Apathetic Silence: My cousin apologizes for the lack of updates, and same for me as well. She's busy with work and school piling up, while I've been preoccupied with thesis papers. Anyway, she sent this chapter and made sure that this is/was "heavy on the SasuSaku" - as she said, as a way of apologizing.

Stare. Stare. Stare.

"What?" She asked.

He frowned.

She did as well.

And he continued to stare.

"What?"

"Hn."

She scoffed and crossed her arms, trying hard to fight the blush that was on her cheeks.

"Is it dress-up day today?"

She glared at his raised eyebrow.

"Seriously, I'm… wondering why you're wearing that."

"You," she seethed. "Are one of the densest men I've ever met!" And with that, she turned her back on him and stomped off, not noticing how the people had cleared a path for her upon sensing her angry vibes.

He just blinked a few times before tilting his head slightly to the left, mouth agape.

"What just… happened?"

From atop a small house's roof sat an Assassin Cross who was no longer reading the book in his hand but rather staring at his former student with disappointment.

"Really Sasuke, I'm starting to worry if Naruto's idiocy has implanted a virus to your supposedly intellectual brain."

Close Proximity
"Haunting of Niflheim"

Fear is non-existent and just a figment of one's imagination.
Courage is a trait unleashed when one is faced with danger.

He hated confusion.

He hated not knowing the answer to a question.

He hated having trouble figuring out a problem.

Most of all, he hated it when he was being ignored by a certain Priestess.

"The reason I'm asking is because I have no idea."

She just purposely ignored him and continued browsing through the many items that vendors like Blacksmiths and Merchants sold.

"Sakura."

"This looks cute." She mumbled to herself while eyeing the small stuffed doll of a poring. "But it's too common."

"Sakura."

She set the doll back down on the cart and searched for more things, smiling at a few accessories she doesn't own yet.

"Sakura."

"How much for this?"

"Oops! Sorry, that's not for sale!" The young Merchant immediately swiped the balloon hat. "It's a collector's item, so…"

Sakura just gave an understanding smile before moving on to the next seller.

"Sakura."

"Pets!" She cheered before bending down to eye the multiple eggs of various colors which held different kinds of monsters that can be kept as pets. "Hmmm… I wonder what I should get."

"Interested, are you?" A Blacksmith who had a Romantic Leaf in his mouth asked with a boyish grin. "Tell 'ya what, since you're so darn cute and pretty, I'll give you a discount on which egg you choose."

She instantly beamed at him and looked at each egg carefully.

"Um… um…"

"If I may make a suggestion," the Blacksmith knelt down next to her, albeit too close for Sasuke's liking. "A Priestess like yourself would do well with a Lunatic or a Poring, it would match your cuteness."

Sakura flushed and tried to look away. "Y-You really think so?"

"Why of course! You'd-"

"Try giving her a Baphomet Jr., it would match her perfectly."

Sakura twitched and stood up almost instantly to glare at Sasuke's impassive face.

"What did you say?"

He lowered his head slightly, as if reminding her that he was a head taller than she was. "Ba-pho-met."

"You jerk!"

"Hn."

"Asshole!"

"Hn."

"Jackass!"

"Hn."

"Ugh! I hate- Ugh! You suck!" And she turned and ran off, seething with rage.

"Dude! How could you let a girl like that go?"

Sasuke glared at the complaining Blacksmith who instantly shut his mouth.

"Next time I catch you sneaking a peek at her chest, I'll castrate you."

And he left the Blacksmith after earning a gulp and a nod.

"No way!"

Sarutobi sighed heavily and rubbed his temples.

"I can't believe you would all refuse this task."

"Sir, with all due respect, Niflheim is a place I would avoid as much as possible."

"I know your reasons, Neji, but…" Sarutobi eyed each and every member of the guild who was present. "How is it that all of you refuse?"

"Gunslingers like myself won't last there." Suigetsu said.

"I'm not very confident in my skills." Sai gave an apologetic smile.

"I am not going to waste my time and beauty there." Ino pouted.

"Sorry." Hinata bowed down in respect.

Shino and Shikamaru just shook their heads, both the Wizard and Sage preferring to practice their magic instead.

"Even Hunters fear that place." Kiba said with Tenten nodding in agreement.

"No thanks." Karin said while pushing her glasses up. "I'm not experienced enough to tackle such a mission."

"I would but…" Lee fidgeted. "I, as a Taikwon, have to train harder in order to reach the next level!"

Chouji shook his head. "I need to sell more items; it's the task given to me as the only Blacksmith – rather, Merchant related class of the guild."

The door to the throne room soon opened, and in came a whistling Naruto who had just removed his fox mask and had it hanging from the side of his head.

"Sorry, got delayed by a couple of Swordies who were taxing too much." He noted the silence in the room. "Um… what?"

"I guess it'll have to be Naruto." The guild members all said in unison.

"Eh?"

Sarutobi nodded once before eyeing the blonde-haired Crusader. "I have a mission for you; sadly, you'll be tackling it alone since your currently present guild mates aren't available-"

"Hold it," Naruto lifted a hand up. "How can they not be available if I re-checked their schedules? Only Lee isn't available!"

"…Looks like Sasuke's intelligence is rubbing off on him a little bit." Neji murmured to Shino who nodded in agreement.

