Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Credits to the owner of the image that was used in the story.

Author's Drabbles: First fanfic everyone! English is not my first language, so please go easy on me. Enjoy reading!

Chapter 1

The thought of giving up had never been this tempting.

Tempting, yes. But definitely not an option.

Because she was running for her life.

Sakura was trapped within the entrails of an unknown, pitch black forest, so she was simply running to where her legs led her. She wheezed her way through the trees and struggled to maintain her pace despite her growing exhaustion.

'I want to live.' She told herself while ducking to avoid a low lying tree branch. 'I must live...!'

"Where are you little girl?" A dark cackle echoed throughout the forest and broke her train of thoughts. "Stop being so prissy and come to us."

"Shit!" She hissed and tried to increase her speed despite the protests of her body. Her legs burned with overuse and her lungs were beginning to hurt. How long has she been running anyway?

'Come on Sakura, faster!'

She couldn't die like this. Not yet. Not here in this cursed, gloomy forest and certainly not now.

But she knew that she wouldn't be able to last long. Sakura was aware that no matter how strong her will power is, her body will eventually collapse and shut down.

"Gyah!" She gasped when she suddenly lost her footing and hit the ground. She quickly scrambled to her feet and gulped down the bile that threatened to rise from her throat. 'Come on! I will not give up... without a FIGHT!'

"Oh she's really a stubborn one, isn't she?" Another voice rang in boredom and there was a chorus of laughter. Their laughter gave her goosebumps. "That chick better make this chase worth it."

'Kami-sama!' She pleaded in desperation and closed her eyes. They were clearly prolonging the chase for their amusement. 'If only I could kill these monsters! Sadistic, evil monsters!'

Swerving to the right to narrowly avoid a tree, she began to notice that the trees were starting to thin out. Something caught her eye from afar and caused her to gasp.

Just a few yards away was a massive, black wall.

Seeing it caused a new spark of hope to bloom within her. Maybe this isn't her time to die, after all.

"Oh my God!" She breathed as she collapsed against the cool surface of the wall. Her whole body felt like it was on fire. Sweat was continuously trickling down her brow and she felt a very strong urge to lie down and take a rest. Her heart was beating so fast that it felt like it was going to come out of her chest.

Sakura's loud, strenous breaths were cut short when she let out a sickening heave.

"Kami-sama..." She called out feebly before throwing up again.

'Kami-sama, help me...'

It took a while before the vomiting episodes ceased and it left her feeling weak as ever. Panting and very weak, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and pushed away the strands of hair that stuck to her face.

"She had finally grown tired."

She turned around in slow resignation to face the speaker, still panting, her fists clenched tightly and her emerald eyes haunted and hollow.

There were three bald men. No, these were not men, for they look more like monsters. They were freakishly tall; at least six feet five in height and their muscles were thick and burly. They wore what seemed to be scraps of clothing sewn together that formed a pair of pants. Multiple scars adorned their body as if they were pieces of skin and body parts glued together, only that the glue did not stick.

"Took you long enough." The shortest one that stood on the far right sneered. "Dead end for you young lady."

"Fuck off." She growled menacingly and the one on the centre, which seemed like their leader, laughed boisterously.

"She's a fierce one. I like her." He commented with a vicious smile.

"I'm glad you find me amusing." She replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. She felt so pathetic for hoping or maybe for simply even trying.

But right now her injured ego was the least of her worries.

"We gave you your chance, now it's your turn to satiate us." The leader huffed arrogantly and began to make his way towards her. "Besides, we'll make it as quick and as less painful as possible, I promise."

The two lackeys vanished and suddenly reappeared to each side of her and grabbed her wrists.

Despite her weakened state Sakura utilized all of her energy to thrash and struggle, but their grips were like manacles. The more she struggled, the tighter their grip got.

"Let go of me! I SAID LET GO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in hopes that someone will hear her and tried to kick them away, but she was too weak to retaliate. Too worn out. Hot tears began to cascade down her flushed cheeks and felt her energy disspating quickly until she was reduced to nothing but sobs.

