"A healer who resides in the Shikkotsu forest may have the ability to heal you."

Following that piece of information, Sasuke set out to find the healer who could heal him. His eyes had changed and the more he used its power, the more blurry everything seemed.

He had to find that healer as soon as possible. Before he completely lost his vision.  Else even the healer may not be able to help him.

Using his other senses which had been sharpened through years of training, he left for his journery without any companion.

Even the person who told him about the healer said that this person may have the ability. Which also brought despair. What if the healer couldn't? He would have to wait for blindness to take over and then he would probably have to give up the life of a warrior.

Shikkotsu forest was a place of illusions. But using his dojutsu, Sasuke saw right through them and wasn't led to the exit of the forest.

As he walked deeper into the forest, he could hear a voice. Sobbing. Sniffing.

A person sitting on the ground. Long... Is that pink hair? Pink like cherry blossoms. A small figure. A girl probably. Her shaking shoulders indicate that she was the one who was and is still crying.

"Who are you?" Her voice is not clear. Not with all the sniffles and the running nose. She wants to demand him to reveal his identity but it sounds more like her requesting him to do so.

Her jade green watery eyes beg him to comfort her but he doesn't know what to do. Should he comfort her with a hug? He has witnessed his brother doing that to his sister-in-law. And many a time, his father has also done the same. That would exceed his limits.

For a woman whom he just saw, he feels a lot. He then sees the a pale figure lying on her lap. A corpse. Blonde hair in pigtails. A huge bust. The woman looks terrifyingly old. Wrinkles all over her face.

"I'm Sasuke of the Uchiha clan." He replies. Sasuke puts his sword on the ground and kneels down.

"I wish to meet the great healer of the forest." He bows respectfully, with his forehead touching the ground and his hands before his head.

"She's dead." The girl replies and bursts out crying. He looks up and sees the girl holding the corpse of the healer closer to her body.

"My condolences. May she rest in peace." He bows once again. And again and again. Three times as is tradition. One to respect her birth. One to respect life. One to respect her death.

Hours later, the corpse has been buried and the girl has calmed down considerably.

"Why did you want to meet her?" She finally asks. The sun has set and the crescent moon has appeared. The stars twinkle like jewels and there's a peaceful silence which had been broken by the question.

"My vision grows weaker as the days pass. I wanted to request her to heal me." Sasuke says.

"As payment for helping me with the burial, I shall heal you."

"You can?" He asks with bewilderment.

"I've been her disciple since I was born." She smiles wistfully, remembering something from the past Sasuke knows nothing about.

Sasuke spends days living with the woman in her small house. While she studies his eyes and makes notes and medicines everyday, he does the household chores and somehow manages to train himself.

Reminding that crazy woman to eat is such a pain. She just refuses to take a break. Even when she bathes, she takes one of her books with her.

One day, she gave him a potion and he drank it. After that, she used her magic on his eyes.

"My name is Sakura." She speaks with a smile as Sasuke faints. When he wakes up, he's not in the forest. He's in a small house in the outskirts of a village. He has forgotten the way to the Shikkotsu forest and her appearance.

What he remembers is only her name.

--by NaTsuMe_SenJu