"They won't accept this mission."

Naruto scoffed and gave a grin. "I'll take it! What's the mission? It can't be that hard! Nothing a Crusader like me ca-"

"Investigate what's haunting the villagers of Niflheim and-"

"Oh crap! I need to tank someone! Sorry old geezer but I gotta go! Really sorry I can't help so bye!" He started to rush out of the door, only for his cape to be pulled back by Sasuke who just arrived with a sulking Sakura.

"You don't have tank duties today, dead last."

"Lemme go teme! And how'd you know my schedule?"

"I'm second-in-command, it's my job to keep track of your non-existent schedule."

"If it's non-existent then how do you know it's there?"

"Because you like making things up, and I repeat: you don't have tank duties today, nor do you have anything to do that will be important."

"I'm not accepting that mission! No way, no how!"

Sasuke tugged harder, causing Naruto to fall onto the floor.

"Ow!"

The Assassin looked towards Sarutobi questioningly.

"Well, it appears as if desperate times call for desperate measures." Sarutobi said.

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't remember signing up for this – substituting, I mean."

"Everyone has refused the mission Sasuke, and I really need this to be done."

"What could possibly make all of them refuse?" He furrowed his brows. "What about Juugo?"

Naruto got up and tried to ignore the pain on his behind. "He went to Xmas Land in order to finalize his transfer here."

"When's he coming back?"

"Soon, I hope." Naruto mumbled. "Anyway, last I heard, he's on his way back."

"Can it wait, Sir?"

"Afraid not, Sasuke. Juugo can perhaps follow once he arrives, but I need at least one Adventurer to take this mission."

"Hn." He walked forward with Sakura, now clothed in her Priestess garments, following closely behind. "What do I have to do?"

"You sure you won't back out?"

"I've got no choice."

"Alright then." Sarutobi inhaled before speaking. "I want you to investigate Nilfeim."

Sasuke frowned. "Why?"

"May I know the reason for your hesitance?"

"It's dangerous there." He said. "Monsters can infiltrate the village without worrying about Adventurers stopping them, what's worse is an enchanted Horong appears before newcomers and drains them of their energy, enough to weaken them and have monsters attack."

"You've been there, I presume."

"Eight months ago, to be precise. I was escorting my Guild Master there."

"Then I guess you understand how important this mission is."

"Yes Sir." He nodded once. "However, I won't risk going there on my own."

"Oh come on teme! Don't be such a baby!"

Sasuke looked at Naruto calmly. "I wasn't the one who tried running off from this mission."

"Oh shut up!"

"I'll… I'll go."

They all looked towards Sakura, and Suigetsu had to whistle in awe at her bravery.

"At least we have a tough girl in our guild."

Karin scowled at Suigetsu.

"What? Jealous you don't have enough guts to go with your boyfriend in Nilfeim?"

"Shut up!"

"You're sure?" Sarutobi asked Sakura.

Sakura had to hold back a twitch. "Sir, I am a Priestess, and I have my duties to fulfill."

"I warn you, Nilfeim is no ordinary town."

"I have heard stories from Tsunade-shishou, and I am ready to face it."

"I'll give you and Sasuke three hours to prepare."

"Sir?" Sakura furrowed her brows questioningly.

"I want Sasuke to give you the full details of the town, and why it is feared by most Adventurers." He paused for a few moments before continuing. "And I want you both to make sure you'll have everything you need – it won't be easy to get back here, much less access a Kafra's service once you enter the town."

"Sucks to be you." Neji smirked at Sasuke's direction, who only returned it with a glare.

"Niflheim?"

"Aa."

She glanced at her team Captain's companion and inwardly gave a sly grin. "Aww… I'm gonna miss you."

Sasuke raised a brow at Nika, completely unaware of a seething Sakura.

"What? I can't miss you?"

"You've been… acting weird." He mumbled, narrowing his eyes slightly as if he was studying a book filled with codes. "I think you've been eating too much Pocky."

"Oh stop worrying so much Sasuke!" She waved her left hand at him. "I know how much you care about me and all but come on, I'm a big girl now."

"Hn."

As Sasuke proceeded to leave orders to Nika, the female Assassin had secretly stole a glance at Sakura, satisfied in seeing the Priestess twitching and clenching her fists.

"Man, these two should just get together." She nodded to Sasuke once he was done and gave a playful salute. "You can count on me Taichou!"

"I know." He frowned. "Just make sure the Guild Master knows about this."

"Are you scared..?" She teased, leaning close to Sasuke with a wide grin.

Sakura nearly cried out when Sasuke didn't even step back.

"Right now, I'm scared of how you're acting." He bluntly responded. "It's like you're on drugs and I'm not sure how I'll be able to break that to your step-father."

"Yeesh." She pulled back, much to Sakura's relief. "Our Master just had to make you watch over me."

"It's for the sake of the Assassin Guild Nika, you know that."

Sakura was confused; she came up with possible theories as to what the Guild Master of the Assassin class could have meant.

"It's possible that Nika may be the next leader, but then, their Guild Master wants Sasuke to take the job, so… it must mean that…" Her eyes widened. "Are they being set up?"

"This is your fault." Nika sighed. "You should have just… you shouldn't just accept that."

"I know my priorities." Sasuke said in a dismissive tone. "We're running behind schedule, just keep things in order for me until Sakura and I get back."

