Sakura was a woman of many things, but it appeared that patience was not one of them. For the fifth time in the last two hours, they have stopped so Shikamaru could smoke. Normally this wouldn't have bothered her so much if they weren't under a strict time schedule, and she wasn't trying to get away from the murderous asshole who was likely on her tail.

"Are you quite finished? We have a Timeframe to adhere to."

The only male in their party fixed her with an annoyed stare, he slowly took another drag of the nearly-done cigarette whilst staring at her, as if daring her to make a move against him. Well, she'd had more than enough of men trying to assert their dominance over her. She marched straight up to him and plucked the cigarette from his lips and crushed it in her hand, glaring at him.

"I will not allow you to make us late for our assignment. You can smoke when we reach our checkpoint, until then, we will not be stopping for anything. So i suggest you use this as a chance to empty your bladder or drink some water, once we get moving, we will not stop. Am I clear?"

"Sakura relax. I get we have a schedule but come on, it's not like we're gonna blow the mission if we're a bit late…"

"No you come on, this mission isn't about Suna or diplomacy, this is about saving all our hides!"

Sakura levels Shikamaru with her most intimidating glare, and is immediately gratified to see him look uncomfortable. She points toward Tenten, who for the last few minutes has been staring off into space clutching Neji's headband instead of keeping an eye on their surroundings for any signs of unfriendly ninja.

"Tenten absolutely refuses to participate in missions anymore, and while under normal circumstances that would be understandable, it's been almost three years since the war! The longer she buries herself in her grief the more unstable she could become until, god forbid, she ends up trying to off herself!"

Shikamaru had the grace to flinch, while he was not particularly close to her the thought of someone he'd known since the Academy committing suicide make his stomach lurch.

And that was all she needed to pounce.

"And you are no better! You haven't been the same since the incident with the kids in Kirigakure, what happened to Choji wasn't your fault Shikamaru! His family made that very clear at the eulogy when they publicly thanked you for risking the mission to get him to safety, if it wasn't for you they wouldn't have gotten to say goodbye. You've been in the hospital twenty six times in the last six months, and the last one was the final straw. You don't sleep, you barely eat, and you struck the one person who tried so hard to help you through your pain hard enough to fracture her jawbone in three places! You're half a centimeter away from being placed in Konoha Mental Institution for the rest of your life and branded a danger to society! You-"

"ENOUGH!"

Sakura yelped as Shikamaru shoved her backwards into the tree trunk behind her, terrified and unfocused green eyes stared at the looming figure of the man quickly advancing on her. However she didn't see Shikamaru, she saw only what her body and her mind had been conditioned to see and hear. Instead of her friend, she saw her abuser. Tears started to well up in her eyes, how was he here? She'd been so careful, she had gotten away from him hadn't she? Her vision sharpened suddenly, and instead of the hate-filled grey eyes of Saiiko she was met with the angry brown eyes of a friend. Shikamaru knelt in front of her, the action quickly making her realize that she's sunken low to the ground like she did with Saiiko, a sign of her submission.

"Don't think I don't know about you Sakura. Don't think I haven't seen them, that I haven't heard the sounds that come out of your house when he drinks… don't think for one fucking second that you have any room to talk when you let that sick fuck you call a boyfriend treat you like his personal punching bag. I may not look it, but I pay attention to a hell of a lot that goes around me."

Tears dripped down her face, but instead of them being caused from fear and pain, these were made of nothing but anger. She felt herself heat up as the rage burned through her, scorching its way to the surface as she erupted.

"You knew!? You knew what he had done, what he was forcing me to do, and you did nothing? What the fuck is your problem?!"

"My problem? What the fuck is yours? You're an Ambassador to the Hidden Leaf, a highly decorated Kunoichi and a fucking Sannin! What's the deal? Do you enjoy being treated like shit or something?"

Sakura feverently shook her head, feeling herself shrink against the tree.

"You don't understand! I couldn't say no to him! He threatened to kill everyone, everyone I'd ever loved or cared about! I couldn't just sit there and let him kill people because of ME!"

Shikamaru stared at the sobbing Kunoichi in front of him, a woman he had once greatly admired for her strength and optimistically cheerful personality. The inner turmoil however, was a harsh reality. This woman had been utterly destroyed by a man who had claimed to love her with every fiber of his being, she'd been brutalized and tortured for years under the noses of those who also claimed to love her. She hadn't failed to tell them the truth, they had failed to see it themselves. All at once the memories of her over the years came flooding forward, the changes of her personality and the sudden distances from her friends. It shouldn't have been so easy to overlook them, to overlook her.

He looked away, shame and bile rising in his throat. He left her there to pick herself back up, fearing to say something that would set her off further. Within an hour she wiped her eyes and nodded at him, indicating that it was time to move forward. His attempts to apologise went ignored, she was the one who'd pushed him after all, and eventually the two of them began talking. Since Tenten didn't seem in any way interested in talking to either of them, Shikamaru began to tell her about what had happened after she'd began distancing herself from others in an attempt to protect both them and herself.

It took them three days to reach Sunagakure, and in those three days Sakura had learned alot about what had happened to her comrades after the war. Shikamaru had been ready to marry Temari, but when Choji died on an S-class mission, he'd closed himself up into his house and refused to come out. Temari was patient with him, she understood his grief and let him have his space. She constantly dropped by and gave him food, cleaned up around the house, and kissed his cheek before leaving.

