It has been some time since I updated, I know; there was just so much going on for me. I greatly overestimated my ability to have a new chapter done before the start of 2020, and then again underestimated how fast things would pick up for me once it started. I can say I've really missed writing this story though.

Gaara's trial for his freedom starts this chapter, and quite a few liberties were taken, since this is fantasy and all. So no, don't expect anything following real trial proceedings to a letter. Some of it is inspired by real justice systems, other parts not so much.

The courtroom filled up quickly as jurors, witnesses, the royal family and everyone else in between filed in. A courtroom artist with dimly glowing neon hair perched in a corner with a canvas and four arms at the ready, each holding paint-laden brushes of different sides. For obvious reasons, reporters were kept out, all of them instead posting outside the courthouse.

There were no cameras to televise the proceedings either, but only because the one on trial wasn't of legal age. Shira had told him that the Wind Kingdom would most likely try get that overturned in light of circumstances, but that he doubted they'd be successful.

Sakura waited with bated breath, eyes zeroed in on Gaara where he sat with his attorney in the defense box.

Any second the judge would begin the trial and her heart felt like a war drum in her chest. Not to mention she had the most insufferable, inconvenient itch of her life, square in the middle of her back! As she tried to subtly ease her hand back to reach it, her gaze found a smug, dark pair of eyes set in a handsome face. Barely holding in an angry gasp, Sakura glared over at Uchiha Madara. She couldn't decide which she found more disgusting: his pressed designer suit or the expression of confidence.

'It figures he'd show up here…is it to testify against Gaara? Or just to try and throw me off? Ugh!'

"All rise for the honorable Judge Mimura." Sakura's head snapped forward as a rather unassuming man of average height with neat facial hair entered the courtroom, dark robes billowing past his knees. Standing along with the rest of the room, the fae discreetly kept eyes on Madara until the bailiff instructed everyone to be seated.

"This is docket number 49530: Sabaku no Gaara vs the Wind Kingdom. Sabaku no Gaara stands accused of murdering King Rasa. How do you plead?" Sakura felt her fingers clench the wooden bench underneath her so hard that her bicep tensed. A soft touch provoked a subdued jump, only to find Kushina's steadfast gaze as she reached around Naruto to tap her shoulder.

Slowly, she nodded to the woman in gratitude, her lip finding its way between her teeth as Shira spoke. "Not guilty, Your Honor."

"Very well." Judge Mimura leaned over his bench. "At this time the prosecution may come forward to make its opening statement."

A few whispers rose as the gate to the prosecution's section swung open with a creak of hinges. Sakura watched a slender woman saunter out, dressed smartly yet fashionably in red pumps, a matching pencil skirt and a black blazer.

They made eye contact when the prosecutor turned, Sakura taking in the woman's face and committing it to memory. The twinkle in her deep blue eyes was accentuated by golden eye shadow and expertly applied mascara. The smirk on her full, pink-painted lips was bordering cocky and when she lifted her chin Sakura saw the beauty mark on the left side of her mouth. A conventionally beautiful woman who knew exactly how she presented herself.

When she turned back to the front of the courtroom, her long maroon hair fluttered, as if she were dismissing the pinkette. She reached up a clawed, manicured hand to push it behind one of her ears, her soft gray wings tucked up against her spine.

Sakura instantly decided that even if she'd met this woman on the street, the feeling of dislike stirring in her chest would still be present. It could be unfair, considering she was only doing what she was hired to do. But Sakura had very rarely met a harpy who wasn't full of herself.

One of her old school bullies had been one, and she loved digging her long nails into Sakura's thin shoulders and then flying her up to dangle her until she was on the verge of tears.

This wasn't the same blue-haired, popular girl from her class, but Sakura sensed the same spirit. The same type of bully.