"Yeah, I'll send Juugo once he returns."

Sasuke didn't reply for a moment before shaking his head. "No, send him back to the King and see to it that he gets a mission that may help boost his experience in staying with SB."

"Wow, you sure are confident with this mission of yours, given what happened the last time we went there."

"It won't happen again." Sasuke said. "I swear."

Nika nodded hesitantly before biting her lower lip and looking away. "Alright, but be careful, got it?"

"Hn."

Sakura blinked when Nika had turned to eye her seriously. "Keep an eye on him for me, will you? He can get reckless at times."

"S-Sure…" Sakura said weakly, forcing a smile as she folded her hands behind her back just to be able to hide her clenched fists. "Sasuke and Nika… are they..?"

The silence was unnerving, but she didn't know what else to say, or what topic to bring up.

She was supposed to be mad at him right? After being so damn ignorant of her attempts this morning; why is it that he only sees her as a friend and not as a grown woman?

"How… long have you and Nika been friends?"

Sasuke glanced at her. "She's not just a friend, she's my partner."

"Ah, right." She nodded once. "Since… you both became Assassins?"

"No," he shook his head. "Since before I even became a Thief."

"Huh? But… you two…"

"Nika moved out of Prontera during the time we formed Team Seven." He explained. "The Guild Master took her as his own, so it was obvious that she'll be taking the path of an Assassin."

"How exactly are Sins grouped together?"

"Like me, Nika also trained under the Master's supervision; she was supposed to be engaged to his son, but…"

"He died, right?"

"Aa." He nodded once. "So I became Nika's partner; the Master has been keeping an eye on me since I started my training in becoming an Assassin; I was considered a sub."

"Odd…" she commented. "Shouldn't these all be kept a secret?"

"Hn." He glanced at her and gave a smirk. "You fell for that?"

She stopped all of a sudden, nearly falling down. "T-That was a lie?"

"Heh." He held back a laugh. "Nika just became my partner when the mission to protect King Sarutobi came to be, so don't think I've been friends with her since childhood."

"Y-You… but…"

"Lying is part of our training Sakura, though I only make use of it when caught by the enemy, or if a civilian is a witness."

"…"

"And… you and Naruto were my first friends."

That made her smile, even for a bit.

"We better hurry; I'd prefer to get to Niflheim before Nightfall."

"Why? Scared?" She grinned.

"If you want to encounter ghost type monsters along the way, then be my guest."

Next thing Sasuke heard was the skill of "Agility Up" being used by Sakura, and she was soon walking as fast as he was.

An hour and a half passed, and they reached a forest.

"This… uh…" she looked over at her companion. "Should we..?"

He glanced at her. "Scared?"

"No!" She crossed her arms.

"Hn." And he started to move, with her following closely behind.

"Sasuke… what time is it anyway?"

"Around… four, maybe." He said, glancing up at the sky. "It's hard to tell the time with the many trees surrounding the area."

"Right." She glanced to the side and saw a river. "Hey, Sasuke, I think I better make a lot of holy water, don't you think?"

Before he could even say something, she started running towards it and took out a few empty bottles.

"Sakura I don't think-" he stopped when she sat down and pulled off her shoes and stockings, causing his eyes to widen at the sight of her bare legs.

"Hm? What was that?" She asked, turning to him with an innocent look.

"…Never mind." He turned away and scratched the back of his head furiously. He did not just think of inappropriate thoughts – no, he wasn't like that, he was trained to be far from it.

But…

"Damn. She has nice legs." He felt his cheeks turn red as he glared at a tree up ahead. "Fucking thoughts…"

He wondered why he couldn't just act the way he was trained to be whenever he's around his friends, or more specifically, Sakura.

From the corner of his eyes, his gaze traveled from her bright expression, and then to her outstretched arm which held onto an empty bottle. He heard her declare an "Aqua Benedicta" in order to turn the ordinary water to a holy one.

Dark onyx orbs proceeded to lower to her neck where a cross necklace was hanging from around it, the pendant lying just above her chest.

Compared to the many females he has met or seen, Sakura wasn't exactly as well-endowed, but the Priestess outfit's tightness around the chest area makes up for her "flatness" - though Sasuke doesn't think it was flat, nor did he consider them to be small – but that's not the point.

Moving on, his gaze stopped at her hip,where he could spot the beginning of the dress' slit, starting as a narrow opening at first until the gap widens – and there he sees her bare legs, the unblemished flesh taunting him.

He has already accepted the fact that her legs and hips are her best assets.

As he continued staring after a few bottles of Holy Water later, Sakura cheerily announced that she was done. This led to Sasuke snapping out of his trance and turning away to not get caught, just in time as Sakura got out of the river, only to end up tripping and falling into the water.

Her sudden cry caused Sasuke to turn back to her, and he regretted doing so – because Sakura was completely soaked. And hell, seeing her sitting on the shallow water with her legs spread apart had his nose bleeding.

Her outfit's slit did little help in calming him down.

"Fuck!" He swiftly turned to wipe the trickle of blood and cursed Kakashi and Naruto for implanting many… things in his head when they got bored doing nothing.

