Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Encounter

He was a warrior on a hunt while she was a damsel on a run.

It all started in a daze. She felt someone pursuing her a moment until she was caught up in the web of the dense forest, lost deep into the heart of it the more she tried to search for an exit. The sun was setting faster than she had keep track of, adding in the tension in her heart. Sakura then stopped by a tree. A hand rested on the bark of the tree while huffing for air after hours of running and escaping.

Tears threatened to spill from the lids of her eyes but she wiped it away stubbornly, refusing to give up her attempt just yet. She wanted to shout out for her friends so badly, in hope of reaching out for them but was refrained from doing so. Sakura might attract unwanted attention from her assailant whom had an upper-hand of understanding the maze of the forest more than she did.

‘Why?’ her mind rang through her head like a chant. ‘Why me?’

Sakura was on her weekly visit to the outskirts of the forest to pick on some herbs when she saw glimpses of dark silhouette approaching her. At first she thought it to be one of her friends until the glint of weapon caught the corner of her eyes. That was when she had started running away. She was alone that morning despite her blonde best friend, Ino’s, advice of searching for the required herbs together. Sakura simply brush it off since the girl was held busy with her own things just for a company. Hence, she ended up sneaking away from Ino, alone.

For the time being, she felt regret to have been here at the first place. If only she could shed off her stubbornness and hear out Ino even for once, things wouldn’t turn out to be such a disaster. Well, she’s not giving up any sooner but the deep hue of orange that paints the sky drown her determination away within seconds.

Suddenly, Sakura heard a loud grunt not far from her position. She crouched down on her knees to hide behind a bush, not minding her now torn-hem of dress. Nothing beats surviving now. Clashes of metal resonated the thin air, sending chills down her spine instantly. As the sound went closer, she spotted two figures, battling. Two men clad in black were glaring off each other as their swords continue to penetrate through the other’s defence. One had his face hidden under a mask while the other wasn’t. What caught her attention the most was the pair of crimson eyes that were focused on his opponent, as if reading his every move.

Those eyes then met hers, making the girl startle despite their distance. As if it was some kind of warning, she felt a swift object moved across her, missing her head only in mere inches in the process. She glanced up only to see it was an arrow aimed at her from the trees. She watched closely as the tip of the arrow melted along with the thick bark. Poison. Another figure in dark stared down at her from the trees. There’s no mistaking it. He caught up with her again in their little fatal game of tag since hours ago.
In the midst of the sound of clashing of swords, Sakura risked herself being spotted by the other two potential enemy in order to hide away from the archer above her. It was one of those do or die time. Sakura ran aimlessly forward only to be stopped at her tips as an overlooking cliff displayed before her. She was about to run towards the other direction when the archer landed in front of her, pulling a long sword. Speaking of masks, the archer was wearing a similar one too.

Her mind had dawned that the archer wasn’t alone as another masked-figure emerged from the shadows. Like a cornered mice, she stepped backwards slowly, one step and another closer to the shaky cliff. Her breath hitched every time she inhaled, eyes brimmed with tears of despair. Hands clutched on her stomach as the cold breeze blew behind her, her pink tresses blew across her pale face.

Both men stopped proceeding when they’re just a few feet away from Sakura while the girl only had a few centimetres until the eternal drop. Her emerald eyes looked at them cautiously, awaiting for their next move.

“Your choice, to surrender and come with us or walk off the cliff by yourself.” The archer spoke, his eyes sparked with cruelty.

Sakura furrowed her brows in deep thoughts. She couldn’t fathom the reason behind all this, what more their need of capturing her alive. She didn’t worth anything as far as she could think of.

“Or we’ll take you away eventually.” The other one taunted.

Her voice betrayed her or maybe the fact that her mind was too loaded with thoughts that it had failed to even mutter a word. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips, hand still clutched to herself tightly.

‘This is it. The end of my tale, my life.’ Her thoughts whispered in a ghostly tone. She has come to a decision that will benefit all. Save herself from being a tool to claim ransom from her friends and family and also to avoid herself from being forced to betray her own kingdom in the case where these masked men were the minions of the enemy kingdom. Yes, this is indeed the best decision she could came out for now.

Gulping hard, she took a large daring step backwards which had startled those men. They passed themselves a knowing look before dashing towards her. She quickened her steps backwards in a futile attempt to throw herself off the cliff and away from those filthy hands that reached out for her.

In just a blink of an eye, an arrow penetrated the archer from behind. Hence, sending him down before he could reach Sakura. The other was startled by that act as he turned back and fought another man. Awe-struck, Sakura recognised her saviour to be the man with crimson eyes earlier. There was something about his look that had carved in her mind even if she had just seen him twice today. And those two moments were a close call to her life.

She tiptoed forward to walk away from the cliff. Unfortunately, the impact from the fight between the two caused the cliff to crumble beneath Sakura’s feet. She managed a forward jump and caught an iron-grip upon the sharp rocky edge with only her right hand. A loud grunt was sounded from the dangling damsel in distress. As much as she hated that idea, she was pretty much literally in distress.

Her grip loosened drastically as gravity takes over her weight that will send her down into those rocks below. She reached for the edge with her other hand, trying to climb up by herself but the pieces on her right hand started to crumble into dust like the ones earlier. Without warning, her right hand dangled beside her helplessly. Her nails were bleeding but that was the least of her concern.

As much as she wanted to grip on the edge with both her hands, the other was still in pain. She was left with nothing but to depend on her left one as her life was bound to it. But it too crushed under pressure and she fell.

Shock overwhelmed her being as she shifted from a free fall and stopped drastically when a pair of strong hands grabbed hers. She looked up with wide eyes as the said saviour pulled her up into solid ground. Sakura landed atop of him wordlessly, still too shocked and dazed to speak. She observed at the onyx orbs that were flashing crimson before. It was the same pair of eyes and yet it held so many unspoken words at different times.

“Stop trying to endanger your own life.” His baritone voice shook Sakura off her train of thoughts as she blinked away harshly.

Finally realising their position, Sakura got up immediately, muttering apologies along with it. “Thank you. For saving my life.” She said in a low voice.

“Hn.”

The two looked around, both looking out for different things. He suspected the surrounding to ensure safety while Sakura kept on staring at the two corpses that littered around them. The other that fought with him earlier might be as good as dead too. Being the medic she was, Sakura observed the man before him. Listing one after another wounds on his limbs and body. What caught her attention the most was his left hand.

“You’re poisoned!” she exclaimed as she shifted to sit next to him. The tips of his fingers were bleeding blue and cold as ice. “Two hours since contact. Do you feel anything?” Her confidence caused him to stare at her before shaking his head slightly.

“You’re a medic, aren’t you?” she glanced up at him and nodded.

She suspected his arm carefully to find the source of poison and found one at the lower arm in the form of sword-cut wound. Pulling off the ribbon that held her hair in place, she started to tie it tightly on his upper arm.

“I need a knife.” Sasuke stared at her for a while before passing her his sword only see her cringe. “Um, something smaller?”

Much to her annoyance, he smirked before reaching out for a dagger from the side of his boots. Sighing, Sakura reached out gladly and started to cut the tip of his fingers to release the poison through the flow of blood. Reaching from a pouch at the back of her waist, she pulled out an ointment and started to brush lightly upon it. Sakura kept a wary eye on him as she continued to treat his wound.

“It’s alright to grunt if you’re in pain.” She stated matter-of-factly, keeping herself from giggling at him for resisting the pain.

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Hn.”

Sakura continued to tend his wounds wordlessly, not realising that the warrior himself kept on staring at her. She caught him by her glances awkwardly before she has the urge to break the thickening silence.

“I’m Sakura.” She introduced in hope of starting a conversation.

“Sasuke.” he replied with his usual cool façade. “You don’t simply introduce yourself so easily to strangers.”

Sakura furrowed her brows. “You might be a stranger to me but you’re my saviour, too. So, why can’t we just acknowledge one another?”

There was a short silence between the two. “Because I am the first person you should avoid.” He looked right at her. “Especially someone from the enemy kingdom.”

She understood it immediately, the conflict between the kingdoms of Senju and Uchiha that goes for ages. So, it seemed that Sasuke had noticed where she was from.

Sakura smiled a little. “So, you’re indeed from Uchiha then. Should’ve notice the hilt of your sword and armour.” She shook her head a little. “Still, you’re just another person who needs to be treated from poison immediately.”

“I mean it. You shouldn’t meet me here.” He pointed out further.

She huffed a sigh. “At least let me try my best to heal these wounds before chasing me away, Sasuke. Just take it as my way of gratitude.” She flashed him a smile before turning back to another slashed-wound on the other side of his arm. His name came out easily from her.

“I am corrupted soul, Sa-ku-ra.” He warned, causing a pair of emerald eyes to meet his onyx ones.

She nodded tentatively with a sigh. “Deep inside everyone’s hearts, there lay a restless demon whom waits patiently for the right time to strike at your most vulnerable points in your life. I, myself, included. I don’t think one should judge you based on that.”

Sasuke stared off for a while, a part of him was awed by what Sakura had just stated. A small smile graced his lips. That’s a first for a mere stranger to say something like that towards him along his seventeen years of age. Sakura took the silence as a chance to glance up at him only to be astonished by his rare smile in which made her heart skip a beat in return.

He looked at her, with a more relaxed expression. “Nothing ever drives you away even with me being the soul of all evil, does it?”

“Nope.” She answered spontaneously with an innocent smile.

“You’re annoying.”

She only hummed in response with a tinge of satisfaction.

The two walked in the dark towards the outskirts of the forest in means of sending Sakura off, with Sasuke leading the way. She noted that he knew the forest well and seemed to have a good sight judging by him not tripping over branches from time to time like she did. Sasuke would pull her by the arm to keep her from falling. At intervals of time, Sakura would discern the similar crimson glow from his eyes.

They continued to walk in silence when the sound of footsteps approached their hearing. In a quick movement, Sasuke pulled Sakura into hiding behind one of the trees. Peeking sideways, they saw fire torches not far away. Suspense arose until familiar faces greeted Sakura’s sight.

“Sakura!” a deep voice called and she immediately turned to Sasuke who stared back at her in confusion.

“They’re here for me. You better go now.” Sakura stated.

He hesitated for a while. “Are you sure?”

Sakura nodded with a beam. “Thank you. I had no idea how I could survive all that if you hadn’t showed up.”

Their small parting conversation was cut short when another voice calling out for Sakura draws closer. Sasuke suddenly knocked her shoulder hard, render Sakura unconscious. He laid her down with her back against the tree, ensuring her search party to find her.

Sasuke then leant to her ear and whispered. “Thank you, Sakura.”

He stared at her serene features for awhile before disappearing into the woods.

Sakura grunted awake, noticing the blonde next to her. It was Ino.

“Where did you wander off to?” she exclaimed angrily at her, blue eyes flashed with deep concern. Sakura smiled in return. “We were worried sick for the whole day!”

“The usual. I’m sorry.” Sakura’s voice sounded hoarse. “How did I end up here?”

“Naruto found you by a tree. Thankfully you’re alright.” The blonde grasped both her hands tightly. Sakura nodded. “Were you attacked?”

She pondered a while before answering it with a quick nod, earning a wide-eyed Ino. “But I’m alright now.”

Ino heaved a relieved sigh as Sakura smiled in assurance. Her mind was hazy but a part of her kept on wandering back to the incident. She was puzzled by Sasuke’s act but then she figured that he couldn’t risk himself being exposed.

‘Thank you.’ Sakura closed her eyes as those words chimed in her head. His voice sounded crystal clear.

Sakura heaved a deep sigh, no matter how corrupted he is, Sasuke was always her saviour.

Chapter Text

Storm

The moment his hopes had vanished, she stepped in with new ones. 

The rain continues to pour, playing an endless rhythm of water droplets against the deserted earth below. It felt like just a few days ago where the summer heat dried off the river, breaking its steady cascade that serves as one of the hidden nature beauty. It felt like an eternity since everything seemed so warm and welcoming. But those summer days were long gone.

The lively nature was now concealed in a wet and dull mask instead. Dark shadows towering every corner of the forest, casting a haunted perspective to any passer-by. Trees and plants were drown by the unlimited water supply since the storm evaded the once clear blue sky. Animals had scattered far from normal vision, all trying to escape from the short-lived bliss of rain while searching for scarce food. Though all that can’t seem to cease the tensed rivalry between the two known kingdoms even a bit.

Nothing will ever stop them from clashing, came a lingering thought. She kept an upward gaze upon the dark sky with a visible frown on her lips. Sakura went into the woods alone in search of herbal leaves only to have returned with nothing at all. Searching for it alone was hard and with such a disaster of a weather, it just made her hunt impossible.

War was declared since a few months prior. Not that it came unexpected, but Sakura hated that it had to happen anyway. She experienced war once when she was just an innocent child and that had carved its way into her young mind as trauma where she was so close into being dragged into death’s own hands. It happened a long time ago, but that dark memory ceased to be forgotten. Sometimes creeping its way into her sleep, arousing a series of nightmares.

As for the moment now, she had to witness another unfold and the aftermath of it. Sakura was appointed to assist the wounded near the battleground. Her family and friends were reluctant about it, knowing well how unsettled her heart and soul are when it comes to the current matter but her persistence had cleared up their unspoken doubts. For the past three years, Sakura has been training under her kingdom’s greatest medic, Lady Tsunade herself. She aced the skill, impressing the mentor herself. Hence, she dedicated her ability to help out as much as she could.

Not at a moment too far, lightning strikes as thunder breaks away her reverie. She jumped a little by the violent sound but heaved a sigh after that. Sakura studied the sky once more for assurance. It was still surrounded by dark clouds even though dawn draws near. It looks like the storm had just gotten worse since she entered the forest a few hours ago. Sakura will need to haste her steps in order to get back before anyone else had noticed that she’s gone.

Nimbly, she dodged through the thick extruded roots that formed natural traps. Her hand holds an empty basket steadily while navigating herself through the path she remembers by heart. Another memory slips through her as she walked amidst of the rain. The forest.

It suddenly felt surreal again. The adrenaline that pumped in her, the strong breeze from the cliff, as much as the terror that bleeds in her being every second she lingered deeper into the forest. Every possible hope was crushed to bits whenever the sight of a masked man approaches her. Hopelessness was an understatement, she could feel fear grasping her life instead.

Until he came.

Sakura stopped at her tracks, a small smile played upon her lips. Feeling grateful that she still owns her life up until now. Curiosity does peaks in her whenever her thoughts settled upon the raven warrior. How it was fate instead of what she had claimed at first, pure luck. And how their encounter turned out to be a forbidden one, a secret she kept by herself for eternity.

If only things were different.

In the midst of the clash between power and pride, lives are sacrificed each and every moment for the former’s cause. Sakura could almost feel the sheer pain of every patient she came across. No one deserves to be placed under constant danger like them, nor the need to defeat one another just for a thing called rivalry. There will be reasons thrown back at her whenever she voiced up her thoughts but it takes none older than a child to understand that all these are not necessary for whatever the reason may be. But again, she is no one to even try to clear up the misunderstandings between the kingdoms of Senju and Uchiha.

Unknowingly, Sakura stepped into a puddle, causing a loud splash. She cringed at her own carelessness. Attracting attention was the furthest thing she wanted right now and yet she allowed her mind to be distracted by the unnecessary need of flashbacks and personal thoughts. She heaved an irritated sigh as she stepped away from it, her boots now soaking wet by the clear liquid.

Sakura crouched down to inspect them and that was when cold fear runs in her system. It wasn’t just rain water that tainted her boots. In the break of dawn light, she gasped at the sight of the blood-mixed puddle. As if to prove her suspicion, voices filled the air.

“Find him. Dead or alive.” Demanded one cruelly.

Sakura furrowed her brows at those words. She peeks through the bushes as silently as possible, trying to make out who those men were. Terror struck again as she recognised their uniforms. Uchiha’s men. If she was to be found near them, not to mention overheard their small talk, death surely awaits. But another possibility came to her mind. Judging by the way those words were directed towards the man in-search, Sakura’s hunch would be the latter being one of Senju’s man.

Letting go of the bush, she bit her lower lip in deep thought. Her eyes wandered randomly back to the puddle. There was someone out there being hunted down by those cruel beings and she happened to stumble upon them. Without much of a thought, Sakura made up her mind. She will search for him before they did, hoping that she could somehow help him.

Sakura followed the trail of blood, moving stealthily behind the shadows. A while later, she stopped at the sight of a tree. A suspicious shadow stood underneath it.

Fisting her hand, Sakura tried to overcome her growing fear as she draws nearer to the resting figure. She came as close as she could before crouching on her knees before him. His face was hidden beneath soaked raven locks, still no movement. When Sakura tries to approach him by the shoulder, she was stopped abruptly by an aimed dagger against her neck.

The medic was about to release a loud gasp but her mind was still intact of trying to stay undetected by those assassins. Familiar red eyes flashed wildly at emerald ones, a clear warning to back off. No words were exchanged until both pairs of eyes settled with the slightest recognition from Sasuke and a wide-eyed Sakura.

“What are you doing here?” his voice felt like sheer ice, colder than the raging storm they were in.

Wordlessly, Sakura pushed his hand away. A slight cut was revealed from the weapon. “I could’ve asked the same thing to you.” She pointed the fact that they’re nearer to her kingdom instead of his, unlike their first encounter. Her eyes trailed off to the bloodstained ground near him. “You need help.”

“I’m fine by my own.” His voice sounded deeper than before.

Sakura let out a sigh as she studied him. The same man that had saved her life three years ago was right before her and he looks broken. The thought alone had caused an unfathomable feeling to rise in Sakura, leading to confusion by her own heart before she focused back at him.

“You are severely injured.” She dead-panned, eyes still looking at the wounds on both his legs. “I stumbled upon a puddle of blood if you’re wondering why I’m here at the first place.” True words resurfaced from her temporarily blank mind upon their small confrontation.

She was about to continue when Sasuke pulled her to his side suddenly, causing Sakura to almost yelped in surprise as she faced him. A series of heavy footsteps echoed through the woods, closing to the duo’s range. The two in return, even their breaths to keep out of their hearing. Once those footsteps were out of earshot, Sasuke heaved a short sigh of relief.

“Why were they hunting you down? I thought you were comrades.” Sakura said in a relatively low voice, earning a look from Sasuke.

He scoffed in return. “There’s a thing called betrayal.”

Sasuke expected more questions from the medic, only to meet with an understanding gaze from her.

Deciding not to push any further on the topic, Sakura stopped her queries. “We better find us a place to hide.”

“Us?” he asked with a tinge of shock lacing his voice.

Sakura inched back a little to cast him a look. “That or I’ll be captured along with you. And,” she gazed skyward with a sigh. “I don’t think staying in the middle of a storm helps to make things better.”

Without waiting for a reply from the warrior, Sakura slung one of his arms over her shoulders to help him stand. He grunted as he stood up, the pain from his leg weakens him immediately but she supported him from falling. As much as Sasuke was reluctant of being aided, there are not much choices left.

His eyes fell upon focused green ones, ensuring his steps were steady. A part of him were actually grateful to have stumbled upon help when he’s in one of his miserable moments. Not to mention being a vulnerable warrior right now.

Some things happen for a greater reason to come, were the wise words from his elder brother whenever he had decided to give up back when they were kids. And it was those words that had forged himself into what he is today, a warrior that holds the fate of a kingdom. But he is far from that now.

The unsettling feeling of surrender rose up in him, again. Sasuke suddenly felt disgusted of himself for still possessing such flaws after all these years. There were no wise words to pull him away from his personal depths of despair.

Instead he was saved by a stranger that mysteriously understands him.

The wooden door creaks open with a small push from Sakura. The sky had lighten up a little since their run. Just sufficient to look at their surroundings, but not enough for those men to spot them right away. Sasuke inspected every inch of what looked like an abandoned house. The wooden wall was old and worn as the door itself, though its construction still stands firm in a storm like this.

“It will hold long enough.” Sakura spoke out as if reading his mind.

Deeming no response from the latter, she simply brushed it off as being heard despite the loud beats of raindrops on the roof as well as the howls of wind through the broken slits of walls and windows. Sakura moved around to get medical supplies before concentrating on Sasuke’s injuries.

Before she could ask, Sasuke took a hidden dagger from his boots and cut off the fabric from his knees, revealing a long deep wound causing the medic to gasp a little. Her eyes felt on Sasuke.

She took a deep breath and pulled up her hair into a high ponytail before proceeding into removing the small scraps of metal that were still pierced on his leg. With skilful hands, she reached for a scalpel to start only to stop abruptly. A pair of onyx eyes looked back in question.

“This may hurt. And I meant really hurt.” Emerald eyes flashed with determination and concern.

Sasuke nodded, gesturing her to proceed, fast.

As each pieces of metal is taken out, Sakura would glance over at Sasuke. He tried to hold in the grunt as low as possible while the medic could only watch him in agony as she works her hands expertly over what she figured to be a post-explosion wound. Those metals must have been the pieces from the explosion and Sasuke happen to be nearby, by the looks of it.

“Finally.” Sakura panted a bit after removing a total of seven metal bits from his right leg and a few others from the left.

Sakura went on to cleaning and treating the area with the bandage that remained unclaimed in the house. She cast another look at Sasuke only to see him deep in slumber. Beads of sweat layered his pale face as his head leant against the wall. He was injured while being chased down by a group of betrayers away from safety, his own kingdom. One small mistake and his life will slip through his hands.

That somehow had rang a bell in her mind. How it resembled to the one before. The only differences being Sasuke being hunted instead of her. A bittersweet smile played across her lips as she stared at the sleeping figure. She admitted that she did wished to see him again after their unexpected encounter in the forest. And she did get what she wanted now, though she’s far from relief. Sakura never wished for a meeting like this.

She bit her lower lip in a deep thought, eyes still staring at him. He has changed, perhaps for the better. Though her intuition kept on telling that it was otherwise, that his life was just as complicated as hers. Shaking her head to rid of what had come across her mind, she finished bandaging his leg.

“Done.” She whispered to herself with a smile.

Be it their encounter this time meant to be pleasant or not, she still has her chance of coming across him.

“Thank you, Sakura.” Came a faint reply, shaking away Sakura’s attention.

She beamed at the small reply.

Sakura sat restlessly beside the door. Hugging her knees tightly, her eyes trained on every rain drop that fell to the muddy ground while her mind wandered elsewhere. Her family and friends must have been worried sick by her long absence. It felt like hours, maybe longer, since she settled at her spot. Sometimes, she will check on Sasuke’s condition to ensure that he was not infected by the massive wound.

The girl rocked herself in a slow rhythm as her mind dig deep into thoughts regarding Sasuke. Tonnes of questions piled atop of another with no real answers. And all of a sudden it, all those pieces fit together perfectly.

Those men that pursued her before had their masks on. Sakura’s brows furrowed as she tries to think back of the men from earlier today. They do not wear masks but what made her think twice about it was the symbols on their weapons, gleaming dangerously under her sight. Their armours resembled that of the Uchiha’s kingdom, hence misled Sakura into thinking they were on the same side.

She could sense a big conspiracy going on within the walls of the latter’s kingdom, corruption. And Sakura came too close for a mere stranger when it comes to this, especially from a rivalling kingdom. Trying to unravel it any deeper will bring harm to herself, along with those around her. Not to mention the possibility of coming in contact with a disaster in disguise. If she was to find out any more regarding this matter, she might be considered a threat to the Uchiha. And of course, another war.

Sakura closed her eyes and listened to the soothing sound of rain, trying to lose herself with the storm outside rather than the one that erupted in her heart. One after another came.

Opening her eyes, she finally noticed the clearer weather. The rain dispersed and the rainstorms were completely gone. It had finally stopped. The storm that raged for some time had finally came to an end. She took a peek outside at the sky, the grey clouds were replaced by white ones now.

Looks can be deceiving, Sakura reminded herself with a smirk. Deep down, she still feels restless.

Everything looks calmer now but that never meant it was the end show from the ugly side of things. The worse is yet to come and she knows well to be prepared for it. How this weather had hold the exact resemblance to her imperfect world right now almost made her smirk wider.

Wars are like storms. Violent and destructive, wrecking everything that was on its way without a sense of humanity. There will be a ceasefire after that, only to start a worse one later. If it hadn’t for her loved ones by her side, she would have given up her life to this endless cycle of storms. But no, she shouldn’t give up just yet.

The sound of creaks made her turn towards his direction immediately. Sasuke managed to sit right up by himself as the two exchanged silent glances.

“Feeling better?” she asked, her attention shifted from him and back to the view.

“Hn.” Came a one-word reply that made Sakura smiled a little.

“The storm is clearing up.” She trailed off. “We better head off now.” Sakura then flashed him a small smile.

Even without hearing her true words, Sasuke knew that something was troubling her. The way her eyes averted when she smiles and how she stared off after that just confirms his guess further. But in a war-torn world that they were born into, it was only normal. Peace was just a far-fetched dream.

They were supposed to be mortal enemies, despising one another just by glimpses. But instead they opposed all those unwritten laws and made their own, a contradiction to the former. That thought alone caused a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips.

He silently agrees. It was time for him to make his move if he was to sneak his way back without those culprits noticing.

Revenge is a must in Sasuke’s mind as his eyes flashed crimson.

Silence settled the two as Sasuke and Sakura came to a stop by a tree. From the corner of her eyes, she caught the sight of a rotten part of its bark, marking an eternal sign.

Sakura opened her mouth only to close again as she hesitated her words. “Be safe.” She finalised.

“Hn.” The reply somehow sounded longer than usual.

Sasuke then turned his back, walking towards the opposite direction with Sakura turning to the other way. Deep inside, she felt a mix of emotions but placed both her hands across her heart. She should brush aside all those thoughts and feelings and just savour the moment where she had met and helped him even with the littlest things she was capable of, despite the tensed-relationship they should have due to the brewing war.

Because for that brief moment, they were standing at the eye of the storm before being dragged into another that may tear everything apart. Just by the look of it, another fateful encounter is just another impossibility with the battles and wars ongoing.

Perhaps it was better if they never meet again after today.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Sakura halted her steps, her eyes widen momentarily. She felt an urge to glance back but refrained herself for the sake of an unspoken agreement of parting ways. A genuine smile made its way upon her lips for the first time that day. The carefree feeling in her was back after its long absence.

Maybe she was wrong about leaving everything behind without sparing a chance of referring back to it. Fate could always prove her wrong when the time comes.

Little did she know, her smile was accompanied by a smirk from Sasuke. Perhaps they will meet again another time.

At the eye of the storm.

Chapter Text

Captured

And suddenly, the nightmares that kept on haunting her were back in cruel reality. Purposing her death the moment it was relived from distant memory.

A soft breeze blew the lingering heat off the still air. It was somewhere near afternoon as far as she could recall, being occupied by continuous supply of errands that was nowhere near done since she stepped foot upon the military camp months ago. She couldn’t remember a moment like this, where she could just sit back and inhale a deep breath of unreleased exhaustion burdened by responsibility that she had willingly accepted. Other than the radiating heat wave going throughout the country, it was a rather pleasant afternoon.

The sky was cloudless that day, emphasising the summer heat that had limited almost everything in process. Not far from her, Sakura could see some patrol guards sitting by a shady tree, seeking refuge of the unforgiving heat. It had only been a short period of one month since they had resituated the base and Sakura finds this place to be as hot as what the rumours heard before. Though she would never complain as long as she was able to lend a hand to those who needed. Again she was around the camp to treat the wounded victims or soldiers from small riots of the villages not far.

It was located at the crossroads of three countries, Senju, Uchiha and the land of sand, Suna. The latter played no part in supporting nor opposing both the former countries but maintain a diplomatic relationship mostly with Senju, hence making Suna their dependable alliance. As much as it brings a peace-like security to everyone, none could stay unguarded since the other country, Uchiha was involved as well. Without anyone spelling it out, the attacks that came from Uchiha as a way of trying to breach into Senju in order to provoke yet another war, was enough to confirm Sakura’s logic much to her distaste.

She couldn’t find a way in her heart to spare the said country as her age matures. There were simply too much of an aftermath for both ways’ good and she had witnessed enough lost for the past six months of serving as a camp medic. Much to her chagrin, everything seemed to have worsen as another war takes place. Countless warriors and innocents were sacrificed in its wake, too much to even bear a possible peace in the future. It had seemed that the future was simply too far to be reached despite the efforts Senju had put into trying to avoid any possible war. And since that only came from one side of two warring countries, it never worked out.

Judging by Sakura’s own eyes, things could be worse if the attack continues frequently. It wears out patience as much as faith in everyone as how they had put it into words during the short meeting yesterday. She hated it but she could tell that the soldiers were itching to play offense, leaving the idea of peaceful defence at the far back of their mind. Of course she couldn’t say anything last night and Naruto ended up dismissing the meeting earlier than supposed, probably noticing Sakura’s utter discomfort. Not to mention the fact that Naruto himself supported the idea of working out a diplomatic exchange with the said country for the better of both despite being born in the midst of the war like Sakura, a war orphan since he first opened his eyes to the world.

Heaving a long shaky breath, Sakura closed her eyes for a brief moment in an attempt of chasing those unwanted thoughts away even if it worked for a short fleeting moments, she appreciated it nonetheless. At times, she yearned for a quick escape from the place she stands even if her position as a medic meant little to the country’s warring system. She’s just too exhausted to face all these again.

“Faith,” she whispered to herself, casting a longing glance towards a faraway kingdom.

Mind buried back to the memory she still holds dear without much of an effort, the stranger that saved her life and vice versa a few years prior. The fact that he came from the rivalling country. She couldn’t spot the hateful reality in him no matter how long she had tried to reason herself. Even for the fact that he could be a top warrior with vengeful skills of killing whomever interfering his way just like back when they had met for the first time and those crimson eyes that were filled with hatred.

Sakura might not know him but she could tell that he might different from her own interpretation of the Uchiha citizen. Might. ‘Might’ is simply a word too strong to be sure of and Sakura knew the effects of having such a thought. It was as if falling prey for a white lie when the latter is a true murderer only to notice after being hunt down by the latter. And guilt that comes right after.

Having these second thoughts didn’t settle well in Sakura and that would be the perfect reason for her to get back to her unending works. With a heavy sigh, she turned her gaze to the opposite way and walked without casting another glance back to whatever she had in mind, wanting to leave the thoughts as they were forever.

“And that marks the last patient for my shift.” Sakura noted to herself as the faded white blinds was pulled down.

Her hands were tainted by a mixture of ointments and dried blood. Nothing big or serious, much to her relief. Washing her hands, she scanned the room for any sign of patient needing her help. It was less crowded as days passed but the number is still at a depressing state, a total of thirty patients since a week ago. There were kids too among them and it simply drowns Sakura in a heartfelt way at each state. They were simply too young and innocent to even try to live in situations as bad as this.

She shook her head. Well at least she tried to make a difference to these people by releasing their pain-stress. At times like these, she hoped that the short-lived ceasefire would extend just a little longer for them to heal completely before moving to another temporary haven to shelter their families. Again, she was stuck by the silly idea of hope.

Sakura hated war. But realisation quickly dawned in her that war was inevitable. The blood and sacrifices made in order to defend the country is just a small bargain upon a bigger picture, to conquer the entire land until there is no more. There was no escape to this and she came to understand it now.

“Sakura,” her reverie stopped shortly by a gentle tap on her shoulder. It was Naruto and his presence alone aroused a series of questions in her head. “It’s late and you should be getting enough rest.” Her childhood friend’s voice sounded hoarse, both from commanding orders and exhaustion that takes toll on everyone.

She smirked at him. “Says the one whom does the same routine.”

The latter walked to the wall and leant against it. “I’m getting restless. It’s impossible to sleep when I’m restless.” Sakura smiled in acknowledgement at his deadpan statement.

At least there was someone out there whom understands her state of mind. And knowing that the said person is Naruto, she was flooded with relief of being able to speak her truest thoughts right now. Especially when less ears walked around to note discomfort or possible spies. Not that she has been overthinking towards the new faces around, but simply taking a cautious measure.

As the two walked out of the infirmary tent, they were greeted by the sudden coldness of the night breeze, as if suiting the theme of their current conversation and their strained-friendship.

“Do spill your thoughts.” Sakura encouraged.

Naruto was a man of words back then, stating almost anything that comes to his mind which draws a tinge of annoyance towards Sakura though it now became the quality that she appreciates most now. She had to admit that they used to be so close that there were no secrets kept between them. As times wears out, more things were sealed away in their deep mind but not without another noticing their attempts, but nothing can be done about it. How two close friends had become estranged as they grow, it all felt like a distant memory now even when their ages are still nothing but young.

Sakura smiled at the thought, how things has changed. How she missed those simple days that were long gone. She felt guilty somehow, knowing that she had hid important things from him now. Even if it was something that almost calls for her life. The encounter that went unknown even by those close to her. Sakura was confused by her own thoughts now. Did she not trust them, her own family, enough to hear her out? Situations change, but feelings rarely fades.

“Things might take a worse turn after this.” He noted grimly, earning a stare from Sakura.

The medic somehow noticed things that remained the same amidst of the fast-pacing world. Like how Naruto hated war then and judging by the reluctance in his voice, he still feels the same way. Everyone might have mistaken that voice as a command from a respectful leader such as the crown prince himself, but it takes Sakura almost effortlessly to note the discomfort that he tries to bury deep in his heart. And for once, she was glad that they still shared the same thought even after walking through paths that parts from the other without their realisation.

“I know.” She tried to steel her voice, as much as her swaying feelings. A forced smile made its way to her lips, catching Naruto’s peripheral view causing the latter to be caught in a mixture of emotions.

The Sakura he knew never agreed to his words. Be it true or not, the girl back then would just find her own way to oppose him. At times she would be the one whom inspires him during his weakest and to be able to stand tall for this long, Sakura played a major part in it without the girl realising it. And seeing her broken-state simply takes it by his heart entirely, engulfed by the clouds of emotion in his already loaded mind at the moment. Sakura has carved a rather deep impression in him and it took no stranger to know his feelings towards her, though she insisted that it was just the familial connection they have.

“Hey,” he nudged the dazed medic. “Have faith.” He offered her his signature grin and was quickly replied by a smaller but genuine smile from Sakura.

The two started to descend downhill to another alleyway linking to a flowing river, the main water supply for the camp. The sound of river gushing was nearing as the two engaged in a light conversation only to make the two stop short at their tracks. There was a commotion. Passing each other a knowing look, they blend in with the tall dark shadows to further investigate the unusual noise that came from the river bank.

“Hurry before the fire spreads!” a voice hollered, shaking Sakura by surprise.

She craned her neck in the dark and made out the said sight, a part of the main tent has been burnt to the ground as the soldiers panicking to and fro the river in an attempt of putting out the fire. Her eyes searched for the general in-charge only to notice the said person missing in action.

‘That was strange.’ Her brows furrowed instantly as Naruto approaches her from behind.

“No one was around to guide and guard them. What’s happening?” the last question sounded heavy with double meanings. This could mean another declaration of war, a planned sabotage.

“At this rate, anyone could breach in the line of defence. And I meant anyone from inside and out.” Sakura analysed. Her eyes went wild in search of a possible solution for the pre-disaster they are now facing. “I’ll inform the others.” She dashed out of the shadows only to be pulled by the arm by Naruto.

“Wait. That will be too dangerous. The enemy might already be-”

“And that is why I need to move out quickly, to warn them about what is to come before it’s too late. Naruto, I’m no longer the girl whom yearns for protection nor can I stay in the protection circle of the others. They need me in return, especially at times like this and there is no way I will back out from this battle.” Her eyes shone in pure determination that had caused Naruto to naturally let go.

He smiled bitter-sweetly. “But be careful, Sakura.” He squeezed her arm in assurance.

“You can count on me.” She replied hastily.

And just like that, she left.

Sakura was astounded by her sight the moment she sneaked into her comrades’ tents. There was no sign of them waking to the commotion, as if their senses had been blocked by total obliviousness. There was a sudden chill down her spine as the worst case-scenario played in her mind. She almost ran up to each of them to check on their vital signs, trying to assure herself that they are indeed alive to which she heaved a shaky sigh of relief, unshed tears welling her eyes.

“They’re alive. They’re just asleep.” She whispered to herself to calm her nerves, now busying herself checking each and every one. But none bothered to budge even a bit upon her touch.

In a haste, she went to Ino’s bed, shaking the girl awake only to fail shortly. Her mind spun in deep thoughts, trying to make sense of the situation amidst of the growing commotion. If they continue to stay unconscious, the next thing will get them all murdered in their sleep and Sakura tries her best to push the dreaded thought away.

Pacing back and forth for a few seconds, a thought popped up. “Drugged.”

Sakura went to the bedside counter, inspecting the glasses that littered on each counter. A sharp smell pierced Sakura’s sense, clicking another thought in place, confirming her inspection. There are betrayers laying around the camp, playing pretend.

‘Ointments.’

She told herself, stating the obvious way to wake them from their unwanted slumber only to remember that she was not equipped with medical supplies at the moment and the infirmary was a good walk away, not enough time to spare for that.

The next thing she rummage through was Ino’s bag. Being a fellow medic in-charge, she was always equipped with medical supplies and luckily she found some. She exhaled in short relief.

Rubbing the medical ointment near her head and nose, the blonde stirred. “Hm?” was the only reply she came up, rather groggily.

“Ino, open your eyes. It’s an emergency.” Sakura shook her by the shoulder in which succeeded in making the girl wide awake.

“What happened?” her voice was still thick with sleep.

“We might be under attack. The tents near the borders are set on fire. Naruto’s on the case now and we, on the other hand, need to wake them up.” She sensed Ino’s confusion over the matter. “All of you are drugged to sleep and the ointment is only enough for you hence we’ll need to find another substitution for the medicine which I’m still working on-”

“Sakura, calm down!” Ino burst, standing up and tying her hair in a ponytail. “Nervousness will get you nowhere, so stay calm. You perfectly knew the substitute for it. A simple one, indeed.” She smiled and walked over to a pail of cold water.

Only then Sakura’s face brightens up. “Cold water.” The medic scolded herself internally.

Having cold water splashed in each and every one in their faces, plus the sharp shouts from the two had all up and in full alert-mode. Ino helped Sakura in explaining the current situation to the others and some even had left to aid Naruto. Though only Ino stayed behind when the others had regrouped.

“What’s next?” the blonde asked readily.

Sakura peered outside the tent and towards the infirmary. “I’ll go and evacuate the injured.”

“I’ll come with you.”

Sakura nodded and the two went straight out of the tent, both not forgetting to retrieve their weapon of choice in hand before hiding it away from the public. When drastic measure calls, they will resist it and give out their best. They might be medic but they too, will post danger to the unlucky crossovers.

Sakura and Ino managed to evacuate all the injured in record time, right before an expected ambush to happen any passing minute. Sakura noted that they were simply lucky that there were a few that had stayed behind to help aiding the group to a better shelter. She rounded from tent to tent in order to ensure that everyone has escaped the soon-to-be battleground, savouring every remnants of medical supplies she spotted. All and every bit of it is needed to cure the patients especially when another wave of battle is approaching.

The camp supplies started to run low, but that was the least of her concern at the moment. As long as they could make it onto the end of whatever storm that is to come, they could bust out a way to overcome the lack of supplies. They must.

Sakura sighed out of frustration and rush. Her hands reached up to her face to brush away the loose fringes of hair as she checked the first-aid kit in the other hand only to meet with the total absence of poison-curing ointments. Her brows furrowed as she stooped underneath the bed in hope of finding those, though failed miserably. It was just a day ago when she had replaced the empty bottles with freshly made ones and it felt as if they had vanished through thin air.

“Sakura? Is everything alright?” Ino entered the tent and walked towards the other girl.

Still dumb-founded, Sakura stood up and dismissed the topic in mind. “Yeah, all fine here. Have you gathered the medical supplies from the other tents?”

“About that, not much left.” Sakura turned to the blonde whom looked as confused as herself.

Though the conversation was forced to cut short by a series of loud shouts not far. In a brief moment, the two sprinted out of the tent and trailed the injured, guarding them until they were safe from sight, moving stealthily under the shadows to mask their appearances. Sakura’s eyes does not linger upon a place too long, almost skimming through everything they stalked into. To have served alongside the military camp had heightened both her offensive and defensive skills though none are put to a test, yet.

A creeping shadow caught her swift eyes. Sensing that something went amiss, she followed the figure to the burnt-down site.

“All done.” The figure approached a masked-man that seemed to be morphed out of the wilderness, too sudden and out of nowhere. “The others are unconscious as well.”

The masked-man nodded in approval. Sakura shifted to another spot to gain a better view of the betrayer. And she had to bit her lip in utter distaste the moment she recognised the face as one of the victims of the attack before, falling prey to a rather complicated mix of poison in his system though survived anyway. To think that Sakura spent days and nights to come up with the cure that he now passed to the masked-stranger. A spy without anyone noticing.

“Surrender!” a familiar voice shouted, causing Sakura to take a peek again. It was Neji.

The two strangers flinched at the voice as they started running to which Sakura pursued in the dark, focussing more on the mysterious man rather than the betrayer. The others will find a way to capture and interrogate him later and that is for sure. Right now she needs to make sure of the identity of the man.

Her eyes were fixed behind the man as her feet brought her closer to the said figure, a dagger readied in her hand. The figure threw a few glances towards the girl and raised his hand in the air, waving somehow. Before anything could make sense to Sakura, an arrow dived pass Sakura’s leg, injuring it enough to make her fall behind. Rolling in the dirt, her mind spun as fast as her momentum before her head smashed upon a large boulder.

Without seeing her forehead, she could feel the blood already dripping along her hair. Sakura tried to get up only to have her neck pinned down by a long sword, catching her breathless over the fall. There were about six men surrounding her, an ambush and she was alone. It took her endless disasters to remind herself that she does not belong to the woods though she was stubborn enough to go through it one after another. The tip of the sword dig deeper into the skin and Sakura can only wait for the kill to be done. Hers.

“Don’t kill her!” The seemingly leader commanded. “There is no order of wanting her dead, hence there is no use of her by then. Too precious to be killed.” A sickening laugh fills the air and Sakura forced herself to shut her eyes in pain from the sword-inflicted wound on her legs.

As much as she wanted to demand for one particular question in her mind, the growing pain from the wound spreads almost too quickly for her to cope. Hence shutting away her voice and thoughts, slowly making way to her breath too. In just mere moments, she was gasping for air. Hands clawing over the dirt in an attempt to regain consciousness as well as more air into herself though it worsens.

The conversation that comes later came unheard as her eyes blurred. It felt as if the world is shutting her down in a slow yet painful burden to her senses. And suddenly, the nightmares that kept on haunting her were back in cruel reality. Purposing her death the moment it was relived from distant memory but much worse this time and she would rather surrender to the cause rather than letting herself to fall into the wrong hands, what more of being tortured for information later on.

As her senses came to be useless, the cloudy view before her came to yet another change. The last thing that registers in her mind was a pair of crimson eyes and the strong breeze that followed. Whatever or whoever that might come to her aid, she was sure that it was not her comrades nor enemy.

And with that, she hoped her life to end as her eyes blinked in finality.

Chapter Text

Fallen

And just like that, she watched as her identity slips away right before her eyes, she was no one but a ghost of the past.

The first thing she could muster was the throbbing head followed by the flashes of memory that went senseless to her. The overwhelming pieces quickly suffocates her already weak state as the matter made it much worse.

Sakura tried to open her eyes but to no avail as the darkness continues to loom her mind. She kept on struggling to escape from being trapped in between a bleak memory and the need to see the real light out there. It felt like an eternity since her first attempt, though none of them succeeded. The need to give up simply calls her again, just like the maleficent laughter and the blade that yearns for her life back then.

She tried to control her fast beatings of heart by inhaling deeply but that somehow brought a choking effect to her lungs. Not ready to surrender to her inner struggle just yet, she attempted to force her eyes open. The curiosity in her started to spark, though smaller than before. Her eyes managed to break into a small slit only to shut again due to the piercing light. Feeling the pressure lowers, she opened her eyes again in a successful blink.

The next one had her trying to move her limbs though all burned in pain, causing the girl to hiss. Lifting her head in trial, she fell back on the thin mattress underneath her. Sakura tried to recall each injury she felt and one by one, those memories morphed into a bigger and better picture in her head. There was no part of her that could function well except for her concussion-like brain and her arms.

‘From the fall and the boulder.’ She recalled as she reached up to her head, fully bandaged now. ‘The poisonous arrow.’ She moved her legs in unison though it barely budged.

Being as stubborn as ever, she pushed her limits into sitting herself up despite the strong protests of her still-healing head. She can’t surrender to the pain forever nor can she give up ever so easily. Blinking her eyes to get a clearer view, her sight can’t seem to spot any further than the side counter that was littered by medical supplies. None she can’t recognise but she chose to ignore them.

Sakura was here due to a reckless pursue. She was here to be used for whatever dreaded reasons there were to come. And she was here too, due to the captivity of the unknown group of betrayers. Her mind grinded out all the possibilities though it only resulted into one. It was unmistakably the culprits of the Uchiha, sent to their base as spies and to stir out troubles and Sakura hated the fact that she could overlook such things. Sometimes, her cautious and precise analysis fails her to the extent of the aftermath affecting those around her with such great danger and she could not forgive herself for that small but gravely mistake. She couldn’t care less of her own life given the choice of ensuring the others were alright. But who is she to question their safety when she herself had fallen for such a simple trap, not to mention being captured alive into the enemy’s territory. When the drastic measure calls once again, she would never let herself being used by the enemy to gain any information to betray her country. 

The moment the double doors flung open, Sakura’s eyes became extremely cautious of the shadows that entered the room. A girl with bright red hair walked in first, followed by a taller figure not far behind her. Sakura’s hand fisted upon the mattress sheets as familiarity washes over her consciousness. It was none other than the prince himself, Sasuke Uchiha. His presence simply meant disaster to Sakura as her worst nightmare was confirmed into reality. She was indeed taken into the enemy’s den and to make the matter much worse, she was unarmed down to her agile thoughts. The pursuit had really taken its toll on her.

There was nothing left in her mind at the meantime, no ideas on how to outsmart her enemies into escapade. She was simply too deep into their compound to be able to bust out a way towards safety. She could feel her composure slipping away as fear completely takes over her head now. Whatever these people had in mind, it does not take a genius to figure out that it was nothing but danger.

Going with brutality was out of the option since she could be easily outnumbered despite only two people in front of her. More might be standing right outside, waiting for the right moment to strike. And another point where the other person was the best fighter in battlefield according to what she had heard from her comrades back then. Sakura doesn’t need a solid evidence to prove the prince’s abilities for she had watched him in action a few years ago. The time spent after that would only mean that the latter had trained to be better than the best.

Hence, this leads to another hunch. Sakura was sent to the infirmary instead of the dungeon the second she was caught. And if there is one thing for sure, no host will hold their prisoner away from torturous purposes in order to obtain secret information. Hence being detained in the enemy’s territory is the worst case scenario for everyone that understands warfare too well. But in stark contrast, Sakura was let to heal instead of suffer. It could only meant that the Uchiha will be expecting something from her though she wasn’t sure of what. These set up could be a playout of a mind game too, because it was always more than meets the eye.

Failing to figure out their purposes, she could only try to play along to whatever games they set. In order to understand them better, it is always better to keep your enemies close. Take the right steps, and one will be spared a life.

The two continue to walk towards her, eyes stayed still on her and as intense as Sakura’s. Though the Senju medic easily ignored the other stranger and focused more on the one and only acquaintance she could possibly had in the land that hates her for the blood that flows in her. Not-breaking eye contact, the two continued to trap themselves in a non-verbal exchange of thoughts, as if able to hear each other out without the help of words. Plus, Sakura was much in a devastated state to actually pop out a straight-out question to a possible murderer of hers like in most cases. She does not see the need to communicate to the two in order to learn the disaster that landed upon her despite the fact that trying to remember back those memories hurt her head severely each time. Though the stubborn part of her would rather experience the latter rather than the other.

The sudden sound of throat-clearing disrupts the intense eye-conversation the two was in as Sasuke turned to the window whereas Sakura’s glare shifted towards Karin, which caused the latter to fidget a little from it. Sakura could sense the anxiousness from Karin’s side in which she could understand it really well as she was feeling the same way. The difference would be that she was masking her fear with hatred in order to look intimidating despite being trapped in a weak state.

Karin cleared her throat once more. “Has the pain subsided?” she cast a quick glance from the wooden clipboard and back at Sakura though was replied with a short moment of silence.

“I don’t suppose one will ask that question when he was the one that tried to kill me.” She scoffed, looking elsewhere despite the highlight in her statement leads to the Uchiha prince right across the room.

Feeling her patience being challenged, Karin adjusted her glasses with a visible scowl. “Incase you are missing the point here, we are kind enough to spare you off any interrogations.” She ended with a loud huff.

Kind. That word alone had Sakura almost smirked due to its thick sarcasm. There is no need for anyone to remind her that she, of all people, do not rely on kindness for the sake of her life especially when that intention came rolling out of your enemy’s lips.

“You could’ve been tortured if it wasn’t for the prince’s words.” Karin leant closer to intimidate, though Sakura remained calm.

“Why?” she stood by herself and gave the other medic a steely gaze.

Sasuke could hear out each and every word clearly from the other side of the room, as much as the small gestures the two showed due to great contradictions. The last statement got the prince’s full attention by surprise, causing him to turn away from the window view and towards the two.

As expected, he knew of her despite only met her for a few moments back. Her bright mind and undivided kindness towards any stranger such as him during the worst case scenario possible. Though the latter part could be hardly seen and that reminds Sasuke of how time and cruel reality could harden someone to the core. Sakura was not an exception. She too was just another young but worn out soul due to the never-ending war their countries had brought upon.

A small part of him had actually thought of bringing an end into it while he could but stubbornness had him fight for what he think is right towards an ending he desired. That small part of him was easily pushed to the darkest corner of his mind every time he had came to think about it, like now. Sakura somehow triggered that in him and there he was again, coming up with another way to shut away that thought all at once. Through direct confrontation.

He paced closer to her bed with the patient purposely ignoring his nearing presence not until he was close enough. “You will benefit us in terms of medical.” Comes a truthful fact that Karin couldn’t deny.

“And what makes you think that I’ll help? I’d rather die.” Her words affect him as much as any poison does. And the stare she gave him, if her looks are meant to kill like his, they would have engaged in a heated up battle right now.

Sensing his rage, his eyes turned into a dangerous mixture of crimson, one that Sakura had witnessed and was currently terrifying Karin. But Sakura managed to harden up her stand and appear cold.

“That will not happen.” He answered in full confidence and started to head towards the door. “You were already dead to them.”

With a powerful stride, he exited the room leaving the doors close with a loud bang.

The day she felt herself completely healed, despite the constant hateful glares from the medics, Sakura had decided to seclude herself from the prying eyes of the guards. She knew of their commands all too well; to keep an eye of the prisoner and not to let her escape. But sneaking away from them was an easy task for her.

Without much of a notice, her feet had dragged her all the way down the empty hallway and to an open-air balcony overlooking the villages outside the castle gates. The flickering torch and the distinctive chatters could be heard despite being miles away from the place. It almost feels peaceful somehow, almost. Sakura was not even close to a place that holds such meaning. Being trapped or rather captured in the den of the enemy instead. Her eyes went beyond the borders, she could almost imagine the routines that run every night just to keep intruders away from Senju. Just like any other day when she was with them.

Her country, her safe haven and yet it felt as if those memories were so far away. It feels like the hope she usually carries around had left her being the moment she was dragged into this cursed country. She felt betrayed by that feeling somehow, but there was nothing she can do to return that.

Sakura’s eyes flickered around at the quiet surrounding, completely free from any unwanted attention. A perfect escape had passed through her train of thoughts over and over again, but the aftermath that comes if she is to be caught red-handed was simply unbearable. As much as she wanted to step out of the place she hates from the bottom of her heart, she has to act smart enough to keep herself alive. There was a moment not too long ago when she was first awakened from her unconsciousness where ending her life seemed to be a temptation to solve the problem foremost. She was enraged at herself for producing such a timid and meaningless way of thinking. As long as there was the slightest hope of returning to Senju, she would risk it.

Distant moving lights caught her eyes next, causing the girl to lean against the metal rail and stare. It was the floating lanterns released by where Sakura had hunched to be the heart of Senju. Its yellowish light was unmistakable, she noted further. The reason behind that became the main question in her head. That was until a larger one was released, the emblem imprinted on it was clear enough for anybody to acknowledge it.

‘You were already dead to them.’

His words looped in her mind, causing the girl to connect the points all too well. The floating lanterns were meant for the deceased. In this case, for the deceased her. A hand went up to her lips as the emblem became clearer to her eyes, getting blurry by seconds as tears started to fill. Sakura felt herself trembling next, still trying to conceal the urge to let her wavering emotions free.

Reaching her limit, she cupped both her hands on her face and started sobbing silently. The gut-wrenching pain was no match for the pain that she received from her attackers. She was broken by the thought of her loved ones all weeping upon their loss of her, being constantly engaged by the worried thoughts only to know that she was gone from the world for good. Her parents and friends, both she treasured with all her might. How badly she wants to break free from this place and run right back at them, to hug her father and mother tight and assured them that she was alright. But of course, that idea alone had served just as a faraway dream of hers.

Her knees weaken next, causing the girl to crouch. Wrapping herself to her knees, she cried her heart out to every concern that passed her mind to each and every one that plays an important part in her life.

And just like that, she watched as her identity slips away right before her eyes, she was no one but a ghost of the past.

The sound of trotting heavy boots that comes next did not escape her hearing but she could not care less of being caught, for now that her ultimate weakness took over the moment she learned the truth behind the prince’s words. Those footsteps then falters away as if retreating. The smallest part of her mind was puzzled by what she heard but chose to ignore the details. It was one of those times where she stopped being cautious and decided to face whatever consequences there is that waits for her. Leaving her life in the hands of what fate has prepared for her without a fight. 

Hours passed since she stopped her mental breakdown as the night gets older. Sakura was still staring across the wide grass field that stretches to the border, mind void of thoughts nor emotion. Whatever plan that goes on in her head had all vanished completely. She felt empty as if her soul had indeed left her. So does all the traits that she possess, from being sensitive down to determination.

Deciding to return to her chambers, she did not bother to look sideways when entering the hallway. Eyes casted downwards since she walked out the balcony, completely oblivious of another pair of eyes that looked out for her since she got there.

Emerging from the shadows was the prince, leaning lazily against the cold stone-wall.

His sight stills at the figure of the broken girl before him. Gone were the courageous girl that saved his life once during a dreaded storm. While a part of him wanted to bring back that side of her, another piles up regrets upon his harsh words after witnessing her broken state. No matter how cold her endeavour had came to, there was still a part of her that looks up to a bright possibility and Sasuke was there to make things worse.

If reality could do any more good to him, the truth behind the scenario would be revealed with time to the girl.

Ruffling his hair out of annoyance, he continues to stare at her weak saunters until she was out of sight.

Chapter Text

Gone

Gone were the days well spent with her loved ones, gone were the identity she concealed in order to survive. 

It was somewhere in the morning when Sasuke sauntered through the empty castle hallways. Silence echoed through the walls, jerking up uneasiness in him all of a sudden. The sun has yet risen from the dark horizon, leaving the already deserted West wing to appear colder than the haunted tales that was passed across the kingdom for generations.

The tale has it that the castle hides a monster that awaits for the right moment to be unleashed, in the case where wars were ever on their odds. The warrior smirked a little, a hand brushed through the dusted doorknob that he had remembered too well, his old room. It was all due to their family’s ability that had almost everyone cowering in fear; possessing the eyes that could see all.

He played the role of the monster this time, long enough to keep everyone away. Hence the tale circulated on Sasuke himself, a cursed prince who grew up isolated by his people and later stepped into the military force. Possessing natural skills that rivalled any ruthless warrior of that age. There hasn’t been a battle lost since then, safe for the one time his life was threatened a few years ago.

Shaking off the heavy sense of nostalgia, his eyes caught sight of another spacious room at the far corner. He walked towards it almost absent-mindedly and pushed the door open with a loud creak, awakening mice. His eyes scanned through the dark, remembering the event that happened before. Walking towards the side table of an empty bed, he stared off as his mind rewinds.

“She’s all healed.” Karin noted nonchalantly, stealing a glimpse towards the ever emotionless prince.

She started to speak once they stepped outside the room, though both had their attentions directed to the same place, a window that overlooks the room.

Sakura stood still on her bed with a face void of expression, a hand ran across a bandaged arm. The throb on her head had lessen though the anxiety in her heart simply maximises, especially when there were other two taller strangers who stood guard behind her. Not that anyone here was not a stranger to her either.

“So, what’s your plan?” Karin looked up to see Sasuke fully, still unable to decipher his thoughts through the leak of facial expression despite years of knowing him.

Silence follows as the prince himself was unsure of what to do nor say. He keeps his thought and intention well to himself, not wanting to reveal it to anyone including his trusted elder brother. Maybe Karin had sensed his slightest dilemma for she sighed as if helping Sasuke to make up his mind.

“Since she’s a medic from the other side, keeping her prisoner doesn’t seem to help at all considering that there was no news of the search for her.” She paused, earning an empty glance from him. “It has been a full week anyway.” Karin pointed out.

“Hn.” Sasuke let out a short remark, one that allows Karin to continue.

Willingly, she speaks. “Well, there’s this thought of getting her assistance in the medical department. Senju is full of good medics. I’m sure she’s not as bad as the few we had in the healing camp.” She grimaced, noting the stark difference in the reality of the two kingdoms.

And that was the last time he had landed eyes on Sakura.  

Dried branches and leaves scattered about each time her eyes set upon the muddy ground. The storm had once again invaded the country, threatening to uproot trees as well as the old tents that shield numerous war victims. Most lost their shelter, others lost their limbs. There was simply nothing more horrifying than the routine she was forced to go through every day. But that was the kind of life Sakura had prepared the time she took the oath of a medic back then.

What truly challenge Sakura would be the exchange from the locals. Hateful glares were what she normally received, though the more extreme confrontation would be the patients that refused to get treatment from her, leading to an extent of pointing swords at Sakura despite the severe blood lost as well as fresh wounds. But that didn’t budge her at all for she had mastered the art of concealing whenever it comes to her feelings towards these people. Trying to cooperate with the medics was another tale to tell.

Sakura’s opinion were pretty straight forward, thinking that almost all of them were not trained properly for their tasks. Mixing medicines into poisons were pretty frequent as well, much to her horror. Telling them off into corrections was just as useless as she had tried before, only to receive spiteful remarks that lower her name and country. She had simply walked away, piling up hate a day after another in the depth of her heart.

Only thoughts were there to accompany her during the night, from a memory that had Sakura missing her home greatly up to the thought of not caring the mistakes made by those careless Uchiha medics, or at least tried to convince herself for the latter. But she couldn’t bring herself into seeing the victims suffer due to their carelessness no matter how hard she tried. Her heart was not meant for cruelty and that alone meant doom for she is living in the world that opposes all of her principles. There was a sliver of thought that came after, thinking of how these people had managed to survive with the aid of those medics.

Not until she came across a conversation exchanged between two elder women, whom had acknowledged themselves as the seniors. “Most of our experienced medics were wiped out since the war is at the verge of breaking out. There was simply no hope for this country to earn the best treatments for the moment being.”

“Not when the declaration is nearing.” Another replied, sighing out loud.

That fact alone had jerked up a startling reaction in Sakura, new thoughts started to whisper in her mind. Her normal senses returned as curiosity perked in her, needing to know more on the war progress despite still living on the grounds of the enemy. This is enough to prove that lingering around with her roots visible to the others would only lead to anyone making a move to end her life anytime, anywhere. Fear arises in her all the same but the first and foremost thought deemed to have a more solid grip to her mind.

‘Declaration of war.’ She recalled, caught in the flashes of overgrowing thoughts by the second. ‘Nearing.’ The last thought act as a reminder to herself, a stern warning.

Exhaling a long breath, her mind worked in a maddening pace over the new fact. She would blame herself for being too ignorant to her surrounding for missing out such an important clue to the disaster she feared the most. But she knew it better that rumours travel faster than the truth itself, though there is always pieces of truth hidden in each. Hence, that left as another question that she had to decipher all by herself.

Sakura was too busy keeping herself on bay for surviving in the land she was supposed to stay away from ever since she started to walk. Being dragged half-dead towards a forbidden ground, surviving each day without sparing the thought of betrayal towards her country for treating someone that possibly killed her people before, it would be a lie if that thought alone had not poisoned her from the inside. Her state of mind was far from as strong as before but she refused to give up to it in order to keep a strong façade in the faces of those whom potentially kill her at sight.

If she is to be killed, not that she would ever surrendered as easily either, she will still hang on to the image of determination and strength. 

Sakura visited the make-shift medical lab as night falls. In which was located not far from her isolated tent. As expected, there was no sign of the others working late for the production of new medicine nor preparing for sufficient supply for the sudden break out of war. And there is no need to remind her twice for the conversation that still lays fresh in her mind where a war might happen anytime soon.

She lit the oil lamp from the corner of the table and walked over to the jars that contained chemicals. Different colours for different types and yet there was no clear distinction between which is what. Sakura could only rely on her past experience and sense of smell to distinguish each before working on the medicine they were lacking of. There was another set of jars sat next to the oil lamp, seemingly the ones that was ready for use. Getting her hands on those, she examined each one and only approved one to have the correct mixture of ingredients after going through a thorough test. The needles work well as her indicator, turning black at the tip when it contacted with the mixture that eventually kills when consumed.

Pulling her now short hair into a ponytail, she heaved a deep breath before started working. Her short hair marked the day she was assigned to work for the Uchiha’s medical department by the red-haired woman. Sakura had prepared for the worst punishment coming from the ruthless leader though had hardly expected that. She admitted that it was a smart move for the country to gain purpose of her rather than to keep her in the dungeons. It was as if the act alone had Sakura caught in between feeling safe or used instead.

Sakura reached for the nearest dagger after those words were spoken, triggering Karin and the other two men whom seemed to be the leader of their army. Her swift moves had her pulling her long locks back and cut it off before they could act any way. The hair was a tribute for the act she was about to go for next, to serve for the country she had hated to the core while appearing dead to her family. The amount of hatred towards the situation she was forced into accepting never fades away.

Gone were the days well spent with her loved ones, gone were the identity she concealed in order to survive. But she hoped that someday, she will break free from everything that holds her away from her safe haven.

Sakura’s current mind focused back into the present, channelling her full attention towards the medicine she was working in hand as she made sure to make no mistake. It didn’t take long to complete mixing a jar before moving into the next one.

“One done, four to go.” She told herself, almost missing her own voice during the unspoken days she spent the moment she arrived the healing camp. 

The next day came a little chaotic than usual. Sakura had walked up to the lab, getting a set of new list of patients each day. Though her nonchalant mind was tugged by the glances and whispers of her colleagues. Making her way through the small group where everyone gathered, she saw the head medic suspecting the jars of medicine she worked on late last night. She drew a deep breath. The worst case scenario would be the medicine being thrown away due to their suspicion towards her attention. She will just have to brace for that and walk away, again. Running away seemed to be the best choice in avoiding unnecessary confrontation.

Sakura looked at the head medic in the eyes for a moment before proceeded to the other side of the tent to obtain the daily assigned list.

“You over there.” She called out but Sakura chose to ignore that before anymore insult is to be thrown at her. “Hey, Senju medic.”

Only then that Sakura looked up at the owner of the voice, still not saying anything. “Did you make all these?” she asked out loud, piercing gaze set upon Sakura who then glanced over at the few jars she added to the collection from last night. Sakura nodded.

Loud murmurs were passed among the group, sounding out their obvious worries of her work. Nothing unusual, Sakura thought. She silently waits for their next act of despising her only to see a few experienced medics locked themselves in an urgent discussion. Two of them were from the conversation she overheard. The woman looked up again towards Sakura, sight still as intensifying as ever.

“How do you know if these are not poisons instead?” she shot rather ruthlessly.

Sakura scoffed lightly to herself, expecting something like this to actually happen. She walked over and revealed another four smaller jars of different coloured chemicals from under the table.

“These were the samples from the original mixture from yesterday and the ones you were holding were the ones that I, altered a bit.” Sakura started as the group went dead silent. “As you can see I had placed needles in each one of these jar, including mine,” she pointed and continued, “The characteristics of each mixture is revealed based on the colour of the soaked needles.”

The three head medics watched closely from one jar to another, noting the black needles from the four smaller jars as well as the unchanged ones in the bigger jars. They discussed amongst themselves as murmurs began to travel in the group once again. Sakura, on the other hand, just stood there calmly, awaiting for whatever invalid reasons they had in mind to not believe her words.

“After our discussion, we concluded that the needles could not fully prove the true characteristics of these mixtures.”

“Who knew if the needles were changed before they were soaked in each jar?” Another girl said from the side lines, as if adding fuel to fire.

Sakura scoffed louder now, mustering a full smirk to herself as she cast downwards for a while to gather her next words that same almost immediately. “The needles will still change over the few hours they were immersed in that liquid.” She then turned to the girl from the side lines almost sarcastically. “And the reason where I had immersed them overnight would be due to the long hours it takes for each needle to reveal its colours.”

Taken aback by Sakura’s reply, the girl fumed and disappeared into the crowd. Her eyes went back to the three seniors as if in question over their investigations.

“We will still need to conduct a few tests to ensure that.” One said.

Sakura nodded. “If only all the medicines here were prepared and checked with such intensity, it would be great for the patients.” She flashed a short sarcastic smile before gathering the blood-stained cloth from the corner and walked out of the tent.

She heaved a long breath once they were out of sight, relief of the small intervention earlier and away from those toxic people. She was alone safe for the two annoying guards that were appointed to keep an eye on her though it was not the same as the ones back in the healing room. Her cautious self would suspect the two over the trick that they might pull at her. Killing her was one of those thoughts. All that seemed to change over the short time. She observes the two, noting their ease compared to the few army troupes she met in Uchiha despite guarding someone that should be considered as a prisoner of war. 

Sakura sighed as she sat on a stone by the riverbank, starting to wash off the blood-stained cloth. She was almost finished when she caught herself staring off the blood drifted off the river surface. The first thought that came to her mind was to match that trail to the cloth she had in hand only to realise that the source differs. Her brows furrowed in pure confusion as she tried to search for the source of the trail from the headwaters and turned to the mass bush not far away, seemingly coming from there.

The bushes started to move and Sakura scrutinize at it, anticipating for the unknown only to hear panic screams filled the air along with two women running away like mad. Her guards were alerted as well, demanding them on what they saw and Sakura only caught a few words before triggering a reaction from her. Man and bleeding.

She stood up and rushed towards the bush, not caring about the order that came after.

“Wait!” one of the men shouted over at a sprinting Sakura.

Pushing past the shallow branches and into a forced-out clearing, Sakura’s hand flew up to her lips in a gasp. But it took only a matter of seconds for her medical-mode to take over as she crouched down to inspect the man with fatal injuries across the torso, his hand clutching upon a big gash on the left-side of his body while another rested flat across the pebbles. Sakura’s attention was tugged from his injury and to his pale face when his hand pulled Sakura’s weakly, mouthing words that no one hears nor understands.

“I… Found you.”

Chapter Text

Heal

She might not see the scars of his heart, but she might as well give it her best to heal his visible wounds.

Overwhelm was the only word that described her true feelings up until this very moment. Things seemed to come into a twist of events that even her alert mind had lost track of, causing the girl to be dumbfounded by everything that surrounds her right now.

Words echoed in an order in her head as she rides the carriage towards someplace new to her. Not that she could cover the military bases in this kingdom within the few months she struggled to live normally here. The guards had ordered her to follow without sparing a second word nor thought. Joining a troop of armies was never within her comfort zone, but returning to a group of hateful medics following an accusation of mixing poisons for consumption, that was out of the question either. She was not sure whether to feel safe or to fear a possible danger up ahead over her current forced choice. The surprise element never ceased to leave her despite living in a place where everything was just as new to Sakura. The definition of ‘getting used to’ was still invisible somehow.

Next to her lies the injured man, still looking as miserable but better. Sakura’s hand went up tentatively to his forehead to check for the temperature. True to her thought, the man was indeed better than when she first discovered him. The large gash across his torso had stopped bleeding while temporarily bandaged with the supply of laundry she brought with her earlier, make do of anything that would help.

Through the small opening, Sakura notes that the castle was located opposite to the route they were travelling and there was a slight relief in her upon knowing that. Her next predication to where they were heading would be another camp, of military of medical, she too could not tell.

The horses galloped into a quick halt, causing inertia to take over the occupants of the carriage. Men of similar uniform emerged from the front and examined the group as well as the carriage. After brief moment of inspecting, they exchanged approval nods and they proceeded into what looked a lot like a military camp. Sakura stood still along the ride afterwards as her heartbeat races wildly. Reaching up to her heart, a habit she had developed, she exhaled to calm her nerves.

Whatever that awaits in here, she can only dare to hope for the better.

No one had questioned Sakura despite the contrast of her blood-stained light attire, and not to mention her bright locks, over the dark uniformed soldiers. She was appointed to a room to care for the pale man earlier with two new appointed guards. Judging by the slight difference of their uniforms, it was easy to indicate that these two were of higher rank unlike the ones that brought her here.

Sakura busies herself by tending the wound with a given set of clean cloth, bandages and medical supplies while observing the provided necessities. It was a far cry compared to the camp she was located before and for that, the medic in her was glad.

“So,” one of the guards speak to the other by the door, loud enough for her to hear thanks to the echoes of the confined room, “it’s a miracle how she had managed to survive this long without getting into trouble.”

Her eyes wander over them and identifies the owner of the voice, the shorter men with grey hair. His partner only gazed afar in stoic. Further observation had Sakura recalling a distant memory of waking up in the Uchiha castle, surrounded by the prince, a red-haired medic and two soldiers. The crease on her brows were gone the moment she matched their faces with the men that guarded the room. Two of the few faces that she came to know on her first day in this land.

‘Suigetsu and Jugo.’ She continued to recall their names.

The dark night consumes the sky by the time Sakura had keep track of the time. Her focus was channelled completely towards healing the injuries of the man from the forest, battling poisons with antidotes. The past challenges Sakura faced back in Senju worked well as an experience when it comes to dealing with poisons.

It was during a clash between Senju and another joined force against the invaders that she earned a lethal experience when it comes to dealing with an enemy that wields poison. Sakura, alongside her comrades, played a big role of overcoming the poison attack directed towards them, threatening to kill the soldiers that stood to defend their rightful ground. With a tinge of luck and sheer determination, she was able to turn the poisons into reliable antidotes in record time while racing against time to get her own life along with those affected into safety. Hence she earned an acknowledgement over her medical abilities from their ally; the land of the Sand.

With the current situation in hand, Sakura was once again set to race against the time. She may not discover the identity of the man just yet, but it might not be any normal civilian especially with the two troupe commanders guarding the door for his safety. Though what made Sakura think would be the fact that they had somehow show enough faith to leave the healing done by her despite knowing her roots.

She heaved a long breath once she was all done. Sweat dripped across her forehead from all the hardwork she poured into sealing the gash. Another life she had successfully dragged away from death’s jaws. A small triumph rise in her heart just like any other time she had managed to save someone. Sakura reached for a clean cloth to wipe her sweat and settled on a chair set by the bedside to rest, eyes still watching over to double check on the man’s injury.

Unbeknownst to her, the two commanders had been watching her moves since the start. Silently noting her swift actions as a medic rivalling that of Karin’s. There were a few times when Suigetsu had hesitated into giving Sakura a hand but thought that his lack of experience might cause trouble instead of helping out. To have a severely injured man as a patient, it took no professional to know that it requires a team of medics to tend the injuries inflicted on the man’s physique. The two had silently exhaled in relief when Sakura settled down, having a part of them worried as well. A tough exterior is what they had long trained for but deep down lies a heart that refused to harden over burden.

Their silent uneasiness was cut short by a sudden greeting outside the room, tugging Sakura’s attention along with it.

“Sir, the prince has returned.” The shorter man reported.

Sakura felt herself perked up at the mention of him. He was near, after all.

The taller one, Jugo, turned attentive over the grim expression. “Is he alright?”

“I’m afraid not, sir. The prince might need medical treatment but refused to receive one from our ready medics.”

By his voice, Sakura could tell that he was both anxious by talking to his upper ranks as well as the prince’s unlikely personality. She could not tell which is more annoying though.

The two commanders pondered a bit before replying orders. “Send a few medics to care for the general. We will rush to the prince right away.”

Jugo’s eyes set upon Sakura as he speaks.

Glass shattered across their path right before they reach the room. Sakura’s eyes widen by surprise whereas Jugo and Suigetsu exchanged wary glances.

“We apologise for our mistake, your highness. I beg for your mercy.” Called out a retreating medic followed by a younger girl, though both looked familiar yet peculiar to Sakura.

Only then her mind clicked, it was one of the seniors and the protesting girl back from the camp.

‘Strange’, she thought.

Judging by their careless skills, she was not weirded out if they had made a fatal mistake. But when it comes to treating the Uchiha prince wrongly and to have provoked him to such an extent, it simply spells ‘death’.

“Wait here for a moment.” Jugo noted, earning a nod from Sakura.

Both commanders then went up the door in a haste, eyes trailed over the fumbling figures before walking in with a quick official nod.

“Sakura.” Suigetsu, perked out of the room and waved for Sakura to enter. She was unsure for a moment before braving herself for whatever she might face next. “You should help him out.” He continued as the two walked into a similar dull room, only more spacious.

She cast a glance towards Jugo before focusing on the prince whom was sitting on the bed with a scowl. Both eyes dripping with blood and shut tight in pain. 

Sakura blinked thrice; first to register everything she sees, second to get rid of her overflowing thoughts and unnecessary concern, whereas the third was to focus on the damage in hand. She set the medical kit on the bedside table, reaching for a cloth to wipe the blood on his eyes only to stop mid-air when he reached to catch her action on the wrist.

“Who are you?” his words shot like a dagger penetrating the silence that none had the guts to interfere.

Though Sakura quickly recovered. “If you’d just let go, I’ll be the one fixing your,” She paused to search for the right words despite saying eyes, “the damage.”

Hearing her voice causes his iron grip to loosen abruptly, a few crests formed on his forehead. Sakura ignored the small actions and continued to wipe the eyes clean. In practiced grace, she mixed a few ointments into another bottle, shake it a little and observed the colour of the product. Once satisfied, she then applied it to another clean cloth before dabbing it on the prince’s eyes.

Sasuke on the other hand tried to force his eyes open only to be warned sternly by Sakura, in which he uncharacteristically obeyed without a word, an opposite to the raging personality he showed earlier. Suigetsu and Jugo were both petrified by their interactions. It was unlikely for Sasuke to have let down his guard towards strangers, while it was the first time Sakura had acted so casually around anyone here. Of course the two men had things to ask regarding that but chose to keep it to themselves for the moment being.

“Rest for awhile, I’ll continue right after.” The medic helped the prince to lay down to keep the blood circulation flow correctly, especially the eyes knowing how precious they were to anyone that relates to the Uchiha bloodline.

She turned to the other two whom still stood loyally by the door and went up to them. Jugo then excused himself for patrolling duties, stating that Suigetsu was all hers for disposal if in need. The latter sneered and glared, arousing a small smirk from Sakura in which caused the two to stare weirdly at her again.

She cleared her throat to shift from the awkward moment. “I need you to help me to get rid of this.”

Puzzled, the grey-haired man followed Sakura. Once she handled a pot of yellowish flowers, he wondered, “Why throw these away?”

“It opposes the effectiveness of the medicine.” Her features showed discomfort.

“To the extent of poisoning?” he tried to speak out her thoughts and was quickly matched with her raised brows. Her nod confirms his suspicion. “Strange how those two women were the ones whom brought it in every morning. Claiming fresh flowers are better for healing.”

Sakura halted on her steps. “Those two just now?”

She bit her lips in deep thought. Then that must relate to the prince’s irritation towards their very presence. But the question remains that, what are they up to? Shaking her head, she focused on eliminating any possible poisoning attempt in the room.

There is still too much things hidden in this kingdom but the piece of truth she received today connected some of her thoughts as well as the past incidents. There is an attempt of bringing the prince down and as much as she could not put a finger on who it might be, she can’t help but remembered the men that hunted her down to the cliff. Disguising themselves as Uchiha’s men, concealing the intent of kill behind those masks. If it was not for his quick actions, her life must have faded through the thin air. Gratitude was what she felt towards him since that day. When it comes to their second encounter, things were a little less chaotic but disastrous just the same. The injuries Sasuke received from the other day was no match to the ones he have now.

Given the current situation, Sakura can’t help but to think a little harder on the pieces that has yet to make sense. The prince has always been their target where she was just a trespasser the first time around. Up until now, their intention remained the same and she doubts that they will ever stop until he was dead.

‘A cruel fate indeed.’ Her mind whispered.

Eyes glanced over the resting man, she notes that his rigid position was reduced into a more calming one. For some reason she could almost feel his pain every time she sees him in one. Sakura was no one but a stranger that knew nothing about the prince, only had acquainted to him in the past. Though the need to know and care for him speaks otherwise and that simply causes herself to be engaged in a rather unfamiliar sensation. Pushing all that aside, her attention went back to him.

She might not see the scars of his heart, but she might as well give it her best to heal his visible wounds. Because that was the most she could offer to help him overcome the fatal deals he faced.

A small smile tugged her lips as she settled on the make-shift furniture in an attempt of dismissing the exhaustion that slowly consumes her. If there was one thing that she was sure of today, it would be the gratefulness of seeing him alive.

Chapter Text

Hunt

That moment onwards, a game of hunter and prey unfolds.

Sasuke sat up suddenly on his bed, eyes scanning around wildly in practiced security. Deeming nothing peculiar, he exhaled. Focusing on a few near objects to test his eyes, he was quite in awe of the effectiveness of the medicine. Though his peripheral view caught something else.

Sakura was fast asleep at the simple set-up furniture, hands folded as a cushion for her resting head. Her bright locks looked faded with age, if that was even possible. Sasuke was a little groggy over the rush before but chose to chase it away by standing up and walking up to her. His hand clutched upon a thin cloth that was supposed to pass as a blanket.

He then draped it atop of her shoulders gently as he proceeded into pulling a chair from the side silently, not wanting to awaken the exhausted maiden. There was a tug in his head and mind to just stare at her face, wanting to note the difference since they first met.

She was helpless back then, a girl on the run from ruthless assassins whom he had happened to be pursuing. Her face paled with fear and adrenaline, knowing she will be meeting her end but he saved her. The second time around was an opposite where she played the saviour. Despite the equality, it had resulted in her being dragged to his tattered kingdom. And everything took on a violent twist of fate after that.

Sakura flinched awake suddenly, aroused by haunting nightmares. Her eyes were still shut tight before blinking twice to finally make sense of her surroundings. Meeting an unexpected pair of dark eyes, Sasuke and Sakura were both petrified by the sudden engagement of deep stares. Eyes unblinking, it takes a complete minute until Sakura straightened her back into a sitting position rather recklessly. Little did she know that the action had caused the worn out chair to creak into instability. If it was not Sasuke’s swift action, she would have end up falling to the dusty floor. Catching her sudden hitched breath whereas Sasuke kept a firm hold of the chair, the two ended up staring again though this time ended a little sooner than the one before.

“I-I must’ve fallen asleep.” Came her fumbled words, eyes closed briefly in annoyance of her own carelessness.

Sakura was supposed to care for a patient but it seemed to be the other way around when Sasuke was the one whom was eyeing her asleep. His hands had drawn back to his lap now.

“I’m alright. You no longer need to keep a close watch like before.” He noted as he looked away, ceasing further eyes contact.

“Right,” Sakura recalled while pulling her hair into a short ponytail. “How does your eyes feel? Any better?” She observed his eyes once more, this time in purpose.

He sat rigidly as she peered closer for his eyes. “Hn.”

Sakura observed his irises and make a quick mental note that they looked a lot normal now. Thankfully, the medicines worked perfectly for Sasuke to regain his eye sight.

Sensing their close proximity, she took a step back quickly out of the thundering heart of hers while ensuring her words would not sound like another set of stutters. “That’s good.”

Sakura sipped her tea silently, sitting still on the squeaky chair to avoid falling and embarrassing herself again. Sasuke, on the other hand, was quiet as well.

“Do you happen to know the two medics that attended you the other day?” she decided to break the thickening ice.

He passed her a questioning look before starring off into a quick thought. “So, you saw all that.” Sasuke said under his breath. “That was… I just don’t have a good feeling with those two.”

Sakura hummed at first. “You have a good intuition despite in a, rather bad shape.”

“What are you implying?”

“Poisonous plants. For some reason, it was placed in this room but I had asked help to get rid of it.” Sakura explained.

Sasuke was silent for a few heartbeats. “What was it capable of?”

He was not as alert as any medic when it comes to the raw materials of poison. Only have it in its ready form for hand-to-hand combat uses.

“Well, it can do a lot of damage to the eye, that’s for sure.” She grinded her mind for more information. “And to have that in here, it can’t be a mere coincidence.” She decided to spill out her most crucial thoughts to him.

Sakura’s features shifted into one of discomfort as she eyes Sasuke in hopes of sparking a whole new information he knew. Deeming nothing from the prince, she decided to shift into another topic.

“May I know how you got your eyes injured?” she asked carefully for the said topic too had played in her mind for the moment as curiosity.

“Over-usage.” He said simply.

Their conversation was cut short when an explosion was heard. Both startled to their feet, starting to search for its source as panic instinct took over. Sasuke was the first to run towards the door to peer on the situation outside through its small cracks followed by Sakura right behind. Despite her struggle to gain control of her focus, her eyes are still wild to her shaken surrounding, ears pierced by loudness as an aftermath of the explosion. It was the third time Sasuke called out her name when her eyes finally found his.

“Sakura!” the latter jerked when Sasuke caught her by the shoulder, shaking her out of daze.

“Get out of here.” Sakura read his lips, starting to push her out the door and down the chaotic hallway with him guarding from behind.

Sakura’s senses returned bit by bit as she continues to trust her guts to aid them to escape. Be it towards the safety of the kingdom or not, the first thing in her mind is just to get out of this mess. The war cry became louder, rivalling the clash of metals. Sakura’s mind tried to avoid counting the casualties left from this battle. The injuries. Numerous deaths.

From the corner of her eyes, she caught an exit at the right side of the building.

“We’re nearing the exit.” Sasuke’s voice grunted this time.

She turned around to look for him, only to see the prince struggling with two black-attired men. Panic sets in her mind as she tries to think of something to help him.

“Don’t wait. Go!” the prince ordered in between breaths.

“But-”

“I can handle it.” he said almost sounding irritated.

True to his words, he pushed both aside and stabbed them without pausing. Sakura watched as the two bodies collapse on the dirt floor before finding her way to Sasuke’s eyes.

“We have to get going.”

The medic turned back to their destination ahead without speaking nor think of anything. Finally making their way through the exit, they were stopped short by the sight of the dark forest right outside. If running away in blindness is the only choice they had, Sakura would rather think again.

Sasuke must have sensed her doubt for he insisted by pulling her hand through the bleak night. Their momentum had her tripping through the roots and shrubs pass by but his solid grip never allowed her to fall. Her sight sharpened in the pitch darkness as they make their way towards nowhere, noting the obstacles and avoiding them hence speeding their progress.

Crushed grass under their violent steps were the only thing that filled the air until another that sounded out of sync joined in, confirming that they had been pursued up until now. Sakura did not miss Sasuke’s curses despite having it spoken under panted breath. That moment onwards, a game of hunter and prey unfolds.

“Still far?” she asked in hushed voice, not wanting their enemies to sense their proximity in which she had hoped to be far enough to make the escape.

“Closing, I hope.”

Even with his strength and skills, situations like this never ceased to be in his comfort zone. And to have brought and responsible for another person’s safety simply doubles all possible risks of encounter. Sasuke clutched tight to the sword on his hilt, ready to unleash offensive moves if interfered. He kept a close attention to the enemy about two meters away. Showing pure endurance, Sakura showed no sign of slowing down despite huffed breaths. While Sasuke’s left hand was rested upon the sword, the right one kept on pulling Sakura’s hand, not wanting to leave her behind whatever the circumstances that comes.

Sasuke’s eyes turned crimson, needing to sort out their route ahead without further ado and his sight never fails him for he unmistakably sees the figures of his comrades. He let go of her hand in which had triggered Sakura immediately.

“Run further ahead. I’ll be right behind.” He told her and she nodded in the dark.

As if on cue, Sasuke was tackled to the ground. He let out a grunt upon the impact. A sharp weapon swish across his ear, missing him by just an inch. Sasuke switched their position by pinning the man down and unleashed his sword before aiming it to the heart. His mind no longer ponder upon the act of cruelty though it reminded him of the look from Sakura’s eyes when she had witnessed his kill earlier.

Without delaying a moment, he sped up forward to catch up with her for he sensed that another enemy might appear. It took him awhile to track her down and there was a part of him that was glad she could handle it well up until this point.

“Almost there.” He noted shortly, earning a quick backward glance from Sakura.

The rustles of leaves from the trees above them had alerted Sakura more than ever. Her mind jumped to the closest conclusion; an archer.

There was no time to inform Sasuke of the possible attack and she chose to act spontaneously instead. As they ran past the archer’s watch spot, Sakura counted for three seconds for the archer to determine his target. It was no doubt that he was aiming for the prince’s heart. On the third count, she pushed the prince off track by risking herself into substituting his spot, knowing well that she could not completely budge him off.

A sharp metal pierced through her shoulder and she collapsed on her knees due to impact though Sasuke caught her on time. Within split seconds, he reached for a smaller dagger from his boots and fling it upwards. A loud thud was heard as a result of his perfect aim, leaving another dead man on the wake of their run.

“Sakura.” His still crimson eyes searched for hers.

She shook her head, “I’m fine.”

Sasuke was annoyed by her white lie as his hand went up to the arrow on her back and snapped it shorter. He lifted her limping body and carried her, continuing their pace forward.

“What are you doing? Leave me be.” she spoke in a hushed voice, feeling the poison seep into her system.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment as his eyes glanced from the road and her face in intervals, anxiety was now present in his stoic features.

“Stay awake. We’re almost there.” The medic would have protested but was too weak to even fight for her own consciousness. “You should have told me.” Sasuke let out his true thoughts that showed regret.

“It’ll be too late to act by then.” Sakura struggled to keep her voice heard but Sasuke’s mind was in a state of havoc as his ears pumped with adrenaline.

Rage filled him as time consumes. She was too careless to trade her life over the sake of the others.

“Sakura.” He shook her slightly when her eyelids were almost closing.

Her breathing pattern started to turn into panting. “I don’t think I can stand any longer.”

“Fight for your life. You’ve come too far to give up now.” His eyes still looked forward, fastening their pace.

Sakura’s eyes finally give away and that left herself trapped in her own body, half conscious. Her mind worked into tracing the advanced poison throughout her being. There might be an hour at top before her life finally comes to an end.

“Sakura!” Sasuke continued to call out but getting no reaction from her.

If Sakura was to die right now, at least she was at peace knowing she saved someone. And to know she had at least spared her saviour’s life, that simply made her feel a lot better.

Chapter Text

Escape

Their carelessness had them fallen prey on the enemy’s setup, hence erupting bombs that injured both.

Even if their escape this time had summed up in just a few seconds, it was no less chaotic than the past ones. Horses and a carriage were readied and well hidden behind the tall bushes with three men awaiting. From his heightened sight, he made out the two to be Jugo and Suigetsu, whom managed to get away faster than he and Sakura had with one of their men in control of the carriage. The few seconds would have made a great difference given Sakura’s current condition. Though the prince refused to dwell into the regret that slowly builds up in his heart.

Without asking much of the passenger in the carriage, Sasuke proceeded into creaking the carriage door open only to see another injured man. The general that Sakura had tried so hard to heal as he had heard from the passing rumours during his rest back in their shattering camp. Sai.

Seeing the man alone had aroused a few questions in him but Sasuke chose to ignore as he placed Sakura on the other side of the carriage carefully, making sure that the piercing arrow would not be under pressure along their bumpy ride. Closing the carriage door, he nodded at the others to continue their journey towards their castle’s safety in hopes of beating the time to get the two safe.

Jugo led the group, followed by the carriage and Suigetsu with Sasuke as the tail. Their familiarity to the dense woods had the group moving in a moderately fast speed despite under the dark sky, given the tolerance to the speed of a carriage. Halfway through, the group had yet again visited by the sound of swift arrows where Sasuke was the first to alert them. Jugo urged the horse to gallop faster in order to get the group to move faster before any more casualties could be taken while the two behind the carriage drew out sword to deflect arrows that was aimed at them as well as the carriage. A few missed and ended up piercing its wall though the thickness had made it impossible to penetrate through its passengers. Unbeknownst to them, the horse-archers found their weaknesses by aiming towards their horses’ legs and managed to take down Suigetsu’s.

“Go, Sasuke!” he hollered as Sasuke looked back.

Making a quick decision, he urged his horse to run surpassing the carriage and towards Jugo. “Guard the carriage, I will be right back.”

Before he could even agree, the prince retreated from the view and raced back against their advancing trail. Jugo then replaces Sasuke’s place in guarding the carriage from behind, ready of any sudden attacks to come.

Scanning around wildly, it took Sasuke a second longer to track the man’s current whereabouts. True to his senses, Suigetsu was struggling to fight a total of ten men alone. Sasuke got down from his horse quietly. Masking his moves, he took their obliviousness as a chance to strike back and managed to wipe out four. On Suigetsu’s side, he killed a total of three.