Shikamaru did little to acknowledge her presence, or anyone else's for that matter, but one day when she went to kiss him goodbye and head for the door, she heard him whisper softly "Stay..." She merely smiled and sat beside him quietly, listening to him tell her broken bits of what had happened to Choji. After that he'd broken down and told her what he'd done to Ino, how he had punched her when she physically tried to get him to come out to the garden with her, she'd hoped the sun and the fresh air would wake him up a bit.

And he had repayed that thoughtfulness with a suckerpunch to her jaw and overly-harsh words, she'd stopped visiting regularly after that, and when she did she usually brought Sai with her in case things got violent again. Temari had the good sense to refrain from remarking on that, but when she left him that day she immediately went to Ino's to check on her.

For a lazy-assed genius he had one hell of a right hook...

After that she'd gone to tell Naruto that he was slowly, but surely, coming out of his rut. That when he was well enough to go outside, he was to try and send him on a mission. Get his mind off Choji in any way he could. And if all else fails, send him to Suna. She'd take care of him until he was ready to go back to the Leaf Village, at least then she'd be ready for the transition too.

As for Tenten, her story was worse. Before Neji had died, she had confided in him that she was carrying his child, a secret she had told no one but him. After he had perished, she went into a great state of depression and due to the intense amount of stress she was under, the baby also died. She was forced to deliver the infant as it was, otherwise she'd get sick as well. As it turns out, the bundle wrapped in silk she'd laid in his casket was the baby they never got to have. So everyday she'd visit the husband and child she was denied, no wonder she refused to leave them.

For the most part people left her alone, the grieving process was something that nobody wanted to interfere with, and now that she knew the whole truth Sakura very easily understood why Tenten was still grieving for the two lost loves of her life. The loss of a husband was one thing, but no parent should have to bury their child.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence, talking only occured when it was required. When they finally reached the gates of Sunagakure, Temari and Kankuro were waiting for them. Temari went straight for Shikamaru, asking if he was alright and offering soft words of comfort for him. Kankuro however beckoned Sakura over, his expression serious.

"I know why your here Sakura, both of us do. We're the ones who requested you. Gaara.. He.. Well he's gotten worse over the years, we're beginning to wonder if perhaps... He's insane."

"What do you mean insane?"

He looked down and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well... We know he was a Jinjuriki, but lately he's been talking to himself. Having full-blown arguments with someone who isn't there... If we try to talk to him he just glares at us and ignores us.. He needs help."

She nodded slightly, "I can't promise you anything but... where does he normally reside during the day?"

Kankuro and Temari both beamed, the two of them looked like kids at Christmas.

"In the oasis, a good mile to the north of here. He set up a camp there and hasn't left since.."

Sakura sighed and nodded towards the other two, who made their way over to them.

"We'll get set up in the hotel and then we can go about our mission, I assume you've been debriefed?"

"No. Naruto only told us we were to go with you on your mission, he didn't tell us why."

Irritation flashed through her, that was the last time she trusted him to do anything regarding her missions.

"'Go ahead and go, I'll tell the other two about the mission!' What the hell was I thinking? Of course he'd forget! The man would forget his own clothes if he wasn't reminded constantly by poor Hinata... Alright, I'll give you the short version. We were sent here to try and patch up the relationship between Suna and the Hidden Leaf, since Gaara stepped down the new Kazekage has made trade relations incredibly difficult and to be blunt we're sick of it. However that's not the only reason why we're here… But that part is classified and I've been told to keep my mouth shut about it. Shika-kun, your in charge of training the new War Advisors on strategitics and tactics. Tenten, your teaching Advanced Weaponry and Summoning Skills.. I'm in charge of their medics, I'm teaching them advanced chakra control and teaching them how to heal Major Arteries and Spinal injuries, along with developing and identifying poisons."

"How long are we here for?"

"Six months."

"SIX MONTHS!?"

"Oh come on guys it's not that bad. It'll be over before you know it!"

"Sakura that's not fair! You should've said something! I packed for a week or two at most!"

Temari sighed and shook her head, sending him a half-glare before her lips widened into a mischievous smirk.

"Trust you of all people to be concerned with the amount of clothes you have… Well I guess that means you need to go clothes shopping."

"NO, no i do not. Woman I REFUSE to go shopping with you. Last time, we went in for curtains and we came out with six different outfits for you... CURTAINS Temari!"

"Oh quit your nagging Shikamaru, your just jealous there was nothing in your size."

"I AM NOT!"

Sakura laughed and motioned for Kankuro to lead the way to their hotel, they had been given suites. Both of the girls had at least, Shikamaru had turned it down and - unsurprisingly - opted to stay with Temari. Kankuro had shown Sakura her room first, then lead Tenten down the hall toward hers. As they were turning the corner she thought for the most briefest of instances, that she saw the corner of Tenten's mouth lift in the shadow of a smile. Suddenly she had tunnel vision, she could see them as a couple, very easily in fact. As quickly as it was there, it was gone and so was her smile.

Oh well, one thing at a time.

For now her greatest concern was Gaara, this sudden bout of "insanity" was highly worrisome; and if what his siblings had told her was true, then it hit him unexpectedly and very quickly. She wasn't sure if this was related to him being the host of the One-Tail for so long, but it wasn't something to rule out just yet. Another thought was the possibility of a hidden illness, perhaps the violence was a side effect from whatever it is was wrong with him.

Well one thing was for sure, tomorrow she'd find out first hand just how violent he'd become.

Hey guys!

Sorry for the long haitus, but I'm going to try to update EVERY story as often as I can. My poor readers have been left with cliffhangers for waaaay to long!

Sorry for the long wait, but I'll try to make the updates more frequent for you guys!

As Always,

BlackRose999