"S-Sasuke… I… I could use a little help…"

He tried to recompose himself, especially when she spoke in such a weak and helpless voice because goddamnit it was a turn-on…

"Klutz." He grunted, moving closer to the edge of the riverbank and offering her a hand. He tried to keep a blank face as she stuck her tongue out at him and grabbed his hand. He pulled her up to her feet and out of the water, and once more, he tried to rid himself of unwanted thoughts when she whined at how completely wet and soaked she was.

If Kakashi were there, he'd never hear the end of it.

"Great… and I don't have spare clothes." She sniffed, gathering a fistful of her skirt's material and wrinkling out the excess water. Her action had caused more skin to show, and Sasuke couldn't tear his gaze away from her legs.

"Ne, Sasuke, could you hold onto these?"

He turned to look at what she held in front of him, and he nearly yelled at her for even thinking of making him hold onto her stockings.

"…"

"Sasuke…"

"…"

"Geez, I'm not going to have these dirty too!"

"…Ch." He wordlessly snatched the item from her hands and tried to not think about it too much.

"Are we getting near Niflheim yet?" She asked after squeezing out the water excess from her hair.

"We're about an hour away from the town if we travel by foot."

"...Tell me the truth, we'll be here until nightfall, huh?"

"Most likely."

"How else can we travel?" She asked, not liking the feel of her clothes clinging like a second skin to her body, though she was grateful she was with Sasuke and not with Naruto or Kakashi – the other two would have probably been staring at her.

"We don't have Peco-Pecos, so that's out of the option," he glanced around the forest. "If we ever come across Wolves, then maybe we could hitch a ride."

"…Do you even have taming items for them?"

"No, but I've got the next best thing." He passed the stockings back to her, much to his relief, and took out an incubator. "I had a feeling bringing the baby dessert wolf egg would come in handy."

"Ah, the pet Kakashi-sensei gave you as a present."

He nodded once and seconds later, a brown wolf pup was wagging its tail happily at them.

Sasuke gave it some pet food, and it barked at him in gratitude before licking his hands repeatedly to show its affection.

"Alright," he murmured, scratching its ear. "Do you think you could get us a Wolf to help?"

"I'll try to, master!" It barked, before sniffing around, trying to catch a Wolf's scent.

"Sasuke, it's a baby dessert wolf, it grows up to be a Dessert Wolf."

"I know, but they're of the same family despite the difference of terrain and fur color."

Dessert Wolves have brown coats whereas Wolves have blue.

Sasuke and Sakura didn't have to wait too long when the pup called their attention and directed them to a bush, where a Wolf sat and yawned, licking at its paw that was covered in blood, a sign meant that it just finished hunting and feeding.

"Jackpot." Sasuke murmured, approaching it cautiously.

Wolves weren't aggressive, but if you provoke one, other Wolves nearby would come to attack.

It growled, but didn't make any move of charging, so Sasuke stopped a few feet away and glanced at his pet.

"Can you help my master and his friend out?" It barked. "They need to get to Niflheim, fast."

The Wolf stared at the baby Dessert Wolf before looking up at Sasuke. It stood on all fours and approached him, circling the unmoving Assassin and sniffing at him, trying to see if he had any plans of attacking.

Upon sensing that the Sin had no harmful intentions, it nodded once to the baby Dessert Wolf, and the pup was more than happy to report to its Master.

Sasuke rewarded the little creature with another piece of small meat, afterwards, turned to the Wolf and also offered him some, as a way of thanks or payment.

The Wolf accepted it and ate first before following Sasuke who went back to where Sakura was trying to dry off.

"Sakura, come on."

The pink-haired Priestess stared at the Wolf, before turning to Sasuke with an unsure expression.

"It'll be fine, come on." He offered her a hand, and she took it, though she was still hesitant about approaching the animal.

Sasuke got on the Wolf when it crouched low enough for both the Adventurers to get on, the baby Dessert Wolf finding itself comfortable on Sasuke's shoulders.

Sakura gulped and had Sasuke pull her up so that she was seated in front of him. Sasuke's pet jumped to her lap in hopes of comforting her, and she had to smile slightly at that before the Wolf took off in a fast sprint towards Nilfeim.

"Wow… it sure is dark here." Sakura uttered as soon as she got off of the beast.

Sasuke gave the Wolf another piece of meat as thanks before it barked and took off, not wanting to get any closer to the town where there were more humans.

"The town isn't much further." The Assassin said while walking towards his female companion who was still a bit wet. "Let's go before you end up catching a cold."

"Aww… I didn't know you cared!"

"You'll only slow us down if you get sick."

She scowled. "Gee, thanks."

Once they got into town, Sakura felt Sasuke pull her closer, as well as away from the enchanted Horong that drained Adventurers' energy in order to weaken them.

As soon as they found an inn, they both went inside with the baby Dessert Wolf following close behind, still energetic despite the gloomy atmosphere.

The elderly woman behind the desk had half-closed eyes that appeared to be blank despite the smile grazing her lips. Her white apron was a bit dirty, while her ragged clothes didn't seem to have been washed for days.

"Welcome travelers, how may I assist you?"

"We'll need two rooms for three days at most."

"Ah yes, two rooms." She peered at the pink-haired Priestess who twitched and forced a smile, before looking over at the baby Dessert Wolf that sat next to the Assassin's feet while wagging its tail non-stop. "One room will cost you thirty thousand zenies for a day, no package deal."

