An Uchiha At Heart || SasuSaku

12. Hostage

The following days, the two partners traveled further and further from civilization, till they reached the vast deserts of the country. They'd camped in the middle of nowhere, but neither really minded the togetherness in the solitude.

The stars of the night seemed to be their constant companions, illuminating their way and, if they're going to be honest, always set the mood for them. Sakura noticed her love's fascination with the stars, and it was very endearing, though she felt a little jealous of the beautiful, burning bodies.

While they lied down in their tent, Sakura took the chance to try and learn simple things about the man she's loved since childhood.

"Sasuke-kun," she called. "This may sound weird but...what's your favorite color?"

Sasuke blinked at the question and then furrowed his brows. "I...I'm not sure. Maybe my clan colors. Or just dark colors in general. Black, perhaps."

Sakura smiled at the response, because it was so like him. She wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting, but what she got was just about right. "And what's your favorite food?"

"Rice balls...Kaa-san used to make them really well, so they've been my favorite ever since."

Sakura's eyes softened at the statement. She was a bit taken back, because she knew the Uchiha man rarely ever spoke of his family. It was endearing to her and made her heart skip a beat that he'd tell her something like this, which means she's earning his trust.

"I may not be able to make them as good, but I'll definitely do my best," she reassured the dark haired man. "...if you let me." The man turned his head towards the cherry blossom, his face barely visible through the darkness of the night illuminated by the fire a few feet away from their tent. Still, Sakura could see that Sasuke was looking at her with yet another heart stopping smile. It made her glad that Sasuke was a man of action more than words, especially when it meant she'd get to see that stunning smile more often.

They'd finally decided they should go to sleep so that they'd have enough energy to continue their travels the next day. Hours passed, and for whatever reason, Sasuke sensed Sakura being uneasy. He got up to check on her, and noticed that she still seemed a bit cold. He looked around the tent and grabbed his cloak with his good arm, and went ahead and wrapped Sakura in it, tucking it in around her neck especially. He noticed her hair straying over her eyes again, and slid them back behind her ear. When the pink-haired girl seemed less chilly, the Uchiha went back to sleep soundly.

The next morning, Sakura woke up feeling brand. She didn't know why, but that was for sure the best sleep she's had in God knows how long. She noticed a brown layer of clothing on top of her sleeping bag, and realized it was Sasuke's clothes. She wondered how it got there, but it wasn't hard for her to put two and two together quickly. She grabbed the thick cloth and held it to her nose, half smelling it and half trying to cover her idiotic-looking grin.

Her inner self was practically squealing.

The cloth smelled like some sort of fancy cologne, mixed with the scents of all the places they'd been since they'd left Konoha. It reminded her that she should probably step outside quickly and change her clothes before Sasuke got up.

She grabbed her backpack and stepped out of the tent. She took out her kunai pouch and put it aside as she looked for something to wear. But before she could get to that, she felt something weird.

Someone was there.

She turned around in a split second and air punched away the wave of flying knives that were coming at her. They started coming from every direction, and at that point Sasuke was already out dodging all the knives with his sword.

He used his Rinnegan to scope out how many attackers were around them, and he counted five. "Show yourselves!" he heard Sakura call out.

He went and stood beside her as five men slowly surrounded them. They were wearing fitted clothes colored dark gray, and they were all carrying various weapons. They were all hooded as well, the clothes overshadowing black masks that covered most of their faces, leaving only their mouths exposed. If they didn't know better, they would have thought the men were a special unit of Anbu or something of the sort.

"Who are you?" inquired one of the attackers, his voice deep and demanding.

"We should ask you the same thing," Sasuke responded, deadpan.

The man chuckled. "No one has passed through our territory for years, so I think you're the ones who owe us an introduction."

"Our territory? I didn't know the desert was owned by random men in masks," Sakura shot at them.

The man who appeared to be the leader of the group looked to Sakura, then to Sasuke. "You know, you should teach your woman not to run her mouth like that."

"You should teach that to yourself first, usuratonkachi," slowly losing patience with the unidentified men. "Now answer the question. Who are you and why are you here?"

A light breeze came over and shuffled the Uchiha's hair, exposing his purple eye. Though their faces were covered, it was obvious they were all overcome by curiosity and caution.

All five men took a few steps closer, closing in on the Uchiha and his partner. "Why don't you come with us," they suggested, their voice taunting and creepy. The two Konoha ninjas instantly felt the bad vibe that suddenly bounced off, and they had to consider their next move carefully.

They were both thinking along the same lines. They could either fight them off and kill them, which they are perfectly capable of doing, or they could play along and go with them, probably to a lair where the rest of them are, because obviously they come from some sort of organization.

"Let us just get the rest of our things," Sakura answered for the both of them, her voice steady. They turned around, and after a short moment of being assessed by the men standing in their way, they let them pass.

They must be really confident of their abilities if they'd just let us do whatever they want like this, thought Sakura. Just who are they?

Before Sakura could grab her own cloak, Sasuke grabbed it first then started putting it on her himself. He got really close to her face, enough so that she could hear him whisper into her ears. "Lay low. Don't attack till we find out more." She gave him a small nod in response so the other men wouldn't notice.

They left their tent behind since they probably wouldn't be needing it again anytime soon. They needed to figure out who these men were, and quickly, since they've basically become hostages.

"This way," the leading man directed. Sakura's heart was beating a bit too fast at the whole situation. The excitement of the unknown, the possible danger, the fact that it's all happening while she's with Sasuke-kun. She knew she had to control that excitement though, in order to stay level-headed and alert. She inhaled slowly then exhaled, putting her mind into focus, the same way Sasuke probably was.

                                   ************************************************

Hey guys! Sorry I'm late, I overslept lol then I had to go somewhere and I just got back.

What did y'all think of this chapter? 

Question of the day: Do any of you watch Korean dramas? If so, which ones?

-essie sama