SIGN OF THE SNOW
chapter 6
It'd been a few hours since they stepped foot outside the village. They reached the secluded area Kakashi had told Sasuke about. It was very confidential, no one but Sasuke had been given the full details.
"I think we're good to go now" The raven haired man spoke.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Grab a hold of me" He told both Naruto and Sakura. His body moved on his own, but he offered his hand to Sakura. He could see the surprise in her eyes. She reluctantly accepted. Naruto put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He could see Haru glaring at him from the corner of his eye. He didn't care.
Sakura nodded at both Haru, and Ino.
He grasped Sakuras hand tightly, and opened the portal with his eye. He slightly pulled Sakura in.
"Hold tight" he ordered before they jumped in.
Flashback
The sore pain went down the length of his entire arm. He couldn't move much of it, just his few fingers. The pale prosthetic looked almost transparent. This was going to take some adjusting.
Today was the last night he would spend in the hospital before his transfer to the Konoha prison. He lies awake hearing Naruto snore rhythmically. His mind went to many places. He first thought of itachi, and what he would say if he was here. It would occasionally drift off to the pink haired girl who had been so concerned with him.
He shut his eye and his mind went to when he was in Kaguyas sand world. He saw Sakura clearer than ever. She stood there putting all of her strength into getting him back.
The moment he caught her from collapsing it was like his skin caught fire. What he had been doing wasn't just catching her from a fall, he was holding her.
He wonders if she knew. She looked at him with all the affections, hope, and tire in the world. In that moment he forgot he was in the midst of war. He held her gaze with all the feelings he had ever felt towards her. He truly appreciated the woman she had become.
He later thought of how much she resembled his mother. With Mikoto on his mind, he slipped into a light sleep that would not last long.
Present
It was almost as if Sakura had been transported back to when she was 17. The air held the same scent of unease and chill. A shiver went down her spine, and her body physically recoiled.
Sasuke was still holding onto her. He could feel the way her body had reacted violently. He let his grip go loose, and then he completely released her.
"Woah" They heard Naruto say. The steam from their breath was never ending.
"It hasn't changed one bit" he finished. Sakura nodded in agreement.
The feelings of nostalgia were short. Sasuke had been to all of these dimensions after the war. He searched bit by bit, and now he had found what he was looking for.
"Kaguyas castle isn't far from here." He said.
"She wasn't worried about hiding any of it now was she?" Naruto said with a tiresome laugh.
They started walking in the general direction. Sakura was already wearing a coat, but the cold still seeped through. She followed behind Sasuke and Naruto. Her mind went to when he had offered her his hand. It reminded her of old times. She felt as if she was in an alternate universe all together. Never mind the fact she actually was, but Sasuke coming back and paying her some mind was unsettling.
Her relationship with Haru was going quite well, though he had complained she seemed a little blank most of the time. As if she was somewhere else completely. It was half true. Ever since her first love stepped into Konoha, she has been feeling all sorts of things.
Sometimes as she works the world will fade and she will only think about how intoxicating it was being in love with him, as she was doing while they walked.
She would think about this quite often, and would snap herself out of it. Afterall he didn't deserve her affections anymore, but she knew her love for him will be eternal one way or another.
She closed her eyes for a moment as she walked. She followed the sound of the snow crunching as the men before her lead the way. A pair of steps stopped. She opened her eyes.
"Why did we stop?" she instinctively said.
"Take this" Sasuke offered his cloak.
"Oh no I'm fine, it's not that cold." Sakura's almost frozen features muttered.
"I'm not an idiot, you're shivering and we can't have the medic-nin fall ill. Don't be stubborn and take it"
"You'll be cold." she replied.
"I've been looking for Kaguyas castle for years, I'm used to the climate here." he said in an effort to convince her.
Naruto kept walking, not noticing the two had stopped. Sasuke walked towards Sakura with his cloak. Instead of handing it to her, he decided to wrap it around her himself.
"What are you do-" Sakura tried to finish before Sasuke was finished wrapping his cloak around her. He carried on like nothing.
Sakura blushed, but no one saw. She tried to think about if his behaviour towards her was odd, or if she was just imagining it. She watched him walk with the Uchiha crest shining on his back. She always wondered about all the things he might have been doing while he was away from the village before she slept. She often dreamt about him coming back, and asking her to come with him.
'This is it huh' Sakura thought to herself.
The architecture of the place was beautiful. Well built. But the age of the structure showed through the cracks, and battle strikes. The area was dark, no sign of life. Bricks crumbled underneath their feet as they neared her castle step by step. The entrance was nowhere to be found.
"You have to climb to the entrance." Sasuke said.
Naruto looked back at the two. He noticed Sakura with Sasuke's cloak, but didn't feel the need to comment on it.
"I will stand guard out here" Sakura said.
"Are you sure, Sakura-chan?" the blonde confirmed.
"Hm" she said with a determined look.
The mismatched eyes moved off of her and they scaled the side of the buildings. Naruto and Sasuke both lunged upwards towards the entrance.
Seconds later all Sakura sees are two flying men falling at great speed. She tries to get there as fast as she can, but she is too late and they already made the fall.
"What happened?" Her concerned voice says.
"Yeah teme what was that" Naruto said as he sat up.
"I don't know, there must be some sort of barrier."
"Which means the jutsu castor is still alive," The realization dawns upon Sakura.
"Stay on guard everyone." She warns them.
Before they can get up, kunais are striking towards them from all directions.
short chapter, and slow update I know! I profusely apologize. The world is just on my ass this month. Leave feedbak pls!