Lost count of their number, the prince was greeted by a stab from the back as he moved to help Suigetsu. Though his armour barely helped in stopping the stab from digging deeper into the bones. Enraged, he swung his sword and stabbed the enemy right on the left side of his chest, killing the man on the spot. Suigetsu took care of the remaining two with proficient speed and accuracy as well before going towards Sasuke and identify the prince’s wounds more than his own.

“Take care of yourself first.” He had noted in a cold demeanour but the other man had known the prince for years to not mistake his words for arrogance.

Sasuke then board his horse with some difficulty due to the injury inflicted while Suigetsu chose one that belonged to the enemy before speeding off to catch up with Jugo and the carriage.

“Open the gates!” Jugo shouted for the umpteenth time only to be turned to deaf ears regardless of his loud hollers.

Frustrated, he slams his first upon the metal gates, creating a loud knock. Though that too was plainly ignored by whoever that was guarding the gates. If he was given a chance to meet the guards’ faces, he would certainly beat them into sanity or worse yet, death. Any delay and the two poison victims would lose their lives right outside of safety grounds. Refusing to give up, he hollered louder but none responded. The sound galloping horses quickly drew his attention and much to his relief, two of his trusted comrades made it through.

“Why are the gates are still closed?” Sasuke almost fumed.

Jugo shook his head in despair, head tilted up to the deserted watch tower. “None responded since we arrived.”

Sasuke’s eyes still flashed crimson for his patient had worn off since their escape earlier that night. Pulling the horse’s harness, he directed it towards a dark alley by the castle walls alone, fully ignoring the calls of his comrades that stayed by the carriage to guard it if any enemy is to draw near.

Jumping off the horse, Sasuke continued to inspect the brick walls. Finally found what he had searched for, he pushed one particular brick and the wall shifted in place. Revealing a slim opening, Sasuke slipped through it and successfully stepped into the castle grounds without anyone noticing. He moved stealthily under the shadows until he saw two men guarding the walls, seemingly trapped in an urgent discussion.

“We should open up the gates.” One said but was quickly cut short by the other.

“No! Have you forgotten what the commander had instructed us to? We’ll be risking our heads if his words are disobeyed.”

Completely annoyed by the fact that someone had seemingly tried take charge of the authority, especially when they are right on the castle grounds, Sasuke emerged from the dark.

“But the prince might be out there!” the former continued only to receive a scoff from the latter.

“There is no way that,” his words seemed to disappear through thin air right away. “Y-Your highness!”

Crimson glare reached their eyes as if scavenging for their souls, his hands tugged both men’s collars brutally. “Open the gates. My orders.”

The guards stumbled on their feet as if running from a ferocious monster. Shakily, they started to pull the lever to creak the metal gates open. Suigetsu was the first to enter followed by Jugo and the carriage, all portrayed relief in their faces over the protection of their territory but Sasuke refused to think alike. Something peculiar had surely happened in here during his long absence with or without his brother’s knowledge. Sasuke will dig his way through the roots to find out the truth though his concern was caught elsewhere now.

“Sasuke!” came a female voice and he knew that it belonged to none other than Karin. “You have returned!” The red-haired medic scanned him as if to ensure herself that it was indeed the prince standing before her only to have reduced her smile into a deep frown.

He simply nodded in acknowledgement as his eyes made a brief contact with hers before casting towards the carriage. “You should take a look of them first. Both are poisoned and their lives are at a stake. Suigetsu was injured as well.” He stated right away.

“Look who’s talking when you yourself are injured.” She crossed her arms, eyes stayed on the sword-inflicted gash on the right side of his abdomen. “You need to be treated, right away.” Karin dragged Sasuke’s left arm to urge him to the infirmary but was stopped short by the prince.

“I am fine.” Came his strong reply he retracted his hand to clutch over the wound, as if just recalling as she mentioned about it. “Make them your priorities. I will report the current situation to the council while you treat them.” He walked away.

“But,” Karin tried but knew too well that nothing could change the prince’s mind once it was confirmed.

“Make sure she is alright, Karin.” He cast a glance at Karin before directed towards the carriage.

His figure then lost behind a set of double doors with another pair of guards following closely.

“Ouch!” Suigetsu exclaimed over the tightened bandage around his limping left leg. “Do you mind getting a little gentler when treating your patients?” he continued to complain but Karin replied with another tug over the bandage and a death glare.

“One more word and you might never utter the next.” She threatened.

Jugo had been leaning against the doorframe, watching Karin’s activity since their arrival that includes changing bandages and making antidotes. The swift way she worked had truly reminded him of Sakura’s, causing him into thinking that they would make a perfect rival once the other is wide awake and healing fine. As much as his mind had been careful of the stranger, what truly shocks him was the prince’s trust towards the Senju medic up until now. Though in an honest note, he could not find anything suspicious about her either.

The other unconscious man, on the other hand, posed quite a mystery towards almost everyone there. The said man was no stranger than the general that had been lost contact of two years ago. And to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere, in a rather bad state, simply triggers countless queries. Though his current condition was much safer than before thanks to Sakura’s treatment. Sensing his still stare towards the man, Karin cleared her throat to interrupt.

“Mind to fill in the things I had seem to miss out?” she heaved a sigh and sat on one of the stools to catch her breath over the non-stop work for the past hours. Jugo and Suigetsu simply exchanged blank looks in which had easily irritated her. “Let’s just start, with how did he manage to appear after all this time?”

Deeming no quick response, she searched for Jugo for an answer though he simply shrugs. “From what I heard, he was found by the riverbank by Sakura. All battered up, though looks a lot better now.”

Karin’s brows knitted over growing questions but decided to keep it away for now. “Wherever he had decided to come from, he’s lucky enough to have found someone to treat him first-hand.”

“Is that a way to say that the Senju medic is better than you?” Suigetsu attempted to get on Karin’s nerves.

Giving off another glare before deciding to ignore him, she moved over to check on the conditions of the two. None had shown any signs of waking up yet.

“And lucky enough to make through such a narrow escape. I wonder if they have the camp under control after you left.” She noted further.

Though the query had easily passed over when the infirmary door creaked open, revealing Sasuke. He had just finished his report to the king and had returned for medications. Karin wordlessly settled on the stool opposite to Sasuke’s and started to inspect his wound. Her concern deepens over the extensive wound compared to how it had appeared, still bleeding internally. She urged Sasuke to a laid-back chair to ease her inspection.

“Everything is settled and explained.” Sasuke spoke out in gritted teeth as a way to relief the pain.

“Including general Sai’s sudden comeback?” Suigetsu perked up over the curiosity that resides in each of them.

Sasuke nodded grimly, a part of his mind recalled the fair share of battles he and Sai had involved together, that was before he was assumed to be dead about two years ago. The prince partly blamed himself for the incident back then. That time, he too was forced to a pursuit over the scavenging enemies near the Senju borders. Though their carelessness had them fallen prey to the enemy’s set-up, hence erupting bombs that injured both. Their separation was the last of him for there was no news received after that.

It was all part of Sakura’s deed to have found Sasuke bleeding under a tree in the midst of the brewing storm. Even to the extent of helping out with his injuries to a relief for him to be able to go back to the castle. Sasuke fisted upon the thought of being vulnerable. Many were relieved upon Sai’s unexpected return but that too serve as another mystery that Sasuke would want to discover.

A sudden touch on the forehead had Sasuke jerked in defence. Karin’s features showed one of disapproval over his temperature.

“You need to rest right, now.” She rushed to her cupboards of medicines and fetched a few bottles.

“I have to first make sure-”

“Tasks can wait, Sasuke. An infection that might worsen your injury and health, generally, do not.” She sternly stated. “And this is exactly what happens if you delay an early wound treatment. Judging by your condition now, you don’t have to mask your light-headedness.”

Sasuke looked away, still too stubborn to admit. “I’m not.”

Karin scoffs. “Another half an hour tops before you started throwing up and caught up in a severe fever Sasuke, and I’m not kidding. Don’t get me started on how the fever would affect your mind and your already weakened eyes. Rest Sasuke, as if your life depended on it because it truly does.” she ended her speech.

“I’ve been through worse.” Came his retort and that had made Karin explode in anger.

Before anyone could argue further, Jugo stepped in to make truce as he went up to Karin and rested an ensuring hand on her shoulder. “I will make sure Sasuke go back to his room and rest, if that helps.” He fetched the medicine bottles and trailed behind Sasuke out of the infirmary.

Sasuke stopped short as they were approaching the door. “Make sure they stay here, Karin. Inform me first hand if anyone puts you in a difficult situation no matter when.” and just like that, Sasuke and Jugo left.

Something must had come up during his meeting with the council a while ago for his words seemed to conceal a deeper meaning behind it. Karin would want to query further being her usual self, but anger won over. What irritated her the most would be the prince’s unusual care towards the other medic, to the extent of him risking his health and life over it.

Unable to find a source to diffuse it, her eyes landed sharply on Suigetsu in which had caused the latter to squirm on his seat a little.

Chapter Text

Defence

There were simply too much doubts going on and he could not even get the closest clue of what position he was standing upon at the moment being.

Sai was the first to have opened his eyes to the clear white ceiling. Panic-stricken over the last memory he could recall, he jerked into sitting up only to regret after experiencing a stabbing pain coming from his abdomen. His arm went up to it in reflex while the other tried to stabilize his sitting position into not applying too much pressure on his wound by straightening his posture.

The muscle cramps from his arms and legs could only indicate that he had been unconscious for a few days now. Without feeling the restrictions, he eased his legs out of the bed and proceeded into standing though stammering a little out of balance but his left hand gripped the bed header tight enough to support himself. He then pull off the drips from the back of his right hand. Hunger strikes him at first but his mind continues to wander off in deep thought over the spacious room.

The tiles felt cold underneath his bare feet, drawing his eyes downwards for a while. He then proceeded his steps towards the nearest window to gaze outside and for that, he almost took a step back in amazement. There is no doubt that it was one of the rooms in the kingdom he had knew for almost his entire lifetime.

“I have returned.” He muttered to himself, sounding much more like a question.

And in that deafening silence, he had almost miss out his own voice in the midst of it. Snapping away from his deep reverie, his sight continues to linger the inside of the infirmary. He further his steps to the other side of the room only to halt on his feet when he catches a slight glimpse of another person. Pondering a little, he took a few steps closer so that he could clearly make out that person’s face. Heaving a long sigh, his lips tugged into the smallest smile. Sai had finally met the person he had searched for after all the challenges. After almost dying along the way just to meet her.

Now that Sakura was there, he could somehow feel the burden on his shoulders lightened just a little. At least she was safe and protected here and not left to end her life painfully in the dark dungeon all alone. He searched for her wounds but found none as apparent as his, safe for the different drips on both her hands. Poison was the sole word that crossed his mind though judging from her features and Karin around, she must have been in a more stable state than she had been before.

Sai chose to wander near the windows again, trying to absorb in the new changes that revolved around the kingdom ever since his long absence. He was lucky enough to have survived through the assassins two years ago, to have saved by an unlikely new ally and then back to his roots again. None would believe his words even if he is to spill out the truth though he chose to not reveal everything too soon while still remain loyal to his one and only motive.

Sakura’s eyes shot open as she shifted uncomfortably with a violent creak heard from the bed, unaware of the attention from the other person in the room. Dry coughs and heavy breaths followed right after, confirming that she had truly awakened from a slumber of endless nightmares. The sharp pain on her chest caused the medic to raise her hand to harness that part as her coughs became heavier. Out of the blue, a figure came to her and placed an empty pail before her. Without managing a glance, she vomited dark and lumpy blood. The person then handed her a cloth into which she had made the swiftest eye contact with the man in question.

“Thank you.” She replied in a matter of polite, despite wanting to ask about almost everything there is about him. The said man, on the other hand, gave a small nod.

Settling into sitting against the bed header, her mind had finally caught a grasp of the most recent memories. Eyes went up to the nearest counter, Sakura quickly registers the arrowhead that almost killed her. Almost, she thought. For some reason and pure faith, she had yet again survived another day. Her reckless decision might actually cost her own life someday but her conscience remained strong that she had done the right thing in trying to save another person’s life. Sasuke. Hearing the prince’s name alone in her head had aroused curiosity in her though she chose to ignore the matter being.

Sakura went through her usual inspection towards her surrounding but concluded faster than usual for she could still recognise the majestic design of the room along with some of its simplicity. It was the first room she had opened her eyes to the moment she was away from her home.

“Do I know you?” came Sakura’s sudden query that had seem to have caught the man off-guard.

Sai gaped a little, still searching for the right words to reply though his ears perked up to a series of heavy footsteps approaching the door.

“Shh.” He hushed suddenly.

Sai’s head snapped towards the far right of the room while his mind spun around for the closest possibility of whatever that awaits behind the double doors. He was sure that those footsteps belonged to the military force and it took him no longer than a moment to figure out whose odds were their current condition being. He might be under a heavy inspection for his absence but Sakura on the other hand, was in a much riskier position especially when there was no one to back her up.

The door flew open in a loud bang followed by a dozen of soldiers trotting into the infirmary, a contradiction in terms of their uniform as well as the weapons in their hands. Sai had easily felt uneasy due to the lack of weapon in his hand, temporarily forgetting about his wound. Sakura went frozen on the bed, hand clutched tight by her side not knowing what to do. She was struck in yet another condition where she was helpless of surviving in this foreign country.

A commanding officer emerged from the troop and barked a strict order. “Get her!”

Sai fisted his hands while thinking of something he could do for them to leave her alone. Attacking them now would only deem his name into further trouble, not that his current one was any pleasant either. He was not sure of anything anymore ever since he woke up in the country he was born into. There were simply too much doubts going on and he could not even get the closest clue of what position he was standing upon at the moment being.

“Where are you taking her?” came his firm voice once the commander was out of sight.

“She is a wanted prisoner of the country and should be dragged to punishment immediately, general.” One of the soldiers saluted him and replied in time, causing Sai to be taken aback on the last remark.

“Does the prince know of this?” he tried to get as much information as he could.

He shook his head. “No, sir.”

“I doubt this is the King’s orders either.” his voice became firmer as the man before him straightened in position out of fear.

“I-It was the commander’s.”

“And since when is the military force allowed to operate under such command?” Sai challenged the man, stepping forward to taunt the shaking man.

“I believe it was none of your concern as well, general Sai. It had been too long for you to have an understanding towards the workings of things around here.” The commander’s lips curved into a smile as malicious as his words.

Sai shifted his eyes towards the said commander, releasing the shaking soldier from his further interrogation. Kabuto.

“Leave once it was done.” He commanded, still staring right at Sai as all the man left with Sakura dragged in between the arms of two men.

Without wasting another second, Sai sprinted out the room towards the West wing of the floor. His mind dig deep in order to remember the prince’s chambers. It was only up to the prince’s capability to save Sakura out of trouble now. 

Sai was panting heavily by the time he entered the heart of the West wing. His hand still clutched on his wound in an attempt of holding it in place but the blood that drips freely only meant his fail attempt of keeping those stitches secured. Though he could not care less as he took the last turn down a dark marble hallway. His legs weakened as he pushed himself forward to reach for the golden doorknob that he knows all too well.

His blood-stained hand slipped down the doorknob as he fell on his knees, all defeated by the weariness and pain caused by his wound. Still forcing himself to sit, he used up all his strength to bang on the door a few times before catching his long-needed breath. The door opens immediately to the three people that relieves him to no end.

“Sai!” Karin and Suigetsu shouted simultaneously, eyes widen over his current state.

“Where is Sasuke? I need to talk to him. Now.” he said in between pants.

Jugo pulled the other door leaf open to reveal an alarmed Sasuke, looking just a little better than he is. Sai did not wait for the prince’s approval to speak out the news.

“The infirmary was trudged into. They took the Senju medic with them to the king.”

Karin’s eyes widen as she stood up. “I’ll need to reach the court before them. Take care of him and Sasuke.” She noted strictly before running off.

“Suigetsu,” Jugo crouched down to help Sai up while calling out his comrade.

“I’ll go with her, don’t worry.” The said man ran off as well.

Jugo was about to turn towards Sasuke only to have seen him out of sight.

Sakura could only resist the pain to herself since she was dragged out of the infirmary. The bandage that holds her wound was no longer protecting it as it was now tainted with blood. The other man had tried to reason the troop but of course, the commander was not one to listen to another. It was as if she could feel the cruelty that seeps through his plain words even if she has yet to witness anything similar. But then again, the last one was an understatement considering the treatment she was given right now.

She could only wished to have her life fade in the swiftest moment to come if this was truly how her story ends, though another part of her was still building up strength despite knowing the approaching despair. What is for sure, she was never going to trade anything that makes her betray her country for the sake of her life. There was nothing that could be replaced with that even if it meant risking her own life for the sake of it. It was the unspoken rule of war.

Their pace stopped upon a grand double doors. A crimson insignia was carved right at the middle of it, the insignia of the ruling family. The Uchiha.

“Open the court door.” The man commanded.

From the corner of her eyes, Sakura saw two men scrambling on their feet to pull the grand double doors. Before they could manage to carry out the order, the door creaked open, revealing two strict guards. Sakura noted that their uniforms were slightly different than those whom drag her around. Difference being a gold crown-shaped symbol was printed on the right sleeve of their uniforms. The military force, on the other hand, has a shield symbol in black.

The commander emerged from the group to talk to the two whom Sakura had acknowledged to be the royal guards. “We wanted to present the prisoner to the King.”

“The King had no such recent commands.” One replied, maintaining his rigid posture.

“Not yet. But his highness would love to interrogate the trespasser of Senju. Don’t you think?” The spectacled-commander pressed on the topic.

On cue, two pairs of eyes scanned over Sakura’s direction. And that’s when a lot had made sense in his head. The said man was in a rush to ensure her existence to perish with the help of the king. And to have not seen nor known the king that well, she could only conclude that the Uchiha royalty could only be as cruel as the commander himself. Though whatever that awaits her was nothing pleasant. Despair contaminated her current state of mind as she dropped her head down to the tiled floor, trying her best to keep her tears at bay.

Deeming no direct response, the man continued his persuasion. “Allow me to meet the king, to make it all clear to you.” His voice sharpen and he was gone behind the doors.

Passing themselves an almost weary look, they allowed the commander to enter the court. “Keep your eyes on her.”

“She is going nowhere.” Her guards assured.

Sakura’s rebellious thoughts triggered through the perfect situation of escaping but she was too deep into the kingdom to be able to break through the countless barrier that awaits. Not to mention the penalty of breaking free in the midst of guilty. One way or another, she has to fight the urge to give up her life into the hands of these jerks and survive to find a way out of here keeping to herself the hope of returning to her home even if it sounds impossible. Deep in her heart she could only prayed that someone could come to her rescue just enough she could find a way to survive the next moment.

As soon as her thoughts ended, a sudden shift and panic took over the room.

Chapter Text

Shield

A shield against all odds there are, if any is to be directed towards her way starting from this moment on.

Karin rushed through the empty hallway with Suigetsu on tow. The adrenaline in her ears were too loud for her to listen to the continuous talks given by the man behind her. All she could focus at the moment was the nearing of the giant door and the flowing ideas that could hopefully get both the Senju medic and Sasuke out of trouble, where the latter was more of her concern rather than the former. Not that she was just as ruthless into seeing the medic undergoing a deathly punishment despite being innocent either.

“Karin.” Suigetsu finally manage to snap her out of her long reverie, causing a quick halt of steps from her. She was about to go through her usual scolds towards her comrade though was cut off quickly. “Gather your thoughts before stepping out of this door. Whatever happens later, remember that I’ve got your back. So, go all out.”

Karin was struck in a tinge of shock over the sudden encouragement had her flashed a rare yet determined smile towards Suigetsu. Both passed a quick nod before pushing through the door.

Masking a calm façade, Karin strode pass the alerted royal guards but returned to their positions once Suigetsu made an appearance not far behind her being their commander in years of trainings. Making a quick glance towards the inside of the courtroom, she was partially relieved at the absence of a certain man that she had come to hate. Not to mention, the same person whom had stirred up the trouble to start with.

Karin sensed that something was up the moment Sasuke reminded her to keep her eyes on Sakura, to make sure that she did not leave the infirmary at all under any circumstances. And now deemed to be the exact situation as warned by Sasuke upon Sakura’s arrival in the castle. Her mind had dug deep for reasons to back up the Senju medic for this exact situation and could only hope that whatever arguments there is to come, she could somehow win it.

“Your highness.” Karin and Suigetsu kneeled before the king out of usual gesture.

Seemingly appalled by their appearance from the side doors, the king gave a nod. “You may rise.”

Though the order was quickly caught up with the sound of rushed footsteps that entered the courtroom into which the two had spun their heads in response. And true to their suspicion, they were just a few seconds earlier than the troublemaker in disguise. Kabuto did the same as Karin and Suigetsu before rising upon the king’s words.

“The courtroom is a little busy today, it seems.” His highness stated, a hand rested under his chin as he leant on the right handrail of the throne. “What’s the matter?”

Karin was about to speak but her words disappeared halfway by the louder, more demanding, words of Kabuto. Glaring right through his skull, he only smirked in return and pushed his glasses up the bridge of the nose.

“I have ordered some men to capture the prisoner, your highness.” He stated in triumph, eyes glancing over the other two. “If you may, your highness, she is right outside the courtroom-”

“Prisoner?” Karin scoffed out loud. “I believe that was an understatement, commander.”

“I’m talking about the Senju spy whom posed as a medic. And how is that an understatement, may I ask, Karin?” And that marks the start of a heated debate.

“I’m sorry but I had seem to miss out the ‘threat’ part, have I? What conscience is there to drag an injured woman out of the infirmary in broad daylight? Oh, and without anyone’s orders other than yours, Kabuto?” Karin shot back. “There was no threat from her to start with.”

“Nonsense.” He fumed back. “Are we going to wait for our own deaths once that lowly spy recovered from her injuries? Are we going to wait for an attack that could ruin this country before realising our mistakes? Stop protecting the wrong people or you will regret it. With this, I suggest our country to kill her.” He faced the king with determination, underlying a killing intent.

Instead of taken aback by those harsh words, Karin adjusted her glasses and smirked back. “Which part of simply killing her would bring the good to our country in return then? Have it ever cross your, obviously absent, mind that the act alone could trigger a severe declaration of war? But I bet you were too rush in deciding everything on your own that even things as simple as this had skipped through your head, am I right?” Karin took a few steps around him in challenge. “Careful there,” she paused to add the effect of her sharp words next, “For you might literally cause the fall of this kingdom thanks to your clumsiness.”

Scowling at Karin, she was silently pleasant that she had somehow ticked him off. “I believe it was never your decision nor thoughts that matter.”

“Then how come your words could strike an impact as well at the first place?” Suigetsu hid a mad grin sideways over the fast remark made by Karin.

“Because I know what should be done for the sake of this country. What do you know of it other than a few medicines that saved the wrong person’s life?” He brought upon Karin’s lack of knowledge in warfare.

Suigetsu’s features mould into one of killing intent within split seconds for he paced forward out of patience but Karin simply raised a hand with a disapproval shake of head. Understanding her wordless order to step out of it, he stopped his tracks with a scowl.

Seeing their actions, Kabuto proceeded his cruel attempt. “Allow me to present to you the prisoner, you highness.” He then turned towards two of his men standing by the door. “Bring her in.”

“Not so fast,” Suigetsu spoke in a strict tone, being in the same position as Kabuto in the army legion, he effectively made the two soldiers to be caught in between orders. “I believe it was up to the king to make the decisions instead of you, Kabuto.”

A little helpless over the clash of words, the soldiers turned to the king instead for further actions.

“Enough.” Kabuto gaped mid-air when the King finally spoke. “I am aware of the Senju medic’s presence, if any of you were wondering about. Though I have yet to decide anything on her at the time being under certain considerations.”

Hearing the few sentences alone had caused Karin to sigh a little out of relief though still holds majority of her breath and burden for as long as the discussion goes on.

“Your highness, I have a suggestion regarding that matter.” Karin tried, allowing a few seconds of silence to reach the king’s mind.

“Speak out your thoughts, Karin.”

Moving to the centre of the room, Karin inhaled before speaking. “Considering that the said Senju trespasser was a medic, I do hope to have her in aiding the medical department. That way, it will cease any possible misunderstanding from the other side as well as applying her ready skills for the better of our country.”

“And let her poison us all? What nonsense are you up to, Karin?” Kabuto pushed pass their conversation.

Ignoring him plainly, she kept her eyes straight towards the king. “How can you be sure that she will be a help and not trouble instead?”

It was normal for the king to have such suspense when it comes to the country’s safety, especially when everything is related to Senju. Gaining her self-confidence, Karin replies, “I will keep a close watch on her. I give you my words, you highness.”

“On your life?” the king asked, causing fear to ripple through the courtroom but it does not shrink Karin’s courage.

“On my life.” She secured her promise.

“Mine as well, your highness. On my life.” Suigetsu supported.

A small tug of smirk appeared on Itachi’s lips for a fleeting second before he nodded as an afterthought. “Then it shall be settled likewise. There is no need for the said person to be present at this moment, if that was all the concern for the time being?” he turned towards Kabuto, knowing well that the man was some sort of a power-thirst though said nothing for as long as there was no necessity upon it.

“Nothing else, your highness.” The cruel commander replied through gritted teeth.

“Then, the court shall dismiss.” 

On the other side of the court, the chaos continues. It went on too fast for her mind to even register the sudden shift of situation, seemingly the same goes to the soldiers whom were not fast enough to recover their grounds under the attack. The next thing she realised was the loosening of the strong grasps from both her arms as she fell on the cold ground over the release. Without another lingering moment, she rose to her feet in a retreating position, almost stumbling over the numbness of her feet.

Sakura’s eyes flew through the mess to find who her saviour was only to quickly recognise the flashing crimson eyes of the Uchiha prince. Sasuke was at her rescue again and to have think of all the consequences that comes with his defending act, it would surely made some suspicions arise. In that flash of a moment, the two made eye contact that seemed to have exchanged more than a simple glance. Hidden behind those looks were the unspoken words over countless of times they were trapped in a situation so similar not too long ago.

Having only five soldiers standing with fear flashing before their eyes as they registered the man to be their prince, their weapons were lowered though none seemed to want to disobey the commander’s words either. In the middle of the mess was an exhausted Sasuke, a hand clutched upon a long sword while the other was cushioning his wound. Seeing the prince losing his stance, Sakura rushed to his side to support him.

“What do you think you are doing, Sasuke?” her brows furrowed over anger and concern, trying to warn him of the consequences he had engaged himself into the moment he had decided to release her.

Still standing by his own risky actions, his features remained emotionless despite looking paler than usual as noted by Sakura. “Saving you.” He stated as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

Sasuke’s crimson eyes searched through the men, glaring upon the nearest whom was wobbling on his feet. “Who’s orders was it?” his voice resembled the calm before the storm. Those men passed each other looks that refused to betray their commander’s orders to the prince. “Speak!”

His holler echoed, scaring away their souls for they kneeled in obedience to their prince and replied. “C-Commander K-Kabuto, your highness.”

Obviously challenged just by the mention of the military commander, his eyes pierced towards the man whom replied. Whatever that happens in the castle ever since Sasuke’s return, the commander’s name was never far from it. He could feel his patience slipping away with his feared temper and now was the exact breaking point of that unrealistic reign of that man.

Sasuke turned his attention to the person he wanted to protect most though his eyes are fixated on the tainted bandage that Sakura was clutching. “Are you alright?”

She nodded. “You are much worse.”

Hearing her usual tone from that reply, a part of him was relieved on the fact that she had finally awaken from a series of disaster events up until now. Making a quick but firm decision, he let go of the sword on his left hand and reached for something around his neck. Sasuke smoothly takes off the metallic chain with a circular pendant and slips it through Sakura’s head, while the latter was still caught clueless. He simply gave her a look that shuts away the remaining questions from her mind.

“She will go nowhere without my word.” The prince gave a stern order to the soldiers and whoever that witnessed the whole situation. “That’s an order.”

Sakura’s heart beats faster as her ears perked up by the unlikely order by Sasuke realising the symbol of the mysterious necklace slipped by Sasuke around her neck. A way of protecting her for the time being. A shield against all odds there are, if any is to be directed towards her way starting from this moment on.

Jugo arrived the scene with three of his men and Sakura notes their uniforms’ similarities to the royal guards. Making through the lying bodies, he escorted both Sasuke and Sakura down a hallway that appeared strange to her just like any other place in the castle. 

Karin and Suigetsu head over the infirmary with a mad dash similar to the one earlier. Things might have settled at the court for the time being but nothing is certain to be completely safe until they had seen with their own eyes that Sakura is back with them. And then there was Sai whom had recently awaken from his equally long slumber just before the intrusion.

Instead of heading back to the infirmary that was barged into earlier, she knew well that Jugo will eventually bring them to her personal medical laboratory which was located at the deserted West Wing where Sasuke resides as well. The entire wing was purposely left unattended due to the prince’s request of having a personal place and that alone had aroused the rumour where the prince would harm whoever that dared to interrupt his space or rest. Hence that earned him the title of a monster.

True to her chaotic train of thoughts, Karin and Suigetsu halt their steps as they both met with three equally severe persons whom had been battling for their lives since the past week. Sasuke and Sakura were still capable of sitting up straight as opposed to Sai whom was leaning against a wall for the sake of supporting his weight. All three looked battered up and that alone surged panic through Karin as she pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and started to bark orders at Suigetsu and Jugo on the specific medical supplies required for the bleeding individuals. Luckily enough, Karin had a huge medical supply ready for her continuous research for new medicine options in a kingdom that seemingly lack of it. Of course the soldiers deemed it to be unnecessary and a waste of time compared to producing advanced war weapons, but that did not stop Karin’s personal passion as a medic to go on anyway.

She went straight to Sakura whom was still holding a hand over her chest as if to stop any rapid moving from causing further bleeding. Sakura’s pale face and hitched breathing simply confirms her suppressed pain, even to the extent of looking almost collapsing both in pain and exhaustion after the lively series of event not long ago. Their eyes met briefly before Karin’s swift hand started to gather ointments and work on Sakura’s arrow wound. It looked better than she first dealt with but judging from her shaking state, she could tell that there was still remnants of poison in her system. Karin changed the heavily stained bandage with a clean one before handing Sakura two different shaped pills and it did not take long for Sakura to note out their usage.

“Thank you, Karin. You better hurry and tend them.” She spoke in a whisper-like tone and squeezed Karin’s hand briefly, even if her grip was failing.

After a few seconds of delay, she nodded at her words before heading to Sai and tend his more serious wounds. It was not Sakura’s reply that paused a thought in Karin’s mind, in fact a glittering metal piece that now graced her neck that truly tug her attention momentarily. She does not need to seek for the truth behind that necklace alone because she of all people had known it instantly that it belonged to none other than the prince. There was not a time that it had ever separated from him. And of course, Sakura was always an exception when it comes to Sasuke.

Placing a new set of stitches on Sai’s wounds and assigned painkillers, Karin went straight to Sasuke and pulled the blinds so that it separated the two from the others. She flashed him a look of urgency before inspecting the damage of his wounds. Similar to Sai’s, the stitches were broken. Karin was preparing for her stitching task when she had decided to reveal the information from the brief meeting back in the throne room.

“As you might have already suspected, Kabuto was behind all this.” Her face displayed neutrality as she sterilised the needle. “He was convincing the king to punish Sakura under the crime of being a spy from Senju and keeping her alive for long is a serious mistake for our kingdom.” She gave a short warning as she began to stitch but Sasuke showed no sign of pain, too busy engaged in his long and wild thoughts.

Karin took that as her cue to continue. “I had suggested that Sakura would be helping me in working with new medical improvements for the sake of this kingdom and the king doubted it a little.”

“What then?” Sasuke asked in anticipation.

“I gave a promise over my life, Suigetsu as well. The king then dismissed Kabuto’s claim over Sakura for further actions.” Her hands stopped a while as she scanned the prince’s features. A stab of jealousy over Sasuke’s protectiveness towards Sakura messes with her mind a little but she pushed it away nonchalantly. “Sakura is safe for now. But I can’t guarantee it for long judging by the rise of doubts from every side of this matter, Sasuke.” She added her thoughts to the issue, highlighting the impossibility of protecting Sakura at all cost and it was not for her personal reason.

He heaved a soundless sigh. “That reason will be sufficient to keep her safe for now. I will think of the rest to keep Kabuto and his pesky minions away from her.”

A few minutes of silence passed with Karin concluding her task as the two go through their personal thoughts. Only when she passed him a few pills that he finally spoke.

“I need her close by to keep a watch on her.” Karin’s feet stopped when she was about to exit the room.

Karin gave him a firm nod before continuing her way out. It was no secret that she had been harbouring feelings towards the prince since knowing him when they were younger though the prince was never the one to pay a heed to such things for all he wanted to strive is the protection of his home, his kingdom.

And yet with Sakura around, the few things that evolved about his serious personality seem to be shifting as well.

Chapter Text

Records

She had planned to go through the medical records that Karin mentioned out of boredom and hopefully, to gain some information on the inner workings of the kingdom itself on the medical-side.

Karin entered the infirmary while engaged in an impossibly long train of thoughts since she woke up early in the morning. There were simply too many things that ran through her mind at once that she had completely ignored her surroundings, letting her feet guide her to the usual work station located at the left side of the room. She stood next to the counter for a full minute before setting a basketful of medicines on its top, letting out an audible sigh as her mind grind through the thought of a certain prince. His wound was out of her concern of course, for the medications worked perfectly well on his injuries, but its swift healing effect was the main contribution towards Sasuke’s stubborn decision of going back to the camp for more internal investigations.

She rested the side of her head on a propped arm as her eyes trail out the windows, her thoughts shift to another concern. The other saviour and the victim of the chaos from the past two days. As if on cue, her eyes darted from the scenery and towards the other side of the infirmary. Sakura was already sitting up on the bed, colours had returned to her skin despite her fair complex. Judging by the ease in her movement, seemingly her chest wound was healing fine as well. Sai, on the other hand, was sauntering near the cabinet that stored various ointments. Right next to it were shelves of arranged books and records from Karin’s medical studies.

Readily sensing Karin’s intense stare, Sai cast a glance from his shoulder towards her. “That’s quite a record of staying silent, Karin.” She sat up straighter, ready to defend herself but not before Sai finished talking. “If I am to remember your personality correctly.” His words were accompanied by a small chuckle from him.

Karin huffed a sigh, deciding to continue her personal thought session elsewhere and preferably alone. “Seems like you’re well enough to pull some jokes around, I see?” she shot back with a shake of her head and got up from her seat to undergo their daily check-up.

Half of the stitches along the gash on Sai’s torso were removed yesterday and Karin continues to work on the remaining ones today. Along the process, Karin was once again silent as her fingers weave expertly through each stitch, followed by a close inspection to make sure it was free from wound infection. Whatever focus she had drilled herself upon was once again interrupted by Sai’s puzzled stare. He knew her long enough that Karin does not need silence in order to stay focused upon the task in hand.

Instead of backing away from his gaze, Karin stands her ground. “Stop looking at me like I’m some kind of assassin you’re trying to observe.” She got up and head to the sink to wash her hands.

“How much time do I need?” he let the question trails.

“Before you head back to the camp to do whatever you needed to do?” Instead of scoffing, as expected by Sai, she surprised him with a low sigh. “Two more days, at least. But if you too are as determined as Sasuke, I don’t think my words would affect your decision of abandoning the rest period anyway so why bother.”

Sai turned from his seat to face Karin fully as the latter did the same to lean against the sink. “I assume the prince had gone out this morning?”

To that, she gave a slight nod. “He said he’ll be back at night but I’m no stranger to his empty promises.” A bitter smirk tug her lips as her eyes cast out the windows once again, overlooking the mountains.

Sakura had been quiet throughout their interactions, interpreting each information she could gain since her wake. The poison in her system had been removed entirely, leaving only a flesh wound on her back. Her mind too had seemed to return to its usual vigilant state all thanks to the medicines and the long hours of rest. If another attack is to be launched at her, she is sure to be able to defend or even escape to her own safety. What happened last time was enough to serve as a lesson for Sakura’s lack of precautions despite being in a state weakened by poison.

To have heard Sasuke leaving in a rush towards the army had aroused Sakura’s alertness towards the already chaotic state of the country. A single mistake could end his life once his identity is revealed to a possible betraying troop of soldiers. With Sasuke’s current health condition to concern, things could have escalated to the worst thought possible. Not that he never gambled with his life anyway and it was too often to her own liking.

“Sakura.” She snapped out of her daze from Karin’s voice and noticed that Sai was looking at her as well. Seeing her questioning look, Karin inhaled deeply before repeating her unheard words. “Since you’ll be staying in this lab from now on, you have free access to anything here as long as you remain only in this room under the prince’s strict orders.”

A piece of memory surges in Sakura’s mind as the last statement was spoken.

‘She will go nowhere without my word. That’s an order.’

Despite dating back for quite some time, she could still recall the menacing look on Sasuke’s eyes that complements his tone. Instead of letting herself to be lost in yet another nostalgic thought, she wakes herself into Karin’s continuous explanation.

“The right side of the infirmary will be yours to work with. References and books are located on the shelves.” And just like that, the Uchiha medic left for the door while bearing the same unreadable look since the morning.

What she spoke might be lacking of even the simplest warmth towards any known stranger, though it was not laced with sheer ice either.

Sakura was assigned to a room within the infirmary where she needs to walk past all the bookshelves from the main atrium. It deemed to be more spacious than she had first thought, but she is careful to not venture to the other side of the room as per self-advised. Karin was kind enough to have shared her personal space with Sakura, or perhaps it might be the prince’s said orders to start with. Either way, it was only wise to try to preserve her part of the room for Sakura can only do just as much.

For the rest of the day, since she had woken up feeling better after a series of disastrous events, Sakura decided to keep a close observation to her surroundings since Sai had left not long after Karin in the morning. Where they had gone to, it remained unknown to her. The room, or rather the entire West wing, was truly a place of sheer silence. Taking that to her own advantage, Sakura kept quiet during her inspections for she tries to sort out any unnatural approach out of developed paranoia. Settling to the realisation that the West wing was isolated from any sort of presence, be it palace maids or even patrolling guards, she felt a tinge of safety at the moment. Any unknown individual may pose a threat to her and since she was yet again left alone in the heart of a place she had hardly known, Sakura could only opt to act as if she was not there at the first place.

She retired into the night without neglecting her vigilance until the day breaks again.

Waking up with a rather violent jerk, Sakura scolded herself under her breath. She had accustomed to waking up in the same manner despite only hearing the chirps of the morning birds. Getting out of the neat bed and pushed the curtains aside, the clear glass windows allowed the sunlight to penetrate through it and into the plain white room as she gazed out to the natural scenery. What made her eyes linger would be the time lost since she had ever make sense of the change around her. Gone were the unforgiving summer heat that invades the vast land of fire since generations of the land’s forefathers. Chilly air and barren trees were what lay before her eyes now. Autumn had always struck some sort of longingness in her heart for the nature became a reminder of home, her roots. The heartache that was carefully tugged away was slowly returning to her senses now, and again, she found herself struck in yet another helpless feeling of still lurking on the grounds of their supposed enemy.

Sakura shook her head a little with renewed hope with more ease compared to when despair first messed with her life. She should be grateful that she was still breathing and well alive up until now; healed even. And for that, she is still capable of finding a way of turning her hopelessness around when the right time comes. Running away does not seem to be fair either for Sasuke had been trying hard to save her from time to time and that just made her doubt on her next action. The other option happens to be talking to the prince regarding this matter in private. Though she could not rely solely on the walls of the palace to speak the truth in her mind. Not to mention his absence nearby her that might have stretched to god knows how long until they are fated to meet again, and the latter had always come with a gamble with one of their lives.

She heaved a long sigh before noting the other elements out the window once again. No matter how hard she had tried to come up with a solution, she was once again stumped halfway. The sounds of the birds shifted again this time though Sakura was less than surprised by it. Instead of sparrows and pigeons, crows seemed to dominate this land, hence bringing a sense of mystic from the haunting stories passed down from one generation to another. She scrutinize upon a murder of crows that was resting on the exterior metal railings of the level. Their midnight black feather and sound had earned them a reputation of evil despite not causing real trouble or even a threat to mankind. Yet, words twisted the truth into an image of a monster when man reimagined the crows of possessing hypnotic red eyes. She held no fear or even hatred towards them for she believes that each life deserves a chance to live with or without the approval of another person.

She was about to leave when another bird landed directly on her window pane. From her peripheral view, she had distinguished its dark-shaded feathers as one of the crows but turned at it anyway. Much to her astonishment, it was indeed a rare sight to see. A falcon.

Jugo had informed her of the secret knock whenever he or his other trusted comrades would drop off food at the accessing window to the left side of the main entrance and Sakura had always woke up earlier than the sunrise out of habit. Hence, she stayed near the door quietly in the morning, noting the sound of the approaching footsteps and even the practiced door knock. For safety purposes, she never replied and waited for some time before accepting the meal right outside the accessing window.

Plain light shirts and dark trousers made of rougher fabrics became her attire for the past few days. There were a few sweaters available as well, and she cannot help but to think of the thorough preparation one had done for her move despite the unseen haste. She had thought that maybe some belonged to Karin while most consists of the usual medic outfits; light-coloured fabrics that distinguishes the neutral party of the medical team while operating in the midst of a battle field. Some of the drawers in the closet were equipped with pouches used to carry small amount of medicine for the same occasion. Without sparring much of a second thought, it was filled with the self-developed ointments she made since she had got her hands on the raw supplies in the laboratory.

As the count in her head reaches, she slide the window and pulled the food tray inwards smoothly. She then pulled out a needle from the pouch that hung on her waist by a leather belt and pierced it into the meat before observing the tip of the metal closely. Nothing suspicious in the food. Sakura had yet to gain the slightest appetite since she got into the Uchiha kingdom but she needs to refill her energy continuously whenever she got the chance. Hence there was a lesser consent on the taste but more on the safety and energy provided itself. Most of the food was finished shortly for there was no point in wasting too much time contemplating on the food. She bought the plate into her room and pushed a small amount of the food into an empty kidney-bowl before washing it and stack it with the rest next to the sink.

It had been three days since her stay and she had filled those times with plants’ research and producing useful ointments for emergency uses, hence that was why she kept them near her all the time. She had planned to go through the medical records that Karin mentioned out of boredom and hopefully, to gain some information on the inner workings of the kingdom itself on the medical-side. Senju had always been abundant with herbal plants and yet it was never enough to feed those in need on time and that left her to wonder if the same situation actually happened in Uchiha as well. Though from her own perspective, the only herbal resource the country could access to was the now heavily-guarded forest or some could be from the high mountains. There was no sign of herbal plants-culturing too, except for the few wilting ones by the window pane between Karin’s side of the lab and her current working space. Of course she had took notice of it and proceeds into saving what she could and as a result, some of those plants glowed healthily under the sunlight. From that, she deduced that Karin had hardly stayed in the palace due to her endless work as a medic in a kingdom lacking of qualified ones.

Sakura sat on one of the stools while watering the plants, keeping in mind that they only need sufficient amount of water while digging deep into her previous thoughts. Those that were dated back when she was abruptly assigned to work with the other medics in one of the war victims’ camps. How those medics had been distributing the carelessly-made medicines that may lead to the cost of one’s life. It did not happen right before her eyes but there is no need to witness such tragedy to find out what it actually does. Civilians are the assets of a kingdom and without their support, it was only a matter of time before the kingdom itself loses its might.

The lives lost in a war had always been out of one’s control, even for the strategist themselves. They prefer to class it as fallen force, those who tied the noose around their neck for the sake of what the war catalysts claimed as a great sacrifice for the mankind and for a greater good. Sakura, of all people, knows how it felt to stand there and watch thousands of lives march into what could be the last thing they see or do though was rendered powerless by the natural means of a war. It was the life she lived before she took the oath to save more innocent lives, now a looping nightmare that refuses to leave her mind at all times. She wondered if one will ever catch sight of it someday. If they could really see and feel the thing that arises her guilt in every war. But of course, it was only wishful thinking for the hope for peace was none other than an impossible faraway dream that even she could not effort to glimpse upon in her sleep. Now that she has another matter, in another country, to deal with, she cannot help but continue to ponder upon the lives killed not by the clash of weapons, but something as irony as the medicine itself.

Careless does not fit into the puzzle at all the more she scrutinize upon those thoughts. The jars of liquid medicine she was accused for back then. Now that she came to a clear realisation about it, dread laces her nerves. It did not take too long for the needles to turn black and that only means the poison concentration in it was rather high. It was a pure poison and they are impossible to be made out of careless accident either. It was purposely made before it was widely distributed. Since Sakura was already in their way for whatever motives they hide, they had to blame Sakura, naturally. They do not need a medic to interfere whatever they are planning on, what more of having an outsider that comes from a rivalling kingdom. From this point of view, everything seemed to connect in a more possible manner. She cannot help but to be grateful of the unexpected escape from that camp.

If that was the case, then the Uchiha kingdom might have faced a more serious threat to its people while neglecting the war factor. There were traitors from within the kingdom though it comes from a supposed neutral party whom was in-charge of saving lives instead of killing them. And worse of all, they could act it out of an accident or their own carelessness when the truth being, they are excellent poison-makers to start with. They will no doubt continue to act in a similar way to avoid any suspicion. That too explains how Sasuke’s eyes’ irritation back then. Sakura remembered seeing the two familiar medics. The prince must have sensed the foul play where it later resulted in him chasing them away as his rage slips away. She could even recall them begging for mercy over their ‘mistakes’. Then that was too close for comfort even for the invincible prince himself.

Sakura stood up and headed back to the rack of medical records where she had started last night while bearing the heavy outcomes of a thought. Going through the records might help her to gain the idea of the health pattern in Uchiha and that will help her to come up with a more solid conclusion rather than considering her own unproved flashbacks. The first two rows of racks were filled with ancient tales and literatures, none that she had not known either, and she skipped to the rack in the third row and towards the sixth where the latter was mostly empty. The records were written in the same format as in Senju, speeding up her reading where she was halfway through the fourth rack by noon time.

By now, Sakura could see the diagnosis patterns of the victims in Uchiha as treated and recorded by Karin. Turns out the illnesses experienced by the Uchiha population ranges from mid-war diseases to poisons. Most civilians fall into the diseases’ category while soldiers were mostly recorded into the poisons’ category. Sakura does not need any confirmation to her theory behind the second fact for she was constantly tied up to the said cause anyway. Some poisons had no found antidote, which then leads to limb amputation and losing their occupation as soldiers. She had to admit that the recorded poisons were nothing unfamiliar back in Senju, especially the production of their respective antidotes. Though through the hard times and limited resources, Sakura had accustomed to a speedy reproduction of antidotes.

Sakura took a few glances towards Karin’s side of the infirmary and recognised the few bottled up medicines by the counter. Karin is by far the most decent medic in this country, rivalling her skills too if given the chance though Sakura had never seen that as some sort of a threat. This country needs more medics like her in order to get itself shaped-up in a better health. But if all lives had solely depended on her sole discoveries, time could easily outrun her and the consequences of losing an army of soldiers are simply too big of a risk given their current turmoil. Despite the fact that the Uchiha kingdom’s renown specialty in warfare, the decreasing in the numbers of soldiers could eventually lead to their downfall. Sakura started to jot down a few floral names that could aid in the still undiscovered antidotes.

When the night time falls, she had only lighten up a lantern to keep her company with her continuous readings. Within an hour’s time, she could have completed the sixth rack. Sakura had decided to gain as much information as possible in a short time span for she could not foretell what might happen to herself the next moment. She might get captured again the very next day, or even in the next hours. The serene air attracted chilly breeze from the ventilation openings at the night, further stirring the uncomfortable feeling that settles in her guts. She has to be prepared at all times.

True to her own estimation, she managed to finish the last book at the last available row of the sixth rack as the night wears out. She sat the lantern aside and leant against the rack for a little to get rid of her back pain from sitting up at extended times. Allowing her mind to travel back in time for a little, she started to note the intricate pattern that decorated the frame of the book shelf. Each and every detail of the symbol was carved carefully to note out its representatives for the plants and animals and she would gladly credit the stunning craft of the artist for his job. Though when journeying towards the bottom layer of the rack, something had immediately caught her eyes. Something akin to a concealed drawer for there were rectangular gap surrounding the secluded piece. There was no handle to it and her quick assumptions were that it was supposed to be kept as a secret compartment to anyone else. But yet, she discovered it rather unintentionally.

Curiosity had begged her sane self to discover the drawer though overthinking causes Sakura to halt that very thought. It would not be something tolerable for an outsider like her to venture into something that was hidden in the palace. True, the two countries might have shared some sense of hatred and in war at the moment, but she was no one to interfere it in any way. But to think that it was hidden in the medical laboratory and not in one of the royalties’ possession or their chambers was rather quizzical. Does anyone ever take notice of it or had she just stumbled upon another thing that she was not supposed to? The last time she had come across an intense fight scene had almost costs her own life. So, should she really step into yet another uncertain situation? Sakura glanced back at the notebook that was filled with her rushed writings. There was a number of unknown poisons that became the main reason behind the increased death toll in this country. The antidotes were simply too out of reach when the source of the poison alone is unidentified.

With a simmer of bright thinking, Sakura could only hope that it stores an answer to the said poisons and one that eventually leads into helping the people. Bearing the same thought in mind, she sat up straight and started to search around for a way to make the drawer to extrude from its hidden space. She would decide on her actions once she sees the inside of the drawer. If it had to do with the personal affairs of the Uchiha kingdom, Sakura would leave the matter to be without sparing another curious thought.

Sakura scrutinized upon each detail of the carving, having a strong sense of some sort of button contraption that connects to the drawer. Apart from the flora and fauna carvings, there were a few spaces dedicated to the solar system, namely the sun and the moon. She could note out the small bits of wood carving as stars whereas the sun comes with a few heat lines surrounding it. The moon has the same size as the sun despite appearing smaller in the real sky. Stopping by the bottom left side of the border, she paid extra attention on the last part of her inspection and its nearest location to the traces of the hidden part of the shelf. Carving of stars surrounded the moon in a formation of the constellations though the same can be seen from the other three shelves. Exhaling loudly through her lips, she continues to crouch and stare at the last pattern in deep thought. Still refusing to give up, she went back to study the patterns of the former book racks and returned to the last one where she sat on the floor with her legs crossed. It took her awhile of ponder before she noticed the small different the moon symbol holds.

The moon was portrayed as a mere circle on the other three racks, symbolizing the new moon. While the one she was currently staring at has another curved line in it, she came to a staggering realisation that it eventually resembles the gibbous moon or even the Uchiha kingdom’s insignia. Sakura placed the lantern at the corner to gain a better sight of it.

She then reached out her forefinger to touch the moon symbol only to linger in the air for a few seconds in the concern of a possible trap. Taking the risk anyway, she brushed her finger across the moon and felt the slight move beneath it for what indeed looks like a mechanical push button. Sakura applied force through the button and the bottom part of the wooden furniture starts to shift into a different position. Sakura moved backwards a little to make space for the change as she watches closely as each piece shift to emerge the compartment from its hidden cavity. Her heartbeats doubled when the drawer came to a full view, revealing a thick book.

Instead of confusion, a feeling of familiarity washes over her as she lifts the book from the drawer and brush against its metal carved title.

Chapter Text

Scavenge

To anyone else, her words might have left a deep cut but Sasuke had known better of her safety concern for he had been attempting his best to protect Sakura all these times, especially when it comes to unwanted trespassers.

It did not take Sakura long to finish the book, even to the extent of burning the midnight oil out of the one and only purpose of understanding the course of history from her supposed enemy’s point of view. She expected something entirely different to be recorded in that book, for it was written by the former Uchiha ruler, though the sequence of events had easily matched the ones she remembered by heart from the historical records back in Senju. From the formation of the proud united nation to the devastating war that separates a big portion of its population, nothing was left out. The only difference being the way those events were written, the use of words that symbolised their raw emotions back then.

The breakout of the war was never something to be forgotten by anyone who lived within the boundaries of the Land of Fire, including Sakura whom only aged a delicate eight years old when her father was sent out to aid the country’s army troop. The restless period stretched for the next five years where both sides exchanged attacks and defences relentlessly. The wild fire that spread from villages to villages had never managed to escape Sakura’s mind. As terrifying as witnessing both men and women being burned to death right before her eyes, it was out of the same reason that she had planted a deep determination in her heart to rise stronger for the sake of helping the people she cared and loved. There were no true words that can capture her emotions upon her father’s constant departure and the relief that came once he made it back in one piece. The same scenario repeated as she grew up. The war was far from gone though the pace has lessen over the years, except for the growing hatred towards one another that had passed down from the current generation to the next.

The Uchiha clan was once trusted as the Land of Fire’s most-skilled army troop that was feared by many, easily rivalling the equally great Senju clan for both clans possessed respective special abilities within their bloodlines. Under the same king, they had never held back any known deep grudges, only a healthy competition in terms of their troop’s achievements in each battle they had fought together against the possible invaders. Their strong cooperation and harmony, along with the other coexisting clans, had forged the nation into an indestructible one that had eventually led to their neighbouring countries’ request of building a diplomatic relationship rather than wishing to oppose them or even act as a standalone. The greatness of the Land of Fire had soared their name into a wide berth, carving marks of memorial history over the success of the ruler into bringing the nation close to an ideal peace. And out of the balance of nature, nothing good could last forever as the need of a man continues to grow into personal desires.

The great misunderstanding started off between the rivalling Uchiha clan and Senju clan when one had accused the other of betrayal against their kingdom. Despite their sheer attempt in clearing their name from the framed treason, their words had only fell upon the deaf ears of the royalties. Being blinded by his own clan’s point of view, the current Senju King passed an order of suspending all the Uchiha clan members from their current means of living regardless the importance of their jobs until further investigation took place. The estranged relationship between the two powerful clans had caused some to torn by the thought of the former peace that slips away with time.

The effect that comes after was almost unbearable when the Uchiha clan members were largely isolated by their fellow civilians. Gone were the friendly conversations and friendship built upon mutual trusts, replaced by strange stares and distasteful rumours passed amongst the people. Before the situation could turn any colder, the Uchiha clan leader had announced of their departure from the capital and back to where they had been originally staying before moving out with the united act of all clan leaders; their ancestry land. The tension took up on a more serious note when masked assassins started to wreak havoc from one neighbouring village to another near the Uchiha border. Out of distraught minds driven by pure panic, the attack had easily been linked to Uchiha clan’s betrayal where their prior retreat was a part of the plan before launching their trump card against a supposed enemy.

As if blocking a growing plague, the Senju king had ordered a division between the kingdom’s lands and the Uchiha’s lands on the attacked border. That act alone triggered a great depression amongst the immediate civilians of both lands for the situation had forced them to choose a side, causing a monstrous shift between the borders.

Tragically, the division between the two lands were imbalanced to say the least. A majority of the powerful ones chose to side the Senju clan for most were threatened and still believed the perception of the Uchiha clan’s betrayal, leaving the latter to defend themselves at all cost due to the insufficient man power to guard their borders. Despite the growing accusation towards the Uchiha clan, the people whom had lived alongside their land for ages had taken into their sheer decision of staying with them out of support, despite greatly reduced by initial number.

‘The beginning of the great division.’ Sakura thought to herself as her eyes swept through the words carefully with heaviness that lingers in her mind.

The Uchiha clan’s ancestry land was easily cut out of the nation for they inhabited the furthest corner of the land for the sake of overlooking the sea to gain an earlier sense of danger. Having the highest peak of the rock mountain in their possession had simply enhanced their impressive eye prowess by earning them the full bird’s eye view of their surroundings. The trace of imaginary map then disappears from Sakura’s main thought as she brought her subconscious back to the book.

Drawing the line was simply the biggest decision and possibly the worst one of all for it marked the climax of the misunderstanding that comes with an official declaration of war. Since the shift, the only thing that separates the two newly-declared kingdoms was the thickening forest that both had kept a high guard upon. And it all began on another sinister twist of fate that changes things for once and for all.

On that fateful night, the clan leaders in Senju’s territory, along with the leader of the Uchiha clan, were called out for an agreed negotiation meeting. Both sides had been wary since the agreement were met though chose to stay silent and prepared themselves for a possible turn of situations. What truly happened behind anyone’s clear knowledge was an unseen massive attack launched upon the Uchiha kingdom.

The attack was planned so carefully that each kill made by those invaders were aimed at none other than the members of the clan itself, causing a massacre of the entire clan to be done within the night. Of course, none of the other clan leaders were aware of it until it was entirely too late to try to even the battle out. A small part of the clansmen were lucky enough to be alive by escaping into the Senju’s land, triggering the offense of the border guards towards the invaders that saved them. By then, the Senju clan leaders had dispatched some of their men to enter the Uchiha’s border to gain some insight of the current situation within the kingdom itself.

Sakura felt herself broken by the surge of feelings she had trouble controlling since reading the book. There were signs of dried blood and burned edges of the next few pages around this part, proving that the book had somehow survived the chaos and another person had continued the history, as noted by the difference in their handwriting. The words and tone that comes with it were no longer filled with emotion or sadness. Accurate description that comes with plain anger overwhelmed the story. Pure coldness.

It was stated that those dispatched men were sent back harshly as the order giver sworn to only rise as their own and were no longer related to their opposing land. A clear betrayal that comes from a former close ally that costed them almost all of their own clansmen’s death. A deadly massacre.

The overall writing ends there. But the page that comes after had baffled Sakura’s heart and mind the most.

‘We are alive, and together we will rise to clear those sacrificed lives.’

There were four names jotted at the bottom right of the book, two were briefly known by her through the past course of historical reading, but the other two names had always sent her mind into a pausing thought.

‘Itachi Uchiha.’ The current Uchiha king, as Sakura could shortly note.

‘Sasuke Uchiha.’

She read it in her mind as her eyes stayed on the name longer than any other words in the book. There was simply too little things she had known about him and yet too much to not have a connection to him.

Sakura closed her eyes and heaved a long sigh. As much as she still possess the naïve hope for ‘peace’, she cannot help but to try to wrap her mind around the matter that seemed to have a deeper story behind it. It was a strange sensation and rather unpleasant to her out of her nature, but Sakura might have caught a glimpse of real emotion despite only encountering written words throughout the book.

The betrayal and their hatred.

The soft sound of flapping that neared her window was half expectant from her. The daily appearance of the small visitor had never cease to amaze her and it truly rise her curiosity. It was unlikely for a bird to travel in the midst of the darkness of the night, safe for this particular falcon. Its routine includes stopping by the window pane and stare at Sakura until she cracks the window glass open a little to allow it indoors and safe from the chilly autumn air. The small portion of her food laid untouched in the kidney bowl until she retrieved it and placed it in front of the falcon. She would sometimes talk to it as if the falcon was her close friend, and perhaps that would be true given her identity and the current country she was living in. She did note the strange glint of its eyes but deemed it to be its normal trait.

As if sensing her troubled thoughts, the falcon seemed to stare at Sakura more intently than usual though she only flashed it a reassuring smile.

“I’m sure that peace will prevail, someday, somehow.” She stated bluntly, asking herself if her ideal thoughts were actually some sort of an unreachable dream of hers.

Despite the calmness of the night, Sakura had never truly rested well for she kept a keen ear to her surroundings. To add into her main concern, the events from the book continued to replay in her mind as she tried to dig deep into each situation and scrutinize upon any small yet crucial details that none had noticed before. As if proving her state of mind, the book had hardly left her grip. Every word within became a part of her memory.

Sakura’s next concern, on the other hand, involved the inconsistent knocking pattern that had yet visited her tonight. There were no particular time sequence for the unknown man to appear outside the laboratory, but their choice had always been during the night time. There were no other person except for the king and the prince’s chambers on the West Wing and given the vastness of the castle, the former would have not discerned of such visit especially during these late hours.

The reverberating click that came from the infirmary were small but enough to jerk Sakura’s suspicion as her eyes darted over the room door. Setting the book aside swiftly, she blew out the candle in the hopes of disguising herself through the dark. Whoever the silent trespasser might be, Sakura could not help but to keep a firm reminder to herself of the worst case scenario at the moment. She was not entirely helpless this time. She could only count on her silenced steps and the scalpel swiped off from her research counter to save herself. The latter will only be used when the time calls for it.

As if sensing her presence, the footsteps neared the room and rattled with the doorknob in a manner that could pass as sneaking in. Of course she had left the door unlocked on purpose as a last attempt of her escape as well as dismissing the intruder of suspense from the room. By now, Sakura had hid herself behind a tall closet that was located near the door, strategic for her fight or flight situation.

The door creaked ajar as Sakura’s heartbeat tripled its speed. Instead of inching away after sometime of observing the interior of the room, the man took a step forward for further self-investigation. Sakura’s grip upon the scalpel tightened as her mind counted for the man’s next two steps before she could strike, buying valuable time and her own observation on him. The bright side of this doomed situation would be that the man carried no weapons. Or visible ones, she thought. She believed to be more advantageous either way, given her maintained silence.

She was at peace at first only to recall a hidden dagger strapped neatly under the study table where the man was heading. The realisation caused Sakura to rethink of her already shortened time. Just as the man’s attention was shifted to the table, as if reading her thoughts, Sakura snatched the chance to move out the door and escape to somewhere safer.

Though her attempt was stopped short by a strong grip around her left wrist. Out of response, Sakura pulled her hand as she thrust the other that held the scalpel towards the man. The low grunt is the only confirmation that her attack succeeded but there was no time for her to be secured for the man’s grip on her tighten in response. Before his other hand could catch up to her scalpel movement, Sakura strikes again. This time aiming towards the hand that kept her bound from freedom. He hissed in pain but his grip remained firm. Deciding to turn the tables, the man used his momentum to spin Sakura and trapped her shoulders within his strong grip and pulled her closer to him. Despising the frustration and fear that crept in her head, she glared back at the man only to be caught speechless.

“Sakura, it’s me.” A pair of crimson eyes stared back at her as his familiar but frustrated voice discarded her fear.

“Sasuke?” She breathed out, their close proximity seemed to be forgotten after the clash. As their senses were awaken by the moments of unspoken verbal conversation, Sasuke released his hold as Sakura slid the scalpel to the corner of the table.

“Are you hurt?” Concern laced her breathless voice when she recalled the usage of the scalpel the second after.

Without wasting another moment, she lit up the candle and pulled out a stool for Sasuke to rest. It felt safer to talk in her current room for it was deeper into the infirmary and none would hear a thing nor catch any lingering shadows if one had managed to sneak into the West Wing. She then fetched an aid kit and placed it on the table. The fire emitted by the candle danced throughout her swift movements. Of course she had not waited for the man with little words to answer her question before proceeding to what she had aimed to next.

“I’m fine.” He insisted while Sakura only turned to give him a sharp glance before settling opposite him with a number of supplies set on the table.

“And you are to convince a medic that your armour was not stained by your blood, coming from,” Sakura’s eyes trailed from his elbow to the shoulder and quirked an eyebrow in a light sense of sarcasm, “Your left shoulder. Deep enough to draw a moderate bleeding flow.”

Sasuke scoffed. The way Sakura described his wound was undeniably accurate though it was akin to a strategist reasoning her choice of war method if one ever questioned her decision and analysis. Without uttering another word of response, Sasuke started to discard his armour and took off the black undershirt with movement difficulty, revealing a long nasty gash from his shoulder down to his upper elbow, exactly as expected by Sakura.

Sakura was professional enough to keep her personal thoughts to herself as she glanced past the countless scars on his back. Her medic nature identifies each to be caused by a different range of weapons. He rarely shows it but there were times when Sasuke’s cold features reveal the struggle he was forced to face since then. And after reading the records simply awakens Sakura into a new insight. It did not take her long to continue to focus on the gash and started to work to heal it with the given medications provided by Karin’s laboratory. Sasuke, on the other hand, was trying to discern any discomfort from Sakura from his marred backside though strangely found none and felt relief from it.

“You deserve an apology from the attacking attempt earlier. I didn’t know it was you.”

It had only been more than a week since all of his allies left Sakura alone with the laboratory space at her disposal and yet both were feeling peculiar on how long it actually felt since then.

“I had just returned from the camp.” To that, Sakura only nodded tentatively. “I need a personal evaluation of the situation within the castle walls.”

She was wrapping up her work when she sat again and inspect his cut wounds from the scalpel. Sasuke had refused her help with the ointments and decided to treat those skin-deep wounds by himself. If it was not for his sharp sense from his years of army training, her attacks were capable of truly injuring another person. For some reason, he was not entirely shock of the fact that Sakura might be a weapon wielder as well.

“Something serious enough that catches your immediate attention.” Sakura stated carefully as her brows furrowed, taking back the bottle of ointment from Sasuke.

He nodded grimly, staring back at her as if to pass a deadly message that she has yet to decipher. Just as Sakura was done pushing all those medical supplies into the nearest drawer, a familiar series of knocks caused the two to tense up and stare at each other in alarm. For the second time tonight, Sakura bent over the desk and blew out the candle before heading towards the room door to peek over the laboratory’s entrance, in which the latter was still secured to a shut.

Out of her quick thinking, Sakura was now perplexed as to how Sasuke had managed to appear in there without accessing the main entrance at the first place but decided to keep that query aside for the time being. She might be lacking descent sleep since the past few months, if not completely gone unconscious in some fatal tragedies. But Sakura was sure that none of the current situation was a phantasm. Sasuke’s quick movement alongside her had dismissed her illogical thought completely. The exhaustion must have finally caught up to her.

“Does this happen often?” the prince asked in a voice close to a whisper near her ear.

“Only since the past four days.” She answered in an equal voice without pausing a beat, both were now focusing on the continuous knock and the faint exchange of words right outside the entrance.

Feeling the sheer silence after her reply, Sakura took a glance towards him only to sense the stiffness of Sasuke’s features in the midst of the moonlight. The ointment must have released a good measure of his wound for he took no trouble in slipping back to his shirt. “It’s no longer safe for you to stay here.” Came his strained reply as he left Sakura at the door.

Following him back into the centre of the room, she almost scoffed out of the anxiety over the knocking that has yet to stop. “I don’t suppose I was given any option to that.”

To anyone else, her words might have left a deep cut but Sasuke had known better of her safety concern for he had been attempting his best to protect Sakura all these times, especially when it comes to unwanted trespassers. Their current mind turmoil seemed to halt as the knocking stops. Sakura was about to release the breath she had been holding until obvious clicking sounds filled the air.

Unlike Sasuke’s silent entrance, the trespasser seemed to struggle a bit on the front door lock. Hence this leaves enough time for Sasuke and Sakura to cleanse the place from any possible signs of their presence simultaneously out of the same precautious thoughts, where Sasuke managed to gather his armour and hid it inside the nearest closet soundly.

Not knowing where to go or finding the best hiding spot as the door creak open, Sasuke pulled a panicked Sakura into the closet with him. Despite its large exterior as first noted, having two people hiding in there took up most of the space, leaving them no choice but to cramp up together in deep silence.

The trespassers, around two men as predicted by both of them through their whispered voices, were quick to have gone through the entire laboratory as if in a rapid search of something specific. Or rather, someone, as thought by Sasuke. Sakura, on the other hand, kept most of her attention to her ears while an equally big part of her was merely distracted by the person who held her so close, especially when Sasuke’s arm was rested on her shoulders in a protective manner.

“She’s not here.” One stated rather furiously, trampling with the furniture before pushing the door violently with a loud bang. Sasuke had expected Sakura to flinch over the sound but she was as still as he is, adding to his list of unpredictability when it comes to her.

Though the thing that unsettles him the most would be his proven suspicion on the heated search on Sakura. If he had delayed his return to the castle, another chaotic scene might as well as prevail before he could stop it. Since his order of claiming Sakura under his watch in order to protect Sakura from the scavengers, none had dared to start an upfront confrontation in the public eyes or even in the knowledge of the king himself, for all knew that the prince’s orders are as important as the king’s authority. But that never stopped their attempt on working in the shadows under the command of their opposing leader.

Sensing the peaking tension that radiates from Sasuke since his return tonight, Sakura tilted her head towards him and caught sight of the dangerous gleam of crimson in his eyes. She then reached to his other arm and gave it a firm squeeze in an attempt of getting through to him in the midst of his inner turmoil. As much as they wanted to break free from the scavengers anytime sooner, given their lack of weaponry and Sasuke’s injury, it was better to keep out of any possible clash for the time being.

Aware of her passed message, he meet her gaze and returned a nod.

Chapter Text

Refuge

Sakura spoke with renewed confidence as their hands continue to clasp together, as if proving their spoken point and the unspoken promise of staying alive.

The silence that came had easily build tension between the two in each passing moment. Opting to skip a verbal agreement, both had headed towards the different corners of the infirmary and started their inspections, safely leaving a large gap between one another while still on edge of a highly possible attack that might come any time.

Sakura worked swiftly between the medical counter and cupboards, noting all of the medicines that could be conserved while careful not to shift anything too obvious. She was clear of the unspoken need of disguising their very presences at all cost, not that it was something new to her anymore. But given their current condition, it is safe to say that it serves as some sort of climax to the façade.

The prince was last seen inspecting, searching for each and every detail left by the trespassers in a quiet rage. The question continues to linger in the tensed air as both refused to add in another word, escaping their current dead-end of solutions to the plain threat. He does not need any extreme reminder of the slipping time whenever it comes to disguising Sakura from the main attention forever. Stopping on his tracks for a bit in an attempt of gathering a sane mind, he stood up straight and turned towards Sakura’s side of the room. Similar to him, she was locked in a grim expression as her head ran through all sorts of possibilities, not that it went unknown to him despite their brief conversations. She was smart enough to keep the lab deserted at all times to have the attack launched only tonight, and luckily, he was there to somehow aid and witness the entirety of the dreadful event. Sasuke had half-expected Sakura to portray a normal reaction of fear to such occurrences, but she was far from any of his related thoughts given their past exchanges.

Noting his long stare, Sakura turned and the two were engaged in short eye-contact before breaking off ever so awkwardly. Without one realising much, a full month had passed since Sakura was saved from Kabuto’s unexpected visit. And that too marks the last time she had ever seen the prince. To have him back well and alive, arises a sense of relief in her that she had never realised to have kept in herself.

The sky was still dark when they had done with all the inspection and salvation tasks. There was no sign of incoming footsteps or ruckus of any kind that could pass as a threat, proving that their disguise had worked well despite the enemy’s close range. Hence, the lab could no longer serve as her hiding space and not to mention the fact that, no matter how much she had think of that particular matter, she could never come up with a solution. This simply pushes her mind into reminiscing the days when she had first found herself on the grounds of a supposed enemy’s country. It had sounded so simple back then, where the lines between two different parties were drawn so clearly. Though it all turned blurry given the sequence of events that dragged her life, alongside the prince. Nothing was ever as it seems.

“Sakura,” Sasuke’s voice shook her off her long reverie as she looked at the prince in question, mind drown in an endless thought that no words could come to a quick reply. The prince must have sensed it for he continues right away. “This place is no longer safe for you to stay. We need another that is out of their reach.”

Sasuke nudged the broken debris of what looked to be a part of a wooden drawer with his left foot as an attempt of keeping himself in check. Despite sounding rather detached on the matter in hand, Sakura’s need of a constant move had greatly irritated Sasuke. That was up until this turning point that had challenged his thinning patience. The safest place he had thought of shielding Sakura from the creeping enemies just happened to be the one that gave them a good advantage of… He allowed the word to trail into nothingness for that particular word alone had boiled his blood, adding to the inner turmoil of his already hectic head.

A few moments of silence and ponder came from Sakura, she too was trapped in a mass of thoughts. “And where would that be, exactly?” She asked half-heartedly for her attention was almost everywhere but at Sasuke.

Deeming no direct reply from the prince, Sakura took this chance to let her emotions to surface for the better of it. “You can’t continuously do this, Sasuke.” Despair was obvious in her voice but most importantly, she refused to settle upon the fact that Sasuke’s life might just be as perilous as hers. “You kept on saving me from time to time, even risking your life along with it. Look at this place, were all that worth it? Does having someone tailing and aiming for your life just to get to me, to capture or even kill, worth the call for it? God knows what will happen next.” She muttered the last part as she clasped her face in both her hands in a show of true frustration.

What went unaware to Sakura was Sasuke’s clenched fist upon the word ‘kill’ as his jaw tightened in a deathly display. His previous thought was forced to an end due to the need of avoiding the word reference that he had come to hate, especially when it was related to the people he wanted to protect. Hearing such pessimism from Sakura was a first, but he will need to remind himself that no amount of courage could face the unknown danger that lurks closer by in each passing moment. Sasuke was never a man of words, hence that made the action of keeping his true thoughts to himself an effortless task in the midst of the surging anger.

Sakura was still capable of controlling her voice but held nothing back when it comes to continuing her unfinished words. “Nothing has changed since we first met, really. It has always been my mistake to trespass into the wolves’ den and then hope that someone will rescue me. When will this cycle ever stops?” Her voice was breaking at this point though tears were still at bay for most of her emotions were born of rage.

Instead of feeling equally challenged by the rising turmoil in the air, Sasuke’s heart seemed to have taken a turn to a softer side after hearing Sakura’s outburst. For some reason, he was relieved to hear her true thoughts instead of seeing her numbing strength portrayal after everything that had happened.

“What was wrong with trying to stay alive from a bunch of stalking wolves? Man would just be as much as a threat to them given a need for the act.” He leaned against the wall not far from her, whom settled next to the broken counter. “All living beings are driven by their need of staying alive given any dire situation. Survival of the fittest. The cycle never stops.” Sasuke’s point of view had once again startle her thoughts. “Nothing comes without a sacrifice, Sakura. Nothing at all.”

Swallowing his points, Sakura hugged her knees tighter and looked forward. Sasuke, on the other hand, had long stopped examining their surroundings, eyes now casted upon her without the other noticing. It was plain to see that she was still locked in a state of distraction, losing her hope in the midst of the chaos even.

“Why would you go through such extent for it?” Came her sudden question. “I truly don’t think I deserve this much coming from you.” She continued after sensing the prince’s unspoken question in mind.

Sakura then glanced towards Sasuke, conveying her message, her query, loud and clear. She could have sworn she saw a slight change on his rigid features before he moved forward and sat next to her along with the rubble.

“I remembered losing faith all too well, but it took a sole person to prove it to me that hope is never dead no matter how disastrous a situation might be.” Sasuke flashed back to the memory of their second encounter in the woods where he was trapped in a notion of dying from blood lost after barely escaping the hunting enemies. It happened a good few years ago, but the hope continues to burn in him, igniting the purpose he carries within his name. “And I would like to return such favour by proving it back to you that, we build our own hope among any twists that life pushes you into.”

Taken aback by Sasuke’s long words, Sakura watched at his rising figure, dusting away the debris and then extended a hand towards her. “Hold onto such hope and don’t let go.”

Sakura stared at his hand for a while as his voice registered into her heavy mind before meeting his dark eyes behind it. Sasuke’s words were mostly a repetition from the past but it was enough to serve as a wakeup call to her devastated state. Sakura has been through a number of life-threatening situations up until this very day, none could be compared to what Sasuke was destined to deal with since his childhood after the great separation.

Different situation deals with different consequences. She had to admit that more than half of her encounters had almost cost Sakura her own life if not helping another battling for their own in the midst of war. And right now, she has to come to a complete acceptance that Sasuke chose to carry the consequences that centres on her with his own life. There would never be a true truce between the reality and Sakura’s heart and mind. But if there was one thing that she could always hold onto was that, she will not let every effort go to a waste just because of her frail emotions.

Reaching out to his hand and secured hers tightly, he pulled her to her feet as she heaved a long sigh to clear her distraught mind. “I will.” Sakura spoke with renewed confidence as their hands continue to clasp together, as if proving their spoken point and the unspoken promise of staying alive.

Sakura’s eyes were wide open in order to gain a clue on their path as Sasuke led her through a dark abandoned passageway. She counted for a good twenty steps away since they entered the hidden door in the infirmary, until she accidentally bumped right into Sasuke’s back due to the pitch blackness. He was alert as to get a grip on her arm for a few seconds until they break off as Sasuke proceeded with unlocking the apparent hidden door that opens up to another side of the castle that remained unknown to her.

Once it was creaked ajar, Sasuke stepped out first, keeping his surrounding a quick glance and gestured Sakura to walk out the door before shutting it behind her. Out of both alertness and curiosity, Sakura glanced around to note everything that she could make sense of with the aid of the still lit gas lamp somewhere across the space. It was a massive room with various armours and swords hung across the wall far to the left. A few dull portraits hung on the opposite side of the previous wall that eventually ends up with a pair of double doors. A few steps away from where they are currently standing was a large rectangular table with paper stacks and a few smaller objects on top of it, judging by how the shadow from the lamp danced behind it.

Despite just seeing this place or even knowing its existence, Sakura could feel a sense of security here if compared to anywhere else within the kingdom though she had failed to place a finger on the reason behind it. Her sight did not stop on the table as she turned around again, trying to discern the missing parts of her prior observation. As if reminded by the deceivable sight, Sakura’s paranoid driven mind acted all over again for she could never be sure of leaving a trust on the things that remained visible versus the truth that lies unknown. She cannot effort to be in trouble or risking her life any longer now that she would somehow drag another person with her. A person that Sakura would never want to be caught due to her identity or even fate.

“Rest assured. Nobody could gain access here without myself knowing and get out of it alive.” The tenseness in his voice was still audible but she knew well that they were both on high alert towards whatever surprises the intruders might have up their sleeves.

Though Sakura still cannot tell if this particular room was meant to be a study or for battle practices judging by its spacious area. And hearing Sasuke’s assurance had not narrow down any of those hunches just yet.

“A practice room, I presume?” Sakura turned to him for an answer.

“It’s my room.” That statement alone mortifies Sakura into freezing herself on the spot. “But practice room works too.” Sasuke seemed to be oblivious of all that as he shrugged and walked off somewhere.

Sakura knew that there was nowhere else that could be her hiding place or even managed to keep her safe from the reach of the enemies within the walls. Though realising the last resort would be Sasuke’s own room, she had to rethink everything because everything felt wrong in a way. She had no idea what Sasuke’s point of view would be like nor would she like to find out about it soon but Sakura intends to gain a clarification on her current place to stay, especially when she was in such close quarters with Sasuke.

“Are you sure this is the right place for me?” She began, eyes trying to search for Sasuke whom she had unintentionally lost sight of.

He was no enemy but she would still be more confident knowing where everything stood from her range. Or maybe he was the only hope she had in yet a new place. Sakura took a few more steps and looked around again. Walking past the wall that hides the secret door, she managed to notice a large closet at the other end of the room with a neat bed of equal size right next to it. It was then that she sees Sasuke’s movements near the wooden divider, seemingly just done changing into a simpler attire from his blood-stained armour. Sakura quickly backed away to her previous spot behind the wall after realising herself being too intrusive, heart beats faster than the normal out of embarrassment.

“This is the safest place. I assure you that.” Sasuke answered after a while, catching Sakura’s busy thoughts off guard as she momentarily left out her prior query. The nearing footsteps simply indicate Sasuke’s pace towards her and true to that, he returned to Sakura’s spot while holding something. “You can set the medicines anywhere near the table rather than carrying it with you all the time.” It was when Sasuke came with his trailed statement that she realised the fabric bag that she had been carrying all along.

It was either the fact that the weight had no longer bothered her over the long years of heavy work or her mind was too preoccupied to even remember the bag that was still clutched tight in her hand. She scolded herself internally for the latter reason as she placed the bag by one of the table legs steadily, keeping in mind to make sure the medicines in it would not spill. They had of course left some obvious ones in the infirmary out of disguise.

“You should change.” Sasuke handed Sakura what looked like a pair of dark clothing, in which she had accepted wordlessly. Hiding in a close proximate from their enemies had caused some blood to stain Sakura’s sleeve though she had barely minded it. “The washroom is on the right.” He gestured next to the closet and she nodded before walking off.

Left alone with his own thoughts now had allowed Sasuke to ponder on their current situation for a bit. Though the one that bothered him first would be Sakura’s sudden silence. At most of the time, he would have assumed it as her way of digging through her critical thoughts but after witnessing her breakdown from before causes him to think otherwise. And if there is another specialty Sasuke could have been given credit for would be his ability to read the actions of others. The best he could go for is to observe more in the hopes of being able to discern her discomfort somehow.

In the midst of thinking, Sasuke started to sort the pieces of maps and old reports that lay messily on the dusty table. Knowing Sakura for some time now, she would certainly need a space for her medical counter to work on the medicines brought. He could not remember the last time he had gone through the mess that came from his unending strategizing plan and would take this time to eliminate the unimportant ones while figuring out a new progress. The camps and borderlines are all in a state of unrest when he had returned from his severe injury a month ago. After a few days of investigating the roots for the cause, Sasuke had succeeded in taming the soaring attacks and once again secure the crucial borders with the help of Suigetsu and Jugo. He would now need to rely on their capabilities to guard it during his absence.

It did not take long for Sakura to return, now clad in an all-black attire as given by Sasuke. The clothes must have been Sasuke’s judging by its larger size but she had managed to somehow turn it into something that fit her figure comfortably, while the boots were surprisingly her size. As soon as she stepped on sight, Sakura tries her best to not squirm under Sasuke’s brief observance, the nerves from earlier were somehow back in her.

She clears her throat, only to find it dry from the lack of liquid since the fateful event. “The boots are a perfect fit.” She tried and Sasuke replied with a nod before breaking off the thickening strange air that accumulates around them. “Are you sure I can stay here for the time being? I have no doubt that your personal room would be the last thing they will trudge into, at least not blindly, but finding out that I’m hiding here would just be as bad as being caught in their recent search.”

Sakura set the tainted attire next to the medical bag and waited patiently for Sasuke’s reply. Her statement being the reminder of how dire the situation would be if she was discovered to have escaped through a secret passage and was now hiding in the prince’s room. She had to admit that it was quite a bold and intimidating move for him to have brought her here without sparing a second thought. But desperate situation calls for a desperate measure and this would be his final trump card. She stood up once again and faced Sasuke to further her point though his eyes did not meet hers.

It was when she brought her trance back to him that she caught his stare on the necklace around her neck for a good few seconds before turning away. “The official reason was quite solid to support your presence here.”

She cannot help but to furrow her brows at his bluntness, or rather, the words that had not make any sense to her as she set the medicine bottles. “But not for long, right? Karin’s infirmary serves as a proof of our gambled hope.” Sakura turned from the cleared counter and the medical supplies to glance at Sasuke. Sensing the tensed air around them as they found another dead-end of a conversation, Sakura once again steers it off. “Speaking of her, how’s Karin doing?”

The sudden query must have confused Sasuke while Sakura, on the other hand, finds the need to remind herself of another person that has been by his side since what felt like forever. The reason behind the sudden need was what that stumped Sakura but she decided to let the matter pass for the time being. There was simply too many other pressing matters that should be her top priority compared to the emotional confusion that arise.

“She’s helping out at the camp.” Came Sasuke’s short reply but that too had seemed to cause Sakura to halt her work a little.

Karin has been aiding Sasuke and his fellow comrades since Sakura’s stay in the infirmary. With Karin’s constant presence alongside Sasuke, he is sure to be safe and sound in the midst of the unknown clashes outside the castle walls. They make a great team altogether. No, they are already a great team before her presence, or rather, interruption.

If it was not for Sakura being trapped in a constant danger even within the walls, Sasuke could have been working tirelessly with his troop to repel the creeping enemies. And judging by his injury, Karin could have healed him if it was not for his unneeded rush to make his way back to the castle. Similar thoughts started to mess her head before she could stop it as her hands continue to arrange the medicines according to its types. The emotions that she had tried hard to supress were once again running wild with those thoughts and she closed her eyes briefly to gain some peace of mind.

She inhaled deeply and swallowed the lingering perceptions in her head before replying. “Good to hear that. If it was not for the rush, she could’ve treated your wound.” Trying her best to act normal, Sakura flashed a forced smile before continuing. “Getting infections as an aftermath of a delayed treatment are considered a serious case.”

Finding no reply, she half-guessed that Sasuke had left for other things ever so suddenly and quietly as before. Sakura turned to her back to confirm her suspicion only to find his dark eyes staring back at her widen ones, his expression remained unreadable though there was a slight difference in them. Shocked by their closeness, Sakura retreated and hit the table, causing one of the medicines to fall freely from the table if not for Sasuke’s swift safe. His sole saving action traps Sakura between him and the table as their arms touched, their eyes were still on each other’s as they note the littlest details that are only possible from such close proximity.

“You should rest, Sakura. Distracted minds may lead to false conclusions.” Sasuke noted in a low voice, an advice that masks his claim of her untrue thoughts for he had the urge to access her to the correct reality and out of her insecurity right away.

Blinking away as they sat up straight and rid of the strangeness, Sakura then agrees hastily, seemingly blaming her absurd state of mind to exhaustion. “You’re right.”

“You can have the bed. I’ll be keeping a watch all night. It has been too quiet.” He noted and explained, diffusing Sakura’s upcoming doubts and refusal.

She shake her head a little. “We’ll take turns. Both of us need to stay alert and for that to happen, you too need to have sufficient rest.” He was about to oppose her words, but not until she continues, “Sasuke, you are in a much worse shape than I am, and if you are ever thinking of getting fit for the next possible encounter again, you’ll need to gain as much rest as needed for the medicine to work its miracles. We can’t effort making a fatal mistake the next time around, that’s how high the stakes are. Believe me when I say I know what you’re thinking since then.” She gestured towards the secret door and handed Sasuke a glass bottle containing a clear-coloured medicine, her statement seemed indicate her usual self-confidence.

“Hn.” Came his short reply after a stretched moment that causes Sakura to smile, it was small but filled with sincerity nonetheless unlike the one before.

Sasuke watched as Sakura walked and settled at the left side of the bed, quickly dozing off as soon as her head hits the pillow. Similar to Sakura, he too was attacked by unfamiliar feelings whenever she was around but one thing remained clear in any state his mind was in.

He will always protect her as long as he breathed and nothing will ever stop him from that.

Chapter Text

Rebuild

Let the fear that was rooted deep in his heart to be the catalyst of becoming a stronger and a better warrior in the midst of this cruel world. 

Cool midnight air entered the dusty room through the slim slit of the window, soothing the built up nerves that seemed to still linger in the room despite long after Sasuke and Sakura had settled themselves there. The prince had long since lost count of the time passed since Sakura had fallen asleep, for his mind was kept busy with countless of ways of retaliation and counting possibilities of attacks that might greet them from the other side of the door – not that he will ever let his guard down.

Home might be the only place where one would lay down their weapons as well as a safe haven that hides them away from any vicious enemy attacks. But the opposite could be said to Sasuke when behind the walls of the palace themselves serve as another battlefield that tests his mental capabilities rather than the physical strength that was honed as sharp as the swords that hung on the wall of his bedroom since he could walk.

He remembered hating his father’s high expectations as he drilled the siblings through a routine of impossible challenges. Keeping a constant comparison of his weaknesses to his brother’s perfect achievements that had forced Sasuke to sacrifice extra time and effort for the sake of gaining his father’s approval, but it was never really shown towards him. Itachi, on the other hand, had always been what Sasuke interpreted to be the favourite child amongst them. But the elder brother took up everything that was lacking from their father and put all his effort into treating his brother in all fairness.

Since Itachi’s training had always been concluded near midnight, Sasuke would wait patiently by the hallway that connected their bedrooms just to spend the next few hours interacting with his brother. Their training time and spaces were clearly separated, leaving no interception for both of them to even meet up over a simple meal. Itachi was groomed to be the next successor to the throne, complete with the entirety of knowledge Fugaku had taught him on both the kingdom’s diplomatic side and warfare wise. Sasuke found his refuge with his mother whenever he was upset with his father’s harsh criticisms before heading out and train by himself but Itachi’s effort in helping his brother to advance his skills became a sturdy foundation for the unshakeable bonds between the brothers as years passed.

The fateful night had robbed them away from the life they were born to and lived by, leaving the two to suffer beneath the weight of a falling kingdom and limited trust that was preserved well only between the two of them. Itachi had tried his best to fill in the huge void left by their deceased parents and clansmen by tying all loose ends in the hopes of holding up the inherited throne. Though nothing prove to be effortless as Sasuke watched his brother struggled continuously in striking one deal after another since their estranged relation to the Senju kingdom. And with everything that can be done, they learned the hard way that trust can be the hardest thing to be gained from another party without being taken advantage of. Pushing aside their attempt of finding help from another kingdom, the brothers chose to work with the rubbles left behind by a war paid by cruelty and blood to rebuild their shattering home.

Unlike Itachi, Sasuke took on the approach of physical strength as a way of protecting his brother from receiving the same fate as their parents. He drilled a ruthless routine in solitude since then while surpassing the known remnants of warriors left in his clan to gain an undefeatable position of leading the military forces himself. Itachi worked meticulously in building the kingdom from ashes while Sasuke vowed to build a sturdy wall of defence against those who dared to challenge their might or vulnerabilities. He even aim to erase any visible weaknesses that might pose as threat to their recovering home.

The serenity that the night bought was suddenly gone as past memories haunt his mind; something Sasuke perceived as an anchor that held him steady from letting his emotions overpower his sanity. He does not need to be reminded of the consequences of his rage-driven action as another fragment of memories replayed in his mind. Once, he was terrified of having blood staining his hands if he was to allow himself lose in the mental turmoil without a sense of control. Now, he could not care less about it for he will do almost anything just to own the sense of protection towards his homeland and most of all, his brother, from whoever that dares to defy them. Let the fear that was rooted deep in his heart to be the catalyst of becoming a stronger and a better warrior in the midst of this cruel world.