She was going to die. Of all the possible circumstances that she had imagined as her death, she had never thought that she would die as someone else's dinner.

The thought of it made her sick.

When he was near enough the leader crouched down so they were at least eye level. She winced when she felt his calloused fingers make contact with her skin as he brushed away the matter hair that collected on her right shoulder.

"Where should I start…ah, how about here?" Her pale face twisted in abhorrence when she felt his hot breath against her ear. These monsters smelled like rotten flesh and she knew that they had that stench for a reason.

She was about to become one of those 'reasons'.

Much to Sakura's horror he began to scrape his long sharp fingernail against her shoulder. The blood began to ooze out slowly causing her to whimper helplessly.

"We'll drain you out and then eat you. Like I promised we'll make it as quick as possible… consider this a parting gift for you pretty one." He licked the blood from his finger and she could hear the other two slurping in delight, excited to also get a taste of her blood and flesh. "Mm, you taste good."

At least she would die quickly; she thought and felt an extremely teeny-weeny small ounce of gratefulness to these monsters. Whatever they are.

A few moments later, the leader placed the tip of his fingernail back to her skin and retraced the wound. Deeper this time. Way deeper.

An agonized scream erupted from her cracked lips.

All of a sudden, the pain from her shoulder stopped and was followed by a strangled yell. Sakura cracked her eyes open just in time for her to see the leader's body being smashed into a nearby tree. A cloaked figure held the leader's neck and raised him as though he weighed little to none. Sakura looked at the gloved hand that held the monster's neck. The dark leather almost matched the dirt on her skin.

Though the man attacking the monster was clearly tall and fit, she could see nothing of the features concealed beneath his hood.

"No! Pl-." The leader managed to plead before a loud crack and gurgle filled the chilly midnight air. Sakura bit back a scream when the head detached itself from the body and fell to the ground with a loud thump.

Seeing their leader dead, the other two monsters roared in anger and tossed her to the ground. Sakura moaned in pain as the remaining two monsters began to charge at the tall hooded figure.

"W-Watch out!" She screamed to try and alert the cloaked man since he still had his back facing them. However, he moved so quickly that she only saw a black blur moving around the two other barbarians, who seemed just as confused as she was.

Exactly five seconds later, she saw the two monsters collapse with blood gushing out of their lifeless bodies. The hooded man casually leaped over the bodies and faced her.

Her viridian eyes stared at him in complete astonishment.

Sakura peered into the darkness beneath his hood but saw nothing. Still, he felt his eyes upon her face, judging, weighing, testing. She was surprised that albeit her current situation, she still felt her face heating up in embarrassment.

"T-Thank…"

He raised a hand to silence her and she wisely shut her mouth. A few seconds passed before he bent down and placed an arm round her shoulders and the other underneath her knees. When he heaved her up (with ease, mind you), her mouth almost watered at the scent that welcomed her nostrils.

A luscious mix of sandalwood, a hint of musk and woody, earthy spice. It reminded her of a storm in a rainforest. A storm that she would be too happy to get caught in.

She had never smelt something so desirable.

Sakura rested her head on his hard chest and took in a deep breath just to spoil herself further. She felt his grip tighten around her body before darkness consumed her vision.

'Stay away from me! How DARE you! How dare you do this to her Kei? She loved you! Trusted you!'

'Come on Rina, you know I've liked you since we were young… you said you'd be happy if I was with Sakura…and you were already engaged to that…that lord or something! What was I supposed to do?!'

'What nerve you have, claiming that the princess of the land has a crush on you! And toying on Sakura's feelings! Have you got no shame?'

'Claim? They are not mere claims Rina! We have been aware of our feelings towards each other since we were young Rina. You and I know that very well.'

'No—I—'

Sakura awakened at the sound of her own sob and instantly realized that she had been crying in her sleep. And judging by the tightness in her chest and her light hiccupping, she had been crying for quite a while now. The multitude of sensations that came a few seconds later besieged her. A painful ringing in her head, stinging from the wounds that were trying to heal and the feeling of soreness from her overworked muscles. It was as though she had been run over by a heavy, wild animal and still managed to survive.

