My Snippets: Part 2

The Medicine Maker

She's not what he's expecting.

Cowgirl and cowboy sasusaku. Wild West-ish style snippet. Strangers to lovers. 18+. UNEDITED.

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"Whoa. Good horse." He patted the black mounts' neck affectionately before the beast came to a full stop. He slid from the saddle of his steed, grasping the reins with his left hand whilst wiping his sweaty brow with his right. The sun was beating down on them and he'd yet to see anything for miles. Where in the hell was this lil' town of Konoha he'd heard so much about. His brother said to travel east for three days' time and he would come across a winding trail that branched off to the north and west; a forest and the seaside.

Nearly seven days later and he'd yet to see a single fork in the road. Had yet to see a single tree or even signs of life in this godforsaken wasteland.

Hot, thirsty, hungry, and frustrated, he bit down on his bottom lip in contemplation, running his hand up and down his horse's muzzle soothingly when it let out an impatient snort. Twisting from left to right, he squinted when a tall, building-like structure began to form on the horizon. Was it his imagination? Was he seeing things? A mere mirage or a hallucination?

Regardless of what it truly was, his conclusion was that he had no choice. So he set off in the direction of the hazy structure, the horse at his side. As they drew closer, Sasuke realized that his eyes had not deceived him. It truly was a building but not just any building. This one appeared to be a medium-sized house, with a large wooden fence surrounding it on either side. Farm life of all sorts grazing peacefully in the fields. A small barn sat to the right and a large garden filled with a multitude of different plants of all shapes, sizes, and colors sat to the left.

Had he already died?

Was he dreaming all of this?

If the young cowboy hadn't been so astonished, he may have pinched himself to check his awakeness. His thoughts however were suddenly diverted when a menacing growl pieced his eardrums, followed by a howl of outrage. When he looked up, standing on the porch of the home was a dog; of sorts. It looked more like a wolf-dog hybrid and it looked pissed. He swallowed nervously when it suddenly leaped from the wooden planks, avoiding the little steps entirely, before charging towards them full force. His grip on the leather reigns tightened as it stopped a few feet away from them; barking incessantly.

His mount remained aloof and unperturbed by the menacing display and shook its head before licking its lips lazily. The wolf-like creature barking at them grated on his last nerve, giving away his position to any possible danger. He hated the sound; hated the idea of being caught off guard by the possible home owners and his right hand twitched as it reached for the gun at his hip.

The sound of a gun cocking behind him gave him pause, and he slowly lifted his free hand, turning to his right. His onyx-colored eyes settled on a pair of steely greens, and the barrel held steady between them; pointed directly at his chest. His horse let out an indignant snore as if it found the whole situation amusing. "Who the hell are you," the woman hissed, taking a menacing step towards them. "Why are you on my property?" Sasuke couldn't think clearly and glanced down at the dog who continued to assault his ears.

"Do ya mind?"

The woman gave him a dirty look before nodding at the creature. Silence immediately followed and dark eyes followed as the beast trotted happily toward its master, coming to stand in front of her. Between the two of them in what Sasuke could only assume as a precautious move. "Now, I'll ask you one more time. Who in the hell are you?"

"I'm just passing through, ma'am. I mean no harm." He hoped that he was putting on an aura that was non threatening and nonchalant, but he wasn't sure though when her brow lifted and her eyes narrowed.

"Not many people come around these parts that are just 'passing through, mister. Usually they're here to try and take advantage... of a woman like me. They soon find out that I'm not weak and I can easily hold my own with the best of 'em."

"I have no doubt, ma'am."

'Why did I just say that...,' he thought as he began to relax his posture. His eyes kept flicking between her and the dog however as it kept its firmly on him. Her gun lowered slightly, but her finger remained on the trigger; ready to shoot him if need be. He had a hunch she was someone who didn't miss. He would have to keep a close eye on her if he stays here for any length of time. Sasuke reached up carefully and removed his hat, as a sign of respect, and implored her to see reason.

"If you don't mind pointin' me in the direction of Konoha, I'll gladly be on my way."

"What does a city slicker like you want with a place like Konoha?" Her suspicion of him only seemed to grow by the second and he was quickly losing his composure. Time was of the essence and he had very little of it to waste.

"I'm lookin' for someone."

"Oh?"

"A woman."

"Mmhm."

He sighed and tucked his hat under his arm before running a hand through his spiky locks. "My Mother is— let's just say I need to find a lady who can help me with a medical problem." Her lips pierced as if she was deep in thought before she let out a tired sigh and slung the rifle over her right shoulder. She stepped up to him, the dog firmly at her heels, and gave him a quick once over.

"My name's Sakura."

"Hn. Sasuke."

The unusual woman, Sakura, huffed and rolled her eyes before grumbling, "Come with me." With that, she roughly shoved her way past him and began to walk towards the house; the dog a few paces ahead of her sniffing the dirt as he went. "You can tie your animal up there... in the shade by the water trough. This might take a while."

Apprehensive, but with no other alternative, the overly exhausted cowboy turned to follow. He was uncertain how this would pan out but there was one thing Sasuke knew for sure was that he had to find the medicine maker... with or without this woman's help.

He had no other choice. He had to. In order to save his mother's life.