Hunt

That moment onwards, a game of hunter and prey unfolds.

Sasuke sat up suddenly on his bed, eyes scanning around wildly in practiced security. Deeming nothing peculiar, he exhaled. Focusing on a few near objects to test his eyes, he was quite in awe of the effectiveness of the medicine. Though his peripheral view caught something else.

Sakura was fast asleep at the simple set-up furniture, hands folded as a cushion for her resting head. Her bright locks looked faded with age, if that was even possible. Sasuke was a little groggy over the rush before but chose to chase it away by standing up and walking up to her. His hand clutched upon a thin cloth that was supposed to pass as a blanket.

He then draped it atop of her shoulders gently as he proceeded into pulling a chair from the side silently, not wanting to awaken the exhausted maiden. There was a tug in his head and mind to just stare at her face, wanting to note the difference since they first met.

She was helpless back then, a girl on the run from ruthless assassins whom he had happened to be pursuing. Her face paled with fear and adrenaline, knowing she will be meeting her end but he saved her. The second time around was an opposite where she played the saviour. Despite the equality, it had resulted in her being dragged to his tattered kingdom. And everything took on a violent twist of fate after that.

Sakura flinched awake suddenly, aroused by haunting nightmares. Her eyes were still shut tight before blinking twice to finally make sense of her surroundings. Meeting an unexpected pair of dark eyes, Sasuke and Sakura were both petrified by the sudden engagement of deep stares. Eyes unblinking, it takes a complete minute until Sakura straightened her back into a sitting position rather recklessly. Little did she know that the action had caused the worn out chair to creak into instability. If it was not Sasuke's swift action, she would have end up falling to the dusty floor. Catching her sudden hitched breath whereas Sasuke kept a firm hold of the chair, the two ended up staring again though this time ended a little sooner than the one before.

"I-I must've fallen asleep." Came her fumbled words, eyes closed briefly in annoyance of her own carelessness.

Sakura was supposed to care for a patient but it seemed to be the other way around when Sasuke was the one whom was eyeing her asleep. His hands had drawn back to his lap now.

"I'm alright. You no longer need to keep a close watch like before." He noted as he looked away, ceasing further eyes contact.

"Right," Sakura recalled while pulling her hair into a short ponytail. "How does your eyes feel? Any better?" She observed his eyes once more, this time in purpose.

He sat rigidly as she peered closer for his eyes. "Hn."

Sakura observed his irises and make a quick mental note that they looked a lot normal now. Thankfully, the medicines worked perfectly for Sasuke to regain his eye sight.

Sensing their close proximity, she took a step back quickly out of the thundering heart of hers while ensuring her words would not sound like another set of stutters. "That's good."

Sakura sipped her tea silently, sitting still on the squeaky chair to avoid falling and embarrassing herself again. Sasuke, on the other hand, was quiet as well.

"Do you happen to know the two medics that attended you the other day?" she decided to break the thickening ice.

He passed her a questioning look before starring off into a quick thought. "So, you saw all that." Sasuke said under his breath. "That was… I just don't have a good feeling with those two."

Sakura hummed at first. "You have a good intuition despite in a, rather bad shape."

"What are you implying?"

"Poisonous plants. For some reason, it was placed in this room but I had asked help to get rid of it." Sakura explained.

Sasuke was silent for a few heartbeats. "What was it capable of?"

He was not as alert as any medic when it comes to the raw materials of poison. Only have it in its ready form for hand-to-hand combat uses.

"Well, it can do a lot of damage to the eye, that's for sure." She grinded her mind for more information. "And to have that in here, it can't be a mere coincidence." She decided to spill out her most crucial thoughts to him.

Sakura's features shifted into one of discomfort as she eyes Sasuke in hopes of sparking a whole new information he knew. Deeming nothing from the prince, she decided to shift into another topic.

"May I know how you got your eyes injured?" she asked carefully for the said topic too had played in her mind for the moment as curiosity.

"Over-usage." He said simply.

Their conversation was cut short when an explosion was heard. Both startled to their feet, starting to search for its source as panic instinct took over. Sasuke was the first to run towards the door to peer on the situation outside through its small cracks followed by Sakura right behind. Despite her struggle to gain control of her focus, her eyes are still wild to her shaken surrounding, ears pierced by loudness as an aftermath of the explosion. It was the third time Sasuke called out her name when her eyes finally found his.

"Sakura!" the latter jerked when Sasuke caught her by the shoulder, shaking her out of daze.

"Get out of here." Sakura read his lips, starting to push her out the door and down the chaotic hallway with him guarding from behind.

Sakura's senses returned bit by bit as she continues to trust her guts to aid them to escape. Be it towards the safety of the kingdom or not, the first thing in her mind is just to get out of this mess. The war cry became louder, rivalling the clash of metals. Sakura's mind tried to avoid counting the casualties left from this battle. The injuries. Numerous deaths.

From the corner of her eyes, she caught an exit at the right side of the building.

