Chapter 9

A hand presses down on her mouth.

Sakura wakes with a start, grabbing the hand with her own and reaching towards her thigh for a weapon.

"Sh," Sasuke says, "Come with me."

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Sakura sees the outline of her teammate above her. She had curled up in the night, making a nest of blankets to keep herself warm as the chill became unbearable. The snow had piled atop her tent, and several times she'd woken up to smack it off from the inside. It was cheaply made, and every movement seemed to pop a pole loose from the frame.

Maybe this was just a dream?

Closing her eyes, Sakura rolled back over.

At this, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He would not let her off so easily.

Kakashi and Naruto were usually the ones to wake her on their missions. She was feisty and did not like her sleep interrupted. This was also why she took first watch, and why they waited until the sun rose and she was close to waking up naturally before bothering her.

She had not changed very much, in this way.

"Sakura, come hunt with me." He tries again. This seems to stir her.

"Sasuke?"

Reaching out, the kunoichi places her hand on his cheek. He had not expected her to pinch it.

The man sucks air in between closed teeth, and Sakura jumps up. The sleep disappears completely and adrenalin takes its place. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Was it the enemy? Were they being attacked?

Sasuke touches the sore spot on his face. "You're supposed to pinch yourself, if you think you're dreaming. Not me,"

"I'm so sorry!" She offers.

"Come with me," He tries for the last time, offering the woman his hand. He was not one to repeat himself. He was also not one to come into a woman's tent uninvited. He sighs.

The moon was not at its fullest, but it shone brightly through the haze of morning sleet. Sakura gathered her covering quickly, not bothering to wash her face or brush her teeth. She thought time was not on their side. Sasuke did not elaborate.

The pink-haired woman followed him, making no comment about his wooden bow and quiver of arrows. She walked closely, placing her smaller foot in the indentions he made. When they were far enough away from the others, she spoke.

"Is everything okay?"

Raising up a finger towards her, Sasuke turned his head slowly, taking in the woods. The snap of a twig alerts him. Crouching slightly, Sasuke walks in that direction. When Sakura does not come, he waves her closer.

It had been a while since they signed to each other. It came to her quickly, however. Guiding her deeper atop the permafrost, where the trees became larger and more dense, Sasuke motioned for her to stay in place.

Using his foot as leverage, Sasuke strings his bow by bending it. His fingers are dexterous, more than Sakura could say for her non-dominant hand. Knocking the arrow, Sasuke jerks his head to the side. He's ready for her.

The man is crouched low to the ground, hidden behind an overhang of rock. Sasuke waves his hand–closer he says. Closer, she goes, until she's within arms reach and he grasps her wrist lightly. Keeping his eyes trained ahead, the man pulls her against his chest and between his legs, turning her so that her back is flat against him.

She cannot help the ruddy flare of her cheeks. Sakura swallows hard. Her heart beats so loudly, she almost doesn't hear his voice when he leans to whisper into her ear. She feels his hot breath first, and the way his jaw brushes against her hair as he softly speaks.

"There are some wild hogs ahead. Can you see them?"

Sakura turns her head sharply. Sasuke grabs her chin–not forcefully, but firmly. "Slowly, Sakura."

Slowly, Sakura. She feels as if she could burst.

Sakura lets him move her head to the correct angle, and out in the fields she spots a large boar amongst several smaller ones and piglets. It wallers at the ground, sending huffs of outbreath into the air.

"We're going to get closer. I need you to do as I say."

"Woof," She barks mockingly, trying to lighten the mood.

Sasuke pats her head, taking her bait. "Good girl,"

Good girl.

Sasuke moves ahead and she follows, stifling her rapid pants behind her palms, afraid the puffy clouds will call attention to them.

Her teammate does not seem to notice. He reaches backwards and guides her hand into his. The red glow by his face lets her know his sharingan is activated. It's so beautiful.

Sakura is thankful for his grip. The terrain is rockier, less sturdy. She does not worry about injury, but rather, the sounds of rocks cascading if she were to lose her footing. Sasuke was serious about many things–missions, duty, and apparently, hunting. The last thing she wanted to do was sabotage him.

As close as they can go without breaking into the clearing, the two settle behind a fallen tree. Sasuke takes the same position as before and motions for Sakura to take her position once again. Obedient, the kunoichi settles against him. She takes in the crisp morning air, hoping its coolness will freeze and slow her heart.

"The draw is 80lbs. You can pull that without chakra?"

