Ripples

Chapter 8

                             Pangs

"So...what's your story?" Suigetsu asked.

Sakura glanced at him. "What story?"

"The..." Suigetsu made a vague motion towards his neck. "How'd you get saddled with that?"

"An altruistic impulse outweighed my self-preservation instincts."

"Really?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I was really low on chakra, and stumbled across a group of travelers being taken as slaves by Sound. I fought with the shinobi rather than slink silently past...and here I am. Being dragged up hill and down dale by a jerk."

"You're not fond of Sasuke, are you?"

"Not at the moment, no."

Suigetsu smirked. "So...you're a medic, huh?"

"Yeah, but my abilities are kinda limited with the collar on." Sakura ran a finger across the metal lock for emphasis.

"But they're still pretty top-notch, right? I mean, Sasuke must have a good reason for bringing you along."

"Well, if he happens to let it slip, could you tell me what it is?"

Sasuke listened to the conversation in front of him with only half an ear. Sakura had remained silent all throughout their journey out of Sound, seeming to disdain walking with either him or Suigetsu, and instead planted herself in the middle, striding along between them and occasionally muttering darkly under her breath.

Eventually, Suigetsu had slid back and tried to engage her in conversation. His first attempts had been rebuffed rather rudely, but as he persisted, Sakura's frosty attitude had gradually softened. It was obvious she was still a little wary of the white-haired man, but she was now talking easily with him.

Sasuke told himself he wasn't envious.

"Ah, cheer up, Princess," Suigetsu grinned, feeling tempted to give her a hearty pat on the back but wary of giving Sasuke reason to enact his threat. "It could be worse."

Sakura gave a rather inelegant snort. "True. That's the depressing thing about life – it can always get worse."

Suigetsu chuckled again and in spite of herself, Sakura found herself feeling a certain liking for him. He was vicious and crude, yes, but his daring grin and devil-may-care attitude reminded her of Naruto, in a way.

Plus, it was nice to talk to someone who possessed actual conversational skills.

"So...where are we going, out of curiosity?" she asked.

"Zabuza's grave," Suigetsu explained. "I want the sword."

Sakura blinked, casting her mind back and trying to remember if there had been anything particularly unusual about Zabuza's sword...besides its size, of course.

She watched Suigetsu take a long draught from the water bottle he carried at his hip, and her medical mind took over.

"Do you drink so frequently because you have to keep your fluid levels up?"