Desert Rose-Chapter One

"Come on guys, we can't keep Gaara waiting" the well-known hyper-active blonde said as he and his 4-man ANBU team made their way to Suna.

"Slow down, Naru-Kit" a feminine voice with an animal mask of a rabbit said, trying to catch up with him and the rest of the group.

"No way, Blossom, it must be important if he asked for us for specifically" looking at the others in the group. Sakura, whose code name was Blossom (yea I know, real original), sighed as she and the other two members used more chakra to finally join Naruto at his side who was bounding off faster over the hot sand.

"She has a point, dickless" the person behind a rat mask said.

"We don't have nearly as much chakra as you so slow down a bit."

Naruto growled as his second comrade/friend Sai called him that stupid nickname he always hated.

"Shut up Artist and stop calling me that" he responded with a blush hidden behind his fox mask and a hawk-faced woman giggled and blushed, although no one could see it, as she heard the nickname Sai gave Naruto. "Ignore him Gentle" Naruto said as he slowed down for the others to catch up and looked at the hawk mask. Squeezing her hand, he smiled behind his mask, knowing the byakugan-using Hinata could see him as they neared Suna. "You're okay, Gentle?" Naruto asked softly as he noticed she didn't so much as look in his direction let alone acknowledge he was even there.

"I'm fine" Hinata replied in a quiet voice that everybody noticed lack the usual happiness around Naruto.

"Is everything alright between you and Naruto, Hinata?" Sakura said joining Hinata who let go of Naruto's hand.

"Yes, everything is fine" she repeated as she started to walk a little faster so no one would see the tears leaking out from under her mask.

'Why Naruto-kun, why did you have to betray my love like that?' Hinata thought as she remembered the day Naruto broke her heart when he claimed he loved someone else.

*Flashback*

"Hinata, can I talk to you for a second?" Naruto called out as walked over to the training grounds where Hinata and her former team just got through with training.

"Uh, su-sure Naruto-k-kun." Hinata stammered out as she blushed her way over to Naruto.

"Huh, you think he finally figured out Hinata's feelings for him?" Kiba managed to whisper in his usual loud voice earning him a hand over his mouth by Kurenai while Shino stayed quiet and motionless. Thankfully the two didn't hear him as they walked a little further away for privacy.

"Hinata, I been having…feelings for someone but I don't how to tell them. I mean she is really sweet, strong, and brave but she is way above my level and her family is feared by a lot of people. What should I do?" Naruto asked, looking Hinata straight in the eyes as she began to silently cheer in her mind.

'NARUTO-KUN LIKES ME, OH MY, YES I FINALLY…'

"Well, first you should let her know how you truly feel about her and why you actually like her. Then if given the chance, maybe get to know each other and warm up to her family. Then her family will grow to love you and accept you dating her" Hinata said clearly, growing out of her stuttering phase except for the occasional stutter around a certain blonde. Naruto's eyes grew bright with understanding and knowledge. Nodding, he quickly hugged Hinata and thanked her for the information.

"Y-you're wel-welcome Naruto-kun. So, who i-is the lu-lucky girl you're t-talking about?" Hinata asked shyly waiting to hear the words that would change her world forever.

"Oh, the girl I like is none other than…"

Shino, Kiba, and Kurenai watch as Naruto hug Hinata and answer something back to her.

"The knucklehead is really dense. It's about time he-" Kiba started by was soon quiet when he heard Akamaru whine and look up at him with sad eyes. "Huh, what's the matter Akamaru?" he asked as Akamaru started answering in barks and growls.

"Something isn't right? Hinata is crying of sorrow. WHAT?"

The team turned in time to see Hinata's knees give out as they saw her shoulders shake and her pounding her fist on the ground. Naruto was nowhere in sight. Kurenai was the first one over to the heart-broken kunoichi.

"Hinata what's wrong, why are you crying?" In between sobs, Hinata manage to get out what Naruto had told her.

"N-Naruto-kun….loves….T-T-Temari from…SUNA"

Hinata then curled up in a ball and cried all her pain and sorrow out as Kiba and Akamaru mysteriously disappeared to find and mutilate a certain fox vessel.

*end of flashback*

'Naruto-kun was saved from their wrath as his former team was summoned for a mission to Suna. Oh why couldn't I have been left behind but Gaara-san say he needed help locating something big and Neji-niisan is out on a mission. Oh I hope Kiba doesn't tell Neji niisan about this or anybody else. I don't think Naruto-kun will be able to live through it.'

