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Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Sanguine

def. 1. happy, hopeful; 2. crimson, blood-soaked.

Chapter 6

Trust

It had been a week since that night, when the both of them were too exhausted to nitpick at who would sleep where and had decided to share the bed on a whim. That very night, the Konoha princess had come out of her shell and had confided in him of the event that landed her in the harshest prison in the country two years prior. In all honesty, the truth that hid behind her imprisonment baffled Sasori to no end.

Why her, the most loyal to her nation?

What of her comrades?

Did they hide behind their pride, just as Uchiha Sasuke had done?

His questions of her incarceration had been answered, however they were now replaced with new and unanswered questions. With each question came more questions, and with each and every question, came bits and pieces of his anger. He was angry for her, and he had also pitied her. She, who had dedicated the majority of her life to serve her nation not as a princess, but as a warrior who risked her life on the battlefield. She, who had loved her nation and her people more than anyone else.

'Even royalty can't escape the law.'

Ever since that night, those particular words of hers had echoed in his mind over and over and over again. As much as he hated to admit it, the pink-haired princess was right. Even if they had bent the rules and had escaped the law, karma would hiss and bite at them until death welcomed them in its arms. Regardless of whether or not they were royalty, they were not gods.

'Yet, even the gods can't escape their own laws.' He mused, quickly reminded of several folklore depicting the heavenly beings being damned by their own kind.

As much as he found it unfair, the past was the past, and what was done had been set in stone. In the end, what mattered was the nowadays, along with the pink-haired snarky princess that had been occupying his mind the last few days. He was glad to know that she had trusted in him enough to tell him of her past, and he hoped that she knew that he would always be ready to listen to her.

Before Itachi had departed from Konoha, it had been previously decided by Sasori and Itachi to rendezvous near the border between the Fire Country and the Rain Country by the end of the week. As a precaution, they did not set a specific time for their meeting, nor did they make contact with each other since Itachi's departure. Sasori and Sakura were now idling around in the forest, having been in the area for over a day now. It was a matter of patience, and the Konoha princess and the Suna prince was currently playing the waiting game.

After a night of rest, they had breakfast with the wildlife that Sasori had caught and killed. A while later, they decided to have a light spar with one another, using their bare fists first, and then their blades later on. After two hours of sparring had passed, Sakura took it upon herself to take a nap. Beside her, Sasori watched over her silently while flipping through the pages of his newly aquired art book. When she had woken up from her slumber, they feasted on the snacks that Sasori had purchased at a market the day before.

For the next three hours, they loitered around in boredom until they finally heard rustling from the tall bushes nearby. Sakura tensed up, while Sasori eyed the backwoods with caution. Seconds later, Itachi emerged from the shrubs, a ragged young man following right behind him.

The two royals relaxed at the sight of their comrade. "Took you long enough," Sasori frowned. Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing how impatient the redhead could be.

A small smile crept on Itachi's aloof features. "Apologies, old friend," He murmured, "I got held up along the way."

Sasori grumbled under his breath and Sakura rolled her eyes at him once more. "Who's that behind you?" She asked, her hand lazily motioning to the boy that hid behind Itachi.

The Uchiha prodigy glanced behind him, his black orbs fixed on the boy. "He is my representative for the battle royale."

Stepping out from behind Itachi, the young man licked his lips and smiled nervously. "Hinozuki Ito," He mumbled, introducing himself to the two new strangers. His eyes were a dull shade of brown, his hair shaggy and dark. Ito was fairly tall and lanky, his rough and dirt-stained skin matching the raggedness of his garbs. Attached to the belt of his slacks was a lone rustic dagger.

'Irrelevant thief from an irrelevant village, indeed.' Sasori thought to himself, his eyes scanning Ito up and down.

"You have a good eye for picking up an irrelevant thief from an irrelevant village," Sakura commented out loud. Immediately after, Sasori face-palmed at her straightforwardness.

Amusement twinkled in Itachi's eyes and he chuckled quietly. "Thank you."

