#meilstroms

   “And then, Hinata and I started competing! Out of nowhere!” he spoke, gesticulating widly as usual. “It was like nothing I've ever seen her do! She ate seven bowls of ramen!” he laughed, a hand on his head while the other was thrown in a wide gesture. “I can`t do that!”

   She shot him an incredulous look from the corner of her eye.

   “Okay, maybe I can, but not in such a short amount of time. Ya know?”

   Sakura chuckled. “Yes, Naruto, I know.”

   “Ah– We should be getting there soon.” his demeanor visibly changed, then. More concentrated, less agitated.

   The treetops in their surroundings provided cool shadows, from which underneath little sun made its way to her eyes, and the breeze whistled in her ears. Sakura placed her bag down behind a tree and looked around, not identifying any markings in the wood or earth. It crossed her mind that perhaps their meeting place changed from time to time, or maybe, she worried, they didn`t want to reveal to her their actual–

   Her thoughts were interrupted by rustling, ever so quiet to non-trained ears. Feet lightly flattening the grass underneath it. She spotted black moving behind the shadows of the trees. Naruto went in first, only a few steps forward, and along with him Sasuke took form under the dim light under canopy.

   “Hey.” greeted Naruto, to which Sasuke only replied with a short hum of acknowledgement. Sakura took the few steps that separated her from her team, and Sasuke's expression changed drastically – well, as drastically as his expressions could, so his eyes widened half a centimeter, perhaps. So maybe their meeting place changed from time to time, seeing as it wasn't Sasuke's idea to change it, and Naruto would likely not think of it.

   “What are you doing here?” he didn't mean it sound that rude, as usual. Fom him, it sounded like a genuine question.

   “Ouch. So I can't say hi to a old teammate?” she teased anyway, a hand on her heart.

   “That's not what I meant.”

   “I know.” she grinned, which made him sulk, which in turn gave her a sense of accomplishment, clear in her broadening smile. “But I did want to say hi and check how your mission's going. Plus I am a medic, so if you got any injuries, I can take a look at them.” at that, he rose a brow. Did she really think he couldn't take care of himself at this point? That there were that many people that would be able to injure him badly enough that he'd need a medic? His expression seemed to ask. The questions, however silent, made her roll her eyes.

   “Anyway,” Naruto, sensing that that conversation could go on for an unecessary amount of time – which, coming from Naruto, was an offense to both of them –, decided to speak up. “Some of our ANBU gathered this information and I thought it should be given in person.” and he handed him a slip of paper, which was tucked under his cloak.

   “I have leads on the Land of Earth, and I`ll be going there next.” Sasuke replied, simply. Naruto nodded, and so did Sakura.

   “Okay.” she replied, granting her his attention, and went back to the tree and picked up her bag. “That`s great! You're going my way!”

   “I... I`m what now?” in his astonishment, his  voice cracked, granting him a look of utmost glee from his teammates. He decided to never speak again.

   “Well,” Sakura continued once she had managed to contain her giggles. “you see, I'm going that way, because some people in the Hidden Grass need some tips on medical justus, and you know me, always willing to help and all.” she shrugged nonchalantly. “So that's what I'll be doing there, and I was hoping we could accompany each other.”

   “Hm.” he made a sour expression and glared at Naruto, who looked away, lips pressed in a thin line, like he had nothing to do with this. He decided to break his vow to never speak again. “And you're going to keep up with me?”

   “Psh, please.” she waved a hand dismissevely. “I can do it on my tiptoes.”

   “Okay. No.”

   She blinked.

   “Wha– No?!”

   “Yes.”

   “So...”

   “So yes. It's a no.”

   “Wow, Sasuke. Wow.”

   “Tsk, a real ladies' man.” commented Naruto, arms crossed, head shaking.

   “Shut up, idiot.” it was Sasuke`s turn to roll his eyes. “You're not coming with me.”

   “Because you think I can't keep up?”

   “No, because it'll be dangerous.”

   “And I, of all people, can't take care of myself.” the sarcasm was clear, as was her impantience.

   “That`s not what I meant.” he let out in a sigh.

   “Listen, it won't even be for a long time! Besides, I can heal myself and you on the way.” she felt she was almost begging, but on this matter she might have to.

   “I don't want you to get hurt in the first place.” he looked away, frowning. She sighed. That`s what she was afraid of.

   “I`m not thirteen anymore, Sasuke. I can take care of myself.” he was about to reply, but she cut him off. “I am not weak.” she said, assertive, determined. He knew that, she was sure, but it always seemed hard for him to let the fact seep into his mind.

   “That's not it.” She knew. She knew it wasn`t that he thought was weak, per se, but rather that he has to protect the people he cares about, otherwise it`s his fault they got hurt in the first place. But that wasn`t what she thought.

   “You don't have to protect me.” she took a step forward. “It may have been a while, I know, but you can't have forgotten that I can hold my own on the battlefield. I'm not a little girl, and you don't have to protect me. I'm grateful that you do it anyway, but I have gone on many missions where you weren't there to be my shield,” he shifted his weight at that. “and here I still am. Besides, who told I don't want to protect you either?”

   He seemed to think at that, eyes locked with hers. He was seriously considering her words.

   “But I can't do that if you won't let me.”

   Again he shifted his weight, uncertain. On one hand, she was right. On the other, he still didn't want her to be hurt. It wasn't that he thought she was weak, or that she still saw her as the lovestruck thirteen year old. No, that vision of hers had faded long ago. But as he'd said over and over again, he didn't want to watch the people he cares about die ever again. Them being hurt only reminded him of his fears. He was still overprotective.

   And yet, looking at her hopeful expression, he really considered it for a second. Was he going to regret this? Was she going to be a distraction? Was he going to hurt with guilt in front of her, for taking her away from her own loved ones for his selfish purposes? As much as he wanted a normal life alongside his friends...

   “... Alright.” he replied in a sigh, before he could overthink and regret his own decision.

   Sakura beamed, barely containing her glee in one smile.

   “But if you get hurt I'll send you straight back to the village.” he completed quickly.

   “... Young lady!” Naruto added, in a lower tone than his own, one finger raised in the air. Sakura laughed, and even Sasuke let his lips be pulled upwards, even if he still rolled his eyes.

   “I don't sound like that.”

   “You kinda did, though.” Sakura replied.

   “Hm... I'm starting to change my mind.”

   “You wouldn't.”

   He let out a long hum in reply.

   She let out a light scoff. “Well, sorry, Master Uchiha, I didn't mean to be, you know, annoying.” she looked away, pouting, a hand brought to her cheek dramatically. She had thought of using it as her trump card, but now that he'd already accepted it, she might as well use it gratuitously. And as she felt a glare to her cheek and Naruto holding in a breath, she could tell it worked.

   It felt like an eternity where she had to hold back a shit-eating grin, as he scowled and Naruto tried not to laugh. She looked from the corner of her eye, sad expression maintained, and Sasuke immediately turned back, starting to walk. She kinda hoped he'd blushed, even if it wasn't very like him.

   The fact that he was just walking, too, meant he wasn't going to ditch her there at the first opportunity, which just made her beam more, like a weight was being lifted off her chest. He was letting her in.

   Still walking, Sasuke put a hand up, saying goodbye, and Sakura was quick to catch up with him.

    “Oh– Bye, Naruto!” she waved.

   “Bye, guys!” Naruto waved back, now laughing openly. He'd have a good story to tell Hinata back in the Leaf.

   It had been a minute or so that they had been walking, Sakura`s glee clear as the sun in her broad smile. The silence between them was comfortable. Amazingly, Sasuke was the one to break it first.

   “I hate you sometimes.”

   “Hm.” she hummed as if thinking, a finger tapped her chin. “Nah. You don`t.”

   “I do.”

   “Nope.”

   The corner of his lips were pulled up, and though she bet he was still considering just disappearing at the first opportunity, she judged he was happy to have her along. Hopefully he`d wait for her once they were at the Hidden Grass, though she wouldn`t be surprised if he didn`t. She didn`t actually need to come back so soon, and could just... Keep going. With him. She`d go back later. He did have to report to Naruto eventually, right? Yeah, that would be fine by her.

   “Try to keep up.” he said suddenly, pulling her away from her thoughts. She heard the familiar woosh of his jump as he took to the branches on the trees.

   “Ah– Hey!” she jumped too, laughing, taken aback by his sudden playfulness.