Worth Searching For

by yokokuroba

She had lost her shinobi status with a deadly poison. With a dying body and injured pride, she traveled the world to find him for more than one reason, but would he accept her after seven years of searching?

8. A Sweet Parting X A Hidden Flame

A/N: This is the revised version of this story. I've doubled up chapters, so what was two chapters have now been combined into one. For instance, chapters one and two have been combined into just chapter one. Chapters three and four are now just chapter two and so on. So now the chapters are longer with between 9,000 and 10,000 words for each. I've also edited all the chapters that were up. I've changed my username and will also be uploading this story onto Archive of our Own under the same username yokokuroba

This is the newest chapter since I've last uploaded. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or One Piece nor do I make any money from my writings.

Chapter Seven: A Sweet Parting X A Hidden Flame

Sakura looked ahead of her with calm strides, having gotten over the initial shock she had forgotten Luffy had handed her the canteen in her hands a few moments prior. She listened with slight interest to Vivi's story about her past with the leader of the rebel soldiers. The pinkette wasn't too invested in this country's past affairs or the princess' personal experiences, though she supposed it did have its own significance. However, being childhood friends with the leader didn't necessarily mean it would lead them to a peaceful conclusion, but Sakura didn't want to say anything that would break the princess' spirit. She had the feeling that the blue-haired woman cared for the rebel leader more than she was admitting in her story.

At one point, a large scorpion's stinger poked out of the ground, which earned Luffy's immediate curious attention. He poked the stinger with a stick, wondering what it was, until it finally emerged out of the ground with him standing on its hard shell back.

"It's huge!" Usopp exclaimed and without wasting a breath, the trio of Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro were attacking the creature in a flurry of limbs, swords, and sand. The sniper ran around in frenzied circles while Ace and Sakura stood to the side, watching in amusement. The princess and navigator continued on without a care on the camel's back, Vivi resuming her story as if nothing was at peril.

Ace lit the creature on fire, efficiently cooking it enough for the young captain to crack into its shell and dig into the meat underneath. Sakura watched a safe distance away from the carnage as the males of the Straw Hat crew tore into the poor creature. Pieces of red shell flew in the air and snapping was heard as appendages were ripped off. Ace stood beside her, keeping a respectable distance as well, though he saw the pinkette eyeing the meat.

While the cook ran off to offer a large claw to Nami ahead of them, Zoro walked to the smallest female with a small portion of meat. It was a piece broken off a leg and it was half her size in length, but it was still small in comparison to the amount the others were hogging. The swordsman stood in front of her, holding out the offering with a calm and neutral expression. Sakura blinked at it for a moment before smiling softly up at the green-haired man. She took it without hesitation, "Thank you."

Zoro hummed in acknowledgement before turning to look back at the others, Luffy sprawled out over a large portion of what used to be the scorpion's back, too stuffed to stand up properly. Ace slipped them a secret smile before Sakura bit into the meat poking out at the top where the shell was broken off. The steam rose from the food, coating her cheeks a light pink. Though the heat probably wasn't the only reason why as she chewed the scorpion with a shy smile.

The group ceased their actions and looked up when Nami started yelling at them. "Knock it off, you guys!" Sakura seemed to be in the same category as the 'guys' at that moment, but she didn't let it bother her. She only closed her eyes in mirth while Nami told the camel to keep walking and they resumed their trudge.

"Is that good?" Ace asked, looking down at her with a smile. He hadn't eaten any of the scorpion, having deemed it wasn't worth fighting the others over.

"Mm." Sakura hummed while chewing on another bite, "It's good." She instantly thought of something. "Ah." Her eyes snapped open, and she turned her attention to the fire-user. "Want some?"

"Nah." Ace replied, still smiling at her and he placed a hand on her head to ruffle her hair. "You need all the food you can get." The pinkette frowned disapprovingly at the man and watched as he walked past her. The group continued for a while longer until finally stopping at a group of rocks to set up for the night. They had good coverage on every side from how the rocks were set up, with a high tower of boulders being on one side. They set up a small firepit in the center and the two separate tents on each side of the fire. Again, the boys were separated from the girls with the camel, Eyelash, being tied off to a decent-sized boulder near the site.

When everyone gathered around the fire and were starting to settle down while the sniper and cook finished up the last touches on the tents, Sakura sat down near the firepit. She watched in silence as Ace summoned a small flame on his index finger and flung it onto the wood in the pit. Within a few moments, they had a roaring fire. With the sun setting in the background, the last remnants of the day's heat were starting to die down.

The pinkette was picking a spot on her shirt that had a speck of dried crimson, the only remaining evidence of her previous attack. Shizune had been so gracious to her to remove the blood from her clothes while she was in the hospital. Sakura didn't want to imagine how the crew would have reacted had they seen all the blood that was on her clothes from her vessels bursting under so much pressure. From what she had seen so far, only this one little dot remained over her navel. It wasn't obvious, which she was grateful for.

One thing wasn't as hidden however, and it's a wonder it took so long for someone to point it out now.

"Where are your shoes?!" Nami exclaimed, sitting across from her on the other side of the fire. The ex-kunoichi had her legs folded in front of her and she glanced between the navigator and the dirt on the soles of her small feet, which were accompanied by callouses.

