Kairos | SasuSaku

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The Hidden Village of Valleys was located between two valleys (as is its namesake) and was known for its colorful festivities during the spring season. Sasuke and Sakura walked the bustling streets filled with food vendors calling out to the street goers and children running around with hand made kites.

Sakura smiled under the cloak of her hood, remembering her academy days, when she had spent her days making flower crowns with Ino, and admiring a young Sasuke from afar.

She looked at him now, caught by a street vendor talking his ear off about how his steamed dumplings were the best in the village, the slightly helpless expression on his face making her quietly giggle.

Sasuke shot her a look, and she quickly sobered up, directing her smile at the elderly vendor when he noticed her.

"Come on lad, buy some for ya girl over there too, why don' ya. Ya won't regret it."

Sakura's smile faded a bit, and she met Sasuke's eyes a bit awkwardly, while the oblivious vendor looked between them impatiently.

Minutes later, they finally made it to an inn, Sasuke carrying a container of steamed dumplings as Sakura booked them two rooms.

They made their way through the throngs of people hustling around in the hallway, and Sakura sidled up a bit to Sasuke as she spoke.

"It's a miracle we were able to even get rooms here, right?"

"Yeah." Sasuke replied shortly, and Sakura wondered if he was now feeling uncomfortable with her because of the street vendors' words.

They made their way to their respective rooms, side by side, when Sasuke said, "there's apparently a firework festival tonight, want to go?"

Sakura paused while opening her door, surprised that Sasuke would even take note of such an event. Back when they were kids, it had always been her asking him. She was unsure of what to say, and maybe the hesitation showed on her face, because he added, "if you want, that is. It'll help kill time until we leave again."

A younger Sakura would have leapt for joy at the mere thought of Sasuke inviting her like this.

Even though inner her was in fact, doing just that, she didn't show any such signs on the outside when she replied, "Sure!"

Sasuke nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Tonight, then."

He stepped inside his room, Sakura following suit. She closed the door and leaned against it, her heart beating loudly in her chest, face heated to the point she knew it was flushed red. It was a wonder Sasuke didn't ask her whether she was feeling under the weather.

She smiled widely, "tonight."

***

"What's your most favorite place that you've traveled to so far?"

Sakura asked as she took a bite out of a steamed dumpling, closing her eyes at the flavor of explosion in her mouth. She watched Sasuke's profile as he sat next to her, watching the people as they went about the festival, enjoying various foods and time spent with their loved ones.

They were both sitting on the grassy outskirts of the village, under the shade of a big wisteria, wearing civilian clothing so as to blend in a bit with the other festival goers, who had laid out mats out under the open sky, and were sitting on them, eagerly waiting for the fireworks to start.

Sasuke made a sound, as though thinking deeply. "There've been many places I've been to that I liked a lot, so it's hard to say. But there are also many places that I haven't been to yet."

Sakura thought about his words as she gazed at the people walking by. She was extremely happy for her teammate being able to so freely travel the world and seek the answers he sought. She was always happy to see the changes in him, so different from his past self who'd been overwrought with revenge and loneliness. To be able to see him freely smile and interact with others filled her heart, even though a small part of her lamented at the many moments she was sure to have missed of Sasuke while he had been away on his journey.

The people walked past both of them, barely aware they were even there, and Sakura observed the number of couples walking by, wearing traditional clothing and laughing and teasing each other in the way only lovers could. Her mood dwindled a bit, because to the those passing by that did notice them, they might look like a couple too.

They couldn't be further from the truth.

Sakura was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Sasuke speaking to her.

She smiled, a bit sheepish. "Sorry, what?"

Sasuke observed her face, turning toward the sky before saying, "I said we can go to as many places as you like. So that you can pick a favorite place yourself."

Sakura's eyes widened, catching the slight pinking of his exposed ear. She felt her own face heat up as she turned to look at the sky herself.

"That would be wonderful, Sasuke-kun."

They sat in companionable silence then, the steamed dumplings dwindling as the night sky darkened.

The bottle of sake the innkeeper had provided them with (as a gift he'd handed out to all the festival goers) sat untouched by Sakura as Sasuke poured himself his third cup, and Sakura secretly wondered if his blushing ears were due to the consumption.

"You don't drink?" Sasuke asked after a short sip, looking at her.

"Ah, not really. As medics, we have to stay alert constantly in case of emergencies." She thought back to the times patients have been brought in during the most unexpected times, and even though medics were trained to be able to mold their chakra and clear their systems of the alcohol pretty easily, Sakura had never been a big fan of drinking it.

"I see."

Sakura elaborated more, feeling as though Sasuke was trying to make more conversation. "I did before, but something about the taste just throws me off." She fondly remembered the times Tsunade-sama had her sneak in a few sips during her training years back.

"Plus, I have a low tolerance, and the hangovers are a pain to deal with. I've had to take care of enough hungover people to never put myself through that." She shivered a bit, remembering Ino and Tsunade-sama and their childish antics when she'd been stuck taking care of them.

"Hn," Sasuke smirked. "To think that the pupil of Tsunade would have a low tolerance."

"Hey!" She was about to make a hack at his tolerance when she saw the now half empty bottle sitting innocently between them. Sasuke looked at her amusedly.

"...It looks like you can hold your liquor well though." She admitted grudgingly.

"This? This is nothing." Sasuke resorted smugly.

Sakura laughed a bit, enjoying the casualness of the conversation. "I guess we're opposites then."

Sasuke replied back so quietly she strained to hear, "I guess we are."

A group of young girls ran past them, laughing happily, and one of them paused and looked back, eyeing Sakura a bit shyly. Sakura smiled encouragingly as the girl stepped closer and offered her a flower crown made from white anemones.

Sakura's smile deepened as she took the crown. "Thank you! It's beautiful."

She placed it on her head, and the girl giggled a bit, helping her adjust it properly.

"You have beautiful hair," the girl spoke, and Sakura thanked her, letting her play with her hair, watching her run off to her friends waiting close by after she was satisfied.

She gave Sasuke an amused smile, about to say something, before the first firework of the night went up into the sky.

Distracted, she looked up, watching as the dark sky lit up with fireworks of various colors, its light illuminating the ground they were sitting on.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, it is." She heard him reply.

Too distracted by the fireworks she was, to notice that Sasuke was looking at her, his gaze never once leaving to look at the sky.