision.

For a split second, he almost envied the dead butterflies. Getting close to her so freely, touching her so care free... But, then he realized... he was being envious of butterflies! He wanted to hit himself for his thoughts, but refrained.

Tsukiko let out a light giggle. Was she laughing as Sasuke? His brow rose in a questioning manner. His heart felt light with her laugh.

The ghost that used to be perched on her nose glided away, and Tsukiko's eyes slowly became hollow. Her laughing ceased and silence settled in the clearing.

"Tsukiko?"

Her knees collapsed under her, Sasuke grabbed hold of Tsukiko's shoulders, steadying her against himself.

"Tsukiko?!"

Images played through her mind, not unlike before. Someone whispered her name, she looked around. A sunset... It was peaceful, with a slight wind sharing the forest's scents. Her breath caught a hitch as two figures came into view.

'Sasuke and... me...?'

It was strange to watch two people that they would be in the future, interact. The people they could be... They two were standing close, under the shadow of a twisting tree trunk. Sasuke pulled her face to him, kissing her.

Tsukiko watched the scene, backing herself into a tree. It was her, she was watching herself and Sasuke kiss.

How far in the future was this? She noted her clothes, the same as the ones she currently wore.

'Tsukiko!'

Her eyes seemed to return to normal and gradually, she came to. She found her position resting on Sasuke's chest. He was shaking her by the shoulders, a misplaced emotion in his eyes. Her eyes refocused on him, whatever used to be in his eyes, was no longer there.

"Sasuke...?"

He released a breath, she could feel it breeze past her neck. She could feel the hairs of her neck stand on end. Sasuke helped Tsukiko up, off the ground. He was standing... really close...

It was now that she noticed the large, twisted tree behind them. The branches spiraled out in all directions. It was... beautiful...

"Sorry... it happens sometimes..." she shoulders shrunk down ward. She made him worry...

His fingers found her chin, bringing her gaze to meet his. She took a good look at his features. He was... truly hansom.

"Are you okay?"

It was all he wanted to know. Sure, the curiosity of having her tell him what she saw nagged at him, but it wasn't important. He wouldn't ask.

She hadn't left his gaze, her hands entwined around his wrist, holding him there. This was how her vision started. But, the future could change. Would it end the same way as she saw it?

Tsukiko gave a shallow nod, adverting her eyes down to his chest directly in front of her.

"Okay then..."

He began to turn away. His fingers released her chin, but her hands stayed around his wrist, loosely.

So... it wouldn't end the same way?

'Do I want that future?'

In a rash decision, her grip on his wrist tightened and he turned back around. He turned a bit too fast and their face made a slight contact. It only took a second to register that their lips were connected. Both their eyes were wide.

It was a soft, chaste kiss. Light... Yet, both seemed un-reactive; too shocked to evoke an action.

They took their time pulling apart, and even then, they were still mere centimeters away.

"...I... I-I'm..." words couldn't articulate properly, but they didn't have to. His hand found her cheek, and brought them together once more.

This one was different, holding more intent behind it. Still a soft conveyance, but in no way unintentional; such as the first.

They were both inexperienced at it, but that was besides the point. It was... peaceful... For the first time, Tsukiko was oddly happy... She wanted this future, this path. Even if the darkness was still learing behind her every step, it was her future to decide.

Neither of the two even noticed the sunrise, changing the night into say, sending the darkness away from the light.


*The same quote that Tsukiko's father said after she fell in the forest.

Finally! Together... right? There's much more to come. I swear, this scene took quite a bit of thought to keep from making it too dramatic.

Thank you very much for reading! I would love to hear from you. I am very sorry for the prolonged delay! Special thank you to Princesa de la Luna, angel, and earthstar695; you were what motivated me for this long chapter. I would love to hear comments, reviews, and criticisms from anyone and everyone.

-Sin