Here we are! The continuation of Follow the Sun! I am so glad that I received such positive feedback for the beginning of this series and that so many of you were looking forward to reading more about the development of the timeline I started. It's been wonderful to hear from you all, the compliments, the criticisms, and all the advice I received will go into making my next projects better and more entertaining for readers. (And then some of you guys had to go ahead and read my other works…not gonna lie, kind of embarrassing…they were written so, so long ago…)

This particular work will be set up slightly different than Follow the Sun, as in that the chapters themselves will be their own little stories. They will be longer than the chapters in my previous work, and therefore they will be uploaded with a little more time in between installments. I am not abandoning this story, so if it's been a while since my last upload I apologize in advance, but I know you'll appreciate the product of time well spent making sure that what I do upload is the best that I can.

To sort some things out, the timeline of this continuation will not follow the exact timelines of the canon series, obviously, and with a little creative liberty, I hope it will flow nicely and keep the pace you all said you loved so much. I would love to continue to get feedback and advice from the literary community and further my skills in storytelling, and it's you guys that make all that possible. I am very thankful to have readers that take the time to comment on what they liked, didn't like, would like to see more of or less of, and give their honest opinion on how they enjoyed the chapters and the story overall. As writers, we are here to turn our passions and visions into something that can be enjoyed and can entertain the masses, a wonderful community of creativity, and I look forward to continuing as part of that community.

So, without further ado, let us begin Follow the Sun, Excerpts of Time.

Follow the Sun, Excerpts of Time

Installment 1; Part 1:

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There was a chill in the forest, with a fine mist filling the gaps between trees and becoming brilliantly lit from the rising sun. The air, fresh and crisp, carried the tweets and chirps of early morning songbirds, the whistles and clicks of insects, and the perpetual smell of dirt, rainwater, and the endless bloom of the forest. It was morning in the fire country, the sun was warming the air from the cold night, always becoming colder as the deadly grip of the turning seasons began to wash over the land.

Sakura hugged her arms around her chest, the hairs on her skin standing on end in protest of the brisk morning, and took a moment to shiver the chill from her bones. Looking up to the trees, where the vibrant leaves shook in the soft breeze, colors were already starting to burst through the green foliage. Just a few leaves, the ones closer to the ground and last to get some sun, were tipped with reds and browns. The precursors of fall, a short and drastic shift in the life of the forest from endless abundance to winter hardships in only a few weeks' time. In that time, the trees would overtake the land in colors so brilliantly dramatic, the flowers and fruiting plants would wither and die, and the wind would strip the trees of their colorful beauty, leaving the land barren for the first heavy snow.

But the fall, one of her favorite times of the year, was still a ways away and in a few hours, the rising sun would bring the heat of summer with it, banishing the foggy chill that crept over hills and valleys in the absence of its warmth. She looked to the side, where Naruto and Sasuke walked with Kakashi down their path through the forest.

"How much farther to the rendezvous point?" Naruto asked, stretching his arms above him with a yawn. Not so much because of weariness, but more so out of boredom. Ever since he traveled to the desert, to retrieve Sakura after her disappearance, their assigned missions had been boring and mundane for him. He craved the action and adventure, the thrill of the fight and the victory that always followed, not this leisurely stroll through the woods.

"Not much farther, Naruto. Just be patient," Kakashi answered.

He scoffed, looking to the side with a pouty scowl. "Why do we even need to team up with them for this? We can take the bandits by ourselves."

"That's not the point, Naruto. They pose a threat to the further reaches of both our lands, therefore; we take on the threat together."

It was Sasuke who then joined Naruto in the sourness of his mood, unhappy to have to take backup, he too thought that the four of them were more than enough for some country thugs. "Sounds like some hippy bullshit."

"And that will be enough of that," Kakashi scolded without skipping a beat. "Just behave, all right?"

Sakura shook her head and turned her attention back to the trail.

Once she had returned home from the desert, she had been rather overwhelmed. The intense worry of her parents was one thing to deal with, the worry of her mentor was another, and all the opinionated gossip she heard floating around town was another thing entirely. Word got around fast, and it was an enticing topic when it pertained to their very own kin and a monstrous family from a once allied nation. Many were very much against trying to rebuild ties to the people of Wind country, all with good reason that no one denied, and this stigma had made its way back to her on more than one occasion. She cared not to think of those confrontations, mainly random strangers stopping her on the street for a good cussing before storming off in a huff, leaving her shocked and altogether confused. Kakashi and Tsunade were always a good deterrent when they were present, but it didn't stop the accusations and the rumored banter entirely.

It was just fear, she knew that, and people always reacted very strongly to fear. Sakura assumed that perhaps they thought they now had a spy in their midst, or maybe that she had been a traitor all along. Always the spark of suspicion but never enough to truly catch fire, the worst she'd had to deal with was getting kicked out of a restaurant. She'd nearly laughed at the woman, thinking it all a joke until the genuine anger in her eyes proved otherwise.

But, as time progressed and the wounds of the past healed bit by bit, people had paid less and less attention to her, no longer the social pariah, and she had been able to slip back into the woodwork as unnoticed as she had once been. There were other things to talk about now, other scandals to discuss.

"Well, fine!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing an open gesture to the empty trees. "But if we have to work together than there's no way I'm coming in second!"

Sakura paused, her brow pulling together as she glanced over at him. "Naruto," she began. "I don't think that's what Kakashi had in mind."

He seemed to not hear her, fueled by Sasuke's agreeance with his opinionated ideas, and continued on as if she had said nothing. "They can butt in on our missions if they want, but we'll be the ones taking care of this, no doubt."

"Naruto, please," Sakura continued, about to retort his closeminded view of their joint mission, but paused, a strange feeling overcoming her. Softly, barely noticeable even to her, a sudden pressure seemed to lap over the forest floor, like standing at the end of a beach with her feet in the gentle ebb and flow of the tide.

A signature…human, and powerful.

Sakura looked at the ground, noise falling away as she focused on that feeling, her heart flipping in her chest at the possibilities. They were miles away from any township or village in the area and there were no scheduled scouts to come through here while they ran their mission, keeping possible casualties to a minimum. Could there have been leaked information? Did the bandits hear of the planned attack on their safe house? They could have been coming down the trail to meet this threat to their operation head on. But that didn't make sense, any bandit with half a mind wouldn't just come straight for them in the early hours of the morning, it would be ludicrous.

She looked up to the group walking ahead of her, falling a little behind as she focused on the enigmatic pulse slithering through the trees, and took a breath to speak her findings. She spoke no words, however, and locked her lips shut within an instant as a sudden realization hit her.

She knew this feeling. She'd felt it before…much closer, and more powerfully than this faint buzzing in the back of her mind.

Her worry left her in an instant, replaced with a strange eagerness that bubbled up from some unknown depths. Sakura now knew who it was that would meet them at the rendezvous point and was pleasantly surprised. It had been weeks since their last encounter, with no word from him sent to the main offices of the tower that she occasionally worked, and none sent to her home either. It had been somewhat of a disappointment for her as if she had subconsciously expected to hear from him within just a few days of her return home, something to help prove that she hadn't spent her time with monsters but with people, just…normal people that offered her help and safety. But word from him, no matter the subject, never came and she began to feel as though she had been forgotten.