Sakura smiled at her vassal, and Sasori sighed.

On the other hand, Ito coughed awkwardly as he watched the them talk about him as if he wasn't even there. However, he didn't really mind. It was true that he was a third-rate thief, having come from a low-born family in the boonies, with no real combat training. He was simply grateful that an opportunity for a better life had been presented to him, even if he may lose his measly life in the process.

As he observed the trio, it didn't take him long to figure that they were experienced on the battlefield. His dull brown eyes moved from the raven-haired man that had plucked him off the streets, to the scowling redhead that stood nearby. It was then that he noticed a shorter figure standing close to the redhead.

Ito's eyes lingered on Sakura as he indulged in her beauty. From her captivating emerald eyes that shimmered with confidence, to her flawless porcelain skin that was void of blemishes. Her long and thick petal-toned tresses was loosely braided and hung over her shoulder. Ito's eyebrows knitted together and his bottom lip jutted outwards as he pondered to himself, his eyes focused on her hair. 'Isn't the princess rumored to have pink hair?'

His thoughts were halted as he felt a shiver run down his spine. His eyes wandered left and right in confusion, until they landed on the red-haired man. Sasori was watching him intently, his hazel eyes narrowed. Ito immediately broke the eye contact and lowered his gaze, knowing that he had been caught staring at the bewitching pink-haired beauty.

"Um," Ito coughed, catching the trio's attention. "I need to go relieve myself," He quickly said, turning on his heels. Before any of them could say anything, Ito had already disappeared into the forest.

Sakura raised a brow at Ito's sudden departure. "Poor boy," She tutted, "His bladder must've been utterly full."

Sasori sighed and face-palmed once more.

For the next few moments, the trio discussed the details of their mission, along with battle tactics in the event that they were to be discovered. After what seemed like twenty minutes had passed, Ito had still yet to return. "How long does it take for one to take a simple piss?" Sakura grumbled, her patience growing thin. Seconds later, her eyes narrowed. "You don't think he ran away, do you?"

Itachi lightly frowned at the idea of his representative escaping.

"Perhaps we should find him," Sasori drawled.

"There's no need."

Sakura stiffened at the sound of an all-too-familiar voice, her fingers slowly balling into tight fists. Sasori on the other hand, felt annoyance and displeasure build up deep inside of him. Coming out from behind the trees was Sasuke, dressed in black and navy colored garbs, a long sword attached to his side. He was as stoic as his older brother, his slate black eyes cold and void of feeling. His gaze landed on Sakura before switching over to Sasori, quickly noticing the lack of distance between the two of them.

"Sasuke," Itachi frowned at his little brother. "Why are you here?"

"I followed them here," Sasuke answered, his eyes still focused on Sakura and Sasori. "I was sent by Her Majesty to assist you with your mission."

At that, Sakura huffed in disbelief, her lips curling into a sneer. "This is ridiculous. Let's ignore him and go find Ito," She murmured to Sasori, turning around and pulling him by his sleeve.

"There's no need," Sasuke repeated his earlier words. "Because I got rid of him."

Sakura stopped mid-step.

Half of his body still facing Sasuke, Sasori narrowed his eyes at him. "You what?"

"I got rid of him." Sasuke affirmed. "I slit his throat and dumped his body in the stream."

Silence overcame them as his words soaked in, the atmosphere now tense. Sakura stood still as stone, while Sasori's hazel eyes burned with ire as he glared at Sasuke.

Itachi on the other hand, was in a state of turmoil for many reasons, despite his indifferent expression. One reason being that he didn't know whether or not to pull his foolish brother to to the side to express his extreme displeasure. The other reason being that he now had no representative for the battle royale. And judging by the animosity between the two royals and his brother, Itachi had a feeling that his foolish younger brother did something very wrong...