"We're nearing the exit." Sasuke's voice grunted this time.

She turned around to look for him, only to see the prince struggling with two black-attired men. Panic sets in her mind as she tries to think of something to help him.

"Don't wait. Go!" the prince ordered in between breaths.

"But-"

"I can handle it." he said almost sounding irritated.

True to his words, he pushed both aside and stabbed them without pausing. Sakura watched as the two bodies collapse on the dirt floor before finding her way to Sasuke's eyes.

"We have to get going."

The medic turned back to their destination ahead without speaking nor think of anything. Finally making their way through the exit, they were stopped short by the sight of the dark forest right outside. If running away in blindness is the only choice they had, Sakura would rather think again.

Sasuke must have sensed her doubt for he insisted by pulling her hand through the bleak night. Their momentum had her tripping through the roots and shrubs pass by but his solid grip never allowed her to fall. Her sight sharpened in the pitch darkness as they make their way towards nowhere, noting the obstacles and avoiding them hence speeding their progress.

Crushed grass under their violent steps were the only thing that filled the air until another that sounded out of sync joined in, confirming that they had been pursued up until now. Sakura did not miss Sasuke's curses despite having it spoken under panted breath. That moment onwards, a game of hunter and prey unfolds.

"Still far?" she asked in hushed voice, not wanting their enemies to sense their proximity in which she had hoped to be far enough to make the escape.

"Closing, I hope."

Even with his strength and skills, situations like this never ceased to be in his comfort zone. And to have brought and responsible for another person's safety simply doubles all possible risks of encounter. Sasuke clutched tight to the sword on his hilt, ready to unleash offensive moves if interfered. He kept a close attention to the enemy about two meters away. Showing pure endurance, Sakura showed no sign of slowing down despite huffed breaths. While Sasuke's left hand was rested upon the sword, the right one kept on pulling Sakura's hand, not wanting to leave her behind whatever the circumstances that comes.

Sasuke's eyes turned crimson, needing to sort out their route ahead without further ado and his sight never fails him for he unmistakably sees the figures of his comrades. He let go of her hand in which had triggered Sakura immediately.

"Run further ahead. I'll be right behind." He told her and she nodded in the dark.

As if on cue, Sasuke was tackled to the ground. He let out a grunt upon the impact. A sharp weapon swish across his ear, missing him by just an inch. Sasuke switched their position by pinning the man down and unleashed his sword before aiming it to the heart. His mind no longer ponder upon the act of cruelty though it reminded him of the look from Sakura's eyes when she had witnessed his kill earlier.

Without delaying a moment, he sped up forward to catch up with her for he sensed that another enemy might appear. It took him awhile to track her down and there was a part of him that was glad she could handle it well up until this point.

"Almost there." He noted shortly, earning a quick backward glance from Sakura.

The rustles of leaves from the trees above them had alerted Sakura more than ever. Her mind jumped to the closest conclusion; an archer.

There was no time to inform Sasuke of the possible attack and she chose to act spontaneously instead. As they ran past the archer's watch spot, Sakura counted for three seconds for the archer to determine his target. It was no doubt that he was aiming for the prince's heart. On the third count, she pushed the prince off track by risking herself into substituting his spot, knowing well that she could not completely budge him off.

A sharp metal pierced through her shoulder and she collapsed on her knees due to impact though Sasuke caught her on time. Within split seconds, he reached for a smaller dagger from his boots and fling it upwards. A loud thud was heard as a result of his perfect aim, leaving another dead man on the wake of their run.

"Sakura." His still crimson eyes searched for hers.

She shook her head, "I'm fine."

Sasuke was annoyed by her white lie as his hand went up to the arrow on her back and snapped it shorter. He lifted her limping body and carried her, continuing their pace forward.

"What are you doing? Leave me be." she spoke in a hushed voice, feeling the poison seep into her system.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment as his eyes glanced from the road and her face in intervals, anxiety was now present in his stoic features.

"Stay awake. We're almost there." The medic would have protested but was too weak to even fight for her own consciousness. "You should have told me." Sasuke let out his true thoughts that showed regret.

"It'll be too late to act by then." Sakura struggled to keep her voice heard but Sasuke's mind was in a state of havoc as his ears pumped with adrenaline.

Rage filled him as time consumes. She was too careless to trade her life over the sake of the others.

"Sakura." He shook her slightly when her eyelids were almost closing.

Her breathing pattern started to turn into panting. "I don't think I can stand any longer."

"Fight for your life. You've come too far to give up now." His eyes still looked forward, fastening their pace.

Sakura's eyes finally give away and that left herself trapped in her own body, half conscious. Her mind worked into tracing the advanced poison throughout her being. There might be an hour at top before her life finally comes to an end.

"Sakura!" Sasuke continued to call out but getting no reaction from her.

If Sakura is to die right now, at least she is at peace knowing she saved someone. And to know she had at least spared her saviour's life, that simply made her feel a lot better.

A/N: Enjoy the update. ;)

- Callester -