Sakura gave her shoulders a little rolled shrug. "I don't remember." They must have fallen off back in Konoha. She had noticed a long time ago but didn't pay much attention to it. She was used to walking around with no shoes on, after all. It was almost freeing in a way. She enjoyed the feeling of the sand settling between her toes.

They all sat hurdled around the fire, small groups forming once again. Ace was by himself somewhere to the left against a boulder. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp were cramming together to the left as well, though closer to the fire. Vivi was sitting between Nami and Sanji, with Zoro to the right. Chopper immediately crawled out from between the captain and sniper and ran to her with a concerned expression. "That's no good, Sakura."

She blinked at him as he stood beside her, leaning over to inspect the soles of her feet. "I walked around town with no shoes on. It's not a big deal."

"Yes, but we're not in town anymore." Chopper replied, putting a hoof on her ankle and furrowing his brow. "We don't know what's out here and the sand is hotter." Sakura huffed in defiance but allowed the reindeer to pick up her foot by her ankle to further inspect for any damage.

"How do you lose your shoes?" Usopp asked, frowning at her incredulously. "Not even Zoro manages that."

"Shut up." Zoro quipped with a glare.

Luffy laughed while Chopper ignored them to focus on his task. He was so engrossed with looking at the scars on her feet and running his hoof over them to check the sensitivity that he didn't notice the pinkette tensed up slightly.

Sakura sucked in a breath and pursed her lips when Chopper pressed into the bottom of her foot at the arch. He looked up at her with his brow furrowed and frowned. "Sorry, did that hurt?"

She shook her head and fought down the blush threatening to rise on her cheeks. She kept her lips perched and when he went back to his task, putting pressure in different spots and running his hoof over the thin, white lines, her cheeks puffed up when the air in her throat was denied access to the outside.

Chopper tilted his head innocently. This was the first time he had actually looked at her feet and he was deeply concerned by the number of scars. "Can you feel anything?" He pressed into a spot under her toes she had no idea would be so sensitive. Her hands immediately shot upward to cover her mouth. The slapping sound was accompanied by a muffled gasp and the doctor looked up at her face in alarm. "It hurts, after all."

Sakura clenched her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to shake off the mad blush she knew was spreading over her cheeks to her ears. She was struggling to keep in the squeal that was lodged deep in her chest. "Then what's wrong?" Chopper pressed.

"I know what's wrong with her." They all looked over at the sniper, who was directing a devious grin at the small female. Sakura narrowed her eyes threateningly at Usopp, though any heat behind it was cancelled out by her blush. She continued to keep her mouth covered, refusing to admit anything or to give out any ideas.

"What is it, Usopp?" Chopper asked, still in doctor mode.

Usopp straightened onto his knees and started to crawl toward her with an evil grin, his hands held up and fingers doing little wiggles. He was no doubt one of the least harmful members of this group, but the implications of his actions were terrifying, nonetheless. "She's ticklish."

"Ohhh!" Luffy exclaimed, a grin of his own forming and it split his face like a Cheshire cat. He started to crawl toward her on his knees as well, the same wiggling motions as Usopp's going on with his fingers.

Sakura lowered her hands to the ground beside her and stretched out her legs in front of her. She managed to miss Chopper as she kicked out sand in front of her toward the mischievous duo. With a distraught and horrified expression, she yelled, "Stay away!"

They continued to creep toward her with chuckles and snickers that made her skin crawl. A shiver ran up her spine when Chopper let out a knowing giggle and grinned at her from her side. Her hair stood up on the back of her neck and on her arms when she was suddenly reminded of their close proximity. With a shriek, she threw herself backward when the captain lunged himself at her. She wasted no time in standing up as Luffy landed on the ground in front of her in a heap of sand and grunts.

Usopp and Chopper were the next to follow, throwing themselves at her while she backed away from them. Luffy pulled his head off the ground and grinned up at them. "Don't let her get away!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" They kicked up sand as the four of them ran around the fire and tents, all shouting.

Zoro and Sanji watched the scene, smirking in amusement. Nami was frowning at them in exasperation while Vivi and Ace looked on with smiles. "Come on, guys. It's getting late." the navigator said.

Luffy and Sakura stopped on opposite sides of the fire, watching each other with narrowed eyes. One had a scowl while the other was grinning. "Tell Sakura to hold still then."

"I said I'm not ticklish." Sakura bit back.

"That's not what it looked like." Usopp smirked from beside the swordsman.

The pinkette frowned at Chopper, her eyes pleading, and she hoped that Luffy maneuvering back and forth on his feet wasn't him preparing to jump over the fire to get to her. "Don't let them do it, Chopper-san. I'm recovering, remember?"

Chopper's eyes instantly widened with recollection. "Ah! That's right!" He held his hooves in front of him and narrowed his eyes at Luffy. "That's enough! You can't be rough with her, Luffy!"

Luffy's body relaxed a great deal, but his face didn't hide how disappointed he was. His lips pursed in a pout, and he let out a whiny, "Booo!"

Sakura narrowed her eyes disapprovingly at the captain as he continued to stare at her. She could see the wheels turning in his head. The possibility of him ignoring the doctor was still high in the air. She wasn't about to take any chances with either him or the sniper. Cautiously, she stepped to the side without taking her eyes off the rubber man for a split second. "We'll be getting up early in the morning. Don't cause a ruckus." Nami frowned at them.

