A Different Life

Chapter 5: In Time Companions

Cloud Village, they say it's a place to start a new life, where no one can harm you or you harm anyone. It's peaceful, just like clouds.

The wind danced around the place, making the Sakura petals go with the wind, the same as the clothes the nine shinobis on the field of sunflowers, which had been tainted with a few blood.

They stared at each other for awhile before Sakura, who seems to be the only stable one right now, decided to break the silence awkwardly. "Hello." She said in her sweet but not forced tone of voice which snapped the thoughts of those around her thinking of 101 ways kill each other.

Hinata looked at Sakura. Though she's not really that close to Sakura, she can't help but notice the great change in Sakura, not only physically, but mentally as well.

Back then, she clearly remembers a loud-mouthed, love sick, and overly hyper active girl she was and then became a determined one after the Chuùnin Exams. Now, Sakura is more stable, calm and happier in a contented way, with more self-esteem and self-control, something she greatly lacked back in the day.

She really changed a lot. Hinata then began to wonder what made this change. Hinata was pulled out of her thoughts when a clay-like round ball rolled in their center, and when she looked at around her, she noticed Sakura and that other person vanished. Sai and Sasuke seemed to know what it is as they shouted something about move, fortunately they made it in time.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted sensing Sakura's chakra vanish, but he could still feel it in the distance and moving fast. "Sasuke, the scroll! That guy took it." Suigetsu shouted as well. No one said anything as they chased after Sakura's chakra and Sasuke's team going in the same direction, but one thing Team Taka made clear, they are not working together, proven how Juugo kept getting in their way, throwing explosives.

"Hinata, how fast are they moving?" Naruto inquired. "I can't calculate their speed, it's often changing." Hinata answered staring ahead with her Byakugan. "What do you mean?" Sai asked as he drew tigers that went ahead of them and another 3 that was left behind to face Team Hawk. "Their speed is masked, like there's something blocking my Byakugan, but I can still sense them." Hinata answered. "Let's move faster then." Naruto said as they doubled their speed.

"Tch." Sasuke muttered as he saw the tigers. Suigetsu easily slashed them. "Double your speed." Sasuke commanded as his team did what he asked. Karin, who was in the back, noticed the change in Sasuke. He wasn't this fast, he wasn't this tense and she has never seen these emotions in Sasuke before. He seems more... alive than his usual dead self.

"Onii-san?" Sakura inquired looking above Sasori as she was carried bridal style as they leaped from tree to tree in a fast and masked pace. "Why are you here? I thought you were on a mission?" Sakura said. Sasori didn't answer and Sakura knew he was mad. Mad because Sakura's existence was exposed. Mad because he wasn't able to prevent it.

"I'm sorry... Our cover's blown. I should have been more careful." She said looking down, remembering all those times Sasori worked so hard in keeping her away, there was even a time when Sasori had to expose himself to the enemy just to protect Sakura, and his mission went haywire.

"What happened, happened. We can't hide your existence anymore, they already know and soon, they will look for you non-stop." Sasori stated still looking ahead.

"A burden again..." Sakura thought as she clenched her fists. She's long over being the weak girl she once was, she feels sick just thinking about how weak she was and maybe is, and she HATES being weak.

Only then did Sasori notice what he just said. He knows Sakura so much that he could easily read her like an open book all his to read. "You're not a burden." He said. Sakura looked away. "Put me down, Onii-san." She said as she wriggled in Sasori's hold. "And do reckless things?" Sasori spat back, Sakura may have changed a lot, but there is something she usually does... Being stubborn for the people she loves.