Sakura Haruno smiled widely as she oversees the field of herbs infront of her. She feels so overwhelmingly excited and happy that she can still continue her researches about medicinal herbs even if she's out of the village.
It had been several weeks since she and Sasuke Uchiha left the village gates of Konoha to travel the world as the raven haired shinobi continually seeks redemption for his wrong doings before and during the war.
And the said raven haired shinobi stood under the tall trees as he watch the pink haired medic-nin began to gather her needed herbs with a big grin on her face.
“These are very good kind of herbs, Sasuke-kun!” Sakura exclaimed, “I'm glad you know where they grow!”
Sasuke cannot help himself but smirk in smugness, “They weren't hard to find...”
That is the truth. They weren't hard to find, especially since Sasuke took time with his travel: examining the area, helping the villagers town to town, and enjoying the nature.
It just that when he walked past this area and saw this herbs before he had gotten back to Konoha, Sasuke saw this herbs of no use to him, thus he didn't paid much attention to them. He wasn't medicinally or clinically inclined anyways.
But then he got close to Sakura (again), and Sakura is a medic-nin by heart and profession, and when they were traveling together he accidentally heard her wishing that she may find some useful stuffs that she could use for her researches.
And so Sasuke did not think twice to retraced his paths to where he saw those plain looking plants— which now lead them here.
“These are really helpful, Sasuke-kun, I'll be able to continue my research with these ones,” Sakura grinned as she neared the lone Uchiha. “But, I cannot help to ask if... by chance... do you know more areas where I could gather more herbs? Perhaps?”
Sasuke stared at her green eyes trying her best to look anywhere but not directly at his, pink dust tainting her cheeks.
“I guess... they are more herbs over the West,” he answered after awhile.
Sakura tucked her herbs in her pouch with utmost care and briefly ponder his words, “But, aren't we going South? If we are going South then it's fine, Sasuke-kun, I'd just find other herbs over there instead—”
“We got time,” was all Sasuke said, turning his back before starting to walk.
This isn't a mission, there is no exact duration for them to finish this travel. They can take their time gathering herbs, or leisurely walking under the shade of green trees. And also, the field of herbs aren't the only place Sasuke want Sakura to see at the West...
“… Oh,” Sakura blushed, then began to walk forward too, keeping pace with Sasuke.
At night, just when they are about to fall asleep, the would sit near the fireplace for them to write letters for their friends. Sasuke would write a report update for the Hokage, and Sakura would write to their friends.
And every other night, she never failed to urge Sasuke to write for Naruto Uzumaki, in which the Uchiha would only grunt at before doing just as exactly what she told him to.
“Can I see?”
Sasuke inhaled sharply as Sakura leaned over, the back of his shoulder and the front of hers bumping at each other. Her breathe and warmth tickling his side part, mostly his neck.
Sakura had been making sure that anything that he writes to Naruto is not offhandedly offensive to the future Hokage, because even though Sasuke likes Naruto, it is still in their nature to insult each other.
“Oh, that's... that's sweet,” Sakura (dangerously) unknowingly whisper, scanning the letter. “It's nice how you're even asking how Hinata is.”
Sasuke challenged a glance at her and immediately looked back at his letter the moment their eyes looked at each other. She was so close to his face...
“I think, I feel much better about them now,” Sasuke confessed.
Sakura leaned away, opting to sit properly beside him, putting a considerable distance between them. Sasuke sighed, but not sure if it's out of relief or about something entirelydifferent.
“Will you tell me more about it, Sasuke-kun?” she asked so softly, so genuinely, that Sasuke almost forget what she was asking about.
Sasuke inhaled once more, his chest aching. For what? He can't tell. He isn't sure any more.
“Naruto,” he began just before Sakura was about to take back her words and announce for them to sleep instead, “had been there with me since I was a kid...”
Sakura gave him the look, as if urging him for more.
“Had been there, wether challenging me to a fight, pushing me to my limit, or saving me from the darkness,” Sasuke continued, thinking deeply as he remember when they were young, “It wasn't hard for me to... like him. And for a long time, I thought... I thought he likes me too…”
Sakura's eyes began to tear up, seeing the pain on his eyes, hearing the pain on his voice. She can't help but symphatized with him. And when Sasuke's hand began to tremble, she did not hesitate to grab and hold it, just so he could feel that he isn't alone. That there is comfort.
Sasuke force a chuckle out of throat, “I guess he wasn't hard for him to like the girl either...”
