Rising from the Red Sand

Chapter 7

"Salted plums."

She didn't know what to say to him. Sasori waited for her, annoyed. She muttered out a whispered, "What…?"

Sakura looked around, as if lost, before her head turned to stare at the clock on the bed stand. It was barely 4AM. She turned her head slowly, almost comically, to give him a stare as if debating whether she should ignore him, strangle him, or both.

"I want salted plums," he repeated to her. He can practically hear her thoughts, Brat…

"Sasori," she paused with a shaky sigh, a hand rested on her forehead. "You woke me up because you got cravings at four in the morning?"

No. He wanted to catch her off guard because of what he put her through. He understood completely what that sleeping jutsu had done since the moment he realized she was the one that had intervene into his dreams like a ghost.

She molded into his childhood memories, changing his loneliness to one with such a demanding care of her presence. She gave him a gift that he didn't know he had waited so long for; a warmth of her arms, telling him he's not alone, and it was enough. Sasori's lazy eyes wouldn't leave her, seeing the stress across her soft features.

He had burdened her enough. He swore to himself to never give her anymore nightmares.

Sasori inched closer and took her hand away from her face. "Salted plums," he repeated for the third time, his face blank at her disbelief. "It's your fault I want them now."

It looked like she was planning on throwing him out the window and into the stars.

"Nobody in their right mind would be selling any salted plums at this hour," she grumbled and climbed out of bed. "I'll go see if there's anything I can make for you. Are you actually hungry?"

"No."

She paused mid-step and gritted her teeth. "Sasori…"

It was too easy to get a reaction out of her. She blinked at him twice when she noticed a small smile on his lips and she laughed. Sakura reached over slowly so he's aware of her gesture, and he allowed it, feeling the warmth of her hand on his head.

"I promise you, we'll go get some soon, okay?" she said to him gently. Sasori inwardly sighed to himself, facing towards the bed with slight hesitation. "Are your nightmares getting worse, Sasori?"

He nearly chuckled at her. "I'm not the one who screams in her sleep," he retorted, earning a blush from the woman.

"Are you worried for me?" She got him back and he frowned at her. "I'm sorry, it usually doesn't happen. The screaming, I mean." Then she paused as if realizing something and her eyes widen. "Did I woke you up? Is that why-"

"No," he said sharply, stopping her, ending their talk of nightmares and dreams as he crawled back into bed. Which is why it was surprising when Sakura ignored him and continued, his eyes slightly widened underneath his red hair to what she said next.

"These nightmares you think I'm having, it gave me closure."

The way her green orbs were looking at him, he wasn't sure if she was looking at him as Sasori himself or the child under her care. It's almost as if she's challenging him to say something about it, to give himself away. Sakura is way too smart for her own good and he refused to give in. He getting too soft.

He felt them near before she stood up, her eyes immediately turned to the door. Those pesky ANBUs that's been stalking them like scattered hungry ants are outside. They both heard the knocking and he followed her to the door.

"So we're finally knocking now, are we?" Sakura grumbled when she exposed her apartment to the waiting men.

"Hello there," Sai was the first to speak before his captain almost too cheerfully, if not fake, earning a wearily look from the Uchiha. "Early morning, isn't it?"

"A little too early," Sakura agreed with him. "Do you guys know what time it is?"

Sai opened his eyes and gave her a curious look. "I'm sorry, but is that bad?"

Something is just wrong with that porcelain man, Sasori noted.

"Yes Sai, it's just rude," she said with a smile, shaking her head.

"Sakura," the Uchiha stepped forward and was about to explain the reason for the unannounced visit at such ungodly hours if Sasori didn't interrupted him. He simply made his presence known and stood in front of the kunoichi, fixing the three men an impatient stare.

He got their attention immediately.

Naruto's smug look on his face bugged him the most. "Guess what you little-"

Sasori slammed the door on their annoying faces.

They both heard the raging blonde spluttering in disbelief before banging on the door louder than intended while Sakura fell on her knees noisily behind him and laughed.

They already knew why the ANBUs are here and they didn't like it.

Sasori's visit is coming to an end.

The noise that shouldn't be coming from her best elite team of ANBUs were heard as they made their way up to her office. She can hear the Uchiha's steps were close to stomping if that's even possible for such a brooding man, Sai's muffled smartass remark earned him a kick down the stairs, and Naruto's temper caused him to create his own grave into the floor.

Is that a chuckle she heard coming from the brat?

Her apprentice had been known to have no tolerance for idiots ever since she learned how to break people's face with a single calculated punch. Tsunade refused to believe she had influences her with that temper.

The victims are mostly on Sai and Naruto. Sasuke just gets annoyed easily.

She saw Gaara giving her a silent expression as Tsunade groaned. "It's your fault."

No one would believe her if she told a tale that the Kazekage is capable in looking slightly innocent in that death stare of his. "It is very early in the morning," Gaara said, not looking apologetic about it.

"I understand you are anxious to meet the brat in our care and believe me, besides Sakura, the other three are more than happy to follow that request."

