Chapter 4: Not the time

“Riku! What are you doing? This isn’t time for games” Sakura yelled out as she called out to the missing client.
“I’m here Sakura!” Riku yelled at the other side of the forest. Sakura ran as fast as she can.
“Riku there you are-” She was cut of when she felt two hands around her waist. She looked over her shoulder and saw someone’s strand over hair overlapping hers, a warm breathing was heard near her ear.

Sasuke ran through the forest trying to catch up to the pink-haired kunochi, thinking to himself while he got lost in his thoughts.  
‘That Riku guy better not do anything bad to her’ he thought as he focus Chakra to both of his feet and dashed in an instant.

“Sakura…..” Sakura tried to free herself from the embrace put found her struggling onto the person’s grip even tighter.
“Let go of me!” she commanded. He didn’t listen to what the kunochi wanted she bellowed even louder to make him let go of his grip. She couldn’t see the man from behind her until she saw a hint of purplish and darkish hair; she stopped her struggling making it easier for the man. “Riku….” Riku looked back at the kunochi and whispered quietly in her ear.
“Are you scared?” he asked her
“What are you doing?”
“When I first laid my eyes on you, I fell instantly in love” Sakura’s eyes widen “Sakura when we arrive at the bird country- I want” Sakura looked at him with confusion but he found all his courage to end his sentence. “To the honest truth I didn’t fill out the mission information right” Sakura nodded her head slowly. When she heard running through the bushes she let go of her stance with Riku and faced where the sound was coming from. Her eyes widen in shock as she stared at the person that had came for her.
“Sasuke-kun?” Sasuke stopped and stared at the pink-haired kunochi then at Riku. He gave the famous death glare to Riku who gave it right back to him. Sasuke shifted his attention to the pink-haired kunochi and looked at her; he grabbed her arm and dragged her away from the man that had just embraced her. “Sasuke-kun what’s wrong?”  He looked into her eyes as so did she. “Sasuke? What’s wrong?” She asked in confusion.
“Did he hurt you or anything?” The Uchiha asked with a hint of concern. He grabbed her hand and touched it making sure that she didn’t have any cuts.
“Why are you so protective all of a sudden?” Sakura asked as she let go of his touch. Sasuke looked back at her than at Riku who was standing waiting for their conversation to finish.
“I’m just curious that’s all” Sasuke said making up a good excuse as he went alone. Depression washed over him, he shifted his gaze from Sakura’s green emerald eyes to the river flowing by them.
“Sasuke…..” Sakura said quietly while clenching her hand. She looked at him and touched his forehead “You’re not sick…” She looked at him again and concentrated on his actions “Is this true?” she said quietly only making the two hear each other and nobody else. Sasuke nodded in silence. “We better go back” She said quietly she walked away from the Uchiha and left with Riku.

After Sakura and Riku had left Sasuke sat by the nearby stream, looking at his reflection in the water, thinking to himself. He found a nearby pebble on the side of the stream and tossed it in the water watching the ripples go by.
‘Sakura….’ He thought to himself, he can only think about her nobody else……just her…….. He snapped back to reality and started walking back to the camp.

Neji had sent up camp already with the fire burning, Sakura sat near the fire cooling herself off she reached in her pocket to find where she had put the necklace when she was talking with Riku. It sparkled a bright pink almost the colour of her hair, she then adverted her gaze towards where the trail lead to the stream where she had been. ‘Sasuke-kun hasn’t come back’ She clenched the necklace again ‘I wonder if he’s okay?’ Riku woke her up of her thoughts as he sat beside her. “I forgot to tell you early” Sakura looked at him in confusion. Neji saw both of them talking but wanted to obtain a good night’s sleep he walked into his tent and fell asleep waiting for the new day to arrive. “The mission details…I didn’t explain in full properly” Sakura nodded as a sign for she was listening. Riku stared at her but continued on “I’m not an average man from the Bird country I’m the Federal Lord” Sakura’s eyes widen while her lips played into a smile. Riku looked at her and stood up again and was about to walk off when he stopped and spoke over his shoulder to the pink-haired kunochi. “Sakura….just between you and me our relationship is kept secret” He continued to walk of the tent and sleep quietly.