It hurt, she was surprised to find, that she had these hopes that were only proved foolish and impossible. She had mostly been expecting something from Temari at least, and perhaps the silence from her had hurt more.

But it was as if that disappointment washed from her mind as she picked up that flow of energy through the trees, and now that she focused on it, she could feel the soft pulses around her neck echoing those she felt through the forest. If anything, she had kept true to her promises, and before she had left for their mission, she'd snatched the glass neckless from her nightstand and tucked it safely under her shirt. It was still her secret after all, and she didn't particularly look forward to the questioning she would suffer when her team inevitably noticed it. She wasn't one for jewelry, especially on the trail, they'd know something was up if she tried to play it off as an accidental article she had forgotten to leave behind.

She hadn't been able to help it, though. Upon hearing that they were teaming up with the wind nation for this mission, her chest had gone tight and she'd be lying if she said that Gaara's wasn't the first face to pop into mind. At first, she thought herself a little foolish, the Wind nation had a plethora of soldiers at their disposal, and to think that they would send one of only a handful that she knew was a bit ridiculous when considering the odds. Plus, Gaara was a scout, at least he had been when she last saw him, and these missions weren't assigned to scouts. Still, just in case those odds somehow worked in her favor, she brought the necklace for good measure.

But that energy was impossible to deny, and she doubted she'd ever forget it, no matter how faintly it greeted her at such great distance.

Sakura fought to keep the grin from her lips, thoughts swirling in her head with possibilities for when they finally crossed paths again, but the blundering banter of her team finally pulled her from her thoughts once again.

"I'll bet you we can beat them to the meeting point!" Naruto exclaimed. "Hell, I bet I can beat all of you!"

Kakashi tried his best to deter this, always trying to keep the childish antics of his student in check. "Naruto just be patient, we'll get there soon enou-"

"Last one there buys me dinner!" he yelled, already kicking dirt with his heels as he raced off down the path. Kakashi merely sighed and picked up his pace a little as he strode after him.

Sakura nearly choked. She'd seen how many bowls of ramen that kid could put away in one sitting, and considering that she still needed to pay for her mentoring – for Tsunade's time and of course the reading material that she had to study – she was sure losing a bet like this would bankrupt her. "Naruto!" she called after him, her feet moving faster in the desperate need to keep her limited finances. "Hey! Wait up!"

With a sigh from Sasuke and an exhausted groan from their teacher, Sakura took off after Naruto. But it wasn't just the fear of hours spent at the ramen hut buying bowl after bowl for her bottomless pit of a teammate that drove her forward, it was also the strengthening of that pulse in the trees pulling at the pendant around her neck. Magnetic, powerful, and undeniable in its influence, she ran toward its epicenter, eager and excited to see her desert savior once again.

×愛×▬▬▬×愛×▬▬▬×愛×

He was surprised to find out that she had kept her silly little promise pertaining to the glass neckless. The terms of their agreement stated that she only needed to wear it if she was ever in his neighborhood and, looking around at the grass-covered dirt and the tall trees that stretched for stories above them, this definitely wasn't his neighborhood.

But she had pulled through nevertheless and it had been a clear giveaway to her team's position relative to his. He'd first felt her a few miles back and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't been looking for that familiar flutter of life. The official mission report given to them had only stated that they were to team up with the leaf for this little outing, not stating names or team numbers on the file, but Gaara knew where such information was kept and he was a master at sneaking around the Kage tower and digging up dirt where he could find it. It didn't take him long to find the original report that held the names and ranks of their partners from the leaf. He'd seen Kakashi's name first and, just to be extra sure, he read the whole report to make sure that Sakura was still on a team with him and would be joining them on this journey.

At first, he was rather pleased with this, after all, he'd been right in his presumptions all those weeks ago when she had left his city for the safety of her homeland; he had indeed missed her. But things weren't as bad as he had thought they'd be after she left. Something about the way she had paraded herself around town at his side and how she'd made such an impression with Temari and her team seemed to soften the people of the city into a weary sort of acceptance. He had noticed that the stares he attracted were less suspicious and frightful and more so curious as the weeks went on. Perhaps they were looking for whatever Sakura had seen to make her so warm to him, hell…he'd been looking for the same damn thing. It wasn't a drastic change, nothing to truly shift the way the city as a whole viewed him, but it was a start, and he would be forever grateful to her for instigating such a movement.

But now, he wasn't so sure that her being here was the greatest idea and there was a part of him that wished it was a different team they were meeting up with. His attention moved from the trail before them to the empty path that lay behind. Well, it certainly appeared empty. They were doing a good job at staying out of range – he would at least give them that bit of praise – but Gaara knew when he was being followed, and it couldn't be written off as the timid two trailing a few paces behind him.

Assassins. Highly trained ANBU fighters that were at the top of their ranking classes, normally reserved for guarding the Kazekage on treks to foreign lands, nameless faces behind masks to hide identity and intent from the world. Likely in response to the slow and steady way that he was building a better report with the citizens and soldiers, the council had turned them on him. This was why the flutter of familiar life now worried rather than soothed him as it once had, knowing that she might be caught in some sort of crossfire, that she might be a target to use against him, or simply that she might see the wickedness he thought her too good for. But there was nothing to do about it now, he could only keep tabs on the squad trailing them through the woods and hope that he could trust his people not to bring unnecessary harm to the allied soldiers of another land. After all, their scorn and animosity towards him had nothing to do with the team from the leaf, or even the two fresh-faced young men he had been assigned to take with him.

The sand in his gourd stirred, slithering and churning in response to the danger that followed them, and also to the small bit he had given away, the bit that was getting closer and closer as they made their way to the rendezvous point. He would see her again soon enough, and he hoped that this time he would see her well.

×愛×▬▬▬×愛×▬▬▬×愛×

"Take that, you losers!" Naruto jeered as he stopped triumphantly at the river's edge. He threw a taunting smirk back to the tree line as Sakura emerged trying to catch her breath.

He had been very enthusiastic about his little race and had gone on nonstop for a good few miles before reaching his destination. Sakura maintained the opinion that it was still too early for such antics of his, but at least she hadn't been last to the meeting point. She could consider herself safe from a money-guzzling dinner with him. It was Kakashi who would inevitably give in to Naruto's pestering and treat him to a few good bowls of ramen upon their return home.

Sakura stopped a few feet from the riverbank, catching her breath, and shook her head at his shenanigans. She swore he'd always be a child at heart and nothing short of a miracle would ever truly mature the man. But she supposed it was a part of what made him so endearing, always willing to be happy even if the damn world was falling apart. A lot of people would need that optimism throughout his life, and with that considered, maybe she didn't really want him to change too much.

"Good God, Naruto," she huffed as she met him at the bank. "You don't need to be so competitive with your own team." She figured her words true, but she'd seen the sidelong glances given to Sasuke during their days of training together, and the equally cutthroat glances given back. The two of them made one hell of a team, but only if they stopped trying to one-up each other and worked together.

Sasuke emerged from the trees then, a little better off after their run than Sakura currently was, but he didn't seem too pleased with their unnecessary haste either. He looked ready to voice his opinions on the matter, always quick to put down any sort of victory Naruto obtained, but he was quickly cut off.

"Just admit it, you two, you're just sore that you lost to me," he challenged with a wide and toothy grin, a trademark of the young blond.

