Chapter Thirty-Four: Interlude-Sasuke's Dream

                                    

                                          


                          
That night, Sasuke had a dream. The night breeze was cold, lulling the Uchiha into a deep, deep slumber where in the depths of his mind he found his younger self.



                          
In his dream, he was still young. His eyes shone with naivety as he could still muster a wide grin that doesn't feel strange to him compare to when he was all grown up that even a smile feel strange and rarely ever comes to uplift his lips.



                          
"You're here again?" The young girl asked, her unusual pink hair complimented her emerald pupils.



                          
She looked at Sasuke, eyes half lidded in an unamused stare. "Don't tell me you're lost again."



                          
Sasuke looked down as a light blush dusted his cheeks, wildly shaking his head no. He somewhat feel bashful. And for some odd reason he felt nervous. Perhaps because he never had a friend who was a girl. He spends most of his time with his brother and sometimes with his father if he wasn't busy with the Clan or the Konoha Police Force.



                          
The only woman he was close with is his mother. Sasuke never really spoke with his brother's girl friend, Izumi was it? And speaking of whom, earlier this morning, his brother had a day off from the Academy so he wanted to ask his brother to train him. But then this Izumi girl came and kidnapped his brother away from Sasuke.



                          
Her mother was busy and her father was in a foul mood since yesterday so Sasuke had no choice but to go here. He managed to remember his way into the forest and half expected the girl to be here as well.



                          
And to his luck, she was here.



                          
"What are you doing here then?" The girl asked. It was just the other day when she looked so scared but now she's acting all tough as if she wasn't bothered by him anymore.



                          
"I came to thank you for leading the way out of the forest the other day."



                          
The girl nodded. She was sitting on the ground as wind blew through the forest causing the flowers to sway and their petals to scatter around.



                          
"Pretty," she whispered as she looked up at the swirling petals. Sasuke, despite being only interested in shurikens and taijutsu training, was still amazed by the flower petals.



                          
"Is this like your secret place?" He asked when they were lying on the grass.



                          
"Yep, no one knew about this place other than me." She looked sideways to Sasuke. "And you."



                          
"Do you like flowers?"



                          
She smiled with her eyes closed as she nodded her head. Sasuke found her quite endearing and the light blush returned to his cheeks.



                          
"I was named after a flower, after all."



                          
"Really? What's your name?"



                          
Sasuke woke up when he felt the warm sun on his face. He looked up to see the sun rays seeping through the trees as the cat purred and stretched.



                          
Sasuke leaned in the tree, arm atop his forehead as he closed his eyes. Somehow, remnants of his dream remained in his mind.



                          
"Sakura, huh?"



                          
He felt the upturn of his lips when he remembered the girl who spoke that name in his dream was Sakura, after all. The cat stare at Sasuke, eyes wide and head tilted to the side curiously looking at the Uchiha who didn't bother to hide his smile.



                          
After a while, Sasuke took out the remaining onigiri, giving a decent portion to the cat who happily took it with a purr. After finishing the rice cake, Sasuke rubbed the cat's head before standing up.



                          
"You better find your way back home. I'll be on my way now." He looked down at the cat who rubbed its head around his foot. 



                          
"Thank you for your company, little cat." He didn't know if he imagined it but the cat seems to nod as if it understood what he said. Sasuke shook his head as he watched the cat run towards the forest, disappearing as if it was a mere spirit that roamed the woods.



                          
Or perhaps it was. A spirit that provided him temporary company. Maybe a deity was kind enough to send their spirit animal to him. Sasuke looked up.



                          
"Deity, could you show me the direction to go." Sasuke was never religious. He never really used to believed in deities or anything of that sort. But he still asked, for some odd reason.



                          
Then the wind blew, some leaves fall and the grass swayed. Sasuke looked towards where the direction the wind swayed to.



                          
"North, huh?"


                          
_____


                          
The children in Suna, compared to those children in Konoha, were really different. These children in the Orphanage never smiled, they never laugh. 



                          
"They're like the children back at home before we build the clinic," Ino said. Gaara left the two kunoichi earlier and they were looking at the children around. 



                          
"They lost their parents in the war," Sakura muttered. It was saddening enough that these children witnessed the war but to lose their parents as well. It seems this might take them a lot harder than they should've imagined.



                          
But as per Naruto's words, they will never give up.



                          
One step at a time, they have to earn the children's trust. These children should be comfortable with them. And then slowly, Sakura and Ino would be able to grasp their hearts and bring back the smiles on their faces.


                          


                          
_____



                          
Sasuke began his journey northward. As he hopped on tree trunks, he remembered the discussion he had with Kakashi a few days before leaving.



                          
"The scroll Chief Ginko gave," Kakashi said, handing the scroll to Sasuke who opened it. He never had the luxury to read the scroll, he only skimmed it once.



                          
When his eyes trailed down the last part of the scroll, Sasuke frowned. "It's ripped."



                          
"Exactly. I think the first step would be to go back to the tribe in the Land of Steam."



                          
And by utter luck Sasuke was just on his way to the tribe. He has to ask the Chief about the scroll, Sasuke had a bad feeling about it.



                          
He was almost near the border toward the tribe hidden in the Land of Steam when a shuriken flew past him. Another shuriken swooshed towards him as he dodged mid air but it still manage to graze his cheek.



                          
He landed on the ground, readied his katana as he faced the group of men who attacked him.
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