Out of a recently developed instinctive sense, Sasuke turned his attention to the other side of the room to glance upon Sakura. He heaved a sigh for a while before shifting back into staring at the bleak sky outside as an unknown feeling seeped through his cold heart. All his life, he chose to sacrifice himself for the sake of keeping his brother safe from the reaches of evil powers that lingered freely. And he knew that he was incapable of performing the task into perfection, especially after a certain deal with the devil that may only be paid with a life, his brother’s – one that he had tirelessly defended and cared even more than his own if forced to choose. What mattered the most was that it had resulted into something that could hold them altogether despite his brother’s reassurance that he was nowhere near any sort of danger at the moment, in which Sasuke had kept silent. Silence was an unnatural exchange when it comes to conversing with his brother and that alone became an obvious answer to his own thought on the topic in hand. Sasuke highly doubted it.

He heaved another sigh as his current thought came to view. And it was none other than the foolish thought of thinking, or even wanting, to protect Sakura from trouble even when Sasuke himself could barely protect his brother all along. She was already a target to the creeping enemies within the Uchiha kingdom all thanks to her known reputation of being one of the medics that rivals the greatest on their lands. To have her trespass into the kingdom simply opens up their chances of eliminating the main threat to their poison-based weapons, and not to mention her involvement with Sasuke had doubled up their need of ending her life. Though it was deemed too late for he had made his mind of putting her along his list of priorities.

‘Until the right time comes for her to step away from everything and everyone here for good.’ He told himself in his mind, but the deafening silence was not enough to quiet the new lines of thoughts that nudge his current one.

If Sakura had managed to escape here unscathed somehow, he was sure that they will never cross paths in the future. Unlike the few times they shared in the past that had established an acquaintanceship between them. And even something close of a comrade these days. But none of those could explain the rage that threatens to take over his mind whenever he had learned that she became their main target or the strange sense of uneasiness that slips into his heart at her sudden loss of confidence and strong will. A cycle he intended to stop, just as it came along with the predator that still walks around and wait for the defence to weaken for their strike.

The shift in his foot causes a nudge to the table, producing an audible sound across the room into which he snapped his attention back to Sakura. True to his suspicion, the creak induced a knee-jerk reaction from her as she sat up suddenly, eyes now wide awake. He could tell that the response had become her second nature since the infirmary raid. However, the realisation did nothing to cease waves of emotions that still tug at him. Also over the fact that the weariness and mind distraction had caused him to be careless over such little thing. He had been mindful of his movements since Sakura had fallen asleep, knowing well that a slight change or sound could lead her into feeling restless. Something he had allowed to happen now.

Sakura started to search for a clock by the nightstand to get a grasp of the time passed since she could remember, only to brush her locks from the frame of her face and tug the strands behind her ears in a rushed manner before standing up and stifle a small yawn. Sasuke, on the other hand, simply watched wordlessly, confirming the other suspicion in his head that Sakura barely gained a peaceful dose of rest. And how much time has passed since she cut her hair out of remorse the moment she woke up in a different kingdom now that it reached her shoulders.

Sakura’s widened eyes at noticing the lost hours to sleeping had amused Sasuke without her full notice. At least not until she turned pointedly at his sitting space and caught his still stare. The shadows work its miracle in hiding the slight lift on Sasuke’s lips from plain sight.

“I’ve lost track of time.” She stated while making her way towards the bag of medicine that laid against the table in front of Sasuke. “You could’ve just wake me, you know. So that we can take turns keeping a watch.” Instead of minding solely on the glass jars in her hands, Sakura looked up and meet Sasuke’s observing eyes.

For some reason, finding that she no longer squirm or unconsciously backed away from his stare arise a sense of relief in him. He could tell that there is a known level of trust between them, one that would suffice acknowledging a degree of comfort when they are around one another. Trusting themselves with their own lives and whatever skills that they wield.

“You seem to need it more than I do.” It was a white lie coming from Sasuke considering the fact that he had always been a light sleeper all resulted from the constant paranoia that sharpened his awareness to the surroundings. While Sakura seemed to be still struggling through a phase of adjusting into it. Not that he could really blame it on her because unlike him, there was no one else she could rely her back on here and she would need every alertness in her to safe herself someday.

There must be something between his words that prod something in her for she looked as if suddenly self-conscious of her own looks, judging by the shock that was clearly written on her face. The slight clink from the colliding jar simply confirmed that Sakura was indeed a little affected by what he said though the prince could not really put a finger on which part of it went wrong.

“Not that it was visible.” Another strike towards Sakura’s insecurity as Sasuke almost cringe at his own choice of statement. He was never a man of words but owning mistakes like this was just unacceptable. “I mean, I have a feeling that the past few days hadn’t gone well with you. Especially with the constant disturbances.” He fixed and heaved a small sigh of relief when Sakura’s tensed features softened and her lips shifted into something unfamiliar yet never unpleasant to Sasuke.

Sakura just smiled at him.

Unlike the few other bitter-sweet ones or relieved ones before, this one took on a whole new emotion behind it. This smile looked carefree, something Sasuke found to be yearning at the deepest corner of his heart. Kept safe and away from his tough exterior since the disaster that befell his life and forced him to change his point of view to the crueller side of reality they were trapped in. Though her smile proved an entirely different thing to him. That despite being shackled to an inescapable reality while caged between the claws of possible enemies, it is vital to still be able to grasp upon one’s true self.

Sasuke may have not known Sakura for as long as her friends in Senju, but she had never fail to drown herself in the sea of problems or at least not for long. True, her current phase of life might be the most dangerous she had lived yet but after several breakdowns, she was always capable of standing up on her two feet again no matter how worse the situations had turned. For that, he felt both envy and admiration towards her, gathering his strength and need to keep her safe at all times.

“Distracted minds lead to false conclusions. Or so I’ve been told.” Sakura smartly quoted back his previous thought, a small smirk replaced her previous smile for a few moments. “You should get yourself well rested too. The camp might be safer than here, but I doubt you can get any more sleep than I do between predicting the next moves and keeping a close watch on the incoming attacks.”

He digested her knowledge on the way of life at the front lines and he came to a conclusion that she worked there long enough to actually know that much. Unlike the prior ones, his current thought did not settle well in him. Sasuke found similarity possessed by the two of them in terms of working near the battlefields almost all their lives. That complemented well with her vast medical knowledge and abilities because he understood all too well that nothing beats effective lessons other than experiencing it first-hand.

‘How many poison attacks had she deflected? Or even, experienced by herself?’ Sasuke found himself asking those questions in his head before shaking it off.

Her words, despite being restated from himself, was right. Distracted minds do tend to come up with too many misleading conclusions. Maybe it was time for him to set all these thoughts aside for his personal discussion. Nothing outside his own mind.

“I wouldn’t really say here is any less safe than being surrounded by well-trained soldiers.” Sasuke finally replied.

Both took a quick glance around the room, where their sights had landed on the various weapons displayed across the wall while armours and shields took space at the other end of it. True to that, his bedroom was more of an arsenal than it truly functions as a plain and defenceless resting area. Living in a place without the quick access to weapons would be as good as being captured alive by your enemies. Uncertainty became the swords that hung above one’s head, if that was allowed to happen.

“Of course, this is your other safe haven. You find comfort and confidence when surrounded by these weapons.” Sakura’s movements seemed to tense a little after realising the randomness of her statement as she stood up and turn to look at the prince to, probably, apologise for probing something borderline personal.

She was about to speak again but Sasuke chose that exact moment to dismiss the matter with a reply. “I’m assuming that it provides the same security to you, as well. Since you seem to be a weapon wielder yourself.” His statement was made out of an equal sense of randomness as hers, though he cannot help but to notice the slight discomfort coming from her as she worked meticulously at the counter, her back facing him.

“I doubt so.” Came her words, directed towards his second statement as if attempting to diffuse the suspicion. “Not as much as you did, at least.” She continued as an afterthought, her tone softer than her first reply as the need to cover up a proven fact seeped into nothingness.

“It takes an adequate skill to turn a scalpel into a useful weapon for self-defence.” He mused as Sakura maintained her silence and keen observation on Sasuke’s movement from her peripheral view.

She opted to sigh lightly, hands now setting the glass jars aside after arranging it in their specific categories. Her eyes were still casted out the window, hovering over the dark sky in a daze that Sasuke hoped to glance upon even for the slightest moment. But maybe, his hunch was close enough to her thoughts.

Sasuke left Sakura at the counter, passing his strategy-filled desk and made his way to the bed. Instead of collapsing upon it out of exhausted reflex, he kneeled by the right side of the bed frame and reached under it until he felt the familiar leather and metal casing. He nudged a latch that held the object from possible trespassers and removed it from its hiding space.

“Correct me if I’m wrong.” He started as he walked back to Sakura in a leisure pace, a speed he rarely equips outside his protective walls. “But this came with you back when… you were hunted.”

Upon reaching where she stood, Sakura turned in time to catch him a few steps away from her. Leaving a safe distance between them as she looked at him with her features etched in confusion before her eyes travelled to the object he held in hand. The wrinkles between her brows disappeared instantly as her demeanour changed into one of alarmed realisation. There was a glimpse of another emotion that played along her features. Longing.

She took a step forward into which Sasuke quickly closed their distance to hand the object to Sakura. As if still trapped in her former daze, she reached out for it though her hand hung halfway, looking as if unsure if whatever she saw at the moment was even true. Instead of rushing the object transition, Sasuke waited patiently for Sakura’s next action and it did not take her long to finally retrieve it fully.

It was the dagger she had been carrying around since her first task without her parents tagging along, a family memoir that was passed down to her in the hopes that it could protect her wherever she goes. And to have thought that it was lost somewhere and sometime during the hot pursuit that almost cost Sakura her life – if it was not for Sasuke’s aid – had become one of the few things that reminded her greatly of home.

A few seconds in her hands and the memory of its familiar weight rushed to her mind as she fought the tears that threaten to pool her eyes. ‘There’s still hope.’ She cannot help but remind herself as a sudden surge of strength from the dagger that had protected her since she was a little girl was within her grasp, finally having a piece of her that she could truly own despite in the enemy’s territory.

Sakura glanced up to meet Sasuke’s eyes only to notice that he had been studying the tightly-clasped dagger intently. He was not the enemy; he never was. If there should be a word to describe him, it was the total opposite of it. And that alone continues to fuel the gratefulness that was born in her heart since their first encounter for having an unlikely yet trustful comrade here.

“Where did you find this? I figured that it was long since its disposal.” She cannot help but to express her surprise, into which Sasuke finally looked up and meet her gaze. An unfathomable glint graced his dark eyes.

He gave a small shrug. “It has always been with you since then and I figured that it was something important to you.” He paused for a while before continuing. “I had to take it away to avoid landing you another suspicion of being a spy that travels all the way here with a mission to kill the King.” If it was a few months before, he would have actually asked her about it and consider the truth in her words through her reactions in case the situation he had saved her from was not as it seems. But after seeing the various hunting attempts being made towards her, it was as plain as day that her life was in real danger.

The small smile that tugged Sakura’s lips had not went unnoticed by Sasuke. Her eyes were trained at the patterns on the sheath while her finger continued brushing the circular carving at the scabbard. Her smile had once again turned out to be one of bittersweet as she trailed along the sheath that held a similar pattern. It belonged to one of a distinctive clan in Senju; Haruno.

To the rulers of the far neighbouring kingdom of the Fire, they might have overlooked the Haruno clan due to the fact that they were small in number and was usually dismissed as the lower graded soldiers in the battlefield. What went unacknowledged was the true power behind the made up façade; posing a remarkable threat to their opponent. A trump card that was rarely seen through the visible eyes.

The prince had brought it upon himself when he observed the dagger in his room, careful to be discreet of its very existence upon the deepest layer of the kingdom’s ground out of the rivalry nature. It took him a little bit of digging to find out the truth anyway, proving that her clan was truly underestimated by everyone. Out of honest thoughts, he had never heard much about it and was equally suspicious of the side of the story only told in a few books as compared to the weak image forged by a majority of those. But every piece of written narration has to be considered and taken into account for the sake of stepping closer towards the truth behind everything. And witnessing Sakura’s hidden talent and glimpse of skills had brought upon a confirmation that he needed.

“Thank you.” She flashed him a grateful smile before staring longingly at the sword, still clutched tight in her hands.

Unknown to her would be the same smile that tugged Sasuke’s lips as he continued looking at her.

Sakura kept her mind busy with the resources and information she had in hand while Sasuke took his turn of resting. Though her eyes were glued to the pages of Karin’s medical records, her sole focus laid on her surroundings – always picking up the slightest sound or possible movements suspicious enough to call for a defensive action. Now that she had her dagger back, it did well to unlock her long-lost sense of confidence around weapons. Or maybe it was a side she could now wield freely, knowing that Sasuke had known the truth anyway.

She wouldn’t need to go through another endurance phase of appearing weak and plain enough to escape the enemy’s prying eyes. Those past pretences were never enough to gain her a safer and normal place in this kingdom to begin with, for she would always find herself trapped in a dire situation and often left helpless.

‘No, I am not helpless this time. I refuse to be helpless this time.’ Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the side of the book tightly at the thought.

Inhaling deeply to clear her mind, she flipped to the next page of the medical journal and started to read line by line in the dim light of a gas lantern. The next thing she wanted was to have a bright room and the dancing shadows from her figure to appear through the slits of the door, attracting whoever that might ambush them anytime. Despite working with only a single lantern, she deemed that it was enough for her to carry on with her work.

The recently-mixed medicines were neatly arranged at the other side of the table. Sakura had added their names and included some remarks on each of the bottles with borrowed pen and paper in her advanced attempt of recovering the destroyed infirmary. A part of her mind wondered if Karin had received the devastating news yet since Sasuke’s return. Speaking of the prince, he cannot possibly be returning to the castle alone judging by the endless unexpected turns of situations. And she cannot rely on him forever to stay safe, at least not here. As strange as it sounds, Sakura could tell that the borders seemed to provide a better security than being stalked by hidden enemies within these walls at all times.

In which for Sasuke’s case, would meant a greater danger for having these people lurking around and gaining a better access to the king himself, though his brother had not received any open threat either. There was no sign of rebellion from within except for the obvious clash of thoughts and ways between Sasuke’s trusted comrades and the power-crazed commander named Kabuto. Suddenly struck with a thought, Sakura’s grip on the journal loosen as she flipped it close temporarily. Sasuke had been trying to wipe out these people since a few years ago – back when they had first met and Sakura almost died in their hands in the midst of their battle.

‘Same uniforms but different insignias on their weapons.’ The said insignia was still imprinted in her mind clearly that she could draw it out in any given time.

Though there were no obvious offensive calls of war between these two parties for as long as she lived here. Only clashes between possessions of power and at some point, people or trespasser like her. Which is peculiar given the right and strength possessed by Sasuke as the prince of Senju along with his mysterious brother. The king, on the other hand, seemed to be a topic hardly ever mentioned by the prince. Hence, this only proved his protectiveness towards his brother especially with a history as complicated and cruel as their own.

Heaving a low sigh, Sakura turned her attention back to the journal after glancing around for a while. Sasuke was still sleeping soundlessly at the other side of the room, a proof that he too was as restless as she had been for quite some time now. Or worse yet, much longer than that.

Her eyes trailed back to the last line on the page she left a few moments ago on the detailed description of poisons as discovered by Karin. Noting the scribbles, the journal seemed to be one of her personal records as compared to the few others that contained a more general lists of illnesses and its cures. But of course those were left behind with the rubble to play the untouched part of the deserted infirmary. Sakura only grabbed the few she deemed to hold more importance than the others. The historical record retrieved from the secret rack compartment had made into the short list and Sakura had been contemplating for some time whether to give it to Sasuke or keep it until Karin’s return.

The cases written in the journal focused on different types of poisons; ranging from insects like spiders up to snakes’ bites. Most were the further elaboration on the latter part, given the long list of venomous snakes’ species to the list of medicinal flora and fauna used to heal its poison. Sakura matched some with her previous knowledge but found some of them to be new to her. But the space for some cases were left empty, their poison still has no known cure. Karin had apparently poured a great effort into researching snake-based poisons for some reason.

The soft shuffles of footsteps alerted Sakura immediately as her other hand reached out for the dagger while the other placed the journal back on the table. It was too late at night for any random movements in the West Wing, given any normal patrols. Staying in the castle had benefitted her into learning its routine and capture a more precise suspicion on the change in any of those activities. This one was obviously off.

Out of instinct, she glances towards the side of the in the hopes of alerting Sasuke only to see him already armed with a gleaming sword. Sakura took notice of the exhaustion that had steered off his eyes when they met hers in their non-verbal communication. He raised a hand to stop her from proceeding her steps as he took the lead instead.

The desperate knocks on the door that came next had increased the adrenaline in them as Sasuke gestured for Sakura to stand against the wall and next to the door while he stood at the other side of it. Reaching an outstretched arm towards the locked door knob, the two passed a ready and knowing nod at one another before twisting it open.

Both weapons were hidden and ready to strike if an attack was about to be launched right then and there, though the face that greeted them had halted their immediate thoughts for a bit. Jugo.

Once his eyes met the prince’s and glanced towards Sakura in acknowledgment, he allowed the anxiousness in his voice to be heard.

“Sasuke, the king needs some medical attention. Now.”

Chapter Text

Illness

For they must conceal all of their weaknesses in order to appear strong and invincible in the midst of a cracking kingdom.

The next few moments went in a flash as Sakura followed Sasuke through another hidden link, his wordless eye-exchange had become the reason for her to tag along. Though another fact being their current situation required a medic and she just happened to be the closest to reach since she learned that Karin was dispatched into the military camps as a reliable medical help there. A place where she was supposed to be at the moment, if the rumour that she had heard from a few days ago were any true. Living in an environment of utter silence had enhanced Sakura’s hearing, to say the least. Hence, that was how she was sure of the soft chatters from the maids that cleaned the West wing’s corridor and she cannot help but to relate it back to her latest capture. All she needed was to ask for such confirmation but now was truly not the time.

She would have dismissed everything as a simple case of exhaustion-related sickness that had attacked the king. But the seriousness of Sasuke’s features begged to differ. Not to mention that she had sensed a tremor of fear that coursed through his unnaturally rushed actions, a constant look that was freely displayed by the other captain despite known to yield a known measure of emotionless façade. This just caused Sakura to turn the entirety of her attention back to Sasuke. Worry now conquers her being as her mind ran through thousands of possibilities behind this unwanted news.

Sakura suppressed a gasp when she finally made sense of the other person whom had collapsed on his study table. There were traces of blood drops that trailed from where she assumed to be the mouth area and further stain a few nearby stationeries along with it. The first thing that registered in her mind was an attack. Though when Sakura made a quick glance around the room, she had found nothing that could feed her suspicions. She was left stunned on her feet for the past seconds as Sasuke and Jugo ran towards the king, pulling him on his feet and helped him to settle on the relatively large bed that was thankfully closer than the approximate distance of Sasuke’s room design by comparison.

Without needing another reminder of waking herself out of her brief stupor, she rushed towards them. Out of involuntary practice, the king’s lying position was elevated with levels of pillows down to his backside; an act that was proved to be effective in controlling the rush of blood level to the head. Sakura cannot help but to note these actions and wondered on the occurrences of the same health attack before, to have invoked such practice from them. Her medic senses kicked in naturally for she reached out for the king’s wrist to gain the access to his pulse, but only after gaining an approved look from Sasuke. Jugo had seemingly retreated himself towards the door, his expression was no better than the prince himself at the moment.

Sakura started counting the heartbeats over the ticking clock on the bedside counter next to the king, her eyes flickered from her fingers to the king’s face to note any sign of discomfort from him. He must had fallen completely unconscious because there was hardly a facial reaction on him when Sakura placed his hand back to his side to proceed in taking a quick test of his forehead temperature. Or maybe due to the fact that his cover was just as good as his brother’s, but that was none of her concerns right now. She took the time of her simple diagnosis to listen to the king’s breathing pattern to discern anything that she might have overlooked. In several rare cases, Sakura had encountered patients whom dealt with blood coughing and she dared to claim that all of them were considered alarming to have simply dismiss it as a simple illness.

Jugo then returned with a bag and passed the equipment to Sakura, much to her relief. Now that she had failed to confirm anything solid at the moment, she will need a more thorough check up to move on with her prior suspicion. Carefully, Sakura slid the end of the stethoscope to Itachi’s chest with Sasuke’s assistance. His eyes never seem to leave hers the entire time, and for his sake, she maintained an expression of neutrality. She knew first-hand on the fragility of someone’s emotions when it comes to dealing with seeing their loved ones in a weakened state and it took Sakura her years of experience in the medical field to have perfected the concealed façade she was currently wearing despite the fact where it was on the verge of slipping away to reveal her rawest emotions.

Giving a quick nod to Sasuke, Sakura stored the stethoscope back into the bag. Indeed, there were signs of a reaction to the king’s health, judging by the warmer temperature and higher frequency of his heartbeats. Though from the looks of his calmer breathing pattern, the symptoms might just fade in time. She will need to keep a closer look for the time being to ensure that there will be no unwanted attacks that may involve blood-coughing or it might actually lead to something more serious. Which, on the other hand, was one of Sakura’s remaining deduction. But there was not enough proof to confirm the case and she was nowhere near to wanting the worst-case scenario in her head to be true either.

The sudden movement from Sasuke’s leaving form stirred Sakura away from her troubled thoughts, causing her to stare at him walking away to another linked room with a steady pace. Again, she found herself admiring Sasuke’s composure despite being trapped in a state of mind chaos. She cannot help but to think of the words that others had described the prince from afar; a monster that kills anyone that dares to stand along his way. Heartless. Ruthless. Cruel. Though none of that matched Sakura’s point of view when it comes to Sasuke.

He cannot be heartless if he cared so deeply towards those he recognised as his comrades, his brother, especially. He could not be ruthless if all he ever did was to dive deep into the heart of the woods to hunt down the enemies that threaten his country, his people. And he would fail to be cruel when he had chosen to save her life countless of times despite knowing her identity to have belonged to a place that he despised the most, an enemy’s kingdom.

‘So where exactly do any of these points match?’ Sakura cannot help but to wonder out loud in her head once she completed another round of observation and check up on the king.

With that, she left the bedside and proceeded to the link that was connected to Sasuke’s room – the place left for her to stay. Her eyes lifted from its downwards cast to find Sasuke only to see him leaning against one of the walls and faced his weakened brother, seemingly deep in his own massive thoughts. His lips were pulled into a constant frown as the rest of his features maintained their indifference towards everything. Similar to the few times Sakura had caught sight of back when he was surrounded by enemies.

“He’s fine. For now.” Sakura stated once she walked up to the nearest point to him from the tunnel link.

She knew that he needed words of comfort at times like this but being honest could truly safe one from believing a fake hope. As much as she wanted to believe that Itachi’s condition was nothing but abnormal, she could not trick herself into such conclusion because nothing about his symptoms were ever normal to start with. From the fluctuance of his body temperature to the rise of his heartbeat that had eventually led to the formation of cold sweat, it was clear that something bigger was behind it. If it was not enough to reason Sakura’s suspicion, the blooded cough was the most severe warning of a bodily reaction towards its system’s pollutant. Poison.

But there was no way for her to carelessly spill out an unproved thought. What stirs herself the most was Sasuke’s void of both remarks and expression, not that he was a man of many words to start with. Though Sakura was struggling in finding a visible opening in order to gain the slightest clue of the truth behind Itachi’s severe situation. It was almost impossible for an outsider to have ambushed into the king’s chambers nor was it a direct attack from the possible rebels from within these walls. Kabuto’s men were too occupied with hunting Sakura’s presence to have delegate themselves into multi-tasking over two important tasks. He might be tricky and cruel up to a point, but his powers were still limited to have him doing whatever he wanted to gain his personal goals.

The probability of having the poison delivered through food was crossed out of the list almost immediately when Sakura noted the absence of any sort of meal in there. To have blamed it upon plants or animals that may have reside with it were unlikely as well, for the room was void of any sort of floral or fauna beings. The furniture in the room could be seen as neat and tidy, leaving no space for the possibility of another person to sneak in, safe for the passage that linked the brothers’ chambers. But even then, Sakura could tell that it was the only way for them to communicate in private. Hence, it was strictly forbidden for just anyone to have trespassed so easily without risking losing their heads at the wrath of either one of the Uchiha brothers.

Finding no more possibilities after moments of thorough thinking except for her highly dubious predictions, she heaved a sigh of frustration. She would be deemed helpless if there were no clear leads to a patient with a mysterious disease no matter how great a medic’s status was. If secrets as fatal as this were chosen to be kept for the sake of protecting their weaknesses, then this might just as well be another downfall to them. And along with that came the kingdom and another invaluable loss of one of the siblings, something she had tried to steer her mind off for a while, not until now.

“Is there something I need to know in order to help the king’s condition?” Sakura asked in a voice close to a whisper, though it was just as audible when it reached Sasuke’s hearing. He remained silent, eyes not wavering from his brother. “I’m helpless if I can’t access the truth behind one’s health condition, Sasuke.” She admitted openly, cuing her speech into a message that stated the possibility of the current state turning into something much worse even with her presence. At this stage, knowledge is key.

His soundless reply was no longer strange nor hostile towards Sakura. But even so, she could almost feel the sharp edges of a secret Sasuke was concealing behind it. Portraying one of a sword that threatens to hurt those whom resisted its path or curious enough to share such fate. Gaining no sign of response, Sakura still refused to let the matter slide for these few wasted moments may eventually cause possible complications on the king’s situation if no medication was supplied to his current state. Unlike other common cases, Sakura cannot simply come up with a natural-based reliever or painkiller for it might affect differently in poison-related cases. Until a clear-cut root is determined, she could not proceed with reckless assumptions only to have it proved wrong with the stake of one’s life. Especially not in a situation as now.

But being idle and nonchalant was not exactly a choice Sakura preferred either. The answer to everything were only left in defence of a stubborn prince that had refused to speak a word about it. If all it takes was for Sakura to push a little harder to gain it, she would do it out of desperation. Maybe it was her natural sense in fulfilling her oath as a medic in saving all lives as best she could, in truth, her concern had been rising since witnessing Sasuke’s devastation at the risk of Itachi’s health. If only he could spill out the crucial information in order to get her thinking of a possible way to treat his poisoned brother.

“Sasuke, I’m going to tell you that delaying suitable medications won’t do well with the king’s current condition. His illness needs a cure and the only way to do that is to understand the source of it. Do you know anything about it?” Sakura tried again, shifting her sight from the king to Sasuke only to notice his piercing stare as he scrutinized onto her eyes, as if trying to gain access of her thoughts that were linked closely to her emotions.

He was doubting her.

When the prince inhaled to speak, Sakura did her best to push away the hurt that might resurface in the next coming hours. Though the words she heard next did nothing to help her to get past her small escaping attempt.

“I believe there is no reason for you to get yourself involved in this.” Came his monotonous reply before continuing in a few seconds of delay. “Karin knows my brother’s condition well enough. She’ll know a way to deal with it.” With that being said, something in Sakura’s consciousness broke into an estranged state.

For sure, it was never her place to have known something as crucial as that, especially when it comes to one that threatens their king’s life. She needed to take a few steps back and away from the said matter before diving too deep into something she should have never known from the start. It was due to a mere coincidence for her to be there and pure desperation that had driven her here. Without being spoken directly, she can now confirm her prior thoughts where the king’s illness was the secret that was kept away from both the people and the enemies. For they must conceal all of their weaknesses in order to appear strong and invincible in the midst of a cracking kingdom.

Sakura had almost forgotten that she was a part of their enemy’s people no matter what. How naïve of her to think that she could truly be herself here.

“Of course,” Sakura trailed off unintentionally, mind still clinging onto the thoughts that cloud her feelings as they started to spread like an epidemic disease.

Only the difference being, there was hardly a cure for it. Realisation sunk in her where emotional attachment may serve as something as severe as a poison if given the chance to let it invade one’s being, and she had always been vulnerable to it for she possessed a soft-hearted nature that she knew would ruin her someday. Though she vowed to never give in to any sort of downfall that may come with it.

“You should get Karin back right away.” She stated, eyes quickly made an escape from Sasuke’s stare and landed back on Itachi briefly. “I’m sorry for probing into something that had no connection to me.” Sakura decided to clarify her stand through the curt apology as a way to convey her understanding on the sensitive subject, pushing away the growing discomfort that had been budding in her heart since the past few weeks.

Sensing the heaviness of the surrounding that threatened to swallow her whole again that night, she hurried back to her track of going to Sasuke’s room to excuse herself from the unneeded presence with the king. If it was deemed personal, the best choice for Sakura was to leave right away. Maybe she could come up with a few medical aids from the salvaged supplies once Karin had gotten back from the camp. The disappearance of Jugo might indicate that the man had gone out searching for Karin as fast as he could since the reaction.

With that, she glanced the last time from the hidden tunnel towards the king before proceeding her steps with heavy thoughts. Unknown to her, the prince was still staring at her disappearing silhouette since noticing her fallen features at his words.

A different kind of silence greeted Sakura once she entered the prince’s room, one that was loud enough to have allowed random voices from mixed memories to jumble up and attack her mind randomly. The most striking was obviously Sasuke’s words for they continue to echo through her ears in a continuous loop. Though they were spoken in a low-toned manner, it deemed to have an impact as powerful as the shrilling aftermath of an explosion.

If she was to continue living a carefree life as she did when she was a child, all these would just disappear after a good night’s sleep. She could even pretend her whole experience in this kingdom to be an extended nightmare and it was only a matter of time until she woke up into the safety of her beloved family and friends.

There were times when she had thought of giving up since the people that she cared deeply had accepted her death after she was declared missing since the unexpected breach. It will only result in an indifference to them if she was to give up on where she was currently at. She found no purpose of continuing a life filled with anxiety like a deer’s, waiting for the right moment until the predators could catch up with her steps and safety. Sakura was simply lucky that someone was willing to help her out up until now, but even luck would eventually run out.

Refusing to dive back into the darkest corner of her mind, Sakura focused on acting out her true self. She was not raised to be quitter despite how the current situation had twisted upon her disadvantage, because that was the natural flow of life. Experiences were gained from the hardest parts of life and giving up was never a choice to start with because that was a clear indication of a weak individual. Sakura had been there before but seeing enough sacrifices throughout the ageless war, she knew better then to train herself to be stronger than others in order to protect them from danger.

Now is not the time for her to retreat.

Sakura covered the turbulence of her emotions with more important thoughts on the king. She might not get the full coverage of the truth from anyone here but given his condition, staying ignorant might turn things into something much worse. And for that, Sakura had refused to back away from the situation even with the discreet dismissal of Sasuke’s words. She got back to the temporary counter by the window and started to go through the medicinal liquids and a few jars of preserved raw herbs. Most of the medicine-producing equipment were destroyed in Karin’s ruined lab. A part of her felt guilty for that and wondered if the medic had taken news on the recent incident.

Sakura had to admit that it was unfair on Karin’s behalf when all she had done was to build up a cover and share her personal space with someone that was regarded as the kingdom’s trespasser. Speaking of that, the king might not be too impressed on knowing that Sakura had been the one whom had checked on his condition earlier tonight. Of course she had only heard Itachi’s tales through rumours passed down in Senju, but there was a sense of firmness and determination from the king’s lead that made her believe in such views.

Her hands continue to work through the glass containers while flipping through medical records though a part of her mind had wandered back to the day when she was dragged out from her recent consciousness to receive a punishment from the king. If he was deemed to be as strict as the talks she had heard of, then Sakura would have been long since dead. Allowing their kingdom’s potential enemy to live without any sort of confinement was truly unlikely and she cannot help but to wonder on the reason behind it. The news of her presence spread through the Uchiha kingdom like wildfire within these walls and there was simply no reason for him to skip enforcing such rules.

Sakura cannot help but to note down her insecurities in her head, a habit she had picked up from her previous experience when going through war strategies with her fellow comrades. Though it felt as if it was a lifetime away from such routine, she had always preserved the usefulness of such knowledge in her for the sake of surviving in a war-torn world. She quickly halted her thoughts and stared out the dark sky through the window in an attempt of clearing her mind despite temporarily. There was no use for her to overthink on the unconscious king whom at the same time might own a secret fatal illness.

Out of instinct, Sakura’s mind ran through another list of possibilities of curing the said illness. But the main concern being the undefined source of the poison that had caused the king’s assumed prolonged illness. She could only hold onto such hunch based on the words exchanged by Sasuke and Jugo throughout the night. For some reason, she could tell that the health attack was not something uncommon to them but that did nothing to cease their worries.

With a renewed determination and purpose, Sakura left her spot and walked towards the other hidden door that was linked to Karin’s laboratory. Depending on Karin’s lone work to treat Itachi’s mysterious illness would simply decrease the chances of finding a real cure to it as the time continues to strike closer to danger. And through her own view of the medical conditions in this kingdom simply brought up a dim hope for the same cause. Sakura might still be labelled as an outsider to everyone here but that was not a good reason for her to quit doing whatever she had thought to be right; to save as much people as she could with both her hands.

Casting a look to the other side of the room and towards the opened door, she raised her hand to undo the locks of another hidden passage with the help of her memory. Karin may have a better understanding to Itachi’s health condition, but by the looks of it, she might need an extra hand in searching for the right cure to treat it for once and for all.

Sakura stepped into the darkness that was connected to the unlocked door and inhaled deeply before closing it behind, in the hopes of covering the passage from being discovered in case she was caught off-guard from the lab. Or perhaps, to gain a short escape from people she thought to have trusted since her stay in this kingdom.

Chapter Text

Promise

Silence was only feared by the wise for it may break into its chaotic counterpart; an intense battle out of proper planning.

Sasuke’s eyes continued to trail along the dark corridor of the link moments after Sakura had left. The deafening silence amplified in his ears had invited the echoes of distanced thoughts that tried to succumb him alive. Like any other time since the downfall of his clan, he got accustomed to the pain that it felt dull over time. Though the current one had left another unfamiliarity in him that he cannot quite place it.

He let a sigh escape his lips as he settled on one of the chairs while still keeping an eye on his brother. There was no one around and hence, he could only allow his façade to retreat a little in order to breathe as his true self. Sasuke knew that he was the strong pillar left in his kingdom to support it from crumbling, his previous hard trainings were not for nothing. He was born into a family known to hold the strongest advances in warfare and typically, weaknesses were never accepted if one did nothing to complement it with advantages. Sasuke used to try his best to pursue his brother’s footsteps and widening shadow despite the large gap they share. Though looking at his state now struck another painful blow as the night when they lost their parents to a bloody massacre.

Finding out Itachi’s cause of illness did nothing to relive the dimming hopes of curing him for each time the clock strikes, a dose of danger would seep into his veins and pose a fatal threat to his life. And what was left was the helplessness from Sasuke for his years of search was turning into a futile, even with the great help from Karin in her researches. He knew that leaving the entire burden of a coming up with a cure to Karin was never a fair choice to start with but her determination got her to continue up until this point. A part of him was grateful about it for her aid and it was thanks to her that a part of the civilians within his kingdom were still alive from the worsening health conditions due to constant battles with their bordering nations and kingdoms.

When Sakura had come into his perspective unexpectedly, Sasuke had built up a hope of gaining help from her regarding this crucial matter. Her reputations of excellence in the medical field were easily known to them for they were only separated by a heavily guarded border. There was news of her new discoveries in both new illnesses and cures to unknown poisons during one of the raging battles that took place at the other side of the land of Fire and Sasuke had only disregarded all to be some sort of propaganda to exaggerate on the greatness of the Senju kingdom. Only when he had met Sakura that his misconceptions had released itself bit by bit, up to sharing a common sense of mutuality in trust despite originating from rivalling kingdoms.

Starting up an internal debate on the other kingdom had aroused a past encounter with someone whom were undoubtedly precious to Sakura. In the stillness of silence, Sasuke took that as a chance for him to scrutinise upon that particular event.

It was one of the nights when Sasuke had decided to patrol the grounds in disguise as one of the guarding soldiers amidst the dark. Out of strategic thinking, a group of guards equipped with better fighting capabilities were ordered to keep an eye from their hidden spots within a spacious radius in order to avoid too much movement that might trigger trespassers or the hidden wolves amongst them. Sasuke had chosen one of the crucial spots and kept a close eye on every movement of the patrolling group as well as scanning for possible threats coming from Senju’s side. So far, both kingdoms’ armies were statically fending off their lines without invoking any action that calls for an intervention. It felt almost peaceful these days when no sudden offences of such had disrupt the air. Silence was only feared by the wise for it may break into its chaotic counterpart; an intense battle out of proper planning. Hence, everything was just as unsettling for Sasuke as he continued his watch.

The glint of weapon under the moonlight triggered his eyes into activating his bloodline’s exceptional gift as Sasuke shifted his position to catch the suspicious man whom had clumsily bumped upon the bushes as judged by the sound of the rustling leaves. As if sensing himself being watched and pursued, his rushed footsteps continued its forward momentum, no longer able to conceal the sounds that came after each step as panic surged in him. That action alone had become a valid reason for Sasuke’s detain and he did it so swiftly by tripping the man with a sharp jab with his elbow on the man’s chest. The forest’s route was just as familiar as Sasuke’s backhand to start with and he had no problem in surpassing the man’s path. Judging by his franticness, he must have been out of directions to run to. But one question remains; what is he running away from?

Another glint of metal arrived Sasuke’s advanced sight and he ducked it out of natural reflex as the arrow found itself to the man’s left leg. A figure came to a quick approach as the prince drew out his sword completely out of defence. They were still on the bordering land of the two kingdoms, hence the possibility of having Senju’s army was still equally high. Judging by the slack of movement from his side of the kingdom, it did not take him long to come to an assumption that he was alone with a possible trespasser and an enemy pursuer. But it was not the first time for him to face something as dangerous as this for his life has been a series of dreadful events that nothing can ever push him into the hidden fear in his heart. Sasuke anticipated the appearance of a face to the unknown shadow calmly, his eyes still in its crimson glow.

As soon as his eyes scanned past the yellow-toned hair and blue eyes under the full moon, his mood shifted into another level of hostility. To have literally cross paths with the Senju prince in the dead of night as now was the least of Sasuke’s expectations, to say the least. And he was never fond to surprises throughout his life because it will always lead to trouble. For a fleeting moment, his mind stumbled upon a thought on Sakura whom was tucked into the heart of the castle, surrounded by walls he hoped to be safe enough to protect her. But he knew that hope could also meant despair.

Unlike Sasuke, Naruto was not fond of bearing an emotionless façade for his range of emotions were easily shown on his features. And there was a point where Sasuke had wondered on the transparency and freedom of the Senju people with how they truly felt. Though he only concluded such thought with an unwanted display of weakness and fear. That was not the only thing that had him stuck with the other prince apparently; his ideal in striking a point of truce between the two rivalling kingdoms was beyond naïve throughout their decade long acquaintance.

“Sasuke, why are you here?” As usual, Naruto was the one whom breaks the ice of silence.

A few seconds passed before he replied. “I could’ve asked you the same thing.” Sasuke gestured with a nod of his head on the grunting man while noting the land they were currently in, one of neutrality that serves as a battlefield.

“I’m only here to capture my kingdom’s prisoner.” Naruto proceeded only to be stopped by Sasuke’s protruded sword, edges still pointing downwards as a sign of avoidance from offensive moves.

“He’s nearer to my point of land, he should be mine to be detained.” Despite sounding petty, the insignia on the trespasser’s sword hilt had easily triggered his patience. The familiar symbol that once threatened his life and at a point, even Sakura’s. Surrendering the man to Naruto and deeming all of it to be none of his business as usual was simply unacceptable for now.

Naruto furrowed his brows in a show of confusion. “What are you talking about, Sasuke? He had escaped from our border after causing a fit of mischiefs that earned him a frame of treason. I’m not going to let him go easily just because he made it to you first.”

“You deserved to die! All of you deserved to die!” The man shouted and started to laugh maniacally, though the princes stood their ground without flinching the slightest bit.

“You’re coming with me.” Naruto stated in all seriousness as Sasuke watched the two’s interaction closely.

The man reached out for a dagger from his boots and brought it to his own neck. “Dead men tell nothing.” The dagger’s edge pieced on the thin layer of his skin, drawing blood. But before he could slit his throat, Sasuke had knocked the man out of consciousness and kicked away the dagger before passing Naruto an annoyed look.

“What did he do?” Sasuke asked silently, gazing away from Naruto to the fainted man.

The latter seemed to hesitate a bit before answering, regret clearly written on his features. “Another poisoned raid to the infirmary. Some of our men are killed while others…” he trailed off with a sigh. “The casualties are still uncertain.”

“They are not one of us.” Came Sasuke’s brief statement.

Once again, another trespasser whom chose to dress as one of the Uchiha’s army appeared and the only way to distinguish them was the incredibly small yet hidden insignia on their weapon. Perhaps it acts as an identity amongst their own kind.

Naruto nodded with a weak smile. “I figured that part out since that day.”

He pointed out to the severe clash he had with Sasuke right after Sakura’s supposed death, where Naruto had gone all out in fighting him, demanding a reason on the subsequent attacks that almost cost them their defending and offending forces. Unlike their previous battles that centred around the known rivalry of their kingdoms, it was one of the times when Naruto had chosen to face off Sasuke in deadlier attacks. There was a curiosity in him as to find out the reason behind Naruto’s rage.

“Why?” Were Naruto’s sharp words while leading another sword assault towards Sasuke, in which the latter had dodged with similar alertness. “Why did you aim for them, you coward? Does attacking those who are already battling for their lives satisfy your desperate calls of a victory?”

Naruto was hardly the one whom throws off another with harsh words, hence to have heard such remark from him had hardly reached Sasuke. Though the true meaning behind them that had truly triggered his boiling point. To have stooped as low as killing injured soldiers and medic in the infirmary, as he had heard from the recent reports of the said raid, it was against the natural laws of life and power for as long as he lived.

Enraged, Sasuke countered with a thrust of his sword though defended skilfully by Naruto, causing their weapons to clash with the presence of metal sparks. “Look at yourself, finding any available path just to vent out your anger and place the heavy blame with ease. Who’s the desperate one among us, Naruto?”

The rumoured equal strength between the two reached its climax through the intense battle that took place at the far end of their kingdoms’ shared land and away from possible spectators. Displaying their prowess and downfall upfront was never a choice when another possible party was feeding off everything to be used in their future plans against them.

The Senju prince yelled from the distance as he charged for another round with Sasuke whereby the latter stood his ground and readied his defending stance, their swords were steady in their hands as the air heightened into another level of intensity. When Naruto’s sword contacted with Sasuke’s for the umpteenth time that evening, Sasuke twisted the other’s wrist to loosen his grip on the sharp-edged weapon. But of course Naruto was not easily defeated by such move for he channels his force towards Sasuke’s grip to knock off his sword, resulting in both the princes losing theirs and were only armed with their bare fists while being thrown away from one another in a tug that had separated them for a few metres.

Grunting at his lack of concentration, Sasuke continued to pant as his mind made a quick note of Naruto’s current strength. Like Sasuke, Naruto was regarded as an incarnate of a monster, possessing an unnatural strength in him since he was born, where the event alone became the contributing factor that led to his parents’ death. It was on the same night as well that the queen of Senju, Lady Tsunade, declared Naruto as the prince under her care alongside her few trusted advisors whom gave their best in grooming him as the next ruler.

There were simply too many similarities to note if one was to make a quick comparison between Naruto and Sasuke, though their differences remained behind the reason they stand and fight against all odds of the world. Naturally, Naruto was more of a peacemaker rather than one whom chooses to against one blindly for a driven cause of their kingdom and it was for this obvious reason that some battles on Senju’s other bordering lands were halted. Suna from the Land of the Sands for an instance, had come to an official affiliation with Senju. To other neighbouring and power-thirst nations, another enemy’s raid works as a steppingstone to invade the said land though, all but Senju had shared the same sentiment.

Though the wise thoughts whom were known to be possessed by any Senju ruler was clearly absent in their crown prince at the moment, as Sasuke had thought to himself.

“Attacking an infirmary and killing the people there with purpose was hardly a blame, Sasuke. I was stating a fact that you denied so easily.” Once such words were spoken, it did not take Sasuke long to figure that Naruto had referred to Sakura along those lines.

“It was about the medic, wasn’t it?” Sasuke’s voice was irritably calm to Naruto.

“Don’t you dare speak of her!” Naruto lashed out, his eyes wild with distraught emotions as they pierce into Sasuke’s crimson counterpart. “Sakura would’ve been alive if you and your men hadn’t been playing such cruel game.” The continuation of his words was quickly followed by heavy exhales as if he had just released a large boulder of burden from his mind but still felt miserable for it.

At the confirmation of his expressed thoughts on the mention of Sakura’s name, Sasuke’s mind drifted to the castle where her injured self was currently healed by Karin. He had sent Sakura to Karin as fast as possible since discovering her severe state near the cliffside, almost falling prey to the group of hunters that Naruto assumed to be Uchiha’s men.

‘She’s alive.’ Sasuke wanted to say, though thought the better of it for that revelation alone might cause further danger to Sakura’s life and not to mention being pestered by Naruto over his stubborn resolve. But that did not mean that he will maintain his silence over Naruto’s blame.

“Look closer to their weapons before laying the blame on others, Naruto.” Sasuke spoke through gritted teeth. “Compare them, if you should.” With that being said, he reached out for a weapon and threw it. The hand knife landed on the soil near Naruto’s feet, its insignia flashed in a signature crimson. The Uchiha emblem were clearly carved on its hilt, marking its difference from those on the invaders’ weapons.

Silence followed right after as the air around them cleared with the night breeze.

The two seemed to reach a level of compensation without causing further damage while reminding themselves of the responsibilities they bear in order to protect their own home, instead of continuing an unneeded lengthy battle. Instead of accepting it as a rough truce, Sasuke still stood on the need to avenge his dead family, a goal that still burns bright at the back of his mind.

Choosing to conclude it all, Sasuke left a pondering Naruto and headed back to the castle.

Encountering Naruto had always cause Sasuke to be on edge with the thoughts of Sakura. He knew that someday she would have to leave Uchiha for the safety that she deserved. Unlike the catastrophic sequence of events that she was forced to face almost each day here.

A part of him was torn into guilt every time Sakura was hunted and hurt by the doings of these hidden enemies though he was nowhere near giving up to their sneaky attempts. It will only be a matter of time until he could find their roots and then paralyse the whole organisation for once and for all.

“Take him.” Sasuke relented, thinking that it was still troubling for him to make an obvious move against these people when he could barely control the state of his kingdom at the moment. He needed a careful planning in order to achieve such goal.

“Thank you for your help, Sasuke.” Naruto forced the man into his shoulders after disarming his weapon as Sasuke turned to leave. “Take care.” Though Naruto’s words were random, it was as if he was conveying a message to Sakura without knowing the whole truth.

‘I promise that you’ll get back there safely.’ Sasuke told himself silently, a small part of him had hoped that some bits of his thoughts could somehow reach the Senju medic.

Chapter Text

Revelation

But she sobered up from such thoughts with the same mantra that kept her going every single day here; survive all the odds to make it back home well and alive.

The glass shards and wooden splinters that laid scattered all around the floor of the infirmary were exactly as Sakura remembered when she first entered the room. There was a sense of gratefulness in here that the place remained undisturbed since they first escaped it but was equally terrified on the idea that Karin would be returning anytime soon to witness such disastrous mess that had resulted from her stay.

Despite it all, Sakura still found a spot for her need of researching through Karin’s available resources. Sure, it was a lot lacking if compared to the archives back in Senju but her memory could almost make up for the loss. Sakura went through certain racks to retrieve the related records for her research and started studying it all. Though another blank sheet of paper with a few notes were already written well beside her, describing the smallest details she could pick from her check up on the Uchiha king’s condition.

The paper soaked in deep crimson blood on the king’s study remained unsettling at the back of her mind as her stared at her own similar piece of paper. It felt like as if staring right at it long enough would cause hers to be stained with the same intensity of red, and she forced herself to look back at the words in the record in front of her. She cannot effort to be distracted if she wanted to be of any help at all since becoming the hidden refugee in this land. The king, though have yet to directly meet her, may pose another threat to her existence but saving his life was the most important thing to focus on at the moment.

Sakura tried to compare each possible poison cases to the king’s condition but still found none that matches those symptoms. Going through Karin’s rushed handwriting through her insects’ poison records, Sakura added those of her knowledge into the same book while simultaneously hoped that it might come in handy to her in the future. She had done it in the first round only to come to another realisation that there were a few more lacking when going through all of it the second time around.

Deciding to move away from the pile of books that she had deemed to be unhelpful, her eyes landed on Karin’s personal research on snakes’ poisons, to which Sakura had to admit that such knowledge was insignificant back in Senju. Being under the medical tutelage of the queen herself for years, she knew that it was due to a possible factor where Tsunade played a great role in repelling the kingdom from such circumstances in the first hand. Hence, there was hardly any medical cases that scrutinise upon poison victims caused by snakes.

Without wasting another moment pondering, Sakura flipped through the list of symptoms and cases from the records. After a thorough search, she finally found a number of matches. Though her relief was short-lived when none of the source fit all the symptoms into an exact one. It was as if the said illness was a mystery even in the medical field, but she was nowhere near giving up. She recalled the time when she was aiding Suna, the Land of the Wind, where the country was under a heavy attack of unrecognised poisons. The enemy had effectively paralysed the entirety of Suna’s offense and defence forces and were left vulnerable until Senju came to their aid in both warfare and medical support.

Sakura, along with Ino and the medical team, were forced into a fierce race against time in finding a cure in order to heal both the ruler and the civilians from their deathbeds. The most severe case would be the king’s brother, general Kankuro, for he received a direct hit from the enemy’s attack when protecting the king along his way to safety. Sakura was quickly assigned to lead the medics in healing him but not before receiving a poisoned needle simultaneously from the enemy when defending the civilians. She was battling with the invasion of the poison in her own body while curing Kankuro back then but managed to bite through the pain in order to produce a promising cure that eventually stabilise the general’s condition and hers in the nick of time.

Though her current situation had not been just as critical, the Uchiha king’s condition was not something to be taken lightly either. Especially when the illness showed every sign of an active poison in one’s body system that had eventually led to several attacks of blood coughs. True to her rough deduction, his condition was not typical to start with. Hence, that left Sakura stumped in identifying the real source behind the poison and eventually, the cure itself. Exhaling a heavy sigh, she ran a hand through her shoulder-length locks in frustration. What bothered her the most remained the lack of action taken on such health measures for it needed absolute care and treatment in order to counter it. But judging by everything now, it was clear that Sasuke and his comrades were forced to a dead end.

‘Probably Karin had not updated the source here.’ She thought to herself after suddenly recalling Sasuke’s claim where the Uchiha medic had a clearer knowledge on his brother’s sickness. Sakura can only hope that Karin had somehow found a cure for the illness. Like any hope that she had hold on so tightly before, it dimmed with another negative retort that came from nowhere else but her own mind. ‘The king should have been better if there is a cure.’ While replaying the scene earlier that night, she came to another cruel realisation that there were no reliable medical measures taken as seen by the absence of medicine given to the king, even from Sasuke. But luck was on their side when the attack had stabilised itself while waiting for Karin to return from the camp.

Sakura tugged her attention back to rereading the snake poisons’ symptoms for the third time, trying to note anything that she may have left out during her haste. After a moment of scrutinising, she found a pattern of common traits among all of it, including the mysterious illness possessed by the king itself. This meant that up to a worst-case-scenario extent, there was a possibility of producing a general poison-repressing medicine that may act as a temporary relief to any type of snake poisons.

Unlike a specific cure, this type of medicine was able to be produced through a number of common medicinal ingredients that were within Sakura’s range of knowledge. Without wasting time lingering into her train of dooming thoughts, she reached out for the same piece of paper, where she had written her notes on the illness symptoms, to list out everything needed to make the medicine. Again, she had hoped that it would help Karin with the responsibilities placed on her shoulders.

The movement of a certain silver chain managed to tug her focus as she stared pointedly at the ring that dangled at its centre part, caught in between the pages of the book when she had leaned forward to read. Her eyes stayed on it momentarily, eventually lost in another series of thought.

‘It would have been better if Karin keeps hold of it.’ Were her stray words that remained in her subconscious.

Like her, the other medic might need it much more than she did for Karin was exposed to a constant threat right outside the walls when treating people from one military camp to another. A nostalgic reminder hit Sakura when her mind rewound back to the times when she was carrying a similar role on the frontlines of Senju alongside her trusted comrades; Naruto being her most remarkable friend growing up together. She was not born into a family of royalty nor nobility, though through her hard work and determination to strive as one of the best alongside her capable friends had she granted full trust from her own country. To recall such trivial things, she came to miss all of them and the sudden thought that led up to her parents threatened to cause a breakdown in her. But she sobered up from such thoughts with the same mantra that kept her going every single day here; survive all the odds to make it back home well and alive.

Turning her gaze to the glass window that stood to her left side, she noted the stripes of colours on the sky that was awakened by daybreak. Without much of her own realisation, hours had passed since she entered the room in the midst of the bleak darkness of night. Allowing her eyes to rest for a little, she was brought to a violent startle at the sudden emergence of a man from the rack opposite to the one she was leaning upon.

Her mind had lost itself from the need to make do with anything around her as a defensive weapon when their eyes met in the dimness of light around the wrecked infirmary. The man, on the other hand, chose to stand and lean against the same rack, moving from the eye contact to her hand movements near her neck before looking out the same window. It was not until Sakura caught up with her involuntary action had she realised that her fingers had been caressing the ring from the temporary chain around her neck.

As if catching one off guard was natural to Sasuke, his lips quirked into a small smirk that lasted long enough to cause a blush to creep up Sakura’s cheeks. In a heartbeat, she dropped the ring and allow it to dangle freely on its chain. She will only need to find the right time to give it back to Sasuke and maybe, that would be the same day as when she could finally return home. Syncing with such thought, her stomach had twisted into an unpleasant feeling despite expressing the deepest desire that had resided in her heart for as long as she was here. If Sasuke was not standing there while noting all of the slightest change on her features in discreet, she would have shaken her head to get rid of such absurd thought from her head. There was simply no time to store such strangeness in her busy mind and with that, she pushed it all aside.

Sasuke had managed get pass the locked door through the link without causing a suspicious noise that may have alerted Sakura. It was either the fact that he was just equipped with such high skills or maybe she was too distracted within her own world of thoughts. If the latter was the case, then she has to stop herself from being careless to her surroundings. Though instead of directing a word, Sakura maintained her silence. A few seconds passed and the only sound audible was Sasuke’s unexpected long exhale. That act alone had alerted Sakura into darting her eyes from the scenery and back to Sasuke while he continued his forward gaze. There was something unspoken in his mind, that alone was plain to see from Sakura’s point of view.

“I didn’t expect you’ll be here.” He stated out of the blue, after receiving an intense stare from the medic. “I thought you’d left.” Sasuke added as an answer to Sakura’s furrowed brows.

Sakura allowed herself to sigh this time. “With the amount of guards and assassins that are after me, I don’t think escaping would be the brightest idea at the moment.” She had thought of conserving her words since their encounter earlier, but just like that, the idea was shoved out the window along with the brightening sky. Trying to refrain her slip of tongue, Sakura bit her lip in dismay.

Another moment went by in silence and she snuck another glance at the rigid prince. It took Sakura longer than usual to finally come to a realisation that Sasuke had tried to initiate a conversation while bearing a heavy thought. With that being cleared out despite only in her head, Sakura’s attentive side had resurfaced almost immediately as she shifted her sitting position away from the window to face the prince. Records that were turned at random pages and scribbled paper pieces stood between them and Sakura picked up a few to rearrange them as she decided to conclude her research.

“Has Karin arrived?” Sakura posed the query straightforwardly, still keeping herself busy in order to avoid exposing her shift of facial emotions to Sasuke’s watchful eyes.

“Hn.” The short answer caused Sakura to look up to his standing figure.

‘Maybe he is still being secretive about it.’ Sakura had thought to herself, still attempting to chase the uncomfortable feelings that rose at the same topic.

“That’s relieving. At least the king’s condition can be treated properly with a cure.” The last sentence was more to a personal note and comfort to herself knowing that Itachi’s illness was in control and the fact that she was worked up for nothing because the cure was already found.

Sasuke cleared his throat right after but Sakura had not taken it as his cue to speak against her remark. “There’s still no known cure to my brother’s illness.”

Sakura’s grip loosened on the books but careful enough to not drop it on the spot. “What?” Her voice came out in a shell-shocked whisper as her widened eyes stared into Sasuke’s. “So all this while,” Sakura trailed off, glancing to the scattered reading materials in a deep thought and looked back at Sasuke. “Karin is only suppressing the illness.”

“My brother’s illness is unusual to start with.” Sasuke revealed, walking away from his spot and towards the window. “Even throughout these years of searching, nothing really helps.” The monotone in his voice acted as his mask to cover his despair, though Sakura picked up his words in the hopes of gaining a clue to their predicament.

Judging by Karin’s research notes, it was clear that there was truly nothing that could lead them into finding a cure to this unknown illness. “Nothing helps, because none of it matches with anything here.” Sakura voiced out thoughtfully, brows furrowed at her own handwriting and Karin’s notes. “Your brother was poisoned, that much is clear.”

“And you know which type it was?” He turned to meet Sakura’s gaze, raising a brow at her previous statement.

“Snake’s poison.” She replied simply only to earn a pointed yet questioning look from the prince. “I figured it out through Karin’s records and the symptoms that I could discern. Though I can’t be completely certain because there might be a few more crucial ones that I am sure to have overlooked, or temporarily hidden based on the different cases of health attacks as experienced by your brother.”

Sasuke walked closer to Sakura’s spot, seemingly taken an interest on what she was currently observing. Sakura had, after all, not once looked at him throughout her deductive statement.

“Eyesight deterioration.” He spoke after a few seconds, successfully causing Sakura to return her gaze at him.

“Eyesight deterioration?” She repeated, trying to register the new fact into her list of symptoms while thinking of the factor that had caused it.

Sasuke gave a firm nod. “His eyes’ capabilities were slowly degrading after each attack. More occurrences may eventually lead to blindness. Or at least, that was Karin’s conclusion to the worst-case-scenario.”

Karin was undoubtedly as good as she was in the medical field, hence her assumptions may stand to be true given the limited resources and proofs they had in hand at the moment. Sakura could only take it all into consideration and try to rethink of a way to counter the poison.

“Then, it is a slow-acting poison. One of the causes may be the case where small amount of poison is consumed from time to time, which may eventually lead to the occasional attacks of the poison to one’s health.” Sakura tried to deduce though Sasuke shook his head at it.

“Karin did lay concern on the same matter before but my brother’s meals have always been under our own scrutiny to avoid such circumstances. I doubt that’s the case.” He exhaled as his mind buried deep in his own thoughts.

Sakura placed a hand beneath her chin in an equally deep thought, a habit she seemed to have adopted without herself noticing much. “Then that only led to the other unlikely cause.” She lifted her eyes from the scattered paper and met Sasuke’s gaze. “The poison, somehow, continues to grow and affect the bodily system for as long as it resides in the victim.”

Much to their dismay, Sasuke seemed to have accepted the latter cause to be the case for his brother’s illness. They had been extremely careful in everything that may harm themselves; food supplies and their surrounding man especially, for spies may lurk too near for comfort if they were to let their cautiousness slip in unexpected times. That too act as the reason behind Sasuke and his brother’s ruthless masks.

“Then we’ll need to expel it.”

Sakura’s sudden remark shook Sasuke out of his short reverie in a blink of an eye, his alertness still at its best despite the emotional turmoil towards his brother’s condition. “After years taken for the poison to mix well amongst the blood, how is expelling it possible without causing harm to my brother if the poison chooses to react at the same time?”

Sasuke’s concern caused Sakura to be stumped in her thoughts, because those were clearly the main problem they will be facing if expelling the poison is to be done. Having the poison grow accustomed to one’s system, trying to get rid of every trace that it left would sound almost impossible. But if the main organs can be protected and secured away from its infection, then the possibility of completely curing it is present. Though in order to do that, Sakura will first need to dig a little deeper into her own ability of producing such medicine with their limited resources.

“It’s not impossible.”

Chapter Text

Hope

His willingness in demonising himself for the sake of securing the safety of the kingdom that crumbled on his clan’s demise was the solid proof to everything.

Sakura had spent the past few hours sneaking glances through the slit of the door from Sasuke’s room, where she had claimed her part of restless sleep through the dawn while the prince stayed in his brother’s room. Sighing to herself after securing the situation of the West wing from her point of view, she turned to the blocked passageway that linked the current room to the infirmary. It would deem hopeless for her to stay idle with the heavy thoughts of a greater danger that threatens the king’s health lurking closer than the visible eye could see. Now that the passageway was completely hidden by a curtain that she had failed to notice at first, it was quite clear-cut that Sasuke had chosen to hide it from being exposed to the daylight itself.

But she refused to stay in that room any longer as she made her mind of entering the infirmary through the front door, the very same one that was barged into by the intruders. Though judging by the freedom in the movements of Sasuke’s familiar companions there had confirmed the fact that the West wing was truly sealed away from strangers, at least for the day or throughout Sasuke’s stay however long it may be. Hence, this only left her with the choice of rushing from one room to another without getting spotted plainly by any of them for she felt the need to avoid all sorts of possible explanations, or even better, encounters.

Once Sakura stepped into the infirmary’s front door and close it quietly behind her, she found herself rooted on her spot right next to it, eyes scanning around and finally settled on the sole person whom worked her way throughout the mess in a confined haste.

Having seen another person going through the debris just as intricate as she did was indeed strange in her eyes. It may have been the fact where Sakura had been spending the last two weeks living in the infirmary all by herself while concealing her own existence behind the doors or probably the guilt that got heavier each time she heard Karin sigh through the rubble, resulting into the Senju medic’s stare that tail the other’s movements.

“Why do you keep on looking at me?” Karin asked suddenly as she abandoned her current action and stood up straight, waiting for an answer from Sakura.

This time, Sakura sighed out loud. “I’m just guilty of having caused all of this.” She paused but Karin seemed to have dismissed her words when she dived back into the broken wooden splinters that was once a counter table. “I’m sorry, for everything.” Sakura continued, unsure of the entire situation ranging from the infirmary to Karin’s normal life before she barged into them so suddenly.

“Apologise to the prince. These are all the properties of the kingdom, or at least they were.” She sighed, allowing the sharp edges of her words to linger involuntarily as she continued scrutinizing through the rubble in a hopeless search of something. Deeming no response from Sakura and apparently just realised her own statement, she exhaled warily. “Not that he cared about the destruction as long as no lives were harmed here.”

There seemed to be a hidden meaning behind Karin’s words, still, but Sakura maintained her silence as she stepped closer to glance through everything to gain a clue on Karin’s search. “What are you looking for? There’s nothing else that can be salvaged from these wreckages.”

There were a few moments of silence and Sakura assumed that to be her cue to quit the conversation attempt. “As broken as this place looks, there are still things that remained intact. Information, for an instance, can’t be destroyed through simple destruction like this.” She jutted her chin towards a few racks with scattered books, but none of that were uncommon copies of texts passed around from one country to another. Instead those were the ones that contained general information of the Earth and other scientific knowledge.

“Do you mean your medical records?” Sakura tried, standing up straight and stare right at Karin while waiting patiently for her reply.

True to that, she seemed to perk up at the mention of it. “Did any one of them stole it from here?”

“No, all of those books are with me. I returned to retrieve all of them in case they are in risk of falling into the wrong hands.” Sakura dismissed the false assumption quickly.

Karin nodded tentatively before snapping her head back at Sakura, the action alone caused her glasses to fall lower on the bridge of her nose but she readjusted it in reflex. “You barely escaped those men and yet chose to return to retrieve those records? Are you out of your mind?” Sakura cringed a little at the outburst, something that mirrored her own actions in a way. “You risked your own life by exposing yourself to another possible attack from the unknown enemy, and for what exactly, a few scribbled notes?”

“I wasn’t alone.” Sakura tried to counter only to gain a loud shriek from Karin, almost too dramatically.

“And you risked the prince along with your insane quest?” Karin gaped. Now that she had placed everything that way, Sakura found the situation to have twisted into another through Karin’s vast imagination.

Sakura only shook her head. “It’s not like that. Sasuke intended to investigate the infirmary while I took the same chance to salvage what I could. And if that was what you had been searching for the entire morning, you can find almost all of it here. The rest were, well… history.” She finally released the strap from her shoulder and placed the bag on a clearing near Karin.

Leaving Karin to start unpacking each of the notes and skim through them, Sakura once again found herself observing the wrecked infirmary. The furniture was definitely a lost but it was not as valuable as the herbs and medicines that now lay scattered and contaminated with one another at the corner of the room, their abilities lost in just a blink of an eye despite capable of relieving those in pain back in the medical camps. Given all these pretences of her own absence out of the need of keeping her own safety, Sakura yearned to be back on the field where she could at least do something beneficial to those in great need.

“I’m sorry about the infirmary.” Sakura noted shortly, breaking the growing silence that grew too deep. Though it was not long before she dug deep into the deepest concern in her mind, something that she can only seek out the truth from Karin. “Is the king’s condition improving?”

Karin’s hand stopped its attempt in picking a book, quietly startled by Sakura’s sudden query, but she was quick to recover. “Yes. The king is in a stable health state now.” Hearing that had caused Sakura to draw a relieving breath. “His highness may have been in a worse state if he was left untreated until the time where I had made it back here. Thank you.” Despite the latter words of gratitude were spoken in a rush, it was not the reason Sakura had brought that particular topic up when they were all alone.

“As long as everything is well, it was not much of a deed. I believe you do a better job at it.” Sakura shifted the centre of conversation back at Karin to give her credit on her capabilities in treating something she had failed to fathom.

Perhaps Sasuke had been stating the truth since the start; Karin had indeed a deeper knowledge and understanding when it came to his brother’s complicated health state. It was no longer a measure of who was more inferior when it comes to treating a patient or even coming up with antidotes to countless types of poisons, but it was the healthy state of the patient itself that truly mattered in the end. And if Karin has the answer and way of securing the king’s safety despite unknown to others, it was already a comfort to Sakura.

“At the state of turmoil we are in, no future is ever guaranteed. Likewise, I could not fully claim to have done a better job at something I am uncertain about.” Karin finally stood up from the mess and placed both her hands on her hips with an audible sigh, drawing Sakura’s attention back to her. “I believe you had realised the abnormality in the king’s condition last night.” Catching Sakura’s gaze warily, Karin picked up one of the records and started to flip it through while waiting for the other’s reply.

“I do.” Sakura started, though ended the statement in a pessimistic way. “But it was my first time encountering such symptoms.”

Despite her reluctance in admitting that she was indeed hoping for a way to cure the king’s illness, Karin frowned in discreet at Sakura’s words. Sakura’s reputation as one of the best medics that emerged in the wake of the war had not went unheard by Karin. There was a part of her that had looked up to such greatness and not to mention the desperate wish of achieving the same degree of skills capable of healing a mysterious illness. She did admit that she was pushing her all to cure the king in the hopes of gaining Sasuke’s full attention if not a sense of gratitude despite how small it may have been, for she knew just how important Itachi’s wellbeing was to Sasuke. His willingness in demonising himself for the sake of securing the safety of the kingdom that crumbled on his clan’s demise was the solid proof to everything.

Though Karin had to abandon all those thoughts if she truly wanted to achieve her almost impossible goal of saving the king. Sasuke had no interest in weaving through any emotional bonds between himself with another individual regardless of how much of a charismatic leader he had forged himself to be. Having Karin filling the position of a trustable medic alongside him, it was out of a plain fact where she happened to be the only one capable of such task in the kingdom itself and the past years of working hard alongside the prince had earned her his trust among most of the things that evolve around him. Even her feelings towards the prince were laid plain enough for both Jugo and Suigetsu to understand.

Whereas when it came to Sakura, she seemed to be the complete opposite of herself. Her strong personality and determination could be easily noted out despite from the eyes of a stranger like Karin, judging from the day she discovered Sakura’s medicines were indeed sabotaged by the improper medics back at the medical camp. At first, her mind had easily believed those medics’ blames, deeming it fit where a citizen or a skilled medic from Senju would definitely find a hidden way to try to paralyse Uchiha’s systems as best as they could in the usual relation of enemies. But as much as she wanted to turn a blind eye and accept such fact, the sincerity in her actions had indeed spoke louder than those lies, in which reminded her greatly of the silent trait of the Uchiha prince.

As torn as Sakura had caught herself to be when standing in between the rivalries of two great kingdoms, she still chose to give it her all in caring for the welfare of those whom were within her reach while pushing the emerging battles that hurt both ways. A true medic whom was ready to surrender herself for the sake of protecting those under her wings. It was not hard to figure that Sakura would be the kind to have believed in a peaceful future, something the Uchiha king had kept deep in his heart as an unreachable desire. And maybe, that was why Sakura had managed to catch Sasuke’s eyes, even with the prince still possessing a heart cold with cruelty.

Bearing such realisation and then trying to settle with it was never an easy task for Karin. Throughout her time away from the castle while doing her best in ignoring Sakura’s presence and just focus on the normal routine she had with Jugo and Suigetsu alongside Sasuke, there had been a number of attempts where she tried to steal some time with the prince under the intention of deepening whatever connections they made since their team had been formed, regardless of how small the said degree may be. Of course those attempts were futile with Sasuke putting all of his attention to his people whom dealt with the security threats on the borders of Uchiha while still silently worried of his brother’s illness. It was not until he had decided to dash back to the castle after coming out victorious from a battle had things changed around her. Apparently, there was a part in his mind, despite small, that was reserved for a certain trespasser.

Karin would have scoffed out loud at such repetitive thought. How easily had a stranger found her way into the prince’s conscious attention and protection while Karin’s existence was nothing but what felt like a mere companion in the times of need. Though she was not about to release all sorts of importance she had beside the prince and if time was all that she needed to gain notice from Sasuke, then that shall be her only aim. But just for that sake alone, Karin would need to shift her focus to the current turmoil that was within her field; finding a cure to Itachi’s illness. Unfortunately, it was not something she could do all alone as proven by her year-long of hard work and researches that had turned out to be a complete waste. Shifting her attention back to the other medic, she thought to finally let her guard down and convey help from who she saw fit. Similar to her few other reluctant thoughts, Karin had to admit that Sakura truly did live up the name of being one of the best. Sai was a prove of that.

“What are your insights?” Karin finally asked after the long debate in her head.

Sakura must have adapted herself to the silence of the room that she turned to Karin wordlessly and pondered for a while. “The slow-reacting poison, as suffered by the king, may spread throughout his inner systems and organs.” There was a pause that Karin had allowed to pass, herself trapped in the spoken doom. “That is, if it is not expelled on time.”

Digesting her words in just a heartbeat, Karin stared back at Sakura as she scrutinised on her words. “Poisons with such degree of damage is best suited with the right cure to it. Expelling it would eat up forever.” She scoffed haughtily, too irritated with the fact that nothing could work in encountering the poison and not merely at Sakura’s impossible method.

“Betting on the effectiveness of a poison’s cure where it has only one irregular case would not be a wise move. And this was the reason why you only came up with suppressing medicines instead of a direct cure to the poison itself.” Sakura paused before continuing. “Dealing with a side effect may burden the already complicated nature of the poison. A risk too great to even take into consideration.”

It would be a white lie if Karin had chosen to ignore her amazement on Sakura’s sharp guesses. Even the latter part of her statement reminded Karin of Sasuke’s prior suspicion on the same matter. Sakura was right and now, Karin was running out of options as well as time to even hope for coming up with a cure. As desperate as it may sound, she was indeed met up with a dead end. It must have been her bad day today for she had been admitting her denials all morning.

“Yes.” Karin replied with a sigh and in gritted teeth. “As you have obviously read here, none of my notes could actually help in reducing the king’s condition. Instead, these trivial facts that are only deem usable with regular cases.”

“I wouldn’t say all of your researches are not helpful in this case.” Sakura replied only to receive Karin’s soft scoff.

“Right.” Karin’s irritation came at Sakura’s naturally kind remark despite having said the truth about it herself. “You mentioned about expelling the poison earlier. Why had you come to contemplate something that may take too long for effect?” She decided to steer the topic to one of her own curiosity and beneficial discussion.

“Since the entirety of the poison itself is too great to be eliminated out of the body, expelling it potion by potion may reduce its control on the body’s systems. Given the condition where the king’s organs are protected from being infected directly.” Sakura spoke out her true thoughts, those whom accumulated after her talk with Sasuke last night in which had resulted into the two staying up until early dawn.

Karin’s brow furrowed while digesting her words. “The suppressing medicines that the king is currently consuming,” she paused a bit before continuing. “It helps in preventing the poison from attacking the vital organs. Though I doubt it will be good enough to improve the king’s health. Meanwhile the others’ functions are nothing but mere cancelling effects towards the reactivity of the poison from one time to another.”

Hearing that alone relieved Sakura’s anxiousness a bit, knowing that there was still a way in countering this mysterious illness all thanks to Karin’s skilfulness. “It was still a sufficient mean of defence in emergency cases.”

“Not until lately, when the poison had seemed to have taken a more violent reactivity towards the king’s body.”

‘Blood coughs.’ Sakura reminded grimly in her own mind.

“Expelling the poison, despite not entirely, may be beneficial instead of relying on the medicine that slowly loses its effectiveness with time.” Karin turned to Sakura after staring out the window in deep thought, apparently sharing the same sentiment as Sakura’s thoughts. “How are you going to expel the poison? As you can see at the moment, my knowledge is only limited to these.” She frustratedly gestured over the piles of books with her hands.

Sakura walked over to join Karin crouching on the floor and started to sort out a few books that she had come to be familiar with for the past weeks of being alone at the infirmary. “Your records spark the possibility, in all honesty.”

Sakura then carried those books and went to the remaining half of what used to be a study table and laid the books on it with Karin silently behind her. She then flipped open all books, as if on random pages, and then the last one with a hard-wooden cover that contained the snakes’ section. Satisfied with all pages, Sakura glanced at Karin before beginning her thorough thought.

“From your discovery and researches on the snakes,” Sakura pointed on the page of the book in front of her, “there are intercepting similarities between the snakes’ poisons with the other poisoning factors.” Sakura moved to the next few books featuring various insects’ lists of poisons and cures. “I assume this is where you had come up with the suppressing medicine for the king?” She turned to look at Karin where the latter seemed to have taken aback with Sakura’s assumption.

“Yes.” She answered shortly, though pondered a bit at it for she was still unable to truly see Sakura’s point.

Sakura heaved a low sigh of relief at such confirmation as her facial expression shifted from the usual seriousness to a rather neutral one, as if exposing the reduction of her worry even if it was on a smaller part of the entire picture. “From there, I realised that we can actually gather the ingredients that made up the cures to produce a medicine that could expel the poison itself.”

Instead of searching for ways of neutralising the common poisons to eliminate the possibility of arousing a side effect of it as done by Karin, Sakura had chosen to look from the curing ingredients’ point of view under the same matter. True enough, the cures for those poisons held a perfect resemblance as much as their poison counterpart. And naturally, these means of cures were capable of expelling the poison from the body itself. Though it may not have taken a full effect on Itachi’s condition due to the possible mixture of poisons, or rather the undiscovered ones in his blood, these herbs made up the basic curing method for any sort of poison. In a way, these herbs would are capable of rejecting the poison but mild enough to not trigger it in a dangerous manner.

Catching up to what Sakura meant, it was Karin’s turn to scrutinise the names of the ingredients of cure. “So producing a medicine out of the common herbs could actually do the trick of expelling the poison?” A few moments later, she turned back to Sakura. “How can you be sure that this would work?”

To answer such question, Sakura hesitated a bit but not regarding the truth behind such method, but the origin of it. “It was an ancient method in Senju.” At the mention of her home, she had expected Karin’s fiery temper to make its appearance. But instead of that, there was a flash of frown on her features, allowing her to continue. “Though it had dated back then, it was still a proven one.”

The Senju kingdom had been known to be one of the leading discoverers in the medical field and even if it was a heated debate on the effectiveness of an ancient method founded by the said kingdom, it was hardly a false one. And in the midst of critical situations like now, knowing an alternative that could save the king’s life was simply a blessing in disguise. Though Karin had been living most of her lifetime in the Uchiha kingdom and around the remaining royal family, there was still a part of her that had failed to reach the level of despise between the two kingdoms. It had probably come from her unclear yet disastrous childhood, though that was none of her concern now.

“Explains why I had not heard about it.” Karin muttered, catching herself struggling with the massive nostalgic memories that had invaded her semi-peacefulness.

“It will not pose a danger to the king if,” Sakura was doubting herself but was quickly cut off by Karin’s remark.

“Just go with it.” Hearing such boldness from Karin, Sakura shifted her attention from the books to the her. “At this point, I am willing to try on anything that holds on to even the slightest possibility of curing the king.”

Noting Karin’s tone, once again, Sakura could sense her worry and per her previous observation, it was undeniably towards Sasuke. Again, she felt the strange tug in her heart that had left her insecure of no particular matter.

“True.” Sakura mustered a nod and a small smile.

The silence that came later had Sakura staring out the window in a daze, shifting her mind to gain a sense of serenity while consciously keeping her fingers’ habit of tugging at the necklace around her neck that hid a certain piece of silverware from any glimpse of attention.

Perhaps, it served as one of her attempts in shutting her own mind away from the person whom owned it at the first place.

Chapter Text

Away

There were simply uncountable selfish acts that threaten to kill another life than kindness could ever sustain one.  

The moment Sasuke had suggested visiting the king early that morning, Sakura’s drowsy mind was kicked awake with a sense of nervousness. Out of usual habit, Sakura and Karin had stayed up the whole night studying and determining the ingredients needed for the production of the poison-expelling medicine. It was around dawn when Sasuke had made a sudden appearance at the infirmary and the two filled him in on both their progress and success with their experimental trials, all courtesy of Karin’s extra resources that was hidden in one of the embedded room wall compartments. But given the limited herbs at present, the medicine could only last for at most more than a week. Hence, all that resulted in Sasuke’s suggestion of giving his brother a visit to inform him all about it.

Though when Sasuke had emphasised on Sakura joining them, into which she had refused right away and claimed that Karin knew everything just as much as she did. The prince had ignored her attempts of escaping, claiming that she was best suited for explaining as well. Unable to witness anymore tug-of-war of words between the two, Karin went along with Sasuke in finalising that Sakura should join them for the meeting and she had no reason to excuse herself. Sensing the turn of events, Sakura only sighed in despair at the two and went silent for most of the time up until the morning came.

The entrance to the king’s chambers were not too far from the infirmary and yet the journey still felt too short for Sakura as she descended along the West wing’s corridor in a group led by the prince with Jugo and Suigetsu in tow behind her. It might have intimidated her when she first came here but judging by the lightness of the air around them, it was obvious that she was included there instead of being forced to walk along. Even so, that did nothing to comfort the racing of her heart at the thought of coming face-to-face with the king while he was in a much awake state and not to mention the possible hatred being directed her way due to her identity.

Sasuke’s mind and eyes had always been forward though Sakura’s nervous actions did not leave his sight since then as he continued to eye the unconscious rubbing motion of her hands in secret. There was no cause for her unneeded anxiousness when meeting his brother, something he was very sure of, in fact. Though given the history and the namesake of his brother’s prowess in previous wars and battles, it was indeed natural for those who had never known him to possess such fear. What had piqued Sasuke’s attention was Sakura’s maintained determination in helping out despite knowing well of the existence of her own fear towards the one she was trying to extend a helping hand on.

Coming to a halt a few steps before the grand door where Itachi resided, Sasuke’s sight had studied Sakura’s frozen movement. “I believe it is best if I don’t enter.” She paused a bit and was then met with Karin and then Sasuke’s open gaze before continuing. “My identity is not the most remarkable here, especially in the presence of the king himself.”

“You don’t expect me to rally everything on my own, don’t you?” Karin sighed and crossed her arms with an unpleasant frown spotted on her face. “Furthermore, I wasn’t the only one who should receive all the credits for all the hard work.”

Instead of feeling the need to act defensive, as she did most of the time around almost everyone, Sakura’s lips quirked a ghost of a smile. “I believe your explanation alone would suffice. My unnecessary presence would only drag everything far behind the fast-paced time.”

“Why would that be?” Similar to Sakura’s lack of voiced opinion, Sasuke’s first remark since dawn had drawn all the attention as well as rising a new sense of panic in Sakura.

Her green eyes were averted from his piercing dark ones for a few seconds before they found themselves back with renewed courage. “My appearance may threaten the well-being of the king.” Listening to the pre-thought words that were spoken from her mouth caused Sakura to be alarmed but she continued for the sake of covering up her feeble lie. “Being enraged at the sight of a trespasser within the internal walls may trigger the health in a bad way.”

“Does that even count as a valid reason?” Suigetsu wondered in a low voice towards Jugo, where the two were standing side-by-side.

That question alone brought upon the heat of an embarrassed blush on Sakura’s face as her eyes widen the slightest bit in horror, but none had escaped Sasuke’s still watchful eyes, albeit finding little amusement in it. Sasuke then cleared his throat to shift the air back into the current matter.

“That settles it then. I’ll inform the outcome of the visit once it is done.” Sasuke concluded, conveying the message personally to Sakura once their eyes met again.

Once received a hesitated nod from Sakura, he left for Itachi’s room with Karin not far behind. A few hours ago, he had the intention of insisting Sakura’s presence for their visit in an attempt to finally have his brother meet her in a relatively peaceful state. Though after discerning Sakura’s utmost discomfort on the same matter, he decided to finally comply to her attempt.

Sighing in relief, Sakura turned her back from the door to clear her mind with the window view. Instead, she was only met with the curious looks of both Jugo and Suigetsu. Furrowing her brows in pure confusion, the two abandoned their stances to make way for Sakura’s halted destination.

There was a strange tension in Sakura’s step when she came to yet another pause in front of the double doors that she had come to familiarise with. Just as the first time where the intricate carving of darkened metal, silver and gold that decorated the door had caught Sakura’s amazement, she came to stare at it in a daze. No words were present on the solid canvas as a form of hint to the carved tale, but Sakura’s mind could recite the childhood story just as good as recognising the names of any herbs she could come across.

Sakura was instantly reminded of a childhood fairy tale of a spying bird that sees all, sparing its master, the king, of every detail that led to his success in conquering an empire. A strong bond shared between the king and his animal-comrade became the centre of the story, hence making the breaking point of the tale unbearable. The story proceeded with the bird being shot by an arrow from the enemy’s seer, for he discovered the secret of the king’s advantage. The enraged king vowed to fulfil a revenge for the deed along with a promise of bringing peace upon his people by defeating the other tyrannical king. It ends with the king dying heroically after driving a poisoned arrow made of a bird’s talons into the enemy’s heart. Some say that a flock of birds later devoured the tyrant while covering the other king with various plants and flowers out of grief.

The realisation of the overall tale had instantly reminded Sakura of the falcon that used to visit her by the infirmary window. A small part of her had actually missed the bird while the other wondered on its sudden disappearance. It felt as if the falcon had left since Sasuke’s arrival; one had not fated to catch a glimpse of the other. Though she did hope that she will be able to meet it again someday, to thank the falcon for its loyal companion while she was trapped in an inescapable loneliness.

Her fingers proceeded its movements in tracing the carved metal, though they stopped halfway at the sound of firm footsteps coming from behind her. She turned to meet the forward gaze of the prince and something about the maintained grimness brought alertness to Sakura’s observation. Karin, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen near him.

‘Is there something wrong with the medicine?’ Her mind echoed in the darkness of her thoughts, each one of them imagining the worst-case possible to the cause behind the prince’s concerned look.

Sakura was about to speak out her query when Sasuke walked past her to push the door open and keeping it ajar for Sakura to enter his room. “Let’s talk inside.” Sasuke noted shortly, apparently noticing the alarmed look on Sakura’s features just as much as she did to him.

Ignoring her prior hesitation as she wandered along the hallway since Sasuke and Karin had visited the king, Sakura followed immediately, silently anticipating the dreadfulness that may come at their said talk.

“Is everything alright?” She asked as soon as the door closed.

Casting Sakura a short glance before heaving a sigh and settling his back against the side of the wall that displayed countless of swords and shields, he nodded. “Everything is fine for now.”

Sakura released the breath she was holding on and calmed her heart. “Karin?” As if on cue, there was a light knock on the door before the two could complete their information relay.

Slightly panicked at her possible exposure within somewhere she may not supposed to be, Sakura attempted to move away from the sight of whoever that stood behind the door only to be stopped by Sasuke with a shake of his head. He then walked back to crack it open slightly and met with a flustered Karin in indifference.

“S-Sasuke, ah sorry to disturb you,” her eyes stared right into Sasuke’s as she struggled to form her next words while wearing the prince’s patience out for some reason. “I was just wondering when we will head out from the castle tonight?”

“In a few hours’ time.” He stated shortly and was about to close the door when Karin kept a hold of it to draw back his attention. “What do you want?”

She grinned sheepishly before stepping in to speak. “I-” Only when she turned her sight towards the inside of Sasuke’s room had she taken notice of Sakura’s unmoving figure. “Oh, she’s here.” The low tone in Karin’s voice seeped out from herself almost immediately as her lips curve into an obvious frown.

Unsure of what would happen to the current scenario if she had hidden herself deeper into the shadows, she mustered a small nod towards Karin whom later torn her gaze from her and to the prince within a blink of an eye. It felt accusing somehow, but Sakura was still equally puzzled at the truth behind their relation, safe for her own conclusion from her previous thoughts. One that Sasuke had noted to have come from exhausted minds.

“Here.” Karin gave Sasuke a notebook, into which the prince had waited for her to finish her sentence before accepting it. “It’s the list of ingredients for all related medicines. She’ll know what to do with it. I shall go and prepare for tonight.” She stated stoically and bowed slightly to Sasuke without acknowledging Sakura’s presence.

Closing and locking the door behind him out of habit, he passed Sakura the book wordlessly. As much as he knew that Sakura would indulge into the content of the book and pour out all of her thoughts into the same matter, he knew that she must had herself wondering on the topic of his talk with Karin. That was the only explanation to her silence; it was when her mind was filled with heavy thoughts that her personality had been locked away with all of it.

“You’re leaving soon?” Sakura asked after a moment too long into the silence, while flipping her book absent-mindedly.

“Hn.”

“With Karin?” And a few seconds later, Sakura’s mind started to berate herself for the intrusive yet unnecessary extension of question. Catching the beginning of another awkward silence, she looked up from the notebook and towards Sasuke. “I mean, was that why she passed me the book for the king’s medicines?” She steered back to Karin’s words, unable to fully understand what they meant by herself knowing the purpose of the notebook.

Switching his sight from Sakura to the glimpse of the descending sun from the window, Sasuke left his spot to start rummaging through his closet and a hidden arsenal located right next to it. Despite the full-length window that graced one side of the room, the dark blackout curtains were in position to block out most of it, leaving the room in a dark state that suited the prince’s soul. There was only one opening from the middle part of the lining windows that was given a chance to bask the room in a small amount of the sun’s light and warmth. Sasuke had always preferred the shadow, for he wanted to be the pillar that supports his brother’s rule from the dark as well as being his most dangerous weapon if the need arises someday.

“We’ll be leaving two hours after the sun sets.” Sasuke replied Sakura, casually ignoring her second question regarding Karin.

A pause before Sakura nodded to his words. “I see.”

Deeming no follow-up questions coming from Sakura as he had expected in mind, he glanced at her in the midst of his light-packing task. Like too many times before, her unreadable features were plain to be seen and deciphered. Something had clearly bothered her mind and as much as he hated to admit it, he would have liked it if she talked it out instead of keeping everything away. Though the way she had acted was simply understandable, especially to him. Despite growing into fonder acquaintances, Sakura was just trying to be careful with everything for her own safety, which may include the refusal to trust anyone around her on unfamiliar grounds. Again, this matter seemed to have annoyed Sasuke despite being a smart move coming from her.

“Karin will be gathering herb supplies for the medicine.” Sakura perked up from her daze to turn to Sasuke. Of course that would be the case, considering she had laid her concern about the lack of resources for the upcoming medicines during their discussions. It was only natural for Sasuke to go along and protect her in the wake of a havoc near the borders and mountains. “Suigetsu will help her with the task while Jugo will keep an eye for any suspicious activities here.”

Which then only left Sasuke’s purpose being unknown. There were a few logical hunches in her mind but Sakura failed to tame down the need to question the prince’s plans out loud.

“I’ll be monitoring the camps to prevent any unwanted rise or attacks there.” As if reading her mind, Sasuke revealed his share of task.

Sakura finally closed the book to focus on Sasuke, whom had finished packing and was setting a bag filled with more weapons than it did for clothes by the door. “Is the unrest under control?” Considering Uchiha and Senju were bordering nations, this was the closest news she could get about her own abandoned country.

“Yes.”

Turning herself to note the scenery through the glass windows, she heaved an involuntary sigh. “Food gathering.” There was a sense of nostalgia in her voice at her spoken remarks. “Autumn marks the beginning of the cold season. Everyone must have been busy gathering daily essentials, especially in the current state of unrest.”

Given the insufficient shelters and daily supplies, it was only natural for anyone to be trapped in a state of panic when bundled up together. Especially when contagious diseases started its rule amongst these seasons, isolation was no longer a choice but a privilege to those whom were not struggling to keep up with life. And on a cruel note, there were simply uncountable selfish acts that threaten to kill another life than kindness could ever sustain one.

The world was constantly plagued by evil thoughts where people whom possessed determination and strength was forced to run to the furthest point of the cliff and accept their inescapable ending. It was something she had wished to change. But sometimes, wishes were nothing but unachievable actions.

