chapter 6
Sakura and Sasuke headed out the next morning. They had received a few letters from Naruto, Ino, and the last from Kakashi sensei. Naruto was just him rambling about everything going on in the village.
Ino's letter was very exciting news, her and Sai were getting married next week! Sakura gasped, "I can't believe it"! Ino is getting married, Sakura gushed, oh I bet she's gonna look as beautiful as always.. She looked down with a sad smile.
Sasuke noticed and looked at her with a guilt ridden expression, "I'm sorry Sakura." She whipped her head towards him, "Sasuke-kun, don't apologized, no matter what happens back home, I will never regret coming with you!" She smile genuinely at him. Sasuke's face softened.
The last letter from Kakashi, briefed them on a mission, a village just outside the land of lightening, had an outbreak of an unknown disease, and the Raikage wants it stopped before it spreads to far and the fatality rate goes up. Sakura being the best medic in the world presently, was best suited for the mission.
They had traveled for days and were close to lightening country. Sasuke told Sakura that around this time in the land of lightening, fireflies were everywhere so it was easy to see at night, so it was only necessary to stop if they were tired. Sakura gushed, "Oh how beautiful I love fireflies"! Sasuke looked eyebrow raised and smirked.
Sunset came and they kept going at full speed for another hour or so when Sasuke told Sakura to stop. "Close your eyes" Sasuke told her, Sakura furrowed her eyebrows, but obeyed. Holding her hand, he lead the way.
They walked for a few minutes when Sakura spoke up, " Can I open my eyes"? "Not yet", Sasuke said.
They kept walking, and right when Sakura was starting to get impatient Sasuke said "Open your eyes", and what she saw almost took her breath away.
It was a beautiful meadow filled with flowers, so many flowers, tall trees surrounded it forming a perfect circle and made you feel like your were standing at the center of the world, and the cresent moon shone brightly above, but the best of it all was the hundreds of fireflies floating around them. Sakura gasped, her hand covered her mouth, her eyes full of wonder.
"Its the most beautiful thing I've ever seen Sasuke-kun", she spoke almost breathless. Fireflies swarmed her, she let out a small giggle when a small group of fireflies surrounded her neck and formed what looked like a gold necklace. Sasuke stood watching her taking in the beauty of the meadow.
Sakura turned to Sasuke feeling his gaze on her, she smiled warmly, her tiny nose wrinkling as she did so, "Thank you for showing me this Sasuke-kun".
In a split second, he was standing right in front of her, he tapped her forehead and looked at her with tender eyes. "Your welcome", he said his deep voice so gentle. Sakura simply blushed, "I wish we could stay here longer" she almost sung.
"We're setting up camp here", so you may get your wish",Sasuke said. Sakura eyes widened with shock.
Sasuke informed her that people in the lightening village still didn't take to kindly to him, as he did try to execute their Raikage, so it's best they stay on the outskirts of the village, unless absolutely necessary.
They set up camp and rested for the night, and come morning they'd travel the 5 miles to the disease stricken village.
"Hello, you must be Sakura-san, your Hokage said you would be here soon, a middle aged women with purple eyes and long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail greeted them at the village hospital, my name is Asami. "Hello", Sakura greeted.
Two men dressed in medic coats came up behind Asami. "Sakura-san, it and honor to meet you", one man said bowing. "If you'll follow us we'll bring you up to speed on what we know about the disease", said the other man.
Sakura and Sasuke followed them into a hospital lab. Sakura was briefed on everything, what the disease did to the body and how many people have passed on.
Sakura looked over the charts, "Hmm, symptoms: fever, vomiting, coughing up blood, fatigue, internal bleeding, abdominal pain, body aches, lesions on the body, Aah I see, I suspect a virus from the Filoviridae family, probably originally caused by and animal bite, it seems to be extremely contagious, most likely spread through close contact.
Sakura pondered something for a minute, then spoke with authority, " I'll need a list of all available herbs in the village please". "Yes ma'am, right away", both medics said in unison. Sakura then looked over a patient who had contracted the disease, she extracted the virus so she could start making an antidote.
Sasuke helped her with anything she asked, it was strange to see her like this, he had never seen her in her own element, doing what she did best, it was a sight to see.
Sakura worked diligently for hours on the cure, non stop. By the end of the day, it was ready, Sasuke was leaning against a wall dozing off, when he heard Sakura gasped, he looked up quickly, "It's finished she exclaimed"!
The entire medic staff couldn't believe it. Sakura had made a large batch of the antidote, and every medic was instructed to give it to each stricken patient. Within the next couple hours, the cure had taken full effect, and was a success. The people who had been on the brink of death, gained color back and started responding.
By the next day the small villiage was rid of that unknown disease, thanks to Sakura. She and the others medic scanned the patients carefully, they found that the ones given the antidote, had been completely healed from the disease. She made anyone in contact, herself and Sasuke included, also take the cure, just as a percaution.