She felt dreadful.

Soon enough, she took in a deep breath and caught the fragrance of sunshine and garden flowers, before turning to the side and hid her face in the plush, soft, sweet scented pillow.

Wait…what?

Sakura sat up so fast that an inevitable wave of dizziness hit her making her hiss in contempt. Placing a hand on her head, she waited for the pain and wooziness to disappear and closed her eyes hoping that it would alleviate her suffering. By the time she recovered, she reopened her eyes and waited for her vision to readjust before taking in the sight in front of her.

She was actually covered in luxurious crimson sheets in an enormous, four poster canopy bed accentuated by white and almost translucent drapes. Red walls with gold trimmings surrounded her and intricately carved furniture decorated the room that rested atop a large blood red carpet. In addition, a few feet away was a fireplace made of white marble and gold, and it seemed like the fire had died while she was asleep due to the pile of embers that scattered on the fireplace floor. Crawling towards the end of the bed, she looked up and saw two black iron chandeliers that illuminated the room with a soft warm white glow.

"Oh…" Sakura whispered in awe. It was a beautiful room, not to mention extremely ostentatious. It is certainly not a normal house, because normal houses did not have rooms like these.

Maybe an estate?

No. This looked like a room worthy for a palace.

Looking down she realized that she was wearing a long but very comfortable off white night gown complete with frills and lace details and her skin was clean, albeit covered in bandages. She touched her shoulder where the monster had scraped his fingernails and felt some bandages there too, wincing at the memory that it accompanied. Moving on, she also noticed that her once dirty and matted black hair had also been washed, which now felt undeniably smooth and soft underneath her fingertips. It smelled like a mixture of jasmine and cherry blossoms too.

Actually, her real hair colour was pink. Odd but true. She had decided to dye it after getting tired of her schoolmates' incessant taunting (calling her a freak and some other vulgar names) and the rebuke of her teachers who refused to accept and believe her explanation that pink was actually her natural hair colour. And to top it all off, instead of proving it to the teachers her oh so loving (note the sarcasm here) parents just decided to let her dye her hair. It stayed that way from that day onwards.

Eager to explore the room further Sakura swung her legs to the end of the bed with exaggerated slowness. She simply ignored the groaning protest of her muscles and the stinging that came from her wounds. She leaned against the nearby bedside table for support before attempting to stand up. Her legs were frail and wobbly, but fortunately it still had enough strength to support her and Sakura was tempted for a second to return to the comforts of the bed but decided against it.

She needed to know where she was or if it was safe enough to stay here. Moreover, she will only be able to know by looking around for clues.

'So no sleeping for you yet Sakura.' She reprimanded herself and took one cautious step forward, then another, then another.

All of a sudden, her knees buckled and she lurched forward making her yelp in surprise, as she then speedily pressed her palms onto the nearby wall to break her fall. Once she steadied herself and her heartbeat, Sakura felt something from underneath her fingers. She charily retrieved her hand and fixed her eyes on what seemed to be a symbol that almost blended with the background. It blended so easily that you have to be exceptionally close or observant to notice.

A lump formed in her throat and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Of course, it only took her mere milliseconds to identify the emblem. It was the insignia of their enemy country, the land of bloodbaths and viciousness, the Fire Country. She could not possibly be mistaken, for she had seen this symbol many times on their soldier's armour who became their country's prisoners of war.

'Of course you idiot! The colours of the room alone are a testament of it!' Sakura screeched at herself and felt her scalp prickle. 'Was I in the borders of their capital city when I was saved?'

Sakura stood frozen on the spot while she tried to put the pieces all together. A room worthy of a palace, an unknown city border, monsters and most importantly, a wall with an embossed insignia of their country.

It felt as though blood has drained from her entire body. Of course, most if not all of the Fire Country's population consisted primarily of demons and other mythical creatures, unlike her own country that consisted mainly of humans.