"I'm aware." Sasuke mumbled, stopping himself from sighing. "I know of the town's poor economy."

Sakura gaped at the elder woman, and tried to search for something, anything that may give her a sign that this place can offer a discount or bargain.

"Ah, two customers!"

She yelped and jumped at Sasuke, causing the male Sin to lift up his arms and prevent her from falling to the ground and bringing him with her.

"The hell?" He hissed, glaring at Sakura who was red and staring at an old man who just popped out from behind her.

"Aw, how sweet." The woman from behind the counter gave a dry chuckle. "Newly weds?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to speak but Sakura beat him to it. "Er, yes. We're just a bit shy in terms of… closeness." She tried to smile and gripped at Sasuke's clothes tightly. "Ne, dear?"

He twitched at her and just snorted and turned away.

"Well, why don't we just give you one of the best rooms in the house for the same price? It has a large bed that can hold the two of you, and even withstand… activities." The old man nudged Sasuke and grinned.

"Aa…" He gritted his teeth so as not to lash out. "We… appreciate it."

As soon as the money was given and the key handed out, Sakura kept smiling as Sasuke carried her to their room, the older man escorting them and saying things about marriage life, kids, jobs, everything.

Sasuke was more than glad that they reached the room, and with a respectful thank you and goodbye, the old man left as soon as the door was closed.

"Wow! What a great deal!" Sakura cheered, giving out an "eep" when Sasuke had dropped her on the bed unceremoniously. "Sasuke, you-" she stopped and felt her face heat up when her companion had removed his upper clothing. "S-Sasuke, y-you're not s-seriously-"

"Thanks to you, my clothes got wet." He mumbled, turning his back to her in order to rummage through his bag. "Now get out of those and into some dry ones."

"O-oh." She almost hit her head against the wall for thinking of inappropriate things. "Right. Clothes."

As she looked through her bag, she paused and looked up at Sasuke, blushing at the sight of his lean upper body.

"Erm… S-Sasuke..?"

"What?"

"I… I don't have any... spare…" She turned away from his gaze, her cheeks red from embarrassment.

Sasuke swore under his breath at how tempting it was to just take her. He swiftly turned back to his bag and pulled out a cotton shirt before tossing it to her.

"Um… thanks." She murmured before getting up and heading towards the bathroom.

Sasuke sighed heavily and sat on the bed, hoping that this mission would end soon.

The sight of his bare upper body lying on the bed made her flush as she opened the door of the bathroom.

"Why aren't you…"

"You're wearing my shirt." He mumbled with his eyes closed. "We'll start investigating tomorrow morning – for now, get some sleep."

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't…"

"It doesn't matter." He gave a smirk. "Unless you want to sleep without any clothes on, then by all means, go ahead."

She swore her whole body turned red at his comment. "You pervert!"

"I'm not the one who pretended to be married."

"…Oh shut up! I'm saving you money!"

"Who says I'd pay for your room?"

She twitched and threw a pillow at him, cursing loudly when he just rolled away to avoid it.

"Go sleep already…"

Sakura raised a brow at how tired he sounded before turning to the wolf pup that was seated on the floor, yawning and stretching its legs.

"I'll… I…" she fidgeted with the hem of Sasuke's shirt, still blushing. The material was long enough to reach the middle of her thighs, but she didn't have shorts underneath it, and Sasuke wasn't wearing anything to cover his upper body.

"Geez. I'm not gonna touch you."

Her cheeks grew redder from embarrassment before hesitantly climbing onto the bed next to him, deciding to turn her back to him in hopes of getting some sleep.

"Night…" she murmured quietly, shutting her eyes and pulling the blankets over them.

"Hn…"

"Night!" The wolf barked, yawning and curling into a ball on the floor before drifting off to sleep.

This was gonna be a long night.

The sun's rays made her closed eyes shut tighter before slowly opening them to look out the window.

"Morning already..?" She mumbled.

"...Disappointed?"

Her head shot up as she looked down at Sasuke, seeing his narrowed eyes directed at her. Sakura's gaze slowly lowered, seeing how she had one arm around him, an indication that she was hugging him or using him as a pillow.

"Mind getting off?"

She backed away and ended up falling to the floor, yelping out loud at the pain.

Sasuke sat up and sighed heavily. "You were worried about sleeping on the same bed, and you ended up being the one who-"

"I didn't touch you!"

"…Yeah, you didn't." He mumbled. "Not at all."

"Ugh! You sarcastic bastard!"

"Perverted Priestess."

"Jackass!"

"Hn."

"Hah! No comeback?"

"It's a waste of time." He grunted. "We're already off to a late start because you overslept."

"Well why didn't you wake me?"

"I figured I'd get slapped if I did."

"How the hell would that happen?"

"Knowing how you react, it was bound to happen – and you wouldn't have believed me if I explained."

"…You still should have woken me up!"

He just sighed and gave up. The girl was too stubborn, and he didn't like the idea of having a headache, not when he didn't get enough sleep last night since her… hugging.

By the time they got dressed and got out of the inn to do some investigating, the wolf pup was sent back to its egg, and that left the two of them alone. Sakura looked back at Sasuke to see him hold back a yawn a couple of times, as well as rub his eyes.