Pivoting gracefully, she cleared her throat as her sapphire eyes glided over everyone gathered. "Hello ladies, gentleman and others of the courtroom. My name is Terashima Fuka." She greeted, cocking one hip. "Today we're brought here for one reason and one reason only—that is to decide if one Prince Sabaku no Gaara deserves to go free in the face of the serious charges brought against him. Not long ago on an evening in April, Sabaku no Rasa, ruler of the Wind Kingdom, was found brutally murdered." She strutted around, periodically shooting looks to Gaara and his attorney. "At the time the kingdom was rightfully filled with shock and grief, and focus shifted to who could have perpetrated a crime so bold and grievous…well, I intend to prove that the person who could commit the crime is exactly the person on trial here today."

Fuka glared over at Gaara, and an unexpected pull of anger thrummed up through the Evoker. Not from Gaara, whose feelings were locked down tight as ever. And not from Sai, who watched the proceedings blankly. But from Naruto, who leaned forward in his seat with a small snarl of contempt. Sakura could completely understand the sentiment. Fuka gave her the same feelings.

Still, it wouldn't be good if anyone were to look over and see hostile reactions when the trial had barely started. Placing one hand gingerly over the bloodstone, Sakura did her best to send a wave of reassurance to her Summon, though she was no less on edge. From the corner of her eye she watched as Naruto twitched, head swinging in her direction with curiosity etched into his features.

When their gazes connected, Sakura granted him a small smile, and he returned it with a subdued but grateful one, settling back on the bench again.

"Thank you, Ms. Terashima." Judge Mimura said. "At this time we'll hear opening statements from the defense team."

Fuka walked back to her seat as Shira got up, the two attorneys sharp contrasts to each other in everything from appearance to attitudes. Standing tall, the gray-haired man was more in his element than the last time she'd seen him. Stone-faced, he addressed the court in a steady tone, "My client has lived in fear for his life for weeks over the decision to convict him of a serious crime without proper due process. Who here among us would willingly lay down and die when there was a chance that we could live to prove our innocence? Yes, the fact stands that King Rasa was murdered, but I ask that the court hears all evidence before coming to any final conclusions. At the very least, let's not throw two lives away without due process."

Sakura took the chance to peek around the room, finding that everyone's eyes were glued to Shira. The prosecutor's face was twisted in exasperation, probably thinking Shira's levelheaded remarks had done a better job countering her passionate opening statement than she would've liked. Sakura allowed herself a small smirk.

"Thank you, counselor." The judge shifted in his seat. "That'll conclude the opening statements, so at this time we can move on to the meat of the trial."

Her heart galloped quicker, knowing that the uphill climb to prove Gaara's innocence had only begun. She still didn't know what Madara was doing here, and who knew how many other shady individuals were lurking.

As Shira walked by the benches, they met eyes, and he nodded subtly. 'He's so calm and focused. I have to do what I can to follow his lead. It's for Gaara's sake.' Fist clenched in her lap, the pink-haired girl focused on relaxing her posture as the judge told the prosecution to come back up.

Fuka was all too eager to return, the smugness still oozing out of her even as she kept her expression neutral. "At this time I'd like to call my first witness to the stand: Elder Eiji of the Suna Grand Council." There was a distinct scrape as a man dressed surprisingly in layered, flowing robes that dragged the ground and leaning into a cane made his way to the witness stand. His face was turned at an angle that was hard for Sakura to see clearly, but she could tell he was at the least middle-aged and his dark hair appeared faded. Once he had seated himself and faced the audience of the courtroom, the bailiff swore him in. Fuka clacked over in her heels, hands behind her back and nearly tipping forward.

"Elder Eiji would you please tell the court what it is you do." she cooed.

Naruto quietly scoffed at the syrupy tone.

"Why yes," Eiji nodded, his face stern. "I have the position of Elder because I've been on the council through several generations of Sunan royalty. My job is to help consider matters of the kingdom in conjunction with the crown."

Fuka hummed thoughtfully, her voice echoing in the courtroom as she continued her line of questioning. "So you knew the king very well?"

"Yes, ever since he was just a princeling himself."

Fuka's wings twitched as she folded her arms. "And what would you say about his relationship with his children?"