Sakura slowly turned back around, her emerald orbs clashing with Sasuke's black ones. "You killed him?" She hissed, her lips trembling in anger. She felt Sasori wrap his hand around her fist. He gently squeezed, as if telling her to keep her temper in check. Or perhaps he was telling her that it was alright for her to sic herself on the younger Uchiha. Without looking at the red-haired prince, Sakura returned the squeeze before pulling her hand away and making her way towards Sasuke.

"We need to talk," She said coldly, walking past him and disappearing into the forest.

Sasuke stood still for a few seconds, his gaze was on Sasori. He had seen the way Sasori had held Sakura's hand, along with the silent interaction between the two royals. It pained him to see her so comfortable with another man, however Sasuke knew deep down inside that he would never be able to fill that spot again. He knew that Sakura would never see him as an equal again. He had let go of her hands, and he had lost her completely.

Instead of holding the hands of the woman he loved, he now held the hands of recognition and power.

The Suna prince returned the stare, his hazel eyes slightly narrowed and his lips twisted in annoyance. Sasuke looked away, and without another word, the younger Uchiha followed after his former lover.

After a minute or two of walking, he found her leaning against an oak tree, her arms crossed and her emerald eyes boring through him. They stood in silence, both gauging the other. After what seemed like forever, Sakura finally spoke up. "Why are you really here?"

"To assist with the mission," He answered impatiently.

"Killing off Itachi's representative is not assisting with the mission," She growled lowly. "You interfered with it."

"He was bound to die anyways," Sasuke replied coolly. "This competition is full of bloodthirsty monsters. A weak and no-named thief like him will get devoured by those monsters in no time." He continued on, "You have no choice but to accept me as my brother's representative."

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek. Sasuke was right; Ito was bound to be killed if he participated in the battle royale. However, Ito did not deserve to lose his life to Sasuke's bloody hands. She eyed Sasuke for a few minutes before pushing herself off of the oak tree. "You're wrong about one thing," She softly said, brushing past him as she made her way back down the back she had come home, to where Sasori and Itachi were waiting. "Even the weak will eventually turn into monsters."

After registering her words into his mind, Sasuke turned around and quickly grabbed onto her wrist, stopping her from moving further. "Even if you can't forgive me," He began, his voice a low murmur, "Even if we can't go back to how we used to be," He paused, his slate black eyes lingering on the back of her head. "I want to be able to converse with you again as your friend and your family."

After a beat of silence, Sakura pulled her hand out of Sasuke's hold and began to walk away once more. "You're a fool." She quietly said. It was faint, but he still heard it.

It was now dawn, and the group had just arrived at a village located at the border between the Fire Country and the Rain Country. Hanrei Village was well known for being a destination for tourists, with travelers coming and going from both sides of the border. The village was run by a community of merchants, each man and woman occupying booths that sold jewelry, farming tools, pottery, and sometimes weapons. Occasionally, peddlers would stop by to sell their wares from other parts of the nation.

They stopped by the first inn they came across, and had rented out two rooms. One for Sasori and Sakura, the other for the Uchiha brothers. Sasori knew that the pinkette was still tense from Sasuke's sudden appearance, and had decided to take her out to tour the village, to which she gladly appreciated.

"This place is bigger and busier than the past few villages we visited," Sakura commented, taking a bite out of the sweet bread she had bought mere seconds ago.

Beside her, Sasori hummed in agreement as he fumbled with the hood of his cloak, pulling it over his head. He quickly glanced over to her, double checking to see that her hood was also properly over her head. Once he was satisfied, he turned his attention elsewhere.

As they walked side by side, Sakura couldn't help but steal a few glances at Sasori, her mind drifting back to the night she had revealed her past to him.

Two years ago, she had lost her dearest friend Ino to the hands of death. Two years ago, she was accused of killing Ino and had been sentenced to life imprisonment. Since then, she had not really opened up to anyone about her past, until Sasori came into the picture. She didn't exactly know what overcame her to tell Sasori about her past. Rather, she just knew that if she confided in him, she knew he would silently listen to her, his attention focused solely on her.