When Sakura was close enough to Nami, away from either of the two troublemakers, she scurried quickly behind them and squeezed her way in between Vivi and Sanji. She pressed her side against the cook's, leaning forward slightly to glare at Luffy and Usopp. Usopp settled in next to Zoro while Luffy stuck his tongue out at her and blew raspberries. It didn't take any thought for Sakura to do the same back at him. It didn't occur to her how childish it was, almost as if it were second nature to go along with his antics.

Sanji looked down at her, not failing to notice she had her feet tucked in under her legs against his thigh, away from any prying hands. He put a fresh cigarette to his lips, waiting to light it. "Walking around without shoes is an issue. What are we gonna do?"

Sakura lowered her head and tilted it slightly before looking up at him from the corner of her eye. Frowning, she replied, "I can wrap them up with bandages."

"Speaking of which," Chopper added and went to rummage through his blue backpack next to the boys' tent. "I need to change out the ones on your back."

Sakura huffed while Sanji lit up his cigarette. She was getting tired of all the attention that was being directed at her. She was tempted to hide her face in the cook's arm beside her to hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks were that heated. She was glad that at that moment, Vivi brought up their plans for the next day.

Chopper made his way to her in short time with a fresh roll of bandages in his arms. There wasn't much attention given to her afterward and even the man beside her kept his eyes away from her when Chopper had her raise her shirt. There was a slight tension in the air around her, but both her and the doctor ignored it. The crew continued to discuss the details of their plan, but Sakura kept her gaze on the fire in front of her.

Chopper stood behind her, unraveling the bandages around her torso as she held up her shirt to right underneath where her breasts would start. The soiled bandages fell down around her lap, catching her eye. In a few spots, she could make out the dingy color of pus, but luckily not of blood. In only a few minutes, the fresh bandages were tied around her with care, and she was allowed to pull her shirt back down.

Looking up, she caught the gaze of the straw hat wearing captain sitting across from the fire, smiling. That night, she slept in the girls' tent.

The next morning, they ate breakfast and as Sakura was quickly learning to become accustomed to, the group argued over the food and there not being enough. Naturally, with Luffy at the center of it. Sakura sat by the rambunctious males, not saying anything as Ace sat by himself on a pile of rocks on a slightly higher level. The pinkette thought about her circumstances and how long they had been walking in the desert. She was used to traveling and she was by no means a stranger to the desert, but it was just so exhausting! Not only that, but it was so boring! How could something be so boring and so exhausting at the same time?

The pinkette heard commotion and looked up to see Luffy running off and shouting something about talking meat. "Hah?" she mumbled and looked to the side to see Ace walk off to follow after his brother, though in a seemingly, slightly different direction. As if he could tell where the object of Luffy's attention had really run off to. Curious, Sakura stood from her spot and ignored her dirty dishes to see what the fire-user and rubber man could have been up to.

Climbing over rocks and kicking up sand as she ran, she was glad she didn't get lost chasing after the taller and faster man. She spotted him after a few moments standing on a boulder, looking down at something. With his back to her, she crawled up onto the boulder and dusted herself off with her hands. Walking toward him, she tilted her head curiously. "What are you doing, Ace-sama?"

Reaching his side, she looked down and spotted two, fearful, little boys cowering down in a small gap in the middle of a bunch of rocks. They were shaking with a gun being gripped in the bigger child's hands, his younger brother clutching onto his arm in his lap. Shock and horror overcame Sakura at the possibilities. Her eyes widened and she tilted her body slightly to the side, her hands hovering in front of her chest. "You're bullying these kids?!"

Ace scowled down at her, though there was no real heat behind his glare. "Why do you always assume that I'm up to no good?"

Sakura looked up at him, her posture relaxing and her hands lowering to her side. She smirked teasingly at him and snickered, "Hehe."

"I-I've never seen anyone so strong before!" the smaller of the two kids said while he quivered in his older brother's arms.

The pinkette and fire-user looked back at the children while Nami and Usopp climbed up onto the rocks behind the duo.

"Who're they?" the sniper asked.

The gun was dropped to the ground, forgotten by the older brother as he ran to the rock Ace and her stood on. She went unnoticed as the boy begged Ace to find someone for him, a pleading and desperate look in his eyes. Ace only hummed, prompting the boy to say that he will pay Ace a million berries should he catch the man they were searching for. Upon further begging and promises to pay the fire-user the money when the boy grew up, they were shown a picture of the man. An older man in a blue button-up shirt with black sunglasses, and a tattoo on his forehead of two hearts with an arrow going through them. The man had brown hair that was slicked back, a mustache, and a short goatee. In his grasp was a pickaxe while he grinned at the person taking the picture. Sakura assumed he was the boys' father.

Looking up and over at the tall man beside her, her gaze was calm and sure. Even though Ace had his dark brow furrowed and his lips set in a frown, there was no way he wouldn't help these kids out. She wouldn't have to worry about them.

With the rest of the group showing up behind them, that only left out the unruly captain. Sakura turned her head to the side, looking over the number of tall rocks lining the area. 'I wonder where Luffy-sama ran off to.' The man next to her caught her attention when he knelt down to take the photo from the kids for closer inspection, his bent knees bumping into her. The rock they were standing on wasn't that large or wide so in order not to fall off, the pinkette moved to a more comfortable spot. She stood on her tiptoes and sprawled herself over Ace's back. Her arms draped over his shoulders lazily and she rested her cheek on her own shoulder to look over more at the photo. The man looked like a farmer, but the children stated he was a bounty hunter from 'The Badlands' and that his name is 'Scorpion'.