"Gentle, GENTLE" someone screamed her ANBU name, making her snap out of the flashback.

"Yes, what is it? Are we under attack?" she said, looking around with her byakugan but not seeing anything.

"No, we're almost to Suna so let's stay focus until we meet Gaara, okay?" Naruto said a weird note in his voice as meeting Gaara wasn't his true motive.

'He must be looking forward to seeing Temari' Hinata thought bitterly as they made their way to the Suna gates where the guards were waiting for them.

"Halt, state your purpose."

Not saying a word, Naruto handed them a letter which they read, nodded, handed back and told them to go to the Kazekage Tower. Nodding, the group followed by Suna's own ANBU made their way to the tower where many surprises were waiting for them. Kankuro and Gaara were waiting for them outside the tower where each had a frown upon their faces as they noticed the four masked ninjas approaching.

"So you are the four best ninjas in Konoha to come help us?" Kankuro stated as he looked at the animal masked faces staring back at him while the group tried hard to laugh at Kankuro's expression. Sai was the one to answer because the group knew their voices would give them away too soon.

"Yes, so don't underestimate us just because we're young."

Nodding, Kankuro then led the four ANBU ninjas to a door that was closed tightly as the sound of shuffling came from behind it. Knocking three times, all noise inside the room stopped, and the sound of the doorknob turning showed Gaara with a grim look on his face. He gave a small smile as he noticed Kankuro and then looked behind him at the four animal masks.

"It's nice to see you again…Naruto" Gaara said letting the group in as he closed the door and looked at them.

"How did you know it was me so easily?" Naruto asked as he took of his mask and showed his naturally goofy grin plastered on his face.

"You're the only one who would wear a fox mask." Gaara pointed out as the group laughed at the obviousness of the situation.

"So, I'm guessing the rest are friends of yours huh?" Kankuro laugh surprised he didn't realize that was Naruto in the beginning. Nodding, Naruto told the other to take off their mask as Sakura, Sai, and Hinata's faces came into view. "You I recognize" Kankuro said, pointing to Sakura, "but who are the other two?"

Naruto then introduced Sai and Hinata who said it was a pleasure meeting them. As everybody put their mask away, they failed to notice the look on Gaara's face as he looked at a particularly shy woman who seemed to have an aura of sadness around her.

"So Gaara, why did you ask for us anyway? Also someone is missing…hey, where is Temari?" Naruto asked snapping Gaara out of his thoughts to look at the eager blonde. The group all noticed the sad looks on Kankuro's and Gaara's face when Temari's name was mentioned. "Is she okay?" Naruto asked worried something bad happened to her. Sakura and Sai raised an eyebrow at the unusual concerned heard in his voice and looked at Hinata who was stone-faced and not saying a word.

'Something not right between those two…I will find out later' Sakura thought as she listened to Kankuro's excuse for being sad.

"Temari is greatly ill. She went out on solo mission to retrieve a stolen package from Suna, but along the way back she was stung by something and is having hard time breathing and moving. We don't know what kind of poison it is or what attacked her, but at the rate she is going…she won't have much time left."

Hinata gasped as Naruto's face lost all color as he heard that Temari might die soon.

"Can't your medics do ANYTHING for her?" Naruto yelled making everybody jump except Gaara at his loud outburst.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Sakura asked eyes narrow as she noticed that Hinata yet to say a word or make a sound. Realizing he was yelling, he calmed down and said everything was alright. Kankuro sighed and said that the medics were doing everything they could but weren't as skilled as some of Konoha's medics.

"That's why we asked for a medic on the team" he said looking at Sakura. Nodding, Sakura asked where Temari was at so she could go examine her, thinking in the back of her mind to ask Hinata what was going on between Naruto and Temari. Kankuro and Gaara then led the Sakura and the rest to a room where Temari was occupied with almost all the medics in Suna. Temari was lying in bed with monitors and medics surrounding her when the group entered the room.

"Hey everybody" she said weakly before going into a coughing fit that drew Sakura and Naruto to her bed site within seconds.

"What happened out there?" Sakura asked as she started scanning Temari to see the length of the damage. As Temari was explaining to Sakura what happened, Sai started to draw the desert life outside while Hinata looked at the worried expression etched on Gaara's face.

'I have never seen Gaara-san so sad before. It's weird but I actually want go over there and comfort him. To tell him everything will be okay…what's wrong with me?' Hinata thought as tuned back in to the conversation between Temari and Sakura.