“Sakura,” hearing Sasuke’s voice in a closer proximity snapped her out of the long reverie almost immediately as she turned to face him again. Shocked laced by puzzled at his sudden mention of her name, she waited for Sasuke to continue. “I’ll need to ask for your help to look after my brother while I am away.”

Understanding the severity that laid in his voice that complemented with the said matter, she smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll give it my best in taking care of the king’s health.”

In all honesty, Sasuke had not expected Sakura to have willingly accepted his request ever so naturally and to have said that he was not surprised at it would be an understatement. Given the danger that threatened her life in the current state, it was only natural for anyone to have turned it down and take a chance over one’s mercy to slip away and run back to their country. Except for Sakura whom seemed to have patiently followed the flow of events while holding onto the strong faith of returning to her home when the time was right.

As strange as it had been for them, the amount of trust that they had built upon one another seemed to be stronger with the passing time or even their own realisation. It even came to a point where Sasuke actually placed his belief in Sakura to look after the wellbeing of his brother during his absence despite her identity. It felt as if he could count on her even when they were supposed to stand on the opposite sides of a battle.

“Is there anything else, Sasuke?” This time, it was Sakura whom caught him off-guard with his unmoving stare.

“No.” Sasuke returned to his alertness quickly. “That would be all.”

Without realising the time, the orange-tinged sky slowly seeped into one of dark grey as night started to conquer the sky. It gave out the sign that there was only an hour left before Sasuke left the castle with his comrades.

Seeing himself walking over the closet to retrieve his belongings, Sakura proceeded a few steps behind him before stopping short with a short remark. “Until your return, Sasuke.”

As if those words were spells that were spoken to disrupt his movements, Sasuke halted for a while before turning his head slightly to the side as if to look at Sakura. Though in return, he flashed a smirk and passed her a single small nod before heading out.

The only thing that was exchanged between the two would be the fleeting eye-contact before their sights were separated by the metal-carved door.

Chapter Text

Hidden

Sasuke was the remaining piece of his sanity amongst all the absurdity that the world had awakened to and he vowed on his life to protect his brother’s life as long as he breathed.

Since Sasuke’s departure a few days ago, Itachi found himself working on close quarters with the Senju medic that had resided within the kingdom since the past few months, despite never meeting Sakura face-to-face in between the timespan. Though he had not been oblivious to the whole ordeal of her identity’s exposure in the midst of her country’s known enemies; his own kingdom. Rumours were always regarded as a waste of both the time and resources upon knowledge, but then again, nothing could truly escape Itachi’s range of observance. It was only a natural trait for him to be tactically careful in dealing with everything he could gain access to, earning Itachi an identity of a man with invisible flaws and that alone proved to the other nations on his capabilities as an ideal yet ruthless ruler amongst all. Whoever whom dared to as much as to dream of interfering anything within his range of power shall face their high chance of defeat for Itachi was not only notable in terms of political matters involving his kingdom, but as another warrior born from the hard challenges of war upon the current era. Having aced the teachings of his father before the tragedy, Itachi was feared by his enemies on the battlefield for he carried the fearsome name of his clan along with his unrivalled skills.

Despite maintaining such exterior, he was deeply concerned of his younger brother whom seemed to allow himself to wander into a path of darkness and uncertainty all for the sake of fending off their kingdom under the same mentality. Itachi was regarded as a hero in the times prior to the war that broke the Land of Fire due to his heightened intellect and advanced understanding in warfare as another contributor within the military force. And despite being regarded as a betrayer a few years after by the majority of the world, they still looked up to his perfect examples with their deep appreciation shifted to a constant fear and insecurity. Though he had taken such advantage to himself in defending Uchiha from unneeded rebels and outer oppositions. Sasuke, on the other hand, was a different case in the eyes of the others.

Being the youngest of the Uchiha royalties, Sasuke was trapped in an inescapable comparison made between him and Itachi. Despite received such criticisms occasionally from their father in a rather harsh manner, their family’s love towards Sasuke had never ceased regardless of the varied time spent between themselves due to their respective duties. In a way, such was the perfect condition for Sasuke to grow stronger and even surpass his brother someday, something that Itachi had been aiming since the start. He would sacrifice everything that he was capable of in order to assure such goal was reachable within the shortest time possible. Itachi had meant for Sasuke to continue through a path of life that was free from the burden of bearing the crown and by continuing to be the perfect inheritor of the throne, Sasuke was not forced into such weighted future. But given the advanced ability that the Uchiha clan was blessed with, none had expected their disastrous downfall of one fateful night.

It was safe to imply that everything and everyone had changed since the dawn of the day since the night of the bloodbath. The heart-crushing sensation he felt when his sight landed upon the mass of bodies that littered near the borders was never forgotten and similar to his younger brother at times, they still managed to conquer a majority part of his mind that eventually induced nightmares. But something had stopped him from mourning the great lost out in the open; Sasuke. His smaller hands were dropped to his sides as they gave out a steady tremble while the two stood under the dark morning sky. Like his brother, Itachi’s hands threatened to shake as well but he fisted them in an attempt of controlling the involuntary action that emerged. Itachi then reached for Sasuke’s shoulder and rested his hand there with a firm grip upon it to lessen the tremor. Sasuke was the remaining piece of his sanity amongst all the absurdity that the world had awakened to and he vowed on his life to protect his brother’s life as long as he breathed.

‘I refuse to shatter now, or ever.’ Itachi gravely promised in his head as his hand tightened on Sasuke’s shoulder.

Lightning stroke the nearby forest trees as thunder cracked somewhere behind them but for all the right reasons, the brothers were still numb on their feet. A dry sob escaped Sasuke’s lips and it took Itachi all the remnants of his might to stop himself from being drowned into the same pain that gnawed his insides. He could not break. He cannot bear the consequences of collapsing the pillar of his ten-years old brother’s strength at this critical moment. Heaving in the rotting air out of the naïve hope of settling his feelings, Itachi forced himself to recall all the trainings he had gone through to summon the tough exterior that he needed to arm now. But nothing could rid of the blurring sight that was invaded by the unshed tears towards the sight of their dead parents not far from where they stand.

Heavy rain then took over the ash and dust that settled upon the surface as Sasuke broke into heart-wrenching sobs while Itachi allowed himself to oblige to the suffocating sadness expressed solely through the tears that flowed down his cheeks, disguised along the raindrops that dripped atop of him. Feeling Sasuke’s intensified tremble, Itachi pulled him to his torso in a half-hugging posture and the two stayed for what felt like hours beneath the brewing storm. There were a few wails from their survived clansmen around them though similarly, they were too occupied with their own lost to take notice of the mourning brothers.

Like perishing ambers that was ultimately diminished by the rain, the resolve in Itachi started out small though he was nowhere near in allowing it to be swallowed by the odds that stood against him since the start of this ordeal. Inhaling once more with a flicker of determination, he looked downwards and noticed that his brother too had broken apart from their comforting stance and was back at staring far into the mass destruction.

“Whoever that held a part in the cause of the Uchiha clan’s downfall shall demise in the hands of justice.” Itachi’s hoarse voice spoke beneath the raging rain with a shared stare forward as Sasuke.

He then detached their joined hands with a soft nudge before proceeding towards their parents’ bodies whom laid still amongst the littering others, where Fugaku’s arms were still tightly holding onto Mikoto. Though the entirety of the situation was in much undesirable state, their features were rested in such a peaceful manner that it contradicted greatly with the reality. Itachi closed his eyes briefly to stop the path of his thoughts and chose to believe the façade in his mind. A slow yet steady footsteps approached him and he cracked open his eyes to notice that Sasuke had joined him standing next to their deceased parents. He had expected his younger brother to mourn once again but what truly surprised him was the actions that came next.

Sasuke crouched down to utter a short inaudible prayer while placing both his hands on each of their parents respectively before laced their fingers together and laid them at their abdomen in a resting posture with Itachi joining shortly. Taking notice of the white gold band on their mother’s finger, Itachi was reminded of her words in the depth of his mind.

“Your younger brother, Sasuke, shall inherit this ring when the time is right.” Now that their mother’s wish was nothing but a distant memory, Itachi might as well as help her in achieving it.

Reaching for Mikoto’s cold fingers to retrieve the ring, despite being attacked by the unrightful feeling and Sasuke’s demanding stare, it slipped almost easily under his touch as if she had blessed him with such a task at this very moment. Before Sasuke could protest the strange behaviour of his brother in taking away their mother’s accessory, Itachi raised his hand to place a firm grip on Sasuke’s shoulder for the umpteenth time that day.

“Listen well, Sasuke. Mother had meant for you to inherit this ring once the time comes and given the current circumstances, I believe she wanted you to keep it with you.” The past tense in his words was plainly forced but Itachi managed to convey his message to Sasuke just fine.

Fisting upon receiving the ring, Sasuke stood up and waited for his elder brother to follow suit before finally speaking since the tragedy had befell them. And what aroused another emotion in the midst of a few unnamed ones was concern over the hatred that flashed in Sasuke’s crimson eyes. It was undoubtedly true that their clan’s abilities would be further enhanced with the great feeling of lost, despair and along those lines, were one of revenge. Those signs seemed to be visible in Sasuke’s current state and Itachi could not help but to feel shaken for his brother’s emotional turmoil that may end up bringing harm upon himself in the unpredictable future, and up until this very day.

“I’m with you, elder brother. I will be the defence you need against those who were responsible for father, mother and our clansmen’s deaths.”

Ever since then, Sasuke had trained himself to be close to the definition of perfection in terms of warfare whilst Itachi could only observe him from a distance to ensure his brother had not taken a path too dark that it may end up consuming him whole. He too had been scarce in terms of conversations after that, unlike his curious past self whom queried about almost anything that he could not think of. It seemed as if Sasuke had permanently locked away that side of him whilst drilling himself into forming critical thoughts with the help of his alert eyes. And with such a realisation, Itachi was brought forth into the present as he continued to study the Senju medic from the secret room of his study while the latter prepared his medicine.

Why had his brother been so specific and protective towards a Senju medic since her fall into the cruel plays of fate, and into their kingdom, since the very start? Of course he had not meant to confront Sasuke about it and instead, opted for the conversations they had during their rare times to spare. Unfortunately, Sasuke did not provide a clear-cut answer to that query and with a sturdy claim that Sakura and himself had owed each other their lives to the previous enemy’s attacks, Sasuke eventually state his plan of allowing Sakura to return to her home country. Judging by the careful glance from Sasuke towards him, Itachi could somehow sense the underlying honesty in those spoken thoughts. Hence, that caused Itachi to ponder over Sasuke more. His brother was not known to be the kindest of man when it came to strangers, especially those whom originated from a country they despised. And to have actually witnessed his mercy towards this medic, Sakura, was obviously puzzling. It appeared as if a form of trust was shared between the two despite fully aware of their contradicting backgrounds.

Itachi’s eyes had not missed the glittering piece of necklace that was secured around Sakura’s neck, into which the medic had carefully tugged away when she was leaning towards the boiling herbs in a close inspection. He furrowed his brows as his mind dug deeper into the same conversation with Sasuke just recently, centring about their mother’s inherited ring. Unlike the other materialistic things and beings that their era could have collected, it had not meant to act as a sole, mere accessory.

The ring symbolised authority, for the ring was meant to be borne by a holder worthy of sharing the burden of the kingdom and along with that, the heart of its giver. In fact, the ring was supposed to be used in an exchange of proclaimed love and affection towards the person the inheritor had chosen to give upon. To have known that the treasured possession was given to someone he had yet to approve being around his brother, Itachi could not shake off his need of ensuring Sasuke’s trust had not been wasted upon an unlikely person. Or perhaps, there was something unnoticeable to his quick-deducing mind that had blocked Itachi from judging Sakura without the slightest bit of prejudice. Though he cannot completely blame his distrusting nature out of defence.

Suddenly, Itachi was reminded of his own counterpart of the inherited ring that was passed to him years ago by Fugaku. The ring had been long since it was given away by Itachi and along with its eternally lost state, there was another hidden wound in his heart that bled whenever his thought had reached out to the unspoken fate that had fallen upon the bearer of the ring. Itachi inhaled deeply and cleared his mind from the lingering memories. He cannot be controlled by the past and he should focus on the present in order to reach a desirable future. Settling with such a thought, Itachi chose to finally meet the medic that had affected his brother’s cold demeanour.

“Is there something wrong with the herbs?” Itachi queried as soon as he stepped out of the shadow and walked towards Sakura, whom was scrutinising upon the medicine in progress.

If she had been startled by the sudden emergence and what more of the king’s decision of talking to her in a random manner, Sakura was an expert in appearing neutral when she casted him a glance. Out of formalities, Sakura gave him a bow of her head before shaking them in denial of Itachi’s former question. Karin’s resources had been undisturbed from the raid and she was silently grateful of it.

“Everything is going on as researched.” Sakura noted shortly, though she thought better of ending the conversation abruptly especially when the topic of the medicine was brought up. “Your highness, may I know if there is any sign of other unwellness that was caused by consuming the medicine?”

It had been a few days since Itachi started with the latest discovery of the poison-expelling medicine and Sakura had made sure of keeping the person under her care a close and detailed observation. Much to her utter relief, there was no side-effects that came from it but she would need to hear it out herself from Itachi upon his consumption. Posing her critical query alone induced a degree of anxiousness in her in concluding the effectiveness of the medicine. And since it was specifically done to suit Itachi’s mysterious illness, he was indeed the only person whom could test it out.

“None at the moment. There seemed to be no unwanted reactions from my condition towards this treatment.” Again, he answered briefly while observing Sakura’s features to note out any hidden emotions behind it, only to receive her small smile of relief at the confirmation.

Now that they had started an aimless talk, Itachi decided to proceed with a more direct and rather blunt approach as a part of his personal investigation. “Why are you working so hard to come up with a cure for me, Sakura?”

The use of her name in his question was not made out of familiarity, but a subtle reminder that he knew her more than just a random trespasser. In fact, he was not clueless of her renowned identity as a great medic that was said to eventually surpass her master, Lady Tsunade, in the near future. Having such responsibilities only led to carrying the lives of those she could reach to heal, a burden Itachi knew too well throughout his lifetime. Which caused him to wonder the purpose behind Sakura’s hard work.

Sakura, on the other hand, was well aware of the implied question from the king. He knew that Sakura belonged to a rivalling country and yet still chose to face the trouble of curing the leader of an opposing kingdom. As quoted in one of the strategies of warfare, ‘all is fair in love and war’, any given person would have taken her position’s advantage to a great use in order to seal their victory in war. And without stretching the remark, poisoning became the obvious choice above all.

She held the king’s stare in order to convey her next words. “It is the most truthful duty of a medic to cure whoever and whenever they are capable of, your highness.”

“Without expecting anything in exchange or for anybody’s sake, perhaps?” Itachi raised the question to another challenge.

Instead of angered by the accusation, Sakura was collected in coming up with a sensible reply. It was not her first time coming across with such baseless yet endless blame either, for the human nature was the quickest to assume the worst of things over the sincerity of one’s heart. Mirroring Itachi, Sakura observed his features as well though there was nothing malicious visible to her side either.

Sakura shook her head a little as a part of her answer. “It would be foolish to continuously starve for such ideals when the world itself had barely any kindness left to be believed in, your highness.” She paused a moment as her mind dove into the latter statement of Itachi’s query. “Whereas for someone’s sake,” Sakura started and almost allowed her tongue to slip over Sasuke’s title less name in her reply. “Prince Sasuke had risked the chance of saving my life and hence, I’m seizing this chance to repay his kind deed through something I’m capable of. But of course, it wasn’t a request or a must to do so, though I’m sincerely invested in helping him where I can.”

The king glanced upon her neckless while she kept an eye on the boiling water for the medicine before asking yet again. “Do you expect Sasuke to depend on your skills in the future?”

To this, Sakura furrowed her brows slightly while trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind it but much to her overworked mind’s dismay, there seemed to be nothing but a blunt question being directed at her. And as unlikely as it was, she found trouble answering the question in a beat. A few seconds passed as Sakura pretended to stir the herb while trying to come up with a reply, as allowed by Itachi through his patience in the silence.

“No.” She finally spoke once she stood up straight and looked back at Itachi. “It would deem better if he could create and control the means of protecting the people he cared about without any sort of dependence. That would be the best, in fact.” Sakura glanced out the window momentarily, while still deep in thought before continuing her words not too long into the stillness of air. “But if the need ever arises, Karin is more than eligible to aid him.” Facing back at Itachi, Sakura flashed a small smile, though the king saw through the concealed uneasiness behind it.

Masking his expression, Itachi was silently impressed by Sakura’s answer and could somehow pinpoint his brother’s reason in protecting a stranger. Not just a mere stranger though, but Sakura. Despite only having a rather brief conversation with her today, Itachi could sense the medic’s genuine intentions and even glimpsed at the rare display of one’s selflessness.

Satisfied with his discovery and decided to allow Sakura to have a fair share of his budding trust, Itachi nodded at her before replying her previous smile with one of his own though a more preserved one. Sakura took a quick notice of it, as seen through her surprised features, but by then, Itachi had walked off towards his reading room at the other side of his large room.

“It was a nice talk, Sakura.”

Still struck with confusion, she bowed slightly at the retreating king while rethinking the strange exchange known to be a conversation with the king of Uchiha.

Chapter Text

Breech

She refused to be the person whom depended on the protection of others to make it out alive, for she could be as lethal as any weapon when she chose to be and now was the moment to make good use of it.

Days passed by serenely as Sakura continued her research and observation on Itachi’s illness from time to time. Much to her relief, the Uchiha king’s condition was acceptably stable without any sign of his blooded cough attack. This known fact became a sturdy base of her flickering faith in the direction of the medicine that she and Karin had discovered, for they were finally able to trace a clue that led towards overcoming the mysterious illness. Given the same determination from Karin’s side and along with Sasuke on her search of the needed herbs, this matter had hardly remained dominant in Sakura’s mind whenever she found herself alone and on her own disposal sometime at night.

Sakura had stayed in Sasuke’s room while he was away and that gave her a rather clear view of the entire kingdom through the window view, given the curtains were finally drawn out of sight. The past few days had allowed her to recover the energy from the previous sleepless nights and now that her mind was returning to its sharpness to her surroundings, she gained a sense of confidence within herself in facing the unseen events that may threaten her life yet again as before. All the hard times that she was forced to face had literally open her eyes into accepting the natural circumstances that went on around this kingdom. She could now fathom the veiled internal warfare behind the castle walls and after exchanging brief talks with Itachi on a daily basis during his treatment, it was clear to Sakura that Itachi had purposely laid on a low profile all along without ignoring everything that happened within his turf.

This certain matter had become a nagging concern to Sakura’s mind as well for the peacefulness that had blessed into each and every day since the coveted scavenge in Karin’s infirmary had uneased her. It felt as if she was currently standing at the eye of the storm once again and could only stayed there helplessly until its sudden strike in claiming her life in another careless attempt. Though nothing would ever be the same as before because Sakura vowed to herself that she would never give in to the disgusted satisfaction of her unidentified enemies. Of course, she had not come to such conclusion without arming herself with suitable preparations since the said event.

Now that Sakura had read through all of Karin’s records and obtained the needed knowledge on the medical conditions within this land, she needed to focus on other factors that mattered as well; her own safety. The moment she decided to pursue the medical path, Lady Tsunade had readily warned her on the circumstances that came along not only as a life saver, but having the medic’s life being gambled along in the midst of a raging war for some enemies hold onto the aim of eliminating any accessible medics to ensure their opponent would never live to see the light once the battle was unleashed. Though medics were known to possess a neutral nature in between two parties, the cruelty of humankind had eventually overlooked the unsaid rule and decided to even tarnish it with their typical act of cruelty. Hence, the training she had undergone with Lady Tsunade had not been solely to sharpen her skills in terms of medical, but her alertness to the ever-critical surroundings at all times.

Venturing the prince’s room without prying on unnecessary private belongings, Sakura found another access door next to the washroom. It turned easily under her gentle twisting force and it took her a few seconds to contemplate on entering the unknown room. She did wonder on Sasuke’s training space since the prince kept most of his weapons within his reach in this very bedroom at the first place, and it was until this moment that Sakura had discovered his personal training room that was somehow left unlocked.

Without investing too much time in such thought, Sakura took up the chance of using the same space for her training and much to her annoyance, her lack of practice was visible on the first few tries when utilising the sword. It was not a new element to her for she was taught the art of the weapon since she was ten by her childhood mentor and Senju’s military general, Kakashi Hatake. Her skills were not completely gone but it would need to be polished to its finest in order to be able to break away from the enemies’ ruthless sneaks in the near future. She refused to be the person whom depended on the protection of others to make it out alive for she could be as lethal as any weapon when she chose to be and now was the moment to make good use of it.

Every morning at dawn time, Sakura made an effort of training for two hours by herself before diving into her medic role in overlooking the king’s illness. Almost a week then, it finally came to a fruition when her movements were no longer sluggish than the first ones as they were more defined and precise, as she was able to hit the wooden log and struck it in a faster motion. Hence if Kabuto’s men, whom Sakura had suspected to consist of the infirmary’s trespassers, had planned an attack on her anytime now, she was more than ready to fight back with all her might. She would not be dragged by her feet and waited to be judged nor will she tremble while hiding away from a bunch of hungry scavengers rather helplessly the next time around. Attacking was never Sakura’s first choice, though when the time truly called for it, she would do anything but staying impassive to it all.

Similarly for tonight, Sakura laid awake after a few hours of rest. She was accustomed to the extent of Sasuke’s room despite its spaciousness, though the silence that came tonight were far too deafening for her own liking. Due to her previous take on the restlessness that seemed to become a constant in herself, Sakura would walk over to the window and crack it open a little to observe the flickering lights and minimal movements from the town beneath her heightened view. The crows were never gone from their territorial claim along the balconies, though they were considerable silent when the night fell. Instead, the crickets and owls’ voices filled in the night air. Though all those normalcies seemed to have vanished for tonight.

Sakura sat up from her lying posture on the bed at the soft knocking sound against the window glass, one that she had grown familiar to despite the absence since more than a week ago. Her feet carried her directly to the window and was immediately met with the appearance of the dedicated falcon. Without wasting another second, Sakura cracked open the window from the side just large enough for the falcon to enter and the bird slid in skilfully before settling next to the small dry food saving at the corner of the medical counter. Perhaps Sakura had been expecting it to turn up anytime, for she continued to spare the bird a thought on food.

Switching her view back to the view outside after reducing the exposure of the night air through the window opening, Sakura stood next to it and listened intently. The environment was eerily quiet and for some reason, it brought upon a sense of deadliness. Furrowing her brows, she glanced at the falcon’s puzzled stare upon her before studying the dark night once again. Flapping sounds of wings became apparent as the murder of crows moved restlessly throughout the expanse of the castle, inviting yet another unpleasant feeling in Sakura. But instead of being intimidated by the presence of crows out of the typical mindsets of believing them to have possessed bad luck, Sakura was solely concerned of their unlikely movements in the dead of night. Something was definitely off.

The crows started to caw amongst themselves rather loudly as they fly and gather across the sky in an alarming number, completely blocking the dim moonlight from one’s sight. Sakura’s eyes took a quick glance downwards and away from the crows, only to find herself discerning an unclear view of motions that moved beneath the shadows. It was undoubtedly difficult for her to access the entire situation given the limit of her typical eyes, unlike those with selected bloodlines. Her attention shifted to the door that separated the rooms of the two brothers and Sakura could not help but to wonder if Itachi was aware of the unrest right outside the windows.

As if on cue, a loud explosion pierced through the caws of crows and Sakura turned her head sharply towards the window yet again while clutching tight to window panels out of pure shock. It did not take Sakura long to realise that the attacker had aimed for the North side of the castle’s defending wall and the aroused crows had sensed the incoming strike long before anyone close had. The remnants of the explosion had set the grass within its radius on fire, though the main door of the walls had hardly budge. It would only take another full minute or two for another launch of explosives and Sakura was not about to bet on the sturdy structure of the defending wall that surrounded the castle to withstand a few more attempts of such.

Disregarding appropriateness in the midst of the emergency rush, Sakura bolted towards the door in the hopes of alerting Itachi. Anxiousness had never ceased in her but after years of facing similar situations, Sakura was able to calm her nerves and provide sufficient rationality to her own mind. Another concern that raced through her mind would be the absence of guards that should have defended the attackers as well as relaying warnings to the king. The dreaded feeling where those people were either killed or chose to betray their own ruler came to a standstill in her head, though those things were to be figured out after the attacks were taken care of. Much to her relief, Itachi was conscious of everything and was in the middle of a heated discussion with Jugo. Where the latter had emerged from in a room full of secret passages, Sakura could not care less.

The two glanced over at Sakura before Itachi spoke up while Jugo left through the now revealed trapdoor that was flushed along the ground. “I would need to leave with Jugo to control the situation before it gets out of hand.” He seemed to pause momentarily when he caught a glimpse of the defiance in staying behind displayed on Sakura’s features before extending a question that surprised her. “Are you coming?”

Resisting the urge to smile at Itachi’s thoughtfulness, Sakura gave him a firm nod before retrieving her sword from the hidden compartment in Sasuke’s room.

The second explosion was heard from the echoes within the narrow passageway when Jugo, Itachi and Sakura rushed through it with a lit torch as held by Jugo. The captain wasted no time in reuniting with the few men under his command near the North gate and had them guard the king before leaving through the internally hidden door on the East side in order to lead the battle behind the wall.

Armed in his armour and weapon of choice – a slightly differed version of Sasuke’s sword – he directed the remaining guards to keep a close eye on the North gate and prepare for a possible penetration of the breech, as the worst-case scenario. Judging by the safe distance left by those men between the metal gate and themselves, Itachi must have warned them to protect themselves for another round of explosion. Out of concern over the king’s unwell condition, Sakura was glad that he had not joined them by the gate, and not to mention the risk posed over Itachi’s position as the ruler in the hands of these attackers.

Once Itachi was within the earshot, Sakura relayed her concern on the absence of the patrolling group as well as her wish to go through the castle’s interior compound to search for possible wounded guards. Despite the severity of their current situation, Sakura had not allowed her carelessness to stray from the danger of crossing path with Kabuto as the sword within her reach became a constant reminder of comfort in her head. She was not helpless this time. Though she had not expected Itachi to insist on joining her throughout the search.

It did not take them long to round the grounds and much to their discomfort, there was no sign of guards in plain sight. This led to the king sounding his thoughts in checking on any possible opening of shades or storage spaces nearby, including the abandoned herb greenhouse up to the stretch of the guards’ personal arsenal. After a quick thorough search, their attempt came to a stop at the last possible place – a wooden storage room next to the greenhouse. Sakura was cautious when she peeled the rickety door open while Itachi held a torch to illuminate the dark, though the sharp suspicious hiss that came when the confined space was lit by the presence of the torch caused the two’s alertness to peak. True to that, two snakes emerged offensively towards them but a precise swing of sword from Itachi had ended their lives before any damage could be done as Sakura closed the door neatly after.

She met Itachi’s crimson eyes, which had reminded her greatly of Sasuke, and heaved an exasperated sigh. “We need another approach given the unknown number of snakes in there.” Sakura cast the two halves of slit snakes on the ground for a quick observation. “They are indeed poisonous and judging by the same pattern on its coat, there must be a nest in there.”

Itachi noticed Sakura’s calculative look but came to a decision that sounded rather extreme. “Then this nest needs to be rid of.” Sakura’s eyes widen for a fraction though continued to listen to Itachi’s plan tentatively. “It wouldn’t take too much of an effort to bring down this loose structure.”

“But killing the escaping snakes without any extended means would be too inefficient. If explosives are used, it would only trigger the attention of the ongoing battle.” Sakura seemed to jump into the said plan and immersed herself in noting the flaws in it instead of opposing the sudden idea.

“I was thinking of using gunpowder and fire.” He explained as he started to walk towards the direction of the arsenal with Sakura following.

Her mind formed an assumption to it while accessing means of driving the snakes away. “Then I’ll need pure sulphur powder. Does the arsenal have that?”

Itachi gave a thought on her request, unable to fully capture the use behind it but nodded towards the corner of the arsenal once they arrived. “The unprocessed gunpowder materials are in there. Sulphur should be among one of those crates.”

Sakura rushed her steps and eventually found a crate filled with yellowish powder. She took a pouch that contained a good amount of it before exiting the room and join Itachi, whom carried gunpowder in his hands. Without exchanging another word, he proceeded with spreading the gunpowder encircling the secluded storage while Sakura went over to the door to open it up again, but with remarkable gentleness as to not induce sudden movements that may cause the snakes to attack her again. Through steady hands, Sakura started to spread the sulphur powder into the room while silently apologising to the unconscious guards when the yellowish powder landed on them.

Itachi came to stand next to Sakura once he was done, the torch still held steadily in his hands. “Sulphur repels reptiles.” She noted shortly, eyes glanced towards Itachi for a second before switching it back to the near-collapsing structure in front of them. “Having them in direct contact may arouse them from their resting space. It would be easier to separate the guards from the remaining snakes and to ensure that they would escape hastily through the gunpowder trail.” There were audible hisses came behind the slightly ajar door and Sakura turned towards Itachi. “The storage room could now be demolished.”

Combining their strengths, it did not take the two long to fully disassemble the rotting wooden structures while keeping themselves careful of the hostile snakes. The guards had been once again rained by the dust and debris of wood this time while the reptiles slid out of the protection of their warmth and head right towards the circulated trail of gunpowder. Without missing a beat, Itachi and Sakura stepped out of the trail and set fire to it hence trapping the guards and killing the snakes simultaneously. There were a few that repelled back from the circle of fire but since their number had reduced drastically now, it was an easier case to settle. Soon after Sakura inspected each of the guards and came to a quick conclusion that they were not in danger of any forms of poisoning, despite being in close contact with the snakes earlier.

“It felt as if they were drugged into unconsciousness and were then dragged into the snake’s nest.” She confirmed, brows still furrowing in deep thought.

“Perhaps they hoped that these men would be poisoned by the reptiles in their wake, hence drawing another distraction amidst the attack. Poisons tend to be a more challenging case to deal with and given the lack of medics in hand, they could affirm certain death of the guards without risking their identity and hands in spilling blood.” Itachi voiced out in a rather monotonous tone, noting it all with an uncharacteristic yet low sigh. “A long way around, indeed.”

Sakura was stunned by the complicated yet logical reasoning behind it all, jotting the new information in her head as another form of trickiness from the attackers that may be related to the ones that caused her very presence right here, right now; the men whom disguised as a part of the Uchiha kingdom. Though the tensed silence went on eerily as the war cries from the battle reduced without their obvious notice. What truly shook them out of their thoughts would be the continuous metallic knock on the North gate. Arming themselves with their weapons, Itachi and Sakura passed one another a look before heading right at the grand gate.

“I will check on who’s behind the closed gate as it would deem too dangerous on your part, your highness.” Sakura offered immediately, a dutiful glint in her eyes.

Itachi shot back another critical query. “What if it’s an enemy?”

“They will not be bothered to go with such formalities. And even if they were to attack, I believe it would not be through the means of knocking.” Sakura nodded in preparation and Itachi hid behind one of the side pillars, sword posed in a stance for killing if an enemy truly emerged from behind the gate. A similar strategy as their approach towards the snake’s nest earlier, if one was to note it out.

Exhaling a shaky breath, Sakura unlocked the gate before pushing it open. What caught her sight next was still shocking to say the least, but she had not allowed a moment of hesitation when she recalled the name of the almost stranger’s face that appeared before her. “Sai.”

“Sakura.” The general gave a firm nod, his face drained in pure exhaustion as wounds graced both his exposed arms over the shredded sleeves. Though above all, his armour was still in place to protect crucial organs from possible pierces of weapons throughout the attack.

Upon hearing the name, Itachi moved into the light and withdrew his sword to meet the general. Sai bowed at the king before speaking once again. “The enemies were all defeated. Jugo and his team are cleaning up the mess and had begun their trace upon the origin of these betrayers.”

“Come in.” Itachi commanded not a moment too long as Sakura closed the gate and locked it behind her right after Sai’s entrance.

But of course that did not mean that her eyes had not managed to cast a look over the bloodshed behind the defending wall of the castle with her mind switched into its calculative mode as she trailed behind the conversing king and general. Given the amount of men that formed the breeching force – roughly around 50, through her skim – and the time of action taken by Jugo, it was impossible for his team to achieve such feat. Unless it was done by someone whom possessed a remarkably efficient move in halting their moves, and occasionally lives, of those who chose to oppose this kingdom at the first place. Her eyes roved over Sai’s panting figure and came to a quick conclusion where he was the said force that stopped the advancing threat.

Sakura counted for a few seconds before politely interjecting the two. “I believe it would be better to treat your injuries at first hand, Sai.”

“I’m fine. The others may receive it ahead of me.” He tried to assure with a smile that looked forced, though he had done it so effortlessly that it appeared as if natural on his features.

“No, the treatment for your injuries can’t be delayed any longer.” Sakura insisted and once again, cutting off the incoming words from Sai. “Your hands are visibly shaking now and even without a close inspection on them, your nails are turning blue underneath your gloves.” She pointed out with a look that challenged Sai’s expected opposition, while Itachi simply observed the entire exchange in quiet interest.

Sai heaved a long sigh before replying. “Treating my injuries first would waste your time in treating the others’.” He gestured over Jugo and his incoming men.

“Not if you comply.” Sakura shook her head a little, determined with her decision. “Now, without further ado, shall we begin with your injuries?” Despite posing a question, it indeed held some sort of authority that render Sai to obey.

Despite finding herself dealing with the uncertainty of yet another situation, perhaps Sakura could cease this chance in gaining more knowledge over Sai’s mysterious nature and appearance. Especially after his claim of had found her when they had indeed met for the first time ever.

Chapter Text

Decipher

The situation around her was far from unpuzzling, though she had long since learnt to navigate through the mess and survive.  

The treatment for Sai’s wounds had not costed too much of Sakura’s time nor effort due to her sturdy experience in dealing with war-related medical situations for years long. Though given the chance of a close encounter with a person she deemed to be mysterious yet related in an unknown way to her identity, she had refused to settle upon a middle ground of silence, as initiated by Sai rather comfortably on his side.

“Is there any reason for your return?” She chose to speak in a fairly neutral query as a start, her eyes flickered towards Sai momentarily.

Sai appeared to bear a miniscule surprise over her suddenness but chose to comply. “One of the reasons would be this.” He reached over to a sack beside him that Sakura had failed to notice upon, before handing it to her. Furrowing her brows as she cautiously untangled the rope that was bound on its opening, she listened to Sai’s further explanation. “These herbs were recently handpicked by Karin and there was a bit of a delay due to the difficulty in obtaining some. Out of the same importance that they bear, the prince had entrusted me to deliver it personally to your capable hands.”

Sakura brushed her fingers through the bundles of leaves and roots, scooping a piece or two to inspect them through their smell. True to Sai’s words, most were still in their freshest state. It would be better to start processing all of them into medicines before they wilt in the next few hours. But she would need to settle the treatments amongst the injured men that were still seated across the cold grass. Through her guess, the night had aged since she first stepped out of the castle.

She nodded at Sai’s words affirmatively while concluding her thoughts momentarily with a smile directed towards him. “Thank you. I’ll give it my best in ensuring its full usage.”

“Indeed, that would be the best.” Sai flashed yet another untrue tug of lips but Sakura decided to push it aside in order to retain the normalcy of their talk. “How are you feeling here?”

The unexpected tentative question coming from Sai aroused suspicion almost immediately in Sakura as her hands halted for a second amongst rearranging some sanitised medical tools before returning to its normal speed. They had hit a level of typical talks much too quick for her own liking and she cannot help but to feel wary about it as her mind recalled his possible knowledge about her when they first met. It did not take her too long to come up with an acceptable answer to the unlikely question, though she retracted her dismissal on Sai being someone whom had mistakenly identified her as someone else despite his weakened form from way back then.

“Alive.” Sakura noted shortly, before turning her attention back to Sai to continue studying his features despite tricky.

It felt as if he had forged a mask of neutrality too perfect to even catch a glimpse of a flaw on its surface. Sometimes it even felt surreal to come across a person that could stay neutral around an outsider like her, especially when the said person was a general of the military force. Paranoia gnawed at Sakura as she came to the worst-case scenario for the sake of bracing herself for the most likely turn of events when the time strikes right. Unlike the trust that existed between her and Sasuke, Sakura felt rather wary towards the other general due to their first encounter.

“No obvious opposition towards you since the prince’s absence, I hope.” Sai’s voice remained monotonous, the underlying meaning behind those words were not known and Sakura refused to let the matter passed into nothingness.

“None.” Sakura confirmed but not without sounding her own thought after a short pause. “You seemed to still doubt my surroundings despite myself being within the protection of the king.” She had not been too sure of receiving the said protection before, but after an acceptable amount of time spent with Itachi, she could sense the security that Sasuke had placed upon his brother. Though the same cannot be said to Sai since the way he expressed his concern alone was clear.

“Just gaining a clue of the real situation around you.” Sai stated, still in a rather nonchalant note while he and Sakura continued to busy their hands with treatment preparations for the injured men before heading to help them. He was allowed to stay with Sakura out of his claim of knowing the basics of medical to help to speed up the entire treatment ordeal.

Unknown to him, those words hit the trigger to Sakura’s decision of playing along throughout the conversation as she decided to head back to the start of her intention in getting a clue of Sai’s true purpose. There was not much to dig into his identity for she had heard enough reliable facts to settle upon it. Sai had taken the position of general alongside the prince after the downfall of the Uchiha clan despite himself not possessing the similar bloodline at all. It was believed that he was one of the few survivors from the previous joint land of Fire whom had chosen to dedicate their lives into rebuilding the Uchiha kingdom instead of fleeing to the other conquering side. His contribution did not fall far from Sasuke’s diligence, for he was known to be one of the most remarkable leaders whom promised victory whenever he and his men clashed in numerous battles. Hence, the great defeat of the breeching force done by Sai alone had not been too hard to digest.

Though to have heard his obvious doubt towards the king of a kingdom that he chose to fight for was outright strange. “One would never doubt their own ruler so easily. May I know the reason behind such… personal articulation?” Sakura turned to face Sai while forging a look of pure curiosity.

“In the wake of war, I wouldn’t be too sure of who played the villain between two rivalling nations.” Sai spoke out truthfully, still maintaining his need to juggle around a direct answer.

Abiding his way, Sakura did the same with her next words. “The greatest enemy does not come from the ones whom chose to oppose you until the very end, but those who were never clear of where they stand since the beginning. For one could not tell when they would flip sides and turn against the other.”

Sakura’s perception on the term betrayal managed to catch Sai’s full focus this time as their eyes met and Sakura held it steadily, still trying to figure out the real person behind the constant disguise of impartiality. Though his words, or rather pressing question, that came next caused a tremor to her own façade.

“If a choice has to be done, which side would you stand for?”

Sakura turned away and got her hands busy with the medicines after a few seconds’ pause. “Not everything is a matter of black and white when it comes to dealing with human lives and unseen truths.”

Sakura answered on behalf of her medic nature.

“Then I shall stand upon the same belief, despite yourself contrasting your former claim.”

The reply from Sai caused Sakura to twist her head sharply towards him as her face morphed into pure rage. He was testing her patience despite appearing smug about everything and Sakura was close to losing her composure but held onto it for the sake of digging deeper into Sai’s mind. Inhaling deeply and closing her eyes for the briefest moment to get rid of the anger-blinded irrationalities in her mind, she looked at the other in indifference.

“If you ask my point of view, as a medic, regarding the unclear reasons behind the continuous onslaught of lives in this war, then that would be my answer. But that does not mean that it is applicable for betrayers. Nothing is ever applicable for them.” There was a stern edge to Sakura’s emphasis, causing Sai to only furrow his brows at the slightest bit. A small reveal, but a change to his usual features, nonetheless.

“I believe you would not be swayed from your own thoughts by whatever reasons I keep within myself.” The crease on Sai’s forehead flattens and just like that, he reverted to his previous expression. “But if that happens to be your concern all along, I can assure you that I’m not the person you refer to as a ‘betrayer’. And I hold on to my own words as strong as I defend my life.”

There was no hint of malice in his voice despite sounding similar to his normal tone. He nodded towards Sakura once before excusing himself to reorganise the dishevelled soldiers alongside Jugo, allowing the medic to watch his retreating form while engaged in a deep thought over his words. Sakura’s mind drifted over the massive bodies that littered the outer part of the defending walls.

‘If he was deemed to be a betrayer, he would not have gone through all the trouble of halting the breeching force completely before they could start another massive attack. He would have played along to maintain his innocent identity only when there was witness around.’ Sakura sighed to herself at the confusing remark made in her head while returning to her task in hand. ‘And if he truly is one, then this kingdom would be meeting quite a feat of an opposing force aside from dealing with their rivalry against Senju.’ Bearing such dreaded thought was never a preference but it was necessary to list out all the worst possibilities behind the blurred truth that centred around Sai. But that was without neglecting the believable statement from Sai as well.

Earlier tonight, Sakura had not been plainly quiet throughout their non-verbal interactions when Sai assisted her in treating the injured men. She was quite taken aback by her observation when he displayed an adequate amount of both knowledge and skills when dealing with medium to smaller wounds. Of course the more serious ones needed Sakura’s attention only, but Sai proved to pass as a decent helper, which sped up the entire treating process than it was possible for Sakura to handle it all alone.

Though another matter that caught her attention was the bandage-wrapping style that deemed too familiar to Sakura. Different medics had a remarkably different way of sealing wounds, including herself. She had seen Karin’s steps before but it was indeed far off from Sai’s. In fact, the general’s sealing style was startlingly familiar though she could not truly place a finger on the origin of it at the moment. One thing that she was sure of would be that, it had not been from here.

Releasing another breath, Sakura refocussed herself to the sack of herbs delivered by Sai and gave a thorough examination on each piece. Again, there was no fault detected, as they were all free from contamination of poison or sorts. Perhaps the concern on Sai’s identity was well suited for another day. For now, she should get her hands into working with the herbs in order to resume the king’s medicine supply that could only last for two days at most. The arrival of these herbs on a perfectly timed delivery was a relief to Sakura, nonetheless.

In less than an hour later, Sakura was back in the infirmary working on the medicine. Itachi had returned to the castle as well though he was not alone, judging by the hushed yet light voices that reverberated through the connected walls when Sakura entered Sasuke’s room to rearrange the readily made medicines. It did not cost Sakura as much time now that she was familiar with the processes involving the few types of herbs she was dealing with. Finally wrapping up her work, Sakura was partly satisfied with the outcome of it – a few months’ worth of continuous medicine supply for the king. But she cannot seem to shake away the thought of an incoming war that drew as close as the winter season. The once lush green forest was now painted with the hue of sunset as autumn breeze swept each decaying leaf to the grassy ground.

Noting these changes would always leave Sakura a longingness towards her home but she knew well that now was not the time to be conscious of such melancholic swing of emotion. She was nowhere near nor far from home, and that should act as some sort of comfort to her throughout everything she faced or will endure in the coming times. The situation around her was far from unpuzzling, though she had long since learnt to navigate through the mess and survive. As long as her determination remained strong in the depth of her heart, Sakura was capable of reaching out for the truth once the confusion of lies and facts were cleared out for good. Even if it went by the means of an unavoidable war.

“Sakura.” Her reverie was pulled away from the daybreak outdoors by none other than Itachi through the opened link between the brothers’ rooms. “Can we have a talk once you’re done?”

She blinked once over the suddenness before coming up with a reply. “Sure, your highness.” Placing the last bottle aligning the others, Sakura joined the king’s pace towards the other side of the passageway.

Once there, she noticed that both Sai and Jugo were out of sight and half of her was curious of Itachi’s need of talking to her in the absence of others. Though given the betraying nature of those around here, it was no longer a strange occurrence where he had only chosen to trust solitude above everything else. Sakura patiently waited for the king to start speaking as her mind continued to find a safe storage for the medicines in the king’s chambers. Unintentionally, her eyes landed on a sword that reminded her of Sasuke’s counterpart.

“Do you trust Sasuke?”

The unseen query hung in the air as Sakura tried to recover from her unpreparedness regarding the possible matter of discussion. She had thought that perhaps the king would ask her progress on her medicinal research or the counts of injuries received by the soldiers after the breeching attempt. None had her thinking that it would centre about the prince.

“Yes.” Sakura settled on an answer as fast as her mind could cope, despite sounding rather simple and delayed.

Itachi finally turned to her from his window view, the sky was still too dark to note out the other’s expression but Sakura knew well that darkness had never been a problem to his eyes. “Why?”

If Sakura had thought that the former question was tricky, then the current one belonged to the higher hierarchy of her doubted knowledge on this field. Disarming her panic on the unfamiliar ground, Sakura dug deep into the plain truths that her heart hold tight onto. Strangely, it did not feel as intimidating as before once she shifted her mind away from her need to be aware of the twists and turns of the human’s words. In fact, Itachi’s question sounded rather straight-forward as if he was simply curious of her view towards his younger brother after all this time. A typical brotherly act coming from the elder sibling, especially from Itachi whom loved his brother above all matter.

“Because I believe he is a good person.” As soon as those words were spoken, Sakura’s mind went into an overdrive towards the simplicity of her answer though it was not long before she came to utter realisation that those were indeed from her heart; her rawest thought.

Despite sounding rather contradicting to the known nature of the prince, Sakura trusted her own instinct when accessing Sasuke’s personality. Some things may appear different than its true state and Sasuke was not an exception. He may have carried a title in comparison to the cruellest of beast known to man in the battlefield, but she cannot ignore the fact where those actions were made out of the need to protect his people and his shattering home. No matter how many times Sakura had tried to reason out her need to stay opposed to Sasuke, her mind and heart simply could not walk down the path of hating him, as expected from her due to the rivalry’s nature. Trying to decipher such unsaid feelings was simply impossible at the moment, but one thing Sakura was sure of would be that she trusted the prince entirely.

“I suppose that you are aware that Sasuke does not fit into the word ‘good’ by now.” There was a sense of guardedness in Itachi’s voice though the discussion alone was still open to be exchanged with Sakura. “Do you still mean your words despite such claim?”

Again, Itachi’s eyes were directed towards Sakura but it did not take her as long as before to reply this time. “Yes.” Instead of staying silent and allowing the king to steer into yet another doubt upon her one-worded reply, Sakura continued. “Because everyone possesses a dark side and I myself is not an exception to that. I hold onto the belief where all that matters is the purpose and priority behind one’s actions towards those they care.”

Sakura’s point of view seemed to have caught the king’s interest. “And how had you managed to come to such conclusion?”

“Through my observation.” She answered a few seconds later, part of her mind lingered upon the former queen’s notebook.

Curious of the prolonged quietness from Itachi, Sakura tried to scrutinise her sight on him and came to a notice of his thoughtful look through the dim appearance of weak sunlight. “This kingdom is not at its best state as one could obviously see. It may crumble right before my eyes someday, only if my illness had not beat its speed in deteriorating my sight.”

As if the dreaded situation needed another reminder, Sakura was brought back into the possible side effects of Itachi’s state – permanent blindness. Despite trapped in such possibility, Sakura was never the one to willingly give up on it, for that simply meant a submission to defeat in the battle against the mysterious poison. In addition, she was not in this fight all alone.

“That will be overcame someday soon. It may consume some time, but it is not impossible.” Sakura interjected the pessimistic future.

“What if time runs out?”

“Then we will need to work out something faster.”

The glimpse of stubbornness from Sakura caused Itachi to chuckle a bit, drawing realisation upon her almost informal speech towards a known king. Though before she could apologise for it, Itachi had started to speak once again.

“Your determination reminds me so much of Sasuke’s at times.” Again, hearing that remark caused confusion within Sakura. “I’m well aware of my health condition and the… outcome that it may lead. But Sasuke, he would never go as far as sparing it a thought. It’s fine to have such strength as one’s character though I’m afraid that his idealistic thought, especially when it comes to me, would crush upon him in the near future. Given the consequences we had faced, I cannot allow him to feel any more guilt.”

Itachi paused, as if allowing Sakura the time to connect his most recent words with her own point of view. Instead of giving another timely reply, Sakura stayed silent but without dismissing her mindset. If Itachi had referred to the prince as being stubborn in accepting an incoming reality, then she may have shared an equal amount of the said trait in herself. Though a part of her could understand the king’s need in addressing the matter, for she had a habit of assuming the worst-case scenario out of precaution as well.

“But of course, I had not mean to discourage your work by all means, Sakura. Your discovery was remarkable and for that, you have my gratitude in the stretch of effort both you and Karin had poured upon my illness.” Itachi flashed the faintest of smiles before cracking the window open for a bit. “If there comes a day where the tables have turned and nothing is ever as certain as one could expect, never own the blame upon my condition, Sakura. I am aware of your pure intention in helping Sasuke and those around him, but he would never place this burden and blame upon your shoulders.”

Despite the new sense of heaviness in the air, Sakura chose to speak up this time. “I will forever be trapped in guilt if I do not give it my best. Any effort given is useless without the desired fruition.” She inhaled deeply before continuing again. “Do not drown yourself in the worst of assumptions, your highness. Even if there is the slightest ray of hope, I believe that it is something worth pursuing and working towards.”

Sakura’s reply left Itachi silent for a few passing moments. “Indeed I have yet to settle upon the defeat but there is no battle won without scars as its proof. If I managed to get through this ordeal, my eyes may still end up lost in the fight.”

The sun had risen on the other side of the sky, with its bright light causing Sakura to squint her eyes a little whereas Itachi stood unmoving from the direct ray. As impossible as it appeared, he seemed to be able to look right at the sun without backing away from its brightness. This discovery triggered Sakura’s mind once more along with his spoken statement. Dreaded with the realisation on Itachi’s serious eyesight deterioration, her hands were fisted at her sides. The king extended a hand near the opened window and a crow had instantly settled on his forearm as its eyes gave a strange crimson glint when Sakura caught sight of it.

“One sees the crows as a symbol of disaster and death, though they serve as my eyes to the fading light.” Itachi closed his eyes briefly while the crow just stood silently by his side.

His words left a heavy reference on the story behind the metal carving by Sasuke’s room door. It caused Sakura to wonder if the Uchiha clan’s eye ability could redeem an ability resembling the tale. She allowed her sight to bask upon the dim scenery outdoors, absentmindedly noting the crows and seemed to catch a small glimpse of a certain falcon that stood out among its black-feathered kind.

“I think it will better for you to leave the castle now, Sakura.”

The sudden switch of air caused the medic to tense in pure confusion as her eyes met the king’s rigid ones.

Chapter Text

Arrival

Suspense was never far from the air she breathed, but she would need to hold it back for the time being in order to stay focused with the chaos that unfolded before her eyes.

 “Why?” Sakura’s voice held an equal amount of disbelief and shock when replying the sudden request from Itachi.

She did not need to ask for a repetition because his words were crystal clear to her hearing but she needed to know the reason behind them. No, she has to make sense of the reason.

Itachi turned to decipher Sakura by her features though chose to furrow his brows before speaking. “You did express your trust upon Sasuke before, didn’t you?”

“Yes and I meant my words.” Sakura nodded in confirmation and continued without a lingering pause. “But leaving meant crippling your highness’ medical support and since Karin’s return is still uncertain, pushing everything behind me will ultimately bring this situation to a much worse turnout.” Sakura reasoned while Itachi remained silent while gazing upon the horizon.

She inhaled deeply and tried again, despite the stubborn reminder where her remarks could go into deaf ears. “I am not putting myself in a high position for such importance but this is crucial, your highness. Sasuke,” Sakura swallowed at her slip of tongue but carried on shortly. “The prince shared such thought the last time he left the castle. And since it was a wish that did not go against my own conscience, I had agreed in monitoring your highness’ health during his absence.”

Itachi remained still as her words rang in his ears while Sakura’s heart raced in anticipation of whatever reaction from the king that may come next. Though there was hardly any regret in her after revealing what she deemed to be fitting to say. Sasuke’s concern over his elder brother was plain to see but given the turn of events where Itachi chose to push Sakura out of her reachable boundary of help, she felt helpless. Hence, Sakura would not obey without a logical reasoning behind the suddenness.

Instead of Sakura’s expectation of a scowl, Itachi flashed a small smile towards her after shaking his head slightly. “That was indeed Sasuke’s way of thinking for he tends to emphasise on protecting those he cares without sparing a thought on himself. That may act as one of his weaknesses amidst the world we are living in.” Itachi closed his distance towards the window with an audible sigh, his usually straight yet rigid posture seemed to slouch a bit, reflecting the burden that was rested upon his shoulders throughout his years of ruling. “Loving someone would result in oneself hurting and seeing your loved ones stood lifeless before your eyes… it corrodes your heart out of any known humanly emotions.”

This time, it was Sakura’s turn in trying to note Itachi’s facial expression as her mind dove back into the memory of the former queen’s records. Their loss was simply too great to even compare to the experiences that she had come across as a medic, hence staying wordlessly tentative to Itachi’s unlikely reveal appeared to be the best. Perhaps his untold reason was indeed in between them.

“The Uchiha clan was known to be the most ruthless once our minds had fixated upon a certain goal. And since hatred lies deep within the blood that flows in us, revenge does not fall far from our proclaimed loss of love. The fall of our clan had long since initiated such aim in each of us. While I can set aside a part of it, I cannot ensure my brother could do the same.” Itachi wore a grim expression. “Since I am incapable of shaking him from his mindset, I was hoping that someone could awaken his conscience.”

Sensing the pinpointing effect amongst the last statement, Sakura shifted her gaze towards Itachi only to see his stare landed upon her. In return, the medic was struck in utter confusion though she had yet to manage to form her thoughts into queries when Itachi chose to speak again.

“I believe you are aware that another storm is brewing, Sakura. And tonight’s event was just the tip of the iceberg.” Itachi’s brows furrow but his eyes turned into another degree of seriousness. “Staying in a confined ground with unknown enemies crawling around in demand of your life, it is unsafe for you to continue to be here. The camp may in fact pose a better probability for your safety alongside Sasuke.”

“But your health is more fragile in this case, your highness. Surely, there is nothing else that could be gambled with that.” Sakura finally found the right moment to counter but that did not falter Itachi’s decision even the slightest, he even seemed to be relieved over her thoughtfulness.

Itachi shook his head in defence. “As seen, everything is under control here. But the same cannot be said to the military camps as more attacks similar to the breeching attempt may cause havoc to spread across the town. They needed help more than I do.” He paused and cast a gaze back at Sakura’s shaken ones. “There is no king without its people. And if it is alright to you, Sakura, the civilians could use your help in the midst of this chaos.”

‘Sasuke.’ Sakura’s mind whispered.

Truth to be told, her mind was in a heated debate amongst itself in balancing the pros and cons of the side she had to choose upon, though her words would not have affected anything, she could not simply bypass her own stand. Itachi’s health condition was gratefully stable lately and given the continuous consumption of the poison-expelling medicine, time could truly be a factor to his improvement. Sasuke and the others, on the other hand, deemed to be in a situation that she could not fathom upon. Based on the daring act from the breeching force, worse may have happened on the real battleground and she had to brace herself from shuddering upon the counts of casualties that came with the brutal battles.

Finally relented towards Itachi’s decision of sending her away from the castle, Sakura returned her counterpart of a determined stare. “You can count on me as I will give it my best in assisting wherever I could.” Sakura seemed to ponder to herself for a moment before returning her focus back to Itachi. Of course she would not have left without including the counteractions for the other possibilities. “Spare me a moment, your highness.” Sakura left for the passageway door in a haste before returning with something on her hands.

“These are the medicine supplies worth a few months’ consumption.” She carried an opaque sack and place it on the king’s study table, causing the clinking sounds of glass with such movements. Itachi’s eyes skimmed through the glass bottles with a glint of amazement, while still paying attention to Sakura’s next words. “Though I would advise some of these to be stored separately in an enclosed place.” She continued before Itachi could speak out his query over such advice, though not without doubts in her voice. “I am not to jinx on the turns of this storm in the future, but if worse comes to the worse, this is the least thing that can be done in failing the enemy’s attempt in using it as a source of threat.”

It was safe to say that the king had hardly ever taken an acknowledgement on one’s way of thinking, but this time, Sakura’s precise thought truly managed to amaze him.

Itachi smiled. “I would bear that in mind.”

“Then I shall pack for my leave.” Sakura flashed a smile of the same intensity before bowing her head slightly to excuse herself in getting her temporary possessions.

“As you have gained Sasuke’s trust,” Itachi spoke suddenly behind her, causing the medic to turn on her heels with confusion. “You have mine as well.”

The sky was still basked in semi-darkness when Sakura walked out of the castle, with Sai not too far from her side. Out of equal importance in defence against the uncertain attackers, Itachi had ordered Sai to return to the camp shortly as well since his task of delivering the herbs was completed and all his wounds were healing fine. The king also noted that it was better for both of them to ride into the forest together for unseen danger may pose as a challenge if they were to travel separately, hence the arrangement went on without a hitch.

A stallion with its fur as dark as the night happened to be Sakura’s tasked transporter and since it was not her first time around new horses, she wasted no time in familiarising the stallion to her scent in order to avoid the animal’s reluctance towards strangers. She offered a part of her breakfast – an apple – as a peace offering of a new friendship with the stallion. It had hesitated at the first few moments but accepted the fruit and allowed Sakura to brush her fingers through its mane after that. Giving her a snort, Sakura chuckled to herself a little before proceeding with setting the saddle up for her ride. Thankfully, the stallion was calm throughout the exchange as it chewed on the hay in its trough.

Sai had offered to help Sakura to get on the horse once he was done setting his, but she declined the help politely. Their steadfast ride was silent throughout the journey though it seemed to have taken a lighter sense as compared to the tension after their talk a few hours prior. There were still unsolved puzzles between them but both chose to stay observant to the change of their surroundings as the forest continued to stretch in an unnatural stillness. Suspense was never far from the air she breathed, but she would need to hold it back for the time being in order to stay focused with the chaos that unfolded before her eyes.

True to her intuition, shouts and clashes of metals were heard from a few metres’ radius once they were near the heart of the forest. Sai manoeuvred his horse to intercept with Sakura’s, successively halting their pace amidst the trees and tall bushes before the latter could advance in a rush.

“It would be dangerous for you to proceed from here with me but I’ll need to head right over to aid the others. It is best for you to steer away from their sight and stay low until the battle ends.” He noted shortly and was about to leave Sakura when she urged her horse forward to catch up with Sai, whom appeared taken aback by her actions through his furrowed brows.

“I would not just stay behind and watch helplessly from afar, if that is what you are suggesting.” She defended.

Displaying emotions was never usual for Sai but his features shifted into one of a calm storm as he spoke. “Trudging into these battles without proper experience and preparedness could only doom one’s life instantly as well as further endangering those who are around to protect them.” He allowed the harsh reality to be his best offense against Sakura’s insistence. “And since both ways are too valuable to lose, having you away from the battleground would deem to be the most suited choice.”

“And you are to assume that my aid is not needed where a battle breaks, and the lives potentially lost in the wake of that could be discarded easily?” Sakura refused to back out while stating another end of the brutal fact.

Sai inhaled sharply, as if to keep his emotions in check while his eyes glanced towards the din in between moments. “Things may be different in Senju, but in case it was still unclear to you, the lives of medics here are deemed more precious than those of soldiers’. If the medical means do perish under such circumstances, it would only meant that this kingdom will be forced into the path of yet another downfall given the severe condition of poison attacks and the incoming winter plague. Are you willing to let that happen?”

“Medics will be useless if they choose to abandon even the smallest chance of saving a life when the clash is right before their eyes. Surviving through the means of running away has never been an option for medics too, hence similarly, we are in the same boat.” A few minutes passed since Sakura ended her argument and she continued in urgency when Sai had not showed a sign of opposition this time around. “Let’s not waste time and move on.”

“Wait.” Sai called out again, still careful enough to maintain a lower tone of his voice. “Are you armed with something to defend yourself?”

Sakura reached to her boots to reach for the hilt of the hidden dagger, something she had unconsciously done often throughout the ride out of self-assurance, and then passed Sai a firm nod. The general returned the gesture as his hand went over to his boots to keep his counterpart of the weapon. It appeared that Sai would have volunteered to give Sakura his dagger if she was unarmed though there was no longer the need for that since she had hers. Without wasting another moment lingering, they ride their way into the heated battle with their hearts beating in both anticipation and cautiousness.

Despite the month-long separation from the disaster of a scene in most battlegrounds, Sakura steeled herself throughout the wreckage, which consisted of men, weapons and horses, as she focused ahead in a full speed ride as led by Sai. It did not take them long to arrive at the heart of the fight and the din that spread across the slashed trees and burnt bushes went by numbly to Sakura’s ears. She could not distract herself with intricate details if she was to access the current situation and savour any means of damage that she was capable of, though that had not meant that everything went by completely unnoticed to her.

The debris of destruction that dotted along the path they rode was nothing new to her and yet she could not help but to grow more worried of the existing tension from the battle. Through a rough hunch, she had guessed that it may have begun a few hours after the breech at the castle gates. If she was right, then the timing alone played a great factor in indicating the party belonged to the attacking enemy.

Sakura’s mind took another sudden switch into reaching out to the prince and his comrades’ safety. In a clash of this degree, it was rather foolish to hold onto the hope where they could all escape the situation unscathed. The enemy they were currently facing had proved to be rather tactical than what Sakura had learned from the kingdom’s previous attacks. It only meant that whoever was behind this scheme was improving gradually and she could not shake off the feeling of being observed closely by unknown individuals whom sided against this kingdom. Since it proved to be a tricky task in distinguishing the possible culprit amongst the people that were strangers to her, Sakura decided to keep her eyes open to every single scene and possibility that was displayed before her.

Sai brought the pace of his horse into a slow yet silent trot as mimicked by Sakura not a moment too late and the medic started to tune to her surroundings while staying alert to Sai’s gesture. He got off the horse and scanned their surroundings shortly before turning to Sakura and informed her to abandon their horses at a safe distance from the battlefield, into which their rides were released to the wilderness and away from the scene. Sai had not placed any concern in retrieving the horses later and Sakura simply assumed that their horses were trained to listen to their masters sign only when they were needed.

Their silent footsteps had not aroused suspicion from the patrolling enemies whom were busying themselves with rummaging through the corpses in search of whatever valuable possessions they could confiscate into their own. The unethical action disgusted Sakura though staying quiet for an incoming sneak attack had been a constant plan in her mind as her right hand clutched tight to the dagger. There seemed to be a standstill on the ground where Sai and Sakura were approaching as there were no signs of the Uchiha army around, causing the anxiety within the medic to stir.

Sai turned towards Sakura briefly and passed her a nod as she readied herself to move forward together with the possibility of facing the opposing force from the human vultures. Apparently, the group of five were scattered and separated from a possibly bigger group within their radius. In an alarming speed, Sai advanced towards the first target before proceeding to the next with the swift swings of his sword on their throats, silencing their breaths before the enemy could shout warnings on Sai’s unseen attack.

Sakura, on the other hand, had not been idle while hiding between the tall grass. The sound of rushed footsteps had alerted her while Sai was too occupied with his task. Turning her head sharply towards the direction of the sound, with her eyes now grown accustomed to the dark, Sakura caught the sight of two emerging men heading straight at Sai. Pulling free the sheathed dagger from her boots, Sakura moved steadfastly towards the men. Without a moment of hesitation, her hand moved along with the dagger and knocked down one of them through the hard contact between the metal hilt and the weak spot behind his neck. The other man had soon noticed Sakura’s presence and amidst the panic of seeing his comrades falling one after another before his eyes, he pulled his sword free and started his assault on Sakura.

Expecting the offense from the man, Sakura finally unsheathed her dagger and acted on defence. Her medic nature became the main cause of her dubious attack, hence Sakura continued to play the defencing force until the right time came for her to knock him out without the means of killing, of course. Catching the flaw in his attacks, Sakura began her offense with a harsh yet precise punch against his throat and with a similar move, the man fell into unconsciousness on her feet. Sai arrived on time next to Sakura and eventually ended the men’s lives before the two proceeded in maintained quietness. Their eyes continued to train forward as their ears maintained to note their surroundings.

Their pace slowed drastically as Sai spoke to Sakura in an almost inaudible voice as the two neared a group of men wearing the familiar Uchiha uniform. “The prince.”

True enough, Sasuke’s tensed figure was seen alongside the soldiers as they appeared to have surrounded an area with their swords raised in the air in a ready stance. Sakura gave a nod as her eyes travelled further from the slits of the defensive line of those men and took a quick notice of the familiar tents and set ups. Military camps were known to be quite spacious where the divisions between the main armoury and medical sector were clearly drawn apart. And from her judgement, the Uchiha soldiers were peculiarly surrounding the latter.

Sakura’s mind went into a frantic search for the logic behind such attacks and her blood ran cold at a cruel yet possible reasoning for it. ‘They are attempting to eliminate all medics and with such a plan, all soldiers could truly succumb to their painful deaths from the expert poison attacks utilised by the enemy from now onwards.’

She was too busy with her own thoughts to notice Sai’s voice, until he called her name for the second time around and nudged her arm. “We shall unite with the prince, though I doubt he would be pleasant with our sudden appearance during difficult times like now.”

Exhaling a little, Sakura turned her focus back at Sai and gave him a firm nod as they made their way towards Sasuke.

Chapter Text

Clash

As if it was a tug of war of sanity, she could feel that letting go of his hand would only allow him to dive right into danger.

Unmistakable crimson eyes were the ones that greeted Sakura once she stepped out of the shadows. Pure confusion was clearly displayed on Sasuke’s features though that fleeting moment vanished along with Sai’s presence right next to Sakura in a few seconds’ gap. It was understandable to have received such an alerted reaction from the prince considering the yet to be ceased unrest of the people due to the remnants of what appeared to be a heated fight. Judging from the unidentified uniforms of the littered bodies and weapons located not far from where they stood, it was obvious to note which side had rose above the other. But that had not meant that the real deal was far from over for the tension had shifted to the medical camp, which were currently surrounded and watched closely by the Uchiha military force.

“What are you doing here?” Sasuke closed the distance between himself and Sakura almost immediately, his question hung in the air in a dangerously low tone.

The action alone caused Sakura to retreat her stance backwards out of response and was only met with the trunk of a tree as her eyes stood unblinking towards Sasuke, their proximity incredibly close for anything else to make sense in her mind. She had always dismissed her jumbled thoughts whenever the prince was deemed to be too near her as a form of exhaustion, since there was no true definition or time for a decent rest to almost everyone affected by the constant battle engagements. Though it appeared to have an adverse aftermath on her today for all words and thoughts from her overworking mind simply laid forgotten in her head at both the question and guarded look from Sasuke.

Finally steeling herself after the few passing moments that had felt like an eternity, Sakura stood up straighter before answering, while trying her best to ignore Sasuke’s maintained closeness. “To help.”

“This is not a situation where you can just run into and help.” He retorted without allowing silence to pass by after Sakura’s reply, ready to counter all of her claims for the sake of pushing her away from the danger that still lurked.

Catching another delayed verbal reply from her, safe for the obvious defiance reflected by her expressive eyes, Sasuke seemed to have considerably tune down the rigidity held by his blinded defence when his eyes started to search for her features as if to note the sign of her discomfort. It was not unusual for him to encounter the fearful display of those under his command throughout his involvement in the military force, though accessing Sakura’s look seemed to stir a strange sense of concern in him. It was rather absurd to actually spare such a thought during the current situation and yet Sasuke found himself staying neutrally tentative to her display of emotions right then. As if anticipating the expected crack of fear – or even rejection – from Sakura as time struck by, the prince had only come to receive neither.

Since arousing fear in her had ultimately failed, Sasuke opted for detachment as he took a step back to allow the dense air between them to flow pass. “You are not needed here.”

Instead of conveying her feelings to one of hurt, Sakura’s brows furrowed as her face shift into an image of supressed anger and had her words readied. “The medic camp was currently being conquered, temporarily, by the attackers. And all the medics must have been detained within the tent area, judging by their absence alongside your injured comrades.” She paused and casted a quick glance to the other side of the battlefield openly, straight towards a group of men sitting by the burnt grass in pain. “Your men are succumbing to their injuries without any means of medical help at the moment while you are trying to work out a way for the attackers to release the medics without killing them. You need me.” She insisted, her emerald eyes gleamed in pure determination as if challenging Sasuke’s hidden crimson ones.

Sakura had not allowed Sasuke to navigate their exchange into yet another debate as she decided to move from where she stood and started her pace towards the injured men. Though her steps were halted immediately at the sense of a hand on her arm. She had expected Sasuke to finally break into his angered-self and go on by any means of stopping her, but his firm yet careful grip on her arm seemed to have told her otherwise. Tilting her head up a little to meet the prince’s gaze out of confusion and surprise, their faces were once again separated by mere breaths.

Sasuke’s eyes were still trained on hers, though his gaze was nowhere near the counterpart of his raged ones. And it was due to that alone had Sakura tuned into what he chose to speak. “They don’t trust strangers for they only believe what was before their eyes. For that,” he paused and casted over his men with a miniscule move of his head before continuing, “they will always choose to see you as their enemy instead of a medic that could save their lives. A prisoner waiting for a determined means of execution.”

“Aren’t I?” Sakura shot back, causing Sasuke’s traitorous real emotions to slip off the façade of calmness he was trying so hard to maintain though Sakura had not been silenced by the shift. “You are asking me to obey to your words when my decision was clearly opposing yours. It was not trivial if I was the only subject for that but given the sake of the others’ lives, I could not just give in like that.” Sakura shook her head slightly, her tone still low enough for others to overhear their conversation. “It is always a medic’s duty to try to save those they can and I am no exception to that. And being the kind of leader you are, you would not bear seeing your men suffer from these consequences. So allow me to help this time, Sasuke.”

Sasuke clenched his jaw in frustration, a contrast to the mindful loose grip that still remained on Sakura’s arm. “Don’t test my patience, Sakura.” His low voice returned as their stares pierced one another, akin to a battle of swords yet none chose to surrender nor hurt the other.

There were a few ambiguities in the context of Sasuke’s brief words but whatever lies behind them felt irrelevant at the moment. In fact, nothing could beat the need to save lives that was literally within her reach this time. Of course, there was a constant nagging concern regarding her safety as stated by Sasuke but she could not place her own safety before anyone else’s when it came to their current situation.

“Don’t doubt my determination either, Sasuke.” Her stare was equally sharp throughout their nonverbal exchange of looks.

Their conversation was cut short by Jugo’s frantic approach from behind Sasuke, whom had left the castle earlier than Sai and Sakura. Catching Sakura’s presence by a surprise, he even spared an acknowledging nod towards her before relaying the current situation to Sasuke.

“The enemy still refused to release the captured medics. Their leader even laid out a threat of burning everyone alive if our men refused to retreat and demanded for a word with you.” Jugo informed grimly as his brows furrowed in pure frustration though kept his emotions guarded.

True to Sakura’s prior thoughts, the enemy had truly gambled on the lives of the medics for they knew well of the insufficiencies of this kingdom and decided to attack their supposed weakness. There was still no clear indication of whom played the double-faced spies amongst the army force and the medicinal practitioners held hostage but disregarding their lives out of both carelessness and pride would not settle everything either.

Retreating sounded ideal to the situation though that only proved the enemy’s attack towards their guessed weakness to be precise. The refusal to obey, on the other hand, would only lead to more sacrificed lives of those who were capable of healing and treating the injured soldiers. Hence, both options were simply out of consideration. Another way should be forged to eliminate the army without unneeded blood spills.

“I will confront them with a few of our men.” Sasuke spoke, causing Sakura to finally turn her attention back at him as he trapped her in yet another serious stare. As if reading her mind, Sasuke declined her formed plan. “While I do that, you will stay away from the crowd, Sakura.”

“No, I will tag along.” She retorted simply, fixating a sharp gaze towards him. “Every medic is confined in there, along with the enemy. Do you believe them to be unscathed?”

“And you believe yourself to be safe once you are within the enemy’s range, being a medic and all?”

“I can protect myself. I am not helpless.” Sakura’s rage felt threatened by Sasuke’s implication but she held onto it, nonetheless. “I need to help them to stabilise whatever injury the enemy had inflicted upon the medics and since poison was supposedly their main weapon of choice, delaying their treatment would only mean their deaths with the enemy ultimately reaching their goal. I have to come along, Sasuke.”

Clenching his jaw at the inability to counter Sakura’s reasoning, he directed his attention from Sakura and to a short plan along with Jugo and Sai, whom was more than ready to join the battle. Settling with a passable decision, Sasuke turned back to Sakura.

“Stay close to me.”

The breech into the enemy’s defensive line was done in an impossibly quick manner that everything felt like a blur to Sakura’s eyes, whom maintained her position in the middle of a group of five men with Sasuke, Jugo and Sai included. Despite the overwhelming rush, Sakura refused to blink her eyes for too long out of the need to study their surroundings. There was nothing unusual but the typical clash of men in the countless battles that she had witnessed. The tight grasp on the dagger in hand had not ceased, inducing a biting numbness to her fingers that went unnoticed easily by Sakura’s busy thoughts. And yet, there was not enough amount of precariousness that had her prepare for the sight that came next.

Nearing the centre of the chaos stood two figures that Sakura had recognised instantly – an enraged Suigetsu and a severely wounded Karin in his arms.

“Karin!” Jugo hollered as a breathless gasp escaped Sakura’s lips, the dagger almost came loose from her hold.

The group wasted no time in making their way there with Sai and the other two soldiers fending and killing the opposing enemies with clean moves. Noting the swarm of men that came right at them, Sakura split her attention to Sasuke momentarily. “I will handle Karin’s injuries. You should go and hunt for the lurking enemies and cleanse this place from them instantly before more damage can be done on the remaining medics.”

Locking their eyes on a miniscule moment, Sasuke gave Sakura a grim nod and left to raid the site. Turning back to the current situation, Sakura noted Suigetsu’s fierce defensive mode as judged by the littering bodies of those whom tried to attack them. Crouching cautiously to a lower level, Sakura placed a sturdy hand on Suigetsu’s shoulder in an attempt to shake him off the dangerous reverie.

“Back off!” He shouted as his free arm that held a sword swung carelessly towards Sakura, though the medic stopped the expected move by grasping his wrist in an equal force.

“Suigetsu it’s me, Sakura.” She manoeuvred herself to meet other’s sight.

Panting in rage, his eyes widened a little at Sakura’s presence. “Sakura.” He then released his grip on the sword and shifted it away from Sakura’s forearm, desperation evident in his eyes as he started to speak again. “Karin. You have to save Karin. She’s… She’s dying. You have to help her, Sakura.” His voice quivered in fear and sadness.

Sakura managed a nod as her eyes started to scan through Karin’s injuries while her mind came up with the remedies to each. What conspired in Suigetsu’s head, despite being plainly displayed on his features, remained unknown to Sakura not until he had spoken again.

“Those men.” Suigestsu growled, causing Sakura to be alerted towards the captain once more. “I will kill them. I will kill them all.” The maddening gleam in his eyes returned in an instant as he stood up only to glare at the source of his unfree movement; the stabbed opening on his thigh.

“No, Suigetsu. You have to stay.” Sakura stated plainly, her mind now churning its gears in coming up with a way to make sure the captain would limit his movement along with the flow of blood from his open wound. “Sasuke and the others are well on the task.”

Suigetsu furrowed his brows deeply, eyes still bore an emotionless gleam. “That means I have to aid them as well.”

“No. Hunting them with your current state will only worsen everything. It would not do justice to anyone nor would it help Karin’s condition.” It was Sakura’s turn to stop Suigetsu from proceeding by grabbing his wrist.

As if it was a tug of war of sanity, she could feel that letting go of his hand would only allow him to dive right into danger and that was the last thing she wished upon Sasuke’s trusted comrades in the land of deceitful nature. Not to mention that the visible wound may be one amongst the undetected others that Suigetsu received while playing defence for the medic camp. And then there was Sakura’s concern on poison contamination towards all injured soldiers.

“Suigetsu.” Came a weak voice from Karin, whom now laid against a sand sack used as a retaining wall’s support. The two perked up at the voice instantly, the chaotic noise from their surroundings were completely ignored. “Don’t risk your life carelessly like you always do.” She reached up a hand weakly towards Suigetsu, her eyes were half-opened while fighting to be awake from her groggy consciousness.

Crouching back immediately next to Karin, he grabbed her outstretched hand, his emotion turned sombre as fear painted his facial expression once more. “Karin, stay awake. Please.” Though his words were unheard by Karin when her eyes closed and her head lulled to the side, inducing pure panic to run through Suigetsu. “Is she alright? Why is she no longer awake? Are her injuries incurable? She couldn’t have…”

Sakura followed the exact extension to his words but decided to interfere for good, trying to steer the similar fear away from being her greatest distraction and finally gain control on their current issue.

“No, Suigetsu. She’s still alive.”

“But Karin… She…” Words were lost in between his heavy thoughts along with his trembling hands that still held Karin’s.

“Suigetsu, Karin will be fine. But in order for us to help her, I will need you to focus on the current task and clear your mind from any avenging thoughts just for this particular moment. Breathe.” The captain did as he was instructed and true to that, his eyes flashed in determination. “Now support her shoulders to make sure her head is always elevated while I gather some tools from the nearby counter.” Sakura lingered a few seconds longer to fish out a pill from the emergency pouch that was secured around her leg and gave Suigetsu the task of having Karin swallowing it. “It acts as a painkiller and poison dispeller. Take one for yourself as well.”

She then left the two for about five steps behind and started to speedily search and gather all of the equipment needed to treat and seal the slash across Karin’s torso. The Uchiha kingdom may not be blessed with an abundant knowledge on medical, but their supplies were thankfully sufficient despite the constant wars and battles they faced. For that, Sakura was utterly grateful for the availability of the needle, threads and disinfection liquid in her disposal right now.

Once she settled on the mat next to both Karin and Suigetsu, she laid the metallic tray of supplies aside and started to disinfect each equipment before glancing at Karin’s wound in finality. It should be treated first before it was closed up with the means of surgical thread.

“By the looks of it, Karin was poisoned. That explains her weakened state.” Sakura explained while mixing a ready-made and tested ointment with her own, then proceeded in applying it on Karin’s wound. “The ointment shall rid of the poison along with the pill. And once that was settled, we should move on to sealing it.” Suigetsu had been listening to her intently and numbly throughout it all, though the short shudder to the latest statement was not unnoticed by Sakura.

Heating the needle with the newly lit candle, she cast another look but towards Suigetsu this time. “Have you seen the stitching process before with Karin?” She asked and received his frantic shake of head as a timely answer. “It may appear painful but the pill should have spared Karin from the pain as we wrap up her treatment. You can… skip this process too if you are not too comfortable with it.”

“I have seen one massacre after another in countless battles. I am sure this is nothing compared to that.” He tried to appear unaffected with his words though it contrasted greatly to his palling features that almost rivalled his natural shade of hair. “Perhaps I could aid someone with such knowledge someday, if it is ever needed from those around me.”

Sealing the stitch carefully, Sakura expressed a relieved smile. “That is very thoughtful of you, Suigetsu. Perhaps you could gain medical knowledge from either me or Karin after this.”

“She did emphasise on that. But I was too ignorant back then to truly accept any of that knowledge. It came to a point like now where I was totally useless even if I wanted to save her life.” He openly admitted his regret, head lowered a little.

“It is never too late for that.” Sakura encouraged, finding the need to renew the flickering hope in him for his self-blame over Karin’s condition. “You can start over once Karin has woken up. She will be more than willing to go through everything all over again.”

Exchanging a smile with Suigetsu’s now calmed nature, Sakura came to realise the quietness from around them. When she began to access their surroundings, she released all the halted breath she kept when Sasuke and his men had continued their hunt towards the remaining enemy soldiers. Now that the battle seemed to have concluded whilst she and Suigetsu were occupied with Karin, she took note of the tied-up men outside the tent and the sound of victorious cheers from the Uchiha men. But of course, she could not shake the feeling that it could be short-lived if the culprits amongst everyone present were yet to be identified.

Feeling a scrutinising amount of attention, Sakura turned her head to the other side of the tent and her eyes locked with Sasuke’s. The underlying tension between them were not completely gone, though relief upon one another’s wellbeing appeared to have dominated their thoughts right at the same time.

Chapter Text

Sacrifice

There was simply no equivalence to a single life regardless of how it was compared to another’s, because each of them played a different part in this world.

Ridding off all the enemy soldiers was only the tip of the iceberg. The conspiracy that lied between the almost simultaneous attacks aimed towards the castle and military camp stayed unknown for the moment being. For in the midst of the rush, the mind was deemed to be too distracted to analyse every hidden intent that the eyes could catch. Hence it was always helpful to observe the surrounding closely without planning for a reaction towards something that still appeared to be uncertain to most.

Likewise, healing Karin and ensuring her life was out of danger was just the beginning for Sakura. The injured soldiers and medics required her attention in the very next instant Karin was sent to a safer site to recover with Suigetsu guarding her. The captain had refused to budge from her side since Sakura met the two and she figured that it was better that way as well. Jugo and Sai led their men in repairing the facility’s structures that came loose due to the unrest while Sasuke seemed to have disappeared from her sight not long after their eyes met for the briefest moment in the midst of the chaotic aftermath.

Tugging her thoughts to the furthest corner of her mind to be dwelled on later, Sakura kept her focus steady upon gathering and mixing the thankfully abundant salvaged medicine supplies before heading to each group of men to give them brief instructions on the application of their respective injuries’ cures. Most medics were harmed lightly but appeared to have been struggling more with the trauma that came from the scare of their lives, something that cannot really be blamed. Where these medics were well accustomed to the worst of injuries while cladding an unblinking nature, it was an entirely different matter to be threatened by a ruthless enemy headfirst. Due to that, it will only be wise to allow them to free their thoughts from the overwhelming demands of attention needed to go through the entire infantry.

It was a relief, however, to find that the soldiers had not minded her appearance nor had they dismissed her entirely as they did when Sakura first assisted the military camp. She did recognise some men from back then and a part of her was glad that those whom faced complex injuries had come back stronger and poison-free at this exact moment. Most opted to listen tentatively in silence while a small part had exchanged brief words with her in return for a better understanding and basic knowledge regarding the common types of medicine useful for their constant engagement in battles. A slow but steady gratitude budded in her heart at their awareness as Suigetsu’s words rang true in her head. These knowledges could truly aid the soldiers in securing the safety of their own lives during desperate times and now would be a small step towards the said direction of certainty.

But of course, like any other peaceful moments Sakura encountered, her current remark had been short-lived as well. Arguing shouts were heard from her spot where some of the soldiers got to their feet and rushed towards the back part of the camp to check, though their faces reflected no urgency as some returned to their rest station and uttered a few words of displease. Unable to fathom the truth behind such ruckus, Sakura wrapped up her current work and headed towards the voice and it took her alert mind a few numbing seconds to understand her sight. A woman of a few decades older than herself and a group of recovering soldiers, whom Sakura had recognised from her treatment session earlier that day, were on a harsh battle of words.

A loud crash reverberated through the air as Sakura’s eyes fell towards the woman’s feet where the herbal liquid contained in a glass jar had escaped through the broken fragments and was seeped into the dry soil in an instance. The said medicine was something Sakura had mixed in a rush out of the rapid need of a medicinal cure for the soldiers. And to have seen it wasted in a needless yet baseless argument ticked her off, though she continued to watch from the side lines. Some of the men noticed her presence and made no complaints in allowing her a space amongst them and appeared to be careful enough to not bump into her despite its crowdedness.

“These are all poisons made by the witch to kill everyone! And yet,” the woman reached for another jar and slammed it to the floor, “You are all too foolish to see that past her looks!” she grabbed another and released the umpteenth shattering sound in the air, thinning Sakura’s wall of patience. If the woman continued her goal to maddeningly crash and destroy all the remaining safe medicine supplies, these soldiers may truly face a danger of losing their lives to infections, especially with the cold weather chasing close these few days.

“What do you think you’re doing by destroying all means of medicine left after the raid?” Sakura stepped into the now sparse circle, since a few had decided to return to their stations and ignore the mad strikes of the woman.

The woman scoffed loudly as her dead black orbs stared back at her emerald ones fierily, though Sakura’s impassiveness had hardly backed down from the challenge. “You, killer! You created these poisons that you claimed to be the cure and used it towards the soldiers. It’s a blessing for you to leave the camp back then and until now, you have decided to return to ensure that each and every one of us deserved our painful deaths.”

It took Sakura no more than another moment to recognise her to be one of the medics that framed her of contaminating medicines with poisons back when she was allocated to serve here. This time must be her second time in planting her unseen revenge towards Sakura through her twisted words.

“These are not poison and you, as a medic, are well aware of that fact.” Sakura calmly interjected the other’s jabbing words.

“Liar!” She shouted again but Sakura had not budged a bit despite knowing the increase of the eyes that witnessed their exchange. “You tried to seduce the prince and use your charm against him,” Sakura would have cracked a smile at the silly implication, but chose to control her facial expression, “Thus, having him entrusting the medical supplies to you before you indulge your time in poisoning all of us. You truly are nothing but a witch.” Sakura was never known to possess a flattering look in comparison to others and yet for some reason, this woman still believed Sakura to own her enraged blames.

It was plain to see that the woman had been trying her hardest to anger Sakura but the latter chose to contain all her feelings to herself in contrast. “Poisons would not take long to take its effect. These medicines had been used since a few hours ago and yet these men are fine and recovering, if not for this ruckus.”

“Of course it was not visible now, who knows if those are a slow-acting poison?” Her precise words and accusation perked Sakura’s attention and upon such reaction, the woman seemed to gulp at Sakura’s intense glare that came after.

“And how had you come up with such specific accusation?” Sakura raised her head up to meet the woman’s gaze as her stare hardened ever so slightly than the second earlier.

The other regained her masked confidence as she insisted. “I am stating a mere fact! You are a spy lying around waiting for your time to strike the heart of the Uchiha force. Messing your way around the royal brothers as well just for the sake of your cause.”

Sakura only allowed the words to go by as she found no need of a descent reply for such prejudiced comment, something she was incapable of changing over a short time among these strong-willed individuals. Though the change and ignorance of the soldiers towards the woman’s provocative statements were relieving to say the least. Instead of dwelling upon it, Sakura’s eyes swept through the other woman’s appearance and was equally surprised by her own observation. Not to mention that it sparked another urgent thought that started to occupy her mind within a short time.

“Why are you not injured?”

What makes her different than the other medics whom received a minimum of a slash or two on their arms from the raid to the point where she was spared from the same treatment? Both her physical and mental states seemed to be undisturbed as compared to those whom carried the same task as her. Or perhaps, this could be another trick from the enemy to mislead an overthinking mind into the idea where the culprit was amongst those whom were unharmed. Sakura shook her head mentally; the latter probability was unlikely in the current situation since there was hardly a time for the enemy to take careful measures in head-on battles.

There were a few seconds of tension in the air, and seeing the panicked shift on the woman’s face, Sakura could tell that her first guess was on point. The woman covered herself with yet another forceful scoff. “You wished me for such things? How dare you-”

“I am questioning your current state and nothing close to whatever your mind had perceived it to be.” Sakura crossed her arms, awaiting an answer from the other whom were obviously struggling.

“I don’t have to answer to you.” The woman narrowed her eyes while replying after another set of silent seconds that went by.

This time Sakura interjected and moved towards another medical counter next to the ones whom was rummaged by the woman, speaking up before she could twist another baseless blame for the others to hear. “And true to that, I believe the best is for us to work together to heal the soldiers’ injuries without any more unneeded delay.”

She was aware that her voice held an authority ring to it and that the supposed head medic would never want to be tied to her words, though negotiating with the said person was out of the topic either. Sakura would face whatever confrontation that would be thrown right in front of her next but not without emphasising the need to shift the energy to a more useful area – none other than to treat the remaining men in the infirmary.

“Work together? With you?” Her harsh voice broke into a rumble of laughter, into which Sakura only sighed to herself before looking back at the woman from the jars in her hands. “I would rather kill myself to avoid doing just that if challenged. But not without breaking your poisoning attempt with my own hands.”

At the mention of sacrificing yet another life – despite how hateful the person was – Sakura tensed up in anger, feeling her built up façade of peace slowly slipped away through her fingers. “And then what? Leave others to die due to the absence of your medical capabilities in the time of need?” Sakura closed their gap while staring straight at the woman. “I am well aware that I do not bear control over someone’s life, yours included. Though choosing to hide yourself from a truth by destroying cures that may ease the pain of others out of any logical thought in your mind, you are downright selfish and careless with your own course of decision.”

Another prickling silence filled them but Sakura continued right after. “Do not try to drag the lives of others with your stubbornness.”

With that being said, Sakura turned her back completely to focus into gathering the cures to be stored elsewhere and preferably someplace hidden from this particular person. As much as she refused to hold onto bad thoughts upon individuals, Sakura could not risk the limited resources any further if they were to fall into the wrong hands again. It was better to be safe than sorry.

What came next were unseen by Sakura but the quick shift of air from behind alerted her senses and caused her to spin herself backwards. The elderly woman, despite her aging appearance, started to attack Sakura with a new dagger in hand, aiming right towards Sakura’s neck but she was fast enough to stop the other’s wrist from proceeding through an overwhelming force before a struggle took place. Unable to break away from Sakura’s strong grip upon her wrists, the woman twisted the dagger on her hand to threaten Sakura’s hold but the latter manoeuvred through the movement and maintained her steady hold.