"He was firm." The man remarked. Sakura wondered if 'firm' was a soft descriptor, as it could often be said about her own mother. "Couldn't ever accuse him of being too doting. He had high expectations about how his children should present themselves, as successors to the crown."

"Would you say any of them resented the fact? Any particularly…rebellious phases?" Her eyes drifted to Gaara, who sat in a pressed suit with his eyes straight ahead, following along.

Elder Eiji's eyes shifted to the redhead as well, and then he raised a fist to his lips and cleared his throat. "The young Prince Gaara has been troubled for some time. King Rasa often had castle staff trailing his every move, in case there was need for damage control. But I'm sure it wasn't much of a secret. As for how that effected their relationship? Well it was strained. There was a tension there whenever they met eyes."

"So there was already a contentious relationship. And when you heard the screams of the late royal physician, you went to investigate. Would you tell the court what you discovered?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes. She had known it was coming, the minute the prosecution started presenting its "damning evidence" against Gaara and she'd be forced to listen silently.

The problem with being linked through the bond only between a Summon and a Summoner was that she felt it. He tried not to broadcast; the channel connecting their souls was mostly quiet and had been since it formed. But every now and then something slipped through. A sliver of what he was damming off. And she knew. He felt. He wasn't a dangerous, homicidal monster, rampaging without a conscience. There was a tick in the connection, a figurative sense of Gaara flinching. But outwardly he didn't so much as blink when Elder Eiji stared him down.

"I saw him slipping off quickly, while Yashamaru was tending to the king. But it was too late. His Majesty was gone."

Fuka spun to fully look at the court, no longer fighting to subdue her proud expression. "No further questions, thank you."

The same slow scrape came from the cane meeting tiles when Eiji made his way back to his seat. "At this time I'd like to call my next witness to the stand." She flung her arm to the side, curling her finger in a beckoning motion. Sakura happened to see Naruto rolling his eyes at the exact same time she did. The woman had a flair for the dramatic, in the most obnoxious way. "Kusakabe Matsuri."

An audible, shuddering breath came from a girl her age with honey brown hair who stood abruptly. She swayed, a concerned hand from the man beside her landing on her shoulder. Nodding stiffly, she scrambled her way out of the bench, one hand maintaining a tight grip on her skirt. A prickle of surprise tugged the link, and Sakura peeked over at Gaara to see his jaw clenched and his face drawn. He clearly knew her, but what was the connection? There was a sinking feeling she was about to find out, and the way Fuka was playing this whole thing, Sakura didn't imagine it being pretty.

The girl quietly allowed herself to be sworn in and took the stand, all but glaring tearfully at the prosecutor's prim façade. "Ms. Kusakabe, thank you for joining us today. I'd like to start off by saying I know this couldn't be easy for you, given your connection to the accused." Sakura felt something tighten inside, and she couldn't tell if it was from her most recent Summon or her own apprehension sawing through her. "For the sake of everyone in the court, please tell us your relationship to Prince Gaara."

Kusakabe Matsuri blinked rapidly, frowning at the wood of the witness stand and then sucking in a breath. "We're childhood friends and…I was his fiancé for a time."

"Ah, and this was arranged, correct?"

"Yes." The question seemed to ignite some hidden fuse inside, because Sakura could see fire in Matsuri's eyes suddenly, her whole body language shifting into something more confident.

"But it was called off, eventually. In your words, why was that?"

Gritting her teeth, Matsuri leaned into the microphone. "King Rasa didn't feel like it was wise to proceed. So he cancelled the betrothal."

"Would you say it was because the king thought of you as unfit to be queen, or because he discovered his son was far too unstable to take the throne?"

A stiff silence blanketed the room, no one daring to so much as cough. Matsuri sat blank-faced on the stand, finally glowering openly at the lawyer. "I wouldn't be able to say. The king never disclosed to me why he wanted the marriage called off."

"Yes, that's fair." Fuka decided, actually twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "Did you remain close to the prince, even afterwards?"