How original.

"Why are you guys chasing a bounty hunter?" Nami asked.

The two brothers looked at each other, their brows furrowed in what appeared to be hesitation to tell more. "Well…"

"I have business with him, too." Ace spoke up.

Sakura tilted her head slightly and looked over at the fire-user's face as he continued to inspect the picture. "Ace-sama does?" What could the pirate have to do with a man claiming to be a bounty hunter when from the photo, it seemed that he was just a poor farmer?

"A man in Yuba defeated Blackbeard. His name was Scorpion." the fire-user added, his gaze never leaving the picture. "My reason for going to Yuba is to meet him."

Green eyes widened slightly. "Hehh?"

"Eh?! He defeated Blackbeard?!" the group questioned in shock and disbelief, everyone except Sakura. The ex-kunoichi knew this man hadn't defeated Blackbeard. Her lips pulled into a small frown as she looked over the side of Ace's face. 'Ace-sama…' His name flowed through her mind solemnly.

Sakura pretended to listen to the conversation about whether or not Scorpion actually defeated Blackbeard. Her gaze stayed on the ground ahead of her, her thoughts circling around the man she was leaning over. When she blinked, the bright image of fire burned through her eyelids. Closing her eyes, she felt something pull at the center of her chest, churning until it coiled up her throat with a burning sensation. Her lips parted, but nothing came out of her. Black coal and ashes scattered around her mind's eye, the fire melting the ground underneath her. The surface became hard and molten, cracks spreading outward from her feet and splitting the boulders surrounding her. Though logic told her she wasn't a fire-user, and that this situation should have her gasping for oxygen as the air carried the potent stench of burnt skin, she had faith she could live within this fiery world. That she was at the center of it.

All too soon, it was over as Ace stood up and she slid down to stand on the boulder of her own accord. Her eyes snapped open and glanced around her, still standing behind the male as he watched something in the distance. Sakura noticed instantly that what she had experienced for that one, split moment had only been her imagination and that everything around her played out as if nothing had transpired at all. She wondered if it was because she had been holding onto the fire-user that she had imagined such a scene. Although she couldn't recall if she had still been hugging him from behind in her vision or if he was even there at all.

She didn't dwell on it though, as the sounds of an animal getting closer to them was heard through the area. She watched as an ostrich decked out with a helmet and gear on its sides strolled up with two people on its back.

"There you are, Fire Fist Ace!" the man shouted.

Squinting slightly, Sakura zeroed her vision on a barely visible hat behind the man's shoulder. It was bright yellow with a red ribbon around it, and she smiled in amusement as she recognized it.

"I'm Scorpion! The indomitable hero! I've come from afar to challenge you! Let's fight, fair and square!"

"That's Scorpion?" Vivi asked nervously.

"Yo! Are you all here?" Luffy asked, leaning over from behind Scorpion to look at everyone with a bright smile.

"L-Luffy!" the crew yelled in a mixture of shock and anger.

"Wh-what are you doing there?!" Sanji yelled.

A spike of electricity shot through Sakura's spine, causing her to straighten and for her teeth to grit. The sudden shock made the hair on the back of her neck and arms rise in alarm. Narrowing her eyes and glancing slightly to the side, she looked out into the distance and tried to lock on to whatever was hiding out behind the rocky horizon. Her fingers twitched before her fists clenched at her sides.

She hadn't felt bloodlust that strong in years. The others hadn't reacted to its presence, not even Ace, who kept his attention on Scorpion. Whoever was hiding was skilled. They had only let out that tiny amount of intention before they hid it. Sakura might not have been as skilled in sensory as Ino, but she was still a master at it. She didn't need her chakra to detect signs like that. Was it intentional though? Were they targeting specifically her? Were they trying to lure her out?

Narrowing her eyes more, she slid off the rock and decided to use Ace's fight with Scorpion as a distraction to leave the group. She wasn't a fool though. She wasn't going to leave the group with a potential enemy snooping around by herself. Zoro was sitting on a boulder, watching the fight, and she stopped next to him.

"Zoro-san." she said loud enough only for him to hear.

He looked down at her and furrowed his brow at her serious expression. She tilted her head to the side in the direction she had sensed the bloodlust, a silent indicator to follow her. She turned forward and quickly walked away, not waiting for him to stand up. With a soft grunt, he pushed himself off the boulder and followed after her. It took a few moments, but they were behind the large structures behind the others.

Zoro caught up with her as she stood with her back to the rocks. They were hidden from the rest of the group and shadows were cast down from the boulders above them. He stood next to her with one eyebrow arched and the other furrowed. He was frowning and from her posture, he knew something was up. "What's going on?"

She leaned forward to check further down the area, her ears straining for any sort of movement. She didn't answer him back right away, instead focusing for anything out of the ordinary. Her eyes glanced carefully over the boulders on the ground and in any cracks in the walls surrounding them. She pushed herself lightly off the wall and started to walk forward cautiously. "We're being watched."

The swordsman tensed and his gaze hardened while he looked upward. "What?" he whispered, and he followed her. They walked past the rocky structures on the ground and his eyes looked over the walls surrounding them as well. He knew she was acting serious for a reason. It wasn't like her to just pull him away and not alert anyone else just for the hell of it. "When did you notice?"