She was in one of the Fire Country's many palaces. And that can't be good.

How long had she been staying here? Are they aware that she is a citizen and the royal physician of the Earth Country? If so, why did they let her stay here and even let her heal? The thought of staying in an enemy territory was simply too precarious and abhorrent. She needed to get out of here; she needed to escape and as soon as possible would be wise.

It was then that the memory of that fateful night came upon her and felt that desire that had enveloped her when she first laid eyes on her cloaked saviour. Was he a citizen of this country? Or worse, a soldier?

'So why did he save me? A complete stranger?' She lingered at the thought, especially her last memory of the mysterious cloaked man and his oh so wonderful scent, but she shook it off a mere second later. 'No, I have to get out of here.'

But there's no use daydreaming here and waiting to be (possibly) killed though, so she took in a deep breath and began examining the tapestry and furniture that surrounded her. There were no windows in the room, but only a glass door that led to the balcony outside and to her left was a pair of wooden double doors that for sure led to the main hallways. Judging from the view in the balcony, she could tell that she was in the second, if not third floor. In addition, she was confident that guards were posted below so she ruled the balcony out.

Therefore, she began to study the room further. Fortunately, no one came to bother her for the next hour but she found herself so fatigued from her efforts that her head began to spin again. Sakura grunted and sat down on the soft bed to get a few minutes of rest. Letting out a small sigh, her jade orbs caught sight of a small black chest with a gold lock that sat a few feet away from her. It was in front of one of the glass door's curtains.

Odd, it seems to be a weird place to put a chest in.

Silently she stood up and walked towards the chest. She knelt down and saw that it had a simple bolt in lock, made out of gold with onyx stones accentuating the corners. Cautiously she began to unlock it and opened the lid. The lid creaked in response and felt quite thwarted to find a pile of neatly folded tapestries of various designs and colours. Her shoulders drooped and let out a dramatic sigh before she slammed the lid shut, causing the curtains behind it to flutter.

Interesting.

Sakura stood up and slowly pulled back the large crimson curtain. Much to her surprise, a wooden ridge appeared, then another, then another, eventually revealing a small wooden door. She had to stop herself from jumping up and down in glee (as if she could, given the state that she was in) at her recent discovery.

She finally found it! Her way out.

Or so she hoped.

Grabbing the candlestick nearest to her, Sakura's pale hand grasped the black iron door handle and pushed. It did not move at her first try, so Sakura used her good shoulder to enable her to push harder. The door finally budged and a soft gush of old air wafted in her face. Gulping, she held out her candle and her footstep marred the smooth layer of dust that had lay sleeping on the stone floor for quite some time now.

A dark passageway loomed before her.

The sound of her own heartbeat pounded in her ear. It was a small hallway with barely enough space to move around and the cold air gave her goose bumps. The walls were made of stone and littered with cobwebs. It was so quiet that she could even hear her own breathing.

'Creepy.' Sakura thought as she lifted the candle holder. 'But... it will be better than sitting around and just wait for my death.'

Every now and then, she would look over her shoulder to check if the door was still open and found herself feeling extremely queasy when she turned into a corner making her lose sight of the exit. She certainly did not want to end up being trapped and she wanted herself to believe that this hallway was made for a reason, or that it would not lead her to a dead end.

Seeing that the candle was burning out quickly, Sakura began to quicken her steps but was still careful not to move too fast or risk extinguishing the flame. She also tried to be alert for any shuffle or any click or hell maybe even footsteps, but nothing but silence and cold air enveloped her.

When the light from the candle finally snuffed out, her breath hitched and panic began to set in.

'Shit!' She didn't care anymore, she needed to get out. Her brisk walking made her start to limp but she urged on while trying to alleviate the gnawing edginess by chewing on the inside of her cheek.

In her haste, she howled in pain when she suddenly hit a hard surface and colorful curses came out of her mouth. Sakura pinched her nose while her other hand began to feel the surface.

She felt a ridge that was very similar to the one back in her room so she tried to find a door handle. Relief flooded her when she realized it had one so she took a deep breath and pulled with gentle force. It opened with a creak as she bent down to take a sneak peak, just to be sure.