Matsuri cast a fleeting glance Gaara's way, her eyes full of something Sakura couldn't quite place, as though she were desperate for the message to reach the redhead on trial. "Yes, we did. Right up until his um, his 'death'."

Fuka began to walk back and forth again, her wings catching the bright light distractingly. Maybe it was petty of her, especially considering the amount of time she'd taken growing out and grooming her hair in middle school, but Sakura couldn't help but feel like there was a whole primping routine behind those wings.

To shine that immaculately there had to be something she was doing to them, or maybe it was an artificial sheen created by a wing-mist product. In the end she concluded grudgingly she was desperate for an imperfection to focus on, to match the feeling of growing disdain she had for the prosecuting attorney.

"So one could argue that you'd be as much a part of Prince Gaara's inner circle as his personal staff and family." The prosecutor declared in a way that suggested she'd already drawn the conclusion. "What was he like leading up to the incident? Did you observe a strained relationship between he and his father?"

Matsuri frowned, "Gaara's father, the king, was always hardest on him I'd think. He had big expectations because Gaara was the only one to inherit sand manipulation. If it was strained, then it wasn't simply because Gaara wanted it to be…"

"Ah, and do you love him, Ms. Kusakabe?"

In an instant, everyone in attendance seemed to be leaning forward, Matsuri's whole countenance paling as her widened eyes whipped to study Fuka incredulously. "I…Wha—"

"Objection, Your Honor." Shira's quiet but steady voice drawled, "This isn't at all relevant to the witness's testimony."

"Sustained." Judge Mimura agreed. "Please try to keep this from becoming a session of idle gossip, Ms. Terashima."

Sighing as if she were bored, Fuka looked toward the judge's bench. "No further questions at this time, Your Honor."

Sakura could plainly see the relief on Matsuri's face, and she couldn't blame her.

"What do you think the deal is there?" Naruto whispered, nearly causing her to jump. She refrained from scolding the kitsune, noting that Matsuri was indeed looking at Gaara fretfully.

"Not sure…" she answered truthfully. But the fact that there was history and Matsuri was reluctant to be testifying was clear.

"At this time the defense would like to cross-examine the witness."

"Proceed."

Wringing her hands, Matsuri, whose face was still an interesting shade of red, watching Shira approaching her warily. Her lips were still thinned, as if the mere thought of anything mildly incriminating slipping from her mouth was too great a risk.

The next period of questioning that followed was almost a blur to Sakura, and she found herself half listening and half zoning out, try as she might to stay engaged. Every now and then information would slip into her addled brain, answers from Matsuri about the kind of child Gaara had been. The kindness he was capable of with those he trusted, such as Matsuri herself, as well as his siblings.

The way the relationship had grown tumultuous as he grew older and his father pushed him further in his training with his sand. The routine he tended to stick to in the evenings, which Shira clarified would have put him far from the king's location at his time of death, not closer. Although she had began testimony as Fuka's witness, Shira seemed to be more careful with her, his method thorough but not heavy-handed. Little by little Matsuri's posture relaxed, and some of her color returned.

In the span of what felt like fifteen minutes but was likely closer to an hour and a half, the judge had declared there would be a recess before the witness testimonials continued.

Gaara was of course escorted off by guards, back to some holding cell no doubt. They briefly connected eyes, but there was no discernable expression to pick up on before he was out of her line of sight. Kankuro and Temari were allowed to exit next, heavily protected by their many bodyguards. They spared her nods and tight smiles that spoke of their stress as they passed.

A hint of expensive cologne and a flash of long, black hair caught her attention, and Sakura wanted to bare her non-existent fangs at the unwanted presence of Uchiha Madara. He merely smirked as he walked by, as if he knew something she didn't. 'That guy…he's up to something. There's no way he's here as a passive observer. What'd be the point? He's already made it clear what he's willing to do to get me working for the RCMM.'