"We could not thank you enough, Sakura-san", Asami said bowing her head to her. " You did in a few hours what we could not do in months, you truly are the best in the world for a reason", she added with a smile. Sakura blushed, and uttered a modest thanks.
Sakura and Sasuke spent a day or two more in the land of lightening, the village was completely cured, and everyone was in high spirits. Sakura and Sasuke decided to eat at a restaurant in town, they ate happily together in a comfortable silence.
" What is he doing here in our village!", an unknown voice echoed throughout the restaurant. Sakura turned to see a man with a group of unsavory looking character following behind him. Sasuke didn't even look up from his Ongiri, probably so use to the hostility.
The man walked up to the booth were they sat, and just stared them down, they seemed to be a gang of some sort. "Damn Uchiha Bastard, What's a murdering rogue like you doing in the Land of Lightning". Sakura glared, she could feel anger rising in her.
The owner of the restaurant came over, " you people need to leave, he told the group of men, I don't want any trouble in my restaurant". "Back off old man, one of the big guys in the back snapped.
The owner got frightened and ran off. Sasuke still ignoring them stoic as ever. This seemed to make the leader even angrier. "Hey I'm talking to you Bastard"! He yelled. "We don't want any trouble", Sakura said with annyonce clear in her tone.
" Ha, well you've got it"! "Come on Uchiha, me and my gang will take you on, how bout it, or are you scared". Sasuke sat still and spoke in a monotone voice, " I have no interest in that". "No interest Ha, You have no choice"! The man came closer.
Sakura could've laughed at that statement, fight Sasuke, not a chance, the whole gang didn't even stand a chance against her, blindfolded with both arms tied behind her back, much less Sasuke. Sakura whipped her head to face them. The man kept talking trash.
" I don't know why a murderous bastard like you thinks he can do whatever he wants". The man chuckled, " The lone survivor of the once great Uchiha, what a joke, you've slandered that name all to Hell, just like you murdering brother!".
Sakura froze, she saw Sasuke's knuckles turn white from making a fist so hard, and felt the table tremble with him. Fed up with their rudeness Sakura spat with venom, "Back off"!
The guy stopped and looked at her glare, his face grew angry and yelled. " Why would we listen to the Uchiha's little whore"!
Faster that Sakura could think, Sasuke was up and had the man off the ground by his throat. Sakura gasped, he moved so fast she hadn't even seem him twitch a muscle.
The leader of the gang gagged, and eyes widened in horror at Sasuke's burning gaze, he had activated his mangekyo sharigan out of sheer anger. Sakura got to her feet and when she saw Sasuke's face, the ferocity of his gaze made her shudder.
Sasuke spoke with so much malice, it made Sakura uneasy, "You can call me all the names, you want, Hell I'll even let you slid this once, for mentioning my brother, but if you ever call her that word or say any other negative thing about her again, I promise you won't live to regret it", Sasuke's hand tightened around his throat, " She has nothing to do with my sins, leave her out of it!!".
The man nodded slowly. Sasuke released him, he fell to the floor with a loud thud. "This women you just insulted, is the one who just singlehandedly cured the village of the deadly disease, and saved your sorry life," Sasuke basically spat.
He turned to exit, Sakura slowly followed behind, still shocked by what happened. Then from behind she felt the men approach her to attack, she gathered chakra in her fist to retaliate and take them out, she heard the leader yell, "grab the women", but before they could even lay a hand close to her Sasuke shielded her and knocked them all out with genjutsu.
Sakura stood amazed at his speed once again. Sasuke stood over their bodies for a minute, then turned and took off not even waiting for Sakura. Sakura yelled after him, "Sasuke-kun"! He ignored and kept going.
Sakura chased him for the 5 miles back to their campsite, when she finally caught him, she saw him just standing in the middle of the meadow, watching the sunset fading under the horizon. She stood silent for what seemed like an eternity, when she finally spoke, the night had already taken over the sky, and the full moon was shining down.
"Sasuke-kun are you alright", she asked voice bathed in concern. Sakura was met with only silence. " Sasuke-kun-
"Sakura, he cut off, you.. you should go back home, to the village", his voice was low and deep. Sakura's heart sunk to her stomach, her chest ached, and the threat of tears stung her eyes.
"W-why", she managed to gasp voice quivering. She was met once again with silence. Fireflies started to appear around them their brilliant glow started to light up the once too dark meadow. Sasuke began to walk away.
Sakura stood with her hands to her chest. "Sasuke-kun, don't do this, not again, I've been in this position too many times before. "And all those times before you could've just knocked me out, and moved on without listening to what I had to say"! Sakura hung her head, tears flowing
" But..you didn't, you stayed and listened each time. Each time you tried to walk away, tried to leave me behind as I called out for you to stay, I'd tell you I loved you, then you'd call me annoying. If you really wanted to leave you could've just left but you always stayed and heard me out..why"? Is it because you might of had feelings for me, or does it simply amuse you"! She said loudly
Sasuke stayed listening to her outburst, just as he always did.