Sacrifice and Surrender

28: Mission

Shouta and Sakura fell into a comfortable and quiet rhythm as they walked. Sakura was content to just enjoy the afternoon. The wind was cool, but not as crisp has it had been. Winter was passing quickly in the Land of Fire, giving way to spring. There was more warmth in the air and very faintly, scents of flora long hidden was returning. 

They travelled north-east, heading towards the north-eastern border of The Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water, making for the coastal towns closest to the island they were headed too. Night fell, and they made camp in a clearing in the woodlands. Sakura set some simple traps that would alert them to anyone coming close by, while Shouta lit the campfire and prepared some food for them.

"I didn't expect Lord Tobirama to seem so protective over you," Shouta said after they'd finished eating, a small smile and a slightly furrowed brow on his face.

"No?" Sakura asked. She thought for a moment. "I guess I didn't think he was like that when I first met him either," she said with a rueful expression.

"Hikari speaks highly of him, even while she complains about him," Shouta said, the hint of a smile on his face.

Sakura smiled. "I'm looking forward to watching the two of you spar."

Shouta scoffed. "It's not about the two of us," he answered with irritation. "It's Lord Madara and Lord Tobirama having a contest, we're just their pawns."

Sakura laughed. "Even if that's true, they would never have chosen either of you if they didn't believe in your abilities."

Shouta twisted his lips. "I agree," he said with some reluctance. "But it's still irritating."

They slept taking shifts to watch over the camp and set off in the morning with more haste, running at a decent, but not too hard pace, through the trees until they broke for lunch. Sakura quizzed Shouta on his medical knowledge as they went, giving him situations to hear how he would approach them, and helping him find more efficient methods. 

As they traveled, Sakura made sure to keep a mental picture of the land and people that they passed, trying to situate herself in the time more effectively. There were differences, some larger than others. Small villages that she saw in the distance that didn't exist in her time, changes in the land, roads not yet built. Sakura frowned as they went, feeling both angry and sad. The wars changed a lot. They reached the border just after noon on the third day. The Land of Hot Water wasn't a shinobi country in her time, but it was in these days.

"Let's be on the look out for shinobi," Sakura said as they passed the wooden post on the side of the road stating they were crossing the border. "But don't forget, we're just medics. We should be fine."

"Just medics," Shouta scoffed quietly.

Sakura gave him a grin. "Yeah. It's not a lie, is it?"

"No," he responded. "It's not. Technically."

Sakura hummed happily but kept a watch on the surrounding area as they walked. They were medics, technically or not. It wasn't her fault the rest of the worlds medics were lacking in a lot of the combat training during this era. It was a pity that neither of them was a sensor, however. Sakura's range wasn't as large as she wanted it to be, and Shouta was forbidden to activate his sharingan unless it was a life or death situation. They didn't need to announce his Uchiha identity in a land where the Uchiha were feared, resented, and their eyes coveted.

After walking an hour within the borders of the Land of Hot Water, they both sensed the shinobi hiding in the trees around them. They walked a little slower, and three of the five hiding appeared in front of them. Sakura and Shouta stopped and she gave them a beaming smile, which they weren't expecting.