"...Er... you... look a lot more tired than yesterday." She commented.

"...It's your damn fault."

She frowned. "And crankier..."

"Ch." He ran his fingers through his hair and gave out a heavy sigh. "Where the fuck is that damn..."

"...What are we looking for anyway?"

"A monster that is said to lure children into its lair and have them lost."

"...And what would this monster be?"

"There are four of them that I suspect to be responsible." He answered. "The Gibbet is one, since it scares off the kids and sends them running to the Valley of Gyoll – or rather, the main field."

"And the other three?"

"The Hylozoist, or Heirozoist – since it appears to be a stuffed rabbit, but then transforms into a ghost and takes its victims to the field. Another would be the Lude – it's harmless appearance only attracts the younger generation until they are misled. Lastly, there's the Blood Murderer – which we should watch out for because it could really kill us."

"...Not even my Resurrection skill can help?"

"Not in this town." He admitted begrudgingly. "Our guild has lost a couple of Sins the last time we were here because of those monsters."

"Sasuke..." she recalled Nika telling her about him being reckless. "This isn't for vengeance, right?"

"..."

"Sasuke, no."

"I'm killing two birds with one stone here." He says with a glare. "I'll find the monster who took those kids and avenge my comrades."

She reached out to grasp his arm, pulling him back and making the Assassin face her. "Don't, Sasuke." She shook her head. "It won't make you happy, nor will it satisfy you – it will only lead to-"

"Save it, Sakura." He pulled his arm free from her grip. "Even if it's you, I still won't listen."

She held his gaze, trying to read his emotions through those dark eyes, wanting to know what he could possibly be thinking, or how she could understand him better, because try as she might, she knew his decision will only lead him to the path of darkness – a path that Sins have been strictly told not to go to in dire situations.

"Then..." she unclenched her fists when she saw his unwavering will – something she had always admired in him and in Naruto. "...I'll go with you to that path."

His brows only furrowed some more, but he did not say anything and waited for her to continue.

"I don't want you to be alone when you get there. I won't let you go deeper once you reach it."

"This is the path I've chosen. You can't just-"

"I decided to take that same path." She said firmly. "I won't let the darkness consume you."

He searched for any hesitance in her eyes but saw none, and he ended up grunting and looking away. "You're so annoying."

It would have been harsh to anyone who heard him, but to Sakura, the soft tone of his voice meant that he didn't say it out of anger or spite, but rather, to hide his gratitude for her understanding.

"I think I get it now, Nika." She thought to herself as she followed his lead. "You're worried that Sasuke might not pull through, so you want me to be there with him when the time comes..." a small smile came to her lips at that. "That just means that there's something about me that you see, something that can change Sasuke's mind if he ends up diving deeper."

The rest of their search was silent, and neither seemed to mind it.

Soon, the sky grew darker, and Sakura picked up her pace to catch up with Sasuke, all the while looking around and keeping her hands clasped on her chest.

"Hey, Sasuke... is it me or are we... being... watched..?"

He stopped all of a sudden and turned to her, studying her expression and posture.

"I just..." she rubbed an arm and lowered her head. "Sorry, don't mind me."

She was surprised when he took a hold of her hand and intertwined their fingers. "Will this do?"

Sakura looked up at him, seeing him waiting for her answer, and when she gave a slight nod, he began to walk again, only at a much slower pace so that she can keep up.

Slowly, her fingers curled around his, finding security in the warmth of his hand.

"Where are we, anyway? It's getting a bit foggy."

Sasuke glanced around when she asked him that, trying to find anything that will give him a name.

"We're somewhere north of Skellington – Niflheim's abandoned and solitary village."

"...That doesn't sound very comforting."

"Compared to the Valley of Gyoll? Yes."

"...We already passed Gyoll?"

"Aa." He gripped her hand tighter. "Stay close."

"...And why did you say that?"

"Ch. You're too damn... smart for your own good."

"You were going to say nosy huh?"

"Hn." He sighed and pulled her closer to him. "This town, or what's left of it, was where our group got split up. Nika, the Master, and I had to stay in one spot to not get lost, and a little later..."

She stared at him, unsure if she wanted to hear the rest of the story or just leave it as that.

"...It's nothing. Just... just don't turn to anything that catches your attention."

"But-"

"Please." He met her gaze, and never had she seen him look so scared. "I don't want to lose you."

If the situation were different, she would have squealed at the romantic choice of words, but knowing Sasuke, he probably meant it as just that – he didn't want to lose her in the... well, friend type of thing.

"...Okay." She nodded, seeing his shoulders slacken a bit from relief before proceeding to walk. "...But I... keep hearing... heavy footfalls..."

His eyes widened.

"Is it just me though?"

Sakura yelped when he suddenly pulled her to him while he leaned against a dead tree's trunk. His right hand held the back of her head against his chest while his left was around her waist, keeping her in his arms.

The pink-haired Priestess looked up at him to see his head turned to the left, teeth gritted and eyes glaring into the distance. She noted that his irises had changed color – instead of the usual endless black abyss, it was now a bloody red color; the Sharingan.

"Sasu..." his grip tightened, so she bit her lower lip and held onto his shirt, gripping the fabric when the footsteps grew louder and heavier. She picked up the sound of a flowing cloak, as well as a whisp of wind, followed by something hitting the ground – as if the floor was being stabbed.

