It was past midnight, Sakura was still awake. She was waiting patiently, certain that he would come. When the full moon, already directly above the castle, got covered by the clouds, a black shadow of a snake came slithering into sakura's room. The cooled reptilian skin coiled around her arm and gave her a message.

Take a walk with me, it said.

Sakura stood up, made a clone of herself to leave in bed and stealthily made her way outside the fortress walls. It wasn't hard for a ninja of her caliber to make it pass the samurai guarding the fortress. She followed the chakra trail he left her- it was a path only she could find. It was not long before she arrived in a river bend where he was sitting by the shore waiting for her to arrive.

"So it really is you," she said in a sad longing voice, but she restrained herself from embracing him.

"Why are you here?" he asked her, "Were you looking for me again?" his question was reprimanding but not angry.

"No, this time I was not. Everyone thinks you're dead," she replied. He did not react, it was obvious that the latter was his intention.

"You like it here?" she asked him to kill the silence.

"It's a good place, no one knows me, no one knows what I've done," he answered her, much to her surprise. Perhaps he thought she deserved that much.

"Don't be ashamed of who you were. We've all forgiven you for that, and we know what you did. You've redeemed yourself enough." Sakura, with a feeling of hope, tried her luck and began approaching him from behind. She continued to speak when she saw no objection from his side, "Naruto told us everything. You helped him save us all. People believe you died giving all of us the future we enjoy today. You're not an evil man, Sasuke," Sakura kneeled down and embraced him from behind. She rested her head on his back and took in the moment. Much to her surprise, Sasuke put his head back and rested it on her head as he held the her hands wrapped round his waist.

"I can't go back Sakura, I'm too dangerous to go back," he stated after an hour or so.

"Forgive yourself Sasuke," Sakura pleaded.

"I can never wash the blood from these hands and erase the tortures I have committed," Sasuke replied, then turned around to face her. "Forget about me Sakura. It's about time you live your life without me in it." She hoped he would kiss her again, but instead stood up and left her before the sun began to rise.

When Sakura returned to her room, she found her clone removed and Ryujin sitting on her bed.

"I won't ask where you were, but I would ask if you would go into town with me?" Ryujin, Sakura suspected, knows that she is a ninja and not an ordinary one at that. She gave her consent and fixed herself up.

It was really early in the morning. The valley mist was in the air and the village was just coming to life. It was a small town, but it was vibrant in its own way. "Quaint, isn't it?" Ryujin remarked, with a serene look on his face. He was proud of himself and who he was. Sakura admired that about him. He truly was a prince to these people. Sakura knew what he was up to, but for the sake of staying longer, she humored the young man.

"It's a beautiful town you have here, a lot simpler than others but perhaps that's its charm," Sakura commented.

"I believe so, and so many talented people live here," Ryujin replied pointing to the newly opened artisan shops and store windows. "Neighboring lands, however, know how weak our forces are. We don't have a ninja village protecting us, and our samurais are but a few. That's why were in constant danger of an attack."

"When you got hurt, you were on a mission for you village?" Sakura inquired.

"I'm afraid I was, though I won't tell the nature of my business," he answered coyly, happy to have her in the conversation.

"Fair enough," she replied and ended the conversation.

By the time they got back to the castle, Ryujin had already given her a token of his supposed affection- a simple hair piece made of gold and laquer. Sakura felt wrong in accepting it, but then again she had no real reason not to.

Sakura returned to her room and rested for a while before lunch was served. This time only the princess was with her in the dinning area.

"The men won't be joining us, they're out in the woods," Reika stated when Sakura came in.

"Oh, okay then."

They both ate their food quietly, but after the dishes were cleaned Reika decided to have a little bit of conversation.

"My brother seems to have taken a liking to you," Reika stated teasingly, "It's not everyday that he takes a girl around town."

"I'm flattered princess, but I don't want to get a head of myself on this. Your brother does not deserve my vanity."

"Oh, please, Sakura-san. I don't see any objection with my brother. Unless you are already attached to another man."

Sakura smiled at her, while a slither of pain rushed in her chest. It was only that morning that her heart got broken again. "How about you princess? Is your heart attached to someone?" though she knew that the question was more to her vexation, she nonetheless asked out of sheer need.

The princess blushed immediately and began stuttering again, "Actually, uhm... I'm... well... it's a big complicated... I'm sure... he... uhm knows... but I don't..." she was blowing steam of the holes of her skull.

"You've confessed but has not heard back?" Sakura asked to put her out of her misery.

"Not really confessed, but i've shown him my preference over and over. He simple hasn't responded to me yet," a shadow of sadness came over Reika's face, but a small smile of hope remained. Sakura noted how devoted the girl was, and felt a bit jealous at her position.

"The man you like is Taka, is he not?" Sakura continued, despite herself.

Reika nodded and smiled solemnly as she looked at the floor, "I fell in love with him when my brother brought him home to us."

"But you two spend a lot of time together? Wasn't he accompanying you in the gardens last night?"

"He was, but that's part of his duties, he's my guard after all."

By the late afternoon, the men had returned and Sakura gazed at Sasuke from afar. She didn't want to leave him, especially if he has not chosen to forget her yet.