Ocean Of Blood And Fire [Sasusaku]

Chapter Four: Sakura's P.O.V.

I sat up and stretched, habitually silencing myself before realizing where I was.

I'm safe now, there's no need to do that.

I kept telling myself that, but my mind wouldn't listen.

I looked around at my temporary home. Well, if you could call six months temporary, anyway.

After I escaped and found my way to the village, a medical ninja healed me. It was long and painful, but it worked. All the miscellaneous injuries I'd gotten from traveling, (some minor, some not so minor) vanished without so much as a scar.

I knew then that's what I wanted to be. And I'd work however hard I needed to to become the best medical nin ever.

Anyway, after I was healed and after they confirmed my story to make sure I wasn't a criminal, they released me.

I had nowhere to go, so I came here.

But apparently, someone already lived here.

Which meant I had to get out of here before they came back.

I hurriedly got dressed in the same clothes I'd worn for years. The same mesh armor. The same faded pink crop top. The same green spandex. The only differences were now my headband was a Hidden Leaf, andàà old worn out shoes were replaced with dark blue ninja shoes that matched the headband, and I wore a kunai pouch on my left thigh, taping underneath it and around my wrists. I also wore black gloves.

I decided to put my hair up in a long ponytail and braid it again. It made training much easier when my hair was up and out of the way.

Well, mostly. The shorter strands that fell out bugged me, but there wasn't really anything else I could do for that.

I quickly tied my headband, the loose hair falling down around it.

I looked into the old, cracked, floor-length mirror by the side wall for a quick inspection. I don't know why. It's not like it really mattered. I didn't even know if I was considered pretty anyway, so what was the use in worrying about it?

I gathered my training equipment and shoved the rest of my bare essentials in a hidden corner of the room. Hopefully no one found them.

Once I was ready and had all my required equipment, I slid the window on the side wall open and slipped out silently, softly closing it once my feet gently touched the ground. I turned around, about to head out, when I saw him.

He was closing the door to the main house in the compound, looking fully alert despite the hour which he appeared last night.

I slid into the shadows as he walked towards the gate, thankfully not seeing me. He was wearing his usual outfit: loose blue shirt with his clan's crest on the back, white shorts, and the ever-present ninja sandals. He had his kunai pouch strapped to his left thigh with tape underneath, along with both his wrists; the standard for a ninja.

I waited until he disappeared from sight, then waited another two minutes before moving from my spot, just to make sure. Even so, I still went in the opposite direction, just to be safe.

He's really scary.

And I know scary.

So I climbed onto the roof.

I know what you're thinking. 'You're trying not to be seen so you go to the roof? Are you a dumbass?'

Yes. Yes I am.

No, just kidding. It was a house that was covered in the shadows, and I was army crawling across it. Even if he'd been looking, he would never have seen a thing.

That house was right next to the wall of the compound, so I placed my feet on top of the wall as I slid off the roof. From there, I carefully bent down, grabbing the wall with my hands and jumping down lightly, releasing the wall as I went to soften the impact on the ground.

I turned around and made eye contact.

"Holy hell!"

I slapped my hand to my mouth, trying to stifle the scream.

"Don't do that to me, Naruto! You scared the hell out of me!"

He laughed. "Yeah, literally."

I shook my head and smiled.

"So wanna tell me why you were jumping over a wall?"

"Not really."

He laughed as we started walking towards the training grounds. We talked about random stuff, and he made me laugh the whole way.

When we arrived, Sasuke was already there waiting. I thought he'd give me a cold glare again, but he just ignored me. Instead he gave that glare to Naruto, who was currently yelling at Sasuke for beating him here.

I smiled and rolled my eyes at Naruto's antics.

"What are you talking about, dobe?"

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh. "You're constantly beating me. When's it gonna be my turn to beat you at something?"

Sasuke smirked at him. "Maybe when you get better."

I rolled my eyes at him.

And if I thought he didn't notice... Boy was I wrong.

He gave me yet another cold stare (one of these days I'll get used to it) and walked over to me slowly, reminiscent of last night. A slow smirk spread over his face, the fact not lost on him. This time I tried to stand my ground.

It was during the day in front of someone else. He wouldn't dare do anything with an audience.

Right?

WRONG. SO WRONG.

He stopped short, inches away, practically staring a hole through me. "Got something to say, Haruno?"

I gritted my teeth, determined not to be intimidated.

"I do, actually."

He smirked coldly, his eyes never wavering. (Naruto had been right. This guy did radiate confidence.) "Say it then."

All my nerve gone, I stuttered. "I-uh-"

This boy actually had the nerve to laugh.

"Hey!" I shouted, all thoughts of nerves fleeing in the wake of my offense.

"Problem?"

"Why did you laugh at me?"

He laughed again. (Well, at least there's something; I can make him laugh, which no one else seems to be able to do...)

"Yeah. I did laugh. Because you acted so tough, then immediately backed out once I said something about it."

"I did not!"

He stayed silent, raising an eyebrow at me.

I wasn't going to be in the same position I was in last night. I refused. So I took a deep breath, looked him in the eye, and walked past him, brushing his shoulder with mine.

I didn't mean to, but hey, it adds to the effect, so why not?

I sat down beside Naruto instead. Sasuke stood there for a second, his back now facing me, in... shock, I guess...?

When he turned back around, there was still a slight pinkness to his face. Was he angry?

"Where is this Kakashi guy?! He was supposed to be here an hour ago!" Naruto complained.

"Yeah, I wonder where he is," I said, frowning in concern.

As if he were summoned, the door leading inside the area we were at slid open.

We all watched in apprehension as a foot appeared, then a leg, then the rest of his body. We eagerly looked up, trying to see his face, but it was covered, so we couldn't get a good look-

Wait a second.

I gasped.

It was him.

"Y-you...?"