She caught sight of a table and a sink. Fortunately for her, it seemed like the room was deserted and figured this was because it was already late in the evening. She waited a few more seconds just to be sure and when she heard nothing, she straightened up and pulled harder. Sakura did not walk out immediately though and waited again, before she jutted out her candlestick, then her head, then her body.

The moonlight that shone from a single, circular window from way up the wall was the only source of light although it was more than enough to illuminate everything inside. Her jade orbs caught sight of an array of pots, pans and cooking utensils in different shapes and sizes, as well as a long sink that occupied an entire section of the room and on the opposite side rested three humongous kilns and a couple of smaller sized ovens.

In the middle of the room was a long wooden table that looked worn from age and above it hung three iron chandeliers.

It was a secret passageway that led directly to the kitchen. But why? Was it used as an exit in case of an emergency? Or a passageway for secret rendezvous? Or was the former owner of the room a complete glutton?

Either way, Sakura did not care. All she wanted was to get out of this place as soon as possible.

She jumped in surprise when she heard a loud growl, but let out a pout when she realized that it was her own stomach.

'I should eat something...' She mentally sighed and began to look around. 'I'll probably collapse out of hunger before I can even get out of this place.'

-Tink-

Sakura spun around so fast that she got dizzy but was quick enough to grab onto the nearby sink so that she could regain her balance. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a knife and slowly reached out for it.

"W-Who's there?" She croaked before swallowing, her green jade eyes wide in alarm and her heart pounding forcibly against her rib cage. "Hello?"

After what seemed to be an eternity, a footstep sounded. Followed by another. Then another. Gradually, the culprit, who she realized was a man, emerged from the shadows and into the moonlight.

For the first time in her life, Sakura forgot how to breathe.

Standing in front of her was the most beautiful man that she had ever seen.

Hair as black as midnight framed his long and beautiful face. His eyes were pools of intense onyx and his intent gaze seemed like they could see right through your soul. His snow white skin reminded her of pearls and porcelain, which contrasted well to his thin albeit red and luscious looking lips.

Sakura unconsciously raised her hand and touched her neck, but did not break her gaze with the stranger. Her body was throbbing with a feeling so foreign, but so deliciously familiar at the same time.

He was tall, probably around six feet two and even through his clothes, she could very well tell that he is fit and his body well built. Deliciously well built. He wore a white collared shirt that was unbuttoned enough to reveal a portion of his muscled chest with sleeves that were hastily rolled up until his elbows. Paired with his shirt were black pants and dark copper colored boots.

"Hn?" The stranger raised a slender eyebrow.

'Snap out of it woman!' Sakura shook her head and resumed breathing. 'Holy cow.'

Good Lord, this man sure knows how to make an impression even without uttering a single word.

But despite his smooth, God like features Sakura could tell that he looked weary. Tired even. In addition, he was also holding up a pan on his right hand.

A frying pan.

"Erm… good evening." Sakura managed to find her voice and her eyes traveled to the cooking utensil on his hand. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Were you cleaning up?"

Despite his regal features, she would not be surprised if he was a servant though. As elegant as he looked like there is still a likelihood that he may be an aristocrat. Most of them, including nobles give up their children to serve the royal family in hopes of associating with them (or maybe seduce them in the process). It occurs rarely, but happens nonetheless.

With her question the man slowly tore his gaze away from her and onto the pan on his hand, before she saw him pursing his lips. She was almost knocked unconscious when a smile slowly crept on his lips and he lowered his hand, before performing a respectful bow.

'So I was right?'

"My deep apologies my lady, yes I was indeed." He said in a dark, baritone voice that echoed in her head. He straightened up and placed the frying pain on the table beside him. "My lady, if I may be so bold to ask, what are you doing here in the kitchens at this time of the night? Surely a guest of the Emperor should have asked a servant to fetch some food for her."

