𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝒮𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝐼𝐼 | 𝗦𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝘅 𝗦𝗮𝗸𝘂𝗿𝗮

5

"Sakura! Sakura! Sakura!"

Her name was echoing through the depths of the cliffs, and the pinkette felt like the entire village of the Hidden Waterfalls was hearing it. A light breeze was wafting through her hair, and she felt as if she might just fall down into the huge river.

Sakura was standing at the edge of the mountain she had explored with her boyfriend - or now fiancé -, staring down at the latter with wide, frightened eyes. He was already back at the village safely, his eyes never leaving hers although there was so much distance between them.

Sasuke was surrounded by loyal children who were cheering loudly for the Haruno, encouraging her to go down the zip line. The Uchiha started to question this entire activity, cursing himself for actually giving in to the children's pleas and abandoning his fiancée on that mountain.

The young people of the Hidden Waterfalls had built a zip line together, leading from the top of their highest mountain down to the village. It was common sense now, descending the mountain by trying out their creation. Sakura was terrified though - the incredible height and lack of security causing her teeth to clatter.

The nervous pinkette was gripping the handle she was given earlier tightly, trying to focus Sasuke's silhouette in the distance. "I... I can't do this!" she called out to her spectators, her palms feeling sweaty. She didn't trust herself, knowing that she would accidentally let go mid-ride and fall into her demise.

Sakura didn't want to get herself killed right after getting engaged to Sasuke! The children around him were calling out something to her again, but their voices were slurred echoes and didn't reach Sakura's ears.

Suddenly, the Haruno saw Sasuke's shadow move. He opened his one arm slowly, as if silently promising her that he wouldn't let her fall. She swallowed hard, but her pounding heart started to calm down a bit. Sakura trusted her fiancé with everything she had, and she knew he would protect her.

So finally, she decided to go for it. Squeezing her green eyes shut tightly and gripping onto the handle for dear life, Sakura lifted her feet off the edge of the cliff and felt her body being dragged down by the zip line. She was holding her breath and her body was incredibly stiff, but the refreshing air around her seemed to relax her.

After a few seconds, she squinted her eyes open just a bit and gasped softly at the glorious view around her, she was flying! The village looked magnificent, and the water beneath her held the deepest blue she had ever seen. However, the most perfect view of them all was him; Sasuke waiting for her, his warm and comforting embrace coming closer and closer...

Until she flew right into his chest. Her trembling arms wrapped around Sasuke's chest so tightly, and his one arm immediately embraced her as well. His hand was cupping the back of his head, and before the children pulled Sakura away to cheer for her, the Uchiha whispered quietly into her ear, making sure nobody else heard him,

"I'm proud of you."

And as the Uchiha watched his fiancée being celebrated by the young children of the village, he couldn't help but smile faintly. She had actually trusted him enough to go down the zip line, even though she had been terrified.

Their eyes never left eachother while the children tugged on her hands, clothes and hair, hugging her close and praising her. The only support Sakura needed was Sasuke.

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As the couple was walking away from the Hidden Waterfalls, their clothes worn and the once strange path now familiar, their hearts felt heavy. They spent such a long time there together, getting to know the people and sights, the culture and their traditions... but everything always had to come to an an end, even though it was bittersweet.

Their new friends and acquaintances wanted to bury Sasuke and Sakura in gifts and presents, but they couldn't even carry that much! Because of that, the villagers decided to gift the couple a very special but delicate collection of souvenirs; a local herbs tea, a handmade, carefully crafted and carved wooden box and two beautiful bracelets with pendants shaped like water droplets.

As the ground beneath their feet slowly turned into rocks and stones, Sasuke and Sakura knew they were entering new territory now. It wasn't the fresh, green grass and blooming nature of the Hidden Waterfalls any longer, but the rough and bumpy environment of the Hidden Rock.

"Sakura," Sasuke spoke in a quiet tone, squeezing her hand gently as they made their way through the ever-increasing amount of rocks. The pinkette hummed softly and looked up at the Uchiha, smiling sweetly before focusing on the road ahead again. It was quite foggy here, and Sakura needed to try her best to not trip and fall or stub her toes.

"Did... did you have fun?" he asked almost shyly, his cheeks burning just a bit. Sasuke cared so much about her and her opinions, he wanted nothing more than for her to be content. Sakura nodded eagerly, letting her guard down and immediately tripping over a rock. She managed to stay upright though thanks to Sasuke's tight grip on her hand.

She hugged his arm tightly, leaning her head against it as she spoke in an excited tone, "it was incredible, Sasuke-kun! The people, the views... It was even better than I imagined." Sasuke nodded curly and sighed in relief, glad that he had been able to make her happy.

The more time they spent together, the more attached they got.

To reach the Hidden Rock in the safest way possible, you needed to climb a rocky mountain. The other paths were dangerous; filled with debris, unstable cliffs and many dead ends. So now, the couple was climbing a mountain together, and Sakura's hands were already aching. They weren't the most delicate to the touch due to her work at the hospital, but they sure did look tender.

As the pinkette tried her best to push through, she gritted her teeth and resumed to climb the mountain while Sasuke waited for her at the edge of it, making sure she was safe. Once she was finally in his reach, he immediately extended his hand towards her, his expression calm and loving as he gazed down at Sakura.

She gave him a small smile of relief and grasped his hand tightly, feeling him pull her up and support her weight. With her knees on the rough ground, Sakura panted softly while Sasuke gently rubbed her back to soothe her. "Look," he spoke quietly, nodding towards the distance, "we made it. We're here."

Her green orbs widened at the sight in front of her - a stark contrast to the gentle beauty of the Hidden Waterfalls. The houses looked like they were inside of the huge stones which were reaching so high up it looked like they were touching the sky, a thin layer of fog floated through the rocky alleys and streets, and the mountain chain surrounding the Hidden Rock looked like a protective shield.

The sun was slowly starting to set, and nightfall was coming closer. The Uchiha didn't want his fiancée to be overly exhausted the next day, so he knew that he would need to hurry and quickly find an appropriate hostel for them to stay in.

Sasuke helped Sakura to her feet and started to hold her hand again, seeing how excited she looked. And whenever she lost focus, the pinkette tended to trip over her own feet. The couple began to walk towards the incredible village, wondering what their time their might hold.

Meanwhile, the Uchiha's hawk, Garuda, was flying through the sky, hurrying back to its owner with a special letter in its beak. Sakura had kept her promise and stayed in touch with her best friend Ino, and the last letter she sent to her was the one she dispatched a few weeks ago, telling the blonde about her engagement.

And Ino, being the best friend she was, immediately got overly excited and decided to try and make Sakura happy. She sacrificed her and Sai's savings and purchased a beautiful ring, knowing that her best friend didn't take much money with her. She wanted Sakura to give it to Sasuke, to make sure their wedding would be perfect - even without their friends there.

Sakura didn't know about her luck yet. However, she knew that Ino's unconditional support and friendship would always guide her through life, even when they were apart.

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a small friendship moment at the end!
i'm trying to not make this story too long, so i'm doing my best to squish every adorable moment in! i hope it's not too fast paced, but i'm actually quite happy with it right now!

i hope you liked this chapter!
- hanchanuchiha