Blooming Cherry Blossom & The Descending Raven [SasuSaku Fanfiction]

Blooming Cherry Blossom

Troglodyte as it may have seemed, but the two of us wandered around from place to place via caves and forests where it made meeting with anyone that may have been a potential threat to Sasuke-kun next to impossible. Since we kept such a low profile, I was beginning to forget what civilization looked like. I admit, it had only been a month from when I left Konohagakure to help Sasuke-kun in his endeavour, but still... the luxuries that I once had were now just a distant memory that I like to remember - especially when I am forced to go in the cold river just to take a decent bath.

Though I’d prefer not to share my bath with fish and leeches, I didn’t want to share a word of complaint with Sasuke-kun. Every time I felt those words rise in my throat, I would shove them back down. That little girl part of me that was steadily taking over my thoughts with each day that passed told me that the way to impress Sasuke-kun was to not complain about the living conditions we were forced into. Regrettably, I listened to that part of me so that Sasuke-kun wouldn’t have to hear me complain.

I wrung out my hair after stepping out of the cold river and put my clothes back on. It didn’t feel right to put my dirty clothes I had been wearing for the past month on after I tried so desperately to clean myself, but there was nought I could do about it. Especially since I didn’t want to be complaining to Sasuke-kun about it. Still, I tried to air them out by hanging them on the rock face that was a few feet away from the river, "There’s lots of fish here, we could have our dinner right now before we set out again."

Sasuke-kun gave me cold, calculating eyes, but then answered with, "Do what you want." With that ‘permission’ I grabbed a nearby stick and walked over to the riverside and waited for a fish to appear underneath the smooth ripples of the cascading river.

I was concentrating so intently on spotting a fish that I scarcely noticed a shadow in amongst the ripples. Yet, the moment the shadow moved hurriedly, I gasped and turned around to see someone with a kunai in their hands settled on the rock face, high above the ground, but close enough for me to see his reflection in the waters. He threw the kunai with such speed, agility and dexterity that I hardly found time to dodge it. I brought up my arms to defend myself with, but was forced down into the shallow waters with a clap as I landed on the bed of rocks underneath the water. I barely had time to blush after noticing that Sasuke-kun had been the one who threw me to the ground in order to save me from, what would have been, a fatal head-blow from the kunai.

Sasuke-kun drew his sword quickly, his eyes narrowing as we both got to our feet and prepared to fight our assailant, "A mercenary; how irritating."

"How did we get his attention when we were being so careful not to get caught?!" I demanded, feeling my heart pounding in my chest from fear. Mercenaries tended to fight alone, but there were cases where there could be a whole team of them; and I knew that mercenaries weren’t just dead-beat shinobi... they had skill to back up their services.

"There’s no use fretting over the how, instead we should focus on our plan of attack." Sasuke-kun told me coldly, but I had grown used to this ‘icy’ Sasuke-kun and knew that he just wanted to get us both out of this mess in the most efficient way possible.

I nodded, "I understand." Looking around for some way to gain the advantage on the mercenary before confronted us or got more kunai out, I scanned the area and thought of scenarios over and over again in my head. I was no Shikamaru, but I could think of something in a pinch - and I believe I had the right idea. Preparing my fists and my chakra for one of my giant punches, I said to Sasuke-kun, "Sasuke-kun, fall back a bit... this is going to get brutal...!!" Sasuke-kun didn’t say anything as he listened to me, moving quickly over to the right. I looked up and noticed the mercenary performing some hand seals with such speed it was hard to believe he was even human.