"Just now." she replied and looked toward the other end of the rock structures, still not finding anything out of place. "I didn't see or hear them, but I felt their bloodlust."

She stopped and narrowed her eyes ahead of her at a specific boulder formation, three huge rocks that looked like they were collapsing against each other. Zoro, sensing the change, gripped the hilt of one of his swords. She pointed toward the rocks and without further prompt, the swordsman leapt toward them and with a flick of his wrist, a slash flew from his sword and cut the boulders clean in two.

His feet barely touched the ground before an average-sized scorpion crawled out from underneath the rubble and rushed toward Sakura. Her green eyes were locked on the black creature, and she swiftly grabbed the hilt of her own sword. She swung the blade out from the sheath and spun it upside-down. With a loud squelch, she stabbed the metal through the hard shell of the venomous creature. It twitched and let out little screeches of pain, its blood the color of char rolling down its sides and onto the sand underneath it. Zoro sheathed his sword and walked toward her, watching the scorpion curiously and cautiously.

Sakura pulled the blade out from the scorpion and wasn't surprised when black smoke began to rise out of the hole she made in its body. "So, they were using this to spy on us?"

"Couldn't be bothered to do it themselves?" Zoro frowned.

She returned her sword into its sheath as the scorpion breathed its last and collapsed onto the ground in a pile of blood. The last remnants of the black smoke left its body and dissipated into the air. "They're being cautious." she said.

"Let's get back to the others." the swordsman stated, walking up next to her and putting his hand on her shoulder in reassurance before walking past her.

Sakura nodded and hummed before following behind him, sparing one last glance at the scorpion and watched as it evaporated into the air. She narrowed her eyes at the spot it was once in and looked back ahead of her. "Thank you for coming with me."

"No problem." Zoro replied and they silently made their way toward the others where the fight was now over, and they were talking.

For some reason, Sakura hadn't had a single doubt in her mind that Zoro would have accompanied her without any explanation. She could sense a strong spirit inside him, with a deep loyalty and unwavering conviction. She couldn't recall when it was formed, but she felt there was an unspoken trust between them. As if she could call for him for anything and he would come running. Sakura smiled genuinely at the back of his head, warmth spreading through her chest, and she hoped she wasn't just imagining things. To have that sort of bond with someone… It filled her with longing and hope.

They made it back to the others without speaking of the incident. It was also unspoken between them that Sakura didn't want it getting out that they were being watched from an unknown perpetrator. She didn't want to cause anymore worry for the princess and it was already likely that it was connected to Crocodile. They took care of the medium used to watch them, but that wouldn't be the end of it. They would deal with it as it came. Without being told anything, Zoro was trusting her with this. How could he have that much faith in her?

They stood at the back of the others as Scorpion held his sobbing children amidst the wreckage of what had been an explosion and fallen debris. Sakura had heard it happen a few moments prior, but didn't pay it any heed, knowing that Ace was there, therefore there was no cause to worry. Zoro stood next to her, his hand resting comfortably on the hilt of one of his swords.

Scorpion and his sons calmed down enough to stand up and the boys wiped at their noses and sniffled while their father smiled at them. Ace and Luffy stood next to them, smiling. Sakura watched as Scorpion thanked them and he went on his way with his sons. Their group also walked off to the side and the pinkette was relieved when nobody seemed to notice her and Zoro's departure. Nobody brought it up, at least.

Sakura looked off into the distance and watched as the sun began to hang over the horizon, signaling night would soon befall them. The day had passed by quickly. The others gathered around each other and talked about being relieved that the Scorpion ordeal was over with while they all headed toward their campsite. The pinkette smiled over at Ace and said, "That's a relief." The fire-user looked over at her and hummed. "If Scorpion really had defeated Blackbeard, that would have invited a lot of trouble for him."

Ace nodded in agreement, "Now he won't have to spread that misinformation around and get himself into trouble."

"What will you do now, Ace-sama?" she asked.

"I'll be heading out now that my business here is done."

Sakura frowned in disappointment and turned her head forward toward the ground. "I see." she whispered.

They made it back to camp quickly and Ace grabbed his bag after putting on his cloak and scarf. Pulling it onto his back, he said "Well, then." He smiled back at them.

"Are you really leaving, Ace?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah." Ace replied, "Seeing as Blackbeard isn't in Alabasta, I have no reason to be here."

"Oh." Luffy said.

"Where will you go next?" Sanji asked.

"Scorpion says there's a man who saw him in the west." Ace said. He pulled out a piece of white parchment from his shorts' pocket and looked down at it. Sakura tilted her head upward slightly in recognition. "Guess I'll check it out." He tossed the piece of folded-up paper toward his brother. "Luffy."

Luffy caught the paper easily and lifted it up by his face to look at it. "Always hang on to that." Ace added.

Luffy had his head tilted in confusion. "Huh? It's just a scrap of paper."

"That scrap of paper will bring you and me together again sometime." Ace explained.

Sakura frowned and furrowed her brow as she eyed the paper in Luffy's possession. Jealousy coursed through her veins and though she tried to squash it, it was too powerful. She shouldn't have been jealous of this simple act, considering they were brothers after all, but she supposed she was just petty in that way…

Luffy unfolded the piece of paper and hummed.

"You don't want it?" Ace asked.

"No, I'll keep it." Luffy replied.

Ace closed his eyes with a smile. "It's natural for a big brother to worry about his bungling kid brother. He might be a bit much for you to handle but take good care of 'im." He bowed to the ground in respect.