Another movement caught Sakura’s peripheral view and she saw one of the injured medics emerged from a formed crowd to aid the woman. It was when she was distracted by the other that the woman gained advantage over Sakura. Breaking free from her grip, she neared Sakura to land a stab towards her heart this time into which Sakura had luckily sidestepped and the dagger ended up slashing down her arm.

Unbothered by the pain that followed, Sakura offensively went for the woman’s arm and forced her to kneel on the ground with a forceful push. She too had made sure that the dagger was dropped from her now twisted wrist and Sakura held the weapon tightly under her boots while eyeing the other girl whom had distracted her confrontation earlier. The girl gasped in return of Sakura’s fierce glare, backing away to the nearest wall of human out of the desperate need of protection if Sakura was to come for her next. The kneeling woman, on the other hand, had winced in Sakura’s tightened hold.

Another shift in the surrounding was felt but this time Sakura turned herself in an angle where she could view both the girl and the crowd while making sure of checking the fuming woman. Sai was the first to come for Sakura while Jugo dismissed the spectating soldiers with a single effective command. The former stared at the woman in hand before asking two of his accompanied men to capture the woman.

“Are you alright? Your arm-” Sai’s eyes flashed concern on Sakura’s open wound.

Sakura only shook her head. “Nothing to worry about. That dagger was on the counter as an emergency medical tool. It was not laced by poison hence this was only skin deep.” She explained while pulling a rolled bandage from her pouch and started to wrap her wound tightly to stop its bleeding.

“That woman,” Sai trailed unsurely, eyes casted around the camp to note out more damage and finally landed on the broken glass shards.

“Something felt amiss about her considering the fact where she suspected my work to be related to a very specific poison type. Since she is a medic, she should have known that none of these are poison.” Sakura shared the same view towards the ground before continuing, “Though it was understandable for her to act so if I am to consider my own identity here.”

Sai shook his head in return, his features maintained its seriousness. “That was not it. Something was truly strange.”

Sakura sighed and decided to vocalise her thoughts. “Unlike the other medics, she was somehow spared by the raiders from any sort of attacks judging by the absence of injuries on her.” Recognising Sai’s silence, Sakura added an afterthought. “It was doubtful for everything to be a coincidence either for anyone could possess another identity here.” Instead of aiming her words at Sai this time, her gaze followed the retreating woman and her guards.

“Indeed.” He gave a single nod, appearing to be truly considering Sakura’s sharp observance despite the chaos she had engaged herself into just a few moments before.

Sakura then casted her sight towards the remaining men before heaving an audible sigh. “I will need to make a trip to the supplies tent to replenish some herbs for the untreated soldiers.”

“I will monitor their condition, worry not.” Sai responded knowingly, earning a grateful nod from Sakura before she left the medic tent.

Having trusted Sai entirely for the time being would not be an accurate depiction of Sakura’s stand. But given the turmoil of situations she found herself confined in, however, had opened her eyes into seeing the value possessed by the general that caused her to plant more faith upon him. Being cautious ensures one’s safety, though refusing all means of gaining trustful comrades would eventually lead to one being cornered into a lonesome downfall.

Sakura heaved a deep breath and exhaled audibly through her mouth as her head then raised to the sky to note its colour as well as to gain a clue on the time of the day. She had left the castle at around daybreak when the sunray had made its first appearance. But what came to a surprise would be the dominating dark clouds that hung low above her right now. Cool wind swept through the loose strands of her hair and gained its momentum with time in distributing the clouds evenly to cover all parts of any visible brightness of the sky that Sakura had silently hoped to see today. It had been quite a while since she was directly outdoors, where the last thing she wanted to experience was a downpour, though it appeared to be unavoidable.

Dismissing another clump of negative thoughts in her, Sakura focused on the rocky road she had chosen to travel from the medical camp and back to the secured resource store near the military armoury itself. She had avoided using the main road to ensure that her appearance would not raise another unwanted confrontation from those whom were easily triggered by one’s identity. Her act may resemble one of cowardice, but she lost nothing in keeping all eyes away from her as she moved all and about purposefully. Being closer to the nature than the side that offered human population, the greenery managed to calm her nerves and return her mind into its sharp state even though the path being further as compared to its main alternative.

The last few encounters with the recklessly brave individuals had put her on edge, to say the least. It appeared as if their lives were as easily armed and discarded as a sword, where a new one could always replace their former possession. There was simply no sense of protectiveness towards themselves in every matter they do, as long as they could die under the circumstances of taking their presumed enemy down with them. This mindset became the base of every person whom prepared themselves for a war and especially in one that had stretched for years, this idea alone was not strange to Sakura either. Perhaps, that was the turning point in herself where she found the need to stop the cycle from continuing in one generation and down to the other despite helpless at times.

One life matters as much as tens, hundreds or even thousands. There was simply no equivalence to a single life regardless of how it was compared to another’s, because each of them played a different part in this world. Choosing to sacrifice one’s life due to careless circumstances like those she encountered in this kingdom would never be able to determine the triumph of the side they chose to stand upon but a great loss to the cause itself, by her opinion. Not to mention to have left their responsibilities behind to those whom lived for their sake rather too easily due to their careless mindset. Whatever reasons they could come up with such sacrifice, Sakura could only match them to the selfish cause of their hearts’ desires. The strongest was not found in those whom dared to dive into the mouth of death fearlessly, but in individuals whom possessed an ultimate courage of going through every ordeal that their lives were forced to encounter upon. With that being said, her reason of simply not dying in the enemy’s land rang clear in her head.

Slightly uplifted by the refreshed determination, her pace became sturdier in each step.

As Sakura came to the resource store and undoubtedly nearer to the guarding soldiers, her ears were quickly tuned into an ongoing heated conversation between whom she assumed to be Sasuke’s voice with another man. She had no intention of overhearing anything exchanged between them since it should not be within her range of concern but the tone truly struck her to a quick halt right behind the tent accommodating Karin. Inching towards the tent cautiously while using its weak shadow as her advantage to the gloomy day, Sakura scanned her surroundings swiftly before settling on her position. On the other hand, it deemed better for Sakura to make her way to the resource store after the conversation was finished.

“The attack done towards the castle was reportedly unsuccessful as defended by Captain Jugo and General Sai.” The man stated.

Sasuke replied right in the heat of the moment, his voice dangerously calm. “And the royal guards?”

“They were found unconscious throughout the ordeal and were exposed to poison.” The man continued his report where Sakura had silently assumed to be taken from either Sai or Jugo.

“You are dismissed.”

Sakura took some time to ponder if Sasuke had actually learnt the whole truth of the attack and if he was even purposefully trying to shield out as much fact as he could from being exposed to the wrong ears by hearing out the information from his man. Having this attack related close to snakes and its poison could throw off any peaceful situation into a complete imbalance of panic if they were to spread around like a wildfire. Hence, it was understandable for Sasuke to cover everything away from the public. She was about to reveal herself and continue her way to her destination when she heard the start of another conversation, this time sounding a little less filtered display of emotions than the previous one.

“Are the numbers of the royal guards sufficient to withstand another attack if the second breach goes on in a few hours’ time?” Sasuke asked urgently and unlike the words spoken, his tone was maintained.

“Yes, your highness.” It was Jugo’s voice this time.

Sasuke continued to press on the matter. “Any exact numbers of those whom were not affected by the event?”

“The numbers are not confirmed but there are enough to be led by the king to face another series of possible attacks.”

“That’s unacceptable.” The air became dense to the extent where Sakura had to inhale deeply due to the anticipated outcome of their conversation. “I shall take my leave to assist my brother.”

Sakura’s eyes widened at the rushed decision. A sturdy series of footsteps approached, indicating that another individual had emerged to join the talk.

“You cannot just leave like that again, Sasuke.” Sakura recognised the voice to have belonged to Sai, and since he used the main alternative to move about the camp, he was undoubtedly faster as compared to Sakura. “The last time you did that, we were lucky enough to be able to tame down the growing threats that came from the outskirts of the villages. You need to at least think this through before pushing everything aside once more.”

“My brother’s life is at stake right now. That alone is reason enough for me to defend him while both of us are still breathing alongside one another.” Sasuke interjected.

“The king will be able to hold back the attacks fine with the capabilities provided from within the castle’s base and there are indeed enough men to defend the castle if the need ever arises.” Sai countered as equally heated. “We cannot risk you gambling your life out there and into the unknown circumstances rather carelessly, Sasuke. It would not be beneficial for anyone at all.”

Sasuke scoffed. “I don’t need your advice over the decisions that I am capable of making.” Sakura could only picture his directed glare towards Sai’s stoic features. “Nothing comes before my brother and now is one of those times where my sole purpose of life comes to a great play. I will gladly pay everything with my life as long as my brother lives. Nothing is going to change that fact.”

“And just leave these people to die under the creeping forces that will eventually take over everything once your life is out of their way?” Came Sakura’s angered remark as she appeared from behind the group, the medic herself was too driven by her emotions to even notice that she was now quite literally joining a conversation she should not have heard in the first place. “Is that your way of living up to everything that has been sacrificed up until this very moment, Sasuke?”

“You will never understand any part of this, Sakura.”

This time, she scoffed. “Charging right into the awaiting traps set out by those whom waited for this very moment all their lives just to finally rid you out of the main picture, which part of this made up illusion have I mistaken for, Sasuke? They are trying to shift your attention away from where your offense and defence are needed the most and seemingly succeeding in their attempt despite a rather weak one.”

“Are you suggesting that saving my brother from an incoming attack is not worth the fight?” Sasuke’s brows furrowed critically as he turned to face Sakura fully.

“What I hoped for would be your consideration towards your struggling people over a rushed action that may end up harming yourself, because I believe the king to be capable of handling any odds being directed towards the castle ground.” The nagging double meaning behind Itachi’s need of Sakura’s aid in the medical camp threatened to be let free through her heated words and it was none other than to ensure Sasuke’s safety from any possible harm while the king deals with the shady attacking force. Sakura swallowed the truth before sounding another thought. “Your brother would not want you to endanger your own life for all these uncertainties.”

For some reason, Sasuke’s expression shifted into one of pure irritation this time around. “You believed my brother’s words of assurance while refusing to accept the obvious purpose of my decision.”

Sakura furrowed her brows deeply in response to the words that sounded absurd to her. “That is not the case at the moment. It concerns where you are willingly bargaining away your own life into something you cannot fathom, Sasuke.”

“And why do you care about it, Sakura?”

The silence that came next was ear-splitting and the only audible sound to Sakura would be the intense heartbeats as her eyes blurred into what she perceived to be nothing else but rage. “But of course, my opinion does not matter.”

She managed a bittersweet smile upon Sasuke’s remark, looking away momentarily as if trying to patch up the pain that shot through her. Swallowing the sudden lump in her throat, Sakura returned her stare towards Sasuke, whom she had just noticed to be closer to her throughout their exchange if not for the multiple distractions in her mind.

“Look around you, Sasuke. These are your people. Despite all the struggles they knew that would befall upon themselves, still, they chose to stay to protect their home with their all. They need you. Your guidance ensures their purpose of life. Do you really think it is fair to everyone and yourself to just sacrifice your own life rather blindly, Sasuke?”

A sole tear spilled from her blurry gaze and she silently cursed herself for the slip of emotion at times like this but was stubborn enough to not wipe it away in acknowledgement of its unneeded appearance. Apart from bearing that, the silent reply from the prince seemed to only stretch her pain in the passing seconds.

Sakura had not noticed much of the equally intense stares she gained from Jugo and Sai from the side lines amidst another wordless exchange between herself and the prince, until Suigetsu made a sudden yet awkward appearance from within the tent.

Finally breaking her gaze away from Sasuke, she turned her attention to Suigetsu. “Take a good care of Karin while I am away.”

Without bearing another glance towards anyone present, Sakura retreated her steps towards the direction of the forest before gaining speed in her pace away from the camp despite facing with the possibility of getting lost under the darkening sky.

She just needed to be away from everything right now because for once, she was the one injured by something she could not cure.

Chapter Text

Running

There was hardly a reason to stay idle in the midst of the unrest, though the weather had worked its way into allowing the two a slip of time to breathe and regain their minds’ alertness.  

Leaves continue to rustle softly beneath her careful steps once she entered the dense forest. Deeming the thick leaves from trees whom compete with one another in order to catch the most glimpse of the sun, the forest floor was naturally cool from its heated touch even in the hottest days of summer. Though the current weather would prove to be colder than it already was here due to the incoming rain. Anticipating the downpour would be the lively sounds of frogs and toads, overwhelming other insects’ counterparts of their individual sounds.

Sakura continued her pace forward steadfastly, eyes switched from her surroundings to the cloudy sky while suppressing a sigh. She had run into the forest rather mindlessly before, hence she possessed nothing but the medical kit that was attached to her at all times. Food could easily be substituted with the fruits available in the forest’s expense whereas for the water source, Sakura could always track down the amphibians to discover their habitat if the need ever arises. Taking another glance at the heavy sky, her mind switched into another thought where food hunting would be harder when the rain started to fall, though she could gain direct access of a secured water supply if that happened to be the worst-case scenario.

Once the source of basic necessities was cleared from her mind, her previous thoughts returned its invasion. Sakura tried to piece out the sequence of events that could go well with a solid reason to her reaction towards the prince’s words. Though each time she did that throughout her walk away from the camp, she still failed to come up with one. What had caused her anger to peak and why had she felt the rush of sadness during their confrontation at the first place? Her life was not in a topic of danger this time around and despite that being her top priority, hearing the countless careless sacrifices that one would make out of their blinded judgement simply enraged her. Though she could not really tell how all had shifted into sadness in the end. Witnessing Suigetsu’s raged state and facing a maddened medic whom loathed her had not awaken such a clash of emotions in her for as much as she could recall.

‘Sasuke.’ She bitterly reminded herself as the last thought reluctantly came into her mind, causing the medic to shake her head frantically. She needed an escape from the possible danger that was concealed within the reality that she had to face, for her minds were too heavy with emotions that awaited to be freed.

Finding herself a safe tree to lean against while burrowing herself within the most confusing fact above all, Sakura reduced her position to a crouch while noting the grass carpeted floor absentmindedly. To feel and act protective towards those close to her, namely her family and friends, those were not strange to her core personality. For being a medic had turned her into a defender of those under her care almost indirectly each time the victims were forced to face another series of attacks from their enemy. But all those had not led to her muddled up feelings at the moment. Though some she knew by names or even exchanged some warm words, none of those people had left her with a timely worry as they charge into yet another dangerous situation. Then why would such confusion simply choose to pile up upon the Uchiha prince above all others at this unlikely moment to begin with?

She may be naïve to things related to deep feelings but she was not blind to the signs that lead to them. The main reason for her evasion of trailing down such path of thought was simply due to its absurdity and impossibility over the said matter. Losing her identity in her known enemy’s land was a severe blow to the dangers that will expose her life into, something she knew all too well at this state. Hence, how could she still find it in herself to go through these strange twists of feelings that eventually resulted in a sense of affection towards someone whom still sees her as no one but a stranger? Braving through such course of thoughts and actions would only result in pain, regardless of the conclusion of the war in the near future. Yet, she cannot quite shake off her current mixture of emotions despite being aware of its later consequences. Once again, helplessness overwhelmed her as she failed to do anything to cure the hurting sensation in herself.

The sudden sound of footsteps approached her range of hearing, causing Sakura to stay frozen in her crouched spot while coming up with a defending move towards whoever that may catch her off-guard here. She was lucky enough to still carry the dagger with her and that had easily become her main choice of retaliating the incoming attack. Securing her hand upon the hilt of the dagger, she waited for the sound to come closer in each passing time. Once the footsteps came into a triggering distance to where she was, she stood up sharply as her hand thrusted forward and towards the suspicious person. Though meeting the eyes and the firm grip upon her wrist caused her next moves to die down all too quickly.

Sasuke’s dark orbs were staring straight at her and though there were wariness in them, she managed to catch a glimpse of concern that flashed in them. “Sakura.”

Her brows furrowed a bit as her eyes broke away from the contact to note her previous trails. ‘Had they been too obvious to be noted so easily by him?’ She refrained herself from shaking her head in contradiction to her own thoughts. ‘No, I had been silent and careful to my surroundings since the start.’

Another possibility struck her, causing her to freeze on the spot but she was quick enough to dismiss the direction of her absurd thought. Sakura was not the kind of person whom would stay silent in a prompted conversation, though her mind was too heavy to even form simple words. Hence, the only option left was to look back at the person in front of her with a shocked expression.

“You shouldn’t proceed from here. It would be dangerous.” Sasuke casted the sky a quick glance before his eyes went back to Sakura. “And it seems that it will be raining very soon.”

“I,” Sakura started and was utterly grateful to finally found her voice. “I had not planned on going anywhere.” The dagger now passed to her left hand was safely kept away.

A warning drop of rainwater on their joined hands brought them back into the present and away from their short separate reveries. If they were to continue to linger where they were, they would undoubtedly be drenched within minutes under the weather. The course of decision that came next had not caused much time on Sasuke’s side as he switched his hold on Sakura’s wrist to reach for her now vacant hand instead, before leading her towards a direction unknown to her. Surprisingly enough, they came to an old shade tree and directly went to hide themselves from the pouring rain beneath its layered branches of leaves. Making a dash through the distance caused the two to lean against the tree bark to catch their breath before sitting on the large rocks that dotted amongst the tree’s protruding roots as they began to stare into the rainy landscape. The two seemed to settle in a relatively comfortable silence, for they found no need in interrupting the other’s distracted attention.

It was unlikely for the prince to casually stroll into the forest to find her after the lengthy run, though Sakura’s mind was too stubborn to accept whatever logical reason over the one with the least possibility. Hence, that only left her with the choice of confirming an answer from Sasuke in order to shut away those thoughts. “Were you patrolling this area before stumbling into me?”

Sakura dared herself to look at Sasuke, though the blank stare that she received ignited confusion in herself. It took Sasuke a few lingering moments to break away from the eye-contact and finally replying her words.

“No, I was behind you.”

Uncertainty hung in the air as Sakura’s mind frozen upon the spoken statement, unable to come up with a sufficient remark to it as well. Sasuke’s moves were known to be silent and lethal in the case of battles, hence he must have taken an equal measure in ensuring his presence undetected by Sakura since the beginning. Safely excluding the plays of offense and defence, she could only be grateful of her time alone out of its usage in efficiently rearranging her disarrayed thoughts and emotions. But of course, that had not meant that Sasuke’s recklessness had been completely subsided from her focus. Which then brought her back to the reason behind his need of taking such action.

“I have left sufficient medicine supply for your brother before heading out here.” Sakura began, tugging Sasuke’s attention right away. “It was the least I could do in return to his request of having me leaving the castle for my own safety due to the unseen opposing enemies within the walls. Similarly, I cannot accept the exchange of his health condition over my own importance.” She turned to Sasuke for the briefest moment before casting back to the landscape once again.

The nagging reason of her acceptance was clear in her head but unlike previously, Sakura seemed to accept it with open arms this time around. Itachi had laid his concern on Sasuke’s safety in the claim of needing Sakura’s medical expertise alongside the prince during the current turmoil. Apart from the constant worry over the prince’s situation at the site of the battleground, it did not take Sakura much insistence to accept such arrangement. Trapping herself in a place where she was kept in a close eye by the lurking wolves and having her moments finalised there would be a great disadvantage after all.

“Perhaps it was the right decision of having you away from the uncertain dangers there.” Came Sasuke’s unexpected agreeing words over his brother’s act after a considerably long silence amidst the sound of the rain.

Sasuke could act however he wished with his life over the need to protect those he cared about, though it would be incredibly selfish to have Sakura staying alongside his brother for the sake of his mysterious health condition. Not to mention Sasuke’s reluctance to dive into the possible chain of events that would ultimately cost Sakura’s life. There was simply no amount of reasoned actions that could balance out her life, for it will result in a total and eternal loss.

“Do you really think it is fair to everyone and yourself to just sacrifice your own life rather blindly, Sasuke?” Sakura’s words managed to drill themselves into his mind despite the rage that clouded his prior judgement – she reached him.

Now that he switched his perspective and recalled her exact statement could he finally make sense of the underlying meaning of those words. If the situations were reversed and he was to witness someone else sacrificing themselves for a short-lived cause, he would do anything to stop them. Sasuke, of all people, understood the pain of watching those he loved died in an unreasonable war as his resolve continued to hang upon the hope of protecting and keeping his brother alive. It deemed to be easier to take on the role of sacrificing one’s own life in ensuring the survival of the other and Sasuke was selfish enough to choose the former route without considerations of those whom were left behind to carry on the consequences of his action.

If it was not for Sakura’s intervention, he would have ridden back to his brother in a blinded rage. He owed her a sincere apology over his stabbing words and harsh confrontation that had eventually impacted her strong determination. Typically, his ego was as equally tough, though he felt that something had finally knocked the walls of his cold heart at this very moment. They could have been living in a world of the exact opposite to being peaceful ever since they were born but growing up through the various challenges that were thrown directly at them, there was hardly a reason for one to succumb themselves in a constant breakdown. For there were simply too many casualties to be counted on a daily basis in the midst of an everchanging environment they claimed to be their home ground.

Sasuke sighed a little while casting to the side towards Sakura whom had been lost in her temporary escape. The first time he witnessed her emotional breakdown was upon realising her lost identity as well as the probability of never returning to her kingdom. Unlike him, she had family and friends that cared for her as deep as she did on others. There were fleeting moments where he had wondered upon such affection, something he would have not dreamt of achieving in any point of his life. Scratch that, he had never pinpointed upon those things if it was not for Sakura’s presence here. It was out of the question, really, to actually think of situations that was ironic to his tale of life. It even felt as if he did not deserve any of it, including the kindness and care shown to him by none other than Sakura since he could only reply it in the most ungenerous way possible. Which then led to the cause of her second breakdown.

The prince switched his stare towards his gloved hands before pulling them free from its leather exterior. Calloused hands reached his sight and he could not tell the last time he had scrutinised upon his own hands due to his ever-busy mind. Cuts and bruises were nothing but a norm, though it had seemed that his hands had accustomed itself through it all as judged by the rough skin on the extent of his palm. Avoiding himself from looking at Sakura far too often than he would have allowed himself to, he made a mental note on their hands. Hers were pale in comparison to his; skin ashen due to the constant sanitisation in her every attempt of saving one’s life, including his own.

They were the complete opposite to one another in every possible way. Even sitting next to her in the midst of the inescapable weather felt wrong somehow and that could mark as the few rare times when Sasuke felt powerless outside the battlefield. There was no amount of weapons nor shields that could comfort him from such overwhelming emotion, unlike in other situations where he could escape through enough trainings to make up for his weakness. It almost felt as if this was related to a core that he never had the strength in himself to overcome. Hence, there was no assurance where his simple words of apology would even suffice in return to his prior actions.

Just as Sasuke had thought Sakura would rather bask themselves in silence, she spoke up. “Almost everyone in the camp is completely treated with the help of a few whom volunteered to pick up some simple treating procedures. Though all complicated ones had been taken care of before I…”

“I apologise for my actions earlier on.” Sasuke interjected upon Sakura’s trailed words, successively causing the medic to spin her head sharply at the prince in surprise. Not wanting to back away despite slightly embarrassed by the unlikely display of his nature, Sasuke met her eyes.

“Ah, no…” Sakura trailed off unintentionally once more and was replied by Sasuke’s confused look. “I mean, I am the one whom supposed to apologise for running away immaturely like that. I should not have allowed my emotions to control me over more important matters.” Sakura shook her head slightly before breaking their eye contact and opt to look at the ground instead, as if chastising herself over her own actions as much as Sasuke regretted his counterpart.

Sighing a bit to himself, Sasuke continued their paused conversation. “I, myself, may have been overwhelmed by everything to be driven into such mindset.” After the long thoughts he bore before, he came to settle upon such simpler remarks.

“It happens to everyone, it seems. Heavy is the burden carried upon one’s shoulders that may deem too much for them to walk ahead as responsibilities build up with time. But running away and leaving everything behind would not help either. Hiding cannot change nor save lives and while not everyone has enough power to make a desired impact, a small contribution from an individual would definitely make a difference.” Sakura paused and cast a look of renewed confidence towards Sasuke. “Those are basically what gets me going each day.”

Shifting her view to her pale hands, unintentionally mirroring Sasuke’s prior actions, Sakura’s lips tugged into a small smile but it had not gone unnoticed by Sasuke whom still found his attention to be near her. Once again, the rain became a constant comforting sound in the background of their shared silence. There was hardly a reason to stay idle in the midst of the unrest, though the weather had worked its way into allowing the two a slip of time to breathe and regain their minds’ alertness.

As if only realising something, Sakura pulled herself away from the short mental escape and back at Sasuke. “You are not hurt after the raid, are you?” The prince only shook his head in reply, only realising that they had not exchanged a word since Karin was found severely injured.

“That is relieving.” Sakura stated before casting a look at the sky and stood up from the sitting position. “I think it would be better to head back under the drizzle since the rain may get heavier in the next hour.” True to that, groups of dark grey clouds had once again hung low above them as the pace of the falling rain slowed down a notch.

Sakura was about to walk away when Sasuke had reached out for her hand to stop her short. A sharp sensation shot through her arm upon the sudden stopping tension into which Sakura hissed in pain as she halted her steps, still shaded from the rain under the wide expense of the tree. Shocked by Sakura’s reaction, Sasuke released his hold and reduced their gap almost instantly.

“Did I hurt you?” Sasuke’s hand now linger close to hers though uncertainty was obvious upon his posture.

“No, it was just a forgotten injury. Nothing serious.” Sakura folded the sleeve of her shirt, revealing her hastily bandaged left arm from her clash in the medic camp. If it was not for her habit of pulling up her sleeves whenever she started to work, the sleeve of her shirt would have been slashed away as well.

Though the fact had not settled well with Sasuke. “Who did this to you?”

Sensing the sharp edges of his voice, Sakura looked away from her wound for a while to register the darkened look on Sasuke’s face. “Do bear in mind that receiving hatred from those around me is rather normal from my side, Sasuke. And given such miniscule damage,” Sakura gestured over her arm to prove her point before continuing, “It is not worth of any offense.”

“Letting go of someone whom injured you simply opposes every logic known to men.” Instead of allowing rage to blind him, Sasuke tried on a calmer approach.

“But injuring the already low number of medics in the camp would not do either. I was not defenceless back then. There was simply no extensive advantage of getting back at them.”

Urging Sakura to return to their previous spot by pushing her slightly on the shoulder of her good arm, Sasuke avoided a direct reply to Sakura’s reasoning. “Let me help you with your injury.”

“Have you treated an injury before?” Sakura inquired curiously only to realise the possible implication of her word but Sasuke was quick enough to dismiss her frantic conclusion.

“No, but I am good in following instructions if you are to share them step by step.” Another pause and Sakura snapped herself from her prior thoughts before handing Sasuke the emergency medical kit that she carried. “You should have taken care of yourself before asking others on their possible injuries.” He noted shortly as Sakura unwrapped her stained bandage.

She sighed a bit at her sight, worrying on the restrain of her injury to her movements during emergency calls, never on the scar that would result after. “Nothing but a skin-deep cut, hence there is no particular concern on it if I am to compare it with those I had encountered today.”

“One should not neglect their own importance despite small.” Sasuke noted shortly, as if reminding Sakura of her own remark back then.

Sakura then started to walk him through the wound-treating procedure into which she considered Sasuke’s work to be rather meticulous despite being new to handling medical treatments. They were silent towards the end of the exchange; Sasuke’s focus directed towards the finishing seal of the bandage while Sakura’s attention had fallen on Sasuke’s serious features. There were a few times when she felt empathetic towards patients whom had lost everything while fighting the longstanding war. But what came to her mind and heart whenever she spared a thought on Sasuke was certainly different. In the midst of the impossibilities, she wanted to help him to reach for a brighter future. As dangerous as her thoughts could lurk upon, she found the need to simply be there for him whenever she was needed, though her presence would just be as unremarkable as any other person whom would sacrifice their lives for his sake.

“I would never allow the risk of having such harmful medic around you any longer.” Sasuke relayed his decision out of the blue, meeting Sakura’s still stare.

For some reason, that statement seemed to trigger her into discarding her former strange thoughts. “I may pose as an equal harm to others in different situations, Sasuke.” She paused and casted another look at her own hands before looking back at him. “These hands – my hands – were stained by blood spills as much as they healed others. They were not an exception either.” And through her words, she was heavily reminded of her involvement in war before she had taken up the oath of a healer.

“‘To kill or to be killed’.” Sasuke stated after a while. “There is no fault in defending yourself in a world that is filled with enemies that try to eliminate lives ever so easily.”

Surprised coloured her features upon Sasuke’s timely reply for she half-expected the prince to come up with a criticism or even dive right into a dead silence afterwards. Anything but accepting her truthful words. She smiled to herself for a little, mainly out of relief that someone out of her childhood friends and community could relate to her contradicting nature. She may have hurt or even killed another in defence of her loved ones and since she was known to be a healer, it felt wrong to bear both responsibilities somehow. Though that was before for she could now breathe a little lighter once she came into acceptance of her past and present.

Standing from their seated positions for the second time around, Sasuke reached a hand towards Sakura in a prompt of walking out of the forest together before the sky took on another darker shade that came with the rain.

Chapter Text

First

She tried to chase away the chills that never came as her breaths paced up in a synchronous timing.

It did not take Sasuke and Sakura long to return to the military camp for their minds were now set upon a certain goal as well as a heightened sense of determination on their own roles’ part. The two were almost immediately separated by their awaiting tasks once they stepped foot into the camp site, though none left the other a lingering thought safe for a firm nod that passed between them. Apparently, they had achieved a similar understanding in terms of protecting both their own lives and those around them instead of charging into the unseen future out of an emotional outburst. And for that, the time spent escaping from their tasks seemed to have come to a desired fruition after all.

Sakura made no haste in rechecking the injured soldiers back in the medical camp and had instead visited Karin first since her injuries were Sakura’s main concern at the moment. The thought alone had not settled rather simply in her as countless of possibilities pulled on various triggers to her mind. It was understandable that Karin might have defended the camp from the attackers since the start and that her lack of skills on weaponry could easily cause herself to be an easy target to a fatal assault. Sakura recalled the injuries of the other medics and concluded that it was not as severe as Karin’s but just right to scare them off to run for the cliffs. On a similar note of fear, some may even kill themselves in order to avoid coming across the numerous tortures from the enemy’s side once they were captured. But the latter case was unlikely, judging by the identity of those whom were killed on ground last night.

‘Unless they felt threatened by something Karin did.’ Sakura deduced to herself as she halted her steps in front of the other medic’s resting tent before shaking her head slightly to store away her thoughts for later.

The guarding men gave her an acknowledged nod as Sakura replied them with hers and entered the tent. Given the medication and painkillers consumed by Karin within the past few hours, there was a high chance that she was still fast asleep as her wound continued its healing process. Hence, seeing the medic sitting up on her bed and going through reports from a makeshift counter next to her aroused panic in Sakura.

“You are not supposed to sit yet, Karin.” Sakura rushed over to help Karin lie down though the latter refused with a frantic shake of a hand.

She was about to speak again when Karin cut her words. “Before you berate me on my wound, yes, I am aware of it. And,” she trailed off a little before continuing, “Thank you for taking care of it for me. I never thought I would have made it out alive back then given the limited medical skills and care of those who worked here.” Amongst the spoken words were the unmentioned readiness of dying from the attack.

Sakura took a seat on the vacant chair next to Karin while shaking her head. “It was the least I could do to help. But I believe Suigetsu deserved all the credit since he defended you from others’ advancements towards you all along.” She paused for a moment to recollect Suigetsu’s disarrayed emotions from before and pondered on relaying it to Karin. “He was worried sick of you. Though judging by the severity of your wound, anyone would panic just as badly as he did while trapped in the midst of the dangerous rush.”

“He did?” Karin’s brows furrowed upon Sakura’s revelation into which the latter nodded absent-mindedly. She gave a soft scoff as followed closely by a small smile that tugged the side of her lips with her eyes staring afar. “I never thought I would have heard him acting like that, or worse yet, caused him to lose his usual coolness. And to have heard his spoken wish to learn basic medical treatments the first thing I woke up would only further convince myself if I had awoken to a different world or even hallucinating through the medications.”

Sakura smiled at that, remembering well of the similar sentiment coming from Suigetsu when she was treating Karin. “Though, I don’t think that is a bad move from him.”

“The fact that it was a rather wise move had me wondering if we are even speaking of the same Suigetsu right here, right now.”

It may act as the first attempt of a random conversation passed between the two ever since they met, but none found it awkward or unwanted. Perhaps at times like this, gaining the trust of those who worked for the same cause could truly benefit one’s support as well as act as an emotional stabiliser, like how true friends did. Through that word alone, Sakura found herself missing her friends and worrying about their equally dangerous routine as well. She even wondered if they still remembered her after her supposed death.

“Speaking of medications, is our cure working fine on the king’s health?” Karin snapped back into focus at her sudden recollection of the matter, even mindful to lower her voice upon her serious query.

“Yes, it seems. Though there is no telling of its high effectiveness over the short period of time and along with the factor where I could no longer monitoring it from close range as well.” Sakura suppressed a sigh as her mind was brought back to the medicine supplies prepared for Itachi before heading out of the castle. “I hope it would not run out before any of us could make it back to the castle.”

Karin wrinkled the bridge of her nose a little. “You still wish to go back to the castle?” Upon the question, Sakura simply stared back at Karin while thinking over the possible meaning behind the said query as well as her stated decision earlier. “Do not misunderstand me, Sakura. I could tell your sincerity towards helping to cure the king but,” she pondered a little though eventually continued not too long after, “Do you not wish to return to your home, now that you are actually closer to it than you did when you stayed in the castle?”

As if a spell, Sakura felt her heart drenched into the cold sea water as plain truth from Karin’s words shook her core. She tried to chase away the chills that never came as her breaths paced up in a synchronous timing. It had been months since the incident that caused her to be stranded in Uchiha. But through her ignorance over the main matter, did it actually meant that she was forgetting her way back as well? That the fire and fight in her would eventually diminished the longer she stayed here under the distraction of her task as a destined medic?

Her hesitations did not last long, much to her relief as her mind shifted to the countless of times where she was thrown into the possible means of ending her life. Through those trials, if it was not for the few people whom stood by her, as actively led by the prince himself, she would have never been able to live past those days. It would only be natural for her to try to help out as much as she could in return of the various attempts of saving her life. Hence, planning an escape for her claimed freedom and back to her home ground were tossed away over the need to face the current dangers that lurk beneath something she could defend upon; the medical field. And not to be forgotten was the uncertain feelings she had towards the prince though she would always assume it as gratitude and nothing more than that.

“I cannot just leave everything behind me so easily.” Sakura started out, summarising her thoughts into simpler words that hold onto the same meaning. “As much as I was presented by such chances from time to time, I do not believe myself to be as heartless as to ignore those who suffered from a pain I can spare them from, despite through the smallest ways possible or some even still under an ongoing attempt.” She sat straighter and faced Karin from her random stare. “I am no different than those who poisoned others for their own gain if I am to allow those effected to die when I could save them. I cannot just leave.”

As much as she had thought of the suffering civilians whom were trapped in between battles, her mind had trailed back to Itachi and eventually settled on Sasuke. It had been the very same pattern each time when she was trying to reason herself, for her rebellious subconscious would always tug her attention back to the prince. She was aware that not everything was centred about him but yet, he was a solid reason for her to stay and convey her help towards, and it was none other than to save his brother from an expected end. Perhaps it was based on the consideration where she should at least do something of her own accord to meet the prince’s past saves on the various threats that rose to claim her life.

The sound of Karin’s sigh drew Sakura’s attention. “At least the scale balances.” There was a short pause when a ghost of a smile tugged over Karin’s lips, drawing further confusion in Sakura.

Sasuke may have never spoken any words based on his true thoughts nor insights but it was obvious that he still wanted Sakura around just as much as the latter was reluctant to leave his side. Despite sounding simple to one’s understanding, there was a steady hint that led to the two sharing mutual feelings to one another. Though given the everchanging situation they were facing on a long run, it was easier to let it slide away as distractions. As much as she was selfish towards her own emotions towards the prince, Karin cannot seem to continue her opposition towards Sakura when all she ever did was pushing herself to help others, even for Karin. There were things that stayed uncontrollable through human means and Karin could truly start to open her eyes to this plain reality instead of denying it due to stubbornness.

“Since you are fully awake,” Sakura spoke up, allowing the questionable statement to pass, “Do you have any clue on your attacker’s identity?”

Karin shook her head slightly, eyes refocused in deep thought. “There was no clear indication to who they belong to but,” She trailed off, unsure of her next sentence. “I don’t think that they were this kingdom’s typical enemy.”

‘Senju.’ Sakura perked up at Karin’s indirect implication.

“What made you exclude them from the possibility?” Sakura’s brows furrowed in curiosity.

“Their intention. I had come across a few opposing battles between our soldiers and theirs, though none would truly result in severe fatality, save for loss of weaponry. True, some men fought to their deaths but the clash would often centre about the bordering lands instead of attempts in paralysing the other’s defences nor eliminating their attacks.” Karin leant her back against the temporary wooden wall that substituted the lack of a bed header. “Medics were the least likely to be injured too. It almost felt like a clean fight at times, but not that I would have accepted such need either. Too many lives were killed due to negligence over the spreading diseases and with the rise of poison attacks, more would likely succumb to an instant death as well.”

The sadness in Karin’s voice was plain to anyone who heard her but the helplessness that was expressed along with it had instantly reached Sakura, for their point of views were pinpointed upon the same line of thoughts. There were certainly an even mix to Sakura’s feelings at the maintained civil war between the two kingdoms and the enemy that continued to slip their way through the broken cracks of the war’s aftermath. It would only take an adequate amount of time before the minds of both sides were tainted by poison against one another without finding out the true culprit behind everything. What happened to Karin could be one of the factors that drive most to think and act ill towards an obvious enemy; the Senju.

“But nothing is yet to be confirmed for the time being.” Sakura spoke up, as if reminding herself to the fact where the real enemy was still in a deep cover without a clue to be found. “And while that, everyone will continue to lay laxed on the dangers that threatened the medics from the unseen enemy.” She continued while reminiscing the night she had pursued a suspicious individual who had attempted to burn Senju’s medical resting tents and perishing the drugged medics that resided within it.

That thought increased the restlessness that seemed to become a constant in Sakura though instead of pushing herself to her limit, she tried to calm herself while still engaging in a talk with Karin. She would have to return to her medical tasks soon but she cannot help herself from trying to figure out the plays of the culprit that may launch another attack sometime soon considering the number soldiers that were injured from the recent raid. And not to mention Karin’s fragile state that stopped her from taking charge of all medics as the head. All Sakura could do now was to depend on herself for most tasks with the hopes of some those were willing to learn and help out along the way.

“I will be fine. Don’t worry much as I will join you soon in monitoring the others.” Karin stated, alerting Sakura right away.

“No, Karin. You should rest. As much as the medicine could help in mending the wound in a fast rate, you still need to lay low in at least a week for it to work in the best way possible.”

“Laying rest at this current moment doesn’t feel right at all.” Karin retorted and Sakura could fully understand her concern for it was the exact one to Sakura’s mind as well.

She sighed a little and nodded. “Trust me, I know. But it will only further deteriorate your own health if you try to push yourself past that.” Meeting Karin’s worried frown, Sakura continued to assure her. “If it was regarding the patients, then there is no need for you to worry because I will surely try my best to assist them.”

Karin’s eyes seemed to have fallen on Sakura’s injured arm for a moment. “I do hope for no provocative confrontations to persist on you throughout that.” Perhaps, someone had relayed to Karin about the incident in the medic camp but Sakura swiftly brushed it off with a small smile.

“That would be the least of my worries. But if that was all of your concerns on my task continuation there, then I believe you can take a well rest for now.” Sakura nodded before rising from the chair to leave for the camp.

“Sakura,” Karin called out when Sakura was reaching the tent’s fabric opening, into which the latter made a timely turn of head. “Sasuke, he was not always like that.” She paused unsurely, fiddling with the report on her hands upon doing so. “Desperate times could have blinded his judgement at the moment, but he was definitely not reckless in terms of actions nor words. He would not mean what he said to you earlier and I do hope that you would not take it to heart.”

Catching Karin’s pure intention in clearing Sasuke’s actions, Sakura flashed her a genuine smile. “You don’t have to worry about it. Thank you for clearing that out, Karin. Please sleep well.”

Sakura hasted through the main road towards the medical camp, her dark clothes blend in perfectly to the surrounding of the still gloomy sky as her hair was secured away from sight underneath the hood. There were scarce movements around her and she figured that Sasuke must have rearranged the soldiers’ patrolling duties as well as focusing on specific hotspots throughout the expense of the camp. This, in a way, benefitted Sakura from unwanted confrontations and helped to ease her peaking alertness. As much as the curiosity towards the identity of the enemy still rang clear in her, she split her attention equally towards the medical needs of those around her.

Once she was a few steps away from the medical camp’s entrance, Sakura took notice of a conversation that had consisted of a few people’s voices. Decreasing the momentum of her pace, she eventually came to a stop nearby and started to listen. If the topic being brought up was something that could lead to yet another clash, Sakura would find another way to access to both the patients and medical supplies without interfering the talk. Though the avoidance plan had of course, not settled well in her. She could not just try to run away from these possible scenes for good if she wanted to convey help whenever and wherever she could.

Casting the negative thoughts away, Sakura inhaled deeply before proceeding her steps into the camp without sparing another need to listen to those talks. Stepping into the camp had caused the group of four ladies around her age – whom Sakura had quickly deduced to be medics – to be silent from their conversation. Instead of throwing hateful glares at her way, their features were frozen at the sudden approach of Sakura’s polite smile and nod. The exchange alone had not lasted longer than necessary as Sakura swiftly walked past them and to the ready counter to inspect more medicines.

Around the next few hours, Sakura had visited all the patients and updated their conditions to the records. The process alone was quick and smooth considering the fact that all soldiers were not in a danger of poisons and only now recovering from typical wounds, something Sakura was silently grateful of. Perhaps now her only focus can be pinpointed on Karin’s condition as hers proved to be more severe as compared to others. But then there was still another matter that baffled Sakura throughout her tasks despite being an issue that can be overseen right away. Taking a direct notice towards the same group of medics who seemed to have been tailing her today, while keeping a respectable distance, Sakura wrapped up her work with rearranging some used bandages and equipment to be sanitised before proper disposal.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” Sakura approached the group, now lingered at the workstations that separated her from them through its division.

Her words seemed to cause the one nearest to Sakura to once again turned frozen for a while. The girl then steeled herself, casted her companions a quick glance before turning directly to Sakura.

“Um I,” She trailed and heaved in another breath before continuing, “I just want to thank you for saving my brother after the raid.” Catching Sakura’s pondering look, the girl further elaborated. “My brother suffered a sword gash at his chest. And if it was not for your timely treatment, he would have lost his life earlier on.”

Her eyes were welled up with unshed tears as her voice grew heavy, face ashen with regret and fear, an emotion that conquered each and every one within the inch of a land invaded by constant battles. It did not take Sakura too long to recall the girl’s brother as one of the few who were heavily injured post raid. Her recent check-ups on those patients showed positive results and to that, Sakura only shook her head with a smile tugging her dry lips.

“There is no need for you to thank me and worry not, your brother is doing fine. Given enough time, he will definitely recover from his injury. What matters at the moment is that those who are injured made it through and all there is left to do is to rise again.” Sakura offered the girl words of encouragement and eventually received a smile from her. She cast a quick look around the medicine corner before speaking again. “You and your friends did a good job in maintaining the medicines and tools well. I believe you must have been a medic for some time, as well?”

The girl hesitated a bit before answering. “I don’t think myself a proper medic since only a few of us were able to make medicines from scratch. My friends and I are mostly tasked on searching for the herbs as well as some basic preparations. We are never exposed to the whole process of it.” She spelled out her troubles with the least sense of reluctance.

“May I know who is in charge of medicines making then?” Sakura asked.

“She… Was captured due to the unseen violent attack on you a few hours before.” A frown found its way on her face as she looked downwards as if in shame.

Sakura only nodded tentatively, seemingly solving the riddle where the woman that lashed out at her was truly an experienced medic who tried to frame her. Whatever underlying reason behind her need to do such action was still unknown, but Sakura would try to figure it out once she could lay her hands on it. Now was the time when she would need to come up with a solution for the lack of reliable medical support in hopes of withstanding another possible attack that would come sooner than anyone could expect.

“To make up for that,” she trailed off again. “I, actually we, had thought of helping you out whenever you need us to. Of course, we are aware that our shared knowledge is rather limited to some complicated situations, but we are all willing to help as much as we could.” The other three girls nodded in mutual agreement despite yet to exchange any words with Sakura but being strangers, she found it to be rather natural.

Sakura glanced over at the resting patients and the available piles of unprocessed raw herbs at the corner of the camp before eventually coming up with an idea that could truly benefit the entire situation. “Since all injuries are taken care of, I can show you the steps of processing a few simple but useful medicines and we will proceed with producing it then and there. Is that alright to all of you?”

Taken aback by Sakura’s kind suggestion of walking them through the basics that they seemed to be lacking off, it did not take them long to start out their knowledge exchange session. Perhaps it suited as a good start of a trustable reliance between the medics on the Uchiha grounds after all for the first time ever.

Chapter Text

Break

The extension of his thoughts struck his being akin to a lightning for it left him hollow inside out.

Ever since Sakura had engaged herself with the task of guiding the Uchiha medics on her own expense during her extra time, medicines productions were gradually stabilising within the medical camp. This alone ensured the camp’s readiness in facing another sneak attack after two long weeks since the last one was encountered. The fact alone should act as a relief but silence was never to be underestimated in any unknown situations and it could be seen through the intensified patrolling schedules practiced by the soldiers. At this state, the soldiers and medic were undoubtedly trapped in a state of equal exhaustion without any known grace period in the future. Though if quantity was to come into play, the medics would be in an obvious disadvantage circulating their duty schedule.

Seemingly aware of this issue, Sasuke often found himself lingering near the medic camp whenever he was granted a short break from his hectic tasks. His focus remained oriented that it did not take him long to notice her timely absence from the main activities within the medical camp before heading away for his personal search. It was true that all medics and soldiers should be monitored closely out of the need to eliminate possible betrayers, but it did not bother him much for as long as those under his watch were not confined together with those individuals.

Sasuke appeared to be aware of the pattern of time amidst his silent visits. Whenever it was sometime late at night, he would walk near the armoury area, knowing well that Sakura was possibly sleeping within Karin’s tent out of her need to monitor the latter’s condition. Deeming it was a safe move from her, Sasuke had not intervened nor commented her decision. Though every single time when he was around, Sasuke would often find her deep asleep despite sometimes sitting up while doing so. He would have said something to ensure her rest was at least comfortable but apparently, Karin took the matter to her own hands when she provided another extra stretcher-bed for Sakura a few days after Sasuke’s observation, as if reading his mind. There were a few times when Karin had caught Sasuke’s appearance nearby during his visits, though instead of exchanging quick words, the two only passed one another firm nods. The area was patrolled personally by Sasuke’s closest comrades in a rotary manner. Hence, it was enough to ensure Sasuke of its safety.

The daytime seemed to hold a story of its own, for the prince would sneak his presence about the bustling movements within the medic camp out of his needed observation. Of course it had not taken him long to pinpoint Sakura – her hair a unique shade that differed her from the others almost easily to his eyes. It was even stranger for him to note the length of her hair that appeared to have reached a level lower than her shoulders as the memory of her cutting her locks made a brief entrance to his mind out of nowhere. Without wasting his time diving deep into it, Sasuke refocused towards his surroundings and came to quickly settle on what appeared to be the eased interactions between Sakura and those who worked and stayed at the camp.

Out of usual paranoia, Sasuke had easily assumed a rocky connection between them. Though what appeared before his eyes and dawned upon his realisation was a decent communication among Sakura and the group of medics known to be rather unwelcoming towards strangers, especially one originated from their enemy’s territory. The unlikeliness alone caused Sasuke to stay a little longer out of both curiosity and cautiousness. The interactions made with Sakura could not be categorised as comfortingly warm either, but it was in an acceptable level where the medics were willing to speak to her in exchange of useful information as well as insights. They were discussing instead of throwing blames upon one another in a reckless manner. The injured soldiers, on the other hand, tend to listen tentatively to Sakura whenever she was explaining their conditions or some simple exercises to kickstart their rested muscles.

Sasuke’s brows furrowed towards his own confused emotions upon the new revelations. Of course it had not fallen upon the fact where he had wished for their surroundings to be difficult towards Sakura and deep inside, he was truly glad that less threats were directed her way without the need to constantly cover her identity from almost everyone in public. The thought that came later seemed to be the most unsettling one for Sasuke. Throughout what he had seen, it felt as if he could imagine Sakura being there with all others – getting along well with the civilians, talking to the soldiers through her charismatic nature as well as exchanging thoughts with him and his brother. In short, he could almost see Sakura staying, not as a trespasser nor a privileged prisoner, but as an equal. A free individual who chose to stay beside those she cared from the bottom of her selfless heart without the fear of unwanted consequences that may come with her choice.

The extension of his thoughts struck his being akin to a lightning for it left him hollow inside out, as if he was truly wishing for something too impossible to even gain the slightest idea on. Sasuke was utterly selfish in leading upon a hope where he could picture Sakura staying in his kingdom for whatever reasons he deemed fit. Regardless of the best point of views he could capture in setting such a thought in a more sensible manner, it would always reach the very same conclusion in the end where Sakura was unable to escape from a place she secretly despised from deep within. Though she would never show that to the world due to her unrivalled kindness and perseverance, it would only bring others to exploit such good traits just to fit into their needs. Disgust washed over him next as Sasuke realised the direction of his impossible wish and had instead determined to push all related thoughts away to be locked at a corner of his mind where he could not reach.

If Sakura had truly won his appreciation and trust, all there was left for Sasuke to return would be her happiness over his own foolish thoughts. He would need to be accustomed with the fact where she would eventually return to her home to live the rest of her life happily alongside her beloved family and friends. Her future would always be brighter and better away from the Uchiha kingdom since the very start and there was hardly an argument to oppose such fact. Sasuke would need to accept it wholeheartedly in order to work towards the only goal that he was capable of returning to Sakura after everything she had done so selflessly over the past few months. By holding onto that promise, Sasuke could ensure that there will soon come a time when he would ensure Sakura’s safe return.

But not now. Not when everything was still in its earliest stages of plays where the real twists and turns were still invisible to be noted by those who chose to see it. They will need to wait for the storm to clear in order to cross the path into safety, because giving up halfway would only lead to no fruition at all. Coming across to such ceasefire of the war that had taken place in Sasuke’s mind, he was once again trapped in an unlikely mental dilemma at the moment. A part of him was grateful of the time of chaos that would accommodate to Sakura’s temporary stay, with the other half of his mind dreaded towards the event that will lead up to her leave in the future. Peace was unlikely to be achieved in a short period of time but his kingdom could not seem to be holding on as strong as before any longer either.

Finding his eyes searching its way back towards Sakura’s sturdy movement somewhere within the camp from his hidden spot, Sasuke came up with a silent vow to himself. ‘I will keep you safe and away from such predicted fall, I promise.’

Of course there was no known term of surrendering to the said ending without a fight in him. Given the odds he had to face throughout his lone fight, Sasuke would need to brace well for the highest outcome of failing to do so when his strength had finally run out. Sasuke may not possess enough power to go against the obvious downfall of his home, though he will always push himself to the furthest just to protect those he cared save and sound. This time, with Sakura secured as a part of his promise.

***

Sasuke’s absence had not gone unnoticed by Sakura as she continued to hustle through her daily tasks. It almost appeared as if he had left the camp for more urgent tasks in her wake with his men carrying on their respective patrolling duties, into which had deemed the camp to be in a relatively peaceful state for the past few weeks. The quietness of their surroundings was unsettling since the start and that fact alone had Sakura hold tight onto her highest sense of alertness at all times. And true to that, the camp was once again shaken by an attack.

Though judging by the preparedness of the soldiers under Sasuke’s new laid out commands and guarding patterns, not much damage was done throughout the confrontation. All the previously injured soldiers had all been discharged from the medic camp, only to have a new badge of men filling in again – each with more complicated injury over the other. But instead of undergoing all of the overwhelming yet crucial processes alone, the Uchiha medics were just within her reach of help. Unlike before, they appeared to be taking a more daring step towards treating severe wounds under Sakura’s careful instructions, whereas the latter tend to more serious cases by herself.

There was a drastic decrease of injured soldiers this time around but for some reason, those who had fallen prey to the enemy’s ambush were all suffering from severe poison exposure through their massive wounds. The aimed attacks too appeared to be on a rather precise aim towards the crucial organs as compared to the previous careless attacks. Most of the wounds treated were around the soldiers’ abdominal section, undoubtedly aiming to lay deadly cuts across the centre of the body, though its insufficient penetration through the hard armour had saved them from its poison. The more crucial ones happen to be arrow wounds that went straight for the heart. There was a total of three men who had such injury where the first two were lucky to have half of its direct attack deflected halfway. Hence the last man was the one who was struggling his life through the poison and arrow debris.

Since a new type of poison was introduced into the current attack, Sakura took some time in scavenging for the best way to deal with the man’s deteriorating wound aftermath. Just earlier on, Sakura and the other medics had processed an acceptable cure to counter the said poison and had it distributed to all affected soldiers within its sufficient amount. But when it came to the last man, the cure had an adverse reaction to his body’s defence mechanism, causing his breath to be laboured and temperature dropping cold. Despite the puzzling rush, Sakura calmed herself just enough to recollect her nerves in running through the typical procedure of removing remnants of poison and sanitising the wound; the very first step. The cooperating medics were meticulous enough in carrying that procedure for as long as she had kept her eyes on. They even came up to the last step of feeding the patient with the cure when everything went wrong.

Casting away the unnecessary hesitations, Sakura decided to strip away the bandages in order to walk through the process once again. Perhaps there was something that went amiss to one’s eyes and dismissing a mistake, despite of how small they may tend to be, would definitely risk this man’s life in the very next instant. The medics did not linger on Sakura’s orders and passed her any needed equipment that came from her lips as she scrutinised upon the open wound. Much to her dismay, there was no visible poisoned shrapnel there. Inhaling deeply, Sakura casted her sight upon the counter right next to her where all metallic pieces that once pierced the man’s skin were removed. There were parts that were either broken off into bits or even missing in the action but those small amounts would not be enough to trigger a poisonous affect to the body.

Equally panic-stricken to the entire situation, a few medics had asked Sakura for the next step into which she had replied with a simple ‘wait’, eyes and mind still too invested into tracing the pattern of the arrowhead. After a few nerve-wrecking moments, Sakura finally noticed the acceptably large missing piece of the weapon that may have further penetrated the man’s internal part and thus laid hidden beneath the undisturbed outer layer of the skin. Turning back to the wound, Sakura quickly discovered a small opening that connected the main wound to its hidden extension, which was deemed to be nearer to his heart. Inhaling deeply, Sakura’s hand reached for the sanitised scalpel to cut the skin open. Though what happened to her next forced her mental into its highest anxious state.

Her usually steady hand began to tremble severely just as she was about to carry on with the task. Since the area was located near the heart, even the slightest mistake made while cutting open the outer skin may cause massive bleeding and eventually death. There was no way she could continue the task if her hand continued to shake uncontrollably like now. While battling with time, Sakura’s mind too had taken a deep blow to her current threatened confidence as she stared down at her hand in horror. If she could not operate this man on a timely basis, he would only succumb to the remaining poison and die. And considering the fact where all the medics with her were still too timid upon the sight of such massive wound and still cladded with the domineering fearful emotions, there was exactly nothing she could do now. Sakura could not help but started to wonder if she was no longer fit for her job, while possessing the possibility of letting someone die right under her watch. Letting any more lingering moments to pass by would only lead to death, while continuing with her unsteady hand would only present her with the likelihood of killing the man. No matter which choice she had settled upon, Sakura would still end up causing the death of this person.

Her breaths now a little ragged, Sakura closed her eyes in a futile attempt of calming herself in order to return the stability of her hand but to no avail as she once again stared dead upon her trembling hand. Frustrated tears started to well her eyes and along with that, she heaved a desperate sigh.

‘What should I do?’ Her mind asked rhetorically. ‘There is exactly nothing I can do.’

“Let me help you.” A sudden voice came from behind as a hand clasped upon her trembling one firmly. Furrowing her brows in a weak confusion, Sakura turned and was met with Sasuke’s calm stare. “I will steady your hand while you manoeuvre all the needed movements.”

“That is impossible.” Sakura breathed in a mere whisper.

Sasuke shook his head at that. “It’s not impossible. All you need is a stable hold and I can help you with that.” There was a miniscule pause in between before he reassured Sakura’s unspoken doubt. “You are just too exhausted for such meticulous task, not incapable. So let us just continue down your plan.”

The trust in his eyes left no room for argument and not to mention the alarming awareness of the ticking time. Sakura offered a single firm nod as she allowed Sasuke to stand right behind her and reduce the tremble of her hand underneath his hold. True to his claim, it felt easier for Sakura to push away all unnecessary thoughts and simply focus ahead of the task presented to her. Now that the factor to her current weakness was evened out, there was no longer any obstacle for her to carry on with the steps she had in mind. And not to mention the fact that the man’s life can now be saved.

Once the skin layer was broken through, Sakura had instantly spot out the missing metal shrapnel before removing it with equal careful measures. Medicinal herbs were reapplied, ending the treatment with a new set of neat bandages while the wound undergo its healing process. Another dose of cure was given to the man as his breathing pattern and temperature regained its normal state, allowing all medics involved to draw a sigh of relief after all of their hard works. Some even separated themselves right after to begin their monitoring rotation dedicatedly, something Sakura was utterly grateful of. Sasuke, on the other hand, maintained his silence throughout the time taken for Sakura to cleanse and tidy all of the used equipment while leaning against one of the pillars and just watch the minimal movements of others.

Rearranging the medicine jars back into the wooden closet, Sakura was shocked to find Sasuke standing opposite to her once she turned. “Are there any more urgent matters for you to attend to later today?”

Taken aback by the sudden query, Sakura eventually answered after a few seconds of delay. “Continuous monitoring on the patients.”

“I suppose those tasks could be accomplished by others equally in your stead?” The implication in Sasuke’s words were rather simple – if the said task was trivial in comparison to the one before.

“Yes.” Sakura forced out before continuing speedily. “But I still need to help them through some procedures,”

“Not in the state you are in right now.”

Sakura’s neutral features turned into one of anger and embarrassment as she clasped both her hands together in a tight hold behind her. “I’m fine, Sasuke.”

She could not tell if it was the prince’s instinct or close observation that had revealed her still shaking hands up until this very moment. The same course of fear still drew close to her mind and the only way to hide it was for her to be alone in peace. Unfortunately for her, Sasuke was nowhere near dropping the subject into nothingness.

“Just leave out everything for once and trust me on this.” Sasuke noted simply and reached for her clasped hand before securing it with his. Turning towards the group of medics who were now nearby, he relayed his thought right away. “Sakura will take a break for the time being and while she is away, I leave all to your dedicated minds and capable hands.”

Blinking over the words that only had the chance to register itself to her sense, Sakura was rendered speechless as Sasuke guided her away from the medical camp through their joined hands. The pace initiated by the prince was not enough to be assumed as one of true urgency and Sakura could only allow her busy mind to linger upon whatever thought that resurfaced in her mind first. Again, she stood in a spot where she was torn between locking herself away with endless tasks and yet was slowly suffocated by it. Wherever the destination that Sasuke had decided to bring her to, Sakura found herself yearning for the short break from the purposeful steps she kept on drilling herself into perfection. Deep down, she knew that her breakdown was far too reachable than she would actually allow it to and for that, she needed a time to breathe and rearrange her disarrayed train of thoughts.

In fact, a strategic retreat.

Chapter Text

Inspect

It took an immense amount of courage just to register the identity of the fallen bodies and each time, she only prayed that it was someone she had not known.  

The sky was already dark when they stepped out of the tent, greeted by the resilient cold wind that would soon call upon snow as the winter season claimed its throne in the next coming months. It simply reminded all that the worst time has yet to come as the coming battles were surely approaching just as fast and along with that, came the independent fight against plagues alongside poisons. Foreseeing this, Sakura had delegated some of her time guiding and producing useful medicines and herbal reliefs for the unavoidable cold. Given their limited timeline and attention towards injured soldiers, of course its production was nowhere near a comfortable range yet. Which only brought upon Sakura’s restlessness in the midst of her supposed short escape from the overwhelming routine with Sasuke.

“Are we heading somewhere?” She finally broke the silence, hands still clasped against one another in the hopes of ridding its shakiness but to no avail. It had not been an aftereffect of poisons or illnesses of that sort but rather, as correctly expressed by the prince earlier on, a sign of exhaustion.

“Nowhere in particular.” Sasuke answered casually and casted a glance towards Sakura out of expectance of her protest. His next words were timed perfectly in cutting her incoming ones as he continued. “You need a break. Or at least, your hands require for it.”

His eyes swept past Sakura’s hands briefly before meeting her eyes and continued to look up ahead. Hiding them weakly in her crossed arms, Sakura focused more on shielding herself from the night breeze while noting the visible stars on the night sky silently. There were visible traces of frustration in her but she gained a quick control of it internally. If she was easily distracted by such small matters at a time like now, it would only lead to unforeseen trouble amidst a more complicated situation. She should stop scrutinising on her own flaws for once and simply take more notice of the things that came to play at her surroundings despite the business at bay.

“Perhaps, I am not the only one who needed it. You seemed to be as equally worn out as I do.” She replied steadily before pondering on the next matter and eventually speak her mind. “Is everything under control?” Sakura ended up choosing a more general reference to the topic.

Now that her eyes had accustomed to the dark, she could make out his nod as they continue their pace forward. “Yes. It died down without any unnecessary stretches of events.” Sakura only hummed in response. “Though I would say that there still exist details to be figured upon. Their weapons, for instance. Without identifying those, there is no real trace to who the real enemy is.”

“Bow and arrow.” Sakura pondered.

“Those were one of it.”

There was a short gap of quietness in the air as Sakura continued down her line of thoughts. “The metal that made up the arrowhead was too brittle to call it our own. In fact, it seemed to be the exact opposite of the strong ones that we wield for as far as I know.”

Catching Sakura’s implication, Sasuke replied her with his point of view. “Similarly, no brittle metal has ever been our choice up until this point either.” Receiving a thoughtful silence from Sakura, he had once again interjected her from pushing more out of her already tired mind as he came up with a suggestion. “Would you like to take a closer look at it sometime tomorrow?”

Without a doubt, the incoming daily routine of a medic would consume a big portion of her time. If she was to admit the truest state of her mind albeit walking down a rather forbidden train of thoughts, Sakura did harbour the need to have a short mental escape from time to time for it helped in regaining her focus after each hectic day. But of course, she could not just ignore the nagging curiosity on the enemy’s weapon of choice as well as the logic behind its build and once it was determined, it would actually help in acknowledging their upcoming tactic. Hence, Sasuke’s offer seemed to be too good of a chance for her to pass along.

“Sounds good to me.” She replied with a reassured smile.

All required tasks within the medical camp were done briskly by Sakura as she woke up earlier than usual to get ahead with the slight addition into her schedule. Karin happened to be discharged from her rest today as well and she spent no time lingering away from her counterpart of role in managing all patients and medics alike. Seeing the welcoming interactions between Karin and the other medics had left Sakura with a feeling of relief for things were surely to mend up, despite how small or insignificant those changes had appeared to another’s eyes. Rounding the routine check on all affected soldiers and a few medics from the previous raid, she was once again more than grateful to confirm their safe states to Karin while going through each and every jar of the recently processed medicines done through their joint contribution. Karin was taken aback by the news but was equally happy over such progress.

“I think it is time for you to take a quick break from all pending works here. I will be handling the entirety of it, now that I am fit for it.” Sakura was about to offer another round of checks after Karin’s remark but the latter simply brushed the matter aside. “You have done enough at the moment and for that,” she paused a bit before continuing. “Thank you for everything. Now, go.”

The two even exchange quick smiles when they part ways as Sakura exited the medic area and as per usual, opted for the route nearest to the forest. She may have gained an acceptable presence from those around her despite indirectly, but she chose to leave them at ease by avoiding direct encounters throughout her path. The ray of the sun continued to penetrate the atmosphere weakly through the thick mist, dropping the surrounding temperature into one colder than the week before. Sakura even took up a guess of snowing in the next few days, marking the beginning of the dreaded winter season. Some men were seen actively gathering firewood under Suigetsu’s lead while another group was tasked to building fire hearths within the range of three tents apart. Upon seeing such preparedness, Sakura released another relieved breath out of her constantly overworking mind that had undoubtedly came up with dozens of possibilities.

Shifting her mind into another train of thoughts, Sakura settled upon her home and wondered if they were recovering fine from attacks not known to her ever since her absence. Or on the contrary, were they openly fending off attacks while battling the incoming coldness of the weather at the moment. Then came the nagging thoughts from the back of her mind – if her parents and friends were doing fine in surviving the unlikely circumstances of each attack. Of course, none of those would be answered nor will she ever be comforted by simple remarks on their current situation, because nothing was ever guaranteed the next moment. Similarly, wearing herself out on such thoughts would never do herself justice either.

A gust of cold wind blew, causing Sakura to sneeze before she tightened the third layer of sweater around her. Perhaps she should advice the medics to serve all remaining patients with warm drinks in order to avoid catching cold that may worsen their recovering state.

“Sakura?” Came a voice that emerged from somewhere between the trees, revealing Sasuke as he walked out of its shadow and met Sakura’s eyes.

Shock was evident on her features but it immediately was substituted by a smile not long after. “Sasuke.” She greeted shortly. “I had just completed my task and thought that I might as well as stroll around for a bit.” Sakura settled upon the vague remark, truthfully not knowing the suitable time nor place for both of them to inspect the enemy’s weapons as promised – given the chance that the prince was still holding onto the same offer from last night, of course.

Sasuke nodded, hesitated for the slightest bit before joining Sakura’s side. Sensing something amiss as they continued their pace forward through the unlikely tensed look on the prince’s face and along with the deafening silence, Sakura decided to be the one to break into a conversation this time. She spent a few thoughtful seconds of thinking out of a suitable question as a start but eventually went for the most straightforward one instead.

“Is everything alright, Sasuke?” Though the plain answer was laid before her eyes through the apparent appearance of someone that was lacking of sleep from Sasuke’s face and posture.

The same hesitation appeared on his face and Sakura wondered if it was right for her to simply jump into a rather direct question. Upon Sasuke’s sigh, Sakura was ready to dismiss her own query but Sasuke beat her to it, seemingly coming into acceptance of the said doubt.

“There was another attack last night.” He paused out of unintentional effect. “It was near the borders of Senju.”

Sakura’s eyes went momentarily emotionless upon the news but yet, she steeled herself to know and accept the painful truth. “The casualty count, was it great?”

To that, Sasuke shook his head, eyes still studying Sakura’s facial emotions. “There was a total of ten dead bodies found and an assortment of different weapons attached to them. Two of them were our men while the remaining ones were,” He trailed off a little and this time, Sakura finished his sentence knowingly.

“Senju’s men.” Her voice was nearly a whisper as the breeze picked up its pace around them once more, but Sakura’s concern was nowhere near her dropping temperature. Instead of dwelling herself into the growing anxiety of her heart, Sakura chose to stand strong this time. “Were the cause of their deaths confirmed?”

“Not yet. Sai and Jugo were still in the midst of reconstructing the damaged retaining walls alongside their groups. Hence those fallen soldiers were only grouped up near the camp checkpoint.” Sasuke relayed.

Their steps came to a stop, Sakura being the first to do so. “Sasuke, would it be alright if I take a look at them?” Her words sounded bold but it was not without the balancing reasons that followed. “I can determine their cause of deaths for your records, and their identities included if needed.”

“Sakura, you don’t have to force yourself through this.”

“It’s fine.” She intercepted Sasuke’s protest, her eyes now alight with determination. “If someone I know are – were – among them, the least I could do is to face their deaths. Running away from the truth would only do more damage to oneself and I can assure you that all I ever need was a look at their faces, not more.”

Sasuke stood right in front of Sakura and gave her face a closer look, as if to gain access through the truths behind her strong façade. Though he was only met with one that reflected her own words.

“Are you sure about this?” He was not there to doubt her strength, but rather, a sense of consideration that he hoped to be able to protect her in a way.

Sakura nodded firmly at that.

The two came across Jugo at first once they arrived the inspecting compound, where the general only offered a hesitant nod towards them without exchanging a word. Sakura had maintained her hooded exterior as she walked alongside Sasuke in a brisk pace, figured that it was better off hiding her striking hair colour in the plain sight of the day under an undistinguishable black mantle amongst the patrolling soldiers. Safe for the medics, who constantly donned a lighter shade of attire in order to ease classification during emergencies.

There were light chatters in the air as Sasuke and Sakura arrived the scene, and along with that the foul smell of rotting bodies that lied not far from the identification camp but her mind was too distracted with the thundering sound of her heart upon the person – or corpse – that she would have to identify as her people. Upon nearing Sai and his men, whom he later dismissed into their next tasks, the general appeared to be utterly surprised by Sakura’s presence at the most unlikely part of the camp due to her medic nature as he passed a nod towards Sasuke. Her worry must had been evident enough on her features as accessed by Sai’s watchful gaze, for his stare stayed on Sakura’s troubled ones.

“What are you doing here?” He asked her in a direct manner, partially ignoring the prince while doing so.

Sasuke had instead stepped in to answer on behalf of Sakura before she could respond. “She is here to access the situation.”

Sai shifted his gaze to meet Sasuke’s. “Did she know who was involved?”

“Of course she was informed beforehand.” Sasuke answered, countering the guardedness in Sai’s voice with a tinge of annoyance in his tone.

“And yet she was still brought here to witness all this?”

There was a short electrifying pause in the air as Sakura continued to study their interactions cautiously, noting the word plays behind hidden meanings that had not caused her too long of a time to figure upon despite sounding rather confusing. Perhaps, allowing the exchange to continue could help her in determining those unanswered questions.

“I don’t see where this matter is in your range of concern.” Came Sasuke’s cold answer that triggered Sakura into a shocked stare before turning back to Sai upon speaking once more.

“Well, I don’t see the logic behind dragging her into a matter of her close relation, your highness.” At this state, the title sounded spiteful coming from Sai as the stare between the two turned into fierce glares.

Playing by the same fire, Sasuke held onto the title upon his next reply. “It is certainly not something for you to decide.”

Within that short moment, Sakura was able to settle upon the needed conclusion to the uncertainties she had earlier. Sai, still maintaining his mysterious identity since the beginning, was trying to reason out Sasuke’s need in bringing her into registering the deaths of the Senju men and deemed the matter to be too personal for Sakura’s own involvement. Sasuke, on the other hand, found it unacceptable for the general to have questioned his decision of having Sakura’s request answered despite the risk of hurting the medic’s emotion in the process. Though Sakura could not find it in herself to stand on either side of the raging war of glares and words between the two at this point.

“Stop it.” She almost snapped upon breaking up a possible confrontation between the two. “Stubbornly trying to prove the other your point of stance would never shift the current situation into a better light, hence I suggest both of you to drop it aside and instead deal with it on the basis of a common ground without any more arguments. Also,” Sakura paused for a while and cast the other two a critical stare regardless of their evident defensive looks. “Please do include me in your conversation instead of making references as if I am at the other side of the camp and not here.”

Sasuke and Sai continued to engage themselves in silence as Sakura continued. “Dealing with this situation right here, right now, would be my ultimate answer and my own decision since the start.” She casted the prince a quick look before passing the same towards Sai. “It might as well as serve as my first attempt in being capable of uncovering the truth without being hidden or filtered away from it. And whatever the consequences that may come from this decision of mine, I would gladly carry it on my own shoulders while maintaining a strong exterior for the sake of those who needs my help. I will not let this affect my judgement or task. I swear to it.”

As her words echoed, Sakura had since come to a realisation that her emotional breakdowns were overdue from being tamed away from the surface. Of course she knew that these crucial moments were needed as a venting means to her built up work stress and emotional fatigue but displaying it on a constant period was utterly undesirable to herself as well. Having those weak moments meant that she would need to stand up stronger once that phase was over and now was more than the perfect timing of rising above those breakdowns into displaying the durability that she had practiced for so long.

Without further ado, Sai led both Sakura and Sasuke towards the tents that contained the corpses where a few soldiers were seen to be still rearranging the bodies next to one another while clad in their grim expressions. As they came into view, those men were cautious enough as to conceal the expected surprise upon Sakura’s presence alongside their prince and general, but eventually nodded at their superiors in respective acknowledgement before heading off. Out of practice, Sakura pulled up her borrowed scarf to cover the lower part of her face as her eyes swept across the area in a rough count of human casualties in her head. Turning to her side in an attempt of gaining her permit in gaining a closer look of the corpses, she took notice that both Sasuke and Sai were masking their faces as well without her reciting the hygienic reasoning behind such action. Sai then left the two in an excuse of monitoring his men over the defensive setups at the vulnerable site and stated that he will be joining them in the next hour.

Sakura paused her steps upon standing before a row of lying men who still had their helmets on. Their armour a clear sign that they belonged to Senju but she pushed the concern to the furthest part of her mind at the moment. Though before she could figure out the safest way to access the bodies without being contaminated by a possible sickness or hidden poisons through contact, Sasuke offered Sakura another pair of gloves similar to his. It took her a few numbing seconds to register the action and finally thanked him in return. The process that came next were done in an equally swift and effortless manner as Sasuke took charge of removing each helmet from its owner while Sakura did the basic forensics procedure in determining the cause of death.

It took an immense amount of courage just to register the identity of the fallen bodies and each time, she only prayed that it was someone she had not known. Much to her relief, none of the total of eight men were among the list of comrades she kept close to her heart and yet was still frustrated by the loss of lives at the same time. Sakura concluded that none of those men had died of poison related complications and instead had succumbed to deaths upon severe strikes on crucial body parts. She too had checked for any abnormal symptoms on their features and skin in her attempt of detecting the presence of unlikely diseases, though gratefully found none. Hence, there was no extra precautions needed to be done on them.

Sakura stayed crouched next to the last man while pulling up his sleeves to investigate the sword slash that ran through the length of his arm when her eyes caught up with something unnatural at the man’s upper arm. Curiosity begged to be released as she continued to pull the sleeve further up and note the clear inked tattoo that resembled a familiar symbol. Senju soldiers were never known to have owned them despite joining the army from a certain age. There was no known reason for the Uchiha soldiers to have done so as well for as far as she had observed. Which only brought back the possibility of another identity that belonged to the unknown man. She stared at the symbol for a while more as another thought kicked in and rushed through her mind as sharp as a polished knife when her head had received a harsh impact upon a boulder; the fateful day that had led her here.

“Sasuke.” She turned towards the prince and he rushed to her side in a heartbeat, face tugged in a twisted sense of concern and worry. “Do you remember this?” For some reason, she was confident that he could understand her words without a need of further elaboration. She recalled the second meeting with Sasuke that dated years ago, where he was pursued by those in disguise of his kingdom’s men except for the strange symbol that was carved upon their weapons despite small.

Sasuke closed in and took a better view of the symbol, his expression shifted into a much darker look the moment after and that simply confirmed Sakura’s hunch over the same matter. It was undoubtedly related to the same hidden enemy of Uchiha, or even to both neighbouring kingdoms, if judged through a deeper possibility. And if that case was proven to be their current situation, then the said enemy may have taken a sturdy root amongst the Senju and Uchiha’s lines of war. Though through logical thinking, the enemy have yet had the guts of showing up in public, which only meant that their numbers had still fell short in comparison to the army forces that would answer their calls of rebellion. If that deemed to be true, then all hope was not lost.

“It belonged to your pursuers back then.” Sakura noted in a voice close to whisper as the two stood up straight, out of the security of only having Sasuke hearing her statement.

“And one that belonged to Kabuto’s men as well.” Sasuke replied using the same tone.

To that, Sakura turned in widened eyes towards Sasuke as he only passed her a look of irritation to the unveiled truth. She had always thought that Kabuto was only ruthless to outsiders like her, though she was clearly wrong about that. It seemed that the enemy had been lurking near her the whole time and a part of Sakura was angry at her ignorance upon the obviousness.

“Their weapons could confirm that and there should be clues there as well.” Sakura overcame her anger with a possible advanced step into which Sasuke nodded in agreement.

They wasted no time in hasting their steps towards the tent that stored the confiscated weapon, all ready to be inspected closely through the means of their shared minds.

Chapter Text

Unveil

Something about its intricacy screamed for authority and that alone acted as a sign for a closer investigation.

Scattered weapons had first greeted their eyes once Sasuke and Sakura came to yet another secluded tent. As opposed to the prior that held corpses as its occupants as well as providing an easier access for the medics to carry out identification tasks, their current one required them to travel a bit farther from the site of the attacked border and deeper into the woods. The light intensity of the sun had decreased steadily by the layers of leaves from the shading tall trees, reducing the growing afternoon heat in each passing step throughout their journey there. A layer of cold mist was still present in the air, though the sun had provided an ideal warmth to carry out various daily activities.

Silence was easily permitted as much as privacy was appreciated while they dig deep into each and every weapon for hidden clues of their owner’s intelligence. There were a number of broken wooden bows with their complementary metal arrows on the far left of the table, while the swords began from the middle part and throughout the end of the row. All weapons were considered to be in carriable sizes where most of them were collapsible or could even be easily hidden in any part of their armours or boots as a source of emergency alternatives. The bows and arrows held no significant need for further investigation as they were proven to be similar to their typical counterparts after a closer look. There was not even a sign of poison being laced on the tip of the arrow nor had it made out of any unusual design. Its plainness would lead them to nowhere and Sakura sighed internally over the lack of clue before she started for the next set of weapons, the blades.

A soft yet distinguishable sound of footsteps approached them and Sai was careful to make his presence known by the other two tent occupants through a brief greeting. He relayed that all the attackers were captured as their weapons were completely confiscated from their hands. Throughout their search, Sai and his men had found no suspicious possessions and decided to leave them to the guarding soldiers’ disposal after a close interrogation led by him. Sakura had listened to Sasuke and Sai’s exchange from the side lines as she continued to busy herself with her own observation. There were a few times when Sakura cast the two worried glances as she was reminded of their earlier clash of words but was proven to bear false concern when they appeared to have sorted their difference for the time being.

Pulling herself back to her main focus, Sakura continued through the range of daggers and swords displayed on the table as her eyes scrutinised upon each weapon she held in hand. All the swords had a resembling style to one another, a wooden handle carved in a basic yet insignificant pattern that clinched on a piece of metal too brittle to be relied as a good offensive means in battles. It could be a case of hasty mass production where the steels were not heat treated properly before it was completed for use. With that being noticed, Sakura caught a clump of broken sword and dagger tips at a corner of the tent. Those pieces were not to be disposed right away for she recalled seeing those who were left with nothing as the aftermath of a battle would often hunt for them to be sold away or even have it transformed into a usable weapon. Sakura wondered if the same was to be done in this kingdom though instead of selling it away, there were potential blacksmiths amongst the army that could produce sturdier weapons instead. The Uchiha Kingdom was after all known for its strength in weaponry as much as their fatal skills.

One of the men approached the tent opening with a respectful greeting towards Sasuke and Sai while offering Sakura the slightest nod of acknowledgement before proceeding to carry the metal pile away, as assisted by a man younger and smaller than the first soldier. The younger soldier appeared to be nervous around his superiors and was frantically carrying the cloth-secured metal pile out of the tent when he knocked over the table and cause some of the swords to slip from its surface. Sakura was alert enough to take two steps away from where they fall and thus turning towards the guilt-stricken man who was apologising to both Sasuke and Sai due to his carelessness. The prince had plainly ignored him while Sai dismissed him with a wave of his hand with a supressed sigh. Sasuke made no time in crossing over to where Sakura stood to check if she was alright, into which she shook her head in assurance towards the two.

The practically set-up tent had shared the mountainous earth’s rocky floor, hence causing quite some noise when the metal edge of the swords came to a collision with the buried boulders. From that small-ranged chaos that disturbed the silence, there were a few cracks heard as well, which was undoubtedly contributed by the swords’ hilts. Without another linger on uncertainty, Sakura bent over to pick up the swords while being careful of not contacting the edge or any suspicious parts of the weapon. True to her prior hearing, some of the hilts were loosened after the fall and she removed them to another part of floor to be investigated later. She could not be sure of what to expect from these weapons but there was no space nor time for a careless mistake. The signs may be hidden in the most intricate parts of these possessions and ignoring something due to its broken state was simply unacceptable.

Finally wrapping up the task with the swift help from Sasuke and Sai, Sakura came across the final two swords that had tumbled beneath the table. She was first amazed by its undeniably sturdy state despite the countless attacking slashes seen on its sheath as well as the larger design of its hilts. In comparison to the dull and darkened colours of its broken counterparts, these two still gleamed under the filtered sunlight and she cannot help but to think of the difference in its raw materials when producing these swords. Even without any further explanations from Sai, she could accurately guessed that they belonged to the deceased captain of the attackers. Something about its intricacy screamed for authority and that alone acted as a sign for a closer investigation.

Bearing the thought in mind, Sakura picked up both swords and was suddenly surprised by the soft rattling sound upon the motion. She stopped short and brought the sword in line as her ears before shaking it slowly in order to confirm the former sensation. Catching Sakura’s focused gaze upon the sword, Sasuke once again made his way to her side right after dealing with the other pieces of broken metal bits.

As if reading the query in Sasuke’s mind, Sakura turned to him, still engaged in a serious expression. “Something is loosened from the fall.” Sakura placed the first sword on the table and leant closer to listen for the rattling sound of the second one as she shook it near its hilt. “The same goes to this one.”

“What are your thoughts?” Sasuke spoke up not too long after, his eyes went for Sakura’s and continued to hold her gaze.

“These two were obviously different from the others in terms of materials and strength. The design itself gave that away.” Sakura allowed some moments of ponder as the prince and the general inspected the sword, with the second one still in her hand for close observation. “Could belong to someone of a higher hierarchy amongst the attackers. A leader or a right-hand man, perhaps.”

Sai changed his focus from the swords to Sakura upon her deduction. “Precisely. Both men attempted to end their own lives upon realising their defeat but was stopped in the nick of time. Both were held under tight surveillance after their refusal to utter a word.”

Sakura almost shrugged at the report. It was natural for those loyal to their master to think of themselves as a disposable life force once retained by the enemy. Given the right chance, those men would truly go as far as jumping from the steep cliffs just to kill themselves before they were tortured into betraying their cause. It must have been a common passed understanding since Sai had taken the approach of interrogating those men first-hand before deciding to leave them to the prince’s further actions. Offering them a chance of a freed life almost meant nothing in the war-torn world, she herself would have done the same in order to protect her country’s privacy. Hence Sakura had hardly expected a solution through one’s words. Dismissing herself from her thoughts, she continued her observation on the sword hilt.

Tracing the pattern carefully, she found a suspicious indentation near one of the concentric shapes and ran her thumb across the surface to feel it. If she was to scrutinise upon the indentation, Sakura could note the irregular slots that dotted around its circular shape. Worried that it might be a missing piece, she studied the other side of the hilt and found that the carvings were smooth and even. It was unlikely to be a missing piece nor was it a mistake made by the swordsmith.

“A key.” Sasuke spoke suddenly, putting the sword away and passed it over to Sai before he continued. “The slot must have been for a key that none of these men possess.”

“So there was indeed a hollow section hidden within the hilt?” Sakura replied as Sasuke nodded once. “But why would they hold onto something that they cannot access to?” She pondered out loud, only to be stopped short by herself right after. “Unless, these were not meant for their access since they were only the transporter all along.”

Sasuke gave a more sufficient nod this time. “That would be my guess as well, but there was no telling of its contents.” Both Sasuke and Sai appeared to be truly considering the whereabouts of the mysterious key when Sakura came out with a rather unthinkable solution.

“We could just break it apart.”

“Pardon?” Sai excused himself though Sakura only raised her eyebrows at him. “Perhaps we could trace the said key to unlock them or even faked one.”

Sakura shook her head. “The mechanism is far too intricate for it to be broken so easily. But I found a flaw to it.” She went back to the first sword which was now laid on the table and pointed on a slashed area near the bottom part of the hilt. “Some of the metal layers were easily gone by the slash, hence that had weakened the hilt’s structure for another round of brutal force upon it. While the keyhole, on the other hand, still stood through the attack without a hint of damage. This only meant that the swordsmith had placed more effort on the durability of the locking mechanism instead of the entirety of the hilt itself.” She paused and stood up straighter. “Which then justifies my suggestion of breaking it apart instead of focusing on the lock itself.”

Gaining unmoving stares from both Sasuke and Sai from her lengthy explanation caused her mind to reconsider her own statement and eventually turned the question back at them. “Unless there is a better solution to it of course, then that would be the best.”

Silence became a steady answer to Sakura’s victorious argument as she received an amused smile from Sai and an eventual nod of agreement from Sasuke.

“You are certain you can handle it?” Came Sai’s third query as Sakura swung the hilt mercilessly upon the sharp edge of a boulder at the deserted part of the campsite, having its sound echoed back to the mass graveyard for the fallen enemy that will further be incinerated.

Sasuke, on the other hand, kept a few steps’ distance from the two though his eyes had never left them. Calculating each word and every visible body language from his spot while trying to keep his head busy with the arrangements of his men. The enemy had undoubtedly still on the move since the attack on the castle, though if the recent one had promised a reliable clue on their plans through the suspicious hilt of the sword, then it was not quite a waste of time to scrutinise upon it at the moment. He would have easily volunteered to do the hard job on behalf of Sakura, but her persistence and along with Sai’s presence around them had him stopping short from speaking too much. There were still a few matters that caused him to keep his guard up against his former comrade since his return and Sasuke was nowhere near breaking them down just yet.

“You’re underestimating me, Sai.” Sakura changed her direction of polite dismissal into one of truth with a sense of jest. She raised the hilt nearer and studied the steadily widened opening of the hidden compartment. “I know what I’m doing as much as I’m capable of it.” Catching her breath through a deep inhale, she exhaled the exhaustion through her mouth. “And I would suggest you stand a little further from me to avoid the debris of the broken metal pieces.”

“As far as the prince?” Sai asked, steering their talks towards Sasuke smoothly. His face maintained its stoic appearance despite the attempt of shifting the air into a lighter tension.

Sakura broke away from her focused hard work and glanced over at the prince before giving Sai a nod. “As far as the prince.” She passed him a curious look while Sai replied with the unnatural rare tug of his lips.

“You will only tire yourself out, Sakura. Allow me to take your place.” He suggested once again, as if trying to outmatch her persistence.

“If I say that I needed these hard works for a change of pace in my routine, would you allow me to continue without any more distractions?” Sakura tried to conclude Sai’s borderline over-attentiveness, strange to have it coming from him today and she wondered why.

Quiet footsteps were heard in the midst of their conversation and the two finally turned to take notice of Sasuke’s approaching figure, his face void of any noticeable emotions. “Like spars?”

Sakura managed a distant smile before directing it towards Sasuke right after. “Something I missed, perhaps.”

Effortless than Sai’s attempt in prior, the air started to shift differently at the beginning of their conversation and Sai could only suppress shaking his head in amusement. Seemingly his increased talk with Sakura had truly drew the prince away from his solitude and eventually joining the conversation himself. If he was to pose such situation to his younger self, Sai would have never thought that there exists a day where the prince had allowed a display of his emotions rather directly to those he cared. Witnessing such change in him had aroused a sense of gratitude in Sai and he could only hope for the best outcome from the uncertainties of the war to both Sasuke and Sakura, regardless of the path they were destined to walk in the future.

Shaking her head a little over a small glimpse of her past memories, Sakura swung another powerful blow towards the hilt of the sword against the boulder and the hilt finally broke loose. The metal pieces shattered from the blade’s end, with the locking mechanism still intact despite having its security lost from its initial purpose. Along that came a small metal cannister rolling and finally came to a stop at the front of Sakura’s boots. She set the blade away and crouched to pick the intricate piece into her palm, scrutinising upon it before heading back to the tent for Sasuke and Sai to observe.

The cannister was lightweight in her hold and Sakura could not truly deduce its content right away. Turning towards Sasuke, she came to notice that the prince picked the canister and unscrewed the upper half of it, drawing Sai and Sakura towards him simultaneously to get a better look at it. There stood a scrolled parchment paper, the size hundreds of times smaller than the typical size, reduced to one that would fit its container.

“It is often used for delivering messages through carrier birds.” Sasuke briefly explained while pulling the scrolled parchment out with utmost care.

He then laid it on the table, holding both the top and bottom of the piece to avoid it from rolling back to its initial state. All three of them seized a closer look on the written marks on its surface though none could make out the meaning behind the unclear message from the note.

“Was it in the archaic language?”

“Some of the characters may appear to resemble them, but I highly doubt so.” Sakura countered Sai’s guest. “There seemed to be a few missing marks from those words as compared to the current conversed and written language.”

Once again, Sasuke picked up the parchment and looked on its surface from various angles with the help of the sunlight. Catching something peculiar in his eyes, he rubbed his thumb over the surface of the scroll a few times before coming to a more accurate deduction.

“Some parts of the surface are smoother. It could be tempered.”

“To hide the real message from possible trespassers. To hide it from us.” Sakura concluded, passing a serious gaze towards Sasuke. “The key alone had not secured their trust in passing these messages. And we just proved that to be true, at least. But I believe there is still a way to decipher these words.”