"Why, without chakra?" Sakura asks, closing her eyes at the tickle of her teammates chest. It vibrates with every word.

"They sense it. That's why I'm not using Susanoo."

"But, your Sharingan…"

"It has a mind of its own."

Sakura turns towards him, meaning to study his red iris. She is acutely aware of how close his face is to hers. She blinks slowly, unable to keep her eyes off of his mouth.

She exhales. "I don't know how to shoot a bow. I've never used one."

"I'll aim. You draw."

Sasuke dips his head down to look at her, but she turns away. "Okay."

With his right hand, Sasuke guides her to the shaft and helps her grip the arrow. He lifts her elbow, putting the largest boar in sight. "Draw,"

Pulling back with her base strength, Sakura feels the bow flex to its fullest. Sasuke lays his chin on her shoulder, lining himself up with her view. It is almost too much for her. She can feel the fire of his clan against her back, the heat of his breathing on the curve of her neck. When he slides his hand to her belly and rests it atop her navel, the woman begins to shake.

"Don't be nervous," he says, pressing his palm flat, spreading his fingers out. "Get him behind the shoulder,"

"I'm not nervous about the hog,"

Sakura releases the arrow and it flies through the air. She does not watch to see if it hits its mark. She drops the bow, twisting away from Sasuke.

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Yes," She laughs. "Was it not obvious?

"Do you fear me?"

Sakura moves back, casting her stern eyes upon him. "No."

If Naruto belonged to the summer, Sasuke belonged to the winter. The blues reflecting off snow banks and moonbeams cast a delicious shadow across his face, following his angles. The peak of his nose was most prominent. His lips, the lightest shade of brown she'd ever seen.

"You should."

Sakura's eyebrows draw together. Blinking, she watches as the deep gray of his iris bled crimson. Still, she did not avert her gaze, even as his pupil and tomoe bloomed and spread into flowers and lines–a kaleidoscope that spun in its lazy, ominous circle.

"You said you feared me…because I love you. I know you don't feel the same way as I do. So, what is it, Sasuke? Do you want to…hurt me?" She asks, swallowing. It is as if a blade is to her throat. Like any sudden movement could split her flesh. It sends a chill down her spine, causing her shoulders to shiver.

For some reason, Sakura had not considered this as an option. As a girl, S-Class criminals, people in the Bingo Book, the Akatsuki were things of nightmares. Orochimaru had paralyzed her with fear in the Forest of Death. Even the name, Forest of Death sent her hair on end.

Was this who Sasuke has become? Zabuza had been a child once. Everyone had–children who smiled and loved and cared…or should have. Biting her lip, Sakura tries to control her breathing.

It is futile. His eyes see it all. He moves his hand up to her throat and Sakura's heart seizes. His hand is so rough, scarred by weaponry and war.

When was the last time it held a flower, a kitten, a baby?

It does not stop there, though. The angle of his thumb molds to the slope of her jaw and his pointer and middle finger brush across her cheek with a feather-light touch. He dances across her cupid's bow, then to her bottom lip, parting them slightly.

Sakura watches his sharingan flex and ebb. It is a camera, photographing this moment, taking it in with clarity that she can never replicate. And when his eyes no longer see and his fingertips no longer feel, he will see her–the girl who cried, the girl who cared.

She smiles, leveling out into an easy respiration. She closes her eyes and presses against his delicate touch, using her hand to trap his.

This hand has held many flowers–it has picked them for mothers and aunties. This hand has held kittens–scratched behind their ears and brought them in from storms. And the babies, oh, the babies he has cradled as his mandatory duty of a child of the Chief. He had welcomed every Uchiha that had been born since he'd learned to hold them.

"No," he says finally, pressing his lips to her forehead. "I never wanted to hurt you."

...:::*:::...

"That was quick," Naruto says as he tosses more wood upon the fire. Sakura drops the wild hog onto the ground by his feet.

She looks around, noticing that although the sun has just broken through, everything is packed away except for Sasuke's tent.

"It only took one shot," the woman brags, grinning widely. Naruto wipes his nose.

"Huh…so you really did take her hunting. I thought that was just an excuse–"

Sasuke shoots him a look. "Help me dress this."

The sun was at its highest peak before the two teams headed out, each full with protein to last if the journey became too long or difficult. Sakura saw that Sasuke had changed into an entirely different cloak. It was fur-lined, worn by years Sasuke could not have possibly lived. Karin wore only a small jacket that was cropped at the bottom. Sakura shook her head, remembering the gifts she'd brought with her from Konoha.