"Huh?" Luffy questioned in response.

Sakura looked away, unable to keep her disappointment and sadness off her features. It didn't go unnoticed, however.

"What's with the long face, Sakura?"

The pinkette shyly looked up at the fire-user in front of the group. She grabbed her elbow and frowned at him. "It's nothing." He raised a dark eyebrow in question at her. She looked away again, suddenly feeling ashamed. "It's just…" Her green eyes looked back up at him. "You've never given me part of your Vivre card before."

"Vivre card?" Nami questioned.

Ace blinked at her in astonishment before closing his eyes in a chuckle. Sakura scowled slightly and turned her head away, crossing her arms over her stomach in embarrassment. "Are you jealous that I gave Luffy one?"

"Not at all." she quipped.

"Sakura, you don't need one of these."

A jab of betrayal struck her so strongly she felt it in her fingers. She furrowed her brow and fought back the sudden sting of tears. She lowered her clenched hands by her sides and scowled at the fire-user, ignoring his soft smile. "How am I supposed to know how you're doing then? How am I supposed to find you if I need you?" She hoped the pain she felt didn't show through her voice, but she was sure that it had. She couldn't help it though. Was she the only one that felt they were close? No. There was no way. Surely, he felt just as strongly about her. So why then?

Ace walked toward her with that same smile, the one that was reserved only for her. It was soft and a gentle fire warmed his eyes as he gazed down at her. "You don't need a piece of paper, Sakura." he said sweetly and leaning forward, he placed the tips of his index and middle fingers against her chest over her heart. Their eyes gazed into each other's and all the negative emotions she felt stirring inside of her began to melt away at the adoration showing through his dark eyes. "You can feel me in here."

Sakura was silently surprised by his remark, and it washed over her, the depth of his statement. He wasn't only saying she could feel him, how he was doing, if he was alright, or where he was at, he was also saying he knew she could. Whether it was true or not wasn't the important part. With his fingers on her heart, it was gesturing toward a love for him that transcended normal bounds and that he knew it to be true. Sakura's cheeks erupted in a red blush that spread to her ears.

Ace's smile deepened and he pulled his hand back while he straightened. Luffy was smiling next to them, along with the other Straw Hats, minus Sanji, who had a jealous frown on his lips. Sakura had her brow furrowed and was still frowning, but she was no longer upset. Embarrassment swept through her as she listened to her heart pound in her ears. It wouldn't have been so bad if she thought he were joking even in the slightest, but she knew when he was being earnest.

From the distance, Scorpion called out to them again to wave their goodbyes and all but Sakura and Ace turned their heads to look back at them. Ace continued to smile softly down at her and turned with a wink before disappearing in a flicker of fire. The heat from the small flame brushed her cheek, rivaling the temperature of her blush. The others turned back, only to see he had vanished in that split moment. Still, Sakura stood there with her face aflame, and her hands clenched at her sides. Damn, that man.

~SCENE CHANGE~

Sakura looked back and frowned when she could no longer see Luffy, Zoro, or Chopper following them. They had been left behind when Luffy went on a rampage caused by hallucinations. She felt sorry for Chopper more than anyone else. The poor guy was covered in fur, suffering the most in this desert, and now he had to take a major detour just because their captain couldn't ration his water supply and grew too heated.

"There's some shade up ahead." Nami sighed, exhaustion in her voice. Sakura looked forward and saw they were approaching some ruins.

"Finally." Usopp groaned.

In less than ten minutes, they reached the ruins and without missing a beat, Usopp collapsed in the shade of the broken walls. "I'm exhausted!" Nami said, "Let's take a short break!"

"Hai, Nami-san!" Sanji swooned.

Usopp made some sort of groaning, gurgling noise in agreement, even though he had collapsed before any of them. "C'mon! You're pathetic!" Nami criticized.

Sakura walked off a little ways from the group, climbing over tiny slopes and debris to get a better look over the ruins.

"Easy for you to say! You rode Lashes! We gotta walk the whole way!" Usopp complained.

"Thanks, Lashes!" Nami rubbed the camel, smiling. The camel let out an amused snicker in return.

About thirty or so feet away from the group, Sakura climbed up onto a broken wall onto a higher level of the ruins. The ground was still made up of dirt. All the flooring, if there had been any, was nowhere to be seen.

"Vivi?" Nami called out in slight concern.

Vivi had her head facing downward in worry. "Will Luffy-san and the others know where to find us?"

"I think they'll be fine." Nami replied, "We're on top of a hill. It stood out clearly, even from far away."

"I hope so."

Sakura had made her way up to an even higher level of the ruins, directly above where the others were resting in the shade. She looked over the broken walls, now only about a foot in height from where she was standing. She knelt down to place her fingers against the worn stone as she heard Sanji knock his knuckles against the same wall feet below her. A piece crumbled off underneath the force and she heard him make a surprised noise.

"Say. How much further to Yuba?" Nami asked, pulling at the neckline of her robe.

Vivi looked back at them, "Seeing as we made it to these ruins, we should be there by night if we continue walking."

Nami was relieved as she said, "Close, at last…"

Sanji leaned back to look at Vivi from over Nami's shoulder. "Oh? So these are ruins?"

Vivi smiled back at him. "Yes. I believe they're from quite an old era."