The gradual spill out of the courtroom was slow, and Sakura decided she would simply wait until there was less blockage by the doors. Naruto and Sai picked up on her intentions and stayed by her side, though it was pretty clear the kitsune was raring to get out and stretch his legs.

In the time she'd known Naruto and become acquainted with his energy, nothing about him suggested sitting for extended periods of time was easy for him. Kushina flashed her a small grin (in comparison to the stern 'you behave!' expression she gave her son) as she and Minato joined the crowd and slipped out too.

Tsunade moved closer without leaving the benches. "Your parents should be here by now. I know you're not up to it, believe me, but it's better not to prolong the inevitable."

Despite knowing how right her godmother was, Sakura still tried to convey her desperation to do just about anything but that. Her mother's ranting and raging and her father's very weak attempts at pacification weren't what her nerves needed now. Or at any point in the ordeal…

Her stomach churned, all thoughts of finding a vending machine and getting a refreshing drink vanishing.

Fishing into her purse, she gathered what she felt was a reasonable amount of money, thrusting it at Naruto. "Here. Find some snack machines. Stick with Sai, though."

The blonde looked ready to protest, shooting a sharp glare over his shoulder at the oblivious brunette. "Naruto, don't start!" she warned. He cringed, and if his fox ears were out, they'd be folded down for certain.

"Fine, I get it. Just meet up with us soon." He spun around and seized Sai by the collar of his white button-up. "Let's get this over with."

To say Naruto was frustrated to be once again stuck with the awkward werecat was an understatement. The guy was just…so…emotionally stunted. And any attempts at conversation he could make with him usually ended up with something outrageously insulting leaving the shapeshifter's mouth. Sakura probably wouldn't like it if Sai was missing some teeth when they met up with her, so he didn't try to initiate any conversations with the other Summon.

All types of well-dressed people milled through the halls of the courthouse, many of them blank-faced while some had light conversations. Naruto shouldered by most of them, occasionally looking back over his shoulder to make sure the guy he was practically babysitting hadn't wondered off. 'Yeah right, I'd never get that lucky.' Sai was right at his heels, as stoic as anyone else they passed.

Although he wouldn't say it aloud for a month's supply of ramen, the dark-haired boy actually cleaned up nice in formal attire. Sakura had been sure his hair was brushed to a shine, and rushed to find clothes that fit him perfectly. Nothing like his normal tight crop-tops.

Sai's dark eyes shifted, locking with his own gaze. "If you keep staring at me so openly, Naruto-kun, I'm going to have no choice but to smack you."

"As if!" Flustered, Naruto made sure to keep focused on where he was going again, letting his sense of smell expand. Past the myriad of colognes, the scent of crisp paper and an odd undercurrent of basilisk leather, a tantalizing new fragrance wafted into his nose. "You smell that, right?"

Sai stopped walking, nearly bumping into his back as he tilted his head back and took a few experimental sniffs of his own. "It's food."

"Hell yeah it is!" Naruto could feel his excitement growing. His mom had told him he didn't have time to fill up on a huge breakfast that morning, so he'd made due with the oat cakes and cereal she'd given him.

Needless to say now enough time had passed for that to have burned away and he was starving. When a pair of women pushed their way through the doors of the courthouse cafeteria he may or may not have nearly bowled them over trying to enter.

He couldn't even be bothered to see if Sai was keeping up, not with his stomach calling the shots. Saliva coated his tongue as his eyes drifted to the vending machines, then to the various hot food on steam tables. 'It all looks so good? Where should I even start?' The fox was ready to go see what the first area was offering, when a wholly unpleasant scent hit him full on, and the hairs along his neck rose. His fangs felt too big for his mouth suddenly, the way they always did when he wanted to bare them. "You!" he snarled, surprised when it was Sai that grabbed him tight by the shoulder as Uchiha Madara walked by.

He stopped and slowly regarded them as if he hadn't even noticed them there at all (something Naruto knew to be unlikely because the man was definitely some kind of supernatural, too). A sharp, dangerous smirk pulled at his mouth.

