if it's with you, everything's worth it

I.

Having just finished sharpening her weapons, Sakura straightened herself and wiped some droplets off her brow with a small towel.

It was merely an hour after sunrise, and yet the air today was strangely humid—a far cry from the chilly breeze that had accompanied the pair of young shinobi for the past couple of days.

The seasoned traveler that he was, Sasuke had warned her that such unpredictable weather was only to be expected at this time of year. So in anticipation of the unfavorable elements that potentially awaited them later on, they had since settled on their first stopover—a nearby lakeside town that Sasuke had already become acquainted with over the course of his individual journey.

He told her that they were just a few miles away from their destination—now, here they were, preparing to depart from the glade where they had set up camp the previous night.

It’s been a few days since they left Konoha, and in the interim, the pair had adopted their own special routine. They would greet the early morn with some friendly sparring—once they’d finished, they would set off to traverse the forest trails, stocking up on food and supplies from the occasional merchant they’d encounter along the way. They would wind down by sunset and stop by the nearest clearing for supper, then freshen up and close the night with some much-needed rest.

It was certainly a change of pace from what had awaited Sakura at the end of the war. Her duties as a medic meant that she would spent most of her time ensuring the continued recovery of her countrymen—the sickly, injured, and traumatized, warriors and civilians alike—leaving her with little opportunity to venture outside of their village for long periods of time.

Her work was already challenging on its own, but she acknowledged as much that the active, nomadic lifestyle that Sasuke led was a completely different beast that would take her some getting used to.

She went through her belongings one more time, trying to ignore the sticky film of sweat that had begun to cover her arms. After checking to make sure that all her items were indeed in their respective pouches, she got up on her feet and proceeded to wait for her former teammate by the edge of the campsite.

Of course, Sasuke remained ever unbothered as he gathered the last of his personal effects, with nary a complaint about the oppressive heat that surrounded them. Sakura watched silently as he slid his blade into its sheath with deft movements, all set to face the long day ahead.

It only took a single glance to strengthen her resolve—the conviction to continue refining her skills so she could become his ever-dependable companion, the determination to endure whatever challenge posed itself on this shared path they had taken.

“…ra.”

“—Sakura.“

“Eh..?”

His voice slowly brought the kunoichi, who had become lost in her thoughts, back to the present.

Sasuke approached her, straight-faced, albeit with a soft glint in his eyes. “Everything all right?”

“Oh, y-yeah! I was just thinking about our plans for the rest of the day.”

Sakura rushed over to the puzzled Uchiha’s side and eagerly took his sole hand with a light squeeze. “Let’s go,” she said, looking up at him with a beaming smile.

And she vowed to be his steady anchor, just as he was for her.

To move forward, hand in hand—it was yet another one of their unspoken rituals.

II.

Before commencing their excursion at daybreak, Sasuke couldn’t help but notice that Sakura’s movements were somewhat slower than usual. When he had asked about it, however, she insisted—as always—that he had nothing to worry about.

But the slight wobble in her voice—and perhaps most conspicuously—the lack of those creases near her eyes that were the hallmarks of her genuine smile told him otherwise.

The sun had already made its way high up in the sky by the time the two had closed in on the next town. By then, Sasuke had also noticed that Sakura had become much more self-assured over the course of their trek, with her strides already having come in sync with his brisk pace. A small grin found its way onto the Uchiha’s lips.

They walked down the main road in a decidedly less hurried manner, feeling more at ease within the safety of the village gates. Surrounding them on both sides of the street were stores bustling with patrons and vendors persistently peddling their wares.

Sasuke turned towards his rose-haired companion. “Do you want to rest for a bit and have some snacks?”

“Sure,” Sakura said, chuckling. “Lead the way, Sasuke-kun. You’re my tour guide for today, after all.”

It was at that instance that Sasuke came up with the idea, remembering a certain place that he had never really been inclined to visit—until now. He slightly tightened his grasp on her hand.

With Sasuke in the lead, the pair started to weave their way through the throng of shoppers. They finally stopped in front of a quaint cafe with a storefront that displayed an assortment of colorful traditional confectioneries on the shelves behind its glass windows.

The chime by the door released a light tinkle as they entered the establishment.

“Welcome!” The staff chirped, delighted at the sight of new customers. The young travelers, nodding in acknowledgment, proceeded to take their seats at a vacant table.

Sasuke turned to face the attending waiter. “We’ll have two cups of green tea and a bowl of shiratama anmitsu.”

He glanced across the table, making sure to watch out for Sakura’s reaction.

At first, he saw her eyes widen and her mouth slightly gape open in puzzlement. A millisecond came to pass, and her expression relaxed as she realized the meaning of his gesture.

“How’d you know that that’s my favorite dessert…?”

“Nothing ever slips past me, Sakura. You should know that by now.”

How could he ever forget, when even the three years he had spent on his misguided quest for vengeance were not enough to erase his precious memories of their more carefree days as Team 7?

“Thank you, Sasuke-kun,“ she murmured with contentment, while gracing him with a smile that reached all the way up to the corners of her eyes—the smile that he’d come to look forward to seeing from her.

After a few minutes, the waiter returned to set their requested food and drinks on the table.

Sasuke gently nudged the bowl of anmitsu towards Sakura, whose emerald eyes sparkled with childlike excitement at the sight of the staples of her beloved dish—the moist agar jelly cubes, topped with sweet red bean anko paste and shiratama rice flour dumplings.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had some anmitsu,” she said, pouring brown sugar syrup over the bowl. Humming, she happily shoved a spoonful into her mouth and suddenly became silent—before finally letting out a gleeful squeal.

“It’s really good! One of the best I’ve ever had!”

“So Kakashi was right… sweets really do brighten up your day, huh,” Sasuke remarked nonchalantly, smirking in amusement.

Stunned, Sakura briefly turned into the same shade as the anko. Then she burst into a fit of giggles.

“Try it, Sasuke-kun! Seriously, it’s the best!”

Despite his reluctance, Sasuke obliged her enthusiastic request. If there’s anything he’s learned about himself over the course of his travels with Sakura, it’s that it has often proved difficult for him to resist granting her wishes—even ones that to him seemed trivial or ridiculous—if it meant putting a smile on her face.

Sasuke scooped up some of the dumplings and bean paste with his spoon and began to chew slowly. He paused for a moment, giving his tastebuds a chance to process every texture and flavor before swallowing.

“…Not as bad as I thought.”

Even though he was definitely not one for sweets, Sasuke had to admit that he enjoyed what he had of the anmitsu so far—or rather, the bowl of anmitsu he ended up sharing with one Haruno Sakura.

Indeed, to him, it was the very notion that he could make her radiate with this much joy that truly made this meal special.