Perhaps it was the newfound sense of trust that had developed between them. From the way they sparred together knowing that they would not truly hurt each other, to how they just knew what the other was thinking about just by looking at each other. It was simply gratifying, knowing that she had someone she could place a little, if not more, of her trust in.

Not once had Sasori questioned her in regards to the incident two years ago, and she greatly appreciated. Even though he did not openly inquire about the incident, she knew he had many questions swarming around in his mind. Every once in a while, she would catch him looking at her, with a hint of curiosity and a flash of concern in his eyes. Whenever she saw that look in his eyes, she would simply reach over to him and gently touch his arm. It was her way of showing him that she was fine and the redhead did not question it. Rather, he would give her a small smile before dragging his attention elsewhere.

However, there was one thing that tugged at the back of her mind.

The Suna prince had pulled her into his arms that night and had given her a comforting embrace, after she had told the miserable tale behind her imprisonment. His scent of cinnamon and spices wrapped around her, even warmer than the blanket that covered their bodies. It was all she could think about, and she didn't know how to stop.

It had been over two years since she had last been held in the arms of a man. Frankly speaking, it made her feel... quite odd. After all, two companions on a mission together decided to share a bed together out of laziness, and then later on embraced each other. She didn't know what to think of it. In fact, she didn't even want to think of it.

She feared that if she dived further into this deadly sea of thoughts, she would reach an inescapable place with her fractured heart on the line once more.

As they walked down the bustling street, Sakura watched as Sasori's eyes shifted left and right, his hazel eyes wandering from one shop to another. "What are you searching for?" She curiously asked. 'Why don't you look at me too?' Sakura's eyes widened a fraction at the thought that had suddenly invaded her mind. 'No,' She inwardly chided herself, shaking her head. 'Dangerous. Bad thought.'

Sasori didn't answer her. Instead, a quiet "ah" escaped his lips as recognition flashed in his eyes. He grabbed her by her hand and gently pulled her along.

Sakura blinked a few times in confusion as she followed in his steps. She didn't really mind being pulled along, nor did she really say anything about it. He always grabbed and pulled at her, bringing her to places on a whim. She just simply let him lead the way, while ignoring the bubbly feeling in the crevices of her heart.

"Sasori?" She curiously called out to him, pushing her thoughts away for the umpteenth time. "Where are we going?"

The Suna prince faltered in his step at the lovely way his name rolled from her lips. He turned around and eyed her in contemplation. "The barbershop," He muttered, clearing his throat. Then he pointed to an establishment located not too far away from them.

"Barbershop?" She echoed, one brow arched in questioning. "What are we going to do there?" She asked incredulously. Then with an impish smile, she asked, "Don't tell me you want to trim your hair?"

Sasori rolled his eyes at her over his shoulders and then gave her a flat stare. "Not me," He said deadpanned. "You."

At that, Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, a troubled frown on her features. "I'm not cutting my hair." She blankly said.

Knowing how vain the princess was when it came to her hair, he let out a sigh and turned around to properly face her. "We won't cut your hair," He gently squeezed her hand. "We'll just change it up a little bit with some dye as a precaution."

Even though they were both wearing the hood of their cloaks over their heads, his sharp eyes could still see a glint of pink from behind her covers. Then his eyes roamed their surroundings, in search of those that might be listening on them. Stepping a little bit closer to her, he began to explain with a low and steady tone. "You're the only person around here with pink hair, and it's known between several nobles that the Fire Country's princess has pink hair." 'Hell, there's even rumors about her being spread around to the civilians.'

Sakura remained silent, uncertainty dancing in her eyes as she weighed her options.

Knowing that she wasn't quite convinced just yet, he squeezed her hand one more time. "How about this," He began, "I'll go in and buy the dye, and then I'll dye your hair for you when we get back to the inn."