Sakura scoffed, her hands coming to rest stubbornly on her hips. "Cut it out, Naruto. Sheesh."

"What? I told you I'd win, and we even beat the other team!"

Sakura sighed at this, pinching her brow between her fingers. "It doesn't help their case much when you started a race without them."

With a huff, Naruto crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring her stubborn gesture in his own way, and answered in a defiant voice. "I still don't see why we need to team up with anyone for this, it's nothing we can't handle on our-"

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Naruto jumped, not at all expecting the voice that came from behind him, and in turn, Sakura looked up to find a familiar face. Gaara was standing at the river, perfectly balanced atop the gentle current moving below his feet, and was looking as collected as ever. The pendant around her neck was positively buzzing with life, desperate to break its confines and return to the source of its power.

"Gaara?" Naruto gawked, disbelief showing clearly on his face.

Sakura bit the inside of her lip, keeping herself from grinning once again when the sound of splashing water caught her attention. There were two young men trailing behind him in the river, not at all as skilled in balancing act as Gaara was. They wore apologetic and shallow grins on their faces. Sakura determined instantly that she had not seen these two when she was stranded in the desert, they must not have been from Temari's old team, and that begged even more questions pertaining to Gaara's presence out here in the forest.

"So sorry," one of them spoke meekly, likely able to hear all of Naruto's sourness toward their mission setup, and he struggled to maintain through the current of the stream while holding a precarious pack over his head. The third member of their small group seemed to be fairing no better than his partner.

"Not a problem," Kakashi answered, a sort of comradery to his voice. "If it hadn't been for Naruto's haste, I'm sure you would have beaten us."

"Here," Sakura said as she made her way down the shallow bank and stepped atop the flowing water. It slithered around the soles of her sandals and not a drop touched her skin. She held out a hand to the first of the two young men trying to manage the stream. "Let me help."

"Oh, I've got it," he stammered, his footing difficult to find on the slippery rocks of the riverbed, and in the midst of trying to muster a confident grin, he slipped and almost disappeared below the water. Still, though, his persistence refused to relent. "Really, we're fine."

Sakura smiled and shook her head, the stubbornness of these men. "Just give me the pack."

He conceded and handed her the pack. She fumbled a moment trying to keep her balance, the pack being a bit heavier than it looked, and she proceeded to take the pack from the other member of their small party as well. With a strap slung over each shoulder, she stepped back to the bank, careful not to make any unnecessary glances to Gaara as she passed. Just a small smile and a nod his way in greeting, not nearly enough for her, but it would have to be enough for now. She would find time to talk, to catch up, to poke and prod about why he was here, how Temari's team was managing, how things had carried out in the desert after she left, and all the other things she'd thought to ask in the weeks of silence between then and now.

His response to this small greeting had been a slight upturn of his chin, not even a full nod, and then his eyes were scanning the trees again, not on her for more than a moment.

"Thank you," said the other sand nin as he hauled himself from the stream, "I'm Korobi, by the way."

Sakura handed him his pack with a friendly smile. "Sakura," she replied. "Nice to meet you." The last of their team pulled himself from the water and relieved Sakura of his pack, thanking her as he did so. "It's no problem, uh…what was your name?"

"Of course," he said, smiling timidly in a bit of embarrassment. "I am Yaoki, it's a pleasure."

Taking a moment to look over these two new faces, Sakura noted how polite the two of them seemed, how they held themselves in the presence of new soldiers and an experienced and well-known captain, and of course how they stood next to Gaara. It was curious, she decided, that such mild-mannered young men be placed on a squad with Gaara, surely his superiors would assume he needed teammates a little rougher around the edges. From the looks of them, it seemed these two shared her thoughts as well.

Kakashi approached and placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder, his demeanor was lax and approachable; he was good at that. "It's nice to meet you both, I'm Kakashi, the captain of our squad, and this is Naruto and Sasuke," he said gesturing over to the two standing sourly by the bank. Sasuke continued to eye the allied group suspiciously, his shoulders tensed and his arms crossed stubbornly over his chest marking him as closed off and unapproachable. Naruto stood with a pout on his face, obviously still upset with their situation, but he seemed to lack the bitterness that Sasuke had.

Kakashi didn't dwell on the boys of the squad very long, quickly turning the conversation to the mission. "We should head to our appointed basecamp, it's not far from here. Better to get off the road."

"Of course," Sakura agreed, nodding to the Suna men once more before turning to fetch her team.

As they gathered themselves, Gaara took a quick glance to the far side of the stream, to where the foreboding feeling of dread crept from the darkness between the trees. Kakashi's words echoed in his head if only he knew how right he was. Gaara wasn't used to this, the way his heart thumped heavily in his chest, the way this approaching threat caused him anxiety rather than the excitement it had once brought him. When would they strike? How would they instigate their attack? Would they wait for the mission to be completed or was the Wind's involvement in this simply an excuse to get him far from the city before they made their move? Too many questions to answer now, but the answers would indeed come to him if he waited patiently enough.

"Gaara?"

He turned at the sound of his name. Kakashi stood with him now, sending his team off down the path with Sakura in charge of integrating the new faces into the group. She had a more welcoming disposition than her two counterparts at the moment, more so suited for the task. Kakashi himself was relaxed and seemingly content with who was to be guiding this mission with him. There was a laxness to his shoulders and his posture that Gaara hadn't necessarily expected, but wasn't altogether surprised by. He figured that Kakashi was either very good at putting on a front, or he truly didn't see him as a threat anymore. For once, Gaara wasn't sure if he could tell the difference. At least he had returned Sakura to the man in one piece if nothing else he had that going for him.

Gaara nodded to him and they made way to follow their teams.

"So you're in charge of them?" Kakashi questioned as he nodded toward Yaoki and Korobi.

Gaara only nodded again in response.

"Impressive, I would have thought you would continue on in the scouts."

There was a casualness to the way he spoke, it eased any sort of tension that Gaara might have clung to, and he found himself able to contribute to what Kakashi was saying. "Why's that?"

His answer was a shrug at first, followed by a pause as if a follow up to the remark hadn't been expected. "Well, being on a team with your brother and sister, I don't know, it seems easier."

"It is," he agreed. "But I'm more useful out in the field, they can tackle patrol runs without me."

Kakashi nodded, knowing full well that the Sabaku siblings were indeed a force to reckon with through and through. That privileged upstart and training early in life had found their personal skills and honed them into deadly arts. Word was starting to get out about them all, not just Gaara anymore, and it was said that no one within the walls of Suna knew how to wield an iron fan quite like Temari, and throngs of seasoned puppeteers gave their praise to Kankuro for his ingenuity and innovation with his designs as well as his growing mastery of the strings. There was no limit to where they could go, what they could do, at least…not at the moment, anyway.

He sighed a lighthearted huff. "I'm sure you're right about that."

There was a pause from Gaara as they walked a few paces behind their squad and even though he hadn't known the young man enough to call it out, Kakashi thought he seemed distracted. There was a tension at his side and he waited for Gaara to gather his words.

"There's something you should know," Gaara said, his words so suddenly serious and focused, unlike the absentminded responses he'd given just a moment ago. Kakashi didn't let it show that this worried him, such things at the start of a mission were never a good sign, but he saved face and simply waited for Gaara to continue. "We did not come from the desert alone." His eyes glanced across the river they followed upstream, to the trees that now looked distant and threatening from the safety of their trail. "We were followed."

