Sasuke & Sakura : Nightlights

🔼 Good And Evil 🔽

*

She was back by night time, a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder. While it was hard keeping Ino from coming with her, she'd managed a decent getaway. Ino - or most people, for that matter - weren't very receptive of demons and given the history, she couldn't exactly blame them for their fears. At one time, Sakura, too, had her fears and harsh opinions, but her encounter with one particular demon had changed her perspective entirely.

Now, she gave them the benefit of the doubt. She still fought for what was right, but never again decided what was evil and what wasn't on the basis of birth. She was well aware though that her dear friend didn't share those thoughts. Ino was still widely mistrustful of the demon race. Especially ones that looked like Sasuke did. Beautiful demons were the most dangerous ones, it was believed. They had the power to lure, bewitch and enslave.

"You're back," he observed with little excitement.

"I've been coming here every night," she answered back. "You just haven't been awake to see it."

"Tch."

Her eyes drifted to the basket still placed beside him. The fish she had caught and made was no longer in it. She smiled to herself, but didn't comment on it, lest she hurt his pride.

"Are you faring well?"

He scoffed and inclined his head toward her in an expression she could only guess as studying. "Why are you here this time?"

"To fight demons, in case they decide to attack you again."

He turned his full attention onto her, mistrust brewing in his eyes. Could she really blame Sasuke for it though? The feud between the two races had a long, dark history and there she was, a priestess, a known slayer of demons, standing before him and telling him she wanted to help.

"I told you, I don't need your help."

Sakura shrugged and began walking away. "If you're that adamant about it."

Some time later, she felt a flare of demonic auras and made her way back up the hill. In the time it took her to scale the distance, Sasuke had already taken care of them. All she had to do was shoot one attempting to sneak up behind him. She saw him flinch as her sacred arrow shot a few centimeters past his ear and impaled itself into the heart of the demon behind him. Dark eyes narrowed in on her.

"You're back again."

"I felt the aura."

"I've made it plenty clear I don't require any aid from you. Just look around."

And she did. The demon corpses would soon evaporate fully. That wasn't what concerned her. "Why do they want to kill you?"

At first, he didn't reply, probably thinking it to be none of her business - which it wasn't - but eventually spat, "Weaklings. They think they can earn a name for themselves by killing me."

"That's.." she contemplated, ".. a pretty weak reason to kill somebody."

"That coming from a priestess?"

"Hey! Not all of us run around blindly exterminating demons!" she protested. "And you - Sasuke!"

She caught him against her as his body swayed to the side. Sasuke freed himself of her grasp instantly however, shoving himself away.

"Just.. leave me be, woman."

His teeth gritted together and before he could put any real force behind his words, his body failed him again and she caught him once more as he fell forward. Sakura guided him to the tree and gently settled him against it.