'So he thinks I'm a guest?' Of course, the Emperor of this land was renowned for his philandering ways and was rumored to bed a new woman every night. She could use that knowledge to her advantage, but will it be worth it? Or will she be too obvious?

"I-needed some fresh air." Were the words that escaped her trembling lips. "My name is Nana." She lied while trying to sound as confident as possible.

It was a pitiable try but it was the first name that came into her mind. Sadly enough it was also the name of her first pet that had passed away when she was five years old.

The man seemed to absorb her words for a moment, before another breathtaking smile appeared on his face.

"My name is Naruto and it is a pleasure to meet you my Lady." He announced with pride before he clapped his hands twice, making her jump. The three chandeliers above ignited to life and basked the once dark kitchens with a bright, warm white glow. "Are you hungry by any chance Lady Nana? That must be your reason for your visit here. I'll fix you something to eat, yes?"

"Um, no, it's fine. Really." Sakura responded immediately and Naruto's eyebrows both rose. "I mean, I can fix a meal myself. It is fine. You can go and retire."

"I do ask for forgiveness my Lady, but as long as I am here I cannot let you do that." He replied and strode across the room towards the place where the pots hung. "It would be such a waste for your lovely hands to be tainted with a chore that is worthy for a servant."

Sakura blushed. Did she really look like a guest of the Emperor? That or she looked like one of the whores that he bedded every night.

She was about to continue refusing his request when her stomach rumbled for the second time. Naruto noticed this as he gave her a side-glance and a reassuring smile. She could not help but smile back, albeit awkwardly.

"Please, have a seat. I'll prepare a fast meal for you." He said, sounding more like a command than a request and Sakura felt a sudden urge to follow his words. Nevertheless, she soon gave up and pulled out one of the chairs to sit down. She propped her elbow on top of the table and rested her chin on her palm while watching Naruto work with finesse.

"Lady Nana?" He broke the ice thirty minutes later and Sakura snapped out of her reverie. He began to pour what seemed to be dough strips into a large pot of boiling water. That was when she realized that he was making noodles. "Is it okay if I ask you a question?"

Sakura's heartbeat began to race.

"Go ahead." She replied with a nod. He finished pouring the noodles and went back to his working area where he opened a nearby bin and pulled out an array of spices and vegetables.

"Why do you have so many injuries?" He asked casually while washing the vegetables. He spared her a glance. "Those look pretty serious."

Shit. She forgot about the bandages.

"I'm a very clumsy person, which isn't a good type of person to go on horseback riding." She started and faked a long sigh. Wow, she was getting good in lying, or so she thought so. "That added together plus the horse not liking me isn't a very good combination." She added a laugh to give it a more believable flair.

Naruto 'hned' thoughtfully and began to chop the vegetables. "Yes, from what I can see." He chuckled quietly. "Though I am sorry to see your wounds. I do hope you recover soon."

He chopped with remarkable efficiency that made Sakura envious, but she knew she did not have time getting jealous with his chopping skills. There was still that notion of her escape.

While she observed him, the memory of her savior flickered in her mind and she idly wondered as to who he really was. Maybe he was just a simple citizen (who had crazy combat skills) and decided to help her out. Or maybe he was a soldier who took pity on her. She will never know for sure, but she will remember how he smelled like. Good God. The thought of it alone made her insides churn. For some reason, her gaze went back to Naruto.

'Kei! Let me go! I do not wish to associate with you any further! You are nothing but a traitor to me!'

'I know you do not mean those words. You love me as I love you. Look at me Rina. Look…at…me.'

'When do you plan on telling her? We can't keep this further…'

'In due time. I am trying to see if she ready…'

That oh so familiar pang of pain erupted in her chest and Sakura leaned back on the chair with a frown on her lips. Kei was the Captain of the Royal Guard in their country and had been her lover for the past seven months, only to find out that fateful night that he had loved not her, but her best friend, Earth Country's Beloved Princess Rina.

Worst part is, Rina felt the same.

With the memories that came, Sakura began to zone out. A delicious smell roused her from her stupor and her orbs zeroed down onto the bowl that was laid in front of her. It was a beautiful bowl of noodles immersed in vegetables.