Kakashi followed his line of sight, eyes scanning the tree line and searching for any slight movement in the shadows. "I see."

Though it was quiet, there was a sharp sigh from Gaara and to Kakashi, it only proved that he had been mulling over their uninvited traveling companions for some time. "I can't be entirely certain, but I believe that the high council of my country has sent the ANBU after me."

"Ah," Kakashi said, a light realization dawning in his voice before it dropped off again with the implications. "I see."

Gaara looked up to the two men entrusted into his care, an unfamiliar feeling bubbling up in his gut as he did so. He clenched his fists and squeezed his thumbs, his knuckles popping one after another in their sockets. Being the target of such malignant hatred since he was just a child, Gaara was used to all of this. The suspicion, the espionage, the countless attempts at his life; they all made up an average week for him, but not these two. Not Korobi and Yaoki. The same council that assigned them to this mission also assigned the ANBU following them with ill-intent. What had these two done to be caught up in the middle of his business with the council? How could the same people who claimed his death to be for the greater good also send their own people – their own helpless and innocent people – to be at his side when they attempted their deed?

There was goodness in this world he found baffling, but there was also hypocrisy and wickedness he swore he'd never understand.

His men were talking with Sakura, answering all of her friendly questions, but the warmth in her eyes and the way she managed such sincerity caused him look away. "If anything were to happen…" he started, looking to the dirt as they walked, feeling almost ashamed that he was bringing this upon Kakashi and his team. Upon her.

It seemed that Kakashi had an idea as to where this was going, and he continued with his nonchalant mannerisms. "Oh, come on now, you don't have to worry about us."

Gaara wasn't so sure of the optimism Kakashi put forth, and his voice certainly showed it. "Yeah…I hope I don't." His eyes shifted over the ground, obviously deep in thought, before he continued on again. "But just in case, make sure they stay out of the way. They don't need to be a part of this," he said, turning his gaze to meet Kakashi's. "And neither do you."

The Konoha captain wasn't at all blind and he'd never considered himself dense; there was clearly a deeply rooted and sensitive history coming to the surface here, something that wasn't to be pressed at the moment. He nodded in agreeance. "All right, Gaara," he said, voicing a calm disposition. "Whatever you say."

×愛×▬▬▬×愛×▬▬▬×愛×

"You've got to be kidding me," Naruto groaned as they entered the clearing.

The trees parted and the trail led them into the small clearing, a space surrounded by tightly packed trees and dense undergrowth threatening to ensnare the trailhead. There wasn't much to it, just a dusty area of worn dirt, a small charred spot in the center where previous fires had burned, and a small marking on the tree across from their path, the symbol marking this place as safe as could be when out in the forest.

They had arrived at their camp, all of them ready to just sit a moment as they sorted their supplies and set up base. It had been a long hike through the forest after they rendezvoused by the river. The sun had risen higher now, blazing confidently above the trees, and it burned the morning chill from the air. Korobi and Yaoki had finally managed to get most of their gear dry, having unloaded the contents of their field vests and rung them out, as well as opting to go barefoot over walking any farther in their soaked and slippery shoes. It was turning out to be a fine day; warm with a light breeze slipping through the woods, big fluffy clouds drifting overhead, their size casting immense shadows that lazily crossed over the canopy, and their latest forecast called for no rain the rest of the week.

Sakura had hoped that the pleasantness of the day was a precursor to the ease of their mission. She would like that, an easy job with more than enough skill at hand to overcome. Her eyes had drifted to Gaara's direction as she thought this, sure that he could take it all on himself if he had to, and was comforted knowing that his abilities lied on their side this time.

But now, after reaching their destination, she could hardly think of anything except getting off of her feet and digging out something quick to munch on. She stepped into the clearing, stretching her arms above her and giving her back a good crack after the long walk on the trail. She looked around, not at all as disappointed as Naruto had so blatantly announced. "Well?" she questioned, bumping him good-naturedly with her elbow. "What did you expect? A cozy little cabin with bunk beds? Maybe even a nice brick fireplace?"

He shrugged, pouting a bit as this mission became more and more of a bummer for him. In a rather pathetic display, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and scuffed his heel in the dirt. "I don't know," he mumbled, more so to himself than to Sakura. "Would have been nice."

Kakashi placed a hand on his head and ruffled his hair, earning him a threatening glance from his student. "Now, now, Naruto, this will do just fine. It's off the main path, secluded, and it'll feel just like home with some tender love and care."

He snorted, huffing to a spot he had decided was to be his, and tossed his pack from his back. He sat and began rifling through his supplies, likey hungry after their morning hike.

Sakura shook her head, setting her stuff down next to Naruto, and unrolling her thin sleeping mat by the fire pit. The Korobi and Yaoki had set their things across the fire from them while Kakashi set his pack down at the trailhead, fine with setting up his chosen sleeping space after he figured his lay of the land. From the corner of her eye, Sakura watched as Gaara walked through the clearing and passed straight through the other side. Though he disappeared from sight, Sakura could still feel him and then all at once; the feeling of his energy changed. It became muted, fuzzy and, if indeed possible, even more all-around encompassing. He had dissolved, broken down to nothing but sandy bits, and he was making quick work of the area beyond their camp. Designating their safe perimeter, she figured.

But as he had strode by without so much as a glance to her, Sasuke walked over to the fire pit and, not uttering a word, unrolled his own sleeping mat next to hers.

It was strange, there had been a time in her life when such a simple action would have stirred her heart and made her feel as though she were special, as though she were chosen. But now…now it caused a sudden and intense, though short-lived, feeling of frustration. Why had he chosen this spot now? He never really liked sleeping close to anyone on their missions, claimed it to be for tactical reasons, but she felt she knew better. There was something about the way he closed her off when laying the mat down next to hers, with Naruto to her right and Sasuke to her left…perhaps she felt it symbolized their protection over her defenseless sleep and she liked to think she didn't need such attention.

No matter.

She brushed it aside, feeling silly in the way such feeling had climbed up her gut and wrote it off as her tired feet and the hot day. Looking to distract herself, she peered to their teacher. He stood observing the group and, as it seemed, he had noticed the sudden tension to his student's shoulders.

So had Sasuke. He looked over at her with hard eyes as he paused, scrutiny and sharp inquisition clearly evident across his face. "What's your problem?"

Sakura choked on her words for a moment, matching his look with an equal one of shock and annoyance. After everything he'd said to her over the years…and to snap over something so…so minuscule? That tension rose in her throat again, and it threatened to break on her tongue. "What?"

"Sasuke?" he asked, coming over to stand by them as they unloaded their supplies. "Why don't you and I go lay some alarm traps around the perimeter? Don't want any late night visitors."

After a moment's pause to send a look her way, Sasuke shrugged, grabbing some knives and other provisions from his pack and slipping them into his utility belt; effectively brushing her off once again.

Sakura looked to her teacher, as if to thank him for a little bit of space from the man, but was only met with a soft look of sympathy. He understood how Sasuke could be and what she put up with to keep them unified, he wouldn't blame her for a shortness of temper every now and again. But it wasn't all sympathy, she knew, there was also a sternness to him. Their teacher would never put up with a spat on a mission so he kept their quarreling to a minimum, but at home…he'd made it clear that she needed to stick up for herself more.