"-all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my leg and started to feel dizzy. I looked down and saw something scuttle away beneath the sand. That's when I made my way quickly back to Suna where the effects of an unknown poison began to take its course. By the next day, my body was paralyzed and I couldn't move."

Hinata looked at Naruto and noticed how tense he was as if imagining finding the creature that this to Temari and tearing it to shreds. When Sakura got through with her scan, she held a sad frown on her face and shook her head.

"This poison is way more advanced than anything I ever saw. I believe it to be some kind of scorpion poison but I don't know any antidotes-"

"SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO!" Naruto yelled at the pink-haired kunoichi who was actually scared at the enraged look in Naruto's eyes. While everybody in the room tried to calm down Naruto, Hinata was fighting internally with herself on whether she should help or not.

'If I help I lose Naruto-kun forever to Temari, but if I don't help I get Naruto-kun but at the cost…'

Hinata looked again at Gaara who was staring at his sister with sad eyes, that's when Hinata knew what she had to do. "I-I know a cure that might help" Hinata spoke up, making the room go quiet.

"Really?" Naruto asked, hope shining in his eyes as tears tried to fill Hinata's but she willed them back.

"Yes, it's a flower that is known for getting rid of toxin in the body with its pollen, but we must hurry for we need to get the pollen before the flower opens up and scatter the pollen to the wind.

"What's the name of the flower and where can we get it?" Gaara asked, joy barely heard in his voice as Hinata thought how nice of a smile he had.

"It's called the desert rose and grows near oasis where there is plenty of water" Hinata said a tear trying to break free as she felt in her heart that every word she spoke was taking her closer to losing Naruto.

"I believe there is in fact an oasis close to here" Gaara stated as he started to leave the room for his office and a map of the wind nation.

"Sai, Sakura, go ahead with Gaara and help him search. I will stay here with Temari-chan just in case she needs something."

Nodding, the group didn't miss how Naruto added the –chan honorific behind Temari's name or the quiet sob coming from Hinata as she wiped away a tear that was running down her face.

'That's it, I'm going to find out what the hell happened between those two' Sakura thought as she quickly caught up with Hinata as they made their way to Gaara's office. Inside Gaara's office, Gaara, Kankuro, and Sai were viewing a map of the region and drawing out what would be the fastest and safest way to get to the oasis as Sakura was interrogating Hinata about her and Naruto's behavior. At first, Hinata said nothing was wrong but as Sakura kept questioning her, her sturdy wall of resistance began to crumple and fall before her very feet. Bursting into tears, she cried all her sorrow and pain into Sakura's shoulder as Sakura patted her on the back saying that when she got done with Naruto he would forget all about the other woman. Hinata didn't tell her about it was Temari because she knew that Naruto didn't want anybody knowing yet.

"It's okay, Hinata, it will be okay. I'll hide his body later after I get through clobbering the life out of him" Sakura said rubbing the crying girls back as the three boys, uncomfortable with all the crying, went back to find the fastest route which Sai drew upon a scroll for Gaara to take with him when he left on his adventure to find the flower.

"Gaara, I don't believe you should go on this trip alone. I mean I know you can defend yourself and all, but what if you end up like Temari or something else happens to you?" Kankuro said in his protective brother mode as he watched Gaara pick up his gourd and ask one of the ANBU to pack water and other supplies for his trip.

"…I don't really have a choice now do I Kankuro?" Gaara finally said as he picked up the scroll handed to him by Sai.

"I need to find the plant quickly before Temari gets any sicker."

"So why did you ask for Konoha's help if you planned to go alone all along?"

Gaara sighed and looked up at his brother. Looking at Sakura, then at Hinata he said "because I knew they would send Naruto along and I wanted to see how much he really cared for about our sister." The room went silent after that last comment as everybody stared at Gaara.

"Wait a minute? Naruto LIKES Temari?" Kankuro asked wide-eyed as Gaara responded with a nod. "And you left him in the room WITH our sister who is VULNERABLE."

Hinata sniffed making everybody look back at her as she looked down at the ground, clearly depressed.

"You knew this…didn't you?" Sakura asked as she looked down at the back of Hinata's head who nodded slightly not meeting anybody's eyes. Sighing, Sakura tried speaking encouraging words to the extremely depressed kunoichi saying she would find another love, but her words didn't seem to have an effect.

"Hey, why is she so down?" Sai asked stupidly as he put away his ink set. Frowning at the naïve shinobi, Sakura told them about how Hinata secretly loved Naruto since she was little and he never figured that out. To make matters worse, he even asked her what to do to show Temari how much he cared for her. As the silence in the room lengthened, Gaara and Kankuro gave each other a look and sighed.