Looking up to Naruto, she found him gazing intently at her while wiping his hands on the towel. "Are you okay Lady Nana?"

"Mm. I'm sorry, I just zoned out. It looks delightful Naruto." She smiled earnestly and thanked him when he handed her some eating utensils. He tossed the towel over his shoulder then leaned against the sink, before he gestured towards the noodles.

"Thank you for that kind compliment." He returned the smile and nodded. "Please, enjoy."

'Oh I will.' Sakura beamed before enthusiastically digging in. Oh God it tasted absolutely delicious. It was very well cooked and what made it even more scrumptious was the hint of spice that he had added. She loved spicy food.

"Oh my goodness Naruto. It tastes absolutely wonderful!" She let out a very un-lady like moan and closed her eyes. Her stomach finally quieted down as she ate more.

She was so engrossed with the food that she failed to notice the look of seriousness that was plastered in Naruto's face. He continued to lean onto the sink and watched her with his arms crossed.

She finished the meal in just five minutes.

"I am glad that you enjoyed the meal Lady Nana." He grinned and saw her blush once more. Now that she had food in her stomach, she had more color in her face which in turn made her look more human. More alive.

Sakura nodded contentedly and thanked him again when he handed her a glass of water, which she consumed in just a few gulps. Meanwhile Naruto placed the dirty dishes on the sink and covered it with the towel. "These may be cleaned tomorrow. It is already very late."

A guilty looked crossed Sakura's features.

"Again, I'm sorry to have disturbed you Naruto. You even made me a meal when you should have been resting."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at her.

"I've never come across a lady like you ma'am. I never had heard a person of your stature thank a servant for their services. You shouldn't." He said in amusement and she let out a whimsical sigh then a chuckle.

"Even so, the meal was far too delicious that it would be ungrateful of me not to thank you." She stood up and cleared her throat. It was time to escape. Even if she wanted to talk to him more, she knew that she had lingered long enough and she needed to get out as soon as possible. "I shall be taking my leave now. You can get some well-deserved rest Naruto. Again, thank you."

Much to her frustration, Naruto did not move a single inch.

"Let me have the honor of accompanying you back to your room Ma'am." Naruto offered and the smile faded from Sakura's face. "Please. It would be unwise for you to walk alone at this time of the night, especially if you are wearing nothing but your night gown."

Sakura's eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. She looked down and was thankful to the heavens that the nightgown was made of a thick cloth so that it perfectly hid everything and kept her warm at the same time. Not like the flimsy night gowns that she got accustomed to wear back in the palace.

"Ah. Yes. I do apologize, how rude of me to show up in such indecent clothing."

"I must apologize as well. But with the way you look, you are far from indecent my Lady." He said in a tone that made Sakura to look at him.

The way he said those words made her knees weak and she did not even understand why he affected her so much. Was it his looks? No. Though he was beautiful, she had encountered other good-looking people like him but she did not feel like this. She felt…drawn to him.

"T-Thank you." She sputtered and to her surprise Naruto did not smile back as she had expected. He turned around and saw his shoulders droop. "Naruto?"

"Ah yes." He cleared his throat and faced her again. He began to stride towards door that she had emerged from and both of his eyebrows rose dubiously. "You used this passageway my lady?"

"Yes, I saw the door out of plain curiosity."

"Hmm. Odd, I had never noticed this door before." He said with genuine astonishment and grabbed the candlestick that she had carried with her earlier. "Would you give me the honor my lady?" Naruto asked and gave her one of his breathtaking smiles again.

'This guy gives me a heart attack every time he freaking smiles.'

"Um. Yes. Of course." Sakura replied with uncertainty before she put a hand on his outstretched arm. His skin felt very warm underneath the cotton shirt and she found herself blushing again.

'What in the world wrong with me? Stop swooning! You're like a school girl!' She shook her head and exhaled.

They entered the passageway and Sakura mentally cursed at herself for being so stupid as to accept the invitation from him. She could have escaped while she had the chance, but for some reason she could not find the will to decline him. She could not refuse his smile.

