Unmei

Sakura took another glance at him from under the brim of her straw hat.

Across from her a man sat, posture relaxed but elegant, staring at the small dock they were slowly approaching in the distance. They were in a small long tail boat with a few others drifting down the riverbank towards their destination. The river connected the Rain County to Sound and this area of the borderlands was peaceful and had never been disturbed by the great wars. The water was calm and the day was warm. The only sounds that accompanied them were the slight creaks and groans from the wood of the boat, the rustling of wind passing through the long grasses that lined the narrow river edges, and occasional birdsong that drifted from the thicket of the surrounding woodlands.

'He is handsome,' she thought as she gazed silently at his face. She also appreciated the lithe lines of his body visible beneath his black cloak. It was early summer and the material draped him lightly and was a sheer fine silk. He was likely from a noble clan, she mused, as civilians and lower class clans typically wore garments of cotton and linen. Her background was humble, but she had a few encounters with the wealthy upper clansmen during some of her missions, some who had even tried their hand to court her even if they were not fated.

'Very handsome,' she corrected herself as he shifted his position then turned to face her more openly. She wondered which clan he belonged to and she scanned his clothing for the telltale sign of a family crest. His position conveniently hid all the places a crest would normally be seen; beneath the wrist of each sleeve and on the collar behind the neck. Her own clan crest, a simple floral signet with the diamond shape center, was visible on her sleeve when she occasionally moved to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

She fixed her gaze on something else not wanting to be caught staring, or rather, admiring. Such was not befitting of females from respectable clans. They were almost to their stop anyway.

She untied a ribbon around her wrist and pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. She had let her long pink tresses loose on the journey enjoying the way the breeze tickled her hair and caressed her skin. As the boat pulled up to the short dock she could see a few shops and inns lining the background. She gathered her sack and rearranged her hat preparing to step off the boat.

A pitter patter of feet thumped behind her - one of the children with a travelling family that had been sitting towards the rear of the boat - and she side stepped to give way just as he launched himself onto the dock and raced toward land.

Only, the boat was not very big and she stepped onto the curved side and misplaced her weight; before she could find her balance a strong hand suddenly caught hers and she was looking up into the dark obsidian eyes. She did not see him move and could have sworn he was still sitting opposite from her. He was now standing on the dock, arm outstretched with her hand held firmly in his as the boat stopped swaying from the commotion.

"Toshi, get back here!" An elderly woman yelled from behind Sakura. "I'm very sorry, miss, my petulant grandchild does not like water," she apologized as she passed her and the mysterious stranger and fumbled her way after the boy.

Still a bit shocked, she moved to withdraw her hand and excuse herself for her clumsiness, but he did not let go and pulled her gently onto the dock beside him. Mesmerized, she followed him as he led her to the side so the remaining passengers could disembark.

"I'm sorry," she started "I don't—"

"It's alright." He said.

The deep baritone of his voice startled her and she felt her heart flutter. Facing him this close she noticed he was at least a head taller than her and his aura emanated poise and power. The air between them flickered with electricity as his dark gaze bore into her own.

Just then she realized he was still holding her hand and looked down to where they were joined. Her skin burned where they touched and the veins their hands were dully glowing a purplish blue.

Ba-bum. Ba-bum.

She could hear two pulses loudly in her ears. Two heartbeats. One was her own, the other was pounding a separate rhythm, slower and more assured. Wait.

Her eyes widened; her breath hitched. Slowly, she raised her eyes back up to his. His eyes never once left her face.

"Is this…?" She asked him; she was at a loss for words.

He released her gaze and squeezed her hand momentarily before releasing it and staring at his own palm, turning it over and inspecting, considering. She held her breath.

"What is your name?" He asked her.

"Sa-Sakura. Haruno." She stammered.

They stood there, looking at each other for a moment. It was as if nothing else existed but them in that space.

Finally, he spoke. "Well, miss Sakura Haruno. It appears we are fated."

He reached out to grab her sack from her shoulder and as he moved she noticed for the first time that he carried a blade sheathed in black lacquer against his hip. Where did that come from? A small white fan was embroidered to the cloth wrappings of the hilt.

'Uchiha,' she thought. 'He is Uchiha.'

Infamous. Powerful. Deadly.

"Sasuke Uchiha." He introduced, almost giving her a knowing glance as if he wouldn't be surprised if she somehow knew that name.

'Sasuke Uchiha,' she repeated to herself. As he led her towards town with a hand at her lower back, the implications of what has transpired still swirled in her mind. She numbly allowed him to guide her, barely registering the possessive hint in his touch. She couldn't remember where she was originally planning to go, not that it mattered much now.

Fate had spoken and her life was never going to be the same again.

A/N: Ohohohooo I had a lot of fun with this one. Let your imagination take you from here ^^