"Want me to come?" Naruto chimed in, already laid out on his mat with his head rested on his pack.

"We'll be fine," Sasuke grumbled, never one to accept help unless completely necessary, and dismissed Naruto's remark as quickly as it had come, stalking off toward the path once again and heading into the trees.

Kakashi shrugged. "No big deal, Naruto, maybe get some firewood or something, eh?"

He snorted in response, rolling his eyes as he did so and immediately relieved his given task to the two sitting awkwardly across the fire pit, unsure of how to manage an allied team's internal affairs.

"Naruto," Sakura scolded with a stern look. "Kakashi asked you."

"No, no," Korobi insisted, likely trying to cease any bickering. "We'd be more than happy to." Yaoki nodded from his side. "Please, allow us."

Naruto smirked, obviously satisfied with himself, and settled more comfortably into his mat.

Sakura leaned over to him, speaking sharply while hushed between them. "Don't take advantage of nice people. Come on, they traveled just as far as we did." Setting an example herself, she stood and offered to join them.

Graciously accepting, they seemed relieved when Naruto announced he'd stay behind, three people would gather more than enough wood in his opinion.

Sakura kicked his foot. "Don't pay him any mind," she snorted. "He's harmless."

Seeming to upset him, though not seeming to care, she snatched a quick snack from her pack and strode into the trees with the two young men. Naruto cursed under his breath in their direction before pulling his headband down over his eyes.

×愛×▬▬▬×愛×▬▬▬×愛×

Out on the trail again, having been snatching any good firewood they found near the path, Yaoki and Korobi walked a few paces behind Sakura, both staring intensely and both without the courage to be the first to speak. They were sure it was the same one as before…after all, how many people in the Fire country had pink hair of all things? And from what they'd heard of the team that had come to the city…well, it had to be her. They just couldn't remember what her damn name had been.

Yaoki bumped his partner, insisting he be the first to ask. He'd been the one to tell him of what had transpired all those weeks ago; when a Fire country woman had fallen from the sky and into their sands, of how Gaara had saved her, and how she'd taken shelter in the Sabaku home of all places. Of course, word of the attack on the house had gotten around quickly enough on its own, and Korobi told him that when the entire team had arrived and gone with Temari for dinner, his parents had been at the same restaurant that very night. From the description of the team they had seen, it was most certainly them.

He cleared his throat, throwing his partner a sidelong glance to acknowledge his impatience.

"So, Sakura," he began casually, shortening the distance between them when she turned to him.

She had better situated the bundle of thin logs under her arm, resting them for a moment on her hip. "Hm?"

"I was just wondering…are you…um," he stammered, not quite sure how to word his question.

"Am I…what?" she asked, her brow pinching together and her lips turning into a suspicious frown.

Yaoki's curiosity had grown too much for his friend's stammering and he quickly interjected. "You're the one he saved from the desert, aren't you?" His words were fluid, filled to the brim with question and intrigue. Korobi visibly sighed at Yaoki's bluntness but remained quiet to await her answer.

Sakura shrugged, a single nod accompanying her action.

"Where you ever afraid? What was it like?" Yaoki asked without a moment's hesitation.

"Yaoki!" Korobi exclaimed, not at all imagining such a candid approach from his well-mannered friend.

Sakura appeared not at all bothered by this, probably used to such things from her straight-to-the-point teammates, and her eyes drifted to the ground in thought. She bent over, picking up some dried sticks and twigs she saw for kindling, looking to busy her hands as she talked. The two men felt compelled to join her.

"That depends. What was what like?"

"The desert, the beginning," he clarified. "After what happened…to have him show up?"

Sakura shrugged again. "I don't remember much of the desert," she admitted. "I remember landing, maybe the first hour or two depending on how well I kept track of time…but after a while…it all gets fuzzy. I don't know how long I was truly out there…or how long it took us to get back. I can't remember what happened at the hospital right away either, but I know that Gaara's wasn't the first face I thought I had seen out there."

The two sand nin nodded, knowing full well how the heat and the sand could play such tricks on the lost traveler.

"At first, I didn't really know if he was real or not, it was like he came out of nowhere…but he was, and more than anything I think I was relieved." She paused a moment, remembering what he'd looked like when she'd been roused from unconsciousness…different than she remembered, that's how she had known he was real. "He was my way out."

"But," Korobi blurted. "Out of anyone else that could have helped you…why be relieved it was him?"

"Because I had been looking for him…or, I had hoped he would be looking for me." She paused to huff out a small laugh, noting how her words clearly hadn't helped their confusion. "No one else could have helped me. I was done, totally spent, I had no energy to even try and get myself back. I couldn't have walked all the way back with anyone, I didn't have the time to wait to be carried back…I needed him."

"You didn't think that he'd –" Korobi paused, unsure if his next words were to be appropriate.

"That he'd kill me?" Sakura said, assuming the rest of his thought. He nodded, though a little sheepishly as if ashamed to ask such questions of someone who clearly had done no such thing. "Of course I thought there was a chance. But if that was the case than I was dead either way, might as well try my luck. And good thing I did."

"Yeah…" Yaoki muttered, looking at the ground in thought. "Good thing."

Sakura understood the curiosity these men carried; Gaara was a part of their city, an ever-present part of their lives and what he did had the power to directly affect them and their families. When things got bad with him, she assumed it had to be hell living in fear like that…with such power waiting to flip like a switch. But she intended to spread the good of what he had done, hoping to restore some favoritism to his name, rather than the stigma he'd been forced to live with. So she continued to answer their questions, settling their inquiries to the best of her abilities while keeping some more personal things to herself…the pendant still gently buzzing under her shirt was one of them.

Korobi sighed, thinking about their conversation as his back started to ache from all the weight they'd acquired. Their packs were stuffed with lumber and kindling, their arms carrying bundles as well making it almost time to turn back to camp. "It's strange to think you spent so much time with him."

Sakura shrugged, a little awkwardly with her arms so full, but shrugged nonetheless. "It wasn't that much time…only a day or two at most."

"Still…"

She suppressed a smile, thinking back to the night he'd caught her in the greenhouse and the way he'd been sternly waiting for her atop the trail up the southern walls, how she'd been attacked and he'd come from nowhere to snatch her just in time.

"It wasn't…bad?"

Sakura shook her head as she looked at Korobi. "No, not at all." The sound of a stream caught her attention, a soft lapping of water against a shore, and she dropped her armful of wood and her pack in favor of freshwater. "Come on," she called to the two standing in question. "I'm gonna teach you two something."

They shared a look before shrugging and leaving their loot with hers on the ground. It was just dead wood, no one would bother taking it. They strode after her and after a few paces off trail there was a small stream, likely a tributary to the shallow river they crossed earlier. Sakura was at the shoreline, looking into the clear current. The stream was wide with little more than a foot's depth at the deepest point. Bright green grasses billowed below the rippling waters, shimmering pebbles and tumbling stones moved about in the current, and tiny little fish swam in the safety of the weedy shallows.

Sakura stepped off the sandy shore and onto the water, the surface parting around her shoes and flowing under her feet with effortless ease. She turned to them, perfectly balanced atop the creek, and with her hands on her hips, she grinned. "Now you try."

