Unholy Love | SasuSaku

Clashing Fates

"The strongest of all warriors are these two; time and patience."

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Sasuke's POV

When they entered the monastery, Sasuke stood at the front with Kakashi slung over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the darkened sky and the quiet courtyard beyond the gate. He kept his face impassive, his guard raised, even as an elderly nun answered the door.

Her voice was calm and steady as she let them inside without hesitation. She led them swiftly through the halls, the cold stone floors echoing beneath their boots. The scent of damp earth mixed with the faint fragrance of incense and herbs was everywhere. Although the monastery was peaceful, it held an air of detachment that Sasuke found almost foreign. The nuns here lived in their own world; one that seemed far removed from the realities of war.

Sasuke didn't speak much as they settled Kakashi into a bed, watching silently as the old woman and a younger nun began tending to the deep wound on the man's leg. The younger nun's movements were swift, practiced. She worked with a sense of purpose, her face calm yet focused. She looked no more than twenty years of age.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment. Something about her stood out; perhaps the way her slender figure moved so carefully yet efficiently, or the sharpness of her emerald eyes, cold and unreadable. She never once looked at him, never acknowledged the rest of them. He could feel her disdain without her needing to say a word.

That was fine by him. He wasn't here to be liked. He was here to survive, and for now, that meant seeking shelter for Kakashi and the others. These nuns were irrelevant to the larger scheme of things.

When she finally did meet his eyes, it was brief. Her gaze was filled with barely concealed disgust, a flash of resentment that almost made him smirk. Almost.

After the treatment was finished, he muttered a rough "Thank you," not bothering to soften his tone. There was no need for pleasantries here. This was a temporary alliance of convenience, nothing more.

But when he asked for them to stay, it was that younger nun —Sakura, as the old one called her— who spoke out. Her voice sounded like a blade. "You can't stay here."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing. It was the elderly nun who silenced her, reminding her of their duties to help those in need. The nun's words about gods and mercy fell on deaf ears for Sasuke.

The young woman's glare lingered on him for a moment longer before she stormed out of the room, leaving the air thick with tension. Sasuke watched her retreating figure. This place reeked of naivety. These nuns —especially that one— had no understanding of the world beyond those walls. However, her disdain was of no importance to him. His focus needed to be on their survival, not the petty judgments of sheltered women.

Sakura's POV

Night had fallen, and the rain continued to drum softly against the small window of Sakura's chamber. She sat on her bed, hands folded tightly in her lap, the events of the day replaying over and over in her mind. The presence of those soldiers —the blood, the violence they represented— it clung to her thoughts like a dark cloud. Even though she had helped Sister Chiyo treat the injured man, the sight of them standing there, swords at their sides, had filled her with nothing but contempt.