HOWLING LOVE :.

Chapter Four xx Journey

The Haruno watched as the creature padded smoothly towards her, the simple beauty and grace that seemed to utterly fill each and every loping step drawing her twinkling gaze. His jet black pelt seemed to ripple as he moved, the setting evening sun casting a shimmering orange glow across his hide.

The younger Uchiha had finally made up his mind. After all of those years of chasing, all those years of trying to drag him, he was finally coming willingly. He had made the choice himself, and that simple fact was enough to send the kunoichi careening with her bubbling joy. He was with her. She had done it, she'd convinced him to come back. She'd saved his life, and he was coming with her.

The great Uchiha had chosen to sacrifice the swimming freedom that had burned so fiercely in his eyes before for a life of borders and boundaries inside the walls of Konoha. Though she felt immensely happy about that fact, she couldn't help but feel a pang of surfacing guilt. Did she have the right to keep him from the rest of the world? Did she have a right to tether him down back in the village, to subject him to the harsh forms of punishment and interrogation that awaited his return?

She'd seen that dancing twinkle in his eyes when he'd first sauntered towards the forest. That fierce sense of freedom and independence that had emanated from his very being like a fiery aura. They were the eyes of a being who knew what it meant to be truly free, eyes that knew what it felt like to be free of all bonds and other humanly attachments. Did she have the right to take that away from him?!

Sakura shuddered the thought off, replacing her slightly down-casted expression with a genuine grin. Greed had won the battle over her mind. For once she was thinking of her own damn feelings. If the Uchiha were willing to give his freedom up just like that, than she would gladly abide. No need to change his mind.

The Haruno loosened the fists that her thin fingers had formed, sighing heavily as she knelt down beside the Uchiha prodigy. She stared into his eerily stunning eyes thoughtfully, fighting the sudden urge to give him an affectionate pet behind the ears... She bit her lip, her cheeks then turning a delightful shade of red. Oh god, she wanted to pet him.

Sasuke stared at her critically, tilting his head slightly to the side as he watched her expression contorting. A low growl, void of all real venom, emitted from his throat as he discovered the source of her sudden change.

Sakura was suddenly giggling. For the first time in ages the hard shell she had so carefully pieced together came tumbling down around her. This whole situation, this whole pointless mission, the stupid expression the wolf before her had plastered onto his black face...

It was amusing. Just simply amusing.

Her laughter bubbled up from her throat as she clutched at her side. Tears leaked from her eyes as she fought them back. The chuckles finally came to a trickling stop as she moved to stand up, wiping her eyes daintily. It felt good to laugh like that, as much as the Uchiha had disliked it. She exhaled deeply, replacing her grin with an expression of hardened determination.

She cracked her knuckles ominously, her plan sparking to life across her face. Sasuke heaved himself onto his feet, broadening his stance slightly as he prepared for the journey he knew would commence shortly. His eyes however did not falter at all from the powerful gaze which he had directed at her.

His eyes were studying her, searching her expression and her position for some hint of her forming plot. His eyes were so hauntingly serene as they examined her, flicking from one inch of her body to the next without ever truly stopping... She felt quite exposed with him looking at her so intently, though she did nothing to show it

Sasuke remained completely silent. He sat such a impassively unmoving position that for a moment he almost looked like a statue. His fur would then blow his cover when it fluttered lazily about his frame due to the passing breezes. His eyes suddenly shifted into a new sort of expression, now with a different sort of sparkle. They seemed smug; But smug about what? Sakura raised an eyebrow quizzically but didn't comment.

The Uchiha was as arrogant as ever, apparently.

The kunoichi couldn't help but smile. A warm, genuinely happy grin that spread from rosy cheek to rosy cheek, lighting up her face. Her viridian orbs twinkled as he reached out as she pulled her jet-black gloves tighter around her hands. She was still having trouble grasping the fact that the afamed Uchiha was next to her, but she wasn't about to let that show.