They both groaned, sure they'd only make a fool of themselves, and quickly tried to back out of it.

"Oh, no," she insisted, taking fluid steps across the water as if walking on land itself, and strode up the shore to them. "It's easier than it looks. And it's useful. Have you never learned this?"

"Of course we have!" Yaoki countered, his voice coming out a bit defensively. "But it's not like we've always got rivers to practice on."

"I know," she replied. "But you've learned the basics of this before. It's hardly different."

They both shared their skepticism.

"Just watch," she sighed, walking back to the water. It was then that Korobi noticed her sandals were free of water, her steps leaving no clumps of wet sand in her place. "All water has surface tension, you know that." They nodded. "The goal is to tap into that tension and not break it." She stepped atop the water for emphasis, not even breaking stride in doing so. "You've got the ability to create a barrier between your feet and the stream by keeping a defined separation between yourself and the actual surface of the water. Shallow, slow-moving water is the perfect place to start."

"Just walk out there?" Yaoki questioned.

"No, not so directly. Just start with a foot, see if you can tell the difference between your own energy and the energy keeping the water together. Once you do, just focus on separating the two. The water should roll off of you, it shouldn't soak into your shoes and it shouldn't make any actual contact with your feet."

The two gave it a try, cautiously placing a foot over the surface of the water. They focused, knowing that the tension was there, that they just needed to tap into it. Korobi found it first, zeroing in on the feeling of the water beneath his feet, and gathered his chakra where the two energies met. Suddenly, and with a sharp yelp from the man, his foot was swept out from under him and yanked downstream, the rest of him quickly following suit.

There was a crash as he fell into the water, quickly followed by the stifled laughter of Sakura as she forcefully cupped a hand over her lips.

Korobi quickly sat up and lifted himself from the stream, soaked once again, and cursed rather loudly to the trees. "Damnit all!" he yelled, gaping down at his dripping attire, and then quickly glared over at Sakura who was still trying not to laugh at him. "What happened?!" he demanded. Yaoki huffed out the start of a laugh before catching himself, almost feeling sorry for his friend in such embarrassment.

Sakura finally let herself laugh fully and shook her head at the man. "I said separate yourself from the water! Not attach yourself to it!" she laughed out, wiping a tear from her eye. "The water is supposed to go downstream, not you."

"How am I supposed to know the difference?" he challenged, clearly upset with this blunder.

Sakura merely shrugged. "Well, whatever you just did; do the opposite."

Korobi rolled his eyes. "Wow, great advice."

"You'll get it soon enough, I'm sure."

Yaoki tried his luck with the current again, throwing a jeering look in his partner's direction. "I'm not so sure about that."

…

Sakura remained atop the current, watching the two as they tried their hand at the useful trick, and guided them when she could, encouraging them when they needed it. They were getting better, the feeling of running water below their feet was a much more alien sensation to them than it was to her, it just took getting used to. She didn't worry about getting back to camp, sure that Naruto would sleep until disturbed and that Kakashi and Sasuke would rather be thorough than anything and wouldn't be back until the sun started to fall.

She had time to kill, and there was a distracting sensation she'd been trying to ignore.

He was close, though she couldn't pinpoint where exactly, she knew he had materialized and had chosen a spot to stop. His energy was stronger now, less muted and more intense, and the pendant around her neck reacted accordingly; buzzing and shaking with that pulsing rhythm. In a way it bothered her to think that he was still out there, forcing himself into seclusion once again, and she intended to seek him out, to give him company as she had before.

She saw her chance.

"You guys keep trying," she said, drawing the attention of the two young men again. "I'm just gonna go for a quick walk, take a look around. I'll be back for my share of the firewood." She waved them goodbye as she stepped to the other side of the creek, their halfhearted waves back showed they weren't so sure about her idea but didn't quite know how to refuse someone not on their own team. It was easy enough to take advantage of.

"But…" Yaoki started to protest. "When will you be back?" he called after her.

She was already on the opposing bank, giving her legs a quick stretch after so long atop the current. "Don't know…won't be too long, though!" she said, doing her best to assure them of her confidence in the matter. After all…she wasn't planning on being alone out in these woods.

"But what do we tell your team?" Korobi insisted, fearing the worst from that blonde loudmouth and that brooding companion of theirs.

She merely shrugged, not really caring what explanation they were given. They could go an hour without her, they'd done it before.

She waved them one last goodbye before slipping into the trees, finding no main trail on this side of the creek as there had been on the other. No matter, she had another trail to follow. It was a little easier this time in comparison to seeking him out in the crowded desert city. There were fewer signatures out here, fewer people to distract her, and the pendant around her neck seemed to pull her towards that pulsing epicenter.

But what would she say? What if he hadn't wanted to see her? He had put distance between them quickly enough…hadn't kept any sort of contact with her…hadn't even looked her in the eyes.

She felt her heart drop a little, causing her pace to slow for a few steps. Maybe he had made his intentions clear and she'd simply ignored it. Stopping altogether, she pulled the pendant from her shirt and held it between her fingers. It stirred and shook, the sand within finally active and swirling once again after weeks of sitting dormant. She'd never gotten a good look at it during the daytime, never wanting prying eyes to see her little gift, but now that she had the chance she noticed how beautiful it was. The sunlight piercing the glass and shimmering off the polished grains of sand, the way it swirled about and churned in strangely synchronized patterns…

Sakura tucked it back beneath her shirt and continued on, following the path that pendant laid out before her. Perhaps he had written her off, but if that was the case, she would at least give him the necklace back. No point in keeping it then.

After not even half a mile into the woods, she began to feel the force of the energy she followed get stronger. All around her it grew as it seemed to buzz through the trees and thicken the air. She had expected this, a little while on her own and away from everyone and he would notice she was by herself. Perhaps he'd seek her out, perhaps she'd find him first, either way; she knew it was only a matter of time.

The pressure to the air gave way, a flurry of sand bursting from between the trees, and Gaara quickly materialized before her; his shoulders were tense, as was his face, though he appeared to be trying to hide it. She hadn't expected such a sour face straight away, but it was his energy that truly threw her; there was something off about it, something she was sure she hadn't felt from him before. She hadn't been able to tell before, but now, alone with him and standing so close… Her heart sank a little in her chest, growing cold at the strange look in his eyes…maybe she had been right.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" he questioned, his tone sharper than he'd intended, and he could see how it instantly put her on edge. He couldn't help it, though, he'd been discourteously interrupted by her meanderings about the woods.

There had been a good spot to stop and sit a while, tracking the movements of the team sent to follow him as they advanced, keeping a good distance and effectively avoiding any trails used by the deployed mission groups, both Suna and Konoha trails. They were doing their best not to be spotted, though it was a futile effort in the end. But then he had felt her grow closer and by herself no less. He had hoped that her damn team could keep an eye on her, that teacher of hers included. He'd specifically told Kakashi of the danger to ensure this, though apparently, his warnings had gone unheeded. Not wanting her to be spotted or cornered when out alone, he had abandoned his watch and come to fetch her. Not taking time to calm his agitated nerves beforehand might have been a mistake.

