Shades of Grey

Chapter 62

Long after the stars had spread their dim light across the sky Sakura held up a fist signaling her partners to a halt. Silently both of them made their way to her side and saw a small unlit hut in a manmade clearing.

"What's this?" Kisame asked.

"ANBU hut for teams to remain in during overnight patrols. It is vacant and the earliest anyone will be here is six in the morning." Sakura spoke for the first time that day.

"You seem pretty sure of that." The large man remarked.

"I wrote the schedule." She informed him before leaping down into the clearing and heading for the hut.

Once they were inside, she reached up to a small ledge over the door and brought down a candle. After lowering the blind over the only window, she lit it giving the small space adequate light.

"There are provisions in the cupboards." The kunoichi informed them before laying her bedroll out.

Kisame and Itachi went through the nonperishable items that were kept for emergency meals and put together a makeshift dinner for them. Kisame filled his bowl and watched as Itachi filled two more. He lay out a bed roll and set one of them on it before walking to Sakura's side.

"Here." He held it out to her.

The kunoichi looked as though she might argue.

"You require nourishment, or I cannot allow you to continue." He gently told her.

Reluctantly she took it and finally began to eat. All of them remained in silence while their meal was ate. As soon as it was over Sakura blew out the candle and submerged them in darkness. Just like any other night Kisame thought. Any old dark silent night that the partners had shared a million times before; before the kunoichi had come along and banished the darkness and silence away. He told himself that it would be alright, they would find a way to chase the darkness from the girl's life the girl who had become their light.