When Sasuke's fingers dug onto her scalp and pressed onto her waist, she had to tighten her grip on his clothes to prevent from whimpering in pain.

He was tensed – she could tell, yet she was amazed at how he kept his breathing even and his heartbeat normal.

"Cloaking."

She blinked when he activated one of his skills while slowly lowering to the ground, her kneeling in-between his legs as he pulled her body closer to him, as if trying to hide her from whatever it was that had been tailing them.

"I used to question why your class' uniform colors matched with ours, but now, I'm thankful for it."

Sakura blinked, only realizing that the Priestess and Assassin clothes matched in color, and she had to push down the blush that threatened to stain her cheeks for thinking of it as a couple clothing.

"At least Niflheim's color schemes are around the same shade as our uniforms..." he paused and looked at her. "And your hair."

She chose to remain quiet and keep her gaze on her hands that rested against his chest, her eyes half-closing when she felt his hand gently stroke her hair. She would have questioned it, but now didn't seem like the right time to do so.

"If we're found out," he started, his voice softer than normal – perhaps to avoid being heard. "Use a Butterfly Wing to get back to town."

She didn't hold back her reaction this time: "What?"

He stared at her, at her widened eyes, at how she let the words he said sink in until fully comprehending what he meant.

"Not without you, Sasuke." She shook her head. "I told you I'll stay with you."

"I know." He raised his other hand to push some strand of her hair away from her face. "But we've gotten this far."

"Then we'll go further." She insisted. "I'm staying."

Sakura expected him to glare, or to further convince her, but instead, she was taken aback by the small smile that formed on his lips.

"You're too damn stubborn."

And she didn't have any time to react or retort, for he suddenly rolled to the ground, taking her with him and stopping a few feet away from the now uprooted tree.

Sakura found herself lying on her back with the Asssassin hovering over her, but her attention was diverted to the monster that had been following them and now had found them.

It was a Bloody Murderer.

"Stay and wait for me in Niflheim."

Her eyes widened in alarm when he held up a Butterfly Wing, and she attempted to snatch it but he smashed his lips on hers, stopping her actions before crumpling the item and jumping away from her just as the remnants touched the ground.

"Sasuke..!" She called out when he charged at the Bloody Murderer, just as the item he crushed activated and sent her back to the village.

His Jur clashed against the monster's weapon as it growled at him, its eyes looking deep into his red glaring ones. Sasuke jumped back and retracted the blades of his Jur, afterwards, threw a couple of daggers towards his opponent, all the while running around it.

He kept his distance when it tried to get closer, him using some of his skills to send the thing away.

"Grimtooth!" He stomped the ground, causing a row of earth spikes to sprout from the ground and head one by one until it hit the monster. Sasuke repeated the same skill once more, and during the monster's moment of weakness, he rushed head on with his Jurs extracted. "Sonic Blow!"

"He what?"

Sakura didn't bother to yell at Naruto for his loud voice, her concern for Sasuke's safety overwhelming her.

"He sent me back to village! That idiot is fighting by himself right now and I don't know how to get back to him without... without... Naruto, I'm... I'm scared..." and she just knelt to the ground as she continued to communicate with her friend though their communicators. "I'm scared of what might happen to him..."

"Why didn't you form a party, Sakura?"

"It didn't work..." she cried. "We tried to, but it didn't... Naruto, I... I can't even locate him despite being in the same guild – I'm so useless!"

"Calm down Sakura and just... just hang on! I'll head over!"

"But..." she clenched her fists. "Naruto... Niflheim and Prontera are too far away..."

"I'll get there in no time Sakura! Just wait for me!"

She looked towards the path that she and Sasuke took when they started their investigation.

"Where are you right now at Niflheim? I'll come find you."

"No." She told him, her eyes narrowing as she began to walk. "You won't be able to find me."

"Sakura..? Wait, you're not-"

"I'm going to save Sasuke."

"Sakura! No, wait! It's too dangerous!"

"I know." She said. "But that won't stop me from going to him."

He paced back and forth around the throne room, Sarutobi's eyes following him as he tried to think of what to say.

"Damn it! I should have gone with them!"

"Naruto."

He glared at Neji who was looking at him with stern eyes.

"What now Neji?"

"Don't say such words in front of Sarutobi-sama."

"It's alright." Sarutobi closed his eyes. "I am feeling… anxious as well."

"They'll pull through, don't worry."

The three men turned to the entrance of the room where Nika came in, followed by Kosui and Yoriko.

"Any news on them?" Naruto asked.

Nika shook her head. "Not a word from Sasuke still." She sighed, yet managed a small grin. "But knowing that guy, he's bound to be alright."

"And Sakura?"

"Hey, she's a Priestess, she has a bigger advantage against those monsters." Kosui's deep voice came in, his mouth still hidden by the scarf around his neck. "Her holy attacks will deck those things."

"I just hope they're really okay…"

The appearance of a warp portal startled all of them, and soon, they heard a thud, followed by deep breathing. Their eyes widened when they saw Sasuke's unconscious form on the floor, with Sakura panting heavily as she pulled her companion to her lap and set one palm over his forehead.