Sakura shrugged, slightly taken aback by his tense disposition. "I was looking for you. You just left and didn't tell anyone where you were going, didn't say a word." She crossed her arms over her chest defensively and looked away. "I got worried." She chewed the inside of her lip in a moment's thought. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself," he insisted, brushing aside her words. She shot him a confused look in response and he couldn't blame her; this was the forest, this was her home, she was better off here than anywhere else in foreign lands. If he knew she could survive the desert without water or protection until help arrived, he definitely knew the forest would be much kinder to her.

"Well," she started, drawing her brow together and looking at the ground. "I figured I wouldn't be alone too long…and I was right," she said, making a point to gesture to her current company; himself. There was a pause between them, neither really knowing what to say, until Sakura broke the silence with a quick snap in his direction. "It's good to see you by the way," she said, the words sounding strange when sneered at him the way they were, but her point had been clear.

He sighed, yet again having to remind himself of the normal pleasantries of others. It had been very clear from the beginning that somewhere over the past few weeks she had taken a step back from the level of such casual comfort she'd attained with him in the desert. The time apart had indeed put another sort of distance between them, and he'd been thoroughly confused by this worrisome nature she was presenting. He'd quickly noted a busyness to her eyes, sudden bursts of deep thumping to her heart, an awkwardness to that first grin she'd given him in greeting… It made a little more sense now; things needed to be reestablished, things needed to be reaffirmed.

Gaara took a step toward her, his shoulders visibly relaxing and doing his best to ease his tone. "I'm sorry. It's good to see you, too, Sakura."

Her eyes focused on him then, a little defensive still, and it was clear she didn't feel the need to soften her tone. "Oh yeah?" she challenged. "Could have fooled me."

He met her challenge with an exasperated sigh. "I don't understand…why are you upset?" he asked, daring to be blunt and see what that got him.

Sakura scoffed, a sort of surpassed choke on her own words. "Why am I upset?" she repeated as if the words themselves were a foreign language. Gaara held back a grimace. As much as he admired her tenacity and sheer guts when it came to him, that tone of hers had the ability to crawl right under his skin. "You haven't said a damn word to me!"

Gaara let out a sharp breath, cracking his knuckles before running a hand through his hair. "Sakura," he began, clearly agitated and confused with handling such frustration from others. "It's only been a few hours –"

"A few hours?" she interrupted, pure disbelief in her voice. "It's been weeks!" This caused him to pause. "Weeks without anything from you, or your sister, or anyone."

"Well, what did you want from me?" he demanded then, growing tired of this back and forth. There were ears all over this forest, who knows if she'd been followed to this point, if she was only making herself a target to use against him by continuing these actions. "What was I supposed to say?"

Sakura huffed, desperate to get a reading on the energy he put forward. She couldn't tell if he was mad or not, it was erratic and buzzing with intensity, but didn't feel malicious as she had felt it before. "Maybe that you quit the scouts and were taking missions? Does this mean Temari didn't qualify for captain? Did she lose her team?"

"What's it to you? What could you have done either way?"

"I could have at least said something!" she retorted, her voice slipping from its control for a moment before falling again to something quieter, something softer. "I thought we were friends."

She was met with an immediate response. "We can be friends."

Sakura paused, taking a breath to steady her voice before looking up at him. She met his eyes with a stern tenacity that wasn't meant as anything threatening, more so…laying ground rules. "Friends talk to each other, Gaara."

"Okay," he agreed. His eyes moved to a distant tree line, to something she had neither heard nor felt, and he cracked his knuckles again.

"So then talk to me," Sakura challenged. "What are you doing here?"

"Enforcing a perimeter," he answered quickly, too quickly…too rehearsed.

She almost laughed at him. "No, you're not." He didn't respond, but with the look he shot her, he didn't have to. She merely pointed in the opposite direction. "That's where the perimeter should be." A stillness descending to her features as she looked at him with new, less amused eyes. "So then…what is it?" Her eyes drifted to the west, to the direction of the river they crossed, to whatever lay beyond those waters.

Gaara cursed himself, the pendant above her chest thumping in time with her heavy heartbeats. He tried his best to sound sincere. "Nothing, just…trying to be helpful."

"No, that's not it," she countered quickly, almost absentmindedly as she continued to study the trees. "I know that's not it."

Perhaps sincere was still too out of character, he would try a more expected approach. "And how would you know?" he retorted, a little snap to his voice again.

This bothered her none, and she turned to him then, a sureness to her eyes as they locked with his. "…You're nervous, Gaara…you don't get nervous."

He grimaced, not at all fond of how her abilities of perception played out for him, and took a step towards her. "Come on," he said, extending a hand to her. "We should go."

Sakura hesitated, the sudden stiffness to his shoulders and the tense way his jaw moved as he spoke made her…uncertain. "Go where?"

Gaara paused as well, eyeing the space still left between them in slight confusion…she hadn't hesitated last time. Something pulled tight in his gut and he did his best to force it down, obligating himself to move for her. The sand amongst the dirt began to stir and whipped up to the air as suddenly as his movements. He pulled her close and, as if suddenly on autopilot, she perched at his side and held tight to his shirt. She turned away from the sand, holding her eyes tight and preparing herself for what was to come.

All at once she was pulled apart by the sand and surrendered to its whims. Sakura clung to what sense of clarity she could, feeling fuzzy and weightless, yet at the same time pulled by some unknown force in the distance. She knew what that force was, she'd felt it last time and remembered it well. She could only try her best not to lose herself to the forces of that creature.

There was physical surface beneath her feet before she even realized she had feet again. It had been too long, she'd grown unused to this trick and between the struggle to regain control of her balance and the buzzing lightness to her senses; she needed a moment to gather herself. Sakura steadied her balance and tried to take a step away from Gaara, only to be quickly held within arm's length.

"Careful," he warned, his firm grip enforcing his words.

Sakura looked down at her feet. She stood on no path, not even dirt at all, but bark. They were up in the trees, a dizzying ways off the ground, and she was quickly shocked back into clear perception. Her fist found his shirt again, quickly drawing herself closer to him and gasping in a breath of shock.

"Oh, god. You could have warned me," she scolded, turning those eyes up to him as she steadied herself on the rounded branch.

Gaara nodded, stepping back and allowing her to stand on her own. She'd gathered herself enough, having solidified her footing to the tree as to not lose her footing. "I'm sorry," he said, the actual sincerity in his voice almost surprising him. "You were more used to it before," he confessed, hoping it would justify his haste.

Sakura nodded, remembering for a moment how it had gotten almost addictive, and the buzz to her senses was a pleasant reminder as to why. "I guess," she said brushing it aside and looking at him with cautious curiosity. "So are you going to tell me?"

He paused, studying her face as if weighing his options, but soon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He needed a haircut, she noted, and briefly wondered exactly who it was that convinced him to get such things when the time came. Such musings were short-lived, however, as his next words were very sobering.

"I was followed from the desert," he confessed, cutting straight to the point. "There's a squad of ANBU trailing us a few miles out, I came out here to track their movements."

Sakura nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "And?"

"Staying out of immediate range, though I don't know for how long." He looked off to the west, to where the slight yet ever-present force of life drew his attention. It stirred the beast within him, doing nothing but feeding its urge for carnage and bloodshed. A battle of worthy adversaries, a chance to send a message and paint the forest red with enemy and allied blood alike. He feared it wouldn't be long before it reared its ugly head.