"What a great coincidence." he mused, taking a casual sip from the can of coffee he was holding. "Off the leashes today?"

"Leashing is unnecessary and not part of our normal routine." Sai said.

Naruto shrugged the hand from his shoulder as soon as it slacked, staring the daunting figure down, making his distrust plainly known. "You here to try and throw us back into cells? Forget it."

"Not everything revolves around you, Uzumaki Naruto. It was your talented Summoner, Ms. Haruno, who I wanted to speak to at the time anyway." Madara explained flippantly, tucking his free hand into his trouser pocket. "I'm here on other business."

"Stay away from Sakura-chan." It wasn't the place, he tried to remind himself, feeling his claws elongate from his fingernails. The one thing he couldn't afford to do was get into trouble. Any other time he'd happily go toe to toe with this guy, no matter what the odds were.

Several people in line to pay for food stared, and a security guard gave them all a scrutinizing look. But Madara was quick to put on a charming half-smile and wave them off, and as if under a spell they looked away.

Naruto blinked, not believing they'd easily back down with that small act of pacification.

An amused huff and a few steps was all it took for Madara to be so close their noses nearly touched. He leaned down into the kitsune's face. "You have no idea what happens to people bold enough to defy me, do you Naruto? But how could you—you're just some insolent kit." An involuntary shudder made itself known, instincts screaming at him that he was in the presence of a superior predator.

Not even Sai, a jungle cat, or Gaara, a powerful tanuki, made the same sort of warning ring through his bones.

As he tried to take a deeper breath of air, Sai surprisingly shouldered between the two, staring Madara down almost in boredom. Naruto bit back a gasp, his cornflower blue eyes wide. "You're—"

"And now you? You're even less remarkable than he is." Madara remarked, taking a half-step back to give them both another once over. "Just a dulled blade in clumsy hands. I don't think you want to cross me either 5,086."

Sai visibly flinched, his eyes glossing over. Naruto didn't understand what the hell was happening, but he knew letting Madara get in either of their heads wasn't good. "Snap out of it," he commanded, thumping the jaguar on the back of the head. Moving Sai away by the arm, he glared fully at their enemy. "He's Sai, asshole, not some barcode. And a fancy court can't keep me from kicking your ass forever."

He could feel the eyes drilling into their backs as he all but dragged the shaken Sai away. But Madara didn't say anything else or move to follow them. His appetite had dissolved just like that, but if Sakura found out they hadn't had anything, she'd probably be upset.

Spotting the vending machines, he dragged the werecat over, determined they'd gorge on sugary snacks.

The pleasantries came first. The hugs, the questions about if she was doing alright. Her parents were calm and supportive when the situation arose, but who knew how long that would last. The minute Mebuki asked Tsunade if the Haruno family could be alone to talk, Sakura knew what to expect. The flash of concern on her mother's face evaporated as the pinkette found herself pulled into a deserted hall near a stairwell.

"Sakura, what is all this about? We're getting calls about you being apprehended by the RCMM?" Her father began, his mustache twitching as he frowned. He started to reach for one end, a habit when he was feeling fidgety, but his wife's hand on his arm stopped him.

Unable to come up with anything remotely convincing to defend herself, she bowed her head. "If that's not an admission then I don't know what is." Mebuki said, curt. When had this person, forever more concerned with the Haruno legacy than her daughter's feelings, become her mother? "We gave you extra time to handle whatever affairs you had before we brought you home, and this is how you spend it? Getting in one mess after another."

"It's not my fault! I didn't ask for Summoning magic," Sakura protested. "Growing up, you barely wanted me using my earth magic without supervision."

"With good reason!" Mebuki's voice lifted along with one of her arm. "Don't you remember that last time back home, when you nearly lost yourself?" Sakura did remember. One of the greatest shames of her childhood.