At this point, Sakura is biting down her own sobs.
Sasuke wanted to share more of his agony the moment he found out that Naruto, the War Hero, is marrying the Hyuga heiress. Naruto, his Naruto, or so he thought.
“Maybe he liked a different shade of purple,” he joked, bitter-sweetly.
After a while, when Sasuke finally regained his composure, he cleared his throat and straightened his back. It was only that he noticed the soft hand encasing his lone one. When he looked up at Sakura, he was startled to see her drying her tears with her other one.
Ofcourse, leave it to Sakura to be more emotional than him. He wanted to tease her about it just so he can lift up her mood, but instead, his body moved to its own accord.
His lone hand lifted and caressed her cheeks just before he can stop himself.
“Sakura,” he whispered breathlessly, “I told you... I'm fine with it now.”
After Sasuke and Sakura finally tied their letters on their hawk and letting it fly back to Konoha, they bid each other soft goodnights before laying down on their respective bed bag.
“Goodmorning, Sasuke-kun!”
And when the morning came, Sasuke was greeted gleefully by Sakura who happened to prepare the breakfast from their supplies of foods.
It's something that became their routine, and Sasuke doesn't know when or how or even why it started but ever since Sakura joined him to these travels, he sleeps became more serene... peaceful, if you want to expound.
He liked it.
“Ah, goodmornig it is,” he greeted back.
Just as he said yesterday, the pair walked their way to the West for two more days, doing their routine because well, they can't help themselves from taking care of each other, even if they don't want to (as if there is a moment that they want to).
In Sakura's perspective, she can't help but notice that these past few, Sasuke talked about Naruto less and less. At first, it worries her that Sasuke is caging himself with his own thoughts again that is why she always urged him to talk about his feelings whenever she had a chance to, still careful not to crossed his personal space.
But Sasuke remains open with his feelings about Naruto (or anything) if he talks about them. Still, Sakura doesn't understand why he doesn't talk about Naruto anymore.
So when Sasuke admitted that he is finally "Fine for them", she realized why. Sasuke had moved on. Hopefully, for good this time.
She's happy for Sasuke. Genuinely happy. Now, she can finally be happy for his boys: Naruto, Sai (who's obviously smitten with Ino-pig), and now, even Sasuke-kun himself. The three had suffered enough, and now they all find peace.
Although, there is wishful whisper at the back of Sakura's mind that hopes she could find her peace too.
“Wow,” she breathed out when they finally reached the field of herbs that Sasuke mentioned, “These are... are even more great!”
Sakura's air knocked her out when she saw Sasuke smiling at her and already looking at her direction. She shys her gaze away.
She kneeled down and began to cut some herbs that she needed and placed them on her other pouch. When Sakura stood up, her back almost bumped with Sasuke's chest as he was standing dangerously close to her.
The ray of the sun complimented his features so much that she can't help but to swallow hard.
“There is... another place that I want take you to,” he said, voice barely above a whisper, “Only if you want to...”
And ofcourse, she wants to. Sakura could never say no to Sasuke.
Now, this place he is talking about is near a village, so as Sakura planned out what they should buy for their supplies for their second visit in a village, Sasuke lead their way to an area where trees grew tall and the paths is wide and made of flat stones.
At the end of the path are stairs leading up a hill or something. Sasuke walked over first before stretching his lone arm infront of Sakura.
The scene, again, took her breathe away.
The stairs, turns out to lead to a shrine with Cherry Blossom trees growing, the flowers being swayed by the wind.
“It's beautiful here,” Sakura whispered, hearts clenching of happiness, still holding Sasuke's hand.
He held hers tightly, “It's even more beautiful since the last time I was here...”
Sakura glanced at his direction, eyes widening with the realization finally hitting her, and they shared a meaningful look (like they always unconsciously do)
Because the last time Sasuke was here, he was alone and the trees aren't blooming. Ofcourse, he won't tell her that. Just as he can't tell her that it was easier for him to love her now than it was before, when everything were on their way.
“There's a lot more places that I want to show you,” he continued, careful with his wordings, “Only if you want to...”
Be with me.
Sakura smiled her tears away, “I would like to see those places with you, Sasuke-kun...”
I would want to be with you.
After all, they have all the time in the world. They can take their time gathering herbs, or leisurely walking under the shade of green trees, or just be in each others arms resting perfectly still at a shrine built for lovers like them. They would never ran out of time.