"Fine, we will let him be…for now. I'll have the ANBU keep an eye on him while I take you three back to Konoha-"

"NO" came the reply from Hinata, who looked up suddenly, eyes filled with determination as she stood up. "I want to help you look for the flower" she told Gaara a look on her face saying she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I can help you find the flower with my byakugan and also help you look out for enemies and traps."

Gaara's face was blank as she waited for his response.

"Or do you secretly want slow him down so he won't find the flower in time and you get to have your precious Naruto-kun back?" Kankuro said with a sneer as he didn't believe the dark-haired kunoichi one bit. However, the sneer was wiped out of him as Hinata slammed him against a wall with "gentle fist empty palm" before getting up in his personal space, rage clearly written all over her face.

"I can't believe that you, YOU, of all people, would think I would ever do such a horrible thing like that. Now, Hokage-sama specifically chose me to join the team because she knows I can be trusted and that I can be of much help in finding the flower. As much as I love Naruto-kun, I would never, EVER, jeopardize someone's life just to have him love me" Hinata said as she stepped back just as Kankuro fell to the floor, but quickly got his composure as everybody, even the ANBU, watch in silence at the scene. Sakura and Sai were shock at the normally quiet Hyuuga as she stood by them anger still shown on her face.

"I think that should be enough proof that she is telling the truth" Sakura said, smiling at how Hinata stood up for herself.

"Or she could be a really good actor" Sai muttered right before Sakura smacked him upside his head with a chakra-glowing hand. Gaara took one look at Hinata's face and nodded.

"You can help me find the flower for your eyes will come in handy" he said as he asked one of the ANBU to pack a bag for Hinata, who quickly followed the orders. As soon as both bags were ready, both groups made one last visit to Temari and Naruto, who haven't moved since he got there, and made their way to the Suna barrier between the village and the outside world. Kankuro, Sakura, and Sai headed in once direction, back to Konoha as Gaara and Hinata quickly made their way into another, looking for the oasis with the desert rose.

"Um…where exactly is the nearest oasis at, Gaara-sama?" Hinata nearly whispered as she felt a little uncomfortable being alone with the Kazekage of Suna.

"Please call me Gaara and it's not far from here about a two day walk, three if the weather becomes bad. Pulling out the map Sai made for him, he showed Hinata the route he was going to take that would them quickly to the nearest oasis and hopefully to the flower.

"Be careful though, because the desert has a lot of natural dangers like quicksand, sandstorms, and desert life we need to look out for. Although it would be easier to ride my sand to the oasis, I don't know how to collect the pollen from the flower or be able to see from the air any of the dangers that could be lurking nearby."

Nodding in agreement, Hinata said she understood and waited until Gaara put the map away to begin walking towards the oasis and hopefully the cure to Temari's mysterious poison. On the way to Konoha, a very pissed off pink-haired kunoichi was thinking about all the things she was going to do to Naruto when he got back to Konoha and try and figure out how many people she could rope into getting back at the fox vessel for hurting Hinata like that and not realizing her true feelings a long time ago. While Sakura was too busy plotting the death of a certain male blonde, Kankuro was in his own thoughts about said blonde and his sister.

'I hope you know what you're doing Gaara, although…you did seem INTERESTED in that quiet girl. Heh, she the first girl who actually tried to attack me openly like that since Temari. Maybe…just maybe…'

Sai felt a little left out as he noticed both Sakura and Kankuro in their own thoughts as they made their way back to Konoha.

"Hey, Sakura you seem to know a lot about that Hinata girl…what is she liked?" Kankuro asked out of the blue thinking that somebody else might find love in the desert night. Hinata and Gaara were making a good time as they continued walking to the nearby oasis until the desert started cooling as the sun fell and the night came. Hinata, breathing in the cool air of the desert, felt comfortable with the quietness of the trip as Gaara rarely said anything except to point out desert wild-life and the different type of cacti around.

After the sun had fell and the night grew colder than Hinata could bare, Gaara stopped and said it would be best to set up camp. Agreeing, Hinata set up her sleeping bag, set up a fire, and put a charm around the makeshift camp.

"Hinata" Gaara called out, getting the attention of said kunoichi as she turned to look at the redhead.

"Yes Gaara-san?" Gaara went over to her and started to move the sleeping bags closer together.

"We need to sleep together tonight."