Secret Senju

Chapter 7. Lily of the Valley

Authors note: Warning, steamy scene, stereotypical one bed trope, Haru being a cutie pie, Sasuke is definitely OOC but its bc he's being reverted to a boy with a rlly fat crush around Haru, he's not entirely OOC dw, Sakura mentions, pls enjoy!

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So, we're nearing the Hidden Leaf Village?" Haru asks, her eyes focused on her feet as she carefully steps over a moss-covered log to cross a clear, babbling river. Sasuke walks on the water beside her, holding her hand to prevent her from slipping into the current.

Neither of them wanted to bring up the skin contact, hues of red creeping up their necks at the feeling of each other's hands.

Sasuke nods, watching her every step carefully. "We'll arrive tomorrow."

Her eyes light up with excitement. "Oh! I can't wait to meet all of your friends," Haru smiles as she nears the end of the log, successfully crossing the river and hopping down to solid ground. The soft earth squishes beneath her sandals, and she breathes in the fresh scent of pine and damp leaves.

Neither Sasuke nor Haru acknowledge the fact that their hands are still intertwined.

"I don't have many people to meet, to be honest," Sasuke mutters, more so to himself.

"Well, you have Naruto, don't you? He sounds incredible! Sakura as well, she seems so accomplished," Haru muses, in awe of what she's heard about his old teammates.

Sasuke nods, his mind momentarily stunted by the reminder of Sakura. These last two weeks alongside Haru have felt like such a whirlwind; his thoughts have been consumed by her and only her.

Now that they're nearing Konoha, the sudden reminder of the pinkette leaves him in slight unease. Is it guilt? But why would it be guilt?

He hasn't moved forward with Sakura, romantically at least. Though everyone in Konoha, especially Naruto and Kakashi, knows that it was heading that way.

She's joined him for a few of his travels, they've shared tender, bonding moments, he'll admit to that. She's what Sasuke thought he wanted. Up until meeting Haru, Sakura was what he wanted!

Now...now he isn't so sure.

Because how could a girl he met just two weeks ago make his heart pound so quickly? How could he already feel so comfortable around her to the point of holding her hand and carrying her around? How could this girl, who knows absolutely nothing about his dark past, make him want to talk about it out loud desperately?

With Sakura, there's a sense of safety, stability, comfort. He knows her; he's known her since they were children. They've faced, quite literally, the end of the world together, and she's stuck by him since day one.

So guilt lies heavily in his chest as he realizes that none of that matters when he's looking into Haru's eyes.

"Oh wow, Sasuke, look at this flower!" Haru gasps, using her free hand to point at a plant with white, bell-shaped flowers. "It's called Lily of the Valley. I've read about it," she smiles, and he notes how she doesn't let go of his hand but instead gently pulls him toward the flower so they can get a closer look.

The flower stands delicate and pristine amidst the underbrush, its white blooms contrasting sharply with the deep green foliage. The air is filled with the faint scent of the blossoms, sweet and pure.

He watches her with soft eyes as she squeals in excitement, telling him that she's read about the flower but how this is her first time seeing one. He doesn't know when he stops listening; he blurs it out at a certain point.