And besides, it was time for them to leave.

The Haruno turned swiftly towards the trees to her left and took off, wind whipping through her hair as she sped off. The wolf watched her critically for a moment before loping after her at a steady pace. They started off at an easy pace, and then gradually built up speed until they weren't far from a full-out sprint. Both of them were in perfect shape, and thus hadn't any problem with keeping up.

The kunoichi had her lips pursed in deep thought, her expression that of thorough concentration. Every so often she would warily glance back, just to make sure that the midnight-black animal was continuing to follow her. The Uchiha would be trotting easily at her heels at every glance, his expression blank and unreadable. Sakura groaned inwardly, wondering why she even bothered. If he did chose to stop tagging along there wouldn't be a thing she could have done about it. It would be like finding a needle in a haystack, finding such a dark-colored creature in the impending darkness. Sakura bit her lip irritably, running a hand through her silky, bubble-gum hair.

That playful twinkling in the creatures eye, the gleeful expression that had danced across his wolfish face... No, that was a look that hadn't painted itself across his features in a long time. The familiar solemn frowns and the conceited smirks hadn't seemed to have vanished from his expression library, though whether that was because his long snout didn't permit it or he hadn't a reason to was still unknown to her. She hoped it was the latter.

The brambles and roots around them proved to be quite a challenge to avoid, for they seemed to grow closer and closer together the further into the forest they traveled. The kunoichi really couldn't think about anything but avoiding them now, so she ahd to abandon her wandering theories for the time being as she leaped over and around the things in her way.

Sasuke, regardless of how difficult the obstacles around him seemed to be unpreturbed. His legs were blur as he trotted easily through the trees, having no problem whatsoever avoiding the twisting roots and branches. His expression was serene, uncaring, and deep in thought. His liquid onyx eyes gleamed as he ran, enjoying the boundless freedom of his speed without making a sound...

He had an overload of things to roll around on his tongue, and quite frankly he was glad the Haruno wasn't talking to him. He had fully expected the Haruno to be more or less the same as before; all chatty and annoying and weak... Yet she said and did nothing remotely similar to these behaviors, and he was glad. He was not at all in the mood for listening to mindless babble when he hadn't the power to tell her to shut the fuck up...

The two of them continued like that for a time. Running and running through the trees without stop, for hours. Miles and miles passed by; endless trees and bushes streaming past them as they went. The evening was quickly turning into night as the pinkish-orange glow of the sky began to fade into a deep purple. Though both of them were too headstrong to stop, they both were utterly exhausted. The wolf's panting was heavy and haggard, while the kunoichi had sweat dribbling over every inch of her body.

It was a mindless sort of run. Neither thought about where they were going, only that they continued forward. Like well-oiled machines they pressed on through the night.

The Uchiha was so deep under that he almost slammed his snout right into the kunoichi in front of him, who had inexplicably crashed to the earthy floor at his feet. He swerved quickly, narrowly avoiding a tree as he dug his paws in for an emergency landing. His ears stood straight up in his sudden alarm, and his steps were filled with a nervous sort of zip. He nosed his way to her, his liquid obsidian eyes tightening as he saw her.

She lay on her stomach, her face buried behind the arms she had crossed in front of it. Her cotton-candy hair was splayed everywhere about her head like a messy pink halo, framing the contours of her hidden face perfectly. She was growling a string of inaudible mutters under her breath, and then every so often would raise her voice to mutter a very comprehend-able curse.

She seemed to be avoiding looking at anything but her arm; shutting out the injury that she knew to be present... The Uchiha stole a glance at the kunoichi's leg, his expression tightening at the sight awaiting him. Her booted right foot had gotten snagged in a snarled and twisted root. The leather of the shoe had ripped and torn around her heel, revealing a very grotesque looking ankle. It was bent at an awkward angle, and there seemed to be a fair amount of blood pooling around the spot as well.