"I'm so sorry, I forgot all about this!" Reaching into her bag, she grabbed a standard-issue cloak and offered it to the redhead. Karin took it with a puzzled look.

"And Jugo, more birdseed. I also found this little trinket. I know it's a bit silly for us to travel with items of no use, but I couldn't pass it up." Sakura hands him an etched, wooden finch. "The man was just passing through Konoha, so I thought I'd better get several before he left. Here, Karin, I got you a bear cub. Suigetsu, a fish."

"A fish?" He asks, reaching out for the ornament. "It's…so ugly…"

"Yeah," Sakura says jokingly, "It reminded me of you."

Naruto erupts with laughter. "And where is mine?"

"I got you the same thing you got me for my birthday last year."

"What did it get you?" He taps his finger to his chin, trying to think. He remembers the Cherry Blossom festival, the fireworks, Hinata falling asleep on his shoulder. Did he even hang out with Sakura that day?

"Nothing, Naruto. You got me nothing,"

"Aw, man," He scrunches his nose. "About that…"

They take to the trees, Jugo trailing close behind. "No, no, don't worry, it's just the day I was born. Nothing special,"

"Sakura, c'mon! I was with Hinata."

She flashes him a grin and looks over her shoulder at Jugo. "I know we're in the slower group, but you're going to have to put some pep in your step!"

"Sasuke," He says so softly that Sakura cannot quite hear.

Dipping under a branch, the woman lands in the snowy permafrost beside him. "Sorry?"

"You didn't get Sasuke anything. Is it because he forgot it was your birthday?"

Naruto slows to a pace beside them. The slush splashes with every crunch of his boot, leaving wells in its place. "Yeah, Sakura, you didn't even give him a kiss good-bye."

"Kiss?" Jugo shakes his head and stumbles. Sakura steadies the larger man with her shoulder, taking his weight easily.

"Ignore him, he likes to make fun of me."

"I see. I cannot imagine Sasuke doing anything like…that. Many women have tried to. Karin, especially."

Sakura reaches out for Naruto, tugging on his hood. "Naruto kissed him!"

"HEY! That was an accident!"

"Once is an accident. Twice is…"

Naruto reaches for a branch and shakes it, sending a wave of frost and crystals towards his giggling teammate.

They spend several hours reminiscing. Jugo had never heard these stories of his leader, of his cage–a place in time where the severe man was not truly happy…but was not truly unhappy, either. Chasing cats, plucking weeds, walking dogs…his mind could not fabricate the images they painted.

"We have been to The Great Naruto Bridge on our journeys." Their first mission had been especially perilous for children, but Jugo was happy to learn the story.

"Did Sasuke say anything?" Naruto asks. Jugo simply shakes his head as he leaps, trying to keep snow from falling into his shoes. The farther they traveled, the higher it rose.

"What about Orochimaru? How did you all meet him?"

Sakura shivers, but not from the cold. "It was during our chunin exams. It's the first time I'd ever experienced an enemy like it. Cold, calculating…"

"He's a freak," Naruto says simply. "I can't stand the creep, I don't know how you guys talk to him now that you don't have to. I still don't understand that curse-mark thing."

At this, their female companion slows. It had been several years since she'd thought of that mark–of the beautiful black flames that spread across her teammate's body and engulfed him with power too potent for a boy. It was her biggest regret. "I wish I could have been stronger. Maybe if Sasuke had a competent partner, I could have–"

"We were twelve. He was a sannin. It had nothing to do with your strength."

They stop to rest on an elevated patch of land, dusting the snow from the tops of their heads and shoulders. Sakura passes out their ration of meat. If their estimates were correct, they should be coming upon it soon–

The earth shook.

It vibrated under their feet, causing the white sheets around them to crack and cavern. A flock of birds flew overhead, no doubt escaping from the unsettling chakra that began to float around. It was not confined to one singular geyser, but rather, several bubbles of energy erupted forth.

Naruto and Jugo ducked and dodged the material, pushing themselves out of the danger-zone. As Sakura moved to escape, she found that her body would not respond. Looking down, the woman watched as that mysterious chakra boiled and wrapped around a singular foot, holding her in place.

A/N: Howdy! I already have the next part written and I hate leaving on a cliffhanger. I promise I'll upload after a quick once-over. Please forgive grammatical errors-I'm relying on myself and I am, indeed, human! As always, I enjoy your comments. Please let me know what you think!