Sakura walked along the wall next to her, the height ranging from one foot to taller than her from where the sand dipped down to expose more of the wall. She touched a pillar as she passed it, feeling the ridges and dips from the craftsmanship and where the rocks were piled on top of each other to form the structure.

"Civilizations first began here thousands of years ago." Vivi continued.

The pinkette stopped in her tracks and gazed down at a pillar that was broken and had fallen over. She looked down at was unmistakably written runes on the edge of where the pillar was broken. The edges were so jagged, it was hard to tell where the writing began or what it was used for. There was no denying it to her trained eye, though. The writing was for a jutsu. What shinobi runes were doing inside of a pillar in Alabasta though, she didn't know. Also, according to what Vivi just said, these ruins were thousands of years old.

"Many kingdoms have risen and fallen." Vivi added.

Interesting. She would have to file this away for further investigation.

"Resettlement in search of water, the occasional war… Ruins of such things remain all throughout this land."

Sakura walked back to the edge of the wall where she could look down at the others as Vivi said, "Many are full of mystery." Wasn't that the truth?

Sanji sat down against the wall with a cigarette in his mouth while saying, "And time flowed on, leading to the Alabasta dynasty of today? That's an epic story. A prosperous kingdom, destined to disappear… It's almost romantic."

Nami turned a scowl back at him, "Sanji-kun!"

Sanji covered his mouth in shock and regret. He smiled sheepishly over at Vivi, sweating nervously, and held up his hand. "Sorry, Vivi-chan! I didn't mean it like that! It was just, you know, a figure of speech…"

Sakura frowned down at Sanji from above. 'Smooth.'

"It's all right." Vivi said and Sakura looked over at her. "I've often felt the same way as of late. Just what is a country? Even if the ruler of a land changes, its people will keep on living. Culture, lifestyle… If those stay the same even when a country changes, I wonder if it's really necessary to struggle to protect the country. Certainly, there are other things that need protecting. Ever since the sand pirates and the town with the fake rebel soldiers, I've been thinking that way a lot." She smiled weakly back at them, "I'm sorry! That's just me being strange!" She tilted her head and closed her eyes while still smiling. "I haven't found the answers either!"

"That's not true." Sakura said and the others looked around for her.

Sanji looked directly above him to see her standing calmly and looking at Vivi. "Ah, Sakura-chan, when did you get up there?"

She ignored him as she kept her eyes on the princess. "You have to be the one to struggle to protect this country."

"Sakura?" Nami voiced, her brow furrowed.

"A country doesn't necessarily need a king, but it does need a ruler. People need someone they can look toward in a time of crisis. They look toward their king for support. It's only when they realize that they can't depend on their ruler for guidance that they turn to themselves."

Vivi frowned and furrowed her brow, looking down at the ground. "But it isn't the hierarchy, government, or royal family that makes a kingdom. It's the people." The princess looked back up at the pinkette with a weak expression. Sakura continued, her voice and posture calm and sure. "Like you said, even if everything changes, the people will continue to live on. How or when that change comes isn't your concern. As princess of this country, your one and only job is to serve your people. Nothing else matters."

The group stared up at her in astonishment, but the first to recover was Vivi. The blue-haired woman smiled briefly before she hardened her expression and nodded. "You're right. I know what we have to do now." She turned around and looked off into the distance with a determined expression. "I won't let Crocodile have his way with this land." She turned back toward the pinkette with a sincere smile. "Thank you, Sakura."

The ex-kunoichi smiled before she jumped off the side of the wall. Vivi gasped out of concern, but the other members watched in silent admiration. Sakura landed effortlessly in front of Sanji. She had anticipated a clear landing but wasn't expecting to be wrapped up in a pair of arms from behind. Her eyes widened as she felt the cook hug her from behind, pull her body back against his as he knelt up, and his cheek nuzzle into the side of her head. She blinked wide-eyed in surprise as he cooed, "Ohh, Sakura-chan! That was such a cool thing to say!"

Sakura's eyes were still as wide as an owl's and her mouth was in the shape of a tiny triangle as her brain continued to short-circuit until it ultimately decided to shut down. Sanji only cooed and rubbed his cheek against her for a moment longer before he was struck on the top of his head by Nami. "Stop that!" she snapped.

Sanji groaned in pain and loosened his grip on the pinkette, pulling his head away from hers. On autopilot, Sakura tiptoed away and stood to the side behind Vivi. She looked over the side of the princess and stared at the cook with the same wide-eyed expression with her mouth parted. Nami was standing over him with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face, scolding him. Sanji rubbed at his head, smiling sheepishly with his eyes closed.

The fuck just happened?

"Well…" Usopp grunted as he began to push himself up to stand. "We should get going."

"Usopp-san, are you alright?" Vivi asked, concern in her voice.

Usopp stood with wobbly legs, but he tried to cover his fatigue with a confident smile. "I'm fine. I'm brimming with energy."

"Liar." Sanji frowned at him.

Nami smiled over at Vivi, "Let's get going."

Vivi frowned and looked off to the side. "But what about Luffy-san and the others?"

Nami reassured the princess while Sakura collected her composure and looked up toward the top of the ruins, where she had been standing before. She thought about the pillar with the shinobi markings written on them. What were they for? How old were they? They looked like they went further into the pillar. She wished that she could stay longer to investigate. She had the thought to ask Vivi about them, but from the sounds of it, the princess didn't have much information about the old ruins. She would definitely keep it in mind.