"Heal!" And bright white light enveloped her and Sasuke as her skill was activated, successfully getting rid of the cuts and wounds the male Assassin had. Her eyes watered as she looked over his still unconscious form, and once more, she activated the same skill. "Heal!"

"Sakura!" Nika called, running over to her and kneeling next to her friend's lying form. "What happened?"

Sakura looked up at Nika and bit her lower lip.

"Those were serious wounds." Yoriko commented, walking over to them with Kosui in tow. "I've never seen him take on that many injuries all at once."

Sarutobi remained on his seat, ears straining to hear what they were talking about while Neji and Naruto cautiously approached them.

"Judging from the glimpse I got," Kosui spoke as his eyes scanned Sasuke's unmoving body. "He must have been against a Bloody Murderer."

"Twice." Sakura added, breathing out. "When I finally found him, he was already staggering against a second Bloody Murderer, the first one already lying dead."

"That can't be." Nika shook her head. "Sasuke couldn't have had a hard time against such a monster."

"Nika, it was the same spot where you, your Master, and Sasuke were lost in on your last visit there."

Her eyes widened, and so did Kosui and Yoriko's.

"That was the mission you two were sent to?"

Sakura nodded. "Though we managed to get rid of the second Bloody Murderer, Sasuke took most of the hits for me, we barely finished the mission."

"Those missing kids…" Sarutobi murmured. "Were they..?"

"Found, yes." Sakura's eyes closed. "Most of them were barely breathing."

Naruto grimaced and lowered his head. "I should have gone with you guys…"

"What's done is done." Neji told him, and then looked over at Sakura. "Will Sasuke be alright?"

Before Sakura could answer, Nika had beaten her to it. "This guy is too stubborn to die, so you don't have to worry about that." She looked down at him. "Besides, his wounds are healed, he just needs rest and he'll be fine."

"Very well." Sarutobi nodded. "I'll expect the report in a few days time."

She hesitantly knocked the door, debating if she should bother him or if it would be okay to visit. Other than that, she can't help but recall what the innkeeper had commented when she asked for his room number.

Feh. First time a girl ever visited him, girlfriend perhaps?

The idea made her blush, if the old guy had dismissed her as Sasuke's girlfriend, that might mean he could be thinking of things too – which is… bad.

Or not.

"Agh! Just knock and enter!" She told herself in her head, before giving three knocks and then announcing that she's coming in. As soon as she stepped foot inside, her eyes widened when his onyx orbs looked at her.

He was currently seated on his bed, hair dripping wet and upper body completely nude and slightly damp.

"Wh…wh…" she flushed and shut the door. "Why didn't you lock the door?"

He raised a brow.

"Y-You're half-naked!" She pointed, face beet red.

"…Not like I have anything to hide." He muttered, picking up the towel next to him and using it to dry his hair. "Besides, I saw you coming over from the window, and figured I'd save you the trouble by unlocking the door."

"…O-oh."

"And… why are you here?"

"I… I came to see how you were doing."

"Hn." He stood up and started to get dressed. "I'm doing fine thanks to you."

"Ah… you're… you're welcome." She fidgeted. This was a lot awkward than she thought. "You're… not mad, right?"

"Maybe."

"Oh." She lowered her head. "Sorry…" she immediately raised her head when his shadow loomed over her, and she blinked at his serious gaze. "Sasuke..?" He lifted his hands and pushed something into her arms, and she looked down to see an egg. "…Huh?"

"You wanted a pet."

She thought back to the time she was browsing at a store, looking at eggs, and also when she was mad at Sasuke for being dense.

"I'm… not entirely sure if that's what you want."

She held the egg and smiled a bit. "If I didn't know you better, I'd think you're courting me."

He turned around and walked to his things. "Hn." And then returned to her to hand over an incubator.

As Sakura set it up and placed the egg over it for hatching, the baby Garm she had grown to be fond off leapt out of the bathroom and jumped onto Sasuke's right shoulder, its ice-covered body not affecting Sasuke as much as it would have for other people.

"Got used to it, I presume?" Sakura asked with a grin.

"Aa."

"Does he have a name yet?"

He looked over at the beady eyes of his pet. "No."

Sakura pouted and then looked down at the incubator when she heard the sound of cracking and hatching. "Sasuke, if this turns out to be a Bapho-"

"It's not."

And just as he said that, another baby garm came out and looked up at Sakura. It tilted its head slightly at her, and then barked. "Master?"

Sakura's face turned pink as she tried to contain her excitement and squeal at how adorable and cute the baby monster was.

"This… you… you bought this?"

He shook his head.

"Caught it?"

He nodded.

"You… said it was hard to capture it."

"Hn."

Her lips formed a wide smile, and soon, she began to laugh lightly, and then pulled up the baby garm and stood, her eyes beaming at Sasuke's still stoic expression.

"Thank you."

His pet jumped down as Sakura's followed suit and the two played for a bit just like pups do.

She watched them in fascination before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd think this is your way of marking me as yours."

A small smirk came to his lips as he, too, looked at the playful pets.

"Shu…"

"Huh?" Sakura blinked.

"His name."

"Oh." She looked at his pet. "Shu…"

"Aa."

She smiled. "In that case, I'll name mine Suh."

"Hn. Since I know you better, I'm pretty sure that's your way of marking me as yours."

Apathetic Silence: You'll find out later why the pets' names are that – unless you can figure it out.