Naruto was the first to march out of the door to retrieve the little ass once Gaara arrived, the two dark-haired men followed without any complaint. She didn't think it would be a three man's job to escort a kunoichi and a brat but from the shouting and the damage of her hallways proved otherwise.

They most likely had woken up the entire neighborhood coming here.

Tsunade would prefer to continue with her beauty sleep until she remembers the Kazekage had been deprived from such luxury since birth who was probably more than happy to wait.

Do they not understand that the Chunnin exam would be a busy day for everyone? Mainly for her? She's going to look like death himself and would probably scare off any potential genins before it starts in the next…

She glanced at the clock against the wall and inwardly groaned. Five more hours...damn bastards.

The door slammed open, Sasuke entering first with an annoyed twitch in his cheek with Sakura in tow, Sasori glued by her side. Tsunade waited impatiently as Naruto and Sai entered after, rubbing their swollen faces.

She certainly did noticed the way Gaara and Sasori had given each other a quick glance before the boy ignored them both. Gaara's eyes were unwavering, though there's a slight disturbances in them.

The Kazekage knew something she doesn't and she's not pleased being left in the dark.

"Good morning, Sasori," Tsunade chimed in brightly and she nearly snarled under her breath when noticing Gaara looking a little surprised at the name. "I do hope your stay here in Konoha has been pleasant for you."

The brat is still ignoring her and she wanted nothing more than to make him fly with a flick of her finger.

"Aren't you happy though? You're going back to the Land of the Wind." She gestured the Kazekage next to her. "This nice looking man is going to find you a home."

Nice looking man indeed. Gaara has this air about him that rubs people the wrong way. Like he can kill you, kind of way.

Sasori finally acknowledge her and he looked annoyed. She also noticed a still silences from Sakura as well. Her face is masked like the three men next to her but Tsunade caught it, a rare distant glint in those emerald orbs. Sakura only smiled when Sasori turned to look at her.

Which is why it was surprising when the brat slowly left her side and stood by the Kazekage.

No one knew what to make of it so she dismissed her four ANBUs immediately. "Sakura, I'm returning you to duty. They will fill you in on what you need to do once the Chunnin exam start."

Sakura's hand reached over slowly, placing it on Sasori's head as she lowered herself to his level and her teammates blinked at the gesture.

Naruto was definitely confused. "I thought he didn't-"

Both Sasuke and Sai slapped a hand over his mouth so fast they nearly broke his neck.

"With your permission," the pink-haired woman spoke up, glancing at Gaara. "I wish to know where you'll place him once you're back. I promised him that I would make sure he will feel safe when you find him a home."

Gaara gave her a curt nod.

"Don't worry, Sasori...I haven't forgotten," she whispered to him, smiling at him so gently. "I'll bring you some salted plums when I see you, okay?"

Sasori's eyes are not so lazy anymore.

Standing up, the kunoichi looked confused when Sai stood next to her, his smile shines on his face whether it's true or not, and abruptly slapped her back so hard, she thought she heard a crack on her spine.

Everyone stared at him, alarmed. Only Naruto understood all too well to what Sai was trying to do.

"What did I tell you before?" Naruto snapped angrily before Sakura can break his skull from the abuse. "Gentle! You can't just hit people like that!"

"It was supposed to be a friendly pat on the back," Sai said defensively, obviously learning that gesture from a book with Sakura being the poor fool to experienced it firsthand.

"That's wasn't friendly at all!"

"Sai," Sakura cuts in gently, her smile equally wide as his. Then she decided to return his kind gesture just twice as hard and he flew out of the room.

Even Gaara had to blink, horrified at what he had just witnessed.

"You guys are a mess without me," Sakura said with a heavy sigh, smiling affectionately. Sasuke scoffed under a hand on his face, leaving after Sai's flying figure, but not before he glanced at the female ANBU on his way out, his eyes soften.

Sakura hesitated before she turned and looked at Sasori. Both of their expressions unreadable. She caught a slight twitch on Sasori's fingers.

Naruto interrupted when he wrapped an arm around the woman. He placed a friendly hand on Gaara's shoulder with a quick, "After the Chunnin exam, I'm taking you out for ramen."

Everyone knew Gaara never had the time to be included in Naruto's favorite tradition and it made the man smiled. He acknowledged the invitation with a nod, earning a grin from the blonde before they left. Both Kages waited until they knew no one is within earshot.

"Gaara…" The Kazekage had some explaining to do once the Konoha's princess fixed her critical eye on him. "I'm going to turn a blind's eyes on this because of your friendship with a certain blonde who's going to be a thorn on both of our sides if he knew you're hiding secrets from us."

What shocked her most was when the brat actually snickered at her. Turning, she faced the child before her and that's when she noticed the dark look that crossed his face.

A lazy grin lifted on his lips, his eyes may be dull but they were clearly focused and dangerous as he regarded the two Kages before him. "I can see why Chiyo hated you so much."

No…

"We need to talk, you old hag."

Her clenched fist easily smashed through hard sand that was put up to stop her attack as it flew straight into the Kazekage's face soon after.