A compound fracture. The kunoichi mumbled another rope of incorherent groans before twisting around to get a good look at it. She swore heavily when her gleaming emerald eyes really took it in, and she immediately tore her eyes away from the spot. She was biting her lip hard to keep from the burst of anguish that lay in waiting just beyond her lovely pink lips.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck..!" Sakura swore loudly, squeezing her eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the pain.. The Uchiha glanced at her foot once more, then averted his gaze into her eyes to study them. Though his expression was pallid and bland as always, it was comforting to know that he was next to her. That the young prodigy was waiting with her, sitting protectively across from her, statue still. She managed to roll over, though without a couple moans of pain, so that she could really assess the injury.

Though her boot hid it from view, the crimson liquid rolling down the black leather let on to the fact that the bone definitely had broken through skin. It would take over three fourths of her chakra at full capacity to heal, and was beyond her ability at the present time. She just didn't have the energy to do that. Her expression melted into that of careful defiance, and her pink lips turned into the most stoic smirk she could muster. What she needed to do was simple: get some rest. Call it a day and get a camp set up. They needed to get some food and sleep.

The wolf in front of her had an expression that questioned her sanity. She waved him off.

The kunoichi grunted loudly as she shifted her weight onto her good ankle, pain shooting up her bad one even as she did her best to keep it still. With a great amount of effort she hauled herself up onto one leg, leaning heavily on a nearby tree to keep upright. Sasuke sat very still, watching her with the utmost curiousity. Obviously he didn't believe she could pull it off. She was intent on showing him that she could, which fueled up her incentive to get up faster.

There was a little clearing just a few yards forward with enough room to sleep and put together a fire. It would be perfect, all she needed to do was get there...

The Haruno took a staggering hop forward, pitched slightly to the side, and then regained balance quickly when she struck out her hand to the next waiting tree. Her expression continued to contort with pain, though she made sure not to make eye contact with the wolf padding patiently behind her. Each hop, each little jump was strained. Her whole leg now throbbed, and when she cleared the line of trees she gratefully let her body crumple to the ground.

The Uchiha perked up his ears in alarm and trotted to her side, staring at her critically when he saw her pain-free expression. He had thought she had fallen from the pain, not from her lazy unwillingness to take the time to seat herself properly. She smirked at him again and pushed away his inquiring snout with a shove of her hand. He growled lowly before stalking off to sit a few feet away, his expression set into that of faux pouting.

She waved him off, sighing deeply as she let herself rest for a moment on the grassy earth. It felt good to be still, just for a moment. But there was much to do, and it was getting dark fast. Sakura exhaled deeply as she sat up, completely ignoring the pain in her foot as she wrenched out a sleeping bag from her backpack. Her hands squeezed the silky fabric affectionately, feeling a sort of comfort radiating from its stitches.

She slipped off her bag and weapons pouch soundlessly, then removed the fragile clips from her hair. Next her one remaining boot, and then, finally, she wormed her way inside her sleeping bag. Her expression relaxed as the warmth surrounded her, and a sigh of relief swelled out from behind her lips. It felt amazing to be surrounded by the thick fabric, to be completely enveloped in the familiar scent of her own blankets. She snuggled in deeper, completely ignoring her throbbing pain.

It was completely dark now, though it surprisingly didn't bother her. She'd never been one to enjoy spending nights alone in the woods. Yet knowing that Sasuke was near her gave her a sense of security. A small smile blossomed across her lips from beneath her blanket as she gazed up at the glittering stars above their heads.

The kunoichi turned her attention to her back once more and jammed her hand inside her bag to remove a matchbox. She pulled a single match out and waved it in front of her to catch the Uchiha's attention, knowing full well that the wolf standing across from her could see it clear as day.

"Can you go find some firewood? We need a fire." She glanced up at him, knowing even in the dark that he was glaring at her. He'd never been one to obey demands, no matter how necessary. She rolled her eyes. She would have done it herself, but given the circumstances she didn't really want to move. It was unfathomable to her that he would just do it, but just to put it into perspective she added:

"I can't really cook our food without it."