As far as she knew, the hole in the barrier was small, not many knew about it, and it hadn't been there for very long. However, there was evidence in these ruins that shinobi had been to this country thousands of years ago. What were they doing here? How did they get here?

"Sakura." Nami called out and the pinkette looked ahead of her to see the others standing and looking back at her, waiting for her to follow them. "Let's get going."

Sakura nodded and jogged forward to catch up to them. Her eyes widened when she glanced at Sanji standing to the side and smiling at her. She instantly made a beeline to the other side of the group and hid beside Vivi. Sanji deflated in return and was met with a warning scowl from the navigator. "Keep it in check." she whispered.

"I know." he sighed, "I'm trying my hardest."

Sakura blinked curiously over at them and narrowed her eyes suspiciously when Usopp smiled nervously at her with his eyes closed. He turned his head forward and let out an exhausted sigh. She had the feeling she had just missed something, and that feeling was only reassured when the trio made a point of not looking at her and dropping the issue. Huffing, she turned her head forward and decided to let it go. It probably wasn't important.

After a while of walking, Nami and Vivi opted to hop onto Lashes' back. Vivi asked her if she wanted to ride as well, but Sakura declined the offer. "Are you sure? You've been walking this entire time."

"I'm fine." Sakura smiled up at her.

"Alright." the princess replied, "But please don't hesitate to join us."

"Un." Sakura hummed to reassure her. Truth be told, Sakura was getting exhausted, but she didn't want to call it quits just yet. She walked a few yards away from the camel, in between Sanji and Usopp, who was slowly falling behind. He was leaning on a tall, walking stick and gasping for breath.

Eventually the sun began to sink, and the sky was lit up with crimson. The atmosphere was beginning to drop in temperature, but the red hue in the sky was the perfect embodiment of the sand having caught fire. The heat didn't bother Sakura though, and she watched as she caught sand in between her toes. She kicked it up with her bandaged feet, the only barrier she had between her skin and the hot surface. The only exception being her heels and toes. The tiny speckles tickled her exposed skin, and she hummed a soft melody while smiling. Entertaining herself was the only thing keeping her from yelling out in boredom.

Sanji stopped to look back at them. "Usopp. You're falling behind."

Sakura continued to kick up sand as she walked forward, not bothering to stop as she passed the cook. Some got on top of his shoes, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead, he was smirking back at the lagging sniper. "What happened to showing how gutsy you are?"

Usopp let out a pathetic, tired noise, "I-I only said that out of spirit…"

Vivi and Nami were looking back at them with frowns. "Hang in there!" Nami encouraged, "Just a little further!"

Sakura dismissed the group and continued to walk while the others waited for Usopp to catch up. She walked a little ways in front of them, still humming an unknown tune to herself. She vaguely listened to Nami and Vivi talking, still thinking about the ruins from earlier and the shinobi writing. She was lost in so much thought, that she was only brought out of it when Luffy and his two companions finally caught up to them, yelling at them from a hill over in the distance. She smiled as they slid down the hill to rejoin their group and without missing a beat, Luffy was scolded by Nami and Zoro complained about having to go fetch him.

The sun was setting more over the horizon as they all continued to trudge through the desert. Usopp was barely standing, leaning on a tall walking stick and looking just about ready to drop. "Hey, Luffy…" he grunted, "What did your brother give you?"

"I dunno." Luffy replied, looking down at the piece of paper in his hand. "It's just a scrap of paper."

"Just a scrap of paper?" Chopper asked from behind Luffy.

"Lemme see that." Sanji took it from Luffy's hand to look at it. He turned and held it up to the sun to catch the light through the piece of paper. "It really is just a scrap of paper. It's not even a note or anything."

Nami looked back at them, "Sakura, didn't you call it something before?" The pinkette turned her gaze to the redhead as she made her way toward the cook from Zoro's side. "What was it again?"

Sakura stopped next to Sanji's side and held up her hand toward him. "It's a Vivre card."

Sanji lowered the paper down and placed it into her expecting hand. "Vivre card?"

Sakura lowered the paper to her chest, looking down at it and holding it with a firm, yet gentle grasp. "It's very important." She walked to Luffy and held it back out for him to take. "It works as a compass but will only guide you to the person it belongs to. In this case, Ace-sama."

"Hehh?" Luffy let out and he took the paper back, inspecting it closer. Nami walked up to Luffy and offered to sow it onto the band of his hat and the captain handed it over without hesitation. Sanji looked down at Sakura with an inquisitive look.

"You sure know a lot, Sakura-chan."

She looked up at him with a small blush at the compliment, though she schooled her expression to be nonchalant. The pink tint to her cheeks could be blamed on the heat. "Perks of traveling across the Grand Line." At his smile, she remembered earlier that day and blinked at him owlishly. She took a sidestep away from him and looked away, grabbing her elbow. He smiled sheepishly with his eyes closed, sweat rolling down the side of his cheek.

Nami was able to sow the parchment on the inside of the ribbon in a matter of minutes and handed the hat back to its owner. Luffy took his hat with a smile. "Thanks! Now I don't have to worry!"

"What are those things made out of?" Zoro asked.

"Fingernails." Sakura informed, looking at him with a deadpan expression. The group stared at her in stunned and confused silence.

~END OF CHAPTER SEVEN~

Thank you for reading this far. Please review and look forward to the next chapter!