The Way to Moon

The Red Band

The Red Band, one which both her precious ones had bought for her.
The one that Sasuke had tied in her hair.
The Red Band , which like a red thread of fate, connected her to him .
It always reminded Sakura why and how she met Sasuke and Naruto
She would always sit near the park where children played together, crying.
Girls would come and poke fun of her forehead , then came Sasuke and then came Ino .
Sakura was somewhat glad that she met Ino, even though Ino betrayed her later .
Ino wasn't really bad at heart, just childish at the time. She later confessed to Sakura that she had been jealous of Sakura, of the way how Sakura could befriend anyone, even Sasuke .
Still, Ino did apologize to her and was there for her .
Sasuke though, always stayed the same . The same  quiet and mysterious kid he'd been .
Always the mysterious person girls drooled over.
But for Sakura, he was the one who showed her the world, she met Naruto because of him and she can't describe  how much Naruto matters to her.
He's like the second brother she never had .
Sakura smiled at the sweet memories, good old days. Sakura understood why childhood is called the golden age .
Sakura wanted to look for the band, she remembered keeping it safe in her locker in the cupboard.
She went to her bedroom and carefully opened the locker, it hadn't been opened for a long time but was still shining grey. 
She thrust her hand in and pulled out the ribbon her hand caught and looked at it .

She had this idea that she wanted to try with Sasuke . So, smiling at the ribbon, she put it in her pocket . She went to meet Sasuke and countered Naruto in the way

" Naruto! " Sakura cheered with a smile, waving at Naruto who also smiled
" Sakura-chan" The blonde beamed at the pinkette, smiling broadly and raising his hand up in a wave
Sakura caught up to Naruto and they started walking
" Where are you headed to? "
Naruto rested his hands behind his head , his usual habit. 
" Nowhere special, just walking. Why?"
Sakura lied , and she was terrible at it.
" Well, Hokage-Sensei has asked us to come to the Hokage tower "
Naruto's voice trailed off in a lazy tone, so lazy .
" Really? But I didn't get any message "
Sakura raised a brow
" That's cause only me and Sasuke were called  . Good thing I met you now "
Naruto grinned
Sakura sweatdropped at his words, giving him The Look .
" Now say, where were you actually going? "
Naruto glanced at her from the side of his eye
" I was going to meet Sasuke-kun"
Sakura sighed in disappointment
Naruto just formed an O with his mouth and continued walking

" Do you know anything about the mission "
Sakura shoved her hands into her pockets, the sky becoming red
" How do you know it's a mission "

" Well, I just...assumed it was since...the two of you were called , right?"
Sakura avoided eye contact, embarrassed at her own conclusion . She just concluded it was a mission without any info.
" Oh, that makes sense...I guess ? "
Naruto shrugged, being the idiot he was, no way he could utilise the process on his own

" Baka "
Sakura mumbled under her breath and looked up

There was this awkward silence between them for the first time and she despised it

" The sky's looking so beautiful "
Sakura cringed at her own words .

Naruto blinked , that was so random .

" Yeah "
He couldn't find words

" Don't you think you should go to the Hokage tower now......"
Sakura's voice trailed off, feeling unfamiliar Chakra .
Naruto also noticed and looked around and the chakra disappeared from Sakura's field

" Did you also feel that chakra "
Sakura was still looking here and there
" Yeah " Naruto was eyeing the air with suspicion
Sakura suddenly felt a shiver run down her spine and it was a familiar feeling , one she'd sensed before .
At that moment, she recognised the strange chakra , but decided to keep silent.
Naruto noticed Sakura's facial expression and started glaring at the air .
In an instant, the chakra disappeared from his field of chakra too , not knowing what they'd done .

" Everything okay , Sakura-chan? "
Naruto's eyes softened when he saw Sakura
Sakura uncomfortably laughed , scratching the side of her ear and avoiding eye contact .
" Yeah, just a sudden cold "

" You're wearing warm clothes tho-"

" Let's just go to the Hokage tower, I'm sure it's nothing"

Naruto didn't want to push the matter further, so he kept it to himself . He also didn't wanna leave Sakura alone for now , a big no after what just happened

The rest of the way passed in silence as they walked.
When they arrived at the Hokage tower, Sasuke was already there by the time . 
Sakura's eyes lit up to see Sasuke and a warm but gentle little smile came on her face and she looked away, not wanting to be teased by her Sensei or the blonde .
Sasuke looked at the pinkette and the blonde as Naruto gently punched Sasuke's shoulder as a greeting with a toothy smile

" Oi teme, long time no see "

" You're acting like I was gone for a year "

" Whatever, two months are still long, ask Sakura-chan, she knows best "

" Dobe "

" Ma, Let's not fight right now "
Kakashi said with a closed eye smile.  Atleast his two eyes were visible now.  His one eye always showed more emotion than Sasuke's whole face .

" Say , Kakashi, what's the matter"
Sasuke jumped straight to the point, tired from the day's journey, not even greeting Sakura.

That hurt

" Hmmm, well, a mission to the Crescent Moonlit valley "
Kakashi took out a scroll from a drawer moved it forward  towards Sakura since she was the bookworm type , the smartest of the three
Sakura came forward and took the scroll and slowly opened it .
She looked at the scroll, squinting her eyes before looking back at Kakashi

" Eh, what's this language"
Sakura said , pointing to the scroll with weird words in a strange language. She couldn't even understand a single word. It all seemed like scribbled shit to her and she narrowed her eyes at the text
" That's the sign language of a former clan of the Moonlit Valley "
Kakashi informed and something clicked
" The one whose name was erased from people's memories? And the one that disappeared overnight ? "
Sakura thoughtfully said to which Kakashi nodded

" This scroll was found by an old lady near the Clan's compound and strange things have been going on in the village ever since "
Kakashi closed the drawer, still speaking

" Like what "
Naruto asked, remembering the 'zombie' incident from last time

" Like people disappearing "
Kakashi informed
" Why didn't you call me "
Sakura blurted, tbe thought internally eating her up . Kakashi seemed unbothered by the question

" Oh , Haruno's didn't enter that land , so naturally,  you also wouldn't want to, Right? "
Kakashi asked thoughtfully

" But...but why ? Is there something wrong with that?

" Yeah, and it doesn't end well "

Sakura restrained herself from speaking any further , not wanting to know what happened