"Why did they go after your team?" Sakura asked.

"Not my team," he answered, wanting to clarify Korobi and Yaoki's involvement. "Just myself."

"And…" she started, her heart thumping in her chest, her posture hesitant and her voice unsure. "And you know this…because –"

"Because this isn't the first time they've tried to kill me." Her eyes went wide at his bluntness, a short gasp escaping her lips. "And I doubt it will be the last."

"But then," she began, taking a step closer to him as a desperation fell across her face. "Then does that mean the bandits are a hoax? Was this all just –"

"I don't know, I doubt it…I think they just took their first chance to get me out of the country and as secluded as possible." He paused a moment to think, Sakura struggling with words herself. What could she say to this? How was she to react to such candid and casual admission of assassination? Of course, she had known, but she was sure that speaking of it was like a social taboo, not like such blatant facts of life. "Whatever the case," he persisted, the stern and sure force to his voice effectively garnering her full attention. "I need you to stay as far away from any of that as possible. You, your team, everyone."

She thought over his words a moment, her brow pinching together in confusion and worry, the very expression itself almost leaving him speechless. "By yourself?" she muttered as if the words didn't make sense to her. "You plan to face all this on your own?"

"Of course," he answered quickly.

"But, but we're here, all of us, we could help. This is ridiculous, they shouldn't be –"

"Sakura, stop," he interrupted, his tone quickly silencing her. "I can't have you get in the middle of this, I already informed Kakashi and told him to keep you out of it."

She scoffed, an anger bubbling up in her chest at his sheer and brazen stubbornness. "Gaara this isn't right!"

He thought of retaliating, thought of telling her how he'd raided communities and outposts and leveled them in his wake, how he'd terrorized soldiers and claimed lives for twisted amusement, it hadn't all been that voice…some of it had been him. He quickly decided against it, however, those were his sins, his burdens to bear, and perhaps these menacing toils in life were just his punishment. "Maybe not," he said. "But that doesn't change anything."

"What if it was me?" she demanded, her eyes locking stubbornly with his as she stalked up to him, standing close and squaring up with him as best she could. "What if I had ANBU trailing my tail and said no one could do anything?" He said nothing, knowing full well the hypocrisy she was pointing out and refusing to play along. "Tell me you'd stand by and do nothing." He shrugged, averting his eyes and looking to the side. "See!" she insisted, making a blatant show of his reaction. "How can you ask this of me? I can help you, Naruto can help you –"

"You haven't done the things I've done, Sakura," he said, his voice was low and even, almost like he had a tired patience with the subject. She quieted, feeling the weight that pressed on his shoulders in the energy that flowed around her. "But I'll be okay," he reassured, trying again to sound believable. "They haven't gotten me yet."

She gave him a shallow nod but he sure she hadn't actually heard him. Sakura stepped forward again, her eyes were hard on him, something he was sure he'd never truly get used to, and the sudden steadiness to her voice caught him off guard. "I won't do it."

He sighed. "You have to, please." She offered him no response, not even to a plea from him. "Just stay away from them and don't get involved."

"Why?" she spat back in response. "So they can get away with treating you like this? So they can bully us into leaving you for the wolves?"

"No!" he spat back, easily forgetting to control that temper in his voice. "I don't want to kill anyone, Sakura!" This seemed effective in silencing her again. "If you try to get involved, if they hurt you or…well, I just might kill them."

She wanted to fight back, to say no and cement herself to his side so he wouldn't have to face such a threat alone…again…but she couldn't. She knew she couldn't. He was right, after all, she would only get in the way, she would only serve as a distraction and a means of manipulation against him. These were not her people, they were not her affairs to deal in, and as much as she cared, as much as she worried, she couldn't save him from this. There was a darkness brewing that was coming for him, and she had to trust him.

"Just," he sighed before taking a sharp breath. It was always something to watch him struggle for words. "Just keep it on you. Okay?"

"The necklace?" she asked, pulling the thin chain and pendant from below her shirt.

Gaara nodded, observing the way she held the sphere with such tender care between her fingers. Something shifted on her face then, like a slow realization to the true implications of what he was asking of her. "Just in case."

"Gaara," she said, her hand dropping the pendant to dangle around her neck, gripping his shirt and pulling herself closer, a worrisome sternness glowing in her eyes as she looked up to him. He went stiff, his throat tightening and his heart thumping loudly in his ears. "Promise me you'll be all right."

He almost wanted to laugh, as if her concern were only a joke, but the sincerity in her eyes spoke volumes otherwise. He tried his best to relax, apparently he needed to adjust to her proximity more than he'd initially thought, and he took her hand from his shirt. He was unhappy with the unease and worry it demonstrated, favoring when she had more confidence in his abilities when he stood alone against his foes. "You know I'll be fine," he insisted.

She responded without hesitation, matching his insistence with her own. "Promise me," she demanded again, solidifying her firm position on the matter.

He paused a moment, suddenly overcome with the desire to not return her to her team as he had all those weeks ago. This is what he had missed; the comfort, the ease, the wonder he felt over her chosen proximity, the way she worried for him… He nodded, relenting to her wishes. "I promise."

Apparently, he'd gotten something about sincerity right because she seemed more comforted by this. She sighed with a weak smile, still worried and clearly distracted by the news, but clearly relieved. She knew he'd survived worse before, she knew he had the power to take on just about anything, but that didn't keep her blood from running cold and her heart racing sharply in her chest. The thought of being able to do nothing was a chilling thought, but this was Gaara's business and she'd trust him as he had trusted her with the tensions of her team in the desert.

Unable to help it any longer, she stepped up to him and threw her arms around his neck, pulling herself against him in an embrace. He went positively stiff, either thoroughly confused or completely surprised, she didn't know. Either way, she scoffed at him. "You're so dense," she said, poking fun at his socially inept ways, and as if to prove her wrong he eased the tension in his shoulders and placed an arm around her waist in return. She bit her lip to keep from snickering, he was just…so awkward sometimes. "I missed you, you know?" she said, pulling away from him.

Gaara nodded, she had told him that she would even before she left the desert, of course, he knew. She remained silent, an eager sort of patience in her eyes…perhaps hopeful was a better term.

His silence wasn't what she'd been waiting for, apparently, as she visibly swallowed before continuing. "Did you…you know…" she finished with an odd little gesture to herself, the insinuation clear.

"Yes," he answered quickly, bemused by the way she chose to embarrass herself just to hear the obvious. "Of course I missed you."

"Good," she said, a grin crossing her lips as she did.

It was that crooked sort of grin that touched her eyes, the one that had first baffled him, but now – for a moment – it breathed some new life into him. Yes, there was danger on the horizon, but there was familiarity and safety before him once again. They could come for him if they wished, he would be merciful and sparing, though he couldn't promise the same if harm found its way to her. Just as last time, he assumed, there would be blood to pay for such actions.

"Can I stay with you a while before I go back?" she asked, peering those vibrant green eyes over to him once again.

He nodded, her words reminiscent of when she'd kept his company in the desert, and he eagerly invited more opportunities for moments of such quiet content. "Sure," he agreed, quietly amused at the way she sat against the trunk of the giant oak, appointing him the place beside her. He took it without question and without hesitation. "Whatever you want."

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