Sakura's her lips twisted as she mulled over his suggestion. A small smile crept on Sasori's features as he watched her, finding her pout quite endearing. The pinkette eyed him for a few more seconds before finally giving in. "Fine," She huffed. "You better do a good job." Then with a glower, she added, "I'll kill you if you screw it up."

Sasori's eyes twinkled in amusement, the corners of his lips tilting upwards a bit. "Alright," He agreed. With a chuckle, he pulled her along again.

Upon arriving at the barbershop, Sasori had purchased a dark brown dye for his princess companion, who was patiently waiting for him outside of the establishment. With the idea of being inconspicuous in mind, it didn't take him long to pick out the dye. The prince had left as swiftly as he had entered. With their next destination being a tavern to sit down and dine at, he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along once more, failing to notice the shade of pink that lightly tinted her cheeks.

After they had dinner at a lovely and quaint tavern, they headed back to the inn later that night. The Uchiha brothers were nowhere in sight, and Sakura was glad that she didn't have to see Sasuke until the next morning. For the purpose of accommodating two people, their room was fairly large, with a small kitchen and a dining table on one side of the room, and two beds on the other side. Near the beds was a door that led to the bathroom. As if sharing the bed a week ago never happened, they did not say a word to each other about the separate beds.

Sasori was now sitting on a chair by the dining table, with Sakura sitting on the wooden floor between his feet, his art book placed on her lap. Situated on the table was a small wooden bowl, with a peculiar dark mixture inside of it. Beside the bowl was a wooden brush with thick and stiff bristles.

As Sasori ran his fingers through her hair for the first time, he was fascinated by how soft and silky her tresses were. It also baffled him that such a hard-headed and violent woman like her would pay so much attention to the hair on her head.

"Impressed?"

The red-headed prince blinked, quickly realizing that he had been combing her hair with his fingers for quite a while since they had sat down. If he could, he would play with her hair all night long. "I suppose," He coughed, his ears turning red. "It grabs too much attention though." He mumbled.

"You have to admit," Sakura chimed, "My hair is pretty fabulous, if I do say so myself."

Reaching over to grab the brush, Sasori rolled his eyes. "Need I remind you," He murmured, "You're the only princess around here with pink hair."

"I'm the only princess around here with fabulous pink hair." She corrected, turning her head to peer at him over her shoulders.

"And your fabulous pink hair will immediately give away your identity if we don't cover it up now." Sasori glowered. No matter what he said, the Konoha princess still took pride in her hair. He had to admit, it was the most beautiful shade of pink he had seen, and he knew he would be disappointed the moment the brown dye stained her locks. But she didn't need to know that. Seconds later, he not-so-gently tapped the back of her head with his knuckles.

"Ow!"

"Turn around," He instructed.

With a huff, the pinkette turned back around. Sasori couldn't see it, but for some reason he had a feeling that she was doing that charming pout of hers. With a small smile, he began to spread the mixture into her hair with the wooden brush. Despite the awkward atmosphere that hung between them the past week, they always somehow managed to bicker about the littlest things as if nothing had ever happened between them. For the rest of the night, they simply enjoyed each other's presence in silence. The red-haired prince worked soundlessly and diligently on her long locks, while the pink-haired princess sat still as stone, occasionally flipping through the pages of his art book.

A/N: Finally sat down to finish this LOL. Quite short compared to the previous chapter, but I feel that it's fitting to end it off here. It's been over a month since the last update; I had the ideas and I had a draft, but I was caught up with work and exhaustion. I was also very lazy.

This chapter was mostly focused on Sasori and Sakura, along with the small addition of Sasuke onto the team. I honestly love SasoSaku interactions and I'm glad I managed to work it out for this chapter :D

On a side note, I also created a blog dedicated to my writing and drawings: michimine . tumblr . com (You can also find it on my profile)

You'll find the occasional doodles, along with updates on my writing, etc. I'm also planning to draw the Sanguine world sometime soon, especially SasoSaku (hopefully I'll get a few things done by the end of the month).

Reviews and criticisms are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading, and see you soon!