That got him moving. With a grudging 'huff' the wolf heaved himself onto his agile legs and silently melted into the surrounding darkness, gone from sight within seconds. Sakura felt suddenly vulnerable now, with him gone. She couldn't move, what if something attacked her? What if Katsuo caught up to them? What if some wild animal attacked her? Or bandits? Or--?

Her thoughts were drowned out when she heart a faint rustle, and then a twig snap. She froze, her emerald eyes darting around the darkness as she vainly searched for the source, fear drilling down her spine. And then she saw a pair of glistening eyes, staring at her. She whipped out a kunai from her weapons pouch, brandishing it in front of her as she noticed that they were getting bigger, getting closer...

And then she heard that familiar 'huff' radiate from the spot, and the owner of the eyes, the Uchiha, was trotting back to her side. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned the kunai to its previous location, her heartbeat fluttering. The Uchiha eyed her doubtfully before he dropped a jumble of sticks in front of her open hands and then sat back on his haunches, waiting.

Sakura arranged the sticks appropriately and struck the match. Light burst forth from the tip, blanketing the clearing in its miniscule amount of light. She touched the thing to one of the providing sticks, and watched as the flames leaped up onto the small bundle. The wolf nudged another large branch into it as well, and pretty soon they had a small campfire going.

The kunoichi propped herself up on her elbows, humming a faint tune softly as she opened up her bag once more and produced two things of instant ramen. Though she had initially planned to eat both of them herself over the course of her mission, there was a town a little ways ahead that they'd need to stop at anyway, so she could stock up on food there.

The kunoichi grabbed a small pot from inside her bag as well and filled it carefully with the water from her canteen, then stuck the whole pot lazily into the air above the fire. The wolf eyed her critically before laying himself out in front of the fire, his head rested upon his paws. They lay like that for a while, waiting impatiently for the water in the hovering pot to boil.

When it finally did start to bubble the kunoichi swerved it over towards the two things of instant noodle and poured the liquid evenly between the two. Then she placed the lids back over the containers. The sweet smell of the noodles filled the air as the hot water began to cook them up, and even the sullen wolf across from her seemed to perk up as its scent wafted up through the trees.

Finally the kunoichi believed the noodles to be ready, so she flicked off the lid for one and poured the contents into the now empty pot. She passed it over to the wolf before whipping out a fork and diving into her own ravenously. The wolf eyed the pot for a moment, an amused expression playing across his face as he looked at it. The original noodle container would have been too skinny for his snout to fit into, but this was the perfect width. Though the noodles smelled delicious, he couldn't help but wonder if his animal stomach would be able to digest it.

How would his kanine body handle the human food? His mind wandered precariously to the looming outcomes, though he quickly shut them out. He was too damn hungry to care about that, right then. So without any furthur hesitation he stuck his whole head into the pot and ate.

Sorry I took so long for this one. I thought I'd have time to update during my tournament, but unfortunately I did not. Sorry.
We ended up getting first in our bracket, which was really cool. : We got cool little plaques and everything, it was all very exciting.

I've got some more questions/comments/whatever for you guys to read/respond to:

1. Should this story have a happy or sad ending? I've got two endings set in my head already, and I can't decide between the two. D:
2. Have you guys ever read Twilight? I just got hooked... It's amazing. EDWARD CULLEN is my new HERO. Heh, Sasuke-kun's got some competition. xD
3. I also just got hooked on that TV show "Heroes". It's pretty addicting, my favorite character would probably have to be Peter because he's all broody and has the coolest power. Hiro-kun is second just because he's hilarious. :3
4. Do any of you guys make AMVs? I've got a request! :3 "SasuSaku -- I Dare You to Move by Switchfoot" I'd love you forever if you made it!

That's about it! I'm at another tournament all next week in Fresno, California but I'll try to update when I get back.
Please review! Thanks!

-- xxIndigo