Now she sounded like a hopeless romantic. Which wasn't a good sign. At all.

They shared nothing but silence as they made their way across the passageway with Sakura trailing behind him. It was too narrow for them to walk side by side but she did not mind. She would find it too queasy if they were too close.

She was shocked to find out that after just a few minutes they were already nearing the end of the passageway.

"Ah, it leads directly to your room." He murmured thoughtfully and pushed the door. A new gush of air entered the dark hallway and along with it carried the scent that caused her to stop in her tracks.

Sandalwood. Earth spice. Wood. Musk.

Him.

She gaped at him, unable to find the strength to proceed as she placed a hand on the door for support.

"It's—you." She whispered in complete disbelief which successfully caught his attention. Seeing her pale face and open mouth, he lifted a regal eyebrow and began to walk back towards her.

"What's—"

A gasp erupted from behind and both of them turned their heads.

Beside the door stood a plump woman in her mid forties, followed by three younger women that wore dresses of cream, red and gold.

'Chambermaids?'

The one on the back held a tray that contained a pitcher and neatly folded towels, while the one beside her carried bandages and a basin. She figured they came to change her bandages. They shared the same stricken expression, eyes glued on them and before either of them could say anything, they began to scramble and did the ultimate form of respect: bowing with their head on the floor.

"H-Hey... what's going-"

"Your Majesty!" The plump woman was trembling in fear and Sakura immediately reached out her hand in concern.

'You're Majesty?'

"Are you okay? What are you t—"

"Hn."

Sakura curiously peered at Naruto, wondering if he knew what was going on. Her mouth parted in shock when she saw the monotonous expression on his face.

"What-" She managed to whisper but was too shocked to continue.

So that means-

"I was in the kitchens when I met Lady Sakura. She was hungry."

Naruto sounded like a different person altogether. His tone was authoritative and harsh, with no hint of the playfulness that laced his voice when he addressed her back in the kitchens. His onyx eyes had turned cold and calculating.

Once she returned his gaze towards her, Sakura felt like he could see through her soul.

"You are neglecting your obligations. Make sure you tend to her needs properly next time." He spoke in irritation.

"We apologize Your Majesty! We will bring her food."

Naruto, or whoever the hell he was, reached out his hand to usher her to come out of the passageway. When she made no notions to move he clasped his cold hand around her uninjured wrist and pulled her forward. His touch snapped her back to reality but she still could not find herself to speak. She couldn't even feel her limbs.

"They will be your chambermaids and they will attend to your needs during your stay here." He said before letting go.

During that time, Sakura was zealously wishing that she could just evaporate and disappear into nothingness.

If her hunch was right, she was as good as dead.

"I shall excuse myself now for I have other things to tend to." Naruto sighed and turned his back towards her. "Have a good night's rest Sakura. You will need it." He added without sparing her a glance and walked away.

The maids scooted to the side to let him pass. The room was completely doused in silence as they waited for the doors to close. Once it did, the maids slowly collected themselves and straightened up.

Sakura fell to her knees.

"My Lady!" They shrieked in unison and caught her mid-fall. One maid detached herself from the group to grab a glass of water while the others eased her down to the floor. "Are you alright?! Lady Sakura, please say something!"

Nothing came out of her lips on the first try so she tried clearing her throat.

"Who… ?" She managed to croak out. "Who was he?"

The women looked at each other in uncertainty, then towards her as though she had just grown a second head. It took a while for them to respond to her question until the plump woman, who seemed to be the head chambermaid, finally broke the ice by replying.

"My Lady? That man was His Majesty Sasuke, Emperor of the Fire Country."

A.N.: My previous penname was Goddess of the East, but after going on a hiatus (had to move houses) I completely forgot my email addresses and passwords. So I had to redo it again. Lol.

Your reviews will mean a lot to me. Please, read and review. Comments and suggestions are very much welcome, but flamers are not. Let us keep this a happy place, shall we?

~Blahber