On a roll, her mother refused to let up, "We're standing in a courtroom in a foreign country, Sakura! And the man magic has tied to you as your Summon is on trial for killing the king!" The sound of her voice only amplified in the empty space, and it took the blonde fae a moment to compose herself. When she had smoothed down her blouse she looked expectantly toward her husband. "Tell her, Kizashi."

Her father's turn to try and talk sense into her, with his good cop routine. He came closer and gently placed his hands on her shoulders, peering into her eyes. "Sakura, you have to understand. Geothermal manipulation is on the dangerous side of earth magic, and while you can't control what and who you were born to be, we just want you safe. Be honest with me, have you used it at all lately?"

Sakura worried her lip, wondering what repercussions she was going to have to face before it was all over. If the RCMM didn't get her, there was always the possibility that her overbearing parents would send her off to a stuffy bordering school somewhere.

There, a no-nonsense headmistress and judgmental classmates, along with a flow of uppity instructors and maybe a private tutor, would watch her flail to navigate the remainder of her teen years. With several types of rare magic flowing through her veins and her family's precious legacy on her shoulders.

"I've only really used it once to the extent that I did that day." She admitted quietly. "The day I formed a Summoning bond with Gaara."

An impregnable silence descended on the family of three. To make matters worse, the damn itch below her shoulders was back with a vengeance, but it seemed like the worst time to start vigorously scratching.

Sakura was sure the next words out of their mouths would be "Pack your bags. You're going to boarding school."

Instead, Mebuki's voice was eerily calm as she asked a single question. "And?"

"…And?" she repeated.

"What were the results of the, uh, attempt. I'm assuming Tsunade wasn;t there." Kizashi added.

"I was able to counter his sand and calm him down. He was in a really broken state and—"

"Then you're actually learning?" Mebuki interrupted, eyeing her shrewdly as if she could sense a lie.

While she hadn't called upon her magic in so long, Sakura was sure that with Tsunade's training she'd learned better overall control. That had to extend to control of innate magical power too. "I think so. Yes." she replied, more confident.

Her parents shared a look, not looking particularly swayed either way. "We should let this trial pass…you're prepared for the fact that you're bound to be called as a witness?" Her mother raised a fine brow.

Sakura quickly nodded. "Shira, the defense attorney, told me. I'm ready."

"You say that, but you're just a child, Sakura. This is the trial of the century."

Sakura tried to fight down a scowl. "The last time we talked you said I needed to grow up. This is me trying to do that. I made a promise. I bound myself to Gaara even knowing this would happen. I can't…I mean I won't turn my back on him now."

Mebuki didn't look too pleased, but she didn't look entirely unimpressed either. "The look in your eyes when you get like this. I've always disliked it, but I can't deny that the older you get, the more I see myself."

Sakura supposed that was as close to her mother complimenting her integrity as she was going to get.

"Thank you for coming," she told them, starting to turn around, "But the break's going to be over soon. I need to meet up with Naruto and Sai and then get ready to head back in."

Her shoes tapped loudly on the polished floor, before a second set of footsteps rushed to follow. "Sakura-chan, wait,"

Sighing, she saw her dad had given into the temptation to play with his facial hair, his eyes thoughtful. "These boys, Naruto and Sai? Maybe we should meet them. We weren't able to the last time."

Rolling her eyes lightly, she shook her head. "I've been living with them all this time and it's only now you feel the need to be protective?"

Flushing, Kizashi began to sputter. "Er, well, at the time everything was happening so quickly and—when you say you've been living with them, just how closely?"

"Dad," she groaned, well and truly done with the conversation.

"Your father has a point." And now her mother was getting in on it. "Lead us to these boys. I'd like to see them for myself."

It was as Tsunade had said, fighting the inevitable was futile when it came to her parents. She just hoped Sai and Naruto weren't having an off day… Her mother sometimes seemed more like an apex predator scenting for signs of fear than a respectable member of Fae Society.

This took a bit of time to crank out and get satisfactory in my eyes, but it's finally done and I can let it go. Next update continues the trial and things will kind of ramp up a bit.

Until next time~

Don't forget to drop some comments/reviews.