“Heat.” Sasuke spoke after a few seconds of pondering silence. “There is a mutual oath passed between fighters and warriors alike where they would throw their weapons into the open fire upon losing battles in a claim of ‘returning the metal to its origin’. It is a way of ensuring that the weapon would not end up succumbing the life of its owner in the hands of the enemy, as well as paralysing them from their use of it.” Sasuke relayed in an answer to Sakura’s confusion. “These men, for some reason, had refused to destroy their weapons into their own induced fires.”

Sakura pondered over the fact for a while. “Could it be the reason where they are afraid that it will burn their messages along with it?”

“I used to share the same thought, only to have it provoked at this very moment. Heat could undo their messages as much as it burns them. Though judging by this canister,” Sasuke picked up the metal container between his forefinger and thumb, “It is likely to survive the fire and thus, heating the scroll and unveiling the hidden messages meant to be passed to its receiver.”

“Invisible ink.” The prince gave Sakura a tentative nod upon her guest.

Since they were currently approaching the winter season, campfires were easily found from one occupied tent to another. But holding the hidden message close to the fire in public would draw unwelcomed attention as well as the risk of burning it by mistake. Sakura walked over to the entrance of the tent to observe their surrounding and was pleased by its maintained deserted state. She then turned back to the broken pieces of swords and grabbed the biggest chunk of a metallic hilt with a pair of forging tongs and went out to a dying campfire that was located just a few steps’ away. Sai overtook Sasuke in following the medic, possessing a similar sense of curiosity over Sakura’s action but just decided to observe it.

“Warn me if you see anyone approaching. I’ll need some time to get it heated.” She gestured towards the piece of metal in hand after conveying her message to Sai, whom was now right behind her. The general nodded in affirmation and guarded their way while Sasuke kept a close watch from the slits of the tent. A few minutes later, Sakura returned to the tent with the previous hilt reddened from heat. Once the metal was cooled from the furious colour, she laid it on the floor next to the table and turned his attention towards Sasuke before noting Sai’s return.

“Lay the parchment on the metal carefully and the invisibility may dissolve. Reading it too close to the fire was too risky.” She added the latter part in a quick explanation.

Doing as suggested, Sasuke held the paper steadily on the hot metal with the help of the thick layer of his hand glove and the three witnessed the appearance of the formerly missing strokes of a letter forming into coherent characters – a full moon symbol emerged on the crinkled surface of parchment, right next to an arrangement of numerals.

“This marks the time.” Sakura deduced after a split-second, brows already furrowed in deep thought. “For whatever it may mean.”

“Roughly a week from now.” Sasuke answers confidently before shooting a serious glance between Sakura and Sai.

Chapter Text

Exchange

Living all his life under the guise of a heartless monster, it was indeed his first to hear someone acknowledging the existence of his heart.

Sakura continued working around her usual schedule alongside Karin once she had returned to the medic camp. Though there were a steady decrease in the patients that were undergoing their treatments since the night of the attack, she managed to diligently keep herself occupied with the tedious task of preparing more medicinal supplies. The message written across the secret parchment became a constant motivation for her actions alone while attempting to conceal the series of overthinking thoughts that plagued her mind since Sasuke and Sai had left for further investigation on possible attacks.

It had been three days since then, with the two refusing Jugo and Suigetsu’s insistence in bringing more men with them for the secret mission. With that being said, the absence of both Sasuke and Sai were carefully covered with various patrolling duties on the soldier’s side, as commanded and observed closely by Jugo and Suigetsu. Karin had been equally tight-lipped regarding the said matter as well, channelling all her focus in aiding the medic camp instead of engaging herself in random talks with the other medics. Though that had not meant that Sakura’s unusual quietness had escaped the eyes of the three whenever they gathered on a break after a long exhausting day. Sakura would sometimes join in, though would mostly pass the break into doing something else.

It was on the very same night when Sakura had decided to clean the stained bandages of the few last discharged patients by the river not too far from the medical camp, accompanied by nothing but the light of the gibbous moon as the clouds parted into a clear sky. It was undeniably tricky to do such task at such times, but she thought that it better to leave the river free from contaminants during the day for drinking and cleaning purposes. It would be dangerous going there all alone, though she had quickly compromised the situation into hiding her plain presence from both the patrolling guards as well as lurking enemies within the boundaries.

The air had been still and silent when she had approached the side of the forest. Unlike the other nights from her observation, there was a lack of sound of the crickets or even the hooting of owls. Unsettled by the sudden unfamiliar darkness, Sakura comforted herself with the steady weight of a dagger hidden in her boots and the scalpel within the medicine pouch attached to her belt. Further concealing the possible sound of her footsteps, she chose a grass-carpeted path when accessing the river to fill the metal pail in hand with water. The weight of the filled pail would have easily caused one to grunt when carrying it back to their spot, though years of training prepared Sakura for most unbearable heaviness from those of her age or size. Successfully manoeuvring herself from the gravel floor by the riverbed, she continued a hastened speed backwards and decided to head back to the camp right away. Hence when a taller figure had emerged from the shadows right behind her, Sakura almost dropped the pail in shock with her other hand swiftly reached out for the scalpel on the pouch behind her.

“Sakura.” A familiar voice called out, in a tone only audible to both of them.

“Sasuke?” She replied, suddenly aware of the pail and noticed that he had indeed caught it when she had thought to have dropped it. Freeing her hand from the hold on the scalpel and reaching out the other to retake the pail, Sasuke had in return volunteered to carry it for her. “You have returned.” She noted, trying to settle upon the new reality of his sudden presence.

“Just recently.” He replied in a neutral tone still, despite the obvious signs of shock from Sakura.

She allowed a few passing moments of walking through the forest to recollect her nerves and coherent thoughts. “Have you relayed to the others on your findings or incoming actions that should be taken next?” Her face was once again painted by pure concern, similar to the one he recalled when he had left for the mission.

“No.” There was a pause in between, causing confusion to enter Sakura’s busy state of mind. “You are the first person I had contacted since my return.” Sasuke stated it almost too bluntly.

Sakura looked around and note her surroundings. It was to her utmost assurance that she was nowhere near a crucial border to have Sasuke entering the camp and pass through this point of the river. But then again, her restless mind may have gone into another fit of overthinking matters and it would only deem better for her to have the prince stating out his true reasons instead of guessing it by herself.

“Do you intend to come across someone here, then?” She queried, fully conscious of her twisted luck of coincidentally coming across clashed moments.

“Yes, and I have met you.” Again, the prince’s bluntness would only made it impossible for him to hide his gratitude of seeing her well since he was gone. Before Sakura could reply, or rather struggle for one, Sasuke continued to relay his observation from the past few days to her. “A villager’s town was held captive by men that bear the same tattoo as the corpses; the Akatsuki.” It took some time of digging in ascertaining the group that had been posing threats and sneak attacks to both kingdoms after years of living in their shadows of almost inexistence.

“Akatsuki?” Sakura asked in a worried voice as her mind recalled the name she came across from previous records. “I thought their forces and attempts were long diminished since the war that divided the nations for almost a century ago.” Each piece written on their behalf was nearly assumed to be pieces of old myths, even.

“Perhaps that was what they want the world to believe; that they were no longer exist and what more of holding the capability of ruining the ties between the dividing nations and kingdoms by drawing out the bad blood they have on one another.” The prince inputted.

“And building an immense empire from the remaining pieces of civil wars.” Sakura heaved a low sigh. “There would be no effective warning if nobody believed that it was the actions of a mythic force.”

Sasuke halted his steps for the slightest moment, causing Sakura to turn and cast a look on him. “But you believed it despite sounding borderline absurd when it was first spoken out?”

His inquiry sounded similar to his brother’s counterpart, though it was understandable coming from those who took on other’s trust seriously. He had never doubted Sakura’s genuineness, though there would always be a part of him that wondered if she had ever fallen prey to her own kindness in the case where her trust was betrayed. Often had he pondered if she ever regretted listening or even trusting his words while plagued with a constant worry of himself causing unintentional harm to her in the near future out of such consequences.

As if sensing his troubled mind, Sakura smiled in return. “I do.”

The flicker of light and distorted shadows that came their way caused their focus to break away from one another. Switching into their defensive side, their walls were once again knocked off by the familiar sound of chatters and emerging figures between the tree trunks. Sasuke and Sakura had simultaneously released a suppressed sigh as Karin and the usual group approached them verbally by calling out Sakura before bearing the same shocked expression of seeing Sasuke with her. The prince only offered a civil nod towards the group before leading them towards the camp wordlessly.

It was sometime past midnight when they arrived the secured interior of the camp, with the group parted their ways from Sasuke and Sakura into joining a brief meeting commenced by Sai after the prince excused themselves for his injury treatment. Upon hearing the need for a separate treatment had once again drawn worry lines across Sakura’s brows. Out of her trained nature, she had been observing the movements of those around her in discerning possible injuries in each individual, though there were no such visible signs coming from Sasuke. Unless the creeping exhaustion in her had begun to deteriorate her sharp senses in these late hours. Hence, the pondering thoughts had caused Sakura to be silent throughout their way into one of the vacant medic tents fit for two to three occupants.

“Is everything alright?” Sasuke induced shock to Sakura by voicing out the echoing question that was playing in her mind.

She stopped her automated tracks from retrieving the medical supplies to stare at Sasuke for a while in confusion before blinking away from its incoming intensity. “No, I’m fine.” She paused and returned another look towards him out of genuine concern. “Are you, though? Are there any injuries that need immediate attention?”

Sasuke only shook his head in reply. “Nothing major.” Came an added remark that was as close as a way of telling Sakura to cease her worries.

Unconvinced by his claim, Sasuke proceeded with pulling up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal the scratches he obtained by the blades’ edge. But true to his own words, none appeared to be poisoned nor severe. Normal clean cuts from a surprised clash instead of the malicious attempts by what they could now piece out as the Akatsuki.

Involuntarily, Sakura heaved out a relieved sigh causing Sasuke to continue to note out her features in the hopes of catching the cause of her possibly troubled thoughts. Though the worried edges from earlier on were slowly fading, she seemed to still be distraught by other matters in her mind.

“Is there anything you want to tell me, Sasuke?” It was Sakura’s voice that broke the silence this time around and along with that, disrupted the prince’s reverie. She casted him a quick glance before working on the ointment that would help in speeding the recovery process of his cuts – the same as those that were distributed equally throughout the camp for one’s usage. Still deeming no direct reply from Sasuke, Sakura allowed the moment to settle into yet another one of quietness as she waited patiently for him to talk.

“Are the medicines’ production going on well?”

The question seemed to have caught Sakura off-guard as much as it did for Sasuke, but the two ended up only looking at one another in a lighter sense of confusion. She had not pictured him as someone who would induce a conversation that borderlines a small talk. But she only shrugged it off with firm nods, figured that it would be harmless to engage the mind with a ceasefire from an ongoing battle in reality.

“All is well. The medical supplies shall be sufficient to withstand possible attacks.” Sakura laid out the plain truth despite not wishing for something familiar to happen anytime soon.

She and Karin had taken the initiative to calculate the outcomes of different situations for the incoming attacks, hence some of the supplies were stored away from the medical camp and in a safe place only known to both of them. Karin had also spared a thought on relaying the basic healing knowledge to fellow soldiers in the case of emergency and accepted a few volunteers that were willing to help out the medics whenever human shortages occur. It was a sturdy start in Sakura’s opinion and she could not be any more grateful of the change of heart and attitude from both the soldiers and existing medics.

“Will they be able to manage the camp if they are left to their own devices?” He asks with a tone absent of doubt.

Tilting her head slightly to look out the opening of the tent, she managed to see the steady yet organised movements of medics and soldiers whom were currently discussing matters amongst themselves. Meanwhile another group nearby had busied themselves with minor follow-up treatments of a few previous patients.  There were hardly any hateful glares or piercing words traded between both sides despite the former common knowledge of them contrasted one another greatly at times. It appeared that they had worked out their differences to a state of tolerating each other.

Sakura returned to Sasuke’s question with a firm smile. “I believe so.”

True enough, everyone had come a long way in improving themselves for the sake of their home’s safety and hopefully, a remarkable beginning for others to carry on the same intention. Slim as it may be, she refused to allow such glimmer of spirited effort to be diminished by pessimistic people and their surroundings. And of course, she tried to convey the underlying meaning of her words to reach the prince in equal understanding.

Sasuke nodded, eyes casted in a similar direction as Sakura’s gaze. “I will be leaving the camp again.”

There was an expected short paused from Sakura as noted by Sasuke. Though unlike her previous replies of cluelessness to a similar matter, she decided to just go along with it. “When will that be?”

“Night time, tomorrow.” He answered without much of a delay.

‘Two days before the full moon.’ Sakura noted in her head, trying her best to multitask as her mind reminisced on the time written on the discovered note. It would deem better for the prince and his team to ready themselves before the supposed date. In fact, the earlier they settled on site, the better they could grasp upon their surroundings. Though with that came the risk of exposure from the enemy’s side, as well as a consideration on the part where there may exist spies amongst the soldiers.

Her reverie was short-lived when Sasuke spoke again.

“Would you come along?” Sakura’s attention was completely tugged away from the bandage she was working on as she turned to look at the prince right on his eyes.

Surprise had easily written across her features but Sakura was quick to register the most crucial concerns that should be taken into considerations before coming up with an answer to the prince’s question. It would have been a simpler decision if all matters were to be excluded from her range of thoughts though that situation was close to nonexistence for everything was interrelated to one another since the beginning. But if she was to scrutinise upon the camp’s current progress, nothing aroused a sense of suspicions so far. Not to mention that her trust upon the camp’s residents upon Sasuke’s prior question had been the confirmation that she needed all along.

Uncertainty hung in the air once Sakura figured that Sasuke had asked her to go with him without giving a rather practical reason, or perhaps one that she could think of.

“Yes.” She replied through the dense air and amidst the stare that refused to waver since their eyes met, one that endured throughout Sakura’s long ponder. “I will be glad to help wherever I am capable of.” Sakura added with a clear sense of determination in her voice.

Sasuke acknowledged Sakura’s answer with a nod as she completed sealing the bandage and left her seat to clean the counter from the unused tools. She turned her head towards Sasuke out of curiosity and true to her thoughts, the prince appeared to be nowhere near retiring for the night. Sakura had thought of leaving the tent as soon as she was done treating Sasuke, though meeting his troubled expression had alerted her into abandoning her previous plan.

“Is there something bothering you, Sasuke?”

The prince’s eyes shifted to meet Sakura’s concern features immediately as if triggered by her ease of reading the air around him, though relaxed a little and pondered on the right words for a reply. He was known to conceal any discerned feelings or thoughts all to himself, or occasionally, sought his brother for a brief exchange. Instead of feeling on edge upon Sakura’s glimpse of what was known as a vulnerability to Sasuke, he was compelled to speak out what was truly running in his head.

“Would you be affected by others’ beliefs on the person you trust?” He asked vaguely, prompting Sakura to furrow her brows slightly and settled back on the stool opposite to his.

Sakura appeared thoughtful for a moment. “What made you consider those beliefs in the first place?”

“Contradictions.” Sasuke stated simply, before providing a small elaboration for the single word alone. “Those that I began to note with my own eyes and judgement instead of a prolonged rumour.”

Taking in his words, Sakura gave another thought on it through her own eyes and came to a quick realisation that she had been exposed to countless of contradictions since waking up on the other side of her homeland. What had once taken root in her mind upon the tales that centred about this kingdom had slowly but surely shattered by the truths that appeared to be unknown to most. Despite that, still, she bore a strong sense of belief towards the comrades that were dear to her heart. Her hopes may have been broken into fragments that were stitched repeatedly over time, but her trust was still unwavering to those she called family.

Taking into account of that single word alone triggered Sakura’s mind into adapting everything into Sasuke’s point of view and was instantly reminded of the literal contradictions they had in their lives.

“Sakura?” His voice had awakened her from the intrusion known to be her endless thoughts, causing her to blush a little over the partially ignored question.

“I am sorry.” She muttered a short apology before continuing it with a firm answer. “Those revelations would not cause my belief to waver.”

This seemed to catch the prince’s attention slightly more as his prior unfocused eyes went back to meet hers. “What if there ever existed a reason to cast doubts upon them?”

Sakura gave him a nod. “There is always a different side of the story unknown to us and I deem it unwise to assume what we know and believe is the sole truth.” Sakura paused for the slightest moments. “Often had we presented by choices where we would settle upon a certain preference over the other, and that was where paths divert. One could make a choice that benefits the greater good but there is no such thing as the perfect choice.”

“Even if that person turned out to be evil?” Sasuke abandoned the precarious mask, opting for a rather direct approach.

That caused Sakura to be silent for a moment, the focus in her eyes shifting to the flickering candlelight. “Is there really anything that is safely excluded from what we defined as ‘evil’? We get to make choices and execute actions that would help us achieve a goal we see as fit. And as per human nature, there are those who agrees and disagrees regardless of the said aim.” She rested her elbow on the side of the wooden counter as her thoughts now flashed confidence through her eyes. “You could be sacrificing your life to save someone and still have them look at you as a murderer.”

Another fleeting moment settled between them but Sakura welcomed it with an eventual answer to Sasuke’s prior answer. “If the person that I trust turned out to be evil someday,” she paused for a while, her mind dived into the sea of possibilities once more and returned with a heavily deflected thought that centred on the prince as she tried to continue her words, “I would still hold onto my faith towards them.”

“You will only end up hurting yourself that way.” Sasuke had unknowingly reach to an understanding near Sakura, for the discussion had seemed to shift into one that discuss the outcome of his dark future. There was no need for him to be disillusioned by the thought of hurting another person other than his brother at the moment.

“Don’t be surprised, but I tend to be stubborn in these matters, Sasuke. And with that being said,” her smile was small but certain, despite the hopelessness that lingered in the air. “I would choose to trust them regardless of the rumours nor the fate that could befall upon them along the way.”

Catching her stare while he was unguarded, Sasuke replied her with an equally mysterious yet rare counterpart of a smile. Hearing her proclaimed stubbornness had caused a part of him to be relieved and at the same time, marking the beginning of an unnecessary worry towards Sakura.

“If things still appear to be uncertain in your eyes and judgement could not be met in yourself,” Sakura paused and continued once he returned her gaze, “trust your instincts, Sasuke. Trust your heart.”

Stunned by her latest statement, the prince only managed to maintain the unmoving stare while Sakura’s smile grew. Living all his life under the guise of a heartless monster, it was indeed his first to hear someone acknowledging the existence of his heart.

“Get sufficient rest, Sasuke.” Sakura got up from her seat and diminished the candle before heading out the medical tent.

Sasuke raised to his feet in an instance as well though his quick hesitation managed to stop himself from reaching for her hand out of impulse. Seemingly catching the prince’s unmoving stance from behind her, Sakura wanted to turn to him and ask but was stopped abruptly when Sasuke emerged next to her.

“You too.”

The two then walked along the same pathway before breaking apart to different sides of the camp for the rest of the night and met again in the near dawn.

Chapter Text

Conflict

It was almost ironic how she had wished to help him in seeking for hope while hers was gambled away without much of a thought.

There was a synchronous rhythm to the chaotic movements around the hidden campsite since their arrival a few days prior. Laced by silence and darkness had enabled the army to carry on their mission almost effortlessly. Over the philosophy of ‘divide and conquer’, the attacking forces and its saviour counterpart were separated to further facilitate the extracted villagers, leading to an almost detached communication between the two groups safe for their representatives when exchanging crucial updates from time to time. Hence the day of the full moon sent an unsettling air in its surroundings, despite receiving close to no news from the army’s side. And that included those of the prince.

Sakura’s reactions to each and every patient went from borderline warm to almost mechanically perfect in between the processes, unknowingly becoming silent in each passing hour as her mind was divided equally on the precision of treatments and the growing worry towards the crucial mission carried out by Sasuke. There were a few times when she distracted herself with the random antics of children that played around, free from all known troubles of the world and only pinpointed their attention to the details of its beauty instead.

Taking a deep breath to herself, Sakura allowed her sight to bask in the medical camp right after the last patient had left the treating station. Unlike the hostility she received from the previous campsites, the villagers here were hardly on edge or bear hatred towards those they had not recognise as one of their own. Amidst the fear, there were still hopeful smiles in each interaction and that alone managed to lift Sakura’s emotion for a little. Those directed here were mostly women, children and elderly civilians while men were said to have been taken by the raiders as an unwilling addition to their striking forces. Those who were saved had hardly suffered serious injuries, which caused Sakura to conclude the raider’s desperation in maintaining a steady growth of an army rather than terrorising them with their known ability.

Though those peaceful moments were cruelly stolen by hollers and a loud explosion from somewhere not too far from the camp, blowing a gust of rushed wind to its surroundings and further rattled the camp’s tense fabric threateningly. Mothers began to hush their children from their shocked whimpers while Sakura scrambled to the closest tent opening to catch a glimpse on the beginning of a fire from the said distance. Soft murmurs filled in next but Sakura’s hearing was still trapped in the repeating cycle of the explosion sound and the endless possibilities on the outcome of the pinnacle of the full moon battle. Desperately shoving away all worries that managed to resurface on her features, she tried to get pass the sound that echoed in her mind and instead focused on the words shouted slightly before.

“Long live the king.”

Now certain of the phrase, it was not too hard to match its purpose to those of a dying loyal soldier where it all led back to Sasuke’s team without anyone confirming nor opposing it. As much as it mirrored Sakura’s closest guess, that much was logical and all hopes of shaking off the suffocating fear on one’s safety had seemed impossible to her at the moment.

Once again, the air was disrupted by another noise, acknowledged by the marching feet of an incoming army. The remaining patrolling soldiers were drawn to their highest of alerts only to relax upon the sight of their prince, whom bore an obvious parallel sight to the guarded medics. Sasuke was coated in a layer of blood, with its crimson shade glowing eerily against the reflection of fire torches against his metallic armour. Sakura held her breath since, her view partially torn between the prince and the harshly dismissed medics that aimed to help with his injuries. Karin had emerged from the tent next, demanding Sasuke to be treated right away but was stoically ignored by him.

Understanding the dangerous mood from the prince’s obvious yet unspoken anger, the small crowd had effectively dispersed, leaving only his close known comrades around. Amidst Sakura’s stricken shock were the steady development of an argument over Karin’s apparent nagging concern on Sasuke’s refusal of an immediate treatment. Abandoning possibilities and only driven by her agitated feelings, Sakura proceeded her steps forward to approach the two, earning an almost relieved sigh from Karin. Sasuke, on the other hand, mustered an unsettling cold look towards her. It was one that carried no signs of shock but wariness upon her presence, almost as if she was of no significance in his eyes. And worse yet, Sakura could not tell if it was the mask he armed for battles or a true impression directed towards her at the moment.

No words were exchanged between the two and yet it felt as if there was a sturdy wall that separated them in just a blink of an eye. Sakura was hit by a wave of indescribable pain across her chest though she decided to not succumb to it and allow her display of emotions to run free as it previously did. Mustering up a grim expression of her own, she hardened her soul temporarily for a quick talk to help with the least attempt of shaking him out of his raged carelessness.

“Sasuke, your injuries require attention.” Her eyes pleaded upon contacting his cold counterpart before they settled on the multiple slash traces throughout his armour, particularly the one across his upper body. The immediate reply was none other than sheer silence, though Sasuke had not turn or walk away when she continued briefly. “For the sake of yourself and others, you can’t fall now.” She tried again, relating his self-importance with his responsibilities to the people that relied their safety upon him in the hopes of winning over the stubborn yet sacrificial part of him.

“I know what I needed and none of it included help. I can manage my own.” He rejected briskly, looking away in a constant avoidance of her concerned gaze.

“You need to treat your injuries in time, Sasuke. You can’t do that on your own. It needs help.” She reasoned in an equally strong voice but was swiftly countered by Sasuke.

“Karin will help me. Would that suffice?” As if finalising the blow of the underlying meaning of his words, Sasuke dared himself to look right at Sakura.

It was clear to those who heard that he was refusing her aid in a rather harsh manner, drawing an equally startled stare from Karin, and Suigetsu’s approaching figure towards Sasuke. Something felt off, and yet there was nowhere near their right to question the actions of their prince.

Drawing a deep breath in reducing the effect of his words, Sakura gave a stiff nod in return. “Very well. Take care, Sasuke.”

Sakura chose the very next moment to leave the scene and return to the tent behind her, sparing no sign of a lingering exchange as she maintained her unbetraying posture for as far as the prince and his comrades could see.

Sai had been observing the exchange from a rather unobvious position nearby and only made his presence known once Sakura left, catching Sasuke’s stray stare at her retreating figure. The prince had then shifted his sight towards Sai, relaying the fact that he had noticed the other general’s stance amidst the shadows since the beginning. What was thrown back at the prince was an equally fierce glare from Sai before walking off towards the same direction as Sakura.

Sakura wasted no time lingering about to ponder on the growing thoughts and the aftermath of her own feelings after the unforeseen confrontation with Sasuke. Needless to say, she could not piece out any reason known to her to fit into the cold shoulder given by the prince since his return. There was, of course, the factor where he had discovered something rather crucial amidst the battle and catching the way of his reaction could only come to a conclusion the matter being tied to none other than her kingdom.

Taking another glance to ensure that the temporary infirmary was under control, she continued her pace past the campsite and into the dark forest. The path that led up to the river was no longer strange and dangerous despite covered by the shadows of the night, since she had taken a good measure of memorising its twists and turns while training her senses to the normal sounds emitted by her current surroundings. Different parts of the forest echoed different tunes of liveliness, where some may deem to be new to her in comparison to those of her home, the long period spent in Uchiha’s lands had accustomed her to the discovered differences.

Pacing into the forest in the middle of the night was never the brightest of ideas, but she had armed herself well since settling in the new campsite without disregarding the few medical supplies that could help her withstand possible attacks. It was in this very moment that she shared the thought where the most dangerous place proved to be the safest. She needed a quick escape from the peering eyes of friends and enemies alike, hence the darkness would complement well to the instance of peace that she instantly needed.

Unlike the day she had previously ran from the campsite in plain daylight, the weather was cooperating well despite the chilliness that came with the approaching winter season. Tuning her hearing to the occasional sounds of the nocturnal creatures, Sakura continued her walk forward and towards the steady trickling of a river. Out of a habit she picked up in the past few months, she neared the water to note its clearness while continuing a thorough observation along its banks. Sitting around to dwell upon the suffocating thoughts in her was out of the question, for it would only waste precious time not doing anything advantageous regardless of her feelings.

A small shift in the air was felt and Sakura had managed to hide herself amidst the gigantic trunks of the trees almost unnoticeably, only to be approached as easily by the person that followed her trail. The dagger in her boots was within her reach when she crouched into position but what caused her hand to loosen grip was the sight of Sai’s careful advance, as if trying to reverse her panic.

“It’s dangerous for you to be here around this time.” He began, his voice typically neutral.

Sakura took a quick glance towards the river absent-mindedly, bearing a look of indifference on her part. “It won’t be long. I believe I could manage. What are you doing here as well?” Her eyes were casted back to the other general.

“Trying to catch up in the hopes of being able to talk to you without other’s presence.” His straight-forward statement had caused Sakura to fully focus on him, though maintained a wordless reply in her slight surprise. “You should leave immediately, Sakura.”

Furrowing her brows openly, she probed an equally crucial question to his latest words. “What do you mean?”

“It would only be a short matter of time until a hunt was aimed towards Sasuke.” His features had morphed into one of seriousness. “There was a strong yet ongoing claim that the king was favoured over the prince as Uchiha’s ruler.”

“By who?”

“The men from the recent battle. I believe you could hear their last words.” Sai offered, connecting Sakura to the hollering voices that had yet to cease from her memory. “It wasn’t the first time this claim was heard. There was an undeviating stream of rumours, propaganda of sorts, perhaps, amongst the civilians that reside in the villages we passed. Though none were as insisting as this group of men.”

Sakura was silent throughout Sai’s explanation as her attention settled upon the river current that crashed against the unmoving boulders not too far away. As difficult as it was to accept, false news could travel in an equal measure as real ones. Once they achieved a significant number of audiences within a limited community, it would be just as good as believing the truth despite its accuracy. Separated villages were often an easy prey to countless propagandas and judging by the exaggerated extent of the outcome from tonight’s battle, the saved villagers that resided with them may be wary of their every move and action. She cannot help but wonder if the remaining men from this village would stand up against the prince as well.

“But they were no longer our source of worries because Sasuke had taken care of all of them by himself. The blood on his armour had mostly belonged to those slaughtered instead of his own. He had not received any severe injuries as suspected, Karin confirmed so.”

Sakura would have asked for Sai’s condition along with that, but seeing some parts of his arms and nowhere else with neat bandages had ceased her from asking.

She opted with a nod. “Good to see you are well, too.”

“Indeed.” He agreed, while a part of him were taken back to the days he had suffered worse and almost lost his life to it for that was the very same day as when he and Sakura had first met amidst the uncertain state of the kingdom.

Sakura recalled Sai’s prior intention of speaking to her and had hence passed a challenging stare towards him in a quiet assessment of the direness in his statement. “And you are suggesting me to leave amidst this chaos?”

Refusing for a retreat, Sai maintained the eye contact. “There was no guarantee of being safe under Sasuke’s watch now.”

“And it has come to your assumption where I chose to stay in the hopes of burdening him in return of my own safety all along?” There was short pause in between. “I would’ve left when I had the chance to.”

“What’s stopping you then, Sakura?”

Her mind was sent to an overdrive for an acceptable reason over her own actions, one that was free from the complexity that has become the second nature to both her mind and feelings altogether. And since there was no lie that could unveil the truth that chose to remain hidden deep within herself, avoiding a direct confrontation to it would deem wiser.

As an individual that cared for the wellbeing of those around her, the same emotion had eventually displayed towards the cold-hearted prince. Though she had come to a harsh realisation that there was something else, something much deeper, that had rooted in her heart, admitting those would return no benefit at all if not revealing the naivety of herself. She had was not born into a world of peace and happy endings. Her feelings towards the prince would only end up wilting in the cruelness of the reality that ruled if she was to continue to hold onto it.

And yet, she could not truly diminish it regardless of what she did. There will always be a part of her that would feel for Sasuke and while that seemed to be immovable, she had clutched upon the faith of a better future for him. It was almost ironic how she had wished to help him in seeking for hope while hers was gambled away without much of a thought. Sakura was hopeless and it terrified her on how these tangled up emotions were out of her own control, how she was still somewhere in between thinking for Sasuke despite his cold shoulder that led to an aftermath of hurting herself from that. But she refused to force out a logical sense from all that. Walking down that path of thoughts would only make her loose her cool and it was the last thing she aimed to gain at the moment.

“Why had you been insisting on it when this appears to be opposing your stance for the kingdom you are defending, Sai? Who are you and why do you seem to know me when I know nothing about you in the first place? We never met.” Sakura shifted into a direct approach over the growing suspicion on the other’s identity.

The only thing that gave away his shock was the stare that never wavered before he blinked away. “That was none of your concern.”

“And my safety is yours?”

For the first time, anger flashed upon Sai’s features. His posture was tout in distress, as he struggled slightly in maintaining his neutral-clad expression.

“You should return while you can, Sakura. Because when hell breaks loose upon this built-up turmoil, nobody could truly foresee what awaits. Survival alone, would be scarce and from what I observe, neither you or the prince could be saved once the enemy land their eyes on you.

“Sasuke knows that and similarly, he is in a great denial upon the danger that lurks above his head out of stubbornness in the claims of loyalty towards his brother. There is no exclusion for underestimation upon this enemy, for it costs lives. No amount of grief or revenge could make up for the lives lost due to that. And I’d be damned if the both of you were sacrificed in my watch when I can actually do something to save you.”

One can only fake emotional words, but not the display of helplessness when it came to those they truly care about. And judging by the body language and his expressed thoughts, it became a plain prove that cancelled out Sakura’s suspicious possibility of him doubling as the enemy. There was no additional revelation in his statements and for that, Sakura truly saluted his skilfulness in relaying his intention without exposing his stance.

“Why are you doing this?” She finally asked, opting something vague for him to reply.

“For the sake of my own belief.” Though it was lacking of an obvious meaning, there seemed to be an unseen significance behind them.

Heavy rustling of leaves and footsteps from behind them had they shift their attentions immediately. “Sakura!” Suigetsu called out, dismissing the suspense in the air in an instance.

“What’s the matter, Suigetsu?” Sakura walked towards the man in the hopes of reading the panic written across his face.

“Karin. She needs your help.”

“Is she alright?”

He nodded frantically, and looked to his left-side, as if noticing another presence. “Sasuke.”

That had caused Sakura and Sai to share their line of sight towards the prince as he emerged from the shadows of the trees. Ignoring Sai’s presence, Sasuke had only met Sakura’s eyes though the contact had not lasted long once Suigetsu caught up with his breath.

“Karin is fine. One of the villagers is in labour and she needs your immediate help.”

Widening her eyes momentarily, Sakura urged Suigetsu ahead as the group rushed back to the camp.

Chapter Text

Faith

It was naivete of one’s mind to possess a thought of saving everyone from the cruelness of the world, but it had required wisdom to accept the undesirable truth and still maintain such resolve.

Sakura was welcomed by another familiar scene of chaos in the medic tent upon her arrival. Sasuke and the others had understandingly waited outside, which was then ushered from the main entrance by the medics in charge for the sake of steering a clear path for their assistants to fetch necessities to and from the tent. It did not take Sakura long to be caught up with the storm of humans as her gaze had quickly pinpointed upon Karin alongside an elderly woman, whom she recognised as the village’s midwife. There were not much of known medical advancements or facilities that could be extended to women in labour safe for the existing traditional means, and that alone could serve as an issue to her lack of experience on the matter.

Making a haste towards the group, she addressed both Karin and the midwife before asking to aid. “Have you handled it before?” The latter woman had asked Sakura.

“Assisted once but I barely understood all of its processes back then.” She answered swiftly, recalling a fading memory. “Please enlighten me on this matter.” Sakura gave a quick yet sincere bow of her head towards the woman into which she nodded in reply.

The midwife grunted a little after. “I may not be as efficient as I used to due to my age, hence I would need your help to carry on most of the processes involved.” She casted a look of seriousness towards Sakura and Karin. “The others will wait for the instructions of fetching necessary materials when needed.” With a similar authority in her gaze when it landed on the lingering medics, they agreed immediately.

“May this experience help you two in your future with children, as well.” The midwife added as an afterthought, there was no humour across her features safe for the slight crack of amusement in her voice.

Though the embarrassment on both Sakura and Karin’s side were saved by their pinpointed focus on the painful shrieks of the labouring woman instead.

The cries of a new born baby reverberated across the camp had marked the end of the labouring phase, as the mother was then neatly concealed in a bunch of comfortable clothes and blankets for further healing with her baby in her arms. Sakura and Karin received rounds of compliments from the midwife and the witnessing medics over their exceptional completion of the whole process, where the two exchanged joyful laughter upon the team’s success. The strain and tension resulted from the recent battle throughout the campsite had similarly lifted by the arrival of its new member, as villagers and soldiers alike passed one another smiles and well wishes.

It was deemed as a moment of temporary happiness all over, but despite its short-lived nature amidst the harsh reality, it served as an effective cure to the exhausted hearts where each bear a different kind of burden. The future has always been uncertain for there were no guarantees on the safety of oneself as much as those they desperately tried to shield from the unwanted truth that lingered. One could never decide or even foresee the conclusion of their life’s journey but instead of wallowing upon the inescapable thoughts of doom, embracing the remnants of happiness from each day and just be grateful of the time spent would be the only way of achieving life’s satisfaction.

The realisation had not been accepted by Sasuke at first, for the idea itself had sounded absurd to his sense. Though witnessing the shift of his surroundings while still trapped in an internal conflict of his own perceptions had admittedly trigger a change of his own view. There seemed to be a steady display of hope in every situation he felt himself drowning into. Several occasions would deem him as good as dead and yet, there was always hope and courage that enabled him to rise once again.

Sasuke would have died somewhere in the forest amidst a raging storm after receiving the severe setbacks of an ambush if it was not for Sakura’s aid. He felt indebted ever since and had placed the guilt of all of her complications behind the walls of his kingdom upon his shoulders. He could not offer her a full protection when he was the prince of the said kingdom and down to the very moment where his reputation was threatened to its fullest, still, there was nothing he could do to protect her as he wished to. Everything seemed to be futile now, for he was pushed into the same extent of danger as Sakura’s position. And once his title crumbled in the wake of a rebel against him, Sasuke would be an exact equal to an enemy in the eyes of his people.

Ever since his family’s massacre, Sasuke felt lost within himself. Unlike before, he was pushed against his own brother by the people he had fought to protect. He felt betrayed by his own ideals and soon after, it would take something less to finish himself off. But before that could happen, he vowed to send Sakura back to the safety of his kingdom. Hence, what was relayed to her by Sai was not an utterly false claim. Sasuke and Sai had talked about it a while back though clashed upon the latter’s claim where the prince should think of a way of saving himself when the worst twist came into reality. But he had ignored Sai’s remark and instead claimed to put Sakura as the top priority instead of scrutinising upon his own.

With mind still buried in countless of thoughts and left his heart to be in charge of the direction he took, Sasuke had found himself near the prior labour tent once more. With affirmative nods exchanged between the prince and a few patrolling guards, they had moved past to continue their watch on the surrounding area. There were audible murmurs upon his approach though he chose to not contact the occupants of the tent despite its exposed opening. The internal layout of the tent was divided into two – an infirmary for the mother and a nursery for the child.

Harmonising his dark attire to the shadows of his surroundings, Sasuke stilled in his steps upon catching sight of Sakura from within. The light-haired medic was seen reassuring the couple before leaving their sides to attend the fussing child on the other side of the tent. Upon reaching the cradle, she picked the child up with utmost care before rocking her arms in a continuous motion while humming a soft lullaby. As the fuss slowed down, Sakura continued rocking the baby as she sat by a wooden bench next to the cradle.

The indescribable emotions that he refused to acknowledge had now occupy the extent of his mind as Sasuke continued to look at Sakura, despite the medic’s obliviousness. Betraying his maintained cold nature, he came to wonder if Sakura would possess such future given the unseen outcome of the war itself. If she would someday, had a family of her own to share the warmth and love that was the core of her heart. Though there was a bitter part of him that could never settle well with the thought of foreseeing Sakura ending up with another person despite antagonising all known logic decided for her sake.

And it was then that Sasuke had forcibly shut all related thoughts away. He did not deserve bearing such enviousness, despite how small it may, in comparison to other emotions along the line when all he ever did to Sakura was disregarding her kindness and continuously hurting her feelings throughout knowing her. If there was a possibility of a brighter future for Sakura, it would only make sense for Sasuke to stray away from it. Perhaps, it had been fated so, as hinted by the difference of their lives since the beginning. Hence, it was only right to lock away all known emotions that lingered from her receiving end because he refused to carry her harboured feelings towards an unseen but almost certain despair. Sasuke was now a target and that only proved his inability to save himself.

He continued to stare longingly at Sakura from afar and it seemed to further conclude his decision of pushing her out of the approaching end of his kingdom in time. And while the means that could drive to such crucial step remained unpredicted, Sasuke decided to discard all attempts of giving her the cold shoulder. The period between now and then happened to be the only time they had alongside one another, for there was no guarantee if either of them would make it out of this war unscathed once they part ways for good.

The responsibilities that rested upon his shoulders had suddenly felt heavier in each passing moment as the diminishing hope began to stagger his determination. All thoughts on his strong perseverance had similarly thrown into the abyss of doubts as the strange sense of hopelessness settled upon his soul. Long years of yielding his skills into a deadly weapon in defence of his kingdom had the prince disregarded himself as human. It felt unnatural to possess the typical emotions he perceived as weak, though the lack of them would eventually cause himself to be smothered by all feels of doom nonetheless.

“Your highness.” A voice shook Sasuke out of his deep reverie from within the tent and he was met with the father of the child, another soldier whom was excused from his duty due to the current special circumstance. His wife, caught between drowsiness and joy upon their child’s arrival had nodded towards the prince with an easy smile as her husband gestured for the prince to enter. “Would you like to meet our son, your highness?” The man, probably his brother’s age, offered kindly.

Sasuke had not turn his attention towards the nursery when he made his presence known. “Congratulations. I believe I would be able to manage on my own, do rest.” The prince gave the couple a civil nod before making his way towards Sakura, whom appeared to have similarly avoided a direct eye contact with his approaching figure.

Settling next to Sakura, with the baby still wide awake in her arms, the two finally exchanged a glance towards one another before settling into another moment of a more comfortable silence. “He is fine.” Sakura began, eyes still trained upon the blinking new born. “Both the mother and son are healing well.” Her sight flickered upon the couple across the room.

“And you?”

Suddenly directed as a subject from the prince’s first question had utterly shocked her as displayed perfectly on her features and the sudden stillness of her arms’ rocking motion, causing the child to fuss a little before Sakura resumed. Caught off guard had her searching for a clue upon the seemingly unnecessary question and she had eventually followed the prince’s line of sight towards her bandaged upper arm. The minor injury might have been strained by the action of carrying the baby, but it truly seemed to have slipped her mind.

She shook her head in assurance. “Nothing serious. I am fine.” The return of the heaviness of the air around them had prompted a brief reply from her, though doubted it once she noticed a trace of concern in his maintained gaze. “A mishap happened when I was searching for herbs among the barren trees. Like any skin-deep cut, it will heal in no time.”

Admittedly, it was not one of her most cautious days for there was always some thoughts that appeared on the surface of her mind. Seemingly catching the truth behind her reasoning, the prince only nodded in return as silence proceeded, though half as heavy as before. Sakura would have prompted for the case of his treated injuries but had thought better of it, avoiding themselves to circle back to the previous conflict.

Distracting herself for a bit, Sakura observed the other side of the tent and noted the infant’s sleeping parents before involuntarily smiled to herself at the simple sight of serenity and happiness. Given a parallel reality of world without wars, it was indeed an assuring beginning of their small family. She cannot help but to wonder if those under the rule of a stable country could achieve such need in life and still chose to hold onto such hope nonetheless. Her attention was once again directed towards the infant when he fussed in her hold, eyes looking out curiously at Sakura. Maintaining a smile and widen upon meeting his stare, the infant smiled and wiggled in her arms.

“He is yet to sleep?”

Only noticing Sasuke’s close observance then, Sakura tilted up her head and gave a helpless chuckle. “Not yet, I’m afraid. He is quite energetic, still.” Deeming another moment switched between the pair and the baby, Sakura decided to begin a more neutral topic and at the same time, pose a question to gain a clue of Sasuke’s sudden presence right next to her at the unlikely hour of the night. “Is there a matter why you are here, Sasuke?”

Hardly caught off guard, he only shook his head. “Just switched watching duties with Suigetsu at the moment.” True to that, the said captain had retreated from the camp with Karin as Sakura filled in the medic’s counterpart.

There was almost too much pride hidden in between Sasuke’s words for him to proceed with a possible apology for his prior remarks, or even his need of seeking for something akin of a peaceful escape from the harsh reality he was forced to face. He admitted his selfishness upon the latter case, though he could not deny the natural impulse of finding her once again.

“I used to feel nothing but utter despair upon thinking of those living a life of a constant change.” Sakura began speaking, effectively shifting from the aftermath of their prior conflict into a new set of thoughts. “With ceaseless battles and destroyed villages, I used to dismiss myself from those thoughts for as long as I could. I was deeply ignorant back then because I could see no hope by the end of each repeated cycle.” She gave Sasuke a sideway smile before continuing. “It is fair to say that I had done my fair share of running from something I was unwilling to face and eventually, it became a selfish habit of mine.”

Without meeting each other’s gaze shortly as both were trapped in their own nostalgic reminiscence, Sasuke responded tentatively. “What changed your view since then?”

“It was their strong will, as guided by hope, that had awakened me. Hence, it felt wrong to just give in to the odds we stumbled upon so easily, for the world was naturally challenging since the times of our predecessors. Nothing had stopped them from stepping into the future with renewed strength, then there is no reason for us to admit defeat, either. It wouldn’t be fair for all of their sacrifices because we are their successors.”

Sakura peered upon the infant while still consciously lulling him to sleep, eyes returned to the minimal movements of the child’s parents.

“It would not be easy to carry a child amidst all chaos that had long became a known normal, but most love could persevere all odds. Though of course, there proved to be those who were unwilling to take the same chance and decided to abandon their children to their own means for the sake of livelihood, or so they claimed, though the fate of their children remained uncertain since then. Surviving this cruel world all alone was indescribably hard to begin with, but unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done to reverse such act.

“As an outsider whom witnessed such occurrences, I could only wish to store faith through any sort of help I could muster. In order to erase the casted doubts from the judgmental perspectives of others, we can only rely on ourselves to begin these supportive acts. It was that thought alone that motivates me up until this very moment and it just seems to continue to grow upon each deed towards another person.”

Perhaps she was finally reaching the true essence of being a medic despite beginning her journey in a lack of such heart, where there used to be a colder counterpart that suited better in calculating the gains and loss of a certain war strategy. Sacrificing less for the benefit of the many deemed to be a preferable choice to her, though all that contrasted with her current point of view given her own realisation upon the importance of each and every living being.

“Have you been thinking about your family recently?” Sasuke spoke up suddenly.

The prince was currently leaning the back of his head against the solid structure of the tent while staring right at Sakura’s returned stare. It was only natural for such topic to be brought upon after going through the familial ordeal of his people, for it made him spare more time pondering about his own as well.

“I never stopped.” She offered with another kind smile, causing the prince to observe her features more thoroughly. “I needed such strength to go through each and every day in full determination, for their sake and my own. Because I know they are doing their best on behalf of me in return, and abandoning such will for mere emotional obstacles is simply unacceptable.” Sakura acknowledged herself living past the thought of her deceased status in her kingdom as well as the conflict she had with Sasuke earlier on.

It was naivete of one’s mind to possess a thought of saving everyone from the cruelness of the world, but it had required wisdom to accept the undesirable truth and still maintain such resolve. Needless of a verbal approval, it was such a heart that had managed to strike a strong admiration from Sasuke towards Sakura.

“As I had repeatedly reminded myself when things get hard and appeared almost impossible for one to get through,” Sakura turned her full attention towards Sasuke and noticed that he had yet to shift his gaze, before proceeding. “Have faith.”

The bright smile directed towards him had caused the prince to feel unsettled and eventually broke the prolonged eye-contact. Taking a quick notice of the infant and desperately needing a distraction from his overwhelming thoughts and concealed feelings, he gestured towards the bundle of joy in her arms.

“He seems to be asleep and you should get some rest too.” Sasuke suggested the infant to continue his slumber in the cradle only to earn a shake of head from Sakura.

“He hates it. That was the reason why he was still awake around this time at the first place.”

“Do you plan to carry him until his parents are awake, then?” He raised his eyebrow in a critical manner.

“Maybe in an hour or so.” She noted briefly, shifting her back to lean against another part of the structure to ease her stiff back.

Sakura then tried to rest by closing her eyes, only after making sure that her arms are steady enough with the help of extra cushioning on her lap. Noticing her unideal support, Sasuke shifted closer and reached his arms to rest across her shoulders in a side embrace.

She had reacted with a mild jerk though her disagreement was silenced by Sasuke’s words, as spoken within close proximity. “Don’t protest and just rest, Sakura.”

As if the accumulated exhaustion in her had begged for a decent sleep, her eyes had refused to blink open despite her prior shock. Falling deeper into her slumber in each passing moment, the apology uttered by the prince had echoed weakly in her ears though refused to be forgotten.

Chapter Text

Turmoil

It truly felt as if the world had left this kingdom in its own defence as they turn a blind eye upon the brewing attack that hunts for the blood of the two brothers.

The past few weeks had been concentrated upon the relocation and settlement of the villagers to a safer location, one that was noticeably hidden from any known movements of the rebelling forces. With that being said, the new area had only required constant monitoring for safety purposes as well as some time apart for its new residents to familiarise themselves with their surroundings. Lush greeneries and trees had helped in shedding them from the direct view of an outsider and that alone provided them sufficient time to form a sturdier defence when the time of need ever approached again in the future.

Since there was no longer a need for a constant defence on behalf of the relocated villagers, Sasuke had led most of his men into discreet retaliating attacks towards the scattered yet identified spots of the gathered rebels, all resulted from a close surveillance carried out by both Sasuke and Sai while the group continued their move towards their new homeland. Though instead of continuing the said task with the prince, Sai was trusted into watching over the villagers and their needs upon settling alongside the patrolling soldiers and medics. Jugo and Suigetsu took turns in leading their teams with the prince, rotating upon completion of each mission while relaying the latest progress only to Sai, with exception towards Sakura and Karin. Despite so, Sasuke had hardly made an appearance during each rotation and continued to be absent in the captains’ reports.

“No news is good news, Sakura.” Sai had shared his insight with Sakura a few days after Suigetsu’s return, once they were the only ones left to close up a working station before concluding the day.

Sakura had yet to speak out the lingering question in her mind but Sai had a way of answering them before she could dwell into them by the end of each day out of involuntary routine. She halted her work in hand and passed the other a puzzled look, a part of her mind left pondering for a bit. Had her expression, despite being kept neutral at most times, betrayed the unnecessary yet pressing concern towards the prince all along?

As if understood the shift of her thoughts once again, Sai flashed her a reassuring smile and then offered to finish up everything by himself, insisting Sakura to rest earlier in return. Pushing aside the unguardedness of having her concern addressed verbally, she took quick notice of a familiar worried strain to Sai’s smile and figured that both of them needed time alone to silence their own minds in regards to the same person. He had made himself clear of standing by the prince’s side the last time they exchanged personal yet heated opinions, hence it was only natural for him to bear a similar direction of thoughts as she did lately. And deeming the fact that Sai knew him better over the long years of being comrades, she trusted his reasonings wordlessly.

Upon arriving the resting quarters, Sakura entered through the main opening gingerly while keeping in mind of not triggering any noise that could disturb the other’s rest. Though unlike the previous camp’s location, the current one was deemed to be more spacious and had allowed more personal space. Each room space, albeit divided by a thin wall in between, was occupied by two people with Sakura and Karin sharing theirs. Bearing this in mind, Sakura had expected the other to have fallen asleep but was proven wrong once she noticed the presence of the luminous candle by the counter.

“You returned earlier today.” Karin noted after exchanging a short greeting with Sakura.

“Sai insisted to finish everything by himself. The medics and villagers had similarly retreated to their homes shortly after the daily check-up sessions were done.” She replied while casting the moon a quick glance through the opening, calculating the day of the month internally.

“They seemed to be more at ease since the move.”

Sakura was drawn into an utter agreement with Karin’s observation for she noticed the same development as well. The villagers were hardly on edge and keen on their own wellbeing instead of trapping themselves in an endless bout of worries. It was a preferable change for the greater good after all. The children, especially, had responded well with the shift for they appeared to be remarkably happier alongside their guardians. War orphans were not uncommon between them, but the ideal setting and positive mindsets of others had helped in making the interactions in each passing day more bearable.

Her thoughts had slipped into her home kingdom, where she had befriended those whose parents were no longer alive. The current crown prince of Senju, Naruto, had succeeded his father’s title a few years after the demise of both his parents in a fierce defence against the ghost soldiers, a group of men and women belonged to neither established kingdoms whom aimed to take over lands by sheer force. The force had then died down since their defeat though the aftermath that came had costed the kingdom greatly. Formerly renowned warriors were wiped out in the wake of an extensive battle, leaving behind traumatised souls of their loved ones and along with that, the hope of their own kingdom.

Blames had easily sailed from one’s hearing to another as their heart began to doubt those who survived the war akin to betrayers. The remnants of the poisonous whispers spread by the ghost soldiers had managed to twist the strongest of determination into blinded rage that further weakened the bonds between the people. Having defeated the soldiers and emerged victorious in the name of the formerly united kingdoms, the Uchiha clan was steadily cornered into a precipice of distrust by those around them.

Known for their skilfulness in face-to-face combats that even rivalled the ruler’s inheritance clan of Senju, the Uchiha clan was perceived as the perfect defender. And it was all for the same reason that had caused a stir in the faith of other clans and civilians alike where they pose as the next emerging threat to the peacefulness of the Land of Fire as held by a Senju king. Some reasons were affiliated to the intense rivalry between the two clans and thus, it had caused a biased view from the civilians almost naturally.

The spark of the headless blames and fear directed towards the Uchiha clan was further ignited by self-proclaimed witnesses who professed to have seen the mastermind of the ghost soldiers possessed a pair of crimson eyes in relation to the Uchiha clan’s bloodline specialty. Rage had introduced a way of referring them as ‘the eyes of the devil’, for those who caught sight of it was said to be dragged into their worst nightmare as the victim struggled to a wake. Those with weak hearts that fell prey to the cursed eyes were believed to lose their life in their slumber, while those with strong ones had awaken with a scarred mind.

Spoken fear and irrelevant actions by the civilians had eventually corresponded with the cautious thoughts of the Senju ruler of that era, where it all led to a deep rift between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the residents of the Land of Fire. The Uchiha clan’s massacre had acted as a catalyst that finalised any hopes of mending the prior peaceful tie between the clans of the Senju kingdom to theirs, as both sides maintained ruthless exchange of attacks out of precautious measures until this very day.

“They seemed happier and more content with the lives away from the peering eyes of the enemy that once held the village hostage. Perhaps, that was the power that serenity has on its surroundings.” Karin noted with a distant smile. “People yearned for peace because it provides them with a sense of stability in life. I would like to reach for such future as well. But it always feels so far away, almost impossible at times.”

The hopelessness in Karin’s voice had triggered a recent memory in Sakura. It was out of the same despair that had driven Sasuke into a reckless decision of throwing himself into the fire for the sake of his brother, his life no longer prioritised as his mind was trapped amidst the desperation in the cost of his kingdom and his only remaining family. And as much as Sakura had directed all her hopes and wishes upon reaching the said peace between the kingdoms, she cannot help but continue to wonder on the stakes that needed to be endured in attaining such desired outcome. While she bore a heart that yearned to preserve the fading hopes of those around her, it was equally cruel for her to be aware that she could not do anything for the said cause all by herself.

Karin took well of the relative serenity granted by silence and continued pouring out her thoughts. “It was not an easy beginning for me as well. Because like you, I was seen as a stranger. One that was caught up in a war with nothing but my soul to keep myself going each day.”

“A stranger?” Sakura sounded genuinely perplexed as Karin nodded at her question.

“The village where I lived in, with my family and relatives alike, it was somewhere near the border of the war that separated the Land of Fire into the current kingdoms. I was originally a resident from the Senju’s side, before all chaos forced me away from the burning fate of my kin. Out of all, I was the only one who survived the fire.”

Sakura hesitated her incoming words a little before speaking them out. “Had none of them managed to get pass to Senju?”

Karin replied with a slow shake of her head, the pain of losing her family displayed clearly on her features. “None. Those men,” she paused to swallow past the memory of the bunch of murderers, “they had made sure that none of us survived. I had narrowly made my escape while other children of my age were not so lucky. I could only watch them from afar, hiding behind the trees and prayed that the shadows could protect me from those killers’ sight. Sasuke and his brother had encountered me a few days later and I had been alongside them since then.”

Sakura sat straighter upon realising the similarity of her story to those of Uchiha clan’s massacre. While the latter was known and identified as an open threat to the ruling force of Senju back then, she could not fathom the reason behind killing those of another clan. Unless, there was another key importance to it that she had yet to unveil. She allowed her mind to ponder upon the challenges faced by the Uchiha kingdom and tried to come up with a guess.

‘Medical needs.’ Sakura wondered internally.

“Karin, forgive me if what I ask next deems sensitive to you.” Sakura doubted but Karin only gestured for her to continue. “What clan do you belong to?”

In a practiced low-toned conversation, Karin answered without hesitation. “The Uzumaki clan.”

A look of surprise conquered Sakura’s expression as her eyes widened slightly at it. Karin came from a clan of remarkable medical abilities known to have founded remedies in curing most past illnesses. Sakura recalled one of the records to have written a fact where the blood of the Uzumaki clansmen and clanswomen bore an ability of detoxing poisons. While the applications of it may be limited, there still existed a few that could act as a guide.

“I know what you are thinking, Sakura. I would have continued curing the king with the claimed ability that flows in my veins if it is possible, but it had failed beforehand. It does not work hence it will serve all better to dismiss the belief as a source of myth.” Karin glanced at her own wrist in response, irritation rose in her voice. “While I am aware of the previous proven cases, this does nothing to help our current situation.”

They had been exchanging thoughts on Itachi’s condition with each discussion resulted into no exact leads. It was understandably devastating from the point of view where his conditions could deteriorate if the exact cure has yet to be found.

“No poison has been found without a cure. The factor of time played the constraint to that instead.” Sakura tried to encourage while keeping herself grounded with their current reality. “We just need to figure it out faster.”

The two settled for silence once again while engaged in their own thoughts. It had become clear to Sakura that the Uzumaki clan was aimed by the attackers in an attempt to paralyse the nearest medical aid to the detached Uchiha clan, and that alone made the latter vulnerable to diseases and in a more dire sense, warfare that involved poisons. A lot more would have fallen prey to those if it was not for Karin’s natural knowledge and talent in medical. Incompetent medic leaders, like the elder woman whom attacked her and blamed her for poisoning attempts, could be dispatched by the forces in the shadows to further corrupt the medical line within the Uchiha kingdom. It made some sense as to how she was hated by the group of medics upon her arrival in a stark comparison to some villagers that had accepted her help, despite being naturally cautious to strangers.

Realisation came in the form of steady yet heavy waves in Sakura as she drew to her own conclusion with the help of a recently revealed piece of the past. The scrutinised details and planned attacks had only targeted for one thing since the very beginning, and it was to ensure none other than the Uchiha clan’s complete depletion. Exposing Itachi to a unique poison in his blood could confirm the success of killing him, and what was left was Sasuke. The sudden revolt against the prince in the name of the king must have been tied to one of the means to eliminate Sasuke, even if it had meant by a less meticulous method and a rather obvious one in the eyes of the surrounding kingdoms and nations.

One would have thought that the enemy’s careless actions were driven by desperation, though the truth, as suspected by Sakura, laid upon the fact that the Uchiha kingdom was truly isolated even by those in their neighbouring lands to have a defensive back up once they were pinned under an attack. Even when the king and the prince were cornered by the emerging enemy, there were hardly any noticeable help from their neighbours. The fights across the border of Uchiha and Senju had decreased gradually. It truly felt as if the world had left this kingdom in its own defence as they turn a blind eye upon the brewing attack that hunts for the blood of the two brothers.

Uneasiness had found its way to settle in the pit of her heart throughout her sleep as her mind continued along the path of uncertain thoughts towards the near future. Replaced by the sense of fear was the strong determination of seeking a path through the approaching darkness and Sakura had wrapped all of her faith in it.

The day when Jugo would expectedly return from his mission with Sasuke had brought up an unsettling feeling of both worry and dreadfulness amongst his comrades. The sun had long since disappeared from the horizon, substituted by the moon and twinkling stars that marked the age of the night but still, nothing was heard from the group. Given any other day, everyone would have retreated to their slumber in regaining energy for any known emergencies. Though none among Sasuke’s comrades and close acquaintances could gain a blink of sleep tonight, even without anyone admitting their shared cause with one another.

Karin continued to pace in the middle part of the shelter, starting up a bicker once in a while with Suigetsu upon receiving the latter’s complains of distracting the thoughts of others with her movements. Sakura and Sai maintained their silence, each occupying different sides of the room with the general keeping a keen eye from the main entrance while the medic settled near the medical counter at the back of the space. She pondered upon Sai’s words from the previous day and still could not shake off the anxiousness at the lack of news from Sasuke’s side. Sparing another glance at Sai, he appeared to be holding upon the same line of thoughts as well.

Karin and Suigetsu’s voices had abruptly died down when a steady beat of galloping sounds was in their hearing range. Sai was the first to have rushed out the shelter, as joined closely by the other three behind him, when he approached the lone battered up soldier. The men that stood guarding the entrance of the village had been the first ones to recognise one of their own, before helping the injured man to walk with his arm slung across both guards’ shoulders.

“General.” The man greeted in a panic-stricken voice. “Our team, all of them, had been captured by the enemy.” He conveyed to the thickening silence that surrounded them in an instant.

“Are the prince and the captain among them?” Sai’s features were startlingly calm.

The man shook his head and Sakura could feel a clench in her stomach. “Perhaps…”

“Speak clearly, soldier! Are they among them?” The general hollered in a pure display of rage, causing the man to tremble and the guards to bow their heads before him.

“S-some had managed to escape amidst the struggle but I cannot tell who they were, general.”

“Was it a kill-at-sight order?”

“No man was harmed in the seizure for as much as I had managed to witness, general.”

Sakura forced herself to draw a deep breath in order to rid of the heaviness that occupied her chest upon receiving the news. It was not a killing order, hence the worst scenario for Sasuke and Jugo would be captured by the enemy, but still alive. That alone was enough to empower the will to save them regardless of the retrieval method. Though they would still need to be cautious of their steps to ensure the safety and success of their mission.

Snapping out of her reverie, Sakura resumed watching Sai dismissing the man into the medic’s tent where a few standby healers had been waiting. Making his way towards the three, he heaved a short sigh and allowed his features to lose its prior fierceness when he spoke out his plan.

“I was acknowledged of the location and will be heading there in no time. There was no crucial need of staying behind to monitor the defence of this village after everything was set up accordingly as managed by those in-charge of maintaining it.” Sai made a point of glancing the extent of the fenced and walled part of the village’s exterior. “Proceed everything as planned.” He looked at both Karin and Suigetsu, into which the two had agreed verbally.

The said plan would have Sakura staying behind in a disguised protection against the lurking enemy and it was when Sai had turned his focus towards her had she refused the prior idea. “No, do not exclude me from this, Sai.”

He gave her a small smile. “Of course, I had not meant for that. It would be beneficial to utilise both your combat and medical skills during this time of need. Would you care to join me for this quest?”

Sakura replied Sai with the counterpart of her confident smile before leaving to obtain the basic medical necessities and hidden weapons that was prepared beforehand. There was a tug of nerves behind her calm façade, but what was more important would be the heart that was determined to save one’s life.

Chapter Text

Save

The relief that flashed across their looks upon recognition had reached one another despite the absence of a spoken exchange.

The dirt underneath their boots were mostly damp from a few days’ worth of rainfall as the weather still struggled to completely shift into winter. While the soil refused to provide a pleasant solid ground for nightly expeditions, Sai and Sakura had managed to move soundlessly across the forest despite their sight limited by the surrounding darkness. Protruded tree roots and low hanging branches were no longer a hindrance as their minds fixed upon the target ahead.

Sai had briefly relayed their destination before leaving; an abandoned fort made by the Uchiha clan as both an offensive and defensive means before any enemy could reach the castle grounds. The building was discarded from its use after the night of the massacre, having most of the remaining labour forces focused on solidifying the castle’s surrounding area instead, as supervised closely by the king. Voicing out her doubt on the enemy’s advantage in knowing the capability of the fort and wield it against them while they search for the signs of the prince and his men, Sai returned a reason where the build and mechanisms of the fort had supposedly resembled that of the castle’s system, where they were both constructed based on the Uchiha clan’s method only by their own people.

Keeping her mind alert to her environment as well as the incoming challenges, Sakura reiterated the mechanism patterns of the fort as informed by Sai. Finally coming to a halt at a good distance from the fort’s ground, the two continued to mask their presence behind the trees’ shadows while keeping a close observation on the rotation of the patrolling enemies. There was noticeably a large number of men that stood guard by the pathway of a large retracted drawbridge, with a chasm-like opening that separated the forest ground from the fort stretched along its perimeter.

As much as Sai and Sakura wanted to begin their action plan, they had insufficient information regarding the current situation to do so. The last thing they wanted was to undergo a wrong strategy and fall into the enemy’s hands with close to no one returning for them now that the prince was in another trouble of his own, while their comrades were dealing with an entirely separated matter at the moment. They were in a crucial rescue mission hence every step taken had to be calculated accordingly for the sake of all’s safety. Until there was a clear indication on these men’s actions could they proceed with a clearer plan.

“Any signs yet?” One of the men that happened to be within the two’s hearing radius, had spoken to the guards.

“None. Continue scouting.” The other replied before breaking away from the exchange and then resuming their paths.

Judging by the cluelessness of these men, it had not taken Sai and Sakura long to figure out the possibility of this matter. Sasuke and a part of his team had managed to escape the fort with close to no solid trail behind them or, on a more dreaded thought, he was still within the compound in perfect hiding. Sakura scanned their surroundings in a more critical view while going through each probability thoroughly. Sasuke and his men could only make a hasty escape from their pursuers with the help of horses, though considering the condition of the soil that came with the weather and the hanging branches that covered the sight of a certain height, it would prove to be impossible to not leave a trail of hooves steps or broken twigs along the way. Hence it had led to the other less preferable likelihood.

Along with her thoughts came two men on a similar lookout task as they circle the outskirts of the fort and unknown to them, close to both Sai and Sakura’s hiding spots. Their conversation crystal clear amidst the damp night air.

“They couldn’t get too far away, especially with such injury.” One of them noted.

Panic surged through her veins while Sakura was consciously fisting her hands in keeping herself from reacting to the news. She had once again set her sight on the movements near the fort and confirmed the pattern of the rotation as her mind raced through countless of thoughts in analysing the newly heard information. If their words deemed to be true, though she found no valid reason to doubt the witnesses, then the inflicted injury must have been severe enough to paralyse them from escaping swiftly. As deduced by the lack of clues on the whereabouts of Sasuke and his men at the fort’s surroundings, it could only mean that they were inside. Something must have led these patrolling guards into believing that they had escaped when they had not, in the first place.

Sounds of muffled grunts were heard from somewhere behind her and when Sakura turned around, Sai had managed to undermine the two passing men and hid them from sight behind the bushes. The two exchanged nods before advancing their positions to the furthest stretch of the forest to get a better access of the fort’s entrance.

Settling for the safe distance from the guards’ hearing to exchange a quick plan, Sakura reiterated a decision that circled her mind for the past recent moments despite its evident recklessness. “The door to the far side of the castle seemed vulnerable and possibly unlocked.” Her eyes casted upon the mismatched door, one that was undoubtedly placed to make up for a breach that penetrated the strong walls of the fort during previous clashes. “I could try to enter.”

“Are you certain?” Sai asked right after the echo of her words was lost in the air. “They could be anywhere in there, or not at all.” He laid out the hanging uncertainty on the whereabouts of the prince and his remaining men. Assuming they had safely escaped would bring disastrous consequences if the truth was the opposite. “There should be an entrance and an exit for an escape, to be safe. The side door would be our priority.”

He tore his glance towards the guards that began their way towards the main entrance of the fort once again. “I will create a distraction for you to close in and while that, pave a way for an escape alternative. Be careful.” With a brief nod, he left for the enemy.

Sakura inhaled deeply as she observed the change that took place in the surrounding, waiting for the right time to begin her counterpart of the plan as well. Her mind was too occupied with the possibility of her own path ahead that she had yet to spare a thought on Sai’s actions. Sakura kept a closer look on the oil lamps that dot the walls of the fort and blinked in momentary confusion as the number decreased one by one, basking the area in darkness as some guards began to replace the fallen lamps in a haste.

When most of the men had gathered at the darker side of the compound and away from where the door was located, Sakura pulled out the dagger from her boots while readying herself in a crouch forward. As if providing her with a cue that her path was now clear, the oil lamp near the door collapsed in a soft crash as dimness claimed its place. Hearing no approaching steps, she crossed the clearing and headed forward, dagger held firmly as both defence and a means to peel open the said door.

True to her hunch, there was a lock securing the door and judging by its uneven surface, it had weakened with rust. Sakura observed her surroundings quickly to make sure that she was not watched before placing her ear against the wood to discern any nearby occupants on the other side. Satisfied with the silence, she placed the tip of the dagger at the vulnerable joint of the lock mechanism and rammed at the point with enough might that eventually loosened it into creaking the door open. Sneaking into the inner compound in silence, she hid herself in the shadow of the nearest pillar as a group of men rushed towards the main entrance in response to a ruckus manipulated by Sai. Driven by a sense of panic in the air, the area was deserted almost instantly, much to her gratitude.

Scanning around once again, Sakura identified the possibilities of a hiding place from Sasuke’s point of view. She maintained her crouching position behind a few large vessels lining the wall while trying to pinpoint the right location, hands unconsciously rubbing over her arms due to the drop of temperature as the night grew deeper. Struck by a sudden realisation, Sakura proceeded her steps in the dimly lit interior with a new consideration in mind – survival.

‘It has to be somewhere warm.’ She concluded to herself as she aimed towards the direction of what she figured to be the kitchen area.

Judging by the uneven spread of warmth across the fort, it would make sense where there lacked a reliable fireplace to serve such purpose. Safe for the kitchen, of course. Settling on that thought, Sakura stopped short in front of an enclosed room, a corner strategic enough to be the kitchen, and placed her hand on the door’s surface to feel its lingering warmth. Confirming her hunch, she creaked it open to peer into the room through a small slit.

She entered once there were no sounds or monitoring figures visible, though the sudden presence of unsteady bodies from behind the doors had greatly startled her. Sakura had the dagger readied in her hands as she watched the bodies continue their descend towards the ground and lay motionless. A few moments passed before Sakura decided to close the men for further inspection, only to notice the lack of a breathing rhythm on their chests. She chased off the reactive thoughts that came after and went over to the door to secure its lock before continuing her search. It could be considered lucky for her to stumble upon defeated enemies than those who held on an unblinking need to kill at sight.

Regaining her focus, it had not taken Sakura long to focus on the firewood storage space located not too far from the fireplace. Rounding the kitchen swiftly, she began to reconsider the possibility of stumbling upon a resting enemy instead of the prince and his men. She refused to let her guard down even the slightest bit as she approached the fireplace. As if on cue, another dagger was directed at her just as hers aimed perfectly at the person’s neck. Only when recognition settled among themselves had the weapons lowered. The relief that flashed across their looks upon recognition had reached one another despite the absence of a spoken exchange.

“How did you get here?” Sasuke spoke up, prompting Sakura to answer in an equally hushed tone only for her to abandon all thoughts upon hearing the prince’s audible grunt while clutching onto his abdomen.

“Sit.” Sakura instructed with her hands steadying Sasuke by the arm, figured that his sudden offensive movement earlier had strained an unseen injury. Getting back on Sasuke’s question upon settling in the shadows, Sakura responded. “Your men made it to the camp and informed us of your presumed whereabouts. Sai had come as well, and is currently creating a distraction for me to sneak in.”

Noticing that only the prince and the captain were around had initiated an impulse of asking the whereabouts of the remaining men. Though judging by their absence, it was clear that their fates were better left unsaid. Next was to ensure that no one else would join the uncalled sacrifice.

“Since nobody is around for the time being, it will be better to treat your injuries before leaving.” She included the latter information in time with the distant cries.

Her eyes glanced over at Jugo and noticed his wood-supported left leg. “I could manage my own.” He nodded to ease Sakura’s incoming worry, silently needing the medic to check on the prince’s condition without betraying his stubborn intention of being silent about it. “I will monitor any incoming movements.”

“Was the injury bad?” Sakura asked in the most direct manner once she turned all her focus on him.

She had taken a few stray moments of silence to note Sasuke’s pale complexion as she patiently waited for the other’s response. Heaving a long breath, he began to discard the front part of his armour and layers of fabric that secured him from both the cold air and his injury from sight, revealing a deep gash with its size slightly extending one’s palm length right below the ribcage. If he was struck anywhere higher than the current wound, his bones would have broken from such impact.

“All bones are still intact.” Sasuke quipped in sync with Sakura’s line of thought.

She nodded affirmatively, keeping a close eye to the bleeding wound as she retrieved a piece of cloth to try her best to clean the area from excessive blood flow. “It would take longer for blood to clot in cold temperature. But even if we rely on that, this wound would lead to a serious infection despite my effort of covering it from a direct exposure.” Sakura stood back and closed her eyes momentarily before staring back at the wound. “This won’t do. There wouldn’t be enough time for anything intricate either.”

Internally, Sakura was chastising herself for the lack of options or knowledge to deal with her current situation. All safe for the glimpse of thought she cast aside out of its irrationality and brute nature. Desperation had called upon the said thought once again and her wish of discarding it into the unknown corner of her mind had ultimately failed when Sasuke had voiced it out instead.

“Cauterise it.” Meeting one another’s line of sight, both had not shown a sign of surprise at the spoken suggestion.

Sakura had of course, reluctantly consider the only option available while accessing the area of his injury to the size of her hand once again. Given the current time of desperation, it was not impossible.

“I would have done it earlier. Except that I could not properly access the injury from my side.”

“And I am betting that Jugo was not aware of your wound’s severity up until I came.” Sakura guessed accurately, as deemed by the silent reply from Sasuke.

He reached for an untainted dagger and handed it to her, its length extended a little longer that his wound. With all doubts thrown out of her head, Sakura proceeded with laying the blade of the dagger at the hottest point of their neighbouring fireplace and patiently waited for the metal to turn red. The dagger would lose its strength upon the heated contact but she had another to spare if the need for it ever came.

Retrieving the glowing dagger with enough clothing barrier between her hand and its heated handle, she returned to crouch beside Sasuke with a determined glint in her eyes. “This will hurt.”

“Hn.” He inhaled deeply and released his breath through his mouth. “Do it.”

Sakura gave a firm nod and counted under her breath before gritting her teeth upon the sound emitted from the skin and metal contact under her hands as Sasuke clutched to the nearest scattered brick to relish the burning pain as soundless as possible. Searing burnt mark had successfully sealed the injury once she lifted the dagger. Arming the steady knowledge of treating numerous fire disaster victims back in Senju, Sakura had instinctively prepared all needed medications for burn wound treatment. Unknown to her, she was still holding her breath from the pain-inflicting wound sealing process while treating the area until Sasuke reached for her slightly trembling hand and uttered a ‘thank you’. Momentarily hiding the memory, she proceeded with Jugo.

She was about to conclude the fresh bandage around Jugo’s supported ankle when Sasuke suddenly reached over to Sakura’s shoulder and gestured towards the direction of a narrow path behind them. Slightly confused though maintaining utter silence nonetheless, a soft scrapping sound became audible alongside the crackling fireplace. Raising into a crouch with a new dagger readied in his hand, Sasuke had moved forward to fend off the suspected intruder first hand.

The scrapping stopped once all weakened links between the loose bricks were rid of as the final defence of the wall crumble under the harsh force from its outer side. Patiently waiting for the intruder to make the mistake of going through the hole on the wall, the person only casted a look from the outside and made his face clear for the others to see.

Glancing through each of their faces, Sai offered a relieved smile. “Found you.” Widening the wall, he gestured for the three to follow suit. “It would take some time for them overcome the triggered mechanisms and regroup for another attack.” He offered a brief conclusion to the havoc he caused.

Supporting Jugo by the arm, as Sakura did the same with Sasuke, Sai led the group deeper into the forest and ultimately, out of the enemy’s range.

Chapter Text

Dread

They were left with the inescapable fate bound to their lives as all remnants of hope vanished in each passing moment.

“Had the prince been found yet?” Kabuto questioned his fifth messenger for the past hour, growing tired and irritated beyond measure over the lack of news. Similarly, this one provided none close to his anticipation as well. “You are dismissed.” He waved away hastily, fuming to himself in the open presence of the king in his court.

Itachi displayed a bored façade as each of Kabuto’s man entered and left, keeping a sideview of the commander in his growing annoyance in the claim of his search for the prince. It would be a nearly impossible task to pinpoint Sasuke’s location for the past few weeks due to his constantly moving nature as well as the loyalty of his tight-lipped men. While that seemed to be the best-case scenario for the sake of the prince’s safety, all that would need to be discarded in relevance to the latest acknowledged mission carried out by him and his team. Kabuto, in his failed attempt of hiding his personal sadistic satisfaction, had informed the king that Sasuke was trapped within the enemy’s territory and suffered a severe injury.

“He could not have gotten far.” The commander spoke, his previous achievement quenched out of his features as substituted by maddening anger.

Witnessing the whiplash of emotions from Kabuto and his inability to remain composed before the king in the captain’s flawless façade of serving him for years had not truly fazed Itachi. The king himself had long since perfected the guise of concealing his true thoughts in life from the view of the outsiders where it had granted him the ability to read past one’s similar act in return. While his thoughts were as restless as the crows that conquered the extent of the castle’s roof, Itachi had not maintained his stance as a ruler of a once fallen clan without endurance towards all known desperate measures that revolve around gaining power over the other.

Supporting his head with his folded arm that rested on the armrest, the king gave away a subtle reminder of the person who owned the authority of the throne. “Why the rush, Kabuto?” He paused, waiting for a direct eye contact from Kabuto before continuing his words. “You have convinced me to allow your men in disguise to patrol the perimeter of the castle out of fear of an unseen attack since last night, and now you are demanding for the prince’s presence. Your requests seemed to be boundless.”

The commander bowed in return. “I apologise for my insolence, your highness. But this is for the royal family’s safety in emergence of the enemies.”

“Confining someone in a heavily guarded castle.” The king deadpanned after an extended pause. “Do you know what this reminds me of, Kabuto?” Itachi paused for effect, scrutinising upon the commander that could no longer meet his gaze. “A prison.”

Kabuto reduced his position to a kneel. “I dare not, your highness. I assure you that this is for the best of all.”

There was needless of a verbal confirmation where Sasuke had played the role of a wanted criminal in the eyes of those who witnessed Kabuto’s current desperation. Reaching the boiling point of navigating through the chain of excuses constructed by the commander in limiting the king’s incoming actions, Itachi took on a more offensive approach in their conversation. Conscious of the time and luck that may run out on Sasuke’s side in the wake of a hunt, Itachi would need to think of something drastic enough to interfere Kabuto from paving a route for his hidden motive.

The king raised from his throne in a fluid motion before descending to the floor level where Kabuto stood. “Enough is enough. I shall search for Sasuke myself.”

“You should not, your highness!” Greatly alerted by Itachi’s decision had driven out an honest reaction from Kabuto that eventually stunned the court. The king only gave him a sceptical look while the commander struggled for a reason to sway the decision. “Please place belief in my man, your highness. It would now be a matter of short time before the prince is discovered.”

Itachi’s incoming protest was disturbed by the entrance of another man bearing a similar uniform to the previous messengers. Opposing Kabuto’s enthusiastic smirk, Itachi maintained a strict mask as he concealed all signs of concern that filled up his mind as his eyes trailed on the nervous movements of the soldier. Bowing to the king before proceeding his report to Kabuto, the soldier’s expression fell more.

“There was no sign of the prince in the relocated village either, commander.”

The corner of Kabuto’s eye twitched in irritation over the news. Taken over by impulse, his hand struck the soldier with enough force to stagger the latter’s stance though spoke of nothing and only wristed in pain.

“Useless.” Kabuto hissed though Itachi only cleared his throat over the commotion.

“I believe the time has come for me to take care of this task on my own.” Meeting Kabuto’s line of thoughts for another reason to stay, Itachi raised an eyebrow. “I hope I wasn’t refrained from making any sort of decision in the name of your safety protocols, Kabuto?”

Opposing the Itachi’s current query would be as good as claiming oneself the authority of a king and that alone caused all words to die in Kabuto’s throat. Everything had been flowing perfectly under his well-orchestrated plan up until now, with an advantageous gain of the king’s trust along the way. A rushed precautious measure out of the fear of reuniting the Uchiha brothers would only raise suspicion that may threaten the said advantage and the overall plan alone.

Deciding it was not something he would gamble with, Kabuto bowed in agreement before following Itachi with a team of men.

Silence continued to overwhelm the extent of the temporary shelter hidden beneath the thickening snow, an abandoned house that had sturdily braved through numerous storms and seasons before reserving the purpose of protecting its new residents. The temperature seemed to have dropped further into the night as the group huddled near a small campfire in the middle of what used to be the living space of the house, careful of not igniting one large enough to produce excessive smoke that could trigger the watchful eyes of the enemies from afar.

Sakura had diligently dedicated her time to treating Sasuke’s cauterised wound and Jugo’s leg since their arrival, while Sai had left for situation scouting without sparing much information on his side of the fight during their rescue mission. His lack of words and expressionless nature had made it hard for one to guess despite the medic’s close observation. Pushing all these thoughts to the back of her mind had not worked either for there still exist an unspoken trepidation of their constantly shifting surroundings and she could not shake off the possibility of coming across something that could threaten to overwhelm the remnants of their strength at the moment.

“Are you alright?” It was not until Sasuke’s voice reached Sakura had she noticed her failure in concealing the sigh that escaped her lips.

Slightly caught off guard by the sudden attention, she nodded with a small smile. “I am fine, worry not.”

Their focus had quickly shifted to Sai’s approaching figure by the entrance as all thoughts of a light conversation vanished through the air. “There seemed to be a new official order passed throughout the kingdom.” Sai wasted no time for an extended pause as he continued brushing off the remnants of snow from his shoulders and hair before speaking again, eyes casted to each of them in utter urgency. “Authority has now been given to a new force of masked soldiers to patrol the villages and main streets. All soldiers under the military division were summoned to guard the castle.”

Perplexed and anxious by the news, Sakura scrutinised the exterior view of the house for a while. They were a good distance away from the castle’s location and was indeed currently closer to the border of Senju. Judging by the information she received from Sasuke’s men after each of their discreet mission of eliminating the forces hidden in the shadows, there seemed to be a noticeable concentration of the enemy’s count and activities as the team drew nearer to the castle. Pair that realisation with Sai’s news had proved that the enemy had gained a sturdier ground within this kingdom’s compound. While her concerns had reached out to the heavily guarded villages, she could not shake off the fate that had befallen on herself and those around her.

Sasuke had a better understanding on the movements of soldiers and enemies alike within his kingdom, though the prince himself appeared to be troubled by his limited information and resource at the moment. Retracting all military soldiers would leave him with almost no one to counterattack the enemy when the time comes. And since these orders were undoubtedly declared by his brother, he could not find a way to weave pass such obvious disadvantage. He began to question Itachi’s decision in his mind but desperation had not been kind to allow him all the time needed to figure things out. If fate were truly not on his side this time, he could only accept the option of falling alone.

“Another crucial matter would be the widespread search and detain warrant granted to these soldiers or any onlookers on the whereabouts of the prince.”

“Detain?” Sakura turned her head sharply from the window view upon Sai’s remark to which he nodded.

“The prince was needed to return to the castle under such order. Those were the words passed by the soldiers to the villagers as obtained from the closest source I could get myself to.” He took a quick glance to the sky from the main entrance for his next deduction. “If the weather worsens, the soldiers will need to gain tomorrow’s daylight in order to continue their search and that will be the only time we have.”

‘Something is not right.’ Sasuke repeated the same phrase in his head while engaged in a deep thought that seemed endless and hopeless. If what Sai said had been the recent truth, then his own existence within this kingdom alone, despite being his home, had proven to be doubtful from the king’s side. Nothing appeared sensible at this state and he felt equally suffocated by the lack of options from his end.

“I need to find my brother.” Hearing that from Sasuke had sent the room into another sheer silence as the storm howled in the distance.

“Had you just disregarded what I said, Sasuke? Everyone out there is looking for you, waiting for their chance to capture you for whatever favours offered. Now is definitely not a good time for you to appear in the public’s watchful eyes.”

“Am I going to hide in the shadows until doom comes knocking at the front door instead, then?” Sasuke voiced out frustratedly, his memory reminded him of the struggle faced by Sakura since arriving this kingdom. If he was to fall into a similar situation, it would only be ironic that he was being hunted within his home ground instead of an enemy’s.

Before the tension could be resolved, Jugo limped to the centre of the room to put out the fire, alarming Sai and Sasuke. “Someone is coming in the distant.”

“Civilians?”

Sakura spoke amidst the emerged darkness and the cold that had quickly occupied the lingering warmth of the fire with her focus maintained on the observing window slit. “No, their speed suggested otherwise.”

While torches were more obvious but effective in lighting up a dark path, skilled individuals would rather immerse themselves in their surroundings’ limited sight for the sake of avoiding detection from those who are watching. Snow storms had welcomed another challenge of disrupting visibility even in the day, and that alone had forced those who chose to travel in such weather condition to opt for oil lamps over their need to camouflage. Watching the flickering light from the incoming figures, Sakura could only deduce the weight of desperation that came with these people’s purpose.

Based on the uncertainty on the forces that may back the approaching enemy soldiers, leaving the compound undetected remained the only choice that could grant them with as much safety as they could get while bearing in mind that it was far from an ideal long-term solution to the open hunt declared by the king. Habitual practice of paving an escape route had readied the group’s reactive actions to the backdoor of the shelter, carefully concealed from sight to prevent unwanted ambushes. As if reading the minds of their pursuers, the nearing men appeared to be aiming towards such plan. Though all victorious thoughts of reading the enemy’s move were abandoned altogether when a vigorous spark broke its surrounding darkness and continued descending towards their shelter.

“Incoming!” Sai informed as they rushed through the backdoor, followed closely by a deafening explosion that sent all plunging forward with its sheer force.

Fighting off the ringing sound that echoed in their ears and the brief concussion from their fall, the group broke into an immediate run upon noticing their emerging hunters. The group had then led the pursue into a forest of barren trees, with Sai and Sasuke diverting their paths ahead in an attempt to further separate the trailing enemies.

“Follow me.” Sasuke turned to his side to meet Sakura’s eyes briefly to convey the message.

She nodded and instantly reduced their distances to run directly behind him, casting a look backwards to observe their surroundings for a sign of weapons armed by the trailing enemy. Jugo had followed Sai during their diversion, managing their end of a heated chase before disappearing behind the shadows of dense tree trunks and eventually out of sight.

“No arrows or crossbows armed. Only short-ranged weapons.” Sakura relayed, into which Sasuke nodded firmly. Her eyes had strayed to where his injury had tightly sealed to permit movements as concern shed off all thoughts of keeping her worry at bay despite the unlikely situation they were dealing with. “Your injury,” Sakura dropped her voice to a near whisper due to uncertainty, though Sasuke had caught it equally well.

“I’m fine. Follow me closely, it might get trickier from here.” Sasuke quipped, returning Sakura’s full focus on their path ahead.

True to his words, protruding roots and low-hanging branches began to emerge as they advance. Sakura was careful to mimic Sasuke’s steps in dodging each obstacle while maintaining their speed forward. Judging by the grunts from somewhere behind them, it was evident that their pursuers were not as familiar as the prince with the forest. Maintaining such advantage will grant them a promising escape towards whatever fate the future held, though exhaustion would soon enough catch up and pose them with a new challenge. Battling the cold surrounding air in an escalated altitude had disrupted their breathing pattern, making it harder to catch their breath upon every step.

Sasuke turned towards Sakura in an unspoken worry, though was only met with an equally determined look despite her paler complexion. “Lead the way, I am fine.”

Upon approaching another stepping edge amidst the forest’s escalation, Sasuke reached out a hand to help Sakura. That act alone had caused a split second of puzzled hesitation from Sakura before accepting it, their hands clasped to one another’s ever since and down the remaining path. Glancing backwards every now and then, Sasuke noticed that the pursuers were a good distance away though had yet to lose their trail.

“They are still tailing us.” Sasuke informed once Sakura reached his side after stepping up another raised platform.

Proceeding their steps while arming themselves with possible thoughts of escaping the enemy’s sight, Sakura pondered in a low voice. “How much longer does this forest stretch?”

Sasuke shook his head slightly. “Not much. We are nearing a cliff as we go.”

Reaching the unsaid conclusion of such ending, Sakura replied with a nod. Once the end of their path opened up to pitch darkness, the two turned to observe their pursuers’ gained momentum before casting one another a look of dreadfulness but not a trace of fear. They were left with the inescapable fate bound to their lives as all remnants of hope vanished in each passing moment. Though instead of grasping for whatever safer chances there were in running away from it as before, they chose to embrace the outcome of the anticipating future as they reached the end of the only path available at the moment.

Stepping closer to the cliff’s edge, the memory of their first meeting broke their focus shortly as its paralleled reality was presented right before their eyes. The moonlight and the heavy snow had not allowed sufficient observation to be done in the distant, hence the cliff overlooked an unknown landscape that could make or break Sasuke and Sakura’s only option of a fatal escape.

Their joint hands seemed to move on its own as they tightened their grip on each other’s hold before passing one another a determined look. “On three?”

“On three.” Sasuke replied, staring back at her intently.

There were lingering thoughts of speaking out her last words, though Sakura figured that she could not risk their gathered courage in facing the odds next. Everything felt fragile up until this state and she refused to allow her heart’s whisper to shatter it all for the sake of fear. Sakura had caught a similar glimpse from Sasuke and figured that she should conceal hers as much as he did for her sake.

Drawing a deep breath simultaneously, they jumped off the edge of the cliff, hands still held one another’s for life as they dove into the dark. Accompanied by their bold actions were the angered cries of the men that witnessed their lost chance of capturing the prince and the medic.

Numbing coldness crept its way throughout her exposed hands and fingers alongside the fresh bruises gained from clashing with the sharp branches of barren trees upon their fall into yet another forest, with the aftermath of the snow saved them from hitting the solid floor beneath the trees. Sakura was the first to open her eyes to the dark surrounding, her eyes now fully adjusted to the dimness as she struggled past mild concussion. It was until she was met with a constricted view in front of her had she remembered Sasuke and tilted her head upwards to gaze at his face. Unlike her, he has yet to wake and judging by their proximity, it made sense that he might have shielded her with his arms before they hit the ground.

Panic surged in her as she observed for any visible sign of physical injury while fearing its internal counterparts. She tried nudging his arms that were still rested across her, with the other beneath her head. The lack of a response from Sasuke had filled her mind with a new sense of fear as tears began to well in her eyes, mind desperately thinking of a way to wake him from the call of an eternal slumber. A firm grip upon her shoulder returned not too long after as Sasuke opened his eyes to meet Sakura’s tearful gaze.

“I’m alive.” He muttered, dismissing her panic in the lightest manner as he could. His expression seemed to have shifted into another degree of seriousness upon studying Sakura’s features and eventually posed a critical question. “How do you feel?”

“Don’t worry about me.” She shook her head and tried to sit up before helping Sasuke into the same position. “Are you hurt?” Sakura disregarded her own condition to focus on Sasuke’s instead, figuring that she had not received any major pain.

Still struck by the sudden speechlessness that he had yet to overcome, Sasuke only managed a clear shake of his head. Moving out of the unchanging silence that followed, he casted his gaze back to the end of the cliff that they had survived. Torches and gas lamps were seen dotting the area from afar as it gave away the real number of enemies that came after them, as led by the prior two. He finally tore his gaze from the incoming trouble to close his eyes in pure rage.

There used to be a thought of retreating in the hopes of gaining a more reliable insight on the responsive actions that should be taken next. But the danger that came with the current hunt seemed ambiguous and endless to begin with. It loathed him to compromise with the fact where he was left with nothing to trade in the name of safety, for both his own and those he wanted to protect. A dominant part of him would have refused to give in to such possibility though witnessing the consequences of such line of actions had caused him to halt in uncertainty. As much as the fate of his comrades hung in a perfect imbalance as his own throughout countless ordeals, seeing Sakura’s freshly inflicted injuries had tugged his mind into such direction.

Settling upon a firm decision, Sasuke opened his eyes to convey his thoughts to Sakura while being aware of its recklessness. “I think it is time for us to part ways.” He refused to cast a glance towards her and had instead opted to trace the movements of the torches above them before proceeding. “Senju’s border is nearby.”

“Are you suggesting me to walk my way to safety and leave you to the fate of those hunters, Sasuke?” She sat up straighter while continuing her scrutinise towards him despite all of his feigned ignorance. “If those men were only meant to capture you on behalf of your brother, we would not have ended up here now. Their motives were clear in their actions and I could not decipher any of those close to simply delivering you back to the castle, Sasuke.” The presence of anger in Sakura made it easier for her to point out all the obvious danger that lurked behind Sasuke’s decision. “It is impossible to go through all this alone, if that was what you are aiming for.”

“That would be my problem to face, not yours to think of.” He dismissed nonchalantly, still refusing to look her way.

His words may pose as a sword that struck deeply to her heart but getting Sakura away from the corrupted state of his kingdom would be the best scenario that his desperate mind could have wished for at the moment. He could not risk getting Sakura involved in more threatening actions that aimed for his life.

Sakura let out a small scoff, mind bending into despair upon his words. “And do you suppose that it will stop myself from thinking of your safety as well, Sasuke?” Her voice was low, though it had not dampened the depth of emotions that came with it.

“It was unnecessary to feel guilt upon something that has nothing to do with you, Sakura.”

“Guilt?” Sakura choked out the word in question as Sasuke raised to his feet, followed closely by her. “This is nowhere near guilt.”

He paused a bit before coming up with his final and despised guess. “Neither do I need your sympathy.”

“It is known as concern, Sasuke.” She corrected sternly with her hands beginning to fist out of frustration over the other’s refusal to acknowledge the obvious.

“Then why would you trouble yourself with such a thought on me? It would not matter in the end.” Sasuke conveyed in an emotionless tone before beginning to walk away from Sakura’s unmoving state.

“You are wrong. All that matters.” Sakura shook her head to herself, feeling her deepest thoughts that she had tried to conceal for as long as she could unbound with hopelessness. “All those things that appeared insignificant to you in regards of your own life, they matter to me because,” Words seemed to have failed halfway through but she swallowed past it anyway. “Because I love you, Sasuke. Which is why, I cannot just watch you continue down a path akin to a suicide mission like this.”

Silence ensued upon her confession, halting Sasuke in his steps as he turned to meet Sakura’s unwavering gaze. Backtracking to stand directly before her again, his emotionless façade was replaced by a look of utter seriousness as he searched for an unspoken reason in her eyes and seemed to have failed doing so when he decided to speak instead.

“Are you aware of what you had just said, Sakura?” His busy mind began to ponder upon his past actions towards her, if those had reflected one of affection that had further pushed her to the extent of admitting a confession in the hopes of stopping him amidst desperation.

“I do, each and every word.” Sakura answered in strong defiance. “But are you aware of the dangerous consequences that comes with your decision upon yourself though, Sasuke? Charging head-first towards the enemy by yourself would only risk yourself getting caught, or worse.” Her voice faltered towards the end of her argument.

“Nothing could change the fate that comes with my kingdom even if I could escape their hunt this time, Sakura. I would need to face everything and find out the cause that had led to my brother’s decision and the current state of his sovereignty in the clasps of the ghost army’s influence. Only I am capable of unravelling their hidden motives and stop them.” The prior sharpness of his words had reduced greatly as he spoke. “The last thing I want is to involve you into this disaster when the safety of your home is within your reach. I truly believe that it would be best for us to part ways now.”

“Sasuke-”

As much as he had dreaded upon the fact where his affection had been visible Sakura, he could easily sense her reluctance. Fighting off the guilt of his incoming action for the sake of her safety, Sasuke placed his hands on her shoulders and leant in to cast a deep gaze towards Sakura’s eyes as his own switched from black to its hypnotising crimson counterpart.

She came to be aware of her staggering consciousness upon gazing his eyes though was deemed too late to counter them. Lulled into a strange pull of slumber, Sakura’s eyelids began to droop as her legs gave way to the ground that never came. Darkness engulfed her whole as the casted illusion started threading webs of memories and wishes across her mind, trapping her in a state of a desired world instead of reliving torturous moments induced by fear.

Hopeless tears raced across her cheeks as fragments of reality fade into fake memories in her head, though was brushed away by the guilt-stricken prince as he held onto her weakened state before carrying her to the furthest stretch of the border that separated Uchiha and Senju kingdoms. Sadness came as a strange reminder in him as he placed Sakura in a sitting position against a large tree before wrapping her with an additional layer of his coat.

Casting Sakura another longing gaze, his hand had involuntarily reached for her face in an endearing motion before engulfing her in a parting embrace.

“Thank you.” He whispered in her ear, hoping that she could hear him amidst the induced illusion.

‘Until next time, Sakura.’ A promise uttered in his head that he had hoped to be capable of reaching someday.

Chapter Text

Exile

His memory reverted to the day of witnessing Sakura’s breakdown upon the sight of lanterns in tribute of her lost life and he remembered himself wondering if it was just as painful.

Sasuke waited silently amidst the cold forest with his eyes stilled upon a particular tree that he had left not too long ago as his ears continue to be alert to the surrounding sounds. The temperature had taken another drastic drop as the night ages, threatening shivers to those who wandered too deep under the visible moonlight. Pulled up the collar of his shirt to block off the breaching breeze, Sasuke’s mind had travelled across the extent of his gaze in a reminder of his much thicker winter coat. Instead of wishing for its warmth, he had hoped that it was enough to sustain Sakura’s comfort.

As much as the surrounding silence gave him the privilege of plotting out a sturdier plan for his next step, Sasuke’s mind was deeply plagued by an echoing thought that refused to break away. While his clan’s bloodline inheritance granted an undoubtable eye prowess of manipulating their opponents’ thoughts into trapping them in their worst fears within a short gaze, his guilt had not resulted from its misuse towards Sakura. A great deal of reasoning had balanced out such guilt though he could not seem to find his way to move past the glimpses of her mind. For reaching her deepest yet crucial thoughts had been startlingly effortless on his side and he doubted it to have come from his years of training.

Alongside the cherished memories of her family and friends in Senju, the image of him had not scattered too far from the surface. As if continuing down the words spoken in conveying her feelings towards him, her thoughts had left an equally deep impression on his staggered thoughts. Hearing Sakura’s confession had him partially hoping those words to be said out of pure desperation and thus granting him a solid reason for their parting. Though she had somehow caught him off-guard yet again with a heart that refused to be dimmed by hopelessness. Sakura proved to be capable of reaching the unknown depths of his mind just as effortless as he did with an almost perfected ability and that alone had undermined his former thought in an instant.

Breaking away from the direction of his sight momentarily upon the approach of familiar flapping sounds, Sasuke extended his gloved hand skywards to brace his falcon’s landing as the bird drew close. Coming in a contact with Sasuke’s hand, he proceeded to guide the falcon to his left shoulder before it clasped its claws steadily on the thick leader padding and perched itself steadily alongside the prince. Not too long after, Sasuke witnessed what could be the end of his wait as a group of faces that he had come to recognise made their way towards Sakura in their scarcely lit torches for the sake of not drawing unwanted attention. He could easily note out the Senju prince’s frantic search towards their surroundings for any sign of those who could have lingered close to Sakura. Perhaps expecting his appearance to be near her, but those were all a part Sasuke’s calculated risk for sending out his falcon as a guide towards Sakura and ultimately, her safety.

Turning their focus towards Sakura shortly after, Sasuke made his move away from his hiding spot swiftly before the group could notice the slightest shift of air he caused and when they did, the surrounding had once again resumed its dark and cold state. His mind had completely set upon reuniting with his brother in order to understand the shift that seem to have taken place overnight, for he could not find the sense behind everything that evolve around him at the moment and how he loathed of such reality.

Another backwards glance had relieved him from the worry on Sakura’s safety for it appeared that her rescue team had retrieved her safely before retreating their way back to Senju’s direction. While his fate and home hung in great imbalance, he had hoped that the fate could favour her side upon her return after such long delay.

He dismissed his falcon into the dark night once he was out of the group’s radius and set his sight straight ahead. Wasting no time, Sasuke rushed his way towards the direction of what he had known of his surrounded home.

It had not taken him long to discern the swift movement heading towards him through his enhanced eyesight, though it had not spared him from the violent shove that parted his forward momentum and into the nearby trees. Noting the speed and strength he received had awakened the rage in him almost instantly as Sasuke stood up and faced his supposed attacker. Itachi.

“What was the meaning of all this?” Sasuke raised to his feet and paced towards his brother, barely keeping all traces of his anger in him from reaching the surface upon meeting Itachi’s lack of a verbal response. “Why am I being openly hunted?” While there was no sign of footsteps coming behind his brother’s direction, Sasuke maintained a neutral ground of tackling the said matter.

There was a glimmer of uncertainty displayed across Itachi’s features though it was gone as fast as it came. “There bound to be a need of a crucial shift from our current path. Else, the kingdom will not be able to stand on its own without any form of trust built, Sasuke.”

Wordless, the prince only stared back at his brother sceptically.

“Change has to be done, Sasuke.” Itachi continued, returning an equally strong gaze.

“In what way?” Sasuke challenged but he had not bother to wait for Itachi’s response. “I doubt my view on this would matter anyway since the said change has already taken place. Though Kabuto must have known the details of it very well, I assume.” He continued the latter statement in a lower tune after a short pause of ensuring the natural sounds of their surroundings.

Itachi went silent once again, much to the peaking annoyance of Sasuke though the prince chose to muster all remnants of his patience at that point of the tense moment. “It would be better for you to stay out of it.”

Fighting back the continuation of assumptions in his head, Sasuke drew an exasperated breath over the confusion that raised along with rage. “You had decided to place your trust on Kabuto while granting him such influential authority to have his men running wild in the kingdom grounds over the course of one night.” He laid out everything plainly, recalling Sai’s observation as well as his own in doing so. “Had I not done enough to your liking, brother?”

A pause from his statement would have helped to reduce the blow of whatever reply given by Itachi, though the older brother seemed to know this logic well enough to dismiss it right away with a rather quick yet blunt answer.

“No, your capability alone is not enough, Sasuke. Walking down the path of such ignorant belief would severely endanger the kingdom’s stance.” Caught speechless by Itachi’s words, Sasuke only stared back at his brother in utter disbelief. “You are no longer needed here. Leave now, Sasuke.”

Sasuke scoffed. “What nonsense is this?”

“I mean my words, Sasuke.”

Simultaneously sensing the escalated tension in the air, Sasuke charged towards his brother without any offensive means in a rushed attempt of waking some sense in Itachi over such nonsensical thoughts as the latter defended steadily.

“What are you up to, Itachi?” Sasuke asked when he came close enough to his brother during the clash. Instead of giving him a reply, Itachi chose that moment to throw a strong punch across his brother’s face, causing Sasuke to stagger off a bit in a low grunt. Recharged with rage, Sasuke had responded in kind with a retaliated attack. “You are not in your right sense.” Sasuke almost hollered.

“So are you. Leave before I change my mind.” Itachi warned, seemingly switching his persona from a caring brother to the cold demeanour of the Uchiha king. Drawing a hidden dagger from his coat, Itachi charged towards Sasuke only to have it successfully blocked off by another dagger drawn out by Sasuke, who had failed to hide his surprise upon the sudden change of situation.

“You are opting for doom upon yourself, Itachi. Why?” Knowing the thinning space of negotiation between himself and his brother, Sasuke ignored the need of concealment and had instead chosen a more direct approach in his words in a call of desperation to reach his brother’s slipping sanity.

Though he was once again met with silence to his query as they continue to clash with their daggers clenched hard in their hands. Coming across a short disadvantage from Sasuke’s side, Itachi went in for a concluding strike and disarmed Sasuke from his dagger as he fell flat on his back. Raising his dagger towards Sasuke’s throat in a threatening manner with his knee pinned on the prince’s abdomen, Itachi leaned closer to convey a clear message while maintaining Sasuke’s heated glare.

“There is no need for me to repeat myself. Heed my words and leave at once, Sasuke.”

Riled up by the turn of events in their fight and along with his brother’s unbudging mindset, Sasuke jerked away from Itachi’s hold and responded with a move that pushed himself out of the detained hold. Escalating the intensity of their clash, the brothers came to utilise their eye prowess to further predict one another’s movements in order to emerge victorious over the other.

Everything held familiar similarities as much as stark contrasts to their previous practice spars back in the days of relative peace prior to the isolated massacre forced upon their clan. Plaguing the brothers’ minds were none other than the despised hatred towards such destructive outcome and much to Sasuke’s concealed fear, he felt himself dragged into another cycle of the said change and felt his world collapsing into another unfathomable future where he could hardly imagine himself living in.

Itachi would continue his best to hold onto his reign of power over a kingdom that threatened to be undone by those he chose to trust without much of a heavy concern, a decision he seemed to be dead set on. Regardless of how much Sasuke had put his mind into thinking the possibility that will soon become the new reality, he had numerously failed to see himself there with his brother as they did now. It almost felt as if their current battle would result into the brothers parting ways into the future either way and that had brought forth his tamed fear. And it was from such careless yet overwhelming thought alone that had opened up Sasuke’s defence for Itachi to gain the upper hand.

It had not taken Sasuke long to realise himself to have fallen prey to Itachi’s manipulation upon his thoughts. Letting out an anguish shout while hastily breaking away from his brother’s line of sight despite being too late, Sasuke was swarmed by another wave of pain across his head from receiving the mental distortion induced by Itachi’s attack as his mind dived into incoherence.

All thoughts formed were in a battle of paradox as he came to a sudden acceptance upon abandoning his brother and their collapsing home for the sake of his own safe retreat as he struggled to arm all of his willpower to discard these newly formed thoughts. Fighting a losing battle within his own head, he had resorted into wondering upon the place he could turn to once he was forced to leave the home he had lived in all his life. Despair had not made his battle easy as Sasuke continue to descend from the fight against contradicting thoughts that had not cease to emerge.

In an escape space at the back of his head, Sasuke’s mind began to wander on their own as he blinked his overused crimson-dyed eyes in a losing attempt of keeping his consciousness from fading in the cold night. For unknown reasons, his memory reverted to the day of witnessing Sakura’s breakdown upon the sight of lanterns in tribute of her lost life and he remembered himself wondering if it was just as painful. It appeared that he had earned himself an answer to such query as complete darkness substituted his failing sight. Giving up upon his closing eyelids, blood-filled desperate tears dropped freely across his face before his legs gave way to the ground beneath him.

As if the distortion had not done much damage, Sasuke felt a sharp stab from the left side of his upper body but could not manage to pinpoint its exact spot or the fatality caused. The thought of receiving it from his brother was enough to disarm all of his hope hence he came to a quick assumption that it was his heart that was aimed at.

‘Itachi.’ Was his final coherent thought before each that existed in his head betrayed him into submission as pain began to spread through the remnants of his consciousness.

‘Follow the light.’ Were the words that resonated in reply.

Finding no strength and determination left in him, Sasuke willingly submitted his senses to the darkness that claimed.

A whirlwind of confusion entered the bleakness of her mind in the form of distant voices. Some came from the distorted images that refused to leave while others seemed strange when they first reached her. In a frustratingly slow yet steady pace of grasping for her unclear memories had her recalling them piece by piece. As if only gaining control of herself after what felt like a long slumber, Sakura finally opened her eyes in a continuous struggle of lifting her heavy eyelids to break away from the images that attempted to lull her back to her sleep.

“Sakura?” She made sense of the first word she heard and took a second longer than usual to recognise her own name being called out.

Fisting her hands into solidifying herself into a fully awakened state, her eyesight was no longer clouded by fake memories as she made sense of the slight brightness. She came across the person who was seated next to her bed and it took lesser time for her to find his name in the expense of her slightly groggy mind. “Naruto?”

“Sakura, you’re really awake! Hold on, I’m getting Ino.”

Placing a hand to her dizzy head as she tried to sit up on her bed, her eyes followed Naruto out the door before observing her surroundings. Overwhelmed by the longing familiarity of the infirmary she spent most of her time since she became a medic, her eyes were welling in tears as she reached out to the wooden counter next to her and instinctively traced its carved surface. Everything felt real though her mind had trouble of fully accepting it, for she could be taken to another dream constructed purely of the desires that resided in her memories.

“Sakura!” Ino almost exclaimed once she saw her from the infirmary’s entrance. Being slightly spacious than Karin’s infirmary counterpart, her voice had easily resonated against the walls and caused Sakura to break away from her reverie. “You are awake! You had no idea how stumped we were when you had refused to show any progress since arriving.” Ino pulled her into a tearful hug while Sakura held onto the other medic just as tightly as she was in.

Once the union ceased from the exchange of sorrows, the two break into a fit of joyful laughter in a full display of happiness while Naruto just comprehended with the quick shifts of emotions from the side line. “I was not dreaming at the moment, I hope.”

Ino shook her head in utter disapproval. “I would gladly physically shake you into awake if you were not in your current state.”

Retrieving her medical kit, she took Naruto’s place beside Sakura’s bed and began inspecting. “I was not joking when I said you had everyone worried sick through your negative feedbacks, Sakura. I don’t know what happened to you, but it must have impacted you a lot judging by your concussion-like symptoms.”

She paused a little to keep her tools away once done. “Nothing serious safe for exhaustion and slightly old injuries on your side though those would be my lesser worry. I tried to pinpoint possible head traumas but found none even after a thorough check-up with the others’ help as well. Hence, I could only deduce that your symptoms had not been a result of physical injuries of sorts but instead, something inflicted to one’s mind.” Ino relayed precisely and turned to look at Sakura in all seriousness. “Were you mentally inflicted by him not too long ago, Sakura?”

Her brows furrowed upon recovering her latest memory, Sakura shook her head firmly. “Nothing of that sort,” earning a critically suspicious look from Ino, Sakura continued with a more detailed explanation for her words. “None that supposedly meant to hurt me in such way, at least. That, I was sure of.”

Raising a suspicious eyebrow momentarily before leaving the stool, she shrugged. “Alright, then.” She then paused for effect. “Now that you have returned, there is no need to be afraid to speak of the truth because I would gladly help to deliver a sufficient punishment to the wrongdoer while he is here.”

Catching on with Ino’s careless statement twice, Sakura sat up straighter. “He?”

“Sasuke is next door.” Naruto informed right away, inducing shock from Sakura.

“I don’t understand.” Sakura closed her eyes briefly to renew her incoming query. “Is he fine?”

“I would be more concerned of myself if I were you, Sakura. Compared to you, it had not taken him too long to come to consciousness.” Ino added, still bearing dissatisfaction upon the person in topic.

“Just how long had I been unconscious?” Sakura finally asked.

“3 days.” Ino and Naruto answered simultaneously.

Sakura’s eyes widen in shock. “It had been that long?”

Ino nodded. “Naruto would fill you in on the recent events because as much as I would love to further interrogate you in pinpointing the wrongdoer of your condition, I will need to excuse myself early to finish up my remaining medic duties. Directly inform me if you had felt any discomfort and Naruto, be alert of any signs, alright?” The blonde medic passed Naruto a stern glance upon the statement before continuing down the infirmary door. Pausing her forward steps momentarily, Ino turned towards Sakura. “Above all, I am glad that you have safely returned, Sakura.”

“Me too.” Sakura admitted with a grateful smile.

Shifting her attention towards Naruto, Sakura heaved a light sigh. She can only hope that everyone was doing fine here, though witnessing the aftermath of countless battles had inevitably prepared her for the possibility of horrible scenarios. Looking back at Naruto without a word and only smiled, the Senju prince replied her with the warmth that all had come to know him for though it was slightly dimmed by a look of regret.

“How are you?” She broke the ice, a little uncertain of how the other had felt after a reminder of their last meeting.

Mirroring her prior action, Naruto released a much longer uncharacteristic sigh. “Sakura, what happened then, I-”

Knowing his course of words next, Sakura cut off his self-blame. “Naruto, those were all in the past. Nobody knew how anything would turn out each and every time we are to expose ourselves to a possible clash.”

“I have been living in guilt since then. This would not bring anything into justice but I still owe you my deepest apology, Sakura. To have you taken under my watch was just unacceptable.”

“Even so, I have proved myself to be fine now. So, please don’t blame yourself on what happened then and let’s not dwell into it, shall we?” Still unconvinced by Sakura, she continued her way of dismissing the tensed air. “My parents would never a doubt shocked to see the return of their supposedly dead daughter don’t you think?” Sakura gave off a small laugh of disbelief as her mind finally allowed herself to feel the heavy longingness towards her parents.

“Regarding that, Sakura, you must have noticed the lanterns that night?”

Sakura’s gaze remained low as she nodded to the question.

“We truly thought that you were gone.” She raised her line of sight to meet Naruto’s. “Safe for me, I suppose, because I would refuse to believe anything that lacks a solid proof. It was both terrifying and comforting to not be presented with such proof back then, in all honesty.”

There was a short silence passed between them, for their surroundings had once again fallen into a state of distress. Sakura had too, lost her way of words over the recurring memory of herself breaking down that same night. A part of her had almost guessed that Naruto would have thrown a fit over matters like this.

“I had insisted on a search, but since my status had not deemed myself fit for such action, I had even intended to step away from it.” Sakura gaped slightly at her almost precise thoughts and the absurdity behind his decision. “And that’s when I earn a good hit on my head by the queen for speaking nonsense.” He rubbed the back of his head much to Sakura’s amusement.

“Though I doubt that had dimmed out your determination.” Sakura made her guess audible this time into which was confirmed to be right again by Naruto’s continuation.

“True enough, it did not. My actions had even led to dire consequences that truly angered Lady Tsunade. But her highness had eventually convinced me to stop trying not too long after that incident.” Naruto conveyed truthfully. “She received the message that you are alive and is ensured to be safe in Uchiha. I would like to provide you with more details but I had only known that much and that alone was enough for me.”

“Thank you.” Were the only words that came from Sakura for there were not enough to express her gratitude over Naruto’s effort.

Naruto only brushed it off with a smile. “I wish there was more that can be done.”

“Speaking of that, what exactly did you do to earn Lady Tsunade’s anger?” The queen was not known to be the most patient person but there must be a solid reason behind her strictness, something Sakura had similarly known all too well since becoming her medical protégé.

Naruto hesitated, as if reluctant to reveal something that he regretted greatly or embarrassed, even. “I… Went head-first towards Sasuke and demanded an answer.”

“You did what?”

“I admit that I was not in the clearest state of mind back then hence I had blamed him and his kingdom over the raid.”

Sakura sighed, gave her thoughts a quick consideration before speaking. “It was not his people’s doing, Naruto.”

“Yes, I have learned that then.” His words surprised Sakura. “He conveyed that message despite indirectly.”

“The two of you had spoken?” The two rivalling princes’ occasional clashes had not been unknown to her though it would be her first time hearing the two talking to one another.

“It happened a few times now. Our old ways of fighting each other at sight appeared to take a drastic change since last summer. I am guessing he never told you of our encounters while you were there?” Naruto turned a curious look over Sakura.

“No, he did not.” As cold as Sasuke’s decision appeared to her, she could note the logical reasoning behind it. “Ino relayed that he was awake earlier than I did?”

“Yes but,” he paused and she sensed that he was trying to piece out the right way to continue his paused statement. “His eyesight was still under close care.”

Alerted by such reality, Sakura sat up straighter. “What happened to them?”

“From what I heard from Ino and Hinata, it was the case of severe over-usage. They are still working on healing his eyes under Lady Tsunade’s guidance.”

Hearing that, she was partially relieved from the concern that refused to leave her despite remembering his rejection in her clearer mind now.

Naruto continued after noting Sakura engaged in a deep thought upon Sasuke’s condition. “There was a stab on the left side of his chest, but it had not injured him in a way as serious as it might have sounded.”

Sakura could only sighed in relief upon Naruto assurance and understanding his previous context all too well, these details were enough for her at the moment despite fully aware of the piling unanswered question that emerged in her recovering mind.

Chapter Text

Return

It almost felt absurd to still carry on such thought given his current situation but he could almost feel the same intent coming from his brother’s words.

The reunion with her parents and the queen herself had taken place on the same wing of the palace once Sakura regained sufficient energy later that day. Similar to the exchange with Ino, it went from tearful joys to gratitude within a short stretch of time before it all turned into a more serious discussion in regards of Sakura’s safety. It was in the name of such purpose had Tsunade needing Sakura to remain her stay within the castle as well as maintaining her previous status from the public, as agreed unanimously by her parents and herself despite the fact where they would be temporarily separated from one another for the greater good of all.

Once they were left alone, Sakura got over her hesitation of asking the queen, whom she had grown closer as her medical mentor of years, in regards of Sasuke. Though much to her anticipated pessimistic reaction from Tsunade, she had responded kindly in relaying her the details of his condition and briefly on the current status of the clash between the two kingdoms since her retrieval. As if sensing her incoming queries and worry that came with it, the queen placed a hand on Sakura’s shoulders to assure her that everything was under control and that her top priority was to fully recover her own health. Giving her mentor a firm nod and an understanding smile, Sakura excused herself to return to the infirmary. Effortlessly reading her line of thoughts once again, the queen relayed her permission for patient-visiting in a rather nonchalant manner. Confused and then surprised by the statement, Tsunade gave Sakura another pat on the shoulder before leaving for her duties.

Returning from the brief reunion had her walking past a hallway of identical doors just to get to the infirmary that was located at the far end of the wing. Exercising her memory, Sakura counted and recited the purpose of each passing room as she stared down at her boots-cladded feet, her mind multitasked into working on another series of thoughts altogether. It had become an unnoticed habit of hers to trace her fingers across the imprints of the ring that still hung loyally around her neck, with its word etched at the back of her head since her close observation.

Inhaling deeply, Sakura stopped at the second door before the last and turned to face it. She gave a quick glance towards the nearest glass window and note its darkness. Hesitating her decision in a split second over the unlikely hours of intervening one’s sleep at the moment, she pushed past the doubt in response to the heightening worry. The pain inflicted by his illusion had not ceased its effect on her though she chose to face it still, even if it meant that she could only see him from a short distance for now. There had not been a proper plan set when Sakura placed her hand on the door knob and proceeded with entering the room occupied by the injured Uchiha prince.

The door creaked with the slightest sound and she knew that Sasuke must have caught the sign of one’s entrance into the room. Maintaining her soft steps as she proceeded into its centre, Sakura approached the resting figure. Upon witnessing his blindfolded eyes and the thick bandage that ran across his upper body, her heart sunk in a way that still felt too heavy for her to bear each and every moment she saw him injured. Caught up by the sudden movement of the prince in reaching out for a glass of water atop the counter next to him, Sakura observed in silence until the glass slipped off the counter and threatened to shatter on the ground unless intercepted. And she did save the ware from such fate, only to have another hand reached out precisely on her wrist.

“Who are you?”

Struck by a sense of déjà vu, Sakura began to speak. “It’s me, Sa-”

“Sakura?” Sasuke called out before she could reveal her own name, partly surprised by his precise guess only within the mere words from her. “You are awake?”

Caught up by another unexpected turn, Sakura delayed a few moments in silence. “Yes, not too long ago.”

Finally releasing his hold from her outstretched wrist, Sasuke pushed himself to sit up properly against the headrest of his bed with Sakura watching him closely out of concern. Noting the natural movements and his apparent familiarity to his surroundings despite new, she came to a conclusion that he was trying to pinpoint the identity of the person who entered the room. Dropping the glass had not been accidental to begin with and her attempt of catching it had proved herself to be an ally instead of an ambushing foe. It took her a while to remind herself that he had come to his consciousness days before her own and must have seized any given chance in getting to know everything around him, especially in a kingdom that was known to be a rival to his home.

Despite the calm façade bore by Sasuke, Sakura was relayed by Naruto on the Uchiha prince’s restlessness when he had first come to his senses, along with the short-lived havoc that ensued before it all fell into the current state of calm appearance. When asked for the reason behind the quick shift, Naruto’s answer was just as equally confused.

“Lady Tsunade had taken care of the situation all by herself. All of us had initially thought that he had sent Sasuke into another state of unconsciousness upon entering the room, but he was unharmed.” Had been his comical reply, considering the queen’s occasional brute force preference.

“How are you feeling?” Caught in the silence of pondering over her thoughts yet again, Sakura chastised herself over the absence of her typical alertness since waking up and she wondered if it had been an effect caused by her strange reoccurring nightmares or the long rest she was forced into due to the same reason.

“I’m fine. Well rested, I hope.” She answered accordingly, feeling the absurdity over the fact that a more severely-looking Sasuke had been the first to ask her the question between the two of them. Settling upon the stool beside the bed, she continued. “And you?”

“Fine as well.” They fell into another course of silence again though it seemed as if both were tugged by a similar thought and was uncertain of a preferable way to address it. “Sakura, back then,”

This time, Sakura had successfully intervened his words both for the sake of excusing him and saving the pride she had left from the unlikely confession where they last spoken to one another. “About that, please don’t pester your thoughts with it, Sasuke. It was,” she paused, trying to find a way to pinpoint what she wanted to say in the utmost precise way while Sasuke tensed in anticipating her to continue. “Very rash of me to have said such thing in such an inappropriate moment. I’m so-”

“Please don’t apologise.”

“No Sasuke, I owe it to you. It was an unnecessary hindrance to begin with and it was very immature of me.” She managed a painful smile and shook her head, despite having no one seeing her actions. Deeming the lack of protesting response from the other, she took it as a cue to continue. “That matter aside, the turn of events must have raised concern in yourself but worry not. You will be safe during your stay here.”

Sakura navigated the topic into one of more relevance to their situation, giving a cast around the room in an attempt of viewing everything from Sasuke’s stance though it had been effortless from her side given her previous experience. It felt awful and it must have been the same for him. She would have provided him with more information though she had been grasping for the brewing storm herself at the moment and it was always wise to not speak of something uncertain unless confirmed.

Sasuke remained in a passive state throughout the length of Sakura’s yet another round of pondering, and it worked as an understandable exchange between the two amidst tackling the lingering topic that left both in an unspoken deep impression. Pushing her thoughts aside once more, Sakura’s attention was drawn back to the ring necklace that she had been holding on since addressing the unavoidable matter towards possibly the last person she wanted to talk to due to all known logical reasons. Coming to a swift yet certain decision, she slipped off the necklace from her neck and bundled the chain and the ring within her hold.

“Unlike you, I don’t really hold any significant power to determine your safety, as you did for mine back then. But I have entrusted my faith towards my home and as you had secured my life all this time, I will ensure your full recovery.” She promised and reached out for Sasuke’s hand, easily causing his fist to untangle with the slightest touch. “I could come to understand that nothing would ease the wariness of being stranded in an unfamiliar land while the future continues to remain uncertain. I have felt such hopelessness before but thanks to you, I was able to gather my strength upon the chances given in each passing day and up until this very moment.” She smiled to herself again, their joined hands tightened almost instinctively.

“There was not much I could offer but the hope of gaining a part of such trust from you during your stay. And with that being said,” she untangled his hold once more and placed the necklace on his palm before clasping her hand to his, with the necklace in between. “It would only be fair for me to return this to you now, in a sense where you could keep a piece of something that meant the world to you. It has been an honour.” She finally exhaled, trying to get rid of the overwhelming emotions that threatened to spill for it had come solely from her heart and she found herself failing to conceal such display in each passing moment.

While it felt as if a significant amount of burden had lifted off her shoulders, returning the ring necklace back to its owner felt like a reminder to herself of her delusional confession and that alone contributed greatly to the heartache that had never been a part of her conscious control. Far from the intent of wishing him ill, she was momentarily grateful of Sasuke’s absent sight for being able to conceal her current state that she had thought to be pathetic-looking. Swallowing the lump in her throat for the sake of maintaining the intonation of her voice, she took another deep breath in utter silence.

“I think I have overstayed my presence here at this unlikely hour.” Sakura stood up to excuse herself without much of a delay though she was stopped again by Sasuke’s precise reach towards her leaving hand.

“Thank you.” He finally said after an unnatural pause between them.

Still struggling to control her breathing despite the sole rebellious tear that streamed across her cheek, she raised another hand to wipe it off before replying in a steady voice. “You too. Please rest well.”

Giving an assuring squeeze that lasted longer than any simple exchange would, they broke off from one another’s hold as Sakura proceeded directly out of the room and make her way into the infirmary. She had barely walked a few steps from the locked door behind her when she crouched to brace a full-fledged emotional breakdown. When she had decided to face the much dreaded need to sleep for the remaining hours before sunrise after, her recurring nightmares had strangely disappeared in its entirety.

As opposed to Sakura, Sasuke laid awake since her leave. His hand still clasped firmly upon the piece of returned jewellery as his thoughts evolved around her more than ever. It was not his initial intention to reach out for her hand without a reply in mind, though he found none that could express his thoughts safe for the unspoken meaning behind the uttered ‘thank you’, which he doubted to have deciphered by her properly given his poor attempt in speech or lack thereof. Paving a way with words had never been his strongest suit to begin with and it raised a strange sense of desiring his thoughts to be conveyed truthfully someday, when things could come to an acceptable level of certainty.

Once the echoes of the closing doors ceased and the room had once again returned to its silent state, Sasuke allowed himself to heave a long sigh. Nothing much was doable due to the condition of his sight despite the restlessness that resided in his nerves. It had even slipped with the built-up anger when he had first come into consciousness in the Senju kingdom and while he was known for his exceptional combative skills in the battlefield, he was obviously disadvantaged by his accumulated injuries. As if feeling another strike across his chest, Sasuke reached his unoccupied hand towards the bandaged wound on his left upper body.

Itachi had truly made himself clear of steering Sasuke away from their home during their clash, and reluctantly, the younger Uchiha was still struggling for a reason to accept such decision from his brother’s side. For fighting the internal enemies within their kingdom alone will only lead to one’s doom. It all felt unlikely in the name of the promise they kept to one another since the demise of their clansmen. Trust had never been a matter of concern between them regardless of their skills or even the ruling authority that governed the kingdom. Hence, everything had fallen into a state of inescapable paradox and true to what Sakura expressed, the future truly seemed to be uncertain.

Dwelling back to the remnants of thoughts from his lost battle with Itachi, Sasuke willingly focused on his brother’s words. As if those warnings had not been sufficient, they were repeated relentlessly into his head through the illusion he was trapped in. Sasuke was openly haunted by a repetition of reality while Sakura, on the other hand, was placed in one that was constructed purely out of hopes and desires. Both skills were able to be utilised in full by those who wield the clan’s eye prowess, though there seemed to be a hidden intent behind the choice of illusion placed on those who had fallen prey for it. Following the unlikely path trailed by his brother, it had been unlikely for Itachi to have left out the chance to utilise one of his strengths.

Easing himself into a lying position, he dived back into the plaguing memories. There was something that unendingly annoyed him in his brother’s words where he had first thought it all to have come from his anger towards him. Though after disregarding all emotions and scrutinising it once again left him in an almost similar impression. Out of pure memorisation, he recited one word after another to decipher the source of it.

“Sasuke.” He spoke out amidst the stillness of the room, coming into a sudden realisation that came with his name.

There was an obvious strangeness to how often his brother had uttered his name in relaying his warnings. Catching on to a new direction of thoughts, Sasuke gathered sentences that had ended with his name from their previous clash in the hopes of gaining something that he might have missed out before.

“The kingdom will not be able to stand on its own without any form of trust built.”

“Change has to be done.”

“Your capability alone is not enough.”

Sasuke recalled each word properly and was taken aback by how differently it had sounded now that they were pieced together. Greatly unsettled by what his brother had indirectly conveyed, he continued down his memory.

“Heed my words and leave at once, Sasuke.”

His shoulders tensed upon recalling those words, disregarding the pain that came from his wound upon the careless movement. Unable to fight off the reducing effect of the medicine that numbed his pain for the last few hours, Sasuke fell back to only clutching his occupied hand out of anger directed none other than himself. As much as it was a relief to discern his brother’s care towards him, it had become a painful reminder of his inability to act. Heaving another frustrated sigh over the helplessness that suddenly washed over him as Itachi chose to carry the weight of the crumbling kingdom by himself, he inhaled deeply to rid of the useless thoughts and channelled his focus behind his brother’s course of actions instead.

It was not unknown to him that Itachi had harboured a hope of reaching peace for the sake of his people, something Sasuke had not given much of a thought on due to the anger from the past that was still alive and burning in him. His sole purpose had been to assist his brother into rising from their clan’s fallen grace and prove their capabilities to the world that once betrayed them. Along with that, he had openly hold onto the reluctance of turning a blind eye towards the possibilities of other truths that may oppose his beliefs. But as Itachi had said, change has to take place and it was needless to further solidify the logic behind such crucial move with the chain of events that took place for the last few months.

Deep down, Sasuke admitted that Sakura had allowed him to catch a glimpse of pursuing his brother’s dream, something she had been hoping from the bottom of her heart as well, though that had not been all. He had moved past wondering on the vast possibilities held by the once uncertain future into anticipating a path that will eventually lead there. It almost felt absurd to still carry on such thought given his current situation but he could almost feel the same intent coming from his brother’s words. Apart from the gradual change in his view, a drastic measure has to be taken and it appeared that Itachi had pushed him towards a direction of his hope without much of a warning.

‘Follow the light.’

It was a foreshadow on Itachi’s side if Sasuke was to pair it with Senju’s known alias of bearing the light while his kingdom was accustomed to being its shadow. From days of receiving treatments, he had tried to sense any danger coming from those who wandered around him while his sight was still recovering, though could hardly find any. Of course, those people had not interacted warmly towards him either but the mutual understanding in the silence that lingered after the ruckus he caused was all he ever needed to rearrange his distraught mind. Breaking away from his brother’s induced illusion had not been easy to begin with, though Sasuke would owe such efficiency to his previous relentless training with his brother.

Sasuke released a ragged breath upon shifting his lying position in favour of the pain that returned on his left chest, though it had not been as intense as when he first came to consciousness. He had a belief where trainings could help to quicken his recovery much to the medics’ dismay, though he had to give it up at the moment. Mainly caring for his wound’s treatment in the passing days had been nothing but a slow torture, especially when his sight had been taken under the same care as well. Recovering his sight would be his first priority and with such clear goal in mind, he had begun self-healing his eyes since the second day, another practice only known by his clan.

Only when he had gotten a good view of his surroundings could he decide his incoming steps in consideration of trusting the Senju kingdom.

Chapter Text

Regain

The growing concern on the chain of events occurred on the other side of the land raised above anything else.

The first person that greeted Ino upon her daily morning visit to the infirmary that day was Sakura, who appeared well rested despite only sleeping at dawn. All ready to fully dive into her duties as well as learning more about the current progress of her home since her leave, Sakura had to undergo Ino’s tight scrutiny in regards of her health though was deemed to be as fit as she could be, a pleasing result from the previous days’ worth of sleep. On a more serious thought, Sakura voiced out her concern on the others’ perception of her return, if they had linked her to possible betrayals of sorts especially when she was supposed to be deceased to the public.

“Nonsense.” Ino shot Sakura a credulous look while repacking her medical kit on a nearby counter. “Knowing that you had safely returned, regardless of what was made to believe previously, it was evident that everyone was happy and grateful upon hearing the news.” She even ensured that only their close circle had caught up with it while maintaining its confidentiality in a serious manner.

“And you knew of my survival in the Uchiha kingdom?” Sakura queried, wondering the extent of the outdated information.

Ino gave Sakura a slow nod. “Naruto lashed out not too long after you were taken, but I bet he told you everything.” She paused momentarily as annoyance took over her features. “I was next in aiming for something just as drastic.” Ino relayed reluctantly.

Conflicted between the gratitude over her comrades’ protectiveness as well as terror of walking down the path of its terrible consequences, Sakura suppressed a sigh and responded. “Those actions, if combined and taken seriously by the other side, it might have,”

“Started a war? True, I am not denying such reality because your situation was a trigger point for such actions, Sakura. And yes, we were that close.” Ino leant against the closest wall and crossed her arms with a huffed breath.

“But Lady Tsunade stopped me in an incredibly precise timing. When she relayed to both me and Naruto that you are alive in the enemy’s territory and we should keep all traces of discontentment to ourselves for your sake, everything just felt dreadful. There was another matter of handling an unseen threat at play, something Lady Tsunade assumed to have benefitted from Senju and Uchiha’s rift.

Nothing about that has been confirmed so far but Naruto was quick to adapt with proceeding everything in silence and even made peace with the Uchiha prince, I suppose. While myself, of course, had not been so easy-going to begin with. Which makes me glad until this very day that he was the next in line for the throne instead of me.”

Sakura almost laughed at that but maintained a neutral ground with a smile in a self-reminder of avoiding an earful from one of her most trusted friends. “I do miss everyone, though I had been doubtful for a visit.” She spoke out truthfully.

“If you are feeling well enough, do visit the main infirmary. Almost everyone was stationed there if not tasked with either patrolling or medical duties at site. It is easier to relay the latest news to everyone, Lady Tsunade decided.” Ino offered.

“Speaking of the infirmary, had there been severe injured counts in utilising it at all times?”

The two casted out the nearby window in observing the busy movements that centred about the said secluded building not too far away. Naruto had filled her in with the previous active attacks on medic camps and Sakura figured that all those considerations had led to the current decision of gathering behind the safety of the castle walls.

“Not in an alarming number as you had thought. But there were a few cases that required close inspections and further researches due to its uncertain condition.” Ino heaved an exasperated sigh and tugged the loose fringes of her hair out of habit. Catching Sakura’s questioning stare, she continued right away. “It was Neji. His health has neither improved nor deteriorate, thankfully on the latter, since he was attacked months ago.”

As if her mind regained a cruel memory, Sakura’s brows wrinkled deeply. “Hadn’t that dated back to the night when I was captured?”

“Yes, since then. It was undoubtedly the most concerning matter for everyone here. He seemed to have recovered shortly but experienced a relapse after enduring exhaustion from another medic camp attack. And if you happen to wonder, yes, it was the same as the one where Naruto had armed his rashness in attacking the Uchiha prince at sight.”

Sakura nodded tentatively, roughly calculating the gap of both events in her head. “There was not much cooling period in between them.”

“Yes. Hence, the exhaustion had resulted from Neji’s fierce defence since most of us were similarly recovering. Lady Tsunade had summoned a few of her generals back to the castle during that period and synchronously reduced the number of soldiers that overlooked some of the kingdom’s borders, specifically those that were near the Sands’ region. An exchange was made with Gaara in regards of this matter and he agreed to aid us if an attack is to take place by our bordering lands.”

“That was a relief to hear, at least. Neji, on the other hand,” Sakura trailed off in a worried tone.

“We will try our best to figure it out. Cease your worries.” Ino offered a smile.

Giving Ino a firm nod, Sakura broke her gaze from the window and proceeded to pack her things on the counter.

“You’re leaving soon?” Ino queried in surprise while Sakura gave her a nod. “Where to?”

Fastening the satchel along her belt, she replied. “I was thinking of dropping by Lady Tsunade’s office before heading to the main infirmary. I believe you have other commitments this morning as well?” Sakura eyed over the paper documents Ino left on the table upon visiting only to hear her sighing loudly.

“I can only hope to catch up with you later on then.” She grumbled and Sakura chuckled, fully aware of the lack of a full-length conversation with Ino since her return but both had grown past their rebellious old selves that would sneak in between gaps of time to catch on gossips.

“Good luck then.” Sakura flashed a playful sympathetic remark as a lengthy grunt echoed the room.

Sakura counted her steps to keep her anxiousness at bay, eyes taking in the slightest change she could note in her surroundings as a part of a steady distraction to her ever-working mind. One conversational strategy shifted to another before she ultimately come to an acceptance of relaying everything in plain truth instead. Though it had not at all ease her nerves once she made it to the queen’s working quarters. Before her was the majestic yet intimidating double doors that she had known all her life, where it marked the beginning of her pattern-tracing habit upon any intricate door design that potentially hold stories. Unlike the one she interpreted in the Uchiha kingdom, these doors were carved mainly out the kingdom’s ancient map. Hence, it displayed the Land of Fire prior to the division of the Senju and Uchiha kingdoms.

Inhaling deeply in a desperate attempt of calming her nerves before knocking the door through its fox-shaped metal handle, its leaf moved from an inwards pull before she could proceed. Coming to recognise the person that walked out of the room despite years since their intensive training, Sakura beamed instantly at the sight of her sparring tutor.

“General Kakashi?”

“Hello, Sakura. It’s been a while.” The masked general’s smile was clearly expressed through his eyes. “How have you been recovering?”

“All fine. I hope you are well too?”

He nodded. “Are you going to meet up with Lady Tsunade?”

“Yes, is she available?” Sakura asked, all her previous worries returned abruptly.

“She seems to be expecting you today, in the morning, to be precise. And her intuition was right all along.” Kakashi pondered out loud while holding the door for Sakura to enter. “Go along, then. Don’t let me delay you.”

Thanking her tutor with a bow of her head, Sakura turned back once more for another query but was saved from that attempt through Kakashi’s understanding. “I will be around for quite some time now that I am one of the officers in-charge of overlooking the castle. I am not leaving for the borders anytime soon.”

Exchanging smiles as the door closed behind them, Sakura exhaled upon recalling the times when she and Naruto would constantly pester their tutor over controversial inquiries in relation to the war-torn lands. With the numerous clues that remain vague since she first discovered them, she would need to gain more information in order to understand them regardless of how small it may pose to the enemy’s actual planning. Though the same concern remained in her mind and it was none other than the potential betrayal of both sides upon revealing any part of her learnt knowledge.

Discarding the need to be twice as careful as she was in a stranger kingdom and along with the lack of an option in tackling this topic, Sakura decided to just take a bold step forward this time around. Heaving another breath before entering the queen’s main room, she knocked on the wooden door three times before effectively gaining her medical mentor’s attention.

“Sakura, as expected.” Tsunade smiled at Sakura and gestured towards the seat opposing her crowded work table, different documents claimed its own space.

Ignoring the piling base, Tsunade added another stack of paper nonchalantly only to witness a few others losing its temporary structure and threatened to fall off if not for Sakura’s timely intervention. “Do you need a hand, master?”

“I appreciate the offer but even Shizune had given up the task of rearranging my table. Just leave it, it’s an impossible task.” Tsunade admitted with a sigh. “You must have questions in mind, I believe?” She mused in a small smirk, capable of reading her apprentice’s silence all too well.

Caught off-guard, Sakura pondered a bit before giving her mentor a defeated smile. In all honesty, she was unsure of her stance and yet what she was about to ask next could potentially heighten the suspicion towards her already fragile identity. Tsunade was aware of her doubt but trusted Sakura to overcome it all by herself and begin the first step of regaining her confidence.

“It is medical-related but at the same time it could be something sensitive to the tension between our kingdom and the Uchiha’s.” She let out all her words in a single breath. “I would fully understand your refusal of commenting such matter for the most obvious reasons as well, master. But I cannot help but to lay out my crucial thoughts to you despite how absurd I must have sounded.”

Going well against how Sakura had expected Tsunade would have reacted, the queen’s features had not betrayed anything close to anger or disbelief. “I have always trusted your insights, Sakura.” Tsunade assured before adding a crucial information in her next words. “Regarding the said tension, while there is yet to be a solid clarification done on both sides, I can assure you that we are no longer in an offensive stance towards the Uchiha kingdom.”

Hope flickered in her eyes as Sakura tried her best to note the logic behind Tsunade’s words instead of what she had hoped to be true. “A ceasefire?”

“Close.” Tsunade responded. “But it was still only within the range of knowledge of those who worked within the kingdom’s inner circle, as agreed by both sides in avoiding any part of this trade to be known publicly. For safety reasons, of course.” Noting Sakura’s speechlessness, Tsunade took on the cue to continue. “I would need to talk to Sasuke Uchiha before any of these could proceed towards a direction that we all hoped since the king had entrusted his brother with such crucial authority upon mutual agreement. Strange enough, he had not spared his own life a thought.”

Sakura’s sight dropped to the ground in an instant once the slight gratitude left with the queen’s latest statement. “Can I conclude that both kingdoms had come close to a truce then, master?”

“Yes, definitely that direction, given the right chances. But I cannot help but to notice that there seemed to be something that weight you down, still. Is everything alright?”

It would deem easier to strive for transparency in the name of medical, but now that she had found herself returning to the difficult path of balancing both her medic nature and the political consequences from the war, it made her ponder more. If she was to focus on the dire disease that had befallen Itachi to all other possibilities, it had thankfully made her head clear once more. Time would pose as a threat instead of the war if his condition was disregarded in a claimed greater cause.

“No.” Sakura trailed her words with a distressed exhale. Tsunade’s suspicion on Itachi’s unusual behaviour had been correct. “The Uchiha king was threatened by an untreated poison and his health has been deteriorating upon each induced attack. I did my best to pinpoint its cause in the hopes of coming up with an acceptable cure but it is impossible. At least, in the sense where I am incapable of figuring it out alone.”

“Untreated poison?” It would only mean that it was uncommon given Sakura’s vast exposure on any known source within the kingdom under her apprenticeship.

Sakura nodded upon his mentor’s query. “The closest deduction I could come across was a possible relation to the snakes’ poison but I can never be sure of that either.” She paused as Tsunade pondered to herself.

“Which was why Itachi had asked for a safe haven for his younger brother instead of forging a sturdier path that could ensure the whole kingdom’s safety despite the present chances. So that he could drag those who threaten his kingdom into its inevitable fall all by himself now that his life was hanging at the mercy of this poison while sparing his brother away from everything.” Tsunade’s brows furrowed in concentration, piecing out the details of proof where the other ruler had no other option available.

Getting up, she started for the window and stared across the horizon where the Uchiha castle stood. “Itachi intended to get rid of all of the enemy forces all by himself. And by the looks of it, he had begun drawing them to his side since the past few days.” There was a mild silence stretched in between. “Considering what you relayed to be the case, Sakura, Itachi had nothing to lose given his brother’s security here. I am beginning to worry if this was what he meant by ensuring the Land of Fire’s safety from the ghost forces through an unrevealed drastic measure coming from him.” She disclosed another part of the exchange made between the two rulers.

“That would mean another massacre, a total annihilation of the remaining Uchiha clansmen.” Sakura stated dreadfully, hands fisted out of frustration.

It was all for a greater good, a better future for those who survived and that all had included his brother’s as well. Though Sakura could not look past that decision due to the obvious selfishness of those who choose to only stand by and wait for such disaster to take place. As much as gambling a remarkably smaller number of men in a war that strived to save a larger population had sounded plausible in the ears of those who will benefit from it, one could not escape the fact where it was still regarded as exchanging innocent lives in return of others’ comfort. If everything had truly turned out to be such way in the end, then nothing was learnt from the dark history.

Catching Tsunade’s slight shake of head managed to alert Sakura out of her thoughts. “It all leads to a startlingly similar path if we are to maintain our silence in this matter. We cannot bear repeating the mistakes made in the past.” Coming to a wonder if her mentor had shared her take on this matter, Sakura only observed from afar. “It’s a second chance.” Tsunade said, almost in a whisper to herself.

Silence passed momentarily before Sakura gave out a response. “It could be an attempt to clear the Uchiha clan’s name by leading down the path of sacrifice.” Sakura responded as an afterthought. “There had been countless encounters with the ghost soldiers for the few past months and they were admittedly skilful in hand-to-hand combats. Bearing such awareness in mind, their identity would be an entirely different matter to scrutinise on for they blend quite well among the soldiers from both sides.”

She recalled the fallen soldiers that Sasuke had first identified to have belonged to Senju only for both of them to notice the presence of the familiar tattoo on their arms. If one was blinded by rage and lost all of their conscience in the times of battle, they would only note the men’s attire instead of the unobvious details. What came next would be none other than the need to avenge their fallen comrade despite the ambiguous identity of the imposters. It was a plain provoking act but a rather effective one.

“Indeed.” Tsunade admitted with a sigh. “Itachi had once relayed multiple attacks done on their medics, hence there was a drastic reduction of means for them to counter any poison-related attacks.”

“The medics,” Sakura pondered with a grimace before continuing. “They lack of a proper training.”

It was an understatement and Tsunade could note it directly from her tone. Most medics that opposed her there felt as if they were part of the ghost soldiers itself. Manipulating resources into poison-like medicines and continue their teaching to their apprentices, it held onto the potential of harming others more than healing them. Some, especially those who were noticeably younger than herself, seemed to be caught in an unseen web of deceit upon learning the preparation steps from the seniors they looked up upon. Sakura had given her best in correcting and guiding them during her stay in the camp while Karin was recuperating. But she had doubts that such influence would remain long, given the constant monitors from the senior medics.

Nothing was working in the favour of the Uchiha kingdom and that heavy reality could be felt easily between Tsunade and Sakura, even without any one of them stating out the thought in a direct manner. The queen’s lips pursed in utter disdain. Ranging from tackling the existence of ghost soldiers from within the army to the increased attacks targeting the medics, the mastermind behind the intricate construction of this chaos must have been satisfied by such milestone. Upon receiving Sakura’s insight, the growing concern on the chain of events occurred on the other side of the land raised above anything else.

True to what Sakura relayed, Tsunade had similarly acknowledged the difficulty of overcoming any of these challenges by oneself. And taking any additional moment to linger would further drag everything towards hopelessness. Agreeing Sakura’s request of an in-depth discussion with the medical team in relation to the unsolved poison, Tsunade had granted her the permission to participate in any countering progress against the emerging threat of the ghost soldiers. Grateful of her mentor’s support and trust, she promised her mentor frequent updates from her side before heading straight to the main infirmary to tackle on another matter in mind.

Chapter Text

Current

Caught up in her own world of thoughts, Sasuke’s worried stare towards Sakura had easily gone unnoticed by the latter.

Two days since returning to the infirmary tasks had allowed Sakura to gain a clearer view of her home’s current situation months after her leave. She took her time to scrutinise through the records of the previous attacks on medical camps while gaining insights from her comrades as she went through a few that appeared critical in her observation.

Most poisons encountered were similar to those utilised in the Uchiha kingdom with only a few that appeared new to her. Out of usual practice, Sakura had instantly taken in the recent knowledge from her fellow medics as well as the logic behind its discovered cure. Though above all, Neji’s condition had remained the largest concern among the medics and Sakura cannot help but to be trapped in the same dreadful dilemma. Despite so, undergoing countless trials in the past had forged a strong heart that dared one to tirelessly endure all challenges with a steadfast hope of overcoming each and every one of it. Hence, witnessing a similar determination from those around her became a sturdy comfort and support in facing it all together.

Having her mind steadily caught between thoughts of the current medical situation as well as the possible advances of the event related to the ghost soldiers, she had barely acknowledged Lee’s approach from the outskirts of the main infirmary early in the morning. Though what truly disrupted her focus would be the discern of the drastic shift in the surrounding air upon a spoken statement coming from Lee that she could not help but was uncertain of.

Their daily conversations had not been rare between them, for he was known to be the most optimistic between him and his other two teammates. And it was from such exchange had she note his anxiety involving Neji’s condition to be plainly visible especially when he verbalised the hopelessness that had been plaguing him towards her. Aware of the overwhelming toll shouldered by most, Sakura gave him words of support whenever the same concern arose. Though today seemed to be an exception to those.

Finally breaking away from the paper records in her hands to cast Lee a stunned look, Sakura voiced out her utter confusion. “Pardon me?”

There was another pause right after and Lee inhaled deeply before forming a repetition to his previous words. “I like you, Sakura.” The medic was filled with a heavy sense of surprise though she had not stopped Lee from continuing his words. “You have been working hard in helping Neji since your return and I cannot express enough gratitude for your effort, Sakura.

I know that now would be an unlikely situation for me speak up matters like this but these recent times had sharpened my focus on certain things that matter more in life apart from the continuous fight for the sake of our kingdom’s safety. Again, I know this is an unsuitable time for these things but I figured, there is no such thing as a perfect timing in the reality that we live in. Hence, I am going for it.”

Lee ended his full-fledged confession with a nervous smile, partly uncaring if his words were carried by the wind and to the nearby ears that tend to eavesdrop. Such possibility went through Sakura’s mind briefly before she could grasp on a suitable response towards Lee.

Mustering a kind smile towards him, she began to speak. “I am afraid I can’t reciprocate your feelings, Lee. You have always been a dependable comrade and akin of a brother to me growing up. And for that, thank you, for your truthful words.”

In all honesty, Sakura bore no exact thoughts on how Lee would react to her simple yet straight-forwarded response. Hence, she could only anticipate whatever that came next rather spontaneously. Though it all had not freed her from the anxiousness of dealing with something as unlikely as the current situation.

Releasing Sakura from the unwanted mental torment of strangeness, Lee nodded. “I understand. It had been my initial intent to make my feelings for you known. Thank you as well, for your truthful reply, Sakura. And worry not, I will continue to cherish the trust you have in me.” Flashing a slightly restrained signature grin of his, Sakura replied him with an encouraging smile.

Saving them from the awkwardness that came was a familiar voice that called out to Sakura in the distance. “There you are. I have been looking for you the whole morning, Sakura.” Ino sped up her pace towards the two from the castle’s direction and for the most obvious reasons, Sakura could sense exaggeration over such statement given the fact where Ino knew well of Sakura’s working habit centring none other than the main infirmary itself.

“Anything serious?” Sakura asked out of concern.

“Oh, nothing serious. Just here to update you on some matters of possible self-interest. Good morning, Lee.” She shrugged off her friend’s question and turned to the other for a greetings exchange, though Lee made no attempt to linger any longer as judged by the swift excuse of leaving for a sparring practice. “Good luck.” Ino called out in reply, a little too cheerful by Sakura’s judgement.

“What was that?” Sakura asked in narrowed eyes.

Ino raised an eyebrow in retort. “I suppose I was the one who should have asked you that, instead. What was that?” She gestured towards Lee’s retreating figure with a tilt of her head, both still keeping their voices low. “That confession came out of nowhere.”

“You heard?”

“There is no need to appear so surprised. I am sure I was not the only one who heard that within the radius.” Ino paused to cast a glance at their surroundings before throwing Sakura a smirk. “But to be fair, I cannot own all the credit. If it was not for a sharp glare from someone who had just recovered his sight from the balcony, I would not have been too curious on what may have caught one’s interest in viewing the main building from there.” As if on cue, the two switched their viewpoints towards the castle’s direction.

Only realising Ino’s implication had Sakura began asking. “Recovered sight? You mean,”

Ino nodded tentatively. “Sasuke Uchiha has fully recovered his sight two days ago. I would have told you sooner if you had not been so caught up with the endless monitors since stepping foot into the infirmary.” There was a hint of discontentment and worry towards the end of her reply.

“Good to hear that he is recovering well.”

Ino hummed in response to Sakura’s remark. “Well enough to meet up with the queen once his eyes bandage was completely removed. I heard that he had begun his daily training alongside Naruto and general Kakashi too.” That statement stirred a reaction from Sakura. “And speaking of a similar degree of determination, this was not the only message that I have for you today. The queen was not impressed by your relentless focus towards your medical responsibilities to the point of sleepless nights, Sakura. Master was worried.” Ino added the latter part out of the emphasis where Tsunade was speaking out of the care of a mentor and not in the authority of a queen.

Sakura inhaled deeply before forming a reply. “I can assure you, and master, that I am perfectly fine-”

“Not without a sufficient rest, Sakura, and you know how misleading minds could be when thrown into an intense routine.” Ino chided seriously.

Sakura grimaced upon the reminder of the similar words coming from Sasuke previously. “I will stop once I am done with something more,”

“Look,” Ino stood in between Sakura and the infirmary’s entrance, blocking the latter’s path of escaping the conversation. “I understand that what happened to Neji, and along with the matter that evolved around the Uchiha king, require our utter attention. Especially when time seems to restrain every progress and discovery made. But, I would like to similarly agree to master’s voiced concern. You need to take a break, Sakura.”

Knowing Ino’s stubbornness all too well as much as losing a steady stance in the argument, Sakura accepted the advice. “Noon.” Though not without a small compromise from the other side. “I will conclude my work by noon and return at night.”

“Tomorrow.” Ino corrected despite receiving a pointed glare from Sakura. “I am in-charge of the main infirmary from now on and until you return, I promise you that there will be progress regardless of how minimal it may be. No more arguments unless you genuinely doubt my ability in handling all this?” She challenged half-heartedly, earning a grunt from Sakura.

“Fine.”

All satisfied that her condition was met from their talk, Ino stepped aside with a smile.

Sasuke returned from his sparring routine not too long after the sunset. Having preferred his dinner in solitude, it was one of the peaceful times that allowed him to think quietly in his temporarily-claimed room. Relishing his anger and disappointment during his training session had fixed his spar partner to only either Naruto or Kakashi, for he defeated those who had lacked of seriousness. Blames of his background from his actions had easily broken out though was effectively resolved by Yamato, another one of the queen’s trusted men. And due to the same carelessness in his actions had it led to Sasuke’s left arm bandage to loosen and tainted by traces of blood from his healing injury.

Of course, he had not bothered too much to ask for help from the monitoring medics in the morning but he began to worry about possible infections if it was disregarded in utter carelessness. Pain was inescapable though he would very much opt to reduce more unnecessary attention towards him, especially due to an infection caused by none other than his own hard-headedness. Ego had Sasuke ultimately settled upon taking care of his dilemma all by himself despite the obvious lack of medical skills.

Leaving his room door ajar in a show of transparency to the eyes that may linger upon his every move, Sasuke proceeded to the counter near the balcony in the hopes of gaining insights on his incoming ordeal. He casted an involuntary stare towards the neighbouring main infirmary building while ridding of the post training exhaustion once done cleaning up. Removing his shirt before proceeding with undoing the stained bandages, Sasuke settled on a stool to observe his wounds in a quick glance. Feeling the weight of the partial hopelessness in his situation, he heaved an uncharacteristic deep sigh and stopped his actions momentarily. As soon as a series of knocking was heard, Sasuke concealed all possible clues of exhaustion from his features.

“Need a hand?”

Sasuke’s head turned towards the door in an instant upon the approach of the familiar voice that he had only caught glimpses from afar, all since his ring necklace was returned personally. Instead of expecting a stoic expression from her over their rough past exchanges in regards of their feelings, the intensity displayed by her subtle smile had not reduced.

“Sakura.” He spoke out after too long of a pause.

“Sasuke.” Her contagious smile appeared to brighten slightly, stunning Sasuke from his reach of words. “I apologise for interrupting your solitude, but I was wondering if you need a hand to redress your wounds?” Sakura offered amidst the silence.

“If you don’t mind helping me with it.” Sasuke could finally perceive the flow of the conversation.

Sakura shrugged lightly at it. “I don’t. Just stay where you are. I will retrieve my supplies and get back to you.”

True to her words, she had returned with her medical kit and her now longer hair pulled back. The silence that had once been their wordless haven in the previous encounters had taken a violent change into prompting either one of them to speak, and they could not help but to doubt on the supposed concluded strangeness between them upon the last time they met. While Sakura struggled internally with the lack of words as she began to deal with his injury, Sasuke became her saving grace to the ruthless thickening air.

“Will you be heading towards the infirmary again later?”

Perked up by Sasuke’s kind gesture of beginning a light conversation, Sakura shook her head. “No, I had just returned and was forbidden from there when the night falls.”

“Overstayed due to handling tasks?”

Caught in a surprise over his precise guess, Sakura paused amidst her actions to meet his eyes before continuing her actions with a guilty smile. “Old habits die hard, I suppose.” Done applying layers of ointment to his wounds, she reached for the fresh roll of bandage from the medical kit. “Training went well, I assume?”

Though unlike her counterpart, the question seemed to pose him with a slight difficulty in coming up with a quick answer due to a fight that almost break out between him and Lee after an intense sparring session. Finding a sense of reluctance in relaying Sakura with the details, he eventually settled with a grunt-like response.

Overlooking his body language, she decided to take on the cue with speaking out her thoughts out of what may seem to be randomness. “Lee might appear unreasonable at the moment but it could be due to his constant worry towards his ill teammate.”

From the corner of his mind, Sasuke wanted to query if it was based on the same reasoning had Lee confessed his feelings towards Sakura, though was fully aware of his stance in the said matter and along with his main dilemma. Pushing all related thoughts aside and instead focused on the present moment in Sakura’s company, Sasuke decided to tackle on a more crucial topic that require her insights only after Sakura concluded the bandage wrapping procedure.

“Queen Tsunade told me everything.” That caught a glance from Sakura when she returned to the counter to clean up her used tools. “I was informed of the queen and my brother’s traded exchanges and his ultimate decision of leaving me out of the doom that will someday swallow my kingdom whole.”

Not wanting Sasuke to misunderstood her lack of knowledge on this matter, Sakura spoke out her point of view. “The queen had relayed to me briefly on this matter and the possible outcomes of Itachi’s course of actions as well.” Sasuke had mirrored the same worry as hers when it came to Itachi’s determination of carrying the burden of eliminating the enemy of both kingdoms alone. “But above all, I believe a part of this requires your intervention, still.” She let a personal part of her thought known to Sasuke and unlike her groggy consciousness from back then, it had been intentional for her to make her honest piece of mind known to him.

Catching a shared look through their stares, Sasuke almost smirked in agreement to Sakura’s line of thought. “Indeed, I had voiced out my reluctance in following Itachi’s decision.”

“How had the queen responded to your stance about it?”

“There ought to be a prolonged discussion in regards to this but we had reached a mutual agreement of paving a solid plan to back my brother in his sole quest.”

Sakura smiled in response. “That is a relief to hear.”

“That matter apart,” Sasuke paused and upon catching Sakura’s tentative look, continued his words. “There seemed to be a severe concern related to the widespread poison use by the enemy.”

Shifting to a topic that was more relevant to Sakura’s field, she resettled on the stool once done with the medical kit and heaved a short sigh. “True enough, all of the medic camp attacks were similar to the one we faced back then. Difference being, these attacks were done in a much frequent manner in what I presume to be an organised attack to run out Senju’s medical resources.”

“Was the aftermath severe?” Sasuke had asked.

Giving it a short ponder, she answered truthfully. “Manageable. Almost all poison-induced injuries were addressed and treated well, hence most of the attack victims had been discharged from the infirmary recently. Though that had not been my main focus at the moment.” Sakura casted a look out the window. As done by Sasuke earlier that evening, her gaze landed on the infirmary building momentarily. “If you recall myself pointing out Lee’s worry over his teammate’s condition, it could be justified over the complication of the poison-induced injury he received that refused to heal.”

Still bearing a sense of sceptical over the mentioned name, Sasuke kept silent though waited for Sakura to continue her words. “His name is Neji Hyuga and he had fought off a few attacks head-on before his health deteriorated into a relapsing illness of the same symptoms.” There was a change in the air on Sasuke’s perception as his back tensed upon learning the news from Sakura. “Those symptoms,” she paused and returned a serious look towards Sasuke. “They reminded me of Itachi’s. And if I am to consider the fact that Neji came from the Hyuga clan, one of the similarities that I could roughly map out would be,”

“The heavy utilisation of their eye prowess during battles.” Caught in a surprise over Sasuke’s interception after his long silence, Sakura nodded at his statement.

Pair the severity of the poison exposed to both Itachi and Neji with their bloodlines’ traits, it gave out an impression where the poison was fatal to those who possessed special eyes abilities. That explanation would suffice those who desperately wanted to reach the end of a problem in the name of an instant solution. But overlooking any small detail connected to this case would be a mistake instead, from the medic’s point of view.

“It sounded so much simpler if these were the only truths presented.” Sakura pointed out plainly, indicating that there was something else to be considered in this case. “During the time of attack, Neji’s cousin, Hinata, had similarly exposed to the same poisonous strikes from the enemy.” Heaving a nerve-wrecking sigh upon the direction of Sakura’s implication, Sasuke’s focus sharpened towards her. “She recovered shortly after receiving basic poison treatment.”

“Recovered?” Sasuke voiced out in obvious disbelief and confusion.

“Yes. There was no recurring aftermath of the poison from Hinata ever since.” Sakura paused in a deep thought. “While that was relieving, it completely nullified the previous assumption. Hence, there is no determined absolute truth about this poison or its effects up until this point of time.” Furrowing her brows, frustration was clear in her voice.

Running over Sakura’s words in his mind, he took notice of how she was eliminating doubts related to Hinata’s exposure to the poison being different to Neji and it only meant that Sakura had took up solid evidences before accepting the information in its entirety.

Caught up in her own world of thoughts, Sasuke’s worried stare towards Sakura had easily gone unnoticed by the latter. Shifting his gaze to her fisted hand atop the counter, he fought off the conscious need to reach out in an act of comfort. While expressing his thoughts through actions were the most desirable option, Sasuke was only limited to words at the moment and he decided to own the sole option available.

“Have faith, Sakura.”

While the truth of the world they live in may appear bleak, Sasuke began to believe that light would emerge victorious as darkness began to fade and he hoped his words were enough to remind Sakura of her core belief.

Meeting his eyes with a gentle smile, Sakura responded. “To you as well. Have faith, Sasuke.”

Getting up from her stool, Sakura slung the medical bag on her shoulder before proceeding towards the door, as led by Sasuke. “Until next time, I will relay you with what I hope to be a fruitful information in regards to this matter. And another thing,” Sakura spoke out suddenly before Sasuke could muster a reply. “Do inform me of any new discoveries you made with the others.”

Slightly perplexed by her statement, Sasuke paused his steps near the door and turned to her. “I don’t think anyone would want me to be a part of that, as of now.” He raised an eyebrow over the peculiarity of Sakura’s words but the other only shrugged.

“Naruto seemed to trust you enough, Sasuke. And since nobody could really stop him from doing something he had set his head and heart into, you have made yourself a very reliable ally.” She stated almost too naturally, almost joking.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you not then?”

“Of course you can trust me, Sasuke.” She almost scoffed to herself over the absurd provocation. “But you will need more allies to get through it all.” Sakura observed Sasuke’s features in noting possible discomfort over her latest statement though found none and instead was fairly taken aback by an almost verbal reply from him.

“Hn.”

“Take care. Try not to overstretch your left arm.” Sakura advised.

Sasuke nodded. “Rest well.” The statement sounded like a chide towards Sakura but the small smile from Sasuke had reversed such possible message.

Beginning to walk down the hallway and towards her room, Sasuke’s voice had caused her to stop abruptly. “Good night, Sakura.”

Inhaling deeply in the hopes of ridding away all traces of nervousness from his sudden remark, Sakura turned backwards with a smile. “Good night, Sasuke.”

Echoing in their ears that night were not the fond wishes exchanged, but the quickened pace of their heartbeats once they were out of one another’s sight, with the hope placed in one another held close to their hearts and minds.

Chapter Text

Assist

Rather than bearing ignorance to a potential worst-case scenario, this alone became a sign of another incoming change regardless of its consequences.

Sasuke hesitated his actions once he reached the front of Sakura’s room, his hand hung in the air as he pondered over the unlikeliness of his presence in the late dawn. He had woken up not too long before a message from Kakashi arrived from the slit underneath his enclosed room door. Making sure of its validity, Sasuke had only managed to catch the general’s shadow from the dim lightings as he made a sharp turn from the corridor and disappeared from sight soundlessly. Without stretching too long of a moment since he skimmed through the message, Sasuke took his belongings and headed towards Sakura’s room in alerting her about the note only to halt himself from knocking her door out of consideration.

Though he was saved from the minor dilemma when the door cracked open, revealing Sakura’s shocked expression. “Sasuke? You must have received the note from general Kakashi as well, I assume?” Gaining a nod from him had her continuing her words in filling the silence. “I did not manage to approach him in time when the note came.”

“Neither did I.” He replied briefly as Sakura locked the door behind her.

“Such short notice could only mean a critical matter that requires immediate attention.” She guessed in a quick recall of similar drills. “Shall we head out?”

Noting Sakura’s replenished determination as opposed to the night before had caused his slight distraction to answer her with a wordless reply, one that she accepted openly nonetheless as they echo the general’s path and eventually descend the stairs. Silence had been a part of their usual exchange and it was due to that had Sasuke’s doubt on his thoughts went unnoticed by Sakura as they reached the bottom floor.

“Sakura.” Sasuke spoke out as they made it out of the building and into the cooler open space as they continued towards the meeting point within the forest. Perked up by his voice while burying her hands within the coat’s interior, Sakura hummed in response. “I seem to recall something crucial from the time of the massacre.”

Taken aback by his words, the pair decreased their walking speed and the distance that separated them out of the preference of having their discussion to be known only in the presence one another’s audience. Giving him a supportive glance in an assumption where it may relate to personal struggles that haunted him, Sakura allowed Sasuke to continue his explanation amidst the induced silence.

“Your words made me scrutinise upon my past memories.” Not wanting her to misunderstand his remark, Sasuke spoke once again after passing Sakura a quick look. “It was from there had I discerned the unnamed familiarity on the situations involving the Hyuga cousins when you relayed it to me last night. My brother and I had went through something similar back then and it only dawned in me after these long years that I was poisoned as well back then.”

“But you healed.” He nodded at her equally shocked reply. “If you could remember, had it taken you long to recover? Or regarding the symptoms, perhaps?”

Sasuke’s sight was set ahead as he pondered deeper into his mind. “I had fallen into a severe fever since the exposure while bearing symptoms not too different from Itachi’s. Though it had ceased to recur since my recovery a week after. Memories older than my age at that time had turned hazy due to the fever and hence, I could only reminisce some of it.”

One might have assumed Sakura’s reaction as a mere act of sympathy though she knew herself all too well that it was hardly such case. The pain that resonated in her heart was one she felt for him despite unexperienced from her side.

“But that should not be a hindrance. The future matters more.” As if sensing Sakura’s incoming stare, Sasuke readily met her eyes before focusing back at the path ahead. “I am uncertain if that could help to narrow down the vast possibilities related to the poison’s nature.”

While gaining facts in the pursue of pinpointing a ground truth may provide one with hopefulness, it would be just as dangerous as adding another piece of misleading information that would stray one off their path.

Despite such awareness from the two, Sakura had responded in a voice filled with determination. “I do. There must be a relation in between that I still fail to notice but I will not stop until I reach something we could grasp upon.” She turned towards Sasuke to flash him a smile, there lacked a need for further reasoning upon the words of gratitude she said next. “Thank you.”

Caught off guard by her latest statement, Sasuke replied with a stiff nod.

Shuffles and footsteps were audible as Sasuke and Sakura drew closer into the heart of the forest. Navigation had never posed them with a challenge for the floral environment that surrounded them mirrored its counterpart in the neighbouring kingdom. Its intensified sound had eventually triggered their alertness as the two passed one another cautious looks before deciding to abandon their current direction.

Opting for the untravelled path of grass, they paved a new way towards its source. Heated chatters had replaced steady footsteps once they saw a squad of soldiers joining those who were readily guarding the area. Tensed formal exchanges were made as they remarked the newly received order of an increased patrol near the Uchiha border not too far from their current location. Once the order was passed amongst the soldiers, Sasuke and Sakura took their leave.

New thoughts began to circulate in their minds when they continued their way towards Kakashi’s campsite, deducing the turn of events that had led to such responsive measure to be taken from Senju’s side. Rather than bearing ignorance to a potential worst-case scenario, this alone became a sign of another incoming change regardless of its consequences.

“Sakura, Sasuke.” Kakashi’s voice shook them off their reverie. “It took a while for you to arrive.” He remarked almost nonchalantly, though its doubtful double meaning was not overheard by the other two.

Sakura only smiled back while Sasuke casted the general a sceptical look.

“I have earned the queen’s permission to recruit both of you for assistance due to the concern of overworking cases and training mishaps.” Sasuke scoffed out loud while Sakura was ready to retort his sparring mentor when Kakashi raised a hand with a smile only visible from the eyes of his constantly half-masked face. “Rest assured. Both situations are allowed here.”

Giving up on her attempt to defend her pride, Sakura only grunted before muttering in a low voice that only Sasuke could hear. “Yamanaka Ino.” While that, Sasuke had similarly come across a possible culprit from his side.

“As you can tell, something had caused the camp to be in a state of slight unrest than usual.” The two followed Kakashi’s eyesight towards the rushed movements around them. “Two attacks in the last two days near the border. Another was foiled last night but no enemy soldiers survived the clash.” Judging by the slight sigh at the end of his statement, it was partially easy to guess that those people had chosen to end their lives rather than betraying their cause.

“Any injuries that require immediate attention at the moment?” Sakura asked out of concern, fully aware of the absence of medic camps at site in exchange of its central-based approach located at the castle’s compound.

“None for now. Those with severe ones were transferred back to the medic base this morning.” Their conversation was paused at the sound of heavier footsteps approaching the camp site as Kakashi exchanged an authoritative nod with the passing platoon leader. “I suppose you have taken notice of the increased patrols by the border?” The general guessed precisely, hence earning himself a tentative nod from Sakura. “Those were one of the preventive measures from the queen’s advice. A closer observation and insight from the both of you would help with any urgent improvision. So, take some time to settle down and you can begin shortly after. The last tent of the first row was vacant but since a part of this camp is still under hasty setups, I hope the two of you wouldn’t mind sharing it at the moment?”

The last sentence coming from Kakashi caused Sakura’s head to snap towards that general as Sasuke’s narrowed eyesight turned into a glare of suspicion.

“Temporarily, of course.” Kakashi replied to their stricken features before turning his attention towards an incoming messenger. “Now if you don’t mind, I would like to excuse myself in the name of endless tasks. You are free to explore the camp and investigate the confiscated weapons at free will. Welcome to the camp and I would foremost extend my gratitude towards your help, Sakura and Sasuke.”

And the moment after, the general was ushered out of sight by a group of soldiers.

It did not take them long to locate the said tent only for the sake of dropping off their light luggage. Inhaling deeply in a ponder of her next step, Sakura habitually pulled her hair back and fastened her medical kit sturdily on her belt where it stood hidden within her winter coat. Claiming their respective side in the moderately-sized tent, she swiftly observed the basic necessities provided. There was no dividing wall in between though she pushed that fact aside in a reminder where it was not the first time she had been in close quarters with Sasuke out of safety purposes, of course. Though it had not meant that she was anywhere near calm in each of its occurrences.

“Are you alright?” Sasuke must have taken notice of her extended quietness, though she was sent into another state of internal panic upon gaining the focus on him while she tried to compose her thoughts.

“Yes.” She answered timely. “Have you decided on where you will be heading out next?”

He was silent while casting a glance on the extent of the camp through the tent’s opening. “It would be unwise for me to walk around the compound alone.” Upon Sasuke’s spoken thought, Sakura could not help but agree on the peaking state of alertness radiated from each soldier that walked past them. “What about you?”

She was thinking of making a few trips around the camp in an effort of getting to know the identity of the enemy soldiers, hence one particular suggestion came to her mind. “The collection site.”

Sasuke nodded, personally approving the first move. “I will come with you.”

The drastic drop in the surrounding temperature became a reliable indicator of the fading daylight when Sasuke and Sakura finished their weapons inspection. Though all effort seemed to have gone into a waste for they failed to find anything suspicious nor hidden from the confiscated pile of metals.

Inhaling deeply to rid of the frustration that clouded her head, Sakura turned to Sasuke with a finalised thought. “It would be better to just burn it all.”

It was indeed a more preferred choice given the possibility of poison exposure from its source. Going with the assumption where they could have overlooked a well-hidden message, disposing it to the open flames would deem to be the safer choice.

“Messages were delivered upon the existence of its recipient.” Sasuke remarked over Sakura’s silent ponder.

“Then it could be concluded that there were no spying enemies within Senju.” Sakura vocalised a thought too good to be true, her face revealed nothing close to believing such assumption to belong to the reality. “Or it was delivered through another means after their prior method was exposed.” Sharing a look of agreement on the latter, Sakura nodded with a sigh. “Let us not waste more time here then.”

The two proceeded out of the tent into another that stood not too far away, the rotting smell alone became an evident hint of what was covered by the canvas walls from the eyes of those who passed by. Covering the lower half of their faces before approaching the tent, they proceeded ahead only for Sasuke to stop Sakura by the arm with the latter abruptly broken away from her long thoughts. Meeting Sasuke’s pointed stare towards the interior of the tent, Sakura followed his crimson eyesight though failed to discern anything suspicious but decided to maintain her silence amidst the heightened alertness. Leading their way in, Sasuke’s eyes were still trained towards the end of the row of bodies laid on the ground as he began to converse normally with Sakura.

“Are these all?”

Her brows were still wrinkled in equal seriousness. “I think so. It would be too bothersome to go through all these. Considering the lack of clues from the confiscated weapons, there might be nothing here as well.” She guessed on Sasuke’s suspicion and began to play along with it amidst an audible ponder with him.

Sasuke exchanged a look with Sakura afterwards, his black eyes had once again shifted into its crimson counterpart effortlessly as he skimmed through all of the covered bodies in a glance. “You are right. It was useless.” His sight flitted over a particular area near the end of the row though made a show of dismissal when he made his way towards Sakura.

“It would be better to rid of all these instantly.”

Sasuke smirked. “An honourable cremation alongside their weapons sounds fitting.”

Sakura hummed in agreement. “It helps to dispose possible plague that came with winter as well.” She then walked towards the tent’s opening. “Let us inform the general and get it all done before the daylight was completely gone.”

The two left the tent and opted to hide themselves behind the nearest shadow, observing in utter silence. True to their suspicion, a man’s figure emerged from within the said tent out of panic as he watched around in the fear of straying eyes. Sasuke and Sakura patiently waited for the man to disarm his panic amidst the lack of patrolling soldiers only to see their plan foiled by the sudden shout from the distance. Despite the verbalised warning, the said group of soldiers had not made a move towards the escaping man, hence granting him a chance to run towards freedom. Breaking into a steadfast pursuit, Sakura had not managed to exchange a quick plan with Sasuke before he left her in such rush.

Abandoning her hiding place in the hopes of catching up with Sasuke through a shorter route, she approached the alerted guards. “Inform the general that we had discerned an enemy in hiding.” As soon as those words were said, Sakura started in the other direction that she hoped to lead her way towards where the culprit was heading.

While the campsite was recently set up, its coverage area was impressively vast enough to overlook a surviving spy amidst his fallen comrade. She was utterly grateful of her recovered stamina as she made through countless of similar-looking tents and finally nearing the border, ironically one that she and Sasuke had first observed earlier that day. If all had failed, she could only rely on the strengthened patrol’s aid in detaining the man. After running for a good distance had Sakura’s hard work paid off when she caught glimpses of the man and Sasuke both heading towards the abandoned part of the border by the cliffside.

The possibility of the man jumping off pushed Sakura into a harder sprint as the two neared the cliff though the pursuit finally came to a halt with a cry from the man as he fell flat on the ground while holding his right leg in pain. Sakura wasted no time closing the distance between her and the scene and it was then that she managed to register a knife pierced upon the man’s still leg with a sword pointed threateningly at his neck by Sasuke.

“It’s you.” Realisation dawned in her when Sakura came to register the man’s face to be the same culprit that captured her months ago, though refused to end her life in an obvious motive of using her for whatever ill reason there existed.

The man mustered a loud chuckle. “How the tables have turned since we last met.” He turned from Sakura to glare at Sasuke, his sinister face taking another twist. “And who do we have here? An Uchiha prince on Senju’s land, what a surprise. It is a relief that my king expelled his back-stabbing yet smitten brother from the kingdom before anything else could be further gambled.”

His accusing look was muted by one of pain as Sasuke drove a foot towards the man’s injured counterpart, causing the edge of the struck knife to dig deeper into the back of the man’s knee. A gut-wrenching wail followed shortly as Sakura turned slightly away from the sight and cast Sasuke a quick glance. The said banished prince, on the other hand, bore no sign of remorse as his features set into one of unwavering rage.

“Why are you here?” Sakura offered to question the man.

“I would be a fool to answer to you.” He countered cruelly towards Sakura but was silenced as soon as the last word left his mouth by the sharp metal grazing the thin skin of his neck.

“A fool that will soon lose his life to an unwise choice of words, it seems.” Sasuke quipped.

The man widened his eyes. “Y-You would not kill me.” Utilising his presumed sympathy from Sakura to save himself, the man turned towards the medic for help.

“I would not. But I could not say the same for him.” Sakura responded not too late before reattempting her prior query. “Why are you here?”

The man refused to speak as his face turned grim. Upon catching his lingering sight towards the edge of Sasuke’s sword, Sakura proceeded with delivering a punch across the man’s face and away from the steel’s edge as he laid unconscious on the ground the moment after. Sasuke was slightly stunned when he retracted the sword to his side though found adequate reasoning over Sakura’s action.

“And what do we have here?” Kakashi arrived the scene, unimpressed by the sight of the man that trespassed his camp.

“He was disguising as one of the fallen soldiers in the collection camp but his motive was unclear.” Sakura spoke before continuing with an afterthought. “He was the same man that sabotaged the medic camp last summer.” She saved the need to reiterate the chain of events that followed though could not help but to feel equally restless upon falling for the same possibility. “And of course, I broke my medic oath once more over the punch but I was stopping him from committing a suicide out of secrecy.”

Kakashi gestured his men towards the spy. “Tie him up and stuff his mouth.” Watching the man being carried away, the general made a remark that meant to clear the tensed air. “If it was not for your explanation, I would have guessed that it was a resolved vengeance.”

Narrowing her eyes at her sparring mentor, Sakura grunted. “I am nowhere near vengeful.”

All thoughts left their minds when a loud explosion broke the quiet air as dark smoke began to contaminate the sky from the direction of a crucial border point not far from the campsite.

Chapter Text

Discern

As much as he wanted to jump to the nearest conclusion based on his take on the current situation, he would need to access all damage done in order to react.

The sky grew a few shades darker since the sound of the explosion was first discerned by the group as they rushed towards the source of the smoke in a race against the losing daylight. Sakura could make out a few bodies in the distant, some crawled in the hopes of finding help while others were either unconscious or dead. Taking in details for the sake of deciphering the situation she had just stepped into, there was not much of a thought in her mind when Kakashi shouted a warning.

“Incoming!” Another explosion, amplified by their short distance from the source along with the assumption where it was a much massive one than the first, caused all to shield their ears with their hands as they took cover from rapid debris in the air behind a bush.

The ringing in their ears had not recede when they decided to proceed cautiously under Kakashi’s order with Sasuke urging Sakura to walk ahead of him as he kept a close eye of possible attacks from behind. Similar to the scene they had witnessed before, injured men were scattered all over the area though their path forward reached its end when a familiar silhouette was spotted limping away from an open fire behind him. Wasting no time pondering, Sasuke and Sakura rushed towards the collapsing man and managed to catch him before he could meet the cold ground. Sai’s appearance had not posed as a surprise to Sakura and judging by Sasuke’s equally stoic expression, he must have met Sai before she did during his rounds of trainings. Sakura was accessing the extent of his burn injuries when Sai muttered something amidst his half-consciousness, causing the two to halt their steps and leant closer to listen better.

“Innocent.” Inhaling a ragged breath to rid of the searing pain that stretched throughout his back, Sai struggled to speak the next words while meeting Sasuke’s sight. “They are innocent.”

Confusion was well written across Sasuke’s features as his brows wrinkled critically but his reply was cut short by an approaching figure that offered the two a helping hand. Yamato nodded at the two in a short greeting before gesturing his men to carry Sai with a readied stretcher.

“Please be careful with his back.” Sakura quipped as she switched handling positions with the soldier before turning to Yamato. “Captain, is there an existing vacant camp for medical purposes?”

“Two, alongside the one you are staying.”

“Noted. I will tag along to tend Sai’s injuries first and handle the rest once they are brought there.” She explained her plan briefly before turning towards Sasuke. “Regroup there once everything is resolved.”

Exchanging nods between themselves before breaking off into their separate directions, Sasuke took his time glancing across the field of the fallen men as Yamato regrouped with Kakashi before beginning to search for survivors. Kakashi, on the other hand, was ahead in an exchange of words with a group of soldiers that seemingly had just returned from resecuring the border alongside Naruto. The Senju prince himself had appeared equally dishevelled from the clash though bore a look of anger that was diminished from sight upon approaching Kakashi in relaying matters that required attention.

Nearing the open fire that harmed Sai, Sasuke’s right foot was restricted by a grabbing hand that belonged to the injured soldiers scattered on the ground. Alerted by the movement, Sasuke kneeled to help the man but came to a halt when he recalled his face within mere moments of a glance. It was one of the men within his troop back in his kingdom and he could not help but to doubt his otherwise ruthless nature of eliminating possible traitors. The man made a rushed reach for Sasuke’s hand before relaying a message that weighed heavier than Sai’s.

“Save the king.” He coughed out more blood while Sasuke searched for the signs of a fatal injury and finally caught sight of a debris that pierced the right side of his chest. Attempting to apply pressure upon the bleeding wound, the man stopped Sasuke’s hand with the remnants of his energy. “Save our kingdom, your highness. You are our only hope.” His voice dropped into a whisper as he began another fit of coughing out blood though his eyes still stayed open in a desperate hope of gaining Sasuke’s response.

“I promise.” He relayed quickly and the man passed with a relieved smile in his arms.

Relishing his rage silently through ragged breath, Sasuke stood and casted a closer observation towards his surrounding only to be dreaded by the emergence of the faces of those who had loyally served his kingdom alongside him. And it became apparent where that alone had caused them to meet their lives’ end amidst a war manipulated by a force still hidden in the shadows of the dead. As much as he wanted to jump to the nearest conclusion based on his take on the current situation, he would need to access all damage done in order to react.

“Sasuke.” Naruto was the first who approached him, his face still grim as he switched looks in between the other prince and the fallen soldier.

“I would need to make another round of observation at the collection camp to confirm a few matters.” Sasuke spoke out once Kakashi and Yamato came nearby and had thought of saving the need to relay the fact that was obvious to him alone though verbally conveyed it as an afterthought. “They were Uchiha’s soldiers. These were my men.”

Sakura settled with standing outside the tent in a quiet study towards its interior, unminding of exposing herself to the cold air in the hopes that it could partially relief the exhaustion that came from her treating tasks and the thoughts that spiralled out of her reach. Change had once again awakened chaos and despair into play as the future was once again shaken into a state of abrupt uncertainty in demand of one’s ability to adapt. Despite experiencing it throughout her life, Sakura still could not help but to despise it wholeheartedly.

“Sakura.” Naruto called out from behind her and her gaze switched between him and Sasuke. “It’s getting cold. Why are you still outside?”

Truthfully, she had given up her half of the assigned tent for Sai’s treatment station due to the limited space occupied by those who survived the attack. But that was not the sole reason for her refusal to enter and upon nearing the tent to peer upon the direction of her sight, the three unanimously agreed to stay out for a while. Ino had arrived with medical supplies not too long ago in response to Kakashi’s request through a messenger and had since been monitoring Sai’s condition as the latter came to consciousness. Sensing an unresolved tension radiating from the two, Sakura figured that allowing them time to sort it all personally would be the best option.

“How had your observation gone?” Sakura asked in a voice of concern, turning to face the two.

“As expected.” Sasuke began. “All of them were Uchiha’s men.”

Furrowing her brows, Sakura continued her query. “Any relation to the ghost soldiers?”

It was Naruto who responded to Sakura’s query. “No signs of such.” They had exchanged the information that could help to distinguish between the soldiers of both kingdoms from the ghost soldiers and since then had been holding onto the said proof as guide. “How was it from your side?”

Sakura casted a sigh as her eyes strayed towards the medical tents. “Not much survived and I believe a more precise count could be obtained from the collection camp’s records.”

There lacked a need to remind her of the limited soldiers possessed by the Uchiha kingdom since the massacre with a majority of them made up of civilians divided by the war with Senju who chose to support the former since the beginning of the clash. Combined with the consideration on one’s loyalty would cause the number to dive into uncertainty once more and only Sasuke was able to muster a rough guess in this matter.

Sakura had come to terms that the past two days’ attacks had resulted in a total annihilation of those from Uchiha and considering that they don’t belong to the ghost soldiers, it would only mean that those who were loyal to the Uchiha kingdom had starkly decreased. Her past self would have jumped into the foremost worry of rescuing soldiers that might turn on them on behalf of her kingdom, a contrast to her now awakened conscience. Resonating the queen’s determination in setting the records between the two kingdoms straight once and for all, she had long since discarded such possibility and had instead focused on the path that could benefit both in overcoming the opposing forces in the shadows.

“Nonetheless, there was a good number of soldiers who survived.” She added confidently, despite being nagged by the thought where the survival rate of the most recent attack had differed from its previous counterparts. “Twenty soldiers are recovering well. You can give them a visit once they have awakened from their induced slumber, perhaps.”

Before the two could provide a response to her slightly better news, Kakashi and Yamato had made a sudden emergence from behind them and went straight into the camp before any one of the three could stop them. Appearing equally startled as Ino and Sai upon the two army leaders, they entered the tent quietly when Kakashi cleared his throat in the hopes of renewing everyone’s attention.

“I can only hope that I had not interrupted anything important. If I did, I apologise for my rush.” Kakashi said not too long after while Yamato’s features were expressionless as usual.

“O-Of course not, General Kakashi. Greetings to you as well Captain Yamato.” Ino stood up quickly, bowed her head towards the two leaders before her eyes landed on the other three witnesses. “And all of you.” She quipped afterwards as her face flushed into a warmer shade while making her way out but was stopped by the captain.

“Maybe we could have a brief discussion on the most recent updates since everyone is here.” Yamato looked over at Kakashi and earned an agreement from the latter.

Settling around Kakashi and Yamato, all of them tuned into what was about to be said. “We had interrogated the man Sasuke and Sakura caught on earlier and he eventually revealed his role out of fear of our torturous devices. He was meant to be the attacking force’s guide once he had caught on the tent’s layout. The storage for our offensive means, in particular.”

Sakura recalled coming across the scattered storages throughout the camp that challenged her ability of pinpointing the locations of all the explosives due to its randomness and was relieved by such taken measure.

“From there on, they intend to attack the camp while exhausting all available resources. While that much was clear, I cannot seem to understand their sudden surrender tonight. It did save them their own lives though it almost felt as if their purpose was much more deterred in comparison to their sacrificed comrades in the previous attacks.” Kakashi laid out his query plainly.

Rising to a sitting position as helped by Ino, Sai began to speak. “I may have a clue on that matter.” The audience’s eyes were now set on Sai as he wasted no time continuing. “They hesitated their stance after demanding an answer from me and it seemed that they were made to believe that their prince was dead. Banished by his brother and then killed in Senju due to his betrayal.” His eyes were set on Sasuke for a short moment. “They had thought that to be too cruel of a punishment and along their way of misunderstanding it all, had thought of a revenge through the border.”

Sai continued to relay the truth to the soldiers when the first explosion went off in a shortened ponder. Only after believing his words had the soldiers given away the location for the larger setup of explosives, though was faced with the challenge of dismantling it in time. Called for another rushed action, Sai decided to carry the bomb further from the camp and towards the cliff but was stopped by a few men who chose to take his stead in the name of repenting their deep misunderstanding. Having the remaining men whom listened to the first man’s command of stopping Sai from proceeding into the dangerous situation, the presumed captain took off without looking back despite Sai’s violent protest. It was deemed too late when Sai managed to break free as the second explosion killed the man and those settled too close to him while its impact threw debris that had Sai close to flames.

Glaring at the traces of burnt skin that extended from his back to his arm behind the bandage, Sai spoke again after a heavy pause. “I have failed.”

“You have done all you could.” Kakashi offered words of assurance. “I will conclude our discussion here for the mean time. Everyone should rest for a bit.”

Sakura had habitually abandoned the need for rest as she made her way to the medical storage tent in the hopes of sorting out the recently delivered supplies, with the same effort was required in tackling the stubborn thoughts that refused to fade in the aging night. Her eyes darted towards the tent’s entrance when an approaching silhouette neared and only upon recognition had she exchanged a smile with her best friend. Not in a rush to break the silent air, Ino took her time to sit on a stool across Sakura where another pile of medical equipment was messily stacked atop of one another.

“You don’t seem surprised.” Ino finally spoke out.

“Whatever about?” Sakura asked nonchalantly only to gain a suspicious look from the other. “Had it been regarding the acquaintanceship between you and Sai? I figured it a while back.” She spared Ino from another query with her latest statement.

There was another gap between their conversation and it was needless for Sakura to look Ino’s way to note her disbelieving expression while trying to come up with a proof that could lead to Sakura’s precise assumption from her side. It must have been obvious enough for others as well, judging by the aloof reaction by the Uchiha prince.

Ino heaved a long sigh and reached for an untangled roll of bandage to occupy her hands. “How?”

“It had nothing to do with you.” Sakura confirmed as she recalled the first time such suspicion had arisen in her. “Not directly, at least. But your habit gave it away.” Meeting Ino’s pinpointing look amidst her confused features, Sakura only gestured towards the sealing knot Ino was completing halfway with the bandage, one that marked the difference in her finishing from the others’. “Sai adapted your method and I just happen to witness it on the spot.” It all went back to the day when Sakura doubted Sai’s identity.

Staring at the unfinished knot she made out of her unconscious action, Ino sighed before smiling slightly. “Ever the sharp observer, Sakura.”

Acknowledging her friend’s praise, Sakura only grinned in reply. “So, care to tell where it all started?”

“I happen to stumble upon him when I was looking for you during a raging summer storm last year. I was worried that you had encountered something terrible again while gathering herbs when the weather turned awry, hence I set out in a rush all alone. It did not take me long to reach the forest though my forward pace was halted when I noticed traces of blood on the shrub leaves of my path and decided to follow it. That was where I met Sai though the story had not ended just yet. He was hunted by a few men that donned an appearance similar to Uchiha’s soldiers.

“Hiding was out of the question because there was nothing that could save us once the low bushes gave away to the nearing hunters. So, I did the most absurd thing that would definitely earn myself a lengthy lesson from any known person in my life.” Upon meeting Sakura’s raised eyebrows, Ino continued shortly. “I half-dragged him back to the Senju border despite barely exchanging a word or even reached the slightest understanding with a complete stranger.”

“You panicked.” Sakura suggested.

Ino nodded. “Yes, I was utterly panicked. Given the distance of the pursuers back then, I believe anyone would be in such a state.” Sakura would have confessed the same for if it was not for luck, Sasuke and herself could have ended up in a much dire situation as well. “He needed medical help due to blood loss and a broken leg. Leaving him there was never a part of my limited considerations regardless of the situation he was tangled in.”

“I bet that caused a light ruckus among our comrades.”

“About that,” Ino trailed off before continuing. “Safe for my teammates and our captain, only those who were tasked in the closest medical tent near the border had the possibility of discovering a new stranger there. Sai was constantly disguised and I had made sure of asking him to leave once he healed.”

Being stationed in a relatively far site from one another, Sakura had been similarly kept in the dark about Sai’s presence after the fateful storm that reunited her with Sasuke. “Though it had taken quite some time for his injuries to heal.”

“True enough. Boredom must have caused him to start helping out for as much as his broken leg’s limit could go. And I suppose that was when he had adapted my wound-sealing habit.” Ino stared back at the now completed knotted bandage. “His leg was healed a few months after though he had not decided to leave, until one unexpected day when I had discovered a short note of apology in his presence’s substitution.”

“There was no valid reasoning behind the suddenness?”

“No, just a farewell note in place. Nothing more.” Ino heaved another thoughtful sigh. “Perhaps I had grown too attached to talking to him throughout his stay that his leave triggered a part of me. Besides, I was still having a hard time dealing with your capture. Hence I could not help but to think that those whom I trusted were slowly disappearing from sight.”

Ino then cleared her throat before conveying a more crucial insight. “Melancholic emotions aside, it made me wonder more on his identity, one that he had never spoke about in any of our conversations. It was until the recent event had I finally grasped the truth behind it, though I bet it was clearer from your side. A commander from the rivalling kingdom, who would have thought that I had made a neutral peace with someone of that position?” Ino scoffed softly.

“And I am guessing that he returned here on the same night as I did?”

“He was carrying Sasuke with him and begged master for help, even offering his own life in a bargain that master had rejected before he could finish his words. Among a few trusted comrades there, I was present to witness it all.” Ino confirmed upon catching Sakura’s line of sight upon scrutinising the new truth.

“How had you reacted?” Sakura asked bluntly, failing to settle on a series of possible actions done by Ino upon the revelation.

“We were separated to a smaller audience after Sasuke was escorted to the infirmary. So, what I did next was only known to those who were absolutely quiet on lingering grapevines.” Sakura nodded in anticipation. “I delivered a slap across Sai’s face due to his half-deception.”

Sakura’s eyes went wide as she grimaced. “And the two of you had just recently reconciled upon meeting one another here, I assume.”

Ino grunted. “Yes.” She exhaled deeply before sitting a little straighter and turned fully towards Sakura. “It sounds complicated, isn’t it?” The statement alone caused Sakura to chuckle in response.

Harnessing her curiosity of hearing the story from Sakura’s side, Ino only suppressed her thought with a small sigh. Regardless of how complicated her tale might have seemed she cannot help but sensed that the one that entwined her best friend and the Uchiha prince was much harder to convey in plain words. Ino had not missed out the change of bearer of the ring necklace, where she first thought to be given by Sasuke to Sakura though for some reason was returned since the two came to consciousness.

Somehow being able to read Ino’s consideration perfectly, Sakura had not meant to keep everything all to herself. “That particular storm had granted me another encounter with Sasuke as you did with Sai. And while it took me immensely long time to figure out its significance,” she paused, causing Ino to be uncertain if Sakura was opting for a way to speak out any unresolved emotions though was proved to be wrong. “That was one of the signs that gave away the ghost soldiers’ existence.”

That alone was a hint that they had not deciphered until a year later.

Chapter Text

Reach

Regardless of how bleak the end of the path ahead may appear to be, she would need to settle on the furthest reach of her capability under such circumstances.

A few days had passed since foiling the latest border attack and the campsite’s surroundings had fallen into a state of momentary tranquilness. For once, the soldiers focused on the means of survival through the harsh winter as the amount of snowfall increased in each passing day. With the presence of the latter concern, it became a shared thought where that alone had been the reason for the enemy’s reluctance of continuing their havoc. While the coldness ensured the opposing side in check, there would be unavoidable cases of freezing to death where the most affected part of a kingdom would be none other than innocent villages that weathered both the season and the brewing war itself.

Horse-pulled carriages became a frequent sight as additional winter supplies were delivered to the campsite, a scene that had Sakura observing rather blankly in between breaks from the daily task of monitoring the patients and self-researches in her shared tent with Ino. While days of hardwork in her study of possibilities related to Itachi and Neji’s illness had put her in ease, the inability to to test out each of her written theories would mean nothing against the advance of time and that alone had resulted into her decision of heading back to the castle.

It was still dawn when she had relayed her intent towards Kakashi, into which the general had indicated the location of the well-rested horses for her ride. “You can still make it together if you are ready to head there now.” Caught in a confusion by Kakashi’s remark, Sakura excused for her leave with a simple thought where the general had referred to the horse.

Arriving the horses’ stable, she approached two that seemed to be awake in the early hour with a gentle brush across their manes before making her way to fetch the saddle. While physical strength was not known to be an open bothersome to her, she had let out an involuntary sigh as she reached to the nearest one after a quick inspection of its condition. Focused in her course of actions of handling the saddle had her failing to notice the incoming figure, hence the voice that was heard next had understandingly shocked her greatly despite making sense of her name being called. Only when meeting his gaze with her widened ones had her mind started to make sense of the context in Kakashi’s words.

“Did I startle you?” Sasuke offered amidst the silence while Sakura was still too busy with her thoughts.

Recovering from her shock, she heaved a soft sigh before replying Sasuke with a smile. “A little. I did not expect to see you here.” Sakura glanced through her surroundings and noted that the sun has yet to rise from the horizon.

“Neither did I.” He admitted. “Were you heading to the castle as well?” Sasuke proceeded with relieving Sakura from the weight of the saddle in her arms and headed towards the row of horses while waiting for her reply.

“I am. It seems that you are as well?”

Sasuke turned towards her and responded with a nod. “This?” He gestured towards one of the horses that Sakura approached earlier and earned her approval, with the other one completely saddled upon her closer observation.

Sakura pondered over her words, hesitated a little before proceeded to ask only to have her query verbally answered by Sasuke. “I am meeting the queen to revise the plan I had in mind.” He casted a muffled look of worry towards the direction of the Uchiha castle while fastening the saddle. “And hopefully, execute it on time before it is too late.”

The latter remark carried countless of possibilities though none good enough to secure his desire of saving and protecting all that mattered to him. Despite such bleakness, there lacked a thought of surrendering that could intoxicate his determination.

“You will. I believe in you.” Sakura replied after a short pause, turning towards his way with a reassuring smile once she had carefully done bridling Sasuke’s horse while he helped her with both setups on hers.

Switching their sides, the two began to load their scarce necessities onto their horses in silence, one that Sakura had not foreseen Sasuke to have intercepted judging by her look of awestruck surprise. “How about you?” Caught up with his directed stare, Sakura mentally chided herself for the absence of her response that caused Sasuke to continue. “Of course, you could refuse to reply if it is of a personal matter.”

“No, that was not it.” She answered without a moment of delay, slightly flustered by the possibilities of Sasuke’s false assumptions. “I had been pondering for days on a number of things related to the medical mysteries we are presented with though all those would remain nothing more than mere thoughts unless they are discussed and tested. Hence, there lacked of a purpose for my extended stay here and it would suit me better to work on something in the main infirmary instead.” Sakura paused momentarily. “Though I believe your trip must have been shorter than mine considering the fact that general Kakashi seemed to need your insights on possible future encounters with your men?”

“Hn.”

Sakura nodded tentatively to Sasuke’s response as the two led their horses out of the tent and into the open air, causing their animal companion to shudder amidst the cool breeze. Reaching each other’s concern of avoiding more delays in favour of the horses’ wellbeing, Sasuke reached over to Sakura’s side once more and offered her a hand to get onto hers where she had accepted with a muttered ‘thank you’ as her heartbeat quickened upon their proximity in that short exchange.

Chasing away her nerves while waiting for Sasuke to get ready, Sakura reached a hand to the side of her horse and gave the stallion a continuous comforting rub. Pulling the reins of his stallion next to her, he gestured for her to follow along as they head towards the cliff and stopped at a sturdy spot that still allowed one to overlook it in a safe distance. Following his fixed line of sight ahead once they came to a quick stop, her mind was immediately struck in deep admiration of the scenery before her.

Traces of sunlight across the former bleak sky marked the arrival of daybreak and while one was entranced by the display of colourful streaks manipulated by the awakening sun in the rare occasions of the winter season, the horizon as seen from a higher altitude revealed nothing less than an impressive counterpart of the brightening sky in its stunning snow-filled glory.

While there were better days in comparison to the constant setting of disastrous storms throughout their encounters, nothing could even match or surpass the current perfection orchestrated by none other than the weather itself. Despite the consciousness where the inevitable clash of both kingdoms drew closer in each passing day, that particular moment had foreshadowed a promise of a better and brighter future above everything else.

“Ready?” Sasuke asked, his attention had shifted from the scenery to Sakura.

Inhaling deeply before turning her head towards him, her eyes brightened with renewed determination as his did. “Ready.”

Holding firm onto their resolve had they abandon all doubt and began a fearless march forward.

The week passed by quickly as Sakura channelled all her focus into her medical studies and tests at the main laboratory by herself. Most of her comrades were tasked in various teams outside the castle hence she had volunteered to monitor the medical department with little to almost no assistance though years of practice had her undertook the responsibility effortlessly. Despite the escalation of battles and injured soldiers, her concern was still on Neji’s slow recovery with the latter coming to agree to aid Sakura in all tests of possibilities in searching for the cure to his strange illness.

Sakura was accompanied by Hinata the week after she was sent back to the castle to treat her overused eyes. Unlike her cousin, she recovered in a matter of days and wasted no time in aiding Sakura with her close to impossible quest. Seeing each failure of her trials had undoubtedly threaten the hope of settling upon an acceptable cure and the tone in her daily medical report towards Tsunade must have reflected her worries to the point where the queen decided to spare her time to visit her student for recent on-site progresses.

“This was the last attempt?” Tsunade asked Sakura in a low voice as they observe Neji from afar while Hinata took her turn in monitoring her cousin.

Sakura nodded grimly. “The last to what I could think of so far.” She refrained herself from repeating the severity of Neji’s condition since taking over his case upon returning to Senju with Tsunade well aware of it.

“Whatever the outcome may be,” the queen placed a comforting hand on her student’s shoulder before continuing her words. “You have given it your all. You worked hard.”

“We worked hard.” Sakura responded with a glance towards her mentor. “Hinata had contributed a lot and not to mention that seeing her fellow family member struggling with life in each passing day must have struck an immense pain in her.”

There had been oppositions from the Hyuga clan in regards to Sakura’s trial-and-error method.  Though after hearing Tsunade’s sounded confidence in Sakura’s suggestion, the head of the clan, Hinata and even Neji himself, had agreed to proceed without much of a second thought. Heavy was the responsibility that rested on her shoulders upon the glimpse of hope that she offered and regardless of how bleak the end of the path ahead may appear to be, she would need to settle on the furthest reach of her capability under such circumstances. And Tsunade understood that reality all too well.

The queen had been lingering around the infirmary throughout the day when a state of emergency occurred on Neji, she had arrived almost immediately to aid Sakura and Hinata alongside the standby junior medics. The scene itself was almost as disastrous as one of a battlefield due the amount of puddling darkened blood expelled by Neji and the hysterics it sent to the medics due to his weakening vitals. Moments passed where Neji seemed to lay unmoving on the bed while Sakura and Hinata were actively switching between checking his condition to attempting to talk to him. Alarming orders were drastically reduced as the junior medics were excused, leaving only Sakura, Hinata and Tsunade. Upon observing the entire process of handling the situation, the queen was satisfied with the measures taken by her students and wordlessly, she went to the side of the bed to take a closer look of Neji before turning towards the other two.

“He is in a stable state at the moment.” Sakura offered a brief explanation to the queen. “Until further observations, I cannot tell if this is a preferable reaction or otherwise.”

“I have faith.” She remarked despite the lack of readable expression from her features safe for the soft sigh of relief that came after. “It may work this time.”

Hours passed and Neji’s vitals were promisingly stronger as monitored by Sakura and Hinata through shift rotations where the latter returned at night time to take over her round. Opting for a fresh air before retiring for a needed rest, Sakura stepped out of the infirmary building in a change of a view of the clear dark sky. Upon nearing the entrance, the sound of flapping wings caught her attention almost immediately as her eyes met the familiar falcon that came to rest on the branch of a tree. Noting the unusual crimson-like glint across its eyes, she was instantly reminded of the Uchiha prince and that alone aroused a series of concerned thoughts.

Though as fast as it came, the falcon fled the scene in a haste and disappeared into the night. Left with unanswered queries, its glimpse had entered the subconscious of her dream along with a voice that belonged to none other than the Uchiha prince.

The next morning marked Sakura’s finalised monitor on Neji’s improving health condition before shifting her focus to other matters at stake in the wake of a brewing war. The Hyuga clansmen were allowed to visit the infirmary after a long quarantine period enforced by Tsunade since Neji’s critical admission. The group had consisted of Hinata’s father and her uncle, the latter’s typical serious demeanour had morphed into an unreadable mask upon greeting the queen and Sakura at the entrance before proceeding to meet Neji. Given the almost lively chatters between them not long after, the father and son seemed to have moved past their differences since overcoming the massive obstacle that almost claimed his son’s life. Observing their interactions from afar, Tsunade and Sakura were both relieved of the positive outcome after the long yet uncertain battle against an unknown poison.

Their attention had quickly diverted towards an incoming man that Sakura had recognised to be a messenger from Kakashi’s camp. Noting his dire expression, Sakura only waited patiently for the man to speak, halting her thoughts from going into each possibility that crossed the expense of her mind.

“Your highness, Lady Sakura.” The messenger began, giving a respective bow and a nod while ridding the breathlessness of his rushed travel.

“What was the matter?” The queen asked, eyeing the anxiousness carried by the man in veiled anticipation.

He stood up straight before answering in a much calmer voice. “The camp was attacked.” While that fact triggered Sakura into severe worry, nothing could be compared to the messenger’s next sentence. “Sasuke Uchiha had chosen to part ways with our kingdom after relaying his intention to General Kakashi. He left the camp last night after fighting off an attack alongside our men.”

“The border has finally been breached then.”

“Yes, your highness.” The messenger replied the queen grimly.

“How was the aftermath?”

“Many were injured and required medical attention as of now.”

“What about the team?”

Perked up by Sakura’s pointed query, the messenger gave his assurance. “The general had managed to regroup with the remaining men in a more secluded area. The detained trespassers, on the other hand, are mainly monitored by captain Sai.”

Sakura nodded and turned towards Tsunade to relay her intention. “I should head over to help Ino.” She spoke up almost too quickly in an attempt of diverting herself from the sharp stab of truth centring Sasuke and chose to act in a more rational sense in overcoming the current turn of events. “I have achieved the motive of my stay since returning and now would be the best time for me to help out those in need at this critical period, your highness. May I?”

Earning the queen’s approval, she wasted no time heading towards the camp alongside the messenger while keeping her thoughts at bay with the sound of the horses’ gallops. Before she could conclude anything from the limited information related to the relayed truth she had just discovered, it would deem better to hear it all from her comrades once she arrived the camp.

Chapter Text

Shift

Gone were the moment of seeking peace amidst the eye of the storm as its violent nature came into play right before one’s eyes.

It had not taken Sakura long to regain a purpose in her observation and thoughts once they left the main entrance of the castle and into the open air of dangerous tension. The messenger’s sight was set far forward as they trailed the familiar path towards the camp in a much faster pace contributed by the horses’ explosive energy. Despite the loud gallops that caused Sakura to momentarily worry on an overhearing enemy from their moving radius, she casted a sharp look towards the Uchiha castle in the distance. Itachi’s crows were in a state of unrest, one that appeared to be more hysterical than the one she witnessed back then, as judged by the shifting black clouds that emit cautious caws that could be heard even from her spot. Something major must have happened from their side as well and the reason behind Sasuke’s sudden departure seemed to resurface at the slightest bit in her thoughts.

Tearing her eyes from the view, she sharpened her attention to the possible clues of warning or danger around the compound now that they were not too far away from the base. True to her prior suspicion, pieces of broken weapons littered the expense of the snow-filled forest floor. Catching upon the same sign, they stopped by the closest tree for a brief inspection.

“A few days’ old. It would be better if we move faster.” Sakura noted while mounting her horse and they proceeded their way forward.

Clutching her dark robe closer in bracing the cold wind, they rode in a steady pace forward. The camp was relocated shortly after the attack and for the sake of holding onto a high sense of integrity in keeping their location hidden from the lurking enemy, the messenger was often the only one allowed to inform the queen on the camp’s current status and location before gaining her approval in regards to further exchanges of necessary supplies through a secured path. Sakura was well accustomed to the practice and decided to be an additional lookout throughout their journey.

True to her worst thoughts of possibilities, something swift caught her eye. “Lay low!” She shouted as an arrow sailed past her lowered back and found its target on the messenger’s arm due to the latter’s slower reaction to her words. “Keep going!”

Sakura took over the leading task between the two and sprinted ahead as more arrows travelled the air as accompanied by resonating gallops not far behind. Praying that her memories had not failed her, she was thankful upon the sight of a series of densely grown trees and entered the shadowed area with the messenger still behind her, lowering his back in a position that favoured his struck arm. Continuing their path forward on a horseback would undoubtedly make them more visible to the pursuers hence Sakura jumped off her horse and urged the messenger to do the same before sending the two horses free with the hope that the message of its absent riders could reach the nearby base.

Ridding the extension of the arrow with a swift swing of a sword, Sakura pulled free a cloth from her hastily grabbed supplies and sealed the messenger’s arm from the continuous bleeding. She wasted no time and led a way deeper into the shadows casted by tall trees and overgrown bushes. Their pursuers arrived not too long after and Sakura could only hope that their gap was enough to escape the two men clad in black whom appeared to be equally familiar with their surroundings. Refusing to give away to her nerves, she continued to help the messenger further into the forest with the latter looking as anxious as she felt. In the furthest point of her mind, she had hoped that her comrades had relocated close enough to reach out for help.

“Sakura.” A hushed voice called out from a bush ahead. “Over here!” A hand emerged and Sakura pushed the messenger into the safety of the shadow and their saviour.

“Ino.” Sakura noted breathlessly as the other medic signalled with her hand to someone hidden in the shadows.

Shortly after, Shikamaru eliminated the two men before pulling them out of sight with the help of Ino. Receiving the indication from the two that there were no other tailing enemy nearby, Sakura proceeded to treat the messenger’s arm out of the fear of possible poisoning and was relieved from the concern once she deduced the arrow as nothing more than a normal weapon. While that, Ino and Shikamaru had managed to retrieve Sakura and the messenger’s freed horses not too far away.

“General Kakashi was right to appoint a lookout here.” Ino stated upon passing the bridle to Sakura with a quick glance skywards. “It’s a good thing that the snow stopped for a bit too.”

“More to come soon, I bet.” Shikamaru shared his concern on the greying clouds that gathered.

Calming her shuddering horse, Ino quipped. “Let’s move out before the blizzard strikes.”

The harsh wind took over the quiet serenity that became a bliss to those who yearned for calmness over the building tension from the war that drew nearer in each passing day. Gone were the moments of seeking peace amidst the eye of the storm as its violent nature came into play right before one’s eyes. While the weather threw its tantrum outside the sturdy tents, Sakura’s focus was momentarily overwhelmed by the rather crowded occupants of the largest tent located near the new base as guided by Ino and Shikamaru.

“These were Uchiha’s civilians?” Sakura asked in a voice low enough to only be heard by the other two, her eyes stayed observant to threats in disguise due to her previous encounters.

“Yes. Sai had interacted with some of them and confirmed so but we are by no means of ignoring other possibilities along the way as well.” Ino voiced out a similar thought and Sakura nodded. “That was not the main concern though.” Ino sighed and switched her line of sight towards another separated tent. “Some of them possessed abnormal symptoms upon arrival and we have taken the necessary steps of separating them from those in good health.”

Sakura’s brows furrowed at the newly discerned problem. “Any suspected illness?”

“Nothing at the moment. Most symptoms matched a typical case of cold that led to a high fever but that was not all. Those affected were driven into severe delirium to the point of hurting those around them mercilessly but once the reaction period was over, they fell into a contradicting state of breathlessness and exhaustion.”

“That sounds concerning. How often does it react?”

Ino crossed her arms and leant against a supporting pillar behind her while venturing into her deepest ponder. “It varies but there was nothing notable yet so far. From the frantic commotion amongst the family members of the affected, they seemed to believe that their homeland was cursed by the tussle between the royal siblings and thus brought forth such disastrous illness to the civilians. I personally refuse to believe so due to the consistent symptoms amongst those who were affected and tried to think of its probable cause instead.”

“Like the influence of an outer factor?”

“Indeed. Though as obvious as my frustration shows, I still could not manage to match them with any known illnesses due to its unlikely nature.”

The two stared into the horizon of minimal movements made by desperate families that escaped the imbalanced state of their origin kingdom in search of a secured future for their children. Though none would matter any longer if the war against the ghost soldiers were lost from both kingdoms’ side for peace would be nothing less than an impossible reach from those who remained to bear its consequences. Sakura allowed the grim possibility to set deep within her thoughts as she gained access to the expense of her chaotic mind. Be it anger or fear, she would need all remnants of courage she could summon in paving the path of desired outcome alongside her hardworking comrades. Now was not the time to falter into endless insecurities.

Sakura sat up straighter upon her sharpened focus. “I cannot help but to notice the lack of men in this group.”

Before she could conclude it with a sensible thought where most were forced away from their homes into contributing a cause of either joining the ghost soldiers or against them, Shikamaru responded. “Isolated. Most of the affected civilians had consisted of them, which had led to the difficulties faced when constricting their actions.” Expressing his annoyance in full, he heaved a sigh and reached for the back of his neck to ease a tensed muscle.

As if reading Sakura’s next wonder, Shikamaru answered the unheard question. “Nothing from Suna’s side as far as I have asked but they had managed to halt their border’s usage and utilised our border for the entirety of their trades’ route in an attempt to narrow down the path exposed to the ghost soldiers’ access. Judging by the heightened tension between our kingdom and the Uchiha’s in presence of the ghost soldiers, that move seemed to push them into utter desperation. If both sides could manage the nearing confrontation well, their force could be eliminated for good.”

Shikamaru was not the kind to have shared his extensive knowledge and calculated takes to another person in an ignorant pursue of admiration from others. Given his natural intelligence when it came to plotting strategies regardless of its importance, he had long since finding such approval useless and had instead worked his way to hone his abilities into benefitting his kingdom under the guidance of his father and mentor. While the team that overlooked all planning on behalf of the kingdom had been secretive throughout its execution, Sakura had been an exception due to her prior involvement before switching to the medical field. Despite possessing a remarkable nature in planning and strategizing alongside her teammates, her compassionate nature had been easily burdened by the sacrifices that rose in each step taken towards a preferred outcome and that alone became the main reason to her decision.

It would be an ideal aim if the ghost soldiers’ influence could be stopped along with the conflict between the two kingdoms but the lack of means to achieve the needed conclusion along with problems that tend to rise with the surroundings’ shift caused everything to fall into another state of uncertainty. The unnamed illness and its severe reaction attack would be an instance to the growing issue if it could not be handled right away especially when another worry came into mind.

“Certainly, this was not the first group to have settled across Uchiha’s border?” Sakura stepped back to peek out the tent opening into the faraway clearing as far as the storm had allowed her to see. “Or rather, what used to be a fortified border between our kingdom and theirs the last time I had seen it.” The jarring sight throughout her horse ride to the camp had refused to settle right in her.

For a reason yet to be known to her, Shikamaru appeared smug upon noting her severe worry on the nonexistence of a separating border. “We gave up defending the border after the troubles we faced, so all traces of it were destroyed not too long ago.” Ino saved the need for suspenseful pauses and broke the truth to Sakura, all while narrowing her eyes towards the silent mastermind behind the abrupt change. “Shikamaru had suggested for us to appear defenceless from our side in a display of a weakened force while anticipating incoming attacks that has yet to show any sign of nearing.” Ino raised an eyebrow towards Shikamaru over his accused miscalculation.

“Unless, they were bothered by an internal setback or chose to focus on facing the Uchiha’s side and disregarded our side temporarily. I did sound out such possibility when laying out my thoughts.” Shikamaru defended with an equally offensive look towards his teammate in a playful banter between the two while Sakura took into account of encountering either of those occurrences.

Ignoring Shikamaru’s chide, Ino continued the conversation. “This was indeed not the first group to have arrived despite only granted the permission to help by the queen just recently by the messenger. We could not find it in ourselves to ignore those in need especially when most of the children were affected by the extreme weather on the run. Regardless of their background, I do not suppose they deserve to live through the bitterness awakened by their prior generations.”

Casting an extensive look towards the occupants of the tent, Sakura could not help but took notice of the grateful yet distressed looks of mothers while caring for their recovering children. “They deserve better.”

Once the storm reduced into scattered winds, the three left the escapees’ camp and led their way towards the isolation camp that was located at the other side of the base. Anguish screams had filled the air as Sakura braced for the disaster that will soon unfold upon reaching the tent’s entrance. Ino had led the group into approaching Sai and Kakashi, both wearing serious expressions while engaged in a heated discussion as the screams intensified in each passing moment.

“Had the reaction began again?” Ino asked after exchanging brief greetings.

“Yes. Five men who showed no prior severe symptoms yesterday had suddenly reacted. We have no other choice but to confine them to their beds until their conditions ceased.” Sai offered with a deep sigh, showcasing a rare take on exhaustion.

Screams ensued as the group entered the camp and stood by the monitoring space as a few men under Kakashi’s command struggled against the explosive energy of those affected. “How long does it roughly take for the reaction to wear out?”

“About an hour or so. The gap in between the reactions differed from one person to another but close observations helped to note abnormalities in their behaviour before its occurrence.” Catching on to Sakura’s shifted gaze towards another secluded area next to those under tight monitorisation, Kakashi continued. “The recurrence seemed to stop on the fifth day since it was first detected. Most of those who recovered were physically weak while some seemed to be mortified by their unconscious harmful actions towards their family members under influence and had willingly remained here for safety reasons.”

Sakura nodded at Kakashi’s explanation as her mind wandered off in search of an explainable reason behind it all.

“In another bout of ponder, all of them looked normal when we first encountered them. The reaction had started after most of them had settled down. If Sai had not disarmed the man in time, a child could have been harmed along the way.” Ino shook her head in dismay at the recollection. “The chain of reactions began shortly after. At first we had thought that it was a planned attack but their startled family members had helped us to sort it out right away.”

An idea struck Sakura’s mind and she proceeded to ask away. “Maybe it would help to hear it from their side. Had any of them said anything at all?”

“No, we have yet to directly approach them as well. Judging by their exhaustion and wariness given the recent incident involving most of their close ones, it would be considerable to allow them some time in between. Even so, I cannot guarantee if they would rather tell me or anyone here anything due to the tensed nature of our kingdom and theirs.” Ino’s gaze landed on the quiet recovering area at the other side of the tent.

Sakura began to pace towards the monitoring space opposite to the secluded with mind heavy with questions only to catch the sight of a man that could relay her with honest answers. She had first doubted the swift glance of a familiar woman and her son from the escapee’s tent earlier on but stumbling upon her husband amongst one of the affected men had confirmed her recognition. Recalling the man’s frantic and later proud features alongside his wife and his new born son upon Sakura and Karin’s assisted delivery, she had confirmed the man’s identity upon further observation from afar.

While it may cause the man distress upon needing him to recall the events that led up to his unpredictable turn of reactions, she believed that he would understand the noble intent of stopping the unknown illness once and for all. And trailing such purpose had Sakura decided to take on the task in Ino’s stead in enabling the latter to channel her focus on the planning task alongside Shikamaru. Like her scattered courage, she would need to gather all possible clues she could reach out to in the hopes of securing a lasting solution and eventually, an answer.

Chapter Text

Await

The storm brewed, still, and there lacked a sense of security in her for as long as there were no signs of its approach.

The screams from the isolation camp had gradually decreased into utter silence an hour since the group’s arrival. Kakashi and Ino had left for the base in the wake of an urgent meeting while Sakura, on the other hand, had remained to continue her investigation accompanied by Sai and the few officers in charge. Wasting no time in beginning her first step, Sakura had asked to talk with the familiar man from Uchiha’s camp back then and she was deemed lucky at his open recognition upon meeting her and Sai.

To ease off his apparent wariness and anxiety, Sakura began the conversation in a lighter sense of noting his current health state before inching over the concern that seemed too great for the man to carry alone in each passing moment. As if reading a part of his burdening thoughts, Sakura had assured that his wife and child had been in the safe hands of the Senju medical team and that he should channel his determination into his own uncontrollable attacks of delirium.

“How did it all happen?” Sakura waited patiently for the man’s reply, taking into account of the exhaustion and worry that bled out of his features.

“I do not remember much.” He muttered, shutting his eyes tight as if willing clearer memories to resurface in his head. “I do not remember… betraying my own kingdom, my comrades, or even my family. And yet these hands, these cursed hands, they betrayed me. I lost my consciousness in the reign of madness that had resided in me and I do not know what else I am capable of doing if it strikes again.”

He threw an accusing look towards his shaking hands, the action alone partly initiated by his insistence of starving himself all for the sake of ridding any remnants of energy that his madness may channel towards hurting another innocent life. While it may not be the most suitable choice for a recuperating body, it had been the fastest way to reach a harmless state to those who neared to help. Most of those who resided the camp had taken the same approach in a joint attempt of warding off their incoming attacks and Kakashi had briefly relayed to Sakura on the steady decrease of severe reactions from the earlier badges of soldiers taken there. Despite the relief gained from their thoughtfulness, the risk of starving oneself to death amidst the colder days of winter hung in equal to the delirium attack.

Heaving an exhausted sigh, he spoke again. “It felt hopeless.”

Meeting his sad gaze, Sakura offered him assurance. “There is no reason to believe that all will fall into the enemy’s favour yet. But in order to reach towards a possible solution, we would need to hear the chain of events from your point of view because you are the only person that we could count on for the truth now.” Sakura laid out the soldier’s importance amidst the critical need to uncover as much as possible.

Drawing a deep breath in pushing away all remnants of overwhelming emotions, the man gave the two a slow yet firm nod. “The force of the ghost soldiers had expanded its reach throughout the kingdom and not a week after the prince’s men left the relocated village, news of its recruitment came in a promise of security for our families from all upcoming clashes. But its opposition towards the prince had casted everyone with severe doubt and thus, most of us had chosen to reject the offer.

“Though there were a few notable village leaders whom had openly pondered upon the possibilities of gaining a favour over the force that may eventually take over the kingdom.” The man drew another breath as his exhausted expression turned grave. “The clash of decisions had eventually forced us to part ways and leave behind our homes and seeking refuge in the forest amidst the brewing blizzard. Those with weak health could not make it as we continue to struggle with limited food supplies.”

“Did your group meet any pursuers back then?” Sai gave a critical query to their route.

“Yes, and that alone had us coming up with a different approach of escaping their scrutiny. A few men paved a path forward as a lead to women, children and the elderly to ensure that they reach the border faster. The path we took may not be the most straight-forward one and that left most men, myself included, to stay at the rear of the group as a lookout. We had occasionally broken out from the main group to mislead those who were after us whenever we sensed them closing up. Hence, our arrival time had varied greatly despite belonging to the same group.”

“A two-day difference, if I heard it right?” Sakura asked and was replied with the man’s affirmative nod. “There would not be enough food supply to sustain those additional days on the road.”

“Indeed. We had given all of it to our family members in their path ahead of us considering their limited endurance in this cold weather. We cannot bear losing any of them along the way again.” While pain had displayed across the man’s face, his expression softened shortly after a pause. “There were times when we had thought that we would not make it to safety and reunite with our family but as if our prayers were heard, we managed to stumble upon abandoned food stock during our run each time we had almost reach a dead end. And since Senju is our last resort, there is never enough words or actions that could express our gratitude for your acceptance since our arrival.”

It did not take long for the latest news to reach Sai and Sakura upon their brief arrival at the main camp. From the past hours’ observation, it had seemed that the battle preparations and advancements from the Uchiha’s side were almost completely halted in relation to the difficulties posed by the ghost soldiers. While uncertainty was still hanging by a thread over this information, the air in the camp had greatly lightened in comparison to what it had been when Sakura left earlier that day. There were still rotating means of observers at all times whom worked close to the first line of defence if anything went astray in an instant but those who lingered about within the safer compounds of the camp were all visibly laxed.

Years of experience from living across the battlefield had granted them with a common sense where it may take days or even stretch to months until the next confrontation came but Sakura could not shake off the thought on the fatality of the incoming situation unlike the typical clashes of the past. The storm brewed, still, and there lacked a sense of security in her for as long as there were no signs of its approach. She was dreadful of the beginning but at the same time had desired to reach its end from there on.

“The news was delivered from the castle through the means of a trusted messenger. I have reached out to related individuals to confirm this matter.” Came Sai’s reply upon Sakura’s query, both were silenced by the reminder of seeing the wary black cloud of crows still lingering atop the Uchiha’s castle along their way through the forest path.

Sakura nodded tentatively as her eyes continued to scan the surrounding compound for familiar glimpses though came to settle longer on a large secluded tent a few walks’ away from the main attachment. What caught her attention would be its heavily guarded state and the restless sole shadow that moved behind the tent’s canvas.

“I cannot help but to notice Naruto’s lack of presence lately. I do not suppose that he was at the castle as well.” Sakura spoke in a lower tone, wondering if she could gain any additional information on the Senju prince from Sai.

“I heard that he was detained from further action. Loosened conversations had that he was deemed to be in a state prone to cause irreparable wreckage if allowed to act at his free will at the meantime.” Sai quipped. “The queen’s own words.”

“It would be helpful if we could talk to him.”

Sai shook his head slightly. “That would be impossible especially after Naruto’s countless attempts of breaking out of his confinement. Rotational guards are scheduled as a look out and it even came to the extent where General Kakashi was urgently summoned back to the camp keep him in check.” To have the general’s role of overlooking the isolation camp switched instantly to the current concern simply showcased the change of priorities.

“That sounded severe.” Sakura turned towards Sai to give him a brief look of surprise. “Still, I don’t believe Naruto would choose to be reckless without a solid reason. There has to be something crucial that caused him to act so and until we hear anything from him in person, whatever that bothered him will remain unknown and unbelieved.”

The two then fell into their own deep thoughts, eyes still casted towards the movements around the tent as snow seemed to fall again.

Sakura then began another bout of conversation. “If I had not observed the victims’ condition close enough, I would come to suspect Naruto to be similarly affected by the delirium as judged from his reactive actions.”

“True enough.”

Their ponderings were interrupted once again by a pair of approaching medic and soldier, each bearing anxious expressions. “Miss Sakura, I am sorry to bother you but may we seek your advice on a crucial matter?”

Sakura sat up straighter and tuned her focus to the speaking medic. “Of course. Is everything alright?”

The medic suppressed a sigh before conveying her worries. “It was about the prince.” She trailed off uncertainly.

Seeming to catch on the medic’s difficulty to relay the situation, the soldier spoke on her behalf. “It had seemed that the prince was dragged further into his already distressed state in each passing day. He used to convince my guarding comrades to release him in the claim of aiding towards the war’s end despite being informed with the news of a recent ceasefire between the two kingdoms.” He paused to take a deep breath with eyes glanced back at the medic beside him before speaking out what may pose to be controversial to the ears that listened. “What I will relay next may sound like a baseless claim but I hope our concerns would be addressed nonetheless. We had come to suspect the prince to have contacted the delirium.”

Gaining more confidence in herself, it was the medic’s turn to continue. “There was, of course, the fact that we could be wrong with this hunch given our severely limited knowledge in anything related to the illness but given the worsening anxiety signs shown by the prince, it remained unknown if it had been from a cautious nature or an influence from the spreading delirium. Hence, just to be safe, we feel that it would be better to consult you about it.”

Silently grateful of being presented with a chance to directly meet Naruto amidst his almost impossible state of security, Sakura took a quick look towards the camp’s entrance to ensure that there were no extensive movements on the arrival of the anticipated general to guard the prince. Once found none from her observation, she was quick to ask for a special permission to examine Naruto’s state with Sai’s help. And a few moments after the short procedure, the two were allowed to enter Naruto’s confinement tent.

Sakura was carrying a bag filled with various medical supplies in hand as Sai closed off the tent’s opening to allow privacy while communicating with Naruto though the former two was caught in deep confusion at the latter’s appeared sulking state near the far end of the tent with his head facing away from where they stood.

Sakura was about to walk towards Naruto when Sai stopped her short, posing a crucial doubt where he seemed to reconsider the medic and the soldier’s claim of the delirium effect on Naruto. “Are you sure it is safe to go near him unprepared?”

She nodded. “From what I see so far, the attack had not been contagious or else, the whole camp was already in a state of madness. Even for both of us after the visit to the isolation camp.”

Having his doubt well-hidden beneath his constant unreadable expression, Sai kept a close watch on Sakura’s approach in the case where things could go awry.

“Naruto.” She called out first though the prince had hardly budged. “Naruto!” A louder attempt came and he finally turned his head to notice the two visitors.

“Sakura, Sai!” His eyes gleamed at seeing his comrades. “I thought I was going insane for hearing unlikely voices around me. I swear if it was any longer, I might actually go insane. Are you here to release me from this unnecessary imprisonment?”

“I am afraid that was out of my ability. We could barely think of a way to get to you directly due to the tight security. It seems like you had convinced almost everyone here that you were in a delirious state when thankfully, you appeared to be fine.” Sakura reiterated with crossed arms, scanning for any signs of strangeness from the prince and was glad to find none. “What made others bear that thought on you in the first place though, Naruto? They would not have done this unreasonably.”

Her brows were furrowed in deep thought as Sai waited for an answer from Naruto, who sighed in annoyance. “They do not seem to believe me when I told them the information I received in regards to the war and instead of questioning me about it, they just decided to keep me out of touch from everything related to the said matter.”

“They just professed their loss of trust in you out of the sudden?” Sai rephrased.

“Yes. They would not believe me when I told them that I received a message from a bird.” Naruto continued to grumble as his hand fisted around a small piece of paper that may undoubtedly be the said message.

Perked up by the almost unlikely tale, Sakura sought confirmation of her hunch. “Was it a falcon?”

“Yes!” Naruto grinned. “There were occasional glints of crimson in its eyes. And it was fast too, leaving as soon as I got my hand on the brief message with a sharp shriek.”

And only then had it made sense as to why it had all sounded absurd to those who heard Naruto’s claim. Under Sasuke’s influence, it had become an almost natural occurrence to have seen the strange behaviour of his falcon’s eyes and given normal days when it had visited Sakura back then, the same falcon had behaved as normal as its kin.

“That must be Sasuke’s companion.” Sai spoke in breaking the short silence passed between them.

Sakura hummed in agreement and upon meeting Naruto’s gaze, she offered an explanation. “I had a few encounters with the falcon before and from your description, it truly seemed to be the same falcon as his.” As if sensing an unrelated query from Naruto in regards of her and the Uchiha prince, she navigated back to the main concern. “And the urgent message?”

Naruto passed the piece of paper to Sakura for her and Sai to skim through.

“Infested by ghost soldiers and those of sickness. Time was at its peak, cease any aiding attempt. Seal off the borders and save yourselves. I shall eliminate its source from my side.”

“This is a suicidal mission.” Sai spoke in utter displease.

“He is out of his mind still.” Sakura replied next, her grip tightened on the paper out of both anger and desperation. “If he could not shake himself out of the delusional thought of halting generations’ old war in the expense of his life and abilities alone, he would only meet with a bitter end of it.”

Sasuke must have understood his brother’s attempt of eliminating the enemy for good and judging by his words, he seemed to be ready to take over the self-sacrificing role with or without Itachi’s approval. A great clash would have ensued once they met with their own stark ideas but even if they come to face this disaster together, no difference had been made since their clansmen’s first fall. Everything would repeat itself once again and instead of bearing the hate known to flow in their bloodlines, there would be none that carried the name or legacy into the near future.

“I know but the queen denied each of my attempts to reach out to her. Unless I do something with my own hands, then we might as well as be the bystanders who will witness the ultimate fall of the Uchiha kingdom.” Naruto took another observation through the limited view offered by the small window allocated for his tent. “Active troops had all been disengaged from the camps that overlooked the border in allowing more victims to take cover on our side but this is just as good as abandoning a promise made between both sides. We cannot just protect ourselves and do nothing. Not in my watch, at least.”

“Now would be the right time for a follow up action, then.”

A familiar voice joined from the entrance’s direction, causing its three occupants to turn towards the awaited general. Armed in full mission’s gear, he placed more sets of equipment on the floor that stretched between him and the group.

“Are all of you up for that call now?”

Chapter Text

Dive

The time has come for all to gamble their fate into the inevitable storm that ultimately determine the land’s future.

“Captain Yamato had been gaining insights from the Uchiha kingdom for the past few weeks.” Kakashi shared as the group concluded their preparation and gathered on the make-shift counter that displayed a map of both kingdoms.

“Then he must have noticed Sasuke’s return not too long ago.” Naruto wondered.

“Scrutinised.” Kakashi corrected. “It seemed that he did not hesitate to cause disorder to the opposing forces right away as he made his haste to the castle. All of the ghost soldiers’ bases that stood along the way was burnt to the ground, leaving behind nothing but a trail of smoke that indicated his return. And since these were Captain Yamato’s own words, there were absolutely no exaggerations from him.

“Now let’s get back to the real deal. I would like to first clarify that while the queen had granted me with an absolute permission for which ever course of actions that we plan to embark from this moment on, we will be on our own. Jumping into an immediate action now will only mean that we choose to carry the responsibilities of our lives and the consequences that may come from our mistakes all by ourselves. There will be no backup or anyone behind us if trouble befall us.”

Passing each other determined looks, Naruto spoke out on the three’s behalf. “Understood.”

Assuming the role of a leader had Kakashi lay out the worst possible scenario in regards to the mission ahead of them but years of practiced independence had numbed out the nerves that came with the danger that lurked in the path ahead of them.

“Good.” Likewise, Kakashi was quick to move into the main subject. Marking specific points on the map displayed before them, he began with an explanation. “Those marked with a cross were the bases destroyed by Sasuke, and the circled ones were their recent relocations.”

Taking a closer look at the pinpointed marks on the map, it had not taken Sai and Sakura long to recognise its exact location through the approximate distance of recognisable points within the expense of the forest. “Rebuilt villages.” Catching on Sai’s nod of confirmation and puzzled looks from both Naruto and her sparring mentor, she continued. “These villages were fortified from the ghost soldiers back then and true to the claims of the escaped Uchiha civilians, the said group seemed to have taken over their homes and forced them away.”

“Both were fortified?” Naruto pondered.

“In an acceptable defensive manner from the civilians’ side. Nothing too extensive to penetrate through by the means of brutal force even with our current condition, if the need ever rises.” Sai relayed matter-of-factly.

“That would be informative given the normal circumstances that we will be dealing with safe for the fact where the concern now has fallen on the delirium attack that affected the ghost soldiers as much as those who sought refuge here. The claimed recruitments and planned attacks towards the Uchiha castle were all thrown into disarray in the emergence of the delirium attack. Though it was observable that the attack was not contagious for as far as I was informed by Yamato. Do you have any insights on this, Sakura?”

Working close to her as a mentor, Kakashi had been one of the few people alongside Tsunade whom witnessed Sakura’s growing capabilities in terms of medical knowledge and skills. Hence, there had been no doubt when it came to trusting her intuition and observation on related matters.

“Similarly, I had noticed its non-contagious state after visiting the isolation camp earlier on and while there were no obvious leads from the information given by the recovering civilians, there was a dubious mention of food supplies during their escape. I cannot tell if it had any direct relation to it up to the information we have now, but I am growing suspicious on a possible drug usage that may lead to such condition due to an excessive exposure or even intended contamination.”

Sakura exhaled before continuing down another bout of serious ponder. “If the truth was anywhere near this hunch, then that would explain the attack’s selected group of victims. But focusing on what came to be clear to us at the moment, we would be safe from being infected by the delirium for as long as we steer off from its source. Direct contact with those affected could be safe but prioritise avoiding such measures whenever possible.” Her words earned affirmation from her comrades right away.

“Judging by the lack of noise from the other side for as far as we could observe, I think we could assume that not much is ongoing at the moment. At least not to the point of critical concern just yet.” Naruto came up with a temporary conclusion before turning towards Kakashi. “With these being roughly determined, then our focus should be to aid the Uchiha brothers against the ghost soldiers’ incoming forces from these two rebuilt villages once the delirium’s crisis was overcome. Is that correct, general?”

“Yes.”

“Then we better move ahead to avoid arriving any later than the ghost soldier’s forces. All else will be solely dependent on the situation that we may encounter next. Not much is certain but I believe that we could make a difference from the worst possible twist of disaster that we will face next.” Naruto mustered words of encouragement despite appearing as anxious as those around him though was comforted with a squeeze on the shoulder by Kakashi.

Meeting each pair of eyes to convey trust and faith, Kakashi initiated the mission. “Let’s move out.”

The time has come for all to gamble their fate into the inevitable storm that ultimately determine the land’s future. Pushing away all sorts of nervous thoughts that may resurface, they left the camp in sturdy steps.

The camp’s surroundings had once again fell into a state of stillness as most of its occupants retired to rest, safe for the small number of soldiers whom resumed their patrolling task at the far stretch of the compound. Utilising this fact, Kakashi had led his team across the border through mounted horses as they rode in steady trots to conceal its hooves sound with their appearance guised by the darkness of night. Their presence continued to go unnoticed as they travelled past the worn battleground of the border and into the thick forest that marked the beginning of their neighbouring kingdom’s land.

Widening the group’s coverage, Sai had taken on the observation task on the right side of the group with Kakashi monitoring its opposing counterpart. Naruto’s eyes were kept in full focus forward as reflected by his horse’s more advanced pace compared to the others all while Sakura trailed the path that led to the rebuilt bases from her memory. The path towards the Uchiha castle was almost straightforward through its portrayal on a map though what posed as a challenge would be geographical irregularities along the way and under the condition of the thickening snow, it proved to be a natural barrier that meant to steer off trespassers that dared to enter the land. Despite possessing such extensive considerations, the thought where the enemies were deep within the line of defence and its possible composition of knowledgeable betrayers was just as unsettling as ever. Kabuto’s involvement in the ghost soldiers’ recruitment was nothing less than a natural connector in this case.

“Stop.” Kakashi’s sudden order was passed in a voice only audible amongst the four.

Wordlessly, they scanned around for any sign of movements and eventually caught onto the chaotic trail of blazing torches far ahead of them. Anguish grunts seemed to be heard every now and then as they continue to trudge forward in a run-like speed, solely guided by the louder voice that commanded them from the frontmost position of the group. There lacked a need to point out the overflowing energy embodied by the soldiers’ steadfast movement and concluding the fact that the ghost soldiers from one of the rebuilt villages were released towards the castle’s direction had served as a severe trigger to Kakashi’s team.

“We need to get there faster.” Naruto spoke out, urging for a quick action towards the slipping time.

“I will lead the way through the obscured path from the group.” Sai nudged his horse forward to take on the front of the group and was quickly followed by Naruto and Kakashi.

Sakura was deep in her line of thoughts when she joined the reformed formation with a remarkable gap behind them, still within an acceptable observation range of her teammates’ increased speed though gradually slowing down to avoid leaving out of sight too suddenly. Only when she came across a recognisable natural marking had she made a sharp turn towards an intersection that broke off from the main path trailed by her comrades.

It was when she travelled down the new path had the heavy realisation of being alone settled in her as rebellious thoughts begin to threaten the grip over the fear that she had buried deep within her mind. The lack of a solid plan as to what should be done to halt the greater backing support of the ghost soldiers had not helped to calm the racing heart of hers but she maintained her forward movement, still. Nudging her horse to a trot in a safe distance from the exact location of the village, Sakura decided to observe its current situation from afar in the hopes of gaining a glimpse of a solution.

Taking advantage of a large tree’s shadow, Sakura dismounted her horse and crouched amidst the darkness to note any changes done on the village’s exterior defence wall. As Sai had emphasised, the wall was not made to perform any extensive defensive measures for it only served as a physical divider that enabled villagers to guard the entrance more tightly. And now that the situation was reversed, it would have been disastrous if anyone was trapped within such enclosed structure.

Catching no patrol rotation outside the wall throughout her wait, she turned her full attention to the resonating sounds of orders as she moved to the furthest stretch of the forest and nearer to the village’s wall. With its sentences broken by the muffling effect of the surrounding snow piles, she could only make out crucial words that made up the full order. Most of it had consisted of the path direction they will be using through horseback rides, where at the mention of the latter had Sakura thought of sabotaging the stable to disrupt their planned timing. Judging by the instant settlement of the ghost soldiers on the village could confirm the fact where not much of its interior had change and that alone could realise such idea. There was a strong emphasis on the sound of a horn from the passed order and she figured that it must have been related to the signal that called for their action when the crucial time came.

Abandoning her spot along with the eavesdropping intent, Sakura made her way to the back of the village under the shadows in an aim to reach the back entrance of the wall in granting her an access for she would need to cease the chance of the ghost soldiers’ current gathering to sneak her way out of their notice. Once reaching the poorly lit entrance, Sakura was quick to be alerted of the sealing gate and its interior door’s slightly ajar state, as if someone had breached into the village or on a longer ponder, could be a trap to lure possible trespassers.

Anxiousness had easily peaked upon the thought of the latter possibility but time was running out and she would need to act now if she hoped to delay the enemy’s backing force. Drawing a deep inhale, she silently prayed that her attempt would go well before setting her mind to the task in front of her. The stable was the nearest to the entrance and if she was lucky enough to enter without anyone’s notice, she could unlock the gate and set the horses free from the shelter. For that part too, she would need to quickly think of a way to accelerate the whole process, it seemed. With her eyes set on one of the torches on either side of the entrance, she began her move forward.

It was strange how the interior part of the wall was maintained in a dim setting as most of the visible houses and roads all merged into a single black landscape. Still, she kept her mind steady with the focus of finding the wooden stable amidst her adjusting vision and thus was led to the location through the sound of the horses’ snorts. Furthering her hands into reaching out to the its structure despite slightly distracted by the uneven floor of straws as she neared, she unlocked the metal hatch of the gate that confined the horses and with a little difficulty from her side, had managed to open it to its fullest. Now came the tricky part of urging the horses out of the stable and into the forest.

Sakura’s ponder ran short as a loud explosion from the other side of the village triggered the horses into a series of shrieks as the panic that flared in the air sent the horses scrambling for an exit amidst the scarce lighting. Sensing the incoming stampede, she rushed towards the entrance and as she did to the stable door, maximised the opening to allow all horses to escape through it. Anguish screams had followed amidst the rush though she was temporarily saved from scrutiny due to the distraction caused by another spot set ablaze by yet another explosion.

Someone else must have aimed to sabotage the ghost soldiers’ backing force through the sequential attacks and while those were out of her reach, her futile position would grant her all the credit due for a blame from the enemy’s side. An incoming pursuit would surely follow and wasting no time, Sakura proceeded to reach for the closest torch from the wall and lit the pile of dry straw floor beneath her boots in starting another fire blockade near the back entrance. There would be no escape from her own lingering shadow due to the intensified fire from where she assumed to be the storage area, a move cleverly done by the fire instigator in return to the already limited food received by the ghost soldiers as all appeared pale and thin. In another quick observation, the said group seemed to be dubious of the fire’s sudden burst of brightness as they continue to shield their eyes helplessly, as if scared of being burnt on the spot despite the great gap that stretched from the said source.

“Quick! Put out the fire!” A healthier-looking commander emerged from behind and began to shout frantically but gained no response from his men. Cursing aloud, the commander’s sight was then set on Sakura and with another anguish order, he pointed at her just to make his next order crystal clear. “Forget about the fire. Get her, dead or alive.”

Another distraction ensued in the form of a loud horn that silenced the surrounding chaos for a beat. A second sound came in a split moment after the first one ended and Sakura was already making a haste away from the growing heat of the fire she caused through the burning stables and towards her horse. The third sound came and Sakura stole a glance to note the damage done on the village from the subsequent explosions and was struck by both terror and relief at the sight of ongoing fires that blocked both entrances where one of it had been her successful contribution. The snow and the wind that came with winter had ceased for the night and those factors alone allowed her to believe that the fire could last long enough for a bigger intervention.

Entangling her horse’s bridle from the tree trunk, she mounted it while keeping a close eye of those who might walk out of the fire by whatever means. True to her expectations, screams of pain as followed by figures of a few men burning from the growing fire were seen crawling past the scorching metal gate as others used the sacrificed men as leverage to get past the fire to head towards the forest for what became an undoubtable aim of capturing her.

Sakura could have begun a quiet escape away from the enemy’s sight but chose to stay behind instead and waited for them to discover her amidst the darkness as she decided to bait them further away from their comrades’ calls of aid. Another unsettling thought had been based off the eerily quiet atmosphere after the third horn was sounded even from where it was sounded at the higher ground where the castle stood. As much as she wanted to figure out the link between the overlapping events, her mind was set on the near impossible challenge that came her way as she trusted her life into fate’s hands.

Breathing in the thin cold air as she watched the enemy’s pinpointed gaze on her exact location, she clutched on the bridle in determination and thus started the inevitable chase akin to one between the prey and the predator. Though despite the disadvantageous state she was in, Sakura was nowhere near admitting herself as the former part of the metaphor for she will prove her ability in overcoming this obstacle or fall entirely into its unimaginable consequence.

Chapter Text

Conclude

Trailing with the passing winter wind was the immense burden of a feud that finally reached its conclusion.

Sasuke casted a long look above the defence walls and into the darkness that covered the forest before him as the battlefield stilled over a successful clash against Kabuto and his men by the joint forces of Uchiha and Senju. Making use of the enemy’s horn to lure its remaining backup into the castle grounds, they had since then only met with a lack of movement from the forest’s direction. One cannot declare themselves the winning side unless all possibilities were ultimately eliminated and while the current serenity seemed to be a relief to those who assumed that everything had ended, Sasuke was still nowhere near such line of thought.

He walked down the stairs and continued towards the stables, nodding past those who greeted him in an almost absentminded manner as his mind went through a relentless cycle of a decision that has yet to be brought into an immediate action. He allowed himself to exhale audibly once he reached his horse, eyes and ears still tuned to observing his surroundings indirectly.

“There was still no sign of Sakura?”

Naruto’s query resonated weakly in the distance, causing Sasuke’s hands to momentary pause amidst securing the horse’s bridle and proceeded to the saddle. The same question had occupied his mind since realising her absence amongst Naruto’s team but the battle that commenced the very next moment caused him to momentarily abandon his concern in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her soon. Though it seemed to be apparent that nobody knew the medic’s whereabouts even after the chaos ended. The danger of the unknown had left almost everyone to the extent of their imagination now due to the lack of feedback gained from the enemy’s backing team whom seemed to have suddenly retreated and disappeared whole.

Refusing to delay any longer, Sasuke climbed on his horse and began towards the guarded gate alone, catching the attention of his alliances nearby. “I will monitor the situation outside and relay whatever I have once I returned.” He was offered a few men to go with him but Sasuke only shook off the offer in an indirect insight where observations were preferably done in a scattered manner and thus left the compound without another word.

The fresh yet biting winter air had greeted him into the mysterious landscape of the forest in night time. Hanging on to the uncertainty granted by the shadows casted by the passing clouds and towering trees, Sasuke expertly navigated through the natural maze without slowing his pace to avoid incoming arrow attacks. Exhaustion had creeped on his limbs though none had limited him from reaching out to his eye prowess to quicken the search. It had not been a lie when he spoke out his intention to track down the enemy’s remaining trail as the reason for his leave but that was never his top priority since the beginning.

There was hardly any hint after nearly an hour of searching through the darkness. The first two check points had proved him wrong even with the help from his falcon and that had eventually led him to the third and final guess before he decided to expand his search area rather frantically. He refused to give up but each moment wasted without a lead would pose a greater danger of either Sakura being held by the enemy or trapped by the freezing temperature.

As the air began to chill to a point where it was hard to breathe, he found the desperation in his heart to be more suffocating and he could only pray for the absence of snow for the rest of the night until she was found. Sasuke had experienced despair in numerous events throughout his life and while each struck the weaknesses that he had overcome, a budding fear seemed to threaten his sanity.

Nearing a cliff obscured by dense trees, Sasuke left his horse at a safe distance to rest as he proceeded forward alone. Unconsciously holding his breath, he took his time to advance one step at a time as he scrutinised more on the uncertainty of his reactions if his worst thoughts were proven to be a reality.

And it was amidst discarding his deep line of thoughts when he noticed a coat hanging haphazardly on the branch of the furthest tree that led to the cliff’s sudden drop. Closing in to the coat instantly, he was alerted by its familiarity and was dreaded to recognise it to have belonged to Sakura the last time he saw her. He began for the precipice out of numb panic but was pulled by a hand from behind him instead.

“Sasuke!”

The voice broke him out of an enraged stupor as he felt himself being pulled away from the loose soil underneath his feet and towards solid ground. Shaking off the adrenaline, he turned to acknowledge his saviour and blinked once to ensure that he had not been hallucinating her presence. Only after meeting her equally agitated stare could he finally feel himself breathing once more.

Sensing the thickening silence since their reunion, she thought to at least explain her rash action that may have caused an unnecessary reflex from Sasuke’s side. “I did not mean to startle you but the fragile edge was dangerous and that was why I pulled you away out of nowhere,”

“Sakura.” His voice, despite sounded like a whisper in the howling winter wind, halted her nervous rant.

Earning another bout of stare from the prince, Sakura was about to offer a shorter form of apology when Sasuke pulled her into an embrace that served as a wordless comfort over the trembles expressed through their short conversation. Guided by the sound of the erratic heartbeat of her own and Sasuke’s due to their proximity, the two could finally draw a breath of relief.

“Were you pursued?” Sasuke asked once they regained their sense of calm and broke off to observe their surroundings.

Sakura nodded and heaved a sigh. “I baited them with my coat and,” she paused in a severe doubt over her calculated action driven by desperation. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued. “I drove them off the cliff.”

The situation was almost reversed when the head of her pursuers had managed to catch up and knocked her off her horse, his identity revealed by the torch he carried to lead his men. Refusing to give up, she continued to make her way forward despite the steep geography that led uphill. Sakura stopped her tracks when she was almost out of breath and opted to confront the incoming man in a hastily-made plan in mind. The dagger she carried had come to its purpose against the sword that aimed to end her life but Sakura defended each attack expertly while continuously advance up the natural incline. As if sharing the same cruel thought, the leader lunged towards Sakura to push her off the rocky cliff but her timely dodge and the slippery snow-coated floor had led the man into an instant doom instead, leaving behind his sword and the lit torch on the spot that he last stood.

Blinking away shock, Sakura casted back to the path she came from and caught glimpses of movements from her nearing pursuers. Refusing to linger any longer, she discarded the sword into the dark abyss that swallowed its owner and picked up the torch. Covering her head with her hooded coat, she marched towards the precipice of the cliff without concealing the light from the torch in resuming the identity of the fallen leader from afar. Once the furthest point was reached, Sakura blocked the torch’s light with the sufficient shadow casted by her figure and continued to work out a bait for the men to near the cliff’s edge using her coat in a guise where their leader had successfully pushed her off there. It took some time for the men to comprehend the strangeness of the situation they were faced with though it was not long until the tussle between them began. The struggle had been much tougher but she emerged victorious nonetheless all thanks to a sole correct deduction.

“Throughout my observation tonight, it seemed to be apparent that those affected by delirium-like symptoms were highly sensitive to light.” She paused to tune down the tremble in her voice due to the intensifying cold breeze before finishing the rest of her sentence towards its main point. “The torch left behind by their fallen leader had helped me to stagger their attack and all chose to dive into the darkness.” To join their leader even in the afterlife, Sakura had pondered to herself.

Ending her trance with the weight of Sasuke’s draped coat on her shoulders, she tried to refuse it but was promptly ignored by him through the proceeding act of securing the coat around her to shield its new owner from the biting wind. “You are unaccustomed to the colder weather here.”

True to his pointed reasoning, the altitude difference and the location of the Senju and Uchiha kingdoms were known to experience a rather contrasting climate, especially in winter. Giving in to the warm refuge, Sakura muttered her gratitude.

“We should regroup with the others before the snow falls heavier.”

Trailing with the passing winter wind was the immense burden of a feud that finally reached its conclusion. The substitution of the cruel blizzard was a milder turn of winter, where the snow that began to fall that night seemed to bury all aftermath that came with a war that stretched for generations in allowing its surviving descendent to pave a new path of peace.

Reunion was due when the two arrived at the palace though both were shortly ushered towards different directions in attending respective matters. Sasuke was summoned into an emergency meeting together with his brother and the visiting Senju queen while Sakura was rushed into the medics’ care in response to the injuries she gained from her lone struggle. Ino had been the first to both welcome and rant her best friend upon hearing the risk taken by Sakura in her own expense and when the latter thought to have escaped the unneeded scrutiny, Karin had continued from where Ino had left. Instead of taking it all too seriously, Sakura had outright laughed at their antics.

“I used to think that both of you bear the similarities of the other but never have I ever imagined that the two of you would cross paths this soon.” Their shared rant had proved her impression to be correct all along. “In fact, everything felt surreal.”

Sakura had meant the day where both kingdoms would intercept in a peaceful manner instead of continuing the almost endless series of battles. Now that the relations between both sides were improved from the past, she could only hope that the negotiations had gone well. Sasuke had passed her an assuring glance before they part ways and she had responded with a smile that reflected encouragement. There were still a few loose ends to be dealt with after all.

“You could have informed anyone about your intention instead of running right into the enemy’s base. Were you out of your mind?” Ino huffed an angry exhale and settled on a stool across Sakura once all her injuries were taken care of. “What happened to being mindful of all possible consequences in each taken action?” Ino had subtly jabbed on Sakura’s previous venture as a part of the kingdom’s strategist team before giving up whole and pursued solely on medical interventions in wars.

Karin cleared her throat before sitting on one of the empty beds opposing Sakura. “Even as an almost stranger, that was a rather reckless move. And thankfully you are alive to tell the tale.” Ino scoffed in agreement while Sakura just sighed in reply.

“You are not a stranger. Nobody is a stranger here, it seems.” Sakura continued to point out upon seeing their narrowed eyes. “Both of you were going against me as a team for an instance. We are all mutual acquaintances, at least.” She offered with a grin.

There was a short pause after and it did not take Sakura long to steer the topic right into one of her main concerns. Judging by the less restrained expressions in her comrades’ actions, she could only hope that everything had not taken a turn for the worst.

Meeting Sakura’s eyes, Karin sighed before the former could speak out her mind query. “You must have been wondering on the disasters that followed after you left?” Receiving an affirmed nod from Sakura, Karin the tale that began with Kabuto’s indirect claim into power.

“Kabuto surrounded the castle with his men and even capable of convincing the king’s trusted advisors to send out a hunting party for the prince all in the guise of protection. The lie was blatant but his powerful grip had taunted all into timely submission. It was pathetic seeing each man fall to either temptation or fear of the captain’s new reign. He even challenged the need for a medic to monitor the king’s health but was silenced quickly by both Jugo and Suigetsu’s defiance that may cause a stagger amongst the soldiers’ resolve. There was a tug of support here and there but the three of us had managed to stay near the king though that had not been the worst, at least for me.”

Karin shifted to sit in a more comfortable position. Glancing between Ino and Sakura, with the former appeared to have only heard of this side of the story, Karin continued as the two tensed in anticipation.

“Kabuto had blocked off all medical-related supplies since then in another self-proclaimed precaution on the possibility of poisons being delivered amongst them. Thus, the infirmary was only left with its existing limited supplies and if it was not for your premade medicine to counter the king’s condition, it would have been impossible to endure to this day.” Suddenly reminded of her previous attempt, Sakura could not help but to ponder on its effectiveness. “It worked well with reducing the relapsing reaction though a cure would have been better if one ever existed.”

Karin relayed her discovery on the possible source of the poison that controlled the king’s life and eventually came to relate it to a snake master living in defection for his overreaching ambitions in the warring period. There had been rumours where the clash between Senju and Uchiha had been initiated by the same betrayer. If that was deemed to be a part of the truth, then the instigator had successfully escaped the scrutiny from both sides by severing the ties of the estranged clans. Regardless of that, Karin expressed the impossibility of reaching out the said snake master for a clue of the cure to his doing. She even recounted on the Uchiha prince’s attempt of striking a dangerous deal with Orochimaru but none had come to avail in the end.

Sakura and Ino passed one another a look as both suspected the source of poison directed towards Neji beforehand had come from the same person. The Senju queen would have been alerted considering the snake master was once one of her closest comrades before his sudden betrayal. It had simply meant that the mastermind behind the poison usage had maintained while its usage was dominated by another party yet to be unveiled.

“There is an alternative for the cure.” Sakura eventually conveyed, surprising Karin.

Chapter Text

Eternity

For in a tale instigated by a fateful storm had one became the other’s saviour and through the strength gained from this journey had they found a promise of eternity with one another.

Time became an honest measure of the gap that stretched between one remarkable moment to an uncertain encounter, for weeks turned into months since Sasuke and Sakura’s latest exchange. The atmosphere between the two kingdoms that persisted through years of intense clashes had ceased from its generational hostility and instead, opened up to peaceful attempts offered from their former rival. All had flourished in great progress as leaders and civilians all anticipated better days ahead of them and with that, witnessing the weakening distrust that gave way to a hopeful path in each interaction had warmed Sakura’s heart into abandoning her own insecurities.

Once regaining clarity and serenity in her mind shortly after her recovery, Sakura had channelled all of her focus towards the development of the king’s cure alongside Ino and Karin. With that being said, the last time Sakura was reunited with Sasuke was during the blood extracting phase prior to the beginning of the cure development process. The two had hardly cross paths after that due to Sakura’s main commitment being firmly tied to the medic camp and infirmary all while Sasuke overlooked the necessary procedures that smoothen the relations between the two kingdoms as his brother’s righthand man.

As much as the shift felt strange to them, there lacked a reason for the two to maintain a constant contact with each other and that alone had led to uncertainty that plagued them whenever unavoidable encounters came. Or at least, the said moments of self-consciousness had mainly come from Sakura’s side in the expense of time she spent thinking over the reality that had befallen her in the wake of a peaceful era. Now that she could piece each of her exchanges with the prince more thoroughly, it had seemed that all had been purely a chance born from the series of disarrays that were thrown into their lives. Of course, it had all been arguably a work of fate but she could not shake off the thought where everything was nearing an ultimate conclusion.

Her feelings towards Sasuke had persisted if not growing even sturdier than she ever allowed herself to and no amount of despair in diving back into the memory of rejection from the prince could even halt it. While hopelessness had not been new to her, the one that she was currently faced with had seemed to have taken a new definition now that the word alone had centred only on herself. In reducing the heaviness that may increase until the said conclusion came, Sakura had taken more steps in secluding herself from the rest and decided to work on most medical-related tasks in solitude, a change of attitude that was obvious to those close to her though none had directly spoke of it yet. It was through these acts of seclusion could Sakura hoped to successfully severe any thoughts in regards to Sasuke and following this had all the unavoidable meetings with him completely ceased.

The full moon that illuminated the night sky had marked a complete month since the end of the clash as a new year creeped closer in the upcoming daybreak. The significant event that came with the latter weeks of the month had been the king’s immense health improvement that became a reason for rejoice amongst the civilians and new alliances. Uplifted spirits had further motivated the progress throughout the kingdom as long-lost warmth flowed into its atmosphere.

As usual, Sakura had mainly observed these subtle changes from afar, still confining herself to the indoor infirmary. Noting the lack of contribution to her already prolonged stay in the kingdom as granted by her queen, she finally came to speak out her intent of returning to Senju to wrap up her medical contribution now that most could be handled well by the local medics. Receiving her permission a few days later than supposed, Sakura was allowed to leave the Uchiha kingdom any time she preferred and after pondering to herself had she decided to leave on the first day of the new year in a thought of ending everything with the year. Her belongings had been hastily packed after the reply came, worried of the heaviness in her heart that may influence her mind when the day came.

Though there she was eventually, thinking over everything all over again on the night before returning home. She missed her parents and those who were part of her life growing up, but those were never a determining factor to the thought that conquered her mind. It was almost foolish of her to still want to be near the person she had fallen for but it would be more foolish if she chose to stay when there were hardly any valid reasons left to justify her action. Thus, leaving without sparing any longing thoughts would be the best and she pushed all that aside as it was.

“Sakura.” The sudden emergence of a voice had greatly startled her amidst her thinking session, but at recognising its owner right after had caused Sakura to nearly panic.

“Sasuke.” She said almost breathlessly while taming her racing heart. It was the most undesirable thing to have another person interfering her while she was in an emotional turmoil, though she thanked the darkness that surrounded them for the shadow of vagueness it casted. “What are you doing here?” She asked as he settled on the spot right next to her, allowing only a respectable space between them but no more than between strangers.

“It has been a while since we talked.” He paused and turned towards her into which she prayed her face to appear nothing out of normal. “I heard that you will be leaving tomorrow morning.”

Sakura nodded after breaking off the eye contact to stare back into the horizon offered from the balcony, the same as the one where she had broken down in realising the new reality of herself in the new kingdom. It seemed impossible to return to her home back then but now that her desire was answered, her heart had settled on another. She could not help but to feel disappointed at her ungrateful self and the helplessness that came with the change she could not have stopped.

Sakura fell uncharacteristically silent as her mind wandered further into troubles that rose from her conflicted feelings while Sasuke accepted the challenge of continuing their conversation. “A lot has changed in a month.”

Momentarily glancing towards Sasuke, whom now shared her observation towards the lively movements of civilians going about in a festive mood, Sakura mustered an honest smile towards the scene. “Indeed. The civilians from both kingdoms had gotten along almost naturally and I wonder if it was how it had been way back then.”

“There will only be one after tonight.” Sasuke pointed out suddenly without giving away any additional explanation.

“What do you mean?”

“My brother and your queen had agreed that the Uchiha kingdom will cease to exist tomorrow onwards.” He let go of a minimal sigh, eyes still casted forward. “No more division between the clans and civilians alike.” It was not regret that had filled his voice but rather a sense of finality on the said matter.

Sakura’s brows furrowed as she was torn by the opinion she was about to speak next. “Senju could not have adapted another kingdom as a part of their own.”

“I had such prior thought as well but that was never the case. An agreement on renaming a new kingdom that will include all was reached. Your queen,” Sasuke then readjusted his words in a minimal display of awkwardness before continuing. “Queen Tsunade will continue as a ruling figure while my brother remained as an integral part of the decision contributors to all related matters in regards of the new kingdom.” He paused to allow the fact to sink in. “The Land of Fire shall only be composed of one kingdom that stood united and that shall be how the Kingdom of Fire is founded.” Sasuke reiterated the declaration made in the meeting.

“Any oppositions?” She dared herself to ask and hoped that Sasuke was not involved in that.

Pausing out of the need for suspense, it took Sasuke a few delayed moments to answer. “No. It was agreed by all, myself included.” He smirked at Sakura’s hardly discreet sigh of relief.

Sakura continued to ponder out loud. “That means you are no longer a prince.”

“Hn.”

After another moment of strange stillness, Sakura asked. “Does that bother you?”

“It doesn’t.”

Sakura tried to note any confined expression in his reply but failed to find anything significant safe for acceptance, one that she could not be sure if she could understand it well.

“My brother desires peace as much as you do, Sakura.” Sasuke began. “Often times had I noticed the similarities the two of you possessed despite standing on the opposing sides of two warring kingdoms. While for me, peace appears to be an overreaching goal that instils hope in each generation despite almost unreachable. Misunderstandings that caused great loss often resulted in vengeful promises and I suppose I was not unknown to bear such intentions. Peace did not come as realistic to me and with that being said, I do not aim for it.” He shrugged it off. “My brother and I each hold on to a rather contradicting vision when it comes to the future but the difference that separates us is what makes him the better leader between the two of us.”

“Anything changed between now and then to you?”

Instead of mere curiosity, Sakura had asked out of genuine concern. If Sasuke could not hope or believe in the conclusion of peace that the two kingdoms had reached for, it would only open up to the possibility where he would stray a little further than all the rest. And the worst bit would be that his difficult past would confine him into a state of isolation.

“Nothing changed but my priorities.”

Turning her head to look at Sasuke, she smiled in approval. “I wish you the best for your future endeavours.”

Without responding to her remark with a verbal reply, he only smiled back and returned to another state of silence into which had caused the former to wonder if she had misspoken anything offensive in her wish.

“Sakura, I had been meaning to address an important matter with you and despite its overdue, I hope it is not too late to speak of it now.”

Pair the sudden urgency in Sasuke’s voice and her prior overthinking thoughts, Sakura’s full attention fell on him. “What was the matter?”

He began bluntly. “In regards to your confession,” seeing Sakura flustered at the mention of the subject, he continued his sentence shortly in saving her from making any self-conscious remarks about her claimed rashness, “I believe I owe you a proper yet much delayed response.”

Sakura held her breath over the embarrassment that hit her like a wave as she felt the heat on her face intensify in each passing moment. “I-I think you have explained enough for my understanding before. There is no need to scrutinise on my careless remarks any further, I suppose.” Sakura chuckled nervously in willing the strangeness in the air to disappear quicker.

She would not want to remember the last conversation she had with Sasuke before her return to be one that centred on her rather bold confession amidst the most unsuitable time known to man. At least, spare her from the momentary madness she gave way to back then.

“You do not mean it?” His light scrutiny had instead fell on the inclusion of the word careless in her last sentence.

“No, that was not it.” Still sensing Sasuke’s stare towards her, Sakura inhaled to reorganise her jumbled up thoughts. “I meant my words but I don’t think it was worth mentioning any further.”

“Even without a proper response from me?”

“Had your explanations been ingenuine then?”

Sakura tried to query past her embarrassment but Sasuke had not shown any signs of giving up the matter. “All were parts of my mind but I do admit that those were not the most direct expression of what I had intended to deliver.”

None of them had strayed from the seriousness that maintained their eyes on each other the moment after his words were heard, as if patiently waited for each truth to unfold as answers from their exchange. Still struck by a sense of surprise, Sakura continued to be silent as Sasuke began to speak again after heaving a long sigh.

“I dreaded the day when peace is reached and everything falls back into its prior state for I sense the separation that comes with the shift. Chaos initiated our encounter and peace might just break it apart, and regardless of how much I try to balance it out with the security of the future ahead of us, the possibility of hardly crossing paths with you in the wake of differed circumstances that came with the achieved peace is simply unsettling. I used to bear a thought where my existence alone would be a hindrance to you in such setting but as time passed in the wake of this realisation, it became increasingly difficult to walk away from you.

“But I cannot help but to notice that you seemed to be avoiding me since the war concluded.” He seemed to pause in uncertainty before asking. “Is that true?”

Her eyes waver out of guilt as she broke off from the stare they shared after a while, unsure of how to piece out the fact where it had been her attempt to cope with her apparent one-sided confession that had initiated such action. Inhaling the cold night air to calm herself, he met his eyes once more.

“It was the other way around, Sasuke. It felt like a sensible option for me to prepare myself for our parted ways when the time comes.”

Sasuke’s features remained expressionless, safe for the slight wrinkle across his brows that left as fast as it came. “Had that helped you to move on then?”

She looked around them before confiding with an undeniable fact with a smile full of admittance, growing tired of concealing her failure and the feelings that caused such steps. “No.”

Sasuke mustered an obvious sigh of relief and a smile that further puzzled Sakura at her answer. He waited for her eyes to return to him as he pondered for a bit before speaking his thoughts.

“I would like to apologise for the illusion I had casted on you before. I would have opted for another choice if one had presented at that time, I swear to it, but I was desperate enough to send you towards the safety of your kingdom and away from the incoming enemies. Thus,” he inhaled before continuing his words, “I could only reach out to the closest ideal in mind and reflect it to you.”

Unlike dreams that were casted in one’s slumber, the said illusion was still vivid in Sakura’s mind as contributed by the three days of her unconsciousness. It had been one that centred on herself and Sasuke in another reality where they had ended up together, also one that seemed to contrast the apparent rejection she received. His current explanation, on the other hand, had caused another stir to her perception and she refrained her mind from any form of thought in regards to the matter. Furrowing her brows, she listened in patience though quickly lost her cool when Sasuke took a step closer to her, still holding her gaze.

“Doubts incited by the circumstances that we live in had prompted me to avoid speaking out my true thoughts to you in the guise of assumed safety on your side but I believe now to be the right time to abandon an assumption that led one towards nowhere better.” He broke off from the eye contact briefly out of guilt towards Sakura’s seemingly rejected confession but returned her stare almost immediately after, with renewed determination. “Your feelings are well reciprocated all along for I had come to realise that I had fallen in love with you, Sakura.”

Caught in her own breath, Sakura blinked once to register Sasuke’s words though he proceeded to reach for her right hand and placed a cold metallic piece on her palm while she was still awe-struck by everything. Seeing the familiar glint of the ring necklace under the moonlight, her brows furrowed again.

“This is,” Sakura prompted, unsure of the meaning behind the action.

“A confession from me to you.” He spoke naturally. “As per my clan’s tradition, the parents’ wedding rings shall be inherited to their children as a part of their heirloom, and to establish a new bond between their children and their future spouses.”

Reminiscing to when she had first accepted the necklace from Sasuke, Sakura’s ponder was shortly addressed by him.

“When I gave you the necklace back then, it had been for the sake of your safety.” His explanation had helped Sakura to gain an instant understanding on the strange looks and perceptions she received upon wearing the said heirloom back then. “Whereas for now, I would like to make my intent of walking down a path of future with you known.”

Sakura numbed over her own thoughts as her eyes stayed with the necklace on her palm, as if considering the heavy matter presented at face. The confidence in Sasuke’s voice was admirable even when he continued past the silence that came with his declaration of pursuing Sakura.

“You have the right to keep the ring if you choose to accept or return it if you opted otherwise. But of course, there is no rush in giving me an answer now if you needed some time to think it over.”

Meeting his eyes and holding his gaze wordlessly in a look that was still full of considerations, Sakura eventually responded a few delayed moments after. “I am keeping it then.” Smiling as she continued to stare at the necklace, she added. “That will be my answer.”

“Does that mean your acceptance to my confession, then?” Opting to tackle the matter in a direct manner, Sasuke bluntly asked for Sakura’s confirmation.

“Yes, I do.” Capturing his sight once again with a gentle smile, she was replied with his warm counterpart.

Taking hold of the necklace from Sakura’s hand, Sasuke untangled the piece and looked back at her. “May I?”

Upon gaining her flustered consent, he slipped the necklace past her head where it settled perfectly natural, as if only returned to its rightful owner. Sasuke looked over from the ring that dangled across the necklace and back to Sakura, waiting for her to notice his stare. And when she did, he offered her his hand into which she had taken with a smile before intertwining their hold over the other as the last night of the year made its way into the beginning of another.

For in a tale instigated by a fateful storm had one became the other’s saviour and through the strength gained from this journey had they found a promise of eternity with one another.