The Unexpected Journey

• Peak •

Sakura awakens to the bed empty beside her. She sits up in a panic thinking Sasuke must of already started the day without her. Throwing the covers, she jumps out of bed stumbling trying to find her clothes and shoes.
- "Sakura..." Sasuke looks at her puzzled wondering why she's rushing.
Sakura startled and slightly nervous from him walking in, grabs the blanket to cover herself.
- "Saaasuke... haha.. Hi.. I..uhh.. thought you left without me." She says with a awkward smile.
- "I went and got us some breakfast, I wanted to let you sleep after the long trip here." He says kindly as he hands her some miso soup with rice. "I'll wait for you to change, we can eat before we head out."
He walks out of the room while Sakura flops back down on the bed with a annoying sigh "ughh" she mutters to herself. How stupid was that, the man just seen me half naked last night in a steaming pool of water! Why am I like this?! She thinks to herself after her embarrassing encounter just now, as she pulls on her clothes and finds her shoes.
She finishes up getting ready and walks out towards the front of the Inn. There's a small sitting area outside where Sasuke is waiting for her. She sits down and begins eating as she realizes just how hungry she really was from not eating much the day before. She feels the warmth of the day against her skin as she enjoys her food with Sasuke. She looks up at him thinking of the very first time they ever ate together.
- "Do you remember?" She says with a grin.
- "Remember what?" He replied before taking the last bite of his food.
- "Lunch, on team seven?" She laughs. "Naruto tied to a stump, as we shared our food with him."
He returns the grin thinking back to how young and naive they all once were. He never would've thought then, that him and Sakura would be where they are now. At the beginning he only saw her as a annoying teammate. Now he views her with deep tender affection in his heart. He's always had a hard time expressing emotions after enduring so much loss. Always shoved his feelings aside. He ponders to himself, but the feelings I have for Sakura, this unquestionable trust and desire to be with her. It's undeniable, that I'm falling in love with her.

As they clean up after eating, they begin the hike up the trails in the mountains near by. The narrow uneven path makes it difficult to walk up. Now Sakura understands why she didn't see people walking up it before. We keep climbing up the rolling landscape, the views around us are constantly changing as we get further to the top. The skies are covered with an overcast as the day slips away, the air becomes colder as the calm winds whip her hair around. The village slowly appears to get smaller and looks so insignificant compared to the craggy mountain side we're climbing. There's a big slump in the path before meeting the peak of the mountain, Sasuke goes across first.
- "Here, let me help you up" he says holding out his hand, slightly out of breath from the lengthy hike.
Sakura grabs hold as he pulls her up over the final obstacle to the top.
- "Close your eyes" he says softly in my ear.
She keeps her eyes closed as he guides her into place.
- "Okay... now look"
Sakura opens her eyes and gasps out loud at the remarkable view before her. The open sea below clashes against the mountain side creating a slight mist in the air. The moon in the distance looks doubled in size, as if she could almost touch it with its brilliant cool white glow reflecting on the water below. The stars dance through the velvety dark overcast above our heads.
- "It's... its.." Sakura is speechless trying to find the right words to describe what she's seeing.
- "Remember when I told you back at The Leaf I'd explain what and where I've been during my travels"
- "Yes.." she says still in awe
- "I didn't want to explain them to you..." he faces her and pulls her close to him "I wanted to experience them with you... because I.." he pauses for a second, his heart feels like its bursting out of his chest. "Because I'm in love with you, Sakura."
Tears stream down Sakuras face as the boy she's loved her whole life admits his admiration towards her. Sasuke gently wipes the tears from her eyes. Pulling her face to his for a long passionate kiss under the moonlit sky. As his lips and tongue caressed hers, she felt utterly weightless as the heat of her body rushed to her face against the cold mountainous winds surrounding them. His hand moves down to the arch of Sakuras back as he effortlessly pulls